Cebu City - No, the Maria Clara M Cafe is not named after one of the female characters in national hero Jose Rizal’s novels. Nevertheless, owners Gina Millares and her husband Jude have put in a lot of effort to make their newly launched cafe every bit as Filipino, from the menu to the interiors.

A cup of choco loco and strawberry-filled bun

The shop’s specialty is coffee (at P35 a cup), which comes in mango, strawberry, choco loco, vanilla, and lemon flavors. It also offers sikwate (native chocolate) in blends with orange, caramel, latte, and, you wouldn’t believe it, siling labuyo (chili) .

The cafe’s waitresses, with hair brushed back in a bun, are garbed in white uniforms with puffed-sleeved blouses similar to the Philippine female costume baro’t saya, which the miniature dolls at the magazine stand (photo below) on the side also wear.

World-class coffee
Don’t underestimate the P35-a-cup coffee. The Maria Clara specialty has a strong kick that will keep you up for hours, believe us.

“We wanted to develop a mixture that is on a par with other popular coffee brands,” Jude Millares tells us. And yes, the cafe uses world-class coffee beans–Chicco Doro, an Italian brand that guests at Cebu’s Marriot Hotel also enjoy.

While the menu is infused with some non-Pinoy delights such as the corned beef pannini (P120), there are the regular breakfast meals such as tapa (which we tried out, at P180 a serving), longganisa, and tocino, among others.

For light eaters, Maria Clara Cafe offers pandesal with pork humba, lechon, bacon, and corned beef ranging from P75 to P90.

Pinoy franchise with a Spanish influence
The Maria Clara Cafe is a spin-off of the Spanish restaurant Gustavian, owned by the Lhuilliers of Cebu, says Jude, who manages one of the Lhuillier companies. Her husband is a wine and coffee connoisseur, Gina tells us, and had a hand in choosing the wine lined up at the corner of the shop.

The first Maria Clara Cafe, located at Barangay Talamban, roughly 45 minutes from the city proper, is an experiment in franchising, Jude says. While Talamban is a residential area, foreign students at a nearby Korean school are among Maria Clara’s regular customers.

While this is their first venture into the food business, the Millareses are expecting Maria Clara Cafe to do well. Already a second branch is being built in in Banilad, just outside Sto. Nino Village, and a number of friends are eager to buy a franchise.

A framed antique baro hangs by the bread stand. Pastries and bread are supplied by Cebu Country Farmers.

Maria Clara M Cafe
Talamban, Cebu City