% Arabica: See The World Through Coffee

% Arabica is an independent coffee shop born from the founder’s love for coffee, design, and travel. % Arabica opened its first branch in the Philippines in 2018, but it ghosted us with its abrupt closure in 2022. Last year, it made a comeback in a new location, now featuring a futuristic concept theme.

From Kyoto to the world, % Arabica now operates hundreds of stores worldwide. I don’t usually visit the same coffee shop in different countries, but I happened to visit their stores in three different countries, coincidentally aligning with their tagline: “See the world through coffee.”

Iced Spanish Latte

This Iced Spanish Latte is from % Arabica Singapore Arab Street. I’m not sure why, but it didn’t taste like a typical Spanish Latte to me. The sweetness of the milk, which is a defining feature of a Spanish Latte, was missing. Another key aspect of a Spanish Latte is the ability to taste the distinct flavor notes of the beans, even with the milk addition. Unfortunately, I didn’t think they managed to bring out the right notes of the coffee beans used here. Instead, I could just taste a rust-like flavor in the coffee. Moreover, I found the taste of their milk odd. Could this be because I’m in a different country?

Iced Matcha Latte

This Iced Matcha Latte is also from % Arabica Singapore Arab Street, and once again, I encountered the strange milk. The matcha would have been fine if it weren’t mixed with their odd choice of milk. The matcha itself had the right earthiness. Arabica uses authentic green tea from Uji, Kyoto, and I could sense its quality in the latte. However, the milk had weird notes that made the entire drink taste a bit sour. I actually noticed the acidity before tasting any sweetness or earthiness that was expected. After a few mixes and sips, though, I got used to the combination.

Hot Kyoto Latte

I found out that % Arabica’s Kyoto Latte and Spanish Latte are quite similar, with the main difference being the ratio of milk to espresso. Both use condensed milk for sweetness, which explained why I couldn’t detect much difference between the two. This time, I ordered the hot version in % Arabica Macau Travessa de Paixao, the only % Arabica in Macau. However, I still think they used that same strangely flavored milk. I hoped for something different, but the taste remained consistent. Anyway, the latte art was nice.

Maple Latte

This is a limited-edition drink I got from % Arabica Manila Mitsukoshi BGC, featuring a Canadian twist. I could immediately tell the difference from the lattes I had in the other countries, even though this was a different flavor. This time, the milk tasted like regular whole milk, which allowed the great coffee flavor to shine through. The maple added just a hint of sweetness, which was good since it didn’t overpower the coffee’s flavor. However, we couldn’t quite recognize the maple. Still, it was a comforting drink.

Affogato

I was surprised to receive an espresso-flavored soft serve instead of the usual vanilla. I was initially hesitant to try it because I thought double espresso might be too much. But to my surprise, it wasn’t overwhelming! Do you know what makes a successful espresso shot? It’s when the flavor notes are well-exposed in the shot alone. Despite the intensity of the coffee, I could still taste the nuttiness. The soft serve was smooth, although I did get clumps of crushed ice in it. The serving was generous. I could even feel its weight while holding it.