Cafe Marco: Coffee, Bikes And Beach

It’s the 230th day of quarantine period in our region and I could still remember that right after they lifted the travel bans and declared less strict quarantine protocols, we immediately went to Puerto Galera to finally experience a cafe dining at Cafe Marco. Since we are away from the metro, recent plans and getaways always include Cafe Marco whenever we want to have a sneak peek of a city life. It’s a usual destination whenever we visit Puerto Galera.

Who wouldn’t want to visit Cafe Marco, the flagship restaurant of Casa Marco? Aside from the comforting food and great view of the White Beach, it has one of the most amazing restaurant interior designs in Mindoro. Designed with classic and expensive bikes, one would know that the owner invested a lot from the decorations alone. This surely attracted bikers like my boyfriend.

But as a person who always has growling tummy, I come back because of the coffee and the food.

English Breakfast | Cafe Latte

Having an English Breakfast is like having the best breakfast meals at once. Cafe Marco gave us that. The scrambled egg and the bacon were both medium rare so I was loving the texture. The plate has a garlic bread but it doesn’t taste like one. I feel like the sausage and the pork and beans were from cans though. The Cafe Latte was a really strong despite of the milk mixture. I have to add more brown sugar. But it’s a comforting coffee.

Cafe Omelet | Marco’s Mango Shake

We’ve been buying this omelette repeatedly at Terminal, another restaurant owned by Casa Marco, because of its large serving and overloaded cheese. We only knew just now that Cafe Marco also offers the same thing. Marco’s Mango Shake doesn’t have its own distinction from other mango shakes. The ice isn’t finely crushed and the mango is quite sour since it’s made with fresh and natural mangoes.

Marco’s Signature Burger | Choco Banana Shake

Wow! This is a one huge burger and thick patty, two cheese and crunchy flower-shaped buns. The patty was compactly molded. The mushroom was a good addition as it balances the flavors. The potato chips were well-salted. Unlike in Marco’s Mango Shake, the ice in Choco Banana Shake was blended finely to the point that I couldn’t feel it. And that’s how I want my shakes to be. The natural flavors of banana matched the richness of the chocolate.

Rosemary and Garlic Pork Chop | Iced Coffee

I have nothing much to say about their Rosemary and Garlic Pork Chop aince it satisfied my palate. Even the fats are flavorful. I just wish thsy also have Rosemary Chicken. The mashed potato was strange. It’s quite sticky and sour. But I like the gravy with it. The iced coffee was delish. I can recognize its coffee and creaminess. It’s just quite sweet for my liking but when the ice were all melted, it was better.

Pesto Pasta | Blueberry Frappe

The Cafe Marco’s Pesto Pasta is so simple that it looks like a plain green Aglio Olio. It has no meats and other garnishes but surprisingly, the taste screams lusciousness. The basil may be few but its essence is fragrant and dominating. It comes with a crispy bread. I had a Blueberry Frappe with it which I found tangy at first but addictive afterwards. The whipped cream wasn’t the best but it added creaminess to the drink.

Cookies | Milk Tea

No no no! I’m super disappointed with the cookies. It too chunky and crumbly as if I’m eating polvoron. The chocolate chips aren’t gooey enough to be recognized. I appreaciate that it was served warm though. On the other hand, the milk tea tastes like pure soya milk. I didn’t feel any tea in it. Also, the milk tea wasn’t cold enough. The staff said that it’s just pure milk and tea. If it’s sugarless, that explains the blandness of the drink. 

Mango Cheesecake | Coffee Jelly Frappe

I like that the cream cheese alone has a hint of mango flavors already. It has mousse texture so it gives a melting sensation in mouth. They make sure that the mango slices picked were sweet. Although the crust was thick, the flavor of graham wasn’t overpowering, which is a good thing. I also like how they served the coffee, cream and coffee jelly separately for our Coffee Jelly Frappe. It has generous amount of coffee jelly so we totally enjoyed the drink.

Four Cheese Pizza | Garlic Parmesan Cheese Wings

We were surprised when we were served with this big rectangular pizza. I gues it has 20 slices and we weren’t able to finish it. It’s a good thing that it still tastes good even after a day. But I think it would be better if they used the Italian-style Four Cheese instead of the American-style thick crust pizza. Cafe Marco’s Garlic Parmesan Cheese Wings wasn’t the best wings of the same flavor out there but I instantly like it because of its crunchiness. I truly enjoyed its crust.