One Monday afternoon, I visited a boutique café called WACO on a media invitation that allowed me to bring up to three guests. So I invited my sister and a couple of journalist friends to join me for lunch. They had us choose between its two venues, and we picked the Katipunan branch over the one inside the University Hotel lobby in University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman.

Roughly a 20- to 30-minute drive from San Juan City, my sister Jess and I arrived at WACO, where my friends Edwin and Dennis were already waiting. Situated among primarily mid-century residential homes just off Katipunan Avenue, the semi-upscale café is quite popular among students — well, students with a “budget.”

That March afternoon was still the amihan season — the wind still cool as Jess and I walked up a sloped driveway and into what looked like a 1970s Filipino home.

Students filled the al fresco area, hunched over laptops, notebooks and colored pens. Fans were mounted overhead, and a round green sign reading “What About Coffee?” (so that’s what WACO means) was fixed onto light brick walls. Meanwhile, wooden accents and potted plants gave the space an open, functional feel.

WACO Katipunan sits in a prime “academic pocket” near Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College and UP Diliman. And while Katipunan Avenue serves as the busy commercial artery, the café occupies a quieter, residential “backyard,” where students and faculty clearly go for a more focused atmosphere.

Once we entered the main cafe, it felt like a different world. From the tranquil, study hall vibe outside, the indoors were packed and noisy. It was animated, with loud chattering and laughing, and all tables occupied. Clearly, it was a busy Monday lunch, with waiters fluttering here and there, serving thoughtfully plated dishes.

When Jess and I entered the air-conditioned space, Dennis and Edwin were already there, sipping Lychee Lemonade (P229). They waved at us from a four-seater couch area by the entrance. After a quick round of greetings, we began ordering. After a long and painful hospital stay, this was my first coverage, and I was grateful to relax with friends.

My drink arrived first: Biscoff Latte (P289, iced). An eye-popping, richly delicious milk-based iced coffee topped with whipped cream, crushed Biscoff and a festive scattering of red-and-green biscuit pieces. The coffee was subtle beneath the richness. Creamy and slightly thick, it was more like dessert than a drink — so fantastically, superbly delicious that every sip had me going, “hmmm!” — and it filled me up before my meal even arrived.