There’s a growing café culture in my hometown, Cavite City, and its nearby districts. The newest addition is Café 506 in Kawit, Cavite, a 25-minute drive from my neighborhood. It’s under the same management as Samala Kitchen Delights in Cavite City and the classic Pat and Sam’s Delicacies & Pasalubong.
Café 506 mixes the elements of your favorite neighborhood coffee shop, corner restaurant, and pasalubong center. When you enter, there are shelves of Pat and Sam’s bestsellers such as bibingka malagkit (glutinous sweet rice) and sapin-sapin (layered glutinous rice and coconut), and packed Filipino snacks such as biscocho (crusty baked bread topped with butter and sugar) and crispy flavored dilis (anchovies).
They’re in soft opening mode, but I’ve been there thrice already. My picks from the menu: Filipino style taco salad—a sinful salad that uses heaps of thousand island dressing and grated cheddar cheese; Asian chicken salad—lettuce with dried crispy noodles, roasted native peanuts, grilled chicken, and creamy dressing on the side; pesto farfalle—ribbon pasta with pesto, parmesan cream sauce, and grilled chicken on top; pasta negra—classic Filipino pancit mixed with squid ink and topped with herbs and sautéed squid; cheesy beef lasagna—the ultimate comfort dish drowning in cheese; and a slice of creamy chocolate cake. The portions are big!
For drinks, the barista is open to customizations. I ordered Java chip frappe, but asked for an extra shot of espresso when I found out that their frappes are caffeine-free.
I can’t wait to see how this café will evolve in the next few months. Caviteños, drop me a line when you visit this place and tell me what you think!
Café 506 is located at EPZA Diversion Road, Kawit, Cavite, Philippines. Tel. no. +6346-443-7581.