Kafe de Manila 💜

The best Filipino desserts and drinks in NJ! Owner is really nice

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

With purple being my favorite color, and ube being one of my favorite desserts (married to a filipino), this is a completely biased review.

But walking into those store made me so happy. Getting to choose between so many delicious deserts and drinks, playing the coin game with strangers, taking the perfect selfie and relishing that first excited sip... what a great time. It felt like like a welcoming club of other sweet lovers and I fit right in.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Only two stars. Sorry. Product is good, but: Limited hours here and several times I came 20 minutes before closing the doors already locked. In the summer, on Fridays, there is a car show on the main street, this shop closes way to early and dozens of customers are shocked that this business is closed already and early. It just seems like this business looks for a reason to close early or to just close.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 5

Service: 2

Good selection of coffees and teasIngad an Iced Thai Tea with pearls.

the best!!!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

workers were super nice and their ube latte is so so amazing im going back asap. and I got the use tres leches which is to literally die for

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Great place in the community to share the Filipino love for ube and coffee. I remember when the cafe was smaller and a different location; but the flavor has never changed. The owner & his family are the friendliest people and truly love what they do which shows in everything they’re serving. New location is clean and in a prime location so do not pass by and not try their ube flavored coffee and their delicious deserts. I’ve tried everything there so do not ask me which is my favorite bc I loved everything. Service was quick and handled w care. Again, if you haven’t tried it, GO. a must go in the Somerville area.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Taro Slush, Ube Crinkle Cookies, Mais Con Yelo, Ube Banana Pudding, Chocolate Crinkles, Desserts, Bakery, Ube Cheesecake, Mango, Ube Latte with Espresso, Cheesecake, Mango Graham Shake, Ube Croissant, Filipino Desserts, Ube Macapuno Cake, Ube Flan Cake, Cupcakes, Puto Flan, Mango Float

This place is truly one of a kind. The Ube crinkle cookies are even better than anything I've had. The Ube shaken espresso with ube cold foam is something I've never seen before, ever, and it is HIGHLY addictive. There are numerous other amazing drinks and bakery products. The owner is also incredibly nice. Do not sleep on Kafe de Manila.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Whether you like modern mixed taro/matcha drinks, or you stay a purist and order Taho and Ice Scramble, this place has it all.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

First of all, if your business doesn’t have enough items for people to buy, you shouldn’t have a business or just simply say sold out. My mom informed me that she tried to buy a dozen of an item and was told she was not able to buy that much and that she needed to leave some for other customers?!? I have never heard that before in a business. If Starbucks said that to their customers, do you think they would have people to return?

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 3

If you have a sweet tooth, you gotta try the Ube Banana Pudding!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Halo Halo was ok, I was looking for a more traditional Halo Halo with real ube not the powder version. Not a very friendly staff. There is also limit to your purchase of pastries, according to the owner you can only buy two of a kind because other customers who will come later would want to purchase items that you are buying. Therefore she can only sell you two items of each per visit.
There was no sign in the store that there is a purchase limit and what business would say that to a customer? A business should want their customers to return. This business needs to be a bit more humble.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 2

I immigrated from the Ph to the US when I was 10 and recently visited the Ph this past summer for the first time in almost 8 years and my boyfriend knew that I have been sad about missing being back home really bad and missing my family and the Filipino food. He went here to bring me some home and surprise me and got me the ube crinkles, ube taro boba and the tres leches cake. This is the first place I’ve had in the US where the crinkles taste just like how I remember them when my mom would pack me them as a snack for school when I was still in the Philippines. My bf got me the ube crinkles bc they were out of chocolate and they are AMAZING. I swear it melted in my mouth with how soft and perfect the ube crinkles were. The lady told him that the owner hand makes the crinkles herself and I think that is so AMAZING!! I can’t wait to come back there with him and try the chocolate crinkles as well as other Filipino classics on their menu like the mango float and taho!! 1000/10!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

A lovely shop run by a wonderful husband and wife duo. Stop by here for delicious Filipino treats and drinks! I had a Calamansi + Yakult drink, and it was SO refreshing on a hot day!

As someone who likes coffee, tres leches and going to local cafes. This is probably one of more preferred cafes and definitely preferred over Ambee Cafe down the street. The lattes and coffees are pretty good overall. Some are better than others and I appreciate them offering Vietnamese coffee which is pretty hard to find. I also appreciate the exposure to Filipino flavors especially their Ube tres leches. It's not too sweet and not too heavy. It's the right amount of sweetness and milk content. And the Ube adds a nice touch to it. I have tried a lot of flavored tres leches around Somerset, New Brunswick & Somerville area. Their Ube tres leches definitely takes 1st place for me due to it not being overly sweet. Only recommendation would be a better container for them. The containers leak the milk and have gotten on my car seats which the deep purple color is pretty difficult to get out if it dries on the seat.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5