Discover Kesong Puti and Bacalao Pizza at This Quirky Cavite City Café
The Quattro Formaggi pizza is also topped with the local quesillo (kesong puti).
These days, the sight of a Starbucks or a McDonald's branch in nearby provinces or cities even outside Metro Manila is not an uncommon sight. But in 2012, Café Antix gave Cavite City residents a caffeine buzz in a space that felt like home-they started serving lattes and other handcrafted beverages before the big franchises started peddling their designer coffee.
"We saw an opportunity to open a place where people can relieve their stress," shares Davey Guinto, owner and barista of Café Antix in Cavite City, a thesis project-turned-full time business.
More than just for Instagram: Cafe Antix serves a variety of coffees.
Bacalao, a light stew made with codfish, is added to pasta, pizza, and even sandwiches.
The homey space is dotted with vintage and restored antiques and kitschy items even before spaces were decorated specifically "for the 'gram." "My parents really love antique pieces so we just put everything here. They're all part of the family collection. 'Antix' in Café Antix is a play on the word "antiques"," shares Davey.
Don't be surprised if you hear a record blasting out tunes from the vinyl player sitting atop a TV from the '70s. On one side of the room, you can spy a TEAC 8-track player with a collection of cassette tapes-likely a curious sight for millennials who only grew up listening to music using CD players and MP3 players.
Can't get enough of Bacalao? This sandwich is for you!
The pulled pork sandwich is one hefty snack.
More than just having an Instagrammable space and coffee, Café Antix's draw is that they also highlight flavors like the quesillo (kesong puti) and the bacalao, a dish that is close to Cavite locals' hearts. The city served as a port during the Manila Galleon trade and the Bacalao, a codfish stew with Portuguese and Spanish origins, was one of the dishes that became a culinary staple for Cavitenos. It's made from salty codfish and is stewed in tomato sauce, paprika, or with veggies in a light wine sauce.
Bacalao on pizza? Why not!
"We offer various kinds of pizza. Firstly we have this pizza called Pizza Bacalao. Obviously, the main ingredient is Bacalao, which is a Cavite-known dish. We just pizza-fied the dish, made it more unique, like Café Antix's very own," adds Davey.
Cafe Antix's cold brew coffee is topnotch.
Cafe Antix also serves ice-blended drinks and flavored coffees.
It's been six years since Café Antix opened and the menu has expanded to include the now-trendy cold brew coffee and other off-menu or seasonal items (they once had a Sadako coffee on the menu!). There are still no big name-cafes in the city (the nearest one is in Rosario, Cavite) to steal their loyal customers. For now, their formula of comforting food + homey space seems to be working for Café Antix and it's become a space that people go back to, even after snapping that one Instagram photo.
Cafe Antix is at 5125 P. Burgos Avenue, Caridad, Cavite City
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