“ Look, that
was no fight of the century. Somebody’s surely Php XXXX richer today. Tough
luck”.
I couldn’t care
less. I wasn’t very much into boxing - well, not while I was on official duty
during the whole duration of the match. But surely, I was more into quietly
observing how people discussed with gusto about boxing, and politics, and
businesses, and healthy lifestyles - imaginary or real - , and who knows what,
over sips of the brew Madge’s faithfully offers. This coffee shop has been a
second home for everyone who would want to just throw their guards off, and
bask the time away before the grueling Monday begins.
My trips to
Iloilo are almost always redeemed by paying homage to one of the most enduring
meccas for morning rituals. I often stay within walking distance from the La
Paz Central Market for a cup or two of that good old morning brew and more . I
take a brisk morning walk to what I call a time machine disguised as a
three-block coffee shop.
Madge’s Coffee
House is currently managed by Peter De la Cruz, of the third generation of the
de la Cruz family who ran the business since the 1950s. It is all that one
expects for a coffee shop located at the heart of the market. Brimming with
folks from all walks, discussing topics from worlds both living and dead. I’m
no coffee connoisseur, though I’d describe this Panay brew as rich tasting
without being heavy on the stomach. The aroma is perfect recalling the commonly
enjoyed brew passed through a kolador/colador (a makeshift pour over
filter usually of cheese cloth ). For those opting for the creamed variant, it
comes with evaporated milk. 
I always go for
the black brew (yes, no milk and sugar) , and with an hour and half to spend, I
took the chance to capture the whole vibrant mix of aroma, elements and chitchat.
Breakfast is perfect - pan de ciosa with poached egg sunny side up. By
far, this is closest to how I think the bread should be made: A bit of crunch
on the crust - just enough to hear the crack without hurting your gums - yet
with a slight fluff in the body. Call me anything, but I see no difference with
what regular Singapore hawker breakfasts have to offer. 
Armed with five
senses and a phone cam, I immerse in two cups worth of cultural dynamism. Memorabilia (pictures developed from film rolls), art
(paintings), contemporary hymnals
discreetly flowing through the speakers, politics, ingenuity (a chandelier
recycled from the accumulated empty milk cans) and a working man’s menu may
seem a mismatch in the today’s marketing world - but work, it does - perfectly.
Old news paper clippings featuring this coffee house in different angles, aged
wooden frames and mesh screens conjuring images of the tiangge and the houses
most of us grew in, various mugs displayed on shelves, the trusty old glass display shelf - all add up to the vibe, taking me back to old homes and massive school buildings in art deco fashion. The mixed elements mysteriously work the same way
Eddie Van Halen’s “Frankenstrat” or Brian May’s “Red Special” (for the
uninitiated, these are DIY guitars which propelled the careers of the mentioned
artists ). So does Madge’s magic brews.  |
| Chandelier from used milk cans. Coolness |
