Espresso and ube? This three-way Filipino collab makes it a reality
Photos from hirayadc/Instagram
Filipinos love a good (read: unexpected) food combination. Champorado with dilis? Ice cream-filled pandesal? Hotdogs and marshmallows on stick? The list goes on. These mouthwatering bites even hit differently when you’re craving the taste of home.
If trying another interesting fusion is up your alley, here’s something you can add to your next food spot-hopping itinerary in the US capital.
Inside Filipino restaurant and cafe Hiraya lies a new exclusive dessert: a cup of affogato that consists of a scoop of ube ice cream from Virginia-based Toby’s Homemade Ice Cream, paired with espresso from female-owned Sun & Stars. And get this: Those two brands are also both Filipino-owned, making it a three-way collaboration that both nostalgia hoarders and coffee stans will love.
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“Affogato with @tobysicecream ube ice cream and @sunandstarscoffee espresso. Need I say more?” Hiraya posted on Instagram, sharing a photo of the new offering. They also revealed that another variation features ice cream in buko pandan flavor.
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In the comment section, Sun & Stars described it as “collab of my dreamssss.” Toby’s also shared the word, adding “Amazing Filipino collaborations and creations in your favorite Filipino cafe!”
Hiraya’s lineup of Filipino favorites also features meals like chorizo burger made of ube bao buns and tocino patties, and duck confit with black garlic adobo.
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Sometime this year, Toby’s Ice Cream owners Toby and Monina Bantug shared on Instagram one of their early milestones—when they sold their ice cream at the Tucker Road Filipino Sports Fest in Maryland in 1999.
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The special affogato can be found inside Hiraya’s store at 1250 H Street NE, Washington, DC. While you’re there, you can also check out their own fresh roster. It includes their house roast “Kapemilya” (a play on “kapamilya” and “kape”), which is made of 100 percent Arabica beans from Sagada.
