In 30 seconds: Coffee is not the only good thing on a specialty counter. Matcha is powdered green tea whisked into water or milk, for a gentler, steadier lift with no espresso bitterness. Coconut is the island's own dairy alternative, and it comes in two very different forms. And once the heat sets in, the right order is almost always the cold one. Here's the non-coffee half of the menu, decoded.
Not a coffee drinker? You're in good company
Specialty cafés talk a lot about coffee, and understandably so: it's the craft at the centre of the room. But plenty of people through the door aren't ordering espresso: cutting down on caffeine, pregnant, already on their second drink of the day, or simply not fond of the taste. All reasonable positions to hold in a coffee shop.
Siargao adds a second reason. By mid-morning in General Luna the air is warm and heavy, and a hot cup stops being the obvious move. What you usually want is something cold, not too sweet, and not so heavy that it replaces breakfast. So here's the other side of the counter, explained plainly.
Matcha, explained without the ceremony
Matcha is green tea, made in a way that changes almost everything about it. The plants are shaded for a few weeks before harvest, which pushes the leaves greener and softens their bitterness, then dried and ground into a very fine powder.
The key difference is what happens in the cup. A tea bag steeps and is thrown away, so you drink an infusion. Matcha powder is whisked into the liquid and stays there, so you're drinking the whole leaf, suspended. That's why it looks opaque, feels thicker on the tongue, and tastes considerably fuller than brewed green tea. Expect something grassy and vegetal, with a savoury depth people call umami and a natural sweetness underneath. Good matcha is smooth; harsh, dusty bitterness usually means low-grade powder, water that was too hot, or a cup that wasn't whisked properly.
Two ways you'll normally meet it:
- Straight: whisked with hot water and nothing else. Intense, green, no hiding place.
- As a latte: whisked, then topped with milk, hot or over ice. The milk rounds off the edges, and the iced version is the one that makes sense in island heat.
And yes, matcha has caffeine. A typical serving usually lands below a double shot of espresso, though it depends on how much powder goes in. Most people describe the lift as flatter and longer than coffee's.
Coconut: the island's own dairy alternative
Fly into Sayak and the first thing you see from the window is coconut palms, dense and endless, running right across the island. Coconut isn't an imported trend here. It's what grows outside. Worth knowing, though: "coconut" on a drinks list can mean three quite different things.
- Coconut water (buko juice): the clear liquid inside a young green coconut. Light, barely sweet, mostly water with some natural sugars and potassium. Best drunk cold, straight from the shell.
- Coconut milk: pressed from the grated flesh of a mature coconut. Thick, rich and properly fatty. This is a cooking ingredient, not something you'd pour into a glass.
- Coconut drinking milk: the lighter blend cafés use for lattes and iced drinks. It steams and pours like a milk should, and brings a distinctly tropical sweetness with it.
Honest note: coconut is the more temperamental barista milk. It separates more readily in cold, acidic drinks than oat does, so an iced coconut drink needs more attention to build well. Oat is the safe, neutral option; coconut is the one with an opinion.
Cold drinks that hold up to a Siargao afternoon
The test for a hot-climate drink isn't the first sip. It's the last one, twenty minutes later, when the ice has melted and the sugar has had time to make itself known. What passes that test:
- Iced matcha latte: cooling, not heavy, a real lift without the espresso edge.
- Fresh coconut water: the island default, and hard to improve on.
- Calamansi over ice: the small local citrus you'll see everywhere in the Philippines, sharper and more floral than lime. It cuts straight through the heat.
- Properly brewed iced tea: brewed and chilled rather than poured from a sweet mix. Unsweetened or lightly sweetened, it stays drinkable to the bottom of the glass.
- Fruit blends: mango, banana and calamansi are local and seasonal. Ask what's good that week.
- A glass of water alongside: unglamorous, and the best thing you can add to any order in this climate.
How to order something you'll actually like
A short decision tree, for the moment you're at the counter with a queue behind you:
- "A lift, but not coffee." Iced matcha latte.
- "No caffeine at all." Coconut water, calamansi, a fruit blend, or a herbal or ginger tea.
- "Creamy, but dairy-free." Oat for neutral, coconut for tropical.
- "Sharp and refreshing." Calamansi, over plenty of ice.
- "I want to taste the matcha itself." Straight, or a hot latte with oat.
- "Not too sweet." Say so when you order. Sweetness that's pleasant on the first sip is cloying by the last.
One habit worth picking up: ask how a drink is sweetened. Plenty of iced drinks across the island are built with syrup by default, and it's easy to dial down.
What we're working on at Marajaw
Marajaw opens in General Luna in October 2026, and the non-coffee side of the counter is getting the same attention as the espresso, because "not a coffee drinker" shouldn't mean "nothing good for you here". We're planning around what the island already does well: cold, light, not overly sweet, made properly rather than poured from a bottle. The line-up will be confirmed at opening, and shared first on @marajawcafe. Meanwhile the island guide is a good place to plan the rest of your trip.
Frequently asked questions
What is matcha, exactly?
Green tea leaves, shade-grown before harvest, dried and stone-ground into a very fine powder. Unlike a tea bag, the powder is whisked into the water rather than steeped and removed, so you drink the whole leaf, which is why matcha looks thicker and tastes fuller than brewed green tea.
Does matcha have caffeine?
Yes, and how much depends on how much powder goes into the cup. A typical serving usually sits below a double shot of espresso, and many people find the lift steadier than coffee's, partly because of an amino acid in tea called L-theanine.
What's the difference between coconut water and coconut milk?
Coconut water is the clear liquid inside a young green coconut, known locally as buko: light, barely sweet, drinkable straight from the shell. Coconut milk is pressed from the grated flesh of a mature coconut: rich, creamy, mostly used in cooking. Café coconut drinks use a lighter drinking blend, not cooking milk.
Which plant-based milk is best with matcha, oat or coconut?
Oat is the neutral one: creamy, and it lets the tea lead. Coconut adds its own sweetness and aroma, which some people love with matcha and others find distracting. If you've tried neither, order oat first so you know what the matcha itself tastes like.
What can I drink in Siargao if I don't want caffeine at all?
Fresh coconut water is the easy island answer, and it's widely available. Calamansi makes a sharp, refreshing cold drink, and fruit blends and herbal or ginger teas are caffeine-free too. In this heat, a glass of plain water alongside is never a bad idea.
Will Marajaw have matcha and non-coffee drinks?
That's the plan. Marajaw Cafe opens in General Luna in October 2026, and the non-coffee side of the counter is being worked on with the same care as the espresso. The final drinks line-up will be confirmed at opening.