In 30 seconds: Specialty coffee menus can look like a foreign language. Here's the short version — a flat white for strong-but-smooth, a cortado for a quick balanced hit, a latte for milky and mellow, cold brew for smooth iced coffee that won't wilt in the heat, and a pour-over when you want to actually taste the beans. That's most of the menu, decoded.
New to specialty coffee?
Siargao runs on early mornings — surf checks at dawn, slow brunches after, laptops open by mid-morning. Good coffee is part of the rhythm. But "specialty coffee" menus can be intimidating if you're used to just ordering "a coffee." The good news: behind the fancy names, it's mostly the same two ingredients — espresso and milk — combined in different ratios. Once you know the ratios, you know the menu.
Here's the cheat-sheet, from strongest to mellowest.
The espresso family (hot milk coffees)
- Espresso — the shot everything is built on. Small, intense, no milk. A quick jolt before a swim.
- Cortado — espresso "cut" with a small amount of warm milk, roughly equal parts. Balanced, strong, drunk fairly quickly. Great mid-morning.
- Flat white — a double shot topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of silky microfoam. Stronger and less foamy than a latte, so the coffee still leads. It's the island go-to, and the one we keep coming back to.
- Cappuccino — similar amount of coffee to a flat white, but with more airy foam on top. Lighter in the mouth.
- Latte — the milkiest of the lot: espresso with lots of steamed milk. Smooth, mellow, easy — a good "I don't love strong coffee" order.
- Americano / Long Black — espresso lengthened with hot water. Black coffee, no milk, but rounder than a plain drip. (A long black keeps a little more crema.)
Cold things, for a hot island
By 10am in General Luna, hot coffee stops being the obvious move. Two ways to keep it cold:
- Cold brew — coffee steeped in cold water for the better part of a day, then filtered. The slow, cold steep pulls out sweetness and skips a lot of the sharpness, so it's remarkably smooth and low in acidity. Served over ice, black or with a splash of milk — a great call for a long work session.
- Iced latte / iced long black — espresso poured over ice (and milk, if you like). Brighter and more "coffee-forward" than cold brew, and quicker to make.
Pour-over: when you want to taste the beans
If espresso is about intensity, filter coffee (also called pour-over) is about clarity. Hot water is poured slowly through freshly ground coffee, one cup at a time. There's no milk to hide behind, so a good single-origin shows its character — think notes of stone fruit, cocoa or citrus depending on the bean. Order this when you're not in a rush and you're curious what the coffee actually tastes like.
Not feeling coffee? That's allowed
Island heat and afternoon slumps call for other things too. A matcha or a coconut latte gives you a gentler lift, and both are lovely iced. If you take plant-based milk, oat is the crowd-pleaser with espresso and coconut leans tropical — both handle ice well.
Quick picks — what to order when…
- You want strong but smooth: flat white.
- You want quick and balanced: cortado.
- You find coffee too bitter: latte, or a cold brew.
- It's hot and you're settling in to work: cold brew (bonus: Marajaw runs on Starlink, so the wifi keeps up).
- You want to taste the beans: pour-over of a single-origin.
- You'd rather skip caffeine: matcha or a coconut latte.
Frequently asked questions
What is a flat white?
A flat white is a small milk coffee: a double shot of espresso topped with steamed milk and a thin layer of microfoam. It tastes stronger and less foamy than a latte, so the coffee comes through clearly.
What's the difference between cold brew and iced coffee?
Cold brew is steeped in cold water for many hours, which makes it smooth, sweet and low in acidity. Iced coffee is usually brewed hot then poured over ice, so it tastes brighter — like a regular coffee, chilled.
What should I order if I don't like bitter coffee?
Try a cortado, a latte or a cold brew. More milk, or a cold and slow steep, both soften bitterness. A pour-over of a fruity single-origin is gentle rather than bitter too.
Where can I get specialty coffee in General Luna?
Marajaw Cafe opens in General Luna in October 2026, a short ride from Cloud 9, with specialty coffee at the heart of what we do. The full drinks line-up is still being finalised — follow @marajawcafe for the reveal.
Do you have plant-based milk?
That's the plan — oat and coconut alongside dairy, both of which work well with espresso and over ice. We'll confirm the final line-up at opening.