By the time Saturday arrived, all of us looked as though we had spent the week staring into the same screen updating the same websites. In many ways, we had.
We work remotely, scattered across different homes and different cities, meeting each other more often through video calls Most days, our conversations revolve around deadlines, web technicalities, campaigns, translations, and the tiny details that only fellow Web Content Developers would understand. When work becomes particularly demanding, our worlds shrink until they are measured by browser tabs, coffee mugs, and the glow of a laptop long after sunset.
That Saturday was different.
We finally traded our laptops for paintbrushes, laughed our way through an afternoon activity that reminded us none of us had promising futures as painters, attempted a little dancing with far more enthusiasm than grace, and lingered over lunch at a Thai restaurant before the afternoon began to dissolve into separate plans. Some of our teammates headed their separate ways, while a few of us wandered into The Podium in search of coffee and a little more conversation.
There was no great plan behind it. Only the quiet understanding that good conversations are difficult to leave once they have finally found their rhythm.
Nestled within the mall is H Proper Coffee Roasters, one of those cafés that manages to feel polished without becoming intimidating. They serve carefully crafted coffee, pastries lined neatly behind glass, and a selection of hearty meals that make the café feel less like a quick stop and more like a place where afternoons can comfortably unfold. Even before I opened the menu, the place carried the quiet confidence of somewhere that knew exactly what it wanted to be. The menu made lingering easy.
Over the past several months, my coffee preference has rarely changed: an Americano, no sugar, no cream.
It is not a choice born from asceticism, nor is it an act of extraordinary discipline. Like many people who have become more mindful of their health, I have simply learned that small decisions, repeated daily, eventually become habits. And so, most mornings begin the same way. A cup of black coffee sits beside my laptop while I brave through another day of work.
An Americano has become so much a part of that routine that ordering coffee no longer requires thought.
That afternoon at H Proper, however, routine hesitated.
Perhaps it was the mood of the day. Perhaps it was the laughter that still lingered from our activities, or the relief of being surrounded by people who understood exactly why the week had felt heavy without needing much explanation. Work, after all, becomes easier when shared with good people. Heavy workload remain heavy, difficult days remain difficult days, but the weight shifts somehow when there are trusted friends carrying their own loads beside you.
I found myself looking beyond the familiar Americano.
The menu held drinks I would normally admire from a distance and leave for another person to order. But that afternoon seemed to allow for small departures from routine.
So I ordered the Coco Espresso Rocks.
When it arrived, it looked unlike the coffee I usually keep beside my laptop.
A glass filled with coconut and fresh milk ice rocks sat before me, crowned with frozen cubes of Americano that slowly softened into the drink beneath. It was lightly sprinkled with what looks like a desiccated coconut. Beside it came a shot of espresso, dark and fragrant, waiting to be poured at the table. There is something quietly pleasurable about drinks that ask for participation.
We poured the espresso slowly and watched ribbons of deep coffee weave through milk and coconut, creating swirls of amber and cream before settling into a pale, inviting shade.
The first sip surprised me.
The coffee remained present, carrying the familiar roasted notes I love in an Americano, but the coconut lent a gentle sweetness and softness that did not overwhelm. It tasted indulgent without being excessive, playful without forgetting that it was, at heart, still coffee.
Beside it sat a slice of H Proper's Carrot Cake.
I have always believed that carrot cake, when made well, possesses a certain restraint. It should not rely entirely on sweetness to make itself memorable. H Proper's version understood this. The cream cheese frosting carried more tang than sugar, while the cake itself remained moist and fragrant with warm spices. Grated carrots, nuts, and a tender crumb gave each bite texture, allowing the cake to feel satisfying without becoming heavy.
For someone who has grown accustomed to watching sugar carefully, it was the kind of dessert that invited enjoyment without negotiation.
One of my friends had ordered the Coconut Latte with Matcha Foam, and it was unlike any latte I had tasted before.
The first sip arrived gently. The coconut milk gave the distinct mellow sweetness that felt rounded rather than sugary. Resting on top was a velvety matcha foam whose nutty, grassy character slowly blended into the drink with every sip. The contrast was unexpectedly harmonious. Earthiness softened the tropical notes of coconut, while tiny flakes of desiccated coconut added little bursts of texture that lingered just long enough to remind you they were there.
It was a thoughtful drink, one that revealed itself gradually instead of trying to impress all at once.
A Kouign-amann eventually made its way around the table as well.
Its caramelized exterior caught the light with a glossy sheen, giving way to delicate layers that shattered lightly beneath the fork. Butter had worked its way patiently through the pastry, leaving behind a crumb that was airy in places and pleasantly chewy in others.
I have had kouign-amann elsewhere that leaned more boldly into buttery richness and deeper caramelization, so this was not the finest version I have tasted. Even so, it disappeared from the plate, helped along by good conversation and the simple pleasure of sharing food that required no ceremony.
Forks wandered across the table almost instinctively. A bite of salted caramel chocolate cake. A corner of blueberry cheesecake. Someone offered the choco dulce de leche before I could ask. They were all pleasant. Carefully made. The sort of cakes that disappear happily over coffee.
The indulging coffee and cakes that afternoon wasn't asking me to forget the habits I had worked hard to build. It simply reminded me that taking care of myself also means allowing room for celebrations that arrive unexpectedly. A shared afternoon with people whose company I genuinely treasure felt worthy of one more sip and bite.
By the time the last crumbs had disappeared, only a little coffee remained at the bottom of my glass. The coconut had fully melted into the espresso, leaving behind a drink that tasted nothing like it had at the beginning. It occurred to me that perhaps this is what a good afternoon does to us as well.
We arrive carrying the sharp edges of unfinished work, difficult conversations, and the quiet pressure of trying to do our jobs well. Then, almost without noticing, couple of hours passes in the company of people who make us laugh at stories that seemed exhausting only moments before. The burdens do not disappear. They simply become easier to carry.
H Proper Coffee Roasters
The Podium
Level 6, SM Podium, ADB Ave, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Hours: 6:30AM - 11:30PM
Contact: 0917-5860901
Website: proper.com
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