A food-laden ancestral home
He was a street vendor who rose from his humble beginnings, became a water polo player who won a bronze medal in the second Asian Games, and made his fortune in rope manufacturing.
During the 1950s, Juan Bautista Lee built a sprawling bungalow, a veritable mansion, on Mabini Street, Barangay Addition Hills in Mandaluyong City, and what would be the first branch of The Giving Café on Highway Hills.
The Lee family grew there and through the decades it was filled with the patriarch’s children and grandchildren. There were reunions, storytelling sessions, and sharing of experiences.
“He taught his children and grandchildren to be humble, to be kind, and to never forget to give back,” said his grandson Michael Harris Conlin, an award-winning coffee specialist.
Each cup that The Giving Café serves contributes to the livelihood of coffee farmers in La Trinidad, Benguet, to ensure a sustainable coffee supply chain. The café funds programs that help farming communities, including educational assistance, seminars to train farmers on sustainable farming practices, and access to basic healthcare.
“By working closely with local farmers, we help improve both the quality and quantity of their coffee production, ensuring they receive fair compensation,” Conlin said.
The Lee residence on Mabini Street has been meticulously restored and converted into an elegant café. It is the second and much bigger outlet, and is both a full-service restaurant and events venue, redolent with the ambience of an ancestral home of the 1950s. It’s official name now is “The Giving Café A. Mabini.”
As a tribute to his grandfather, Conlin recently held a luncheon press conference at the new branch. Before partaking of lunch—and what a menu!—guests were taken on a tour of the house and its rooms, which were already filled with mouthwatering foods and snacks.
Angkong’s Room
The first room toured used to be the patriarch’s bedroom and is known as Angkong’s Room, which was how Lee was called by his grandchildren. The finger food was already set and the media guests were allowed to choose whatever they wanted and to munch before proceeding to the next room.
On another day, however, diners may order wontons, spinach soup, yang chow fried rice, pancit, lengua con champignon, salt and pepper pork, sweet and sour chicken, crispy tofu, capped by ice cream for dessert.
The next room was called Mom’s Room, for it was the room where the mother of Conlin and his younger brother Eric grew up, along with her sisters. They would play with their imaginary tea sets, until the world of make believe became reality.
Now, the courses served here seem to be for breakfast or an afternoon merienda like mini adobo sliders, pan de sal, champorado, crispy danggit, ginataang mais, bilo bilo, bibingka, turon balls, and tapioca.
Beverages included tsokolate, barako coffee, and barako latte (the café is known for its signature coffee), salabat, tea, and pandan lemongrass.
Another room was all decked out in pink colors, with the sign Baby Shower. A baby girl had been born, but the shower was not for a great-granddaughter of Lee but for the baby daughter of a café staffer.
There was also a library with choice fiction and nonfiction titles, and a function room for corporate meetings.
Then lunch was served. Ooh, the buffet table was groaning with seafood, like prawns, shrimps, mussels, shells, crabs, gambas, and lobster, along with succulent Chinese sausages. There were also appetizers like garlic mushrooms, creamy spinach dip, cheese pimiento, and assorted bread.
Main courses included broccoli, steamed rice, beef caldereta, and roast chicken “with eight treasures.” Beverages included fruit-infused water and iced timplandong puti along with the more conventional americano, latte, and cappuccino coffee.
And, to top it all, there was champagne to celebrate the occasion. Santé! To your health.
“Here you are welcome,” said Conlin. “Stories are shared here, relationships grow, and the heart of our culture thrives.”
Call tel. 0927-2471490 or 0985-1284751.
