AS I was walking home from work around a month ago, I spotted this new coffee shop along J.P. Laurel Avenue.
Located at the Wheels N’ More compound, Kopi 82 stands out from the line of commercial establishments for its colorful murals.
I think this is one of the best-looking coffee shops in Davao City in terms of design and interior. Just like most coffee shops, brown, gray, and black are the dominant colors of the coffee shop’s interior. I think this color gives the coffee shop a homey and relaxing ambiance. However, the color murals outside and the one inside gives it a lively vibe. I also like the rustic elements of the coffee shop especially the red bricks at the dining area. I like that it is well-lighted during the day or at night
I also love the seating options they have available. There are tables for groups at one portion of the coffee shop and another near the counter. There are also high tables against the window. For some reason, this is my favorite spot at the coffee shop. They also have a high table that would cater to groups or for sharing for individual diners.
For their food and beverage, Kopi 82 offers coffee-based drinks, non-coffee drinks like tea, alcoholic beverages like beer or wine, appetizers, pasta, and rice meals. They also serve cakes.
For my past visits here, I would commonly order Longsilog (P180), Bistek Tagalog (P180), Meatball Marinara (P150), Carbonara (P150), and Spicy Shrimp Aglio Olio (P150). For my drinks, I would order the Cappuccino (P110) or the Iced Americano (P100). However, I would sometimes order the Ruinsbre Double VI beer at the end of a busy day or workweek.
While I find the Longsilog to be a good dish, I do find the longganisa to be almost too salty. However, I like that it is not the sweet longganisa that is common in the Davao market. What I love about their longganisa is how garlicky it is. I also the garlic rice that comes with the meal.
The Bistek Tagalog is also a decent meal here. Taste-wise, it is quite good. I also find the beef to be quite tender too.
Meatball Marinara pasta is also pretty good. The meatballs were tasty and I love the number of diced tomatoes in the dish.
I like the carbonara they serve here. They serve the Italian kind of carbonara wherein the sauce is made with egg, cheese, and pepper. However, I do find the dish too peppery but it is better than being bland like the ones served in other places.
The Spicy Shrimp Aglio Olio is my favorite among the pasta served here. I just loved how spicy it is.
As for the drinks, I do enjoy their Americano here now and then. However, sometimes it is way too bitter to my liking. I also find the Cappuccino here to be quite good too.
Their service style here is more of a self-service. This means you go to the counter to place and pay your order. Your name will then be called once your order is ready. While they may be a self-service cafe, I do find the staff here to be friendly and accommodating for most of the time but there are days that they seem stiff when interacting with some customers.
One of the best aspects of the cafe is their clean comfort room. I love how they regularly check the comfort room to make sure that it is clean.
Kopi 82 is a great cafe in the downtown area. It is conveniently located along J.P. Laurel Avenue making it a nice venue for post-work hang-outs. The price range is also reasonable for the quality of food they have. I like staying here because of its vibe, the food, the drinks, and being near where I live.