OWNER Ingrid Espina Gamboa says the name Butterbean was derived from two of their most used ingredients, butter and bean. In baking their well-known selection of cookies and brownies, butter is obviously a staple, added with hints of vanilla, coffee or cocoa bean extracts for more flavor.
But there’s much more that can be done in the kitchen using the two, and Ingrid alongside her siblings Brian and Marjorie, all food aficionados at heart, decided to take their “cookie factory” venture beyond what it has long been known for.
Since it started in 2006, Butterbean, with its familiar red logo, has been associated with the cookie and brownie kiosks situated in malls. This year the Espina family has expanded the brand, as it opened its first sit-down outlet, a cozy and comfy hangout spot located on N. Escario St. “There were many things we wanted to do but couldn’t with such a little space in our kiosks,” shares Ingrid.
With a seating capacity of 60, Butterbean Desserts Café now offers an assortment of hot meals, cakes, pies, shaved ice treats and specialty beverages including hot chocolate and Vietnamese coffee. The café also has an ice cream bar, pegged to be the first in Cebu, where they serve different flavors of homemade ice cream and where diners can choose the ice cream’s shape, coating, drizzle and toppings.
“We’re proud to say that we make our own ice cream,” Ingrid says. “This way, the flavors will come out. We don’t use stabilizers or artificial coloring and the like either. We have vanilla, strawberry, chocolate and green tea flavors so far.”
Aside from its novelty ice cream bar, Butterbean’s other range of desserts are a must-try as well. Shaved ice desserts like Mount Fuji or Four Seasons are appeasing treats on hot days, while their selection of hot coffee drinks—served with chocolate spoons—make comforting alternatives for nightcaps.
“Butterbean is basically a product of what we’ve made in our own kitchens and inspired by the dishes we have tried from our travels abroad,” Ingrid adds, and this reflects in menu items such as the roast beef bánh mì and onion blossoms. The roast beef bánh mì was inspired by the famous Vietnamese sandwich while the onion blossoms—basically a large onion cut and shaped to resemble a blooming flower—was inspired by a similar treat they tasted abroad. Fans of onion rings will enjoy the piquant taste of the latter for sure.
Butterbean’s other hot meals include soups, appetizers and pastas, one of the must-tries the meaty and savory lasagna. Though they already have a wide spread as it is, Ingrid says she and her siblings have more to add in the menu, more ice cream flavors and pastas to name a few.
Since its days as a cookie and brownie kiosk in malls, Butterbean has inarguably fared well—and its café yet another delightful treat not just for sweet-toothed folks, but for all foodies craving for a new experience.
Butterbean Desserts Café is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. It is located on N. Escario St. cor. Tojong St., Cebu City. Delivery service is available.