Filipino Brunch at Mostra: Ube, Bibingka, Turon & More!

Take a look into what inspires our menus. From brunch items, to daily drink offerings, to coffee beans, one thing will always be constant: our Philippine-inspired flavors. Come along this flavor journey with Co-Owners, Jelynn Malone and Chef Mike, as they break down the inspiration behind some of our most popular, not to mention tastiest, specials and offerings.  

Inspired by two of his favorite breakfast foods, longanisa and tocino, Chef Mike breaks down the intricacies of this gorgeously crafted brunch sandwich he likes to call The "Longacino" McMostra. Stacked on top of a buttery and crispy English muffin, the sweet and savory patty is contrasted with atchara, a mixture of pickled papaya, ginger, and carrots. But wait, there's more. Chef Mike takes a fresh grilled over easy egg and layers it atop the patty with drizzled mayo and a fresh sliced tomato. He finishes it with a crisp English muffin top, bringing it all together to create The "Longacino" McMostra w/ Egg.

 The Ube Beignets artistically speak for themselves. The stunning purple color is truly a head-turner and tastes just as good as they look. Topped with Latik, a caramelized coconut milk sauce, powdered sugar, ube condensed milk, and toasted coconut pieces, this beignet brings us to the streets of New Orleans with a Filipino twist. This treat gives us bibingka vibes in a sweet, purple, crispy, soft, and delicious beignet form.

Speaking of bibingka, let's introduce you to our Bibingka Crème Brûlée Latte, a signature staple and daily offering. The nostalgia of childhood desserts inspired this latte. Chef Mike talks about paying homage to his Lola making Bibingka in the kitchen, a spongy-baked rice cake, and finding a way to incorporate that feeling and flavor into a drink. This brûlée’d latte starts with our Ghost Bear Espresso, a blend of Philippine coffee, layered with vanilla syrup and steamed house-made bibingka milk. What's bibingka milk, you ask? Great question! We take whole milk and infuse it with Philippine coconuts for a secret amount of time (a chef never tells his secrets), along with vanilla bean to create our signature bibingka milk. Once combined, the latte is topped with turbinado sugar, torched to a caramelly crunch and finished with bibingka powdery goodness.

Just when you thought that was it, we have more to offer! Introducing the Turon Crème Brûlée Latte. "You have egg roll wrapper, ripe banana[s], jackfruit, brown sugar, fried to perfection," as the inspiration behind this latte. Again, we start with a Ghost Bear Espresso base, but this time, we're adding jackfruit syrup and house-made, steamed banana milk to bring out all that turon goodness. Like the Bibingka Crème Brûlée Latte, the Turon is topped with turbinado sugar, brûlée’d, and topped with banana crisps for a textured finish.

Mostra’s mission is to source as much Philippine coffee as possible and to provide sustainable livelihoods for farmers worldwide. Having the opportunity to craft drinks not only inspired by our heritage, but also sourced directly from the Philippines, is truly a dream come true for us. Every espresso-based drink we serve features Ghost Bear, a Philippine blend and our #1 selling coffee. Now, you can take Mostra on-the-go with our new instant coffees! Check them out on our shop coffee page, along with other Philippine coffees! Talk soon readers; and till then, continue to be the reason people see the goodness in humanity.