Ever since I started working in digital, I’ve been working mobile in random places around the city. Sometimes I’d find myself in Makati for a meeting, or in Quezon City for an event. Because I live down south, I would have to leave early. That means I would have to rely on a good cup of coffee to perk me up, and sometimes, I would have to get lunch on the road.
Of course, I trust Starbucks to give me an injection of pep and energy, but I would have to search elsewhere for a good meal. Now, it looks like I can get both in one place because Starbucks just launched its new lunch choices, which are meant for quick lunch runs.
The new Starbucks lunch choices are a mix of sandwiches, bistro bowls, and snack packs for those who don’t have time to sit, or for those who want to enjoy a good meal in a great environment.
For sandwiches, there’s the Clubhouse on Sourdough Bread, Salmon Dill on Multi-grain Bread, and the Cheese Steak on Ciabatta Bread.
The new bistro bowls are an interesting bunch: there’s the Cold Soba with Chicken, a bowl of soba noodles tossed in savory dressing and drizzled with crunchy vegetables and chicken flakes. Then’s there’s the Sweet Potato Salad, a mix of sweet potato, potato, onion, celery, mixed greens, and a hardboiled egg tossed in honey mustard dressing. Both the Cold Soba with Chicken and the Sweet Potato Salad can be availed with a tall Iced Shaken Tea at a bundled price for the Starbucks Signature Lunch Pairings from 10AM to 2PM.
Not to worry, the Signature Lunch Pairings with pasta dishes like the Spinach Lasagna and Chicken Cannelloni, and baguette sandwiches like Beef Pastrami and Chicken Salad are still available.
People in a rush can still get a satisfying lunch with the Harvest Box Snack Packs, a collection of guilt-free snacks like the Power Mix, a nutritious mix of nuts, dried fruit, seeds, and a dollop of chocolate; the We Love Nuts, a combo of peanuts, almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts; and the Yo Cherry, a mix of sweet and tart dried cherries, hazelnuts, and yogurt balls.
You can pair these dishes with Starbucks’s new espresso layer collection: the Tahitian Vanilla Macchiato and Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino.
This morning, I was headed to a meeting in Bonifacio Global City, so I had a quick stop at the Starbucks Reserve on Forbestown Road. I had the Salmon Dill on Multi-grain Bread, and I paired it with the Tahitian Vanilla Macchiato.
The Tahitian Vanilla Macchiato is a marriage between vanilla and coffee. The drink is a mix of roasty coffee, velvety steamed milk, the brand’s signature espresso, vanilla bean specks, and vanilla drizzle. Both drinks are available in hot, iced, and blended formats, and I had it iced because it was a hot day.
The complex flavors from the sandwich and the drink gave me enough life to power through the day, which had several deadlines.
On the other hand, the Valencia Orange Cocoa Cappuccino is a mixture of Valencia Orange Mocha Sauce, milk, dense and creamy foam, affogato-style signature espresso shots, sweet cocoa powder, and bits of orange peel. I will try this next, and the barista at Forbestown Road recommended I try it hot.
For the true busybees who can’t go on frequent coffee breaks, they can bring the Starbucks experience to their office or home. They can try the Starbucks Tribute Blend, a mix of the brand’s favorite coffees for their 40th anniversary: Ethiopian sun-dried beans with a flourish of dark cherry, Aged Sumatra and its notes of syrup and cedary spice, and the bright and nutty profile of Colombian coffee. The variant also comes in the Starbucks VIA format for those on the go.
Reserve Stores will also offer Starbucks Reserve Ethiopia Kayon Mountain Farm, a coffee blend with lemon flavor notes, and the Starbucks Reserve Guatemala Flor Del Rosario, which features toffee and chocolate flavors. Meanwhile, Reserve’s signature Cold Brew drinks will now be available in all Starbucks stores in the Philippines.
Starbucks’s new espresso layer collection and lunch items are available starting February 21 in all Starbucks stores.