NATHANIEL ONGCHUAN | MANILA, PHILIPPINES 2019
NATHANIEL ONGCHUAN
WINNER OF THE COMANDANTE GRIND & BREW CUP, MANILA 2019
MY NAME IS NATHANIEL ONGCHUAN.24 YEARS OLD
PROUDLY FROM MANILA, PHILIPPINES
I CURRENTLY WORK AND LIVE IN MANILA, PHILIPPINES. BEING A HOME BREWER/BARISTA, I WORK IN A TOTALLY DIFFERENT INDUSTRY FROM COFFEE. I WORK IN MY FAMILY BUSINESS AND WE IMPORT STEEL FOR DIFFERENT PROJECTS AROUND THE PHILIPPINES. THIS ENABLES ME TO USE MY FREE TIME TO ENHANCE MY PASSION OF COFFEE.
WHAT DOES COFFEE MEAN TO YOU?
COFFEE HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY SAFE SPACE IN LIFE. WHENEVER I MAKE COFFEE IT IS WHEN I AM MOST RELAXED AND HAS BECOME MY KIND OF THERAPY. COFFEE IS MORE THAN JUST A DRINK BUT IT HAS BECOME A DEEPER SENSE OF UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU SEE HOW EACH CUP HAS ITS OWN UNIQUE STORY TO TELL WHEN GIVING OUT FLAVOURS, AND FINDING THOSE FLAVOURS IS WHAT MAKES COFFEE, AN ART.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT COMANDANTE GRINDERS, AND HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THEM?
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT COMANDANTE GRINDERS IS THE PRECISION AND CONSISTENCY OF THE GRIND EACH TIME, ENABLING ME TO DIAL IN THE PERFECT RECIPE WHEN NEEDED. I ALSO LOVE THE CRAFTSMANSHIP OF HOW EACH GRINDER IS MADE! I FIRST HEARD ABOUT COMANDANTE GRINDERS WHEN I JOINED THE 2019 PHILIPPINE AEROPRESS CHAMPIONSHIPS, I SAW EVERYONE WITH THEIR OWN COMANDANTE AND HONESTLY I WAS IMITATED BY THOSE WHO OWNED ONE BECAUSE I WAS JUST A HOME BREWER AND FAIRLY NEW IN THE INDUSTRY AND THOSE GRINDERS WERE SLEEK!
WHY DID YOU APPLY FOR THE COMANDANTE GRIND & BREW CUP?
I APPLIED BECAUSE I REALLY JUST WANTED TO HAVE THE SAME FUN EXPERIENCE OF COMPETING IN THE COFFEE INDUSTRY WHERE EVERYONE ISN’T ACTUALLY COMPETITIVE, BUT VERY SUPPORTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE IN RECIPES!
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT MAKING COFFEE?
WHAT I LOVE ABOUT MAKING COFFEE IS FINDING THE RIGHT BREW, IT’S INTERESTING TO ME HOW EACH VARIABLE IN THE BREW CAN MAKE A BIG IMPACT ON FLAVOUR AS THERE ARE INFINITE POSSIBILITIES BECAUSE IN REALITY, THERE IS NO PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE. I ALSO LOVE HOW COFFEE INSTANTLY CONNECTS PEOPLE THROUGH CONVERSATIONS!
WHAT ARE YOUR FUTURE GOALS?
MY ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO PUT UP SHOP THAT AIMS TO SPREAD AWARENESS OF SPECIALTY COFFEE AND THE THIRD WAVE COFFEE SCENE BY GIVING CONSUMERS A MORE HAND CRAFTED AND HANDS ON EXPERIENCE IN DRINKING COFFEE. TO CONVINCE THE AVERAGE PERSON THAT COFFEE IS NOT JUST ANY DRINK TO KEEP US AWAKE BUT TO SHOWCASE THE STORY AND UNIQUE FLAVOURS IN EACH CUP!
HOW WAS THE COMANDANTE GRIND & BREW CUP FOR YOU?
FOR ME, IT WAS BOTH THRILLING AT THE SAME TIME FUN! SIMPLY BECAUSE IT WAS A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE WERE CONSTANTLY JUST SHARING IDEAS DESPITE IT BEING A COMPETITION. I REALLY ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW THE FELLOW COMPETITORS IN THE INDUSTRY THROUGH A CUP OF COFFEE BECAUSE WE WERE ALL JUST SHARING OUR OWN TAKE ON COFFEE WHILE BATTLING IT OUT!
WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR FUTURE COMPETITORS?
DON’T TREAT IT AS A COMPETITION, BUT AS HUMBLE SPACE FOR COLLABORATION OF IDEAS! YOU’LL BE SURPRISED AT THE RESULTS WHEN YOU FOCUS MORE ON THE CRAFT OF IMPROVING YOUR BREW THAN WINNING! LASTLY, WHATEVER HAPPENS, ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOUR BREW/RECIPE!!