Remember our feature on Biksa Coffee last October? It’s the laidback, not-too-commercial coffee shop that’s making a buzz in Marikina. This afternoon, I dropped by Biksa for a cup of almond mocha coffee. Yum!

It’s definitely Christmas in Biksa! After being submerged under the chest-deep flood of typhoon Ondoy, it’s good to see that the coffee shop is back in it’s usual “happy and creative” self.

What’s even more interesting is Biksa’s effort in going green for the holidays–all of their Christmas decorations are made from the coffee shop’s ”trash”. This just shows that one man’s trash SHOULD ALSO be his own treasure, hehe

They have a paper mache Santa Clause using Biksa’s old newspaper,

… a colorful Christmas tree made up of empty Torani bottles,

… a relief wall art using painted milk cartons,

… and poinsettia trims made from cut softdrink bottles.

After being one of the hard-hit victims of the flood, it’s very inspiring to see that Biksa still has its creative drive to put up wonderful handmade decors, rendering the place with a warm Christmas atmosphere.

Here’s another good news. Biksa is giving away two (2) P500 gift certificates to our df readers! Yey!

To join the draw, just leave a comment on this post with your email address (will not be published). This giveaway will end on Tuesday, Dec. 29, 8am (manila time). Two winners will be drawn through a random number generator, announced on this post, and will be contacted via email.

For their complete menu and contact details, visit Biksa’s website here.

UPDATE 12/29/09: Giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who joined and gave their wonderful comments! Congratulations to the winning commenters: #7–Daniel and #3–Lesley. The Design Folder Team will contact you through email on how to claim your gc.

Going to coffee shops has recently become an integral part of our lifestyle. Coffee shops have been a favorite hangout among friends, a relaxed venue for small meetings, and a more accessible place for relaxation. Now, with laptops and the wifi technology going mainstream, these spots are now a favorite extension of the workplace.

Biksa, from a play of the Tagalog phrase “saBIK SA coffee” (excited over coffee), is a new coffee shop in Marikina. Its design is centered on creating a relaxed environment with a special attention to providing an alternative setting for work. Managing partner Dr. Ephraim Brizuela has always been a patron of coffee shops. Together with his wife, Dr. Grace Brizuela, they frequent coffee shops and treat them as an extension of their workplace. This personal relationship with these places became their starting point for the concept and design of Biksa Coffee.

From the beginning, they told their designer that they envisioned the shop to be an alternative office—a relaxed space that encourages productivity and creative thinking by allowing their customers to work while enjoying good food and good coffee. The goal was to come up with a functional yet creative space, which has a simple design to minimize potential visual clutter and distractions.

The interior is quite different from your usual coffee shop. It is bright, white, and spacious.

The curved lines on the floor and ceiling, and the round form of the lighting fixtures and accent chairs soften the rectangular shape of the space.

The floor is an interesting combination of polished concrete and wood planks. Also, instead of applying them onto the walls, color is introduced through the upholstered furniture.

Various indigenous materials, like capiz and wicker, lend the interiors with a familiar Filipino character.

Unconventional artworks in the form of framed photographs and mounted “junk art” set a creative and inspiring atmosphere.

These relief art by the talented Jun Tolentino are made of cut pieces from several phone cards he gathered from Dubai. The interesting color combinations and detailed patterns of the cards were pieced together to create new patterns in 3-D abstract forms. 

Their dining tables are big enough to let you work on your laptop while eating or drinking. On top of that, they have fast (and free) wifi, as well as strategically located convenience outlets near every table so you can plug your computer (for free) when you run out of battery.

Biksa was one of the establishements in Marikina affected by the flood during typhoon Ondoy. After three weeks of cleaning and putting the whole place together, the coffee shop is now back in business!

Biksa Coffee is located at 18 Gil Fernando Ave. cor Dragon St., Marikina City. Check out their website here for their menu and other information.