BENGUET | Hot Coffee with Baguio City’s Cool Mr. Hot

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Burnham Park's Mr. Hot

My drink of choice whenever I visit Baguio City has always been a steaming cup of coffee. Not the expensive café types, but the cheap ones being hawked by vendors along its street corners and parks. There are a lot of these around but there’s nothing like having it served by one of Baguio City’s most curious and original characters, Mr. Hot.

I chanced upon this old school butler-wearing coffee vendor in Burnham Park years before. Daftly dressed in black and white attire, he juggles a concoction of instant coffee like it was an exquisite brew.

Busy Day for Burnham Park's Mr. HotI quickly took a liking to Burnham Park’s quirky coffee master and often swapped stories with him to while away the time.

Mr. Hot used to work as a barista in one of Baguio City’s biggest hotels before deciding to be his own boss. His real name is Carlito Roazol and he took on the Mr. Hot moniker since he always has a ready cup of hot coffee for shivering tourists frequenting the area.

Burnham Park's Mr. Hot Circa 2010I used to see him at one of the corners of the park’s lagoon with a small but neat cart bearing the name Star Patrol. I guess business has been growing as he has now upgraded to a larger cart. His roving stall is accredited not only by the city government but also by the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Burnham Park's Mr. Hot Sporting his Panagbenga LookIn keeping with the annual Panagbenga Festival, Mr. Hot dressed the part complete with traditionally-weaved fabric and head gear. His cart was also decorated with flags, wine glass and what else, coffee fruits. Neat eh?

Burnham Park's Mr. Hot Making my CoffeeMr. Hot is steadily establishing himself as an equal to many of Burnham Park’s colorful attractions. His brew may be a few pesos more expensive than the usual vendor price (Php15.00 compared to Php12.00), but instant coffee has definitely taken a whole new perspective with him serving it. It’s instant coffee with style.



Baguio Location Map

Mr. Hot’s Star Patrol Coffee
Address: Burnham Park, Baguio City
Open Hours: 7:00AM – 5:00PM (or thereabouts)

GPS Coordinates: 16.412135,120.594346
Click to View Location on Google Maps

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10 comments

  1. Thanks for this post Christian! I'll definitely look for him this week on my baguio trip. Malamig pa din ba jan?

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    1. June, sayang this was from a year ago pa. Kumusta mo na lang ako kay Mr. Hot :)

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  2. Same here. Not really a fan of expensive coffee.

    I like Mr. Hot a. I salute people like him. He's truly one of the unique characters that give Baguio a distinct personality. Plus the fact that he has a creative niche is admirable. Kahit na ba instant coffee lang yan, his service alone makes it special. =)

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  3. namimiss ko na tong si Mr Hot a! i like his Panagbenga get up. he really is one-of-a-kind.

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  4. Baguio has been our safe haven for decades and we are elated to know someone who gave instant coffee some respect. More power to the famed butler-wearing coffee vendor Mister Hot.

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  5. Our recent trips to Baguio gave us the chance to appreciate the renowned Burnham Park and renovated Rose Garden. However where was Mister Hot?

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    1. Actually nung huling akyat ko sa Baguio, di ko rin nakita si Mr. Hot. I'll ask around the next time I go to Burnham Park kung ano na nangyari sa kanya

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