Perk and Palate Darwin: Coffee Man owners Jayson Javier and Cess Vizcarra open second cafe
The cafe duo that have done more than most to lift Darwin’s coffee reputation up by its boot straps have unveiled their second CBD location, this one featuring a full Filipino-influenced a la carte brunch menu.
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One of the Top End’s most ambitious coffee duos, known for their award-winning crew of baristas and regular cupping events, has debuted their second Darwin cafe.
Jayson Javier and his wife Cess Vizcarra, the pair behind the TCG Centre’s Coffee Man, which opened in mid-2021, have returned to the Mitchell Street well once more, debuting Perk and Palate in a ground-floor tenancy at the TIO Centre, opposite Hotel Darwin.
Mr Javier, who relocated to Darwin from Singapore five years ago and has been intimately involved with cafes for the past 14 years, said building up Darwin’s reputation for coffee excellence is what motivates him.
“People would say to me, the coffee’s really bad in Darwin, that’s everyone’s perception,” he said.
“We had those skills, so it was a really opportunity to level up.
“I want to bring good vibes and a different perception of coffee, that’s what brings me to this level.”
To underscore Coffee Man and Perk and Palate’s impeccable credentials, gun barista Lucky Cabrera Salvador claimed second in the Melbourne International Coffee Expo’s Australia’s Richest Barista Championship earlier this month, earning $10,000, while Mr Javier placed third at the inaugural Australian Espresso Championship by Dalla Corte Australia.
“Next year we will try to train harder and bring home the championship,” Mr Javier said.
“We were very proud bringing an NT team to Melbourne [Kopi Stop’s Sseng Chew placed third in the MILKLAB Barista Battle in the latte art category].”
Mr Javier said that while Coffee Man and Perk and Palate both aim for coffee excellence, their menus are where the two venues diverge.
Whereas Coffee Man is very focused on grab and go options for time-poor corporates, Perk and Palate features a full a la carte, all-day brunch menu.
“There are a few Filipino flavours and an Asian touch, but with an Aussie approach,” Mr Javier said of Perk and Palate’s menu.
“We try to have a balance of healthy and unhealthy options.”
Perk and Palate is already winning rave reviews from locals.
“We are obsessed with the space and the coffee is great too,” said lifestyle brand We Are Locals – Darwin.
Motivational influencer JM Tarrosa was likewise taken with the new cafe.
“Went down yesterday to try the newest cafe in the city – Perk and Palate and it was surprisingly delicious,” he wrote online.
“[The] adobo benny is a must try.
“And their coffee is one of the best in Darwin.”
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