June 8, 2025 | 7:00 AM until supply lasts
Salcedo Auctions, NEX Tower, Ayala Avenue, Makati City
Salcedo Auctions, in collaboration with Illy, presents Café Salcedo — a coffee pop-up this Sunday, June 8, coinciding with the preview of the Finer Pursuits: Important Philippine Art & Rare Collectibles auction set for June 14.
Opening at 7 a.m., the pop-up will offer a selection of coffee drinks thoughtfully developed to reflect the spirit of selected Philippine modern art highlights of Salcedo’s forthcoming marquee sale. Available only until supply lasts, each cup helps guests slow down, engage, and experience flavor as a form of expression.
ART IN A CUP
Salted Caramel Flight
Crafted with Asin sa Buy-o from Zambales and panocha sugar, this caramel latte pays tribute to José Joya’s Flight — textured, earthy, and vibrant. Its layered flavor mirrors the dynamic swirls of ochre, sienna, and gold in Joya’s celebrated work.
Mocha Obra
Infused with Mayon Gold chocolate, this mocha draws inspiration from Vicente Manansala’s work depicting carabaos in a field. The deep, volcanic reds and brown hues of this masterpiece depicting of the country’s national animal pays homage to the Filipinos’ resilience and intimate connection to the earth. The drink echoes its warmth and depth, grounding rich cacao and espresso in a smooth blend.
Erenos Roast
A latte made with roasted pili nut milk, known for its natural buttery richness and inspired by Fernando Zóbel’s Erenos, this drink parallels the complexity of the artist’s ‘Saeta’ paintings — contemplative, layered, and lingering.
Behind the Concept
Café Salcedo is the personal initiative of Joaquin and Diego Lerma, sons of Richie and Karen Lerma, co-founders of Salcedo Auctions. The pop-up was developed in close collaboration with Remy Gallo, a Manila-based hospitality expert with nearly a decade of industry experience. Having worked at ABC Kitchen in New York City, part of the renowned Jean-Georges restaurant group, Remy brings a deep well of knowledge in shaping memorable food and beverage experiences. His creative direction informs the pop up café’s flavor identity, anchoring the concept in both substance and style.
Remy Gallo
Joaquin, a recent graduate of NYU Stern School of Business, who will be taking up a management consulting position in Manhattan this July, brings a New York–honed palate and an entrepreneurial eye for concept-driven hospitality. Diego, an incoming freshman at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, who recently graduated from Cranbrook School, a day and boarding school in Bellevue Hill, Sydney, contributes hands-on experience from modern Australian fast-casual kitchens.
Joaquin Lerma
Diego Lerma before Joya’s ‘Flight’
Together, the brothers pair grounded insight with a global perspective, creating a one-day offering that celebrates both taste and imagination — an accessible, flavorful complement to the season’s auction highlights.
The Café Salcedo pop up will be on Sunday, 8 June 2025, 7:00 till supplies last at Salcedo Auctions, NEX Tower, 6786 Ayala Avenue, Makati City. Presented in association with Illy Coffee. For more information, Follow and DM @cafesalcedo on Instagram
