I went to a Tim Hortons in the Philippines — here’s how it went
Whether or not you get your coffee regularly at one, a Tim Hortons is a shining red beacon of familiarity for Canadians abroad.
I’ve been to Tim Hortons outside Canada — one in Dubai and the other in Manila. And Timmy’s abroad almost always feels just a tad more upscale. Perhaps it is the novelty of having a foreign chain.
My last visit to Timmy’s in Manila was in 2019. It was located at Ayala Malls Circuit in Makati and had two floors. The place just glowed with newness. That location has now closed, possibly relocated.
Tim Hortons at United Nations Avenue in Manila (Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive)
Fast forward four years, I found myself at another Timmy’s in Manila, this time located along a busy strip of United Nations Avenue in Ermita, surrounded by universities, hospitals, and government offices.
I wasn’t there to review the place; I was in the area and needed a quick bite.
When you enter, a uniformed security guard holds the door open for you — not something you’ll find at your local Timmy’s in Canada.
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
I was pretty excited to order the corned beef turnover so that I could tell my Canadian buddies about it, but I was disappointed to find out that they no longer had it on the menu, at least not at this location. No, seriously, it exists! Here’s a photo below for proof:
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There were some exciting menu items on display, though. They had the standard Boston cream donut, old-fashioned glaze and the usual Timbits, but they also had chocolate-filled Timbits and Venetian cream snow Timbits.
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
With only one person at the register, ordering was a tad chaotic, and the line was pretty long by the time we were done.
Temperatures in Manila had been hovering at around 27°C to above 30°C most afternoons, so I wanted something cold and refreshing. Unfortunately, they had no fruity drinks at this location, so my dad and I settled for an iced tea while my husband ordered an iced capp.
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
My dad wanted a tuna wrap, and I chose a cheesy bacon wrap. My husband opted for a steak and cheese panini, which tasted a little better than it looked.
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
The bacon wrap was saltier than what I was used to back in Toronto, and the hashbrown that I’d ordered with it was on the dry side and tasted like it was cooked a while ago.
As for the restaurant, it was clean, and the corner store unit was big and bright. People were seated at highboy tables, working away on their laptops or catching up with friends.
Finding seating wasn’t an issue, but there was a massive counter-height table in the centre of the space that was empty. I learned why as I walked closer: the air conditioner above it was dripping water onto the surface, creating a bit of a waterfall on the seat and the floor below.
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
Eventually, a staff member came with two small buckets — one to place under the air conditioner, the other to sweep away another pool of water threatening to spill onto the floor.
Unfazed, one man sat beside the bucket and started working away on his laptop.
As for the price, the steak and cheese panini was 195 pesos (C$4.77), the medium iced capp 180 pesos (C$4.40), the iced tea 105 pesos each (C$2.57), the bacon wrap 165 pesos (C$4.04), the hashbrown 55 pesos (C$1.34), and the tuna wrap 175 pesos (C$4.28).
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
Was I disappointed I didn’t get the slightly bougie Tim Hortons experience abroad?
Kind of, especially since their website boasts several exclusive regional menu items like the churro donut, triple coffee jelly, Spanish latte, blackberry spice iced tea, and Jaffa orange mocha. And I’m now I’m even more determined to find that corned beef turnover.
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It wasn’t the experience I was expecting. Still, oddly enough, with the combination of the mild chaos at the register and the dripping air conditioner, for a moment there, this place felt like home.
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