Our Story
8,000 Kilometers of
Heritage, Innovation,
and Passion
Inherited from West Africa. Invented in Hong Kong. Mastered in Cebu. Proven in Boracay. Scaling worldwide. Manila — coming soon.
JOURNEY
The 8,000 km Map
Five Stops.
One Story.
Centuries
West Africa
The Heritage
The spice of paradise
2018 → 2023
Hong Kong
The Seed & Rebirth
Where it scales
2023 → 2024
Cebu
The Quest
Waypoint
2025 → 2026
Boracay
Proven. Scaling.
Where it began
Coming Soon
Manila
The Next Chapter
Something special is brewing
Now scaling from Hong Kong. Launching our packaged line worldwide from Asia's financial hub. Manila is next — a city of energy, flavor, and coffee lovers.
Stay tuned. Something special is brewing.
The Roots
Heritage
A Legacy in Every Cup
The Sisay Coffee story is deeply inspired by a powerful legacy. It begins with the original Café Touba, created by the Islamic leader Serigne Touba — the spiced coffee that defines the streets of Gambia and Senegal. For our founder, Tom Sisay, coffee was never just a drink; it was the rhythm of daily life, a ritual woven into memory. The aroma of Selim grains filling the air as local sellers poured the rich, spiced brew from dispensers into small cups on every street corner — that communal experience, that sensory memory, is the soul of our brand. It is our heritage, and it became his mission.
In his Boracay shop, he served the original Café Touba blend side by side with his own — because heritage should be honoured, not erased.
The First Seed
2018
Sharing a Taste of Home in Hong Kong
In 2018, that taste of home was first brought to Hong Kong through the sale of authentic Touba packages. After a period of pause, the dream of sharing this heritage remained, leading to a pivotal relaunch in 2023 under the name Sisay Touba Coffee.
The Rebirth & The Spark
2023
Feedback as Fuel
It was then that our Hong Kong community gave us the crucial insight that would change everything: they loved the unique Selim spice but longed for a stronger, smoother coffee. This honest feedback became our mission.
The Breakthrough
The Inventor's Kitchen
For months, our founder experimented in a Hong Kong kitchen, driven to perfect the blend. The breakthrough was achieved: our signature Sisay blend is a masterful balance of premium Arabica beans for unparalleled smoothness, infused with the wild, spicy character of rare Selim grains, and finished with a hint of warming cinnamon. It's a one-of-a-kind recipe we created and perfected.
The Quest
2024
Mastering the Craft, Not Just the Bean
With the perfect blend in hand, a bigger vision emerged: to transform it into the world's first spicy African espresso. To master this craft, our founder traveled to Cebu, Philippines, for hands-on small coffee business training — not to become a barista, but to learn precisely how to blend his perfected Selim recipe into espresso and prepare for the launch of his own shop. He discovered that just a small spoon of Selim is enough to transform an espresso — minimising bitterness while giving a clean, lasting energy.
Simultaneously, a search began across Asia — from Taiwan to Malaysia — for the perfect home where this innovation could take root.
2024
The Journey
2024
A Home Called Boracay
That search ended in Boracay. The island's vibrant energy and international spirit provided the perfect backdrop for a global idea. The moment our founder set foot on its shores, it was clear: this was the place.
Boracay, with its world-famous white sand beaches, provided the perfect paradise to launch our global dream.
The Realization
July 2025
A Beachfront Dream
In December 2024, a beachfront shop was secured. The following six months were a testament to patience and perseverance, navigating documentation, renovations, and construction from afar.
Finally, in July 2025, the dream materialized. Sisay Coffee, a cozy beachfront haven, opened its doors to serve our world-first Selim espresso drinks.
July 2025
The Return
2026
Scaling from Hong Kong
After 16 months proving the concept on those shores — serving locals and travelers from every corner of the globe — we returned to Hong Kong to scale that same journey worldwide.
In a city that never stops moving, we bring you two ways to experience it: brewed slow, or stirred and go. Selim Spice 8000 and Selim Express — our packaged line, launching August 30.
2026
The Next Chapter
Coming Soon
Manila is Next
We are not done. The journey continues. Manila is next — a city of energy, flavor, and coffee lovers. Our next chapter will open in the capital, and we will bring the same Selim spice, the same story, and the same warmth to a new home.
Stay tuned. Something special is brewing.
Get Early AccessComing Soon
VISION
Our Vision
We are more than a coffee shop.
We are the bridge.
Selim spice — a rare West African treasure — has warmed West African kitchens for centuries. We first blended it into coffee on the shores of Boracay, pairing it with premium Arabica and a hint of cinnamon. It became the world's first spicy coffee. After 16 months proving it to locals and travelers alike, we returned to Hong Kong to scale that same journey worldwide. Same spice. Same story. New home. Launching July 31st.
Inherited from West Africa. Invented in Hong Kong. Mastered in Cebu. Proven in Boracay. Scaling worldwide. Manila — coming soon.
Moments from Our Journey
Captured in Light & Spice
Tom Ceesay — founder of Sisay Coffee — introduces Selim spice for the first time, as guests taste the journey.
First taste of Selim coffee in Boracay
Coffee Preparation
Coffee Culture
More authentic photos from our journey coming soon
From the Journal
Stories from
the Journey.
Find Us
Now Scaling
from Hong Kong.
Hong Kong
Launching our packaged line worldwide
from our financial hub