Rachel Bueno Tandas is the owner of the newly openedCOSHI House in Oud Metha, Dubai. JONATHAN YBERA/EXPAT MEDIA

In a quiet corner of Oud Metha in Dubai, what was once an empty space has now transformed into a welcoming new destination for sushi lovers and coffee enthusiasts. For Rachel Bueno Tandas, the opening of COSHI House is more than the launch of a restaurant. It is the result of years spent balancing engineering projects, motherhood, life as an expatriate and a dream that quietly grew alongside her professional career. A Filipina civil engineer by profession, Rachel is now also the owner and founder of COSHI House, a unique sushi-and-coffee concept inspired by two of her favourite things. The name itself, coined with the help of her husband, combines "coffee" and "sushi" into a simple idea that has now become a reality in Dubai. Standing inside the newly opened cafe, Rachel reflects on the journey that brought her here. "This started as a simple idea inspired by the things I love, and today it has become a space where people can gather, enjoy good food, and create memories. It reminds me that sometimes the dreams we keep in the background are worth pursuing," Rachel tells Expat Media.

From engineer to cafe owner

Rachel’s entrepreneurial journey did not start with a business plan. It started on weekends. What she once thought of as a simple diversion from engineering work slowly became a space of discovery. She and her husband experimented with side hustles in a restaurant kitchen, making desserts and observing how food spaces actually function behind the scenes. "We were doing side hustles, but I started seeing how hard the kitchen environment really is," she shares. Over time, a question formed that she could no longer ignore: if this was already her reality outside work, why not build something of her own? “I felt like God gave me this dream for a purpose,” she said. “I could not settle anymore. If I kept postponing it, when would I ever do it?” COSHI House was never meant to be just another café in Dubai’s fast-paced food scene. Rachel envisioned something softer. “I wanted a space where people can just stop for a moment,” she said. “Whether they are tired, in a rush, or not in the mood, it should still feel okay to be there,” Rachel says. The café carries a blend of Filipino warmth and Japanese simplicity, a reflection of both her identity and her sister’s long experience in Japanese kitchens. Her sister, a former server who worked her way up to become a sushi chef, helped shape the culinary direction of the café. The boutique cafe located in Al Nasr Square in Oud Metha offers an unexpected pairing of specialty coffee and Japanese sushi, bringing together two distinct culinary worlds under one roof. At COSHI House, guests can enjoy through fully crafted coffees and teas alongside fresh sushi and pastries. There is even fusion sushi that blends Filipino and Japanese flavours, Rachel says. Rachel also hopes to turn COSHI House into a learning hub, offering affordable workshops for aspiring baristas who want to gain practical skills without spending a fortune. It's a nod to her introduction to the F&B world. In 2023, Rachel enrolls din baking classes and a barista course, initially as a way to learn something new during her weekends. “I never started it thinking it would become a business,” she says. “But slowly, I realized I was improving. I could actually do this.”

Dubai dream

Seventeen years in the UAE as a civil engineer shaped how Rachel now runs her business. Structure, planning, timelines, and systems are second nature to her. In construction, there is no room for guesswork, and she brought that mindset into her café. “Engineering taught me discipline and problem-solving,” she says. “Everything needs a process.” Meanwhile, entrepreneurship taught her empathy. “I learned patience and understanding in a different way,” she adds. “Both worlds balance each other.” But Rachel’s story began far from café counters and coffee machines. Her first trip to Dubai was completely unexpected. She arrived in the emirate after accompanying a friend to an interview, never expecting to be the one hired. With no long-term plan and a family back in the Philippines needing support, she made a quick decision that would reshape her life. The early years were marked by homesickness, adjustment, and responsibility. Like many overseas Filipino workers, she sent most of her earnings home while building a career from scratch in a new country. “At that time, I just wanted stability,” she said. “I never imagined anything beyond that.” Today, Rachel is a wife, mother of two, civil engineer, business owner, and content creator. Instead of separating these identities, she sees them as interconnected. “There are days I am more of a mother, days I am more of an engineer, and days I am fully in the café,” she said. “And that is okay.” Her family remains central to everything she builds. Her husband is not only her partner in life but also her strongest support system in business. Her children, she says, are her biggest motivation. Alongside her business journey, Rachel also shares her life online, documenting the realities of building something while raising a family and maintaining a career. “I want people to see both the struggles and the wins,” she said. “It is not always balanced. But it is always meaningful.”

Quick fire with Rachel

A kitchen fail you can laugh about now? There was one recipe I was so confident would make the menu. It looked perfect, but when I tasted it, the flavors just didn’t work. It took several tries to get right, but it taught me patience and made me more careful with every dish we create. Your go-to way to unwind after a long workday? Walking or joining gym classes, whether it’s yoga or dance. Then going home, hugging my kids, and listening to worship songs. And when my husband knows I’m stressed, he already knows exactly what comfort food to bring me. The one tool you can’t live without? My cellphone. My lists, ideas, reminders, even my prayers are all there. It has my Bible app too, so it’s basically an extension of my brain. What’s harder: a construction site deadline or a café rush hour? A construction site deadline, definitely. The pressure lasts much longer. Café rush hours are exhausting too, but there’s a different kind of joy when it’s your own business. A small ritual you do before opening the café each day? We pray as a team before opening and again before closing. It keeps us grounded and reminds us to offer everything to God. Most unexpected customer request you’ve ever received? I’m still waiting for that first surprise. I’m excited to see what stories our customers will bring. What people would be surprised to learn about you? People think I always have everything together, but there are many quiet days when I’m tired and still figuring things out as I go. I’m learning while building, just like everyone else. This story also appears in the Expat Media Special Edition print magazine. Visit COSHI House in Al Nasr Square Building, Oud Metha, Dubai or call +971 542399376.
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