A Refreshing Way To Enjoy Your Coffee

Starbucks Refreshers beverage & croissants

Imagine having a refreshing drink, citrusy in flavor (lime and berry hibiscus to be exact). But in reality it has green coffee extract in it but you can't detect any flavor of coffee. Sounds pretty amazing, doesn't it? Starbucks Coffee just did that with their recently launch Starbucks Refreshers beverage. Non-coffee drinkers (I'm sure there's a handful of you) would be very much delighted with this new drinks by Starbucks. Think of it as a refreshing and cool fruit tea drink.

A Visit To Robinsons Magnolia

banana split & shakes at Magnolia Flavor House

I've been longing to visit Robinsons Magnolia ever since some of the restaurants that I've visited in the past are posting pictures on their official Facebook pages about setting up branches on this new mall near New Manila. It heightened my interest even more when I read a tweet from Monster Radio RX disc jock Fran Tobias about her visit to this said mall and mentioned that the place is huge. So when my friend, Karen Anne, was back in Manila for a week-long visit and asked me if I'm available for some nice stroll. I took that as my cue to suggest to her if we could take a peek of this much talked-about mall.

Lovin' Our Pinoy Tsokolate

Tsokolate Ah at Tsoko.Nut

Smoldering hot liquid, an alluring deep brown color, thin froth forming on the surface, the wonderful taste of cacao; rich, earthy and slightly sweet. Who wouldn't want to have a good cup of hot chocolate? Especially on this rainy weather. I could imagine myself curled up on my bed, reading a suspense thriller paperback and a hot cup of chocolate right on my bedside table while a light rain would make succeeding tapping sounds on my rooftop. Creating a form of sonata that would make the twist and turn of the story that I'm reading more palpable. 

One Quaint Restaurant In Marikina

cake at Cafe Lidia

Ever since I heard about Cafe Lidia in Marikina from friends and the way they described how good the dishes they've tried there---especially the pastas, I've always wondered when will it be my chance to experience it first hand. I'm not really well versed with the geography of Marikina. I even find it dubious if I could find the place without first being lost momentarily even with the aid of Google Maps. I strongly felt, however, it's about time for me to explore the hidden food treasures that abounds Marikina. So far, the only restaurants I've tried in Marikina were Tapsi Ni Vivian At Bulaluhan and Pan De Amerikana. So, when my friend Gael suggested that we meet up at Cafe Lidia along with Henry, I jumped right in without hesitation.

Cupcakes...And More Cupcakes

cupcakes at Gigi Coffee & Cupcakes

I admit, I do love cakes in all shapes and sizes. Whenever I bought cakes as pasalubong, I usually ended up getting the largest portion of the cake compared to other members of my family without me realizing it. Nevertheless, I equally adore cupcakes. Miniature cupcakes of different flavors prettified even more with choices of frostings and toppings. So, one would not easily get bored because of a variety of cupcakes to choose from.

A Lunch Rendezvous w/ DJ Christi & The Christinatix

crispy tilapia

Merlyn first sent me a private message via Facebook about a plan to surprise DJ Christi for her short visit to Manila from her hometown province in Pampanga where she's currently based at the moment. I was thrilled to say the least. I've been wanting to visit her when she's still with RX 93.1 but never had the chance to do so. Good thing the powers that be of the universe connived that allowed me to attend a get-together with DJ Christi and the Christinatix spearheaded by Merlyn.

A Kebab & Steak Place For Night People

food at Hassan Kabab & Steaks

I wouldn't have known the existence of Hassan Kabab & Steaks if not for my friends Gael and Marianne. They lavished me with the wonderful meals they had here that naturally stirred my curiosity. The only drawback was that the restaurant only opens in the evening, right after the sun has set. Around 6 PM onward. I asked them if they know the reason behind this unusual hours of operation for a restaurant. They told me Hassan established their popularity among the night crowd. From people looking for a good meal after a hard day's work or looking for nice, chill place for a watering hole. And Hassan would like to keep it that way. I was also told that there's another branch of Hassan in Katipunan however they were not exactly sure of its location.

A Cozy Cafe In The Most Unexpected Place

food at 14 Four Cafe

This was totally an unplanned visit to 14 Four Cafe. I originally intended to visit Chuck's Deli and Gigi Coffee & Cupcakes in Eastwood City. But when I saw that Gigi Coffee & Cupcakes is closed on Sunday, my spirit dampened and the prospect of trying out Chuck's Deli or any other restaurant in the Eastwood area seemed not appealing anymore. Then I remembered this charming cafe that offers breakfast and brunch meals in Taytay that my friend Jolee recommended to me a little over two months ago. What is particularly interesting in this cafe is that it only opens during the weekends. So I made a 360 degree turn and traveled straight to Taytay.