FACE-OFF: Cafes Here And There

hot mocha and food at Tully's

Just like everybody else, I like the perfect comfort that cafes brings. Especially nowadays when the temperature can go extreme. I usually envision myself inside a coffee shop preferably in the afternoon when the day is at it's hottest. Ideal to haul with your laptop, or your Kindle or maybe your Samsung Note or iPad to play Candy Crush while sipping your favorite frapp or brewed coffee. Oftentimes I come here just to people watch. To check out what other people are ordering (I'm just nosy like that), or check out my newsfeed on FB (again, another form of being nosy hehehe!). Rarely, I would bring a paperback book to read. Especially if I'm so hook into the story and I cannot put it down, and it wouldn't create such a embarrassing bulk inside my small, worn out bag.

Bo's Coffee

raspberry truffle latte, blueberry cheesecake and ghostgirl book

I truly love the Raspberry Truffle Latte of Bo's Coffee which I hope would become a mainstay from their cafe's menu. This deliciously sweet beverage was introduced last Valentines season.  It's more like a jazzed up cafe mocha. The flavor of tartly sweet raspberry rings through each sip while the rich, luscious flavor of chocolate follows. A dollop of whipped cream added decadence to this already rich cup of treasure. As if this wasn't enough, I even had an equally rich and stunning Blueberry Cheesecake dessert. This coffee and cake combo really inspired me to read more than a few pages of Ghostgirl, a young adult series of the romance gothic spine. 

www.boscoffee.com

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UCC

strawberry and mango tea infusion

with the halo-halo cake

Tea is not something that I usually order whenever I'm in a coffeeshop, but I was quite intrigued with this Twinings Infusion Tea called Strawberry & Mango. Could this two fruits, so disparate they are in texture and flavor, would work in tea form? Apparently it did for me. The fruity qualities of mango and strawberry were unmistakable. I even had a grand time as I watch the searing hot liquid stained into bloody red right after I dipped the tea bag into the cup and felt myself get giddy all over. To keep up with the summer theme, I ordered the much beloved Halo-Halo Cake. Still as good since the last time I tasted it. 



Available at all UCC Coffee Shops

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Starbucks Coffee

If all coffee shops fall short of its promise of a comforting cup of coffee, one could always run to Starbucks. I couldn't remember having a single bad coffee whenever I'm here. Now, that's something. When I've heard about the newest Asian Dolce Latte, I hied over to their branch at The Veranda in Robinsons Galleria to try it out. Said to be a latte with an Asian twist, it's has the signature espresso of Starbucks, layered with dolce sauce, soft steamed milk topped with espresso whipped cream then dusted it with ground espresso as a finishing touch. I always ordered this iced but would sure want to try the hot version of it, once the weather becomes noticeably cooler.

I partnered this drink with the Dark Chocolate Turtle Cake. A very dense chocolate buttermilk sponge cake layered with caramel pecan fudge with a chocolate cookie pecan crust slathered with dark chocolate icing. A single pecan and a large sliver of chocolate garnished on top prettify the cake. Insanely good, definitely a cake for serious chocoholics.

To form as a breather from all the sweet treats, I grabbed a bag of Jalapeno Poppers Potato Chips. With just a dash of salt and a flurry of heat. I sipped my dolce latte drink quite incessantly in between bites of the chips. So good and oh so hot this chips are!



philippines.starbucks.com

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Akiba Cafe

Akiba Cafe will always be my favorite spot in SM Megamall. I'm almost always here whenever I'm in the area. Oftentimes, I found myself in a brooding mode each time I'm here. I'm not really sure why that happens. Could this be possibly be what others might call mid-life crisis? But as soon as I sip my ordered drink and nibble at my choice of cake, slowly I felt getting myself back on track. During one of these melancholic episodes, I went here hoping to get my addled (more like muddled) mind cleared. The Iced Macadamia (with a generous dollop of whipped cream and swirls of chocolate syrup) and the Mango Cheesecake proved to be an effective formula. The nutty flavor of the macadamia coupled with the sickeningly sweet (though I'm not at all sick with this drink. I even loved it to bits) concoction of the frapp drink made me flush with glee. The creaminess of the cheesecake counterpoints quite well with the drink. And slowly I felt myself brightened from inside out. Ready to face again the uncertainty that lies ahead.



Akiba Cafe Facebook Page
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Highlands Coffee

inside Highlands Coffee

caramel macchiato and brownie walnut cake

No one is more excited than I am when Highlands Coffee finally opened a branch at Eton Emerald Lofts in Ortigas which is very near my workplace. I could have gone here on the very first day it opened however the place were packed. So I waited a few more days before finally deciding to give it a go.

I like the splash of burgundy that seems to dominate the interior of this coffee shop. But I only took notice of it fleetingly. My attention was quickly grabbed by the sweet treats that seems to stand at attention inside the display case. One of the cakes on display, a caramel cake type, looked familiar. It happened to be the Dulce De Leche cake that I was fortunate to try straight at Nic's Gourmet Dessert. Apparently, majority of the cakes and sweets offered here at Highlands are from Nic's, as indicated on the print out receipt for the Brownie Walnut Cake that I ordered along with the coffee.

I was taken aback with the barista I was giving my orders to when she highly discouraged me to try the Cafe Sua Nong after I asked for it. She went into the technical rigmarole that the liquid that would drip from the contraption that they specifically use for this order would be too minuscule for me to appreciate. And that I might find the flavors too strong for me. Well, lady, leave that for me to find that out and not for you to decide, ayt? When I asked what she can recommend, I swear I saw her eyes flutter. "Caramel Macchiato," was her avid reply. Too generic for me, I almost spat out but I shrugged off anyway and gave in. The coffee is okay but I still felt  my spirit dampened because I didn't get what I wanted to order in the first place. If not for the cake slice dessert that I had with me (which by the way was excellent), I would have deemed it a wasted trip.

Cafe Sua Nong and Brownie Walnut Cake (again!)

On the second time I was here, I finally was able to try the Cafe Sua Nong (coffee w/ condensed milk is the direct translation). And I did liked it. The very potent liquid of strong coffee once mixed with the condensed milk lessens it's bitter taste making it more desirable to drink. Sweet, creamy with that slap-me-hard taste of coffee. However, something is wrong with this picture. This time around they placed a wrong order for the dessert. I specifically asked for the Hazelnut Praline Cake, but it seemed the barista was on a dazed state that he typed in on my receipt the Brownie Walnut Cake instead. The exact same cake that I had the last time. I guess I was partly to blame since I didn't double check the bill print out. But isn't it protocol for the counter guy to read out the order, especially if in doubt, before punching it all in? Since the guy behind the counter didn't ask for any clarification, I had the impression he had it right the first time.

You might think this not too trivial concerns that I had with Highlands Coffee would send me off to another direction the moment I pass by it again. The answer is no. I still like the coffee here well enough to drop by again one of this day. And I do hope they get things right the next time.



www.highlandscoffee.com.vn
twitter.com/HC_Phils

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Tully's Coffee

intense dark mocha

chicken empanada

peanut butter & chocolate mousse cake

Aside from coffee, I also have an unrequited affection for hot chocolate. But a hot mocha drink made with Ghirardelli spells a hell of a lot different. I almost run to the nearest Tully's Coffee when a photo was posted on their official Facebook page showcasing a hot chocolate made from this US based chocolate bar brand. I couldn't help but grin from ear to ear when I finally had this cup of the most reverent hot chocolate before me. The Intense Dark Mocha is, true to its word, alarmingly intense. A searing hot cup of pure hot chocolate pleasure that you would long remember till the last drop is consumed.

Equally commendable were the Chicken Empanada and the Peanut Butter & Chocolate Mousse Cake that I had with the hot mocha. Wonderfully flaky, I only just wish the chicken empanada's filling has a little kick of spice to it. The mousse cake offer alluring layers of dense chocolate and peanut butter that each forkful guarantees sweet, peanut buttery pleasures.

www.tullyscoffee.com.ph