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| What I normally do inside a coffee shop: eat, sip and read a good book |
Food establishments, especially coffee shops, are the ones that I usually gravitate no matter what mood I'm in. Whether I'm in a celebratory mood for earning a work related incentive, or to ease myself back to normalcy from the frenetic schedule of the past week at the office, or maybe to set the mood with the suspense-thriller fiction I'm currently engrossed reading, or to bawl my frustrations about life and love with my closest friends. But these days, I head to these food places to nurse a weary heart. A lot of things occupy my mind lately and these food places helped me to take it slow, gather my resolve and refuel myself to pick up steam for the next journey.
A Pinoy Coffee Shop That Warrants More Visit
It's a shame that I'm not able to visit Cafe de Lipa as often as I wanted. Though I pass by their Market! Market! branch most of the time, I'm always in haste to go home by then. Already full to the brim with other food places I visited in BGC, I would only gave it a glance wishing I still have enough space in my stomach even for just a cup of latte. As if on cue, air bubbles would form deep within my internal organs and I'll expel it out with a loud burp. I'm already getting too graphic, I know. On a few occasions I've been to Cafe de Lipa, I immensely enjoyed their coffee. The Cellato, their own take on the ever popular frappuccino, satisfied me on all counts. On the above photo, if I remember it right, it's the Dark Mocha variant. Very chocolaty with a slightly bitter note followed by a whoosh of sweetness. I got to try the Brownie Bar and the Revel Bar. The brownie bar has very intense chocolate flavor for my taste but the revel bar was absolutely divine.
Next time I swing by Cafe de Lipa, I'll muster up all my courage and would try their barako brew.
A Pinoy Coffee Shop That Warrants More Visit
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| cellato and dessert bars at Cafe de Lipa |
It's a shame that I'm not able to visit Cafe de Lipa as often as I wanted. Though I pass by their Market! Market! branch most of the time, I'm always in haste to go home by then. Already full to the brim with other food places I visited in BGC, I would only gave it a glance wishing I still have enough space in my stomach even for just a cup of latte. As if on cue, air bubbles would form deep within my internal organs and I'll expel it out with a loud burp. I'm already getting too graphic, I know. On a few occasions I've been to Cafe de Lipa, I immensely enjoyed their coffee. The Cellato, their own take on the ever popular frappuccino, satisfied me on all counts. On the above photo, if I remember it right, it's the Dark Mocha variant. Very chocolaty with a slightly bitter note followed by a whoosh of sweetness. I got to try the Brownie Bar and the Revel Bar. The brownie bar has very intense chocolate flavor for my taste but the revel bar was absolutely divine.
Next time I swing by Cafe de Lipa, I'll muster up all my courage and would try their barako brew.
www.cafedelipa.ph
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A Chic Cafe At The Mall
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| desserts and coffee at Cafe Pascucci |
I first learned about Caffe Pascucci when Lori Baltazar posted on her Dessert Comes First Facebook fanpage a picture of the Aracione Cheesecake. I stared at the picture for a full minute, transfixed by its sheer beauty. Desserts has that effect on me, especially the pretty ones. I would presume this how guys react when they see a pretty looking girl (or to coin their most often used phrase, 'an extremely hot chick'). Does that mean I can be considered 'straight' when it comes to my food choices? Alright, I know I'm going overboard already with my analogy he-he!
Caffe Pascucci is indeed a haven of a place for coffee and dessert lovers like me. When I went up to the counter, a moment of indecision swept me as I gaze on the choices of sweets and coffee. There's just too many. With the sweets, of course I chose the aforementioned Aracione, and I also picked up another pretty looking dessert, the Tiramisu. Both pleasing and satisfied my craving for sugar. The Double Latte soothes with it's strong coffee flavor tempered down by milk and cream.
Ayala Center
Glorietta Complex
Makati City
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Other Epic Things To Try At Epic
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| coffee, desserts and artisanal ice creams at Epic Cafe |
Epic Cafe maybe the coziest coffee shop in Kapitolyo. The symmetry of brown that envelops me once I'm inside soothes me. Maybe because the color brown is my birth color. I'm almost sure I'd drop by here every time I'm in the neighborhood. I just felt slightly disappointed when my order of Cappuccino was served to me in a take-away cup rather than the coffee mug (this is partly the reason why I don't go to Starbucks that much often). I'm a sucker for latte art and I enjoyed my coffee much more if I'm holding it on a proper cup. The coffee itself wasn't as 'epic' as their Mochachino which I've tried the last time I was here but the cakes and their artisanal ice creams compensated it all.
I just have to say that the ice creams here are phenomenal. Very creamy and milky. My favorite is the Vanilla Bean. You could even see the specks of vanilla with each scoop. As for the Chocolate Sansrival, I'm not fond of chewy textured desserts but I'd make an exception for this sans rival. The chewiness somewhat complimented the dessert as a whole and the chocolate wasn't that off putting either. It's creamy through and through that the next thing I know the whole lot is already gone.
Brgy. Kapitolyo
Pasig City
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Coffee & Toast
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| toast, waffle and coffee at Caffe Bene |
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| chocolate cake, gelato and coffees |
In the often harried commercialized city like Eastwood, a coffee shop like Caffe Bene is a welcome breather. If you're like me who easily gets tired of trying out the usual suspects (a.k.a. the well-known US-based franchised coffee shops), Caffe Bene is a no-brainer option. The coffees here may lack the robustness that coffee aficionados yearn for (perchance, that's how the Koreans like their coffee, I'm not sure) but the sheer knowledge that your drinking coffee from somewhere other than those popular coffee shops is enough reason for me to enjoy my stay.
Lackluster coffees aside, the food at Caffe Bene shines its pure brilliance. The Choco Banana Toast was buttery and sweet. Suffused with cream then drizzled with some chocolate syrup, sprinkled with chocolate chips and topped with caramelized bananas, it's a sweet kind of toast I find myself fully immersing myself. The Strawberry Liege Waffle were strategically studded with strawberry slices and the whipped cream was on this side of pink that I find quite charming. The (extra!!!) chewiness of the waffle however distracted my reverie with this dessert.
From someone who currently has a "cool-off relationship" with chocolate cake, I find the Choco Malt Mallows Cake very pleasing. Moist chocolate cake covered with a very smooth ganache topped with a small pyramid of mini marshmallows. With regards to the gelatos offered here, well, let's just say I haven't tried any flavor I like yet.
Eastwood, Libis
Quezon City
www.caffebene.com.ph
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My Most Visited Coffee Shop Of 'Em All
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| purple potato latte surrounded by milkshakes |
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| crepe cake with cheesecake milkshake (my least favorite milkshake variant, though. I find it too salty) |
Hands down, it's Subspace Coffee the most frequented coffee shop I've been to. I've fallen hard for their Purple Potato Latte. It always excites me and look forward to what kind of art they would put on my cup. Not all people like the purple latte. When I asked my friend to give it a try when I offered her my take away cup, she almost gagged as if she just tasted a weird substance that totally repelled her. But I like it. Slightly sweet, creamy and that earthy flavor from the purple potato. I tried other beverages like the Stormies, their own take on frappuccinos, and various milkshakes which the Merry Monkey is my most favorite. But I always go back to the Purple Potato Latte. Since I've been relocated to Eastwood, I haven't visited Subspace since. But once I'm back in the area, I'd definitely swing by this K-Pop centric cafe and be reunited with my purple latte. I wonder what latte art they would put on this time?
Unit 103, G/F Emerald Tower
F. Ortigas Road
Pasig City
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