Coffee Shops Round Up

coffee and cake at Subspace Coffee

The allure of coffee shops. While most of my friends would prefer milk tea shops as their favorite hang out place, I'd prefer the warm embrace of cafes and coffee shops. I find majority of the milk tea places too casual and too open (with the kiosk-like ambiance) for me to feel really relax and to warrant any privacy for me to enjoy whatever I ordered. With the exception of a few, like Saint's Alp Teahouse and some branches of Serenitea, most of these milk tea shops are either right smack in the middle of an alleyway inside the mall or positioned right beside a supermarket where passersby could easily ogle at you and your food. Something I find a little irksome especially if I'm feeling anti-social.

But cafes offers coziness and comfortability that I just keep coming back to. Plus, I'm a self-proclaimed caffeine addict. Here are some of the coffee shops and cafes that I recently enjoyed visiting.

Candyccino Drinks at Luna Coffee

food at drinks at Luna Coffee

I first read about Luna Coffee in an article published by SPOT.ph. Essentially, a coffee shop with a Pinoy flair.  The placed were almost packed when I went here one evening thus I positioned myself on a long bar-like table facing the window and have my orders (which were quite a few) placed there. It's a little awkward if you ask me. I practically occupied that little nook by the window to myself with the amount of food and drinks I had. Not more than once I sensed the stares (or I should say 'glares') from the other diners. Not that it matters, though. 

piccolo latte

White Rabbit candyccino

I'm curious of how the Piccolo Latte taste like. Apparently, it's a more concentrated mixture of espresso and milk thus giving you a more intense coffee flavor but with a sweet finish. This cup of coffee is indeed a very potent one. But I wasn't put off by it. I was actually titillated by this coffee compact yet bold flavor. 

Of course, I wouldn't miss out trying out their Candyccino. Basically, coffee concoctions based on Filipino candy favorites such as Flap Tops and White Rabbit. I chose the White Rabbit Candyccino since I'm all crazy with this candy since childhood. As expected, the drink comes with the candy itself. I was actually hoping for the Chinese variant of White Rabbit where the paper wrapper could also be eaten. But what came was just the regular local version of it. However, that does not deter me from enjoying the toffee caramel laced coffee goodness of this drink.

Angus tapa and egg pan de sal

snow sugar rustic popcorn pancakes

I was quite hungry that day so I scored a number of food items to try. I was impressed with the Angus Tapa & Egg Pan De Sal, flavorful tapa canoodling with not so runny soft boiled eggs on top of freshly baked pandesal bread. Going for a full brekkie meal, I also ordered the Snow Sugar Rustic Popcorn Pancakes w/ Coco Jam. Surprisingly light and fluffy since the batter was made with ground popcorn and wheat flour, the powdered sugar sprinkled on top of the mini pancake discs added to its rustic appeal while the coco jam dip gave it a truly Pinoy flair.

pumpkin kalabasa pie

pecan pili pie a la mode

leche flan yema

I also got curious with their dessert selections of pie cups. It's a miniature pies of sort incorporating Pinoy ingredients and flavors. The Pumpkin Kalabasa Pie is something that needs a little getting to use to on my part. I still favor the pumpkin and kalabasa more on savory dishes than seeing it presented as desserts. I liked the Pecan Pili Pie more. The crunchy texture and sweetness are perfect soundtrack to this pie, although ordering it "a la mode" may be an erroneous miscalculation. The ice cream placed on top is ube instead of a more neutral flavor (like vanilla or mantecado, perhaps), marring the overall appeal of the pie. At least for me. However, the Lechan Flan Yema in shot glass is my runaway favorite. 

G/F NAC Tower
32nd Street
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig

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A Hole In The Wall Coffee Shop

inside The Curator

Finding this coffee shop the first time may require a little research since you would literally need to pass inside Cyrano (a wine bar) and enter a secret passage to reach The Curator. Cool, isn't it? I even felt like I'm invading a private meeting of a secret clique, a group of well dressed men and women all clustered in one long table, when I entered. But that weird feeling quickly dissipates when a beeming barista approached me and asked what would be my preference for my drink.

YKW Latte

I asked for a milky cup of joe, of course. And the barista whipped up a beauty called the YKW Latte. It's a double shot espresso drink with a fruity note. I enjoyed this cup very much. But i also yearn something to nibble with my drink and look at what I saw:

boxes of pastries and breads

coffee and croissant

Wildflour's croissant

Boxes of croissants and other flaky goodies from Wildflour. They've prepared a savory croissant for me. I already forgot most of what's in there. It could have been a cream cheese spread and some tomato slices. It's all good.

I haven't been back to The Curator since this visit, but I'm planning to drop by there at night when the place transforms into a bar. That would be something! =)

134 Legaspi St. cor Palanca St.
Makati City

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A Cozy Coffee Shop In The Supermarket

coffee and cake at Ghenne's

Now, who would have thought that a cozy coffee shop can be found within the vicinity of a sprawling supermarket? I've been passing by Ghenne's Coffee whenever I'm making a trip to Eastwood but I never take heed of it. But one day, feeling the day's stress boring down on me and wanting to have coffee to ease myself back on track, I suddenly decided to try Ghenne's.

Surprisingly, I liked Ghenne's Cafe Latte. The not too strong coffee with the milky finish fitted me perfectly. I also liked the fact that I could choose the flavored syrup on offer to pair up with my drink (I chose the Macadamia Syrup).

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

There's a couple of cake slices on display but I was drawn to the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake. I always like the combination of caramel and chocolate, plus this cake slices is the prettiest of the lot. I'm glad I chose this one since it's denseness and moistness is just what I'm looking for a cake of its kind. I almost felt sad when I'm finally left with crumbs. Can I have another slice of this cake, please?

GHENNE'S COFFEE SHOP

Shopwise Libis

E. Rodrigues Jr. Ave

Libis, Quezon City

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A Fast Food Coffee Shop With A Class Of Its Own

cappuccino and spinach quiche

Whenever my friends and I would visit McDonald's, specifically the Eastwood branch, I almost always check first the display case of McCafe to see if I would fancy any of the sweet treats on offer. More often than not, I ordered here instead and once settled, I gingerly sip my hot cup of cappuccino and nibble on a slice of blueberry cheesecake while my peers munch happily on their fries and take a large bite on their crispy Chicken McDo.

mocha frappe and cakes

frapp and ensaymada

I really like their coffee and the pastries here. The chocolate cake is always super moist and the ensaymada always quells my craving for something achingly sweet. I even sometimes choose McCafe over Starbucks for a quick caffeine fix.

www.mcdonalds.com.ph/ourfood/mccafe

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Is There Really Such A Thing That's Better Than Sex?

iced mocha float and BTS cake

A fine specimen of a cake this one from UCC with the most intriguing name, at that. It's called BTS or Better Than Sex. You might ask if this cake really is better than sex? I couldn't give you a clear answer on that. But one thing I know, this cake pleases my sweet craving on all counts since I really like chocolate cake with caramel. 

caramel macchiato and ube cake

Another favorite of mine at UCC is the Halo-Halo Cake. I'm glad they've made it a mainstay on their dessert line up and I didn't have to wait for the summer season to enjoy it. Who could resist the most ube cake with the smoothest ube buttercream? Then layered with customary ingredients one would find in a halo-halo? Served with nangkasuy ice cream then topped with cornflakes. Every kids and kids at heart would find this cake really irresistible.

There's actually more coffee shops out there that I've enjoyed visiting recently but will save it for a future post. So, ciao for now! =)

www.facebook.com/pages/UCC-Coffee-Shops-Philippines