Some New & Under The Radar Eats

 

breads and pastries at The Tattooed Baker

It's been a while, I know. I'm afraid that my blogging skills are now a little bit rusty. But I've been up and about recently and I want to share with you all how that have been. 

Romantic Meals For A Table For One

the kouign amann at Brasserie Cicou

I was meaning to post this for Valentines. But since I'm such a slowpoke when it comes to writing articles for this online diary, plus inspiration to write a romantic post was sorta, kinda hard to find (surprise! surprise!) so this will serve as my first post for the month of March. And I'm not gonna try to make this a (to quote a phrase from that 90's hit TV show Ally McBeal) "sappy-sappy-puke-sappy" narration because to tell you honestly, it isn't gonna work. Nuh uh!

Fuel For The Soul

coffee and cake at Kuppa

I've been on a slump lately. And this is due to the fact that my heart got "crushed" by my crush (pun unintended). Not because of anything that he overtly did. It's just that we never had that chance to really interact. And I'm so scared to even say 'Hi' to him whenever I see him pass by the corridor. Afraid that my voice would come out like a muted croak that in turn would make him run the other way. What if my mere presence irks him? What if he doesn't really want to befriend me at all? There was even a point where I get affected when he's being too chummy and friendly with his girl peers. I could almost hear my friend Pau retorting, "Of course he'll be friendly with them, they're his friends! Duh!"

Getting Stuck At Stacy's

ribs at Stacy's

You might be wondering why such a title? Because I literally got stuck and stranded at Stacy's for almost thirty minutes or so just as I was about to leave because of a heavy downpour brought about a sudden thunderstorm that appeared out of nowhere.

This Cafe Is My Compadre, My Padrino

coffee and cake at Il Padrino

A new coffee shop is brewing in Robinsons Galleria. I noticed Il Padrino Coffee when I attended a service in Victory Church a few Sundays ago here. I checked out the board menu situated right at the entrance of this rather "very open" coffee shop. The menu is limited but compact. Pastas, pizzas, some salads and sandwiches. But the main attraction here is, of course, their coffee selection, and quite a number of desserts, to my heart's content.

Where Technology & Food Collide

food at DW Cafe

Who would have thought there would be a cafe right beside a gadget store? And not just an ordinary cafe that serves coffees and desserts but also offer Japanese food favorites like omurice and katsu dishes.

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.

I'm In Green Tea Heaven

lemon teaz @ kozui

A cafe that serves green tea anything. That's already enough reason for me to check out this zen place for green tea and healthy living aficionados. While most of my friends and acquaintances headed straight to the malls and movie houses to preview the much talked-about Avengers---I, on the other hand, went straight to Tomas Morato for the sole purpose to try out Kozui Green Tea Cafe. I even rode the MRT for the very first time just by myself to check out this green tea haven of a place, which made the trip all the more memorable.

An Italian Espresso Bar

food at segafredo zanetti

The heat of the afternoon sun is starting to get unbearable. Our feet already felt tired because of constant walking. My mind is on a chaotic state, listless and ambling to and fro with no clear direction. I looked at my two other companions, grim-faced and sweltering under the beat of the sun. Not sure if they also share the gale of emotions I felt at that moment. But one thing remained paramount, we need to be fed.

One Chic Coffee Kiosk

mochacchino & blueberry cake

To be honest, when I first saw Akiba Cafe in SM Megamall, it didn't drew that much attention from me. Maybe because I find it too open for me to chill and enjoy my coffee. However, when I saw this cafe featured on an article in Meg magazine, it naturally heightened my interest to check what this coffee shop (or kiosk) has to offer.

Chillax Over Coffee At Tully's

bellaccinos at Tully's

I would never have known the existence of this quaint new coffee shop in BGC had it not for the tweet of food blogger extraordinaire Lori Baltazar on Tully's Coffee. When I finally had the chance to go to BGC, I initially wanted to try dine first either at Serendra or The Strip before going to Tully's. However, I want to know first where Tully's location really is. (It's actually located at the ground floor of McKinley Park Residences right next to Kitchen's Best Home Patisserie, another restaurant favorite of mine) Once I finally found where Tully's actual location, somehow I find it such of a hassle to go back to either The Strip or Serendra to eat and then walk back here to get my coffee fix so I decided to dine at its nearby neighbor, Shi Lin.

It's More Than Just A Coffee Shop

sumiyaki coffee

I observed Ueshima Coffee Company or UCC Coffee shops are not really frequented as much or not as popular as the U.S. coffee shop franchises like Starbucks or CBTL. Especially by the youths. On the few times that I've been to this cafe, its always the middle aged business men or women chitchatting about stocks, market movement, agriculture and livestock or people already closing the gap between middle age and old age chitchatting about the activities of their grandchildren or the tides of the time; that I had the pleasure of seeing and even to eavesdrop on some of their conversations if I got bored checking the updates on my Facebook wall or I couldn't find something of interest to read on the coffee shop's magazine rack. Since, I've been to this coffee shop quite a few times and enjoyed every visit, does that mean I now belonged to this age group? Me wanting now to have the ability to astral project and travel back in time. ;)

My Love Affair With Reuben & Tryst With Toblerone

reuben sandwich

One rainy evening, I found myself here in Apartment 1B. It would have been perfect if I'm here for a romantic rendezvous. But, no. I'm dining solo tonight. I didn't feel bad, though, because I'm not the only one dining by myself at this cozy restaurant in Salcedo Village.

Subspace Love

subspace coffee's chocolate paradise & purple potato latte

I first read about Subspace Coffee just in passing, I'm hard pressed to remember where exactly I read about it. Maybe some online article or briefly mentioned on the comments section of the food blogs I usually frequented. I do remember that I briefly checked their Facebook page and my attention was not immediately caught by it. Not until I checked out one of many who blogged about this coffee shop, and I was literally floored by the design concept and the interiors of the cafe that I knew right away that I must visit Subspace.

My Heart Beats For Cafe Cristina

cafe cristina's food

A cheesy title for a post, I know. But hey! Valentine is just around the corner so one can be excused to be cheesy these days. Cafe Cristina, situated along Marcos Highway, may not be an ideal spot for a romantic rendezvous, since its right within the vicinity of a Shell gas station (the cafe gives off a more homey, barkada hang-out feel), but you would literally fall in love with some of the food items they offer, as I did.

When my friend Lei briefly mentioned on her Facebook status that she went to Cafe Cristina after a relaxing massage with our common friends, I really got curious and asked her the exact location of the cafe. I even went to the extent of Googling about the cafe. One thing led to another, the next thing we know, we're already plotting a possible get together brunch with our friends. Possibly with the same group of friends who was with me on that wonderful Johnny Rockets pre-Christmas get-together, with more people adding in. 

Why I Love CBTL

CBTL's hot cocoa, desserts & swirl rewards card

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is my ultimate go-to coffee place when I wanted to relax with a hot cup of brewed coffee (or their Ice Blended drink, depending on my mood) and a dessert. As compared to the more popular Starbucks Coffee (yes, lets name names, shall we?), its always less busy and the hush ambiance is more palpable which makes this cafe more conducive to a relaxing coffee experience.

Cafeccino By Dome: A Second Visit

Cafeccino's cakes

NOTE: This is more like a continuation of my previous post titled Good Times Really Roll In Johnny Rockets.

Right after the great meal we had at Johnny Rockets, we decided to stroll around for a while  and check out the tiangge in the area for some bargain finds. (At this point, we parted ways with Kuya Regi and Mommy Tonie since they still have work to attend to) We also goofed around in the walkway right beside the Eastwood Mall surrounded by shrubbery plants. And how could we forget posing right beside the huge and brilliantly sparkling Eastwood's Christmas tree.

Dome Cafe & Cafeccino By Dome: Luscious Moments

two exceptional cakes

(Note: This is more like a continuation of my previous post. )

Right after our satisfying meal in Cookbook Kitchen, we (Jhen, Darlene & Diselle with two of her office mates) all decided (I might add, with much apprehension) to try out this horror house propped in the middle of Eastwood City Walk. The horror house was inspired by the hit movie Zombadings: Patayin Sa Shokot Si Remington by Jade Castro (who also directed the critically acclaimed Endo and My Big Love), thus the horror house was aptly named Shokot House.