St. Marc Cafe (Greenbelt)

Beloved and I had merienda at St. Marc Cafe. We've actually been to this place a couple of times on their Megamall branch. In addition, Beloved has already visited this particular branch by herself, so we were quite aware what this Japanese-style cafe offers. They don't really offer traditional Japanese dishes. They have pastries, desserts, coffee, and tea—usual cafe food and beverages. However, most if not all of them has that Japanese touch, such as incorporating matcha and having an inordinate variations of parfaits.

We come here not for their desserts nor for 90% of their pastries. We come here for the unique pastry they carry called the "Chococro". A portmanteau of chocolate and croissant, this confectionery essentially combines chocolate filling with flaky croissant. They are placed in self-service containers in front of their baking area, making them fresh most of the time. However, after our second or so time here, we always ask for them to be reheated even if it will take a bit more time.

Aside from the classic chocolate-filled Chococro (55 Php), which we ordered one piece of, they also offer other variations of the pastry, some only seasonally available. We basically got at least one of what was available that day. In addition to the classic one, we also got their Salted Milk Chococro (65 Php), a pair of their Chococro Marble (60 Php), and one White Chococro (65 Php). For our drinks, Beloved ordered their Iced Vietnamese Coffee (140 Php, large) and I got their Hot Matcha Latte (170 Php, large).

Barkin' Blends Dog Cafe (Loyola Heights, between Katipunan and Esteban Abada)

Beloved and I visited Barkin' Blends Dog Cafe earlier today. This newly opened cafe is one Beloved has been excitedly watching out for. Not because of the "cafe" part, more because of the "dog" part. Beloved is a big dog lover, having two dogs of her own. Here, you get to drink the usual cafe beverages in a room filled with dogs. No, you can't bring dogs in. I also skipped "eating the usual cafe food" because I believe it's not allowed in the presence of dogs.

We were a bit conflicted going here today since it was the opening day. However, Beloved insists that she must see and pet the pug. We went at lunchtime and, as we expected, it was packed with other guests forced to just watch outside while waiting. We decided to grab something to eat nearby and go back.

We got back with the place still full, as expected. There were two rooms, one for the cafe area where you can eat doggie-shaped cupcakes as well as impart with their small menu of coffee- and tea-based drinks and another called the Dog Zone where the dogs reside and only sealed drinks are allowed. Luckily, there was still some space for us in the Dog Zone. To entice us, we were shown a menu of not food or drinks, but of the dogs that you can see and cuddle with inside the dog zone. They charged 180 Php for the entrance to that place inclusive of their most affordable drink. They charged a bit of extra for their more premium drinks. Beloved ordered their Iced Caffe Mocha (180 + 25 Php) and I got their Iced Caramel Macchiato (180 + 25 Php). I wanted to order their Matcha Frapp, but it didn't have whipped cream so I passed.

The Sweet Spot (Maginhawa Street)

Beloved and I had dinner at The Sweet Spot a couple of weeks ago. This place is one of the first to lease a newly-opened building near the corner where the police station of UP Teacher's village was. I've passed by this place a couple of times before, and noticed that they didn't really offer only sweet stuff, as anyone sane would assume from the name of the place. In fact, I thought one of their items was interesting. Anyway, because we were feeling adventurous, Beloved and I went.

Their menu was quite small, and we learn that this was more of a bistro or cafe than a full-fledged restaurant. Their dishes have a nice ring to their names and they have a wide array of coffee- or tea-based drinks. I ordered their Honey and Whiskey Glazed Pork Belly (285 Php). Beloved got the menu item that I thought was interesting—their Asahi Fish and Wasabi Chips (220 Php). We also ordered their Truffled Cream of Mushroom Soup (90 Php). For our drinks, I settled for their Matcha Green Tea Mint (190 Php) and Beloved asked for their Iced Mocha (120 Php). Note that we didn't get our receipt until later.

Afters (Tomas Morato)

After trying out Manang's Chicken, Beloved and I found ourselves at the coffee shop right next to it called Afters. Beloved claims she's been wanting to go to this place but never had the chance to. I, on the other hand, have never heard of this place until last Saturday. Since I wasn't really filled and didn't want to fill the rest of my belly space with sweet potato chips, and since Beloved wanted her vice drinks, we decided to pass by.

We were somewhat lucky that they offer a promo that day on this month since it was their anniversary. Every weekends, they offered a free scoop of gelato, one of their specialties aside from coffee, which is a ~90 Php value for every 200 Php purchase. Since the drinks cost almost as much as the usual coffee shop prices for their larger offerings, the goal was simple to reach. Beloved ordered their Iced Cafe Mocha (145 Php) and made me order their Green Tea Latte (119 Php). For the freebie, we chose a flavor we both like, Vanilla Gelato.

Lugang Cafe (SM North EDSA)

Beloved and I had dinner at Lugang Cafe last night. This internationally-famous Taiwanese restaurant-slash-cafe is among our more pricier ventures, but Beloved mostly heard positive feedback here from her friends. I personally haven't heard of it until recently, when they opened doors to a new branch at an accessible (to us) SM North EDSA, probably because of it being pricy. Of course, we've had other pricy ventures before, and it mostly turned out well, so we gave this a shot.

The place was packed full. Luckily, they were able to accommodate us immediately. Unluckily for those who went after us, they had to wait a while. This further raised my expectations of this cafe, especially after they handed out the menu. Their dim sum, which I already raise my eyebrows when they pass the 100 Php mark, cost no less than twice of that. However, we already know that their xiao long bao is the must-order in this place. With a few to choose from, we settled for the Steamed Angled Loofah with Shrimps Xiao Long Bao (228 Php). We had a hard time deciding what else to order, since we were hoping not to break the 1000 Php mark. We settled for two noodle dishes: their Spicy Beef and Tendon Noodles Soup (250 Php) and Minced Pork in Bean Sauce over Noodles (230 Php); and their Spring Onion Pancake (160 Php) house specialty. Since this was a cafe, they had an entire menu filled with drinks and cafe-style desserts. Sadly, they didn't have what Beloved originally wanted: milk tea and a different flavored smoothie. She settled for their Peanut Smoothie (200 Php).

Gayuma ni Maria (V. Luna Extension, near Maginhawa Street)

Beloved and I had dinner at Gayuma ni Maria last night. We've known this place, which is located at the Savemore end of Maginhawa Street, where it meets Anonas and becomes V. Luna, for a while but never had a chance nor reason to visit it. Beloved got to try out one of their cakes called "Better Than Sex" during one of the food fairs we attended. Aside from the name, she didn't really found it special. After looking at the menu through the web, Beloved finally found a reason to go.

The reason for going was basically the names of their dishes. Beloved was giggling hysterically as she read through the online menu. When we got there, through a porch that you occasionally see during Halloween, we found ourselves in a similarly themed dining area. The online menu was a bit outdated, especially when it came to price, but the reason, the silly naming, was still there. Beloved planned to order their version of tom yung goon called "Unrequited Love", but settled for their French Kiss (295 Php), which was a beef tongue dish with mushroom-sauce. I was going to order their "Holding Hands While Walking Pa-Swing Swing Pa" or "H.H.W.W.P.S.S.P." for short, solely because of the name. However, I was recommended to order their I Love You, Cross My Heart (215 Php), instead, and I chose to do so since it looked a bit more satisfying, despite being both chicken dishes. We also ordered their Peek A Boo (145 Php), a pumpkin soup, because all the other appetizers we wanted to try weren't available.

Fancy Crepes (Matalino Street, near Kalayaan)

Today, me and my blockmates Hannah and Ivy decided to hang out for a bit after our review class. We were supposed to go Cha Dao at Matalino street to get our milktea fix but after seeing that the said tea place is full, we decided to hang out at Fancy Crepes instead which is just a few blocks away. From its name, we thought the interiors were "fancy" but actually it has a sort of eclectic x country style x garden-inspired feel to it. We love it! So for this entry I decided to include pictures of the interiors as requested by my lovely and pretty friends.

As for the menu, they only have crepes, cakes and drinks but they serve pasta on Sundays. I ordered an Iced White Mocha (90php) and the I love NY crepe (105php). Hannah ordered their Bananutella crepe (175php). Ivy got their Sweethearts crepe (105php). They will also ask for your names because they will write it on your crepe. I asked the cashier to write Hannah's nickname on hers. As for Ivy's, she rejected my suggestion of using her new nickname.

Cafe Monaco (Banawe)

Me, Beloved, and Hannah had dinner at Cafe Monaco a couple of days ago. This quaint cafe is located at Banawe corner Retiro, which is a place I don't really have plenty reason to go to. Beloved and Hannah, however, lives nearby which makes this their territory. Anyway, Beloved explains that this place has been here for a long time and has a pretty big following, which I could see from the amount of people at the place wanting to go in but couldn't because all the seats were taken.

Hannah was already inside when we went in, which solved the seating problem for our part. She had already ordered a Nutella Creppe (100 Php), which is part of their selection of crepes filling up an entire page of their menu. Aside from the expected desserts and coffee, the place also specializes in Korean and, recently, according to Beloved, Japanese food and Pinoy silogs. Because Korean was their specialty, I decided to order their noodle dish: Chapchae (130 Php). Beloved also ordered their Bibimbop (140 Php), a Korean rice bowl, and their Kimbop (120 Php), a Korean rice roll.

Old Oven Art Cafe (Katipunan Extension)

Before I begin, please note that this was a Valentines promo, and I'm not sure if this will be available in the future. That aside, read on.

Beloved and I celebrated an early Valentines at Old Oven Art Cafe. Honestly, this was done on a whim. Beloved had "liked" their Facebook page because she was interested in their cheesesteak sandwiches. She then saw them advertising this special menu for two starting February 12. Since it included risotto (which Beloved wanted to try) and rib-eye steak (which I wanted), it was pretty much a done deal and we made a reservation, despite knowing this place is a bit inaccessible for commuters like us.

When we got there, I noticed that it's not really as un-commutable as I thought it would be. It was actually in a walkable distance from the Santolan-Katipunan intersection. However, it was a bit hidden, so we almost passed by it while riding a cab.

You have to climb a flight of stairs to get to the actual dining area. The place itself reeks of artsy. It was lit dimly to add to the vibe and they feature artworks made by deaf people. We find our table ready when we got there, and then our candlelit four-course Valentines Dinner for Two (1000 Php) began.

Soul Shop (Crossroad 77, Mother Ignacia)

A couple of days ago, Beloved took me to Soul Shop. This quaint cafe is located at a building called Crossroad 77 at Mother Ignacia street. The real reason we went there was to search for the place that sells chocolate bars with unique flavors. After making the mistake of going on the wrong floor, finding this place, and seeing its relatively cheap prizes, and Beloved being quite hungry, we decided to stop by for a while despite not being on the original agenda.

The place itself, while located on the second floor of the building, was actually surrounded in nature. It features a garden where you can decide to eat, and actually two separate places you can order food. Of course, it still has a small indoor area which reflects the outside, being one of the most peaceful and quiet food place I've been to. Anyway, I've mentioned their prices were relatively cheap and their menu consists of the usual cafe fare of sandwiches and pasta and other finger foods plus a selection of rice toppings. However, I wasn't really hungry. Beloved was. She ordered their Fish Kare Kare (160 Php). As for me, I just ordered their Soul Shop Taco (60 Php). Finally, Beloved also asked for their Iced Green Tea (90 Php).

Mom and Tina's Bakery Cafe (Regis Center, Katipunan)

Beloved and I had dinner at Mom and Tina's Bakery Cafe. Located at Beloved's new favorite food and drink street, in the same building of BonChon Chicken and Moshi Moshi, this cafe had a welcoming atmosphere to it when we first passed by. It reminded me of Mary Grace, where we had a wonderful experience. Hoping to get a similar one, we decided to try it out.

The place was packed full, only having a couple of tables free when we entered. This further heightened my expectations of the place. Seeing the prices on their menu items increased it further. Their pastas almost cost 200 Php apiece, and their other menu items, consisting of sandwiches and food you would expect from a cafe, aren't really the most affordable I've seen. Hoping for the best, I ordered their Sirloin Burger (295 Php), which comes in half-pound or quarter-pound versions; I took the larger. Beloved ordered their Lengua con Setas (395 Php). In addition, Beloved also asked for their Iced Mocha (95 Php) and I had their Bottomless Green Iced Tea (70 Php). Finally, since this was a bakery, and I thought it would be waste not to try any of their baked goods, Beloved also ordered their Beehive (65 Php).

Caffe Dolce (Banawe)

I love to drink (but not the alcoholic kind!). I love going to milk tea places, coffee shops and cafes so its no wonder that when I discovered a new cafe at Banawe: Caffe Dolce, I asked my friends to meet up there after work. One thing unique about this one is that this is a vegetarian cafe.

I was the first one to arrive since it only took a few minutes to go to Banawe from work. I found out that its located on the second floor of Hong Kong Cafe (which sadly closed down). When I got to the second floor I was very impressed with the interior design of Caffe Dolce. Ghost chairs paired with white table tops for the dining area, red velvet accent chairs for lounge, and wicker furniture for the verandah part decorated with floral arrangements, chandeliers, a floral accent wall, and a water feature. Very shabby chic-x-modern style. But I didn't just went here to praise the interior, so I ordered their Iced Caffe Mocha (135php) and Steak Panini with Salad (199php) since I would be expecting Hannah in an hour or so.

Mary Grace (Trinoma)

A couple of days ago, Beloved and I finally ate at Mary Grace. I say "finally" because this quaint little cafe is located in a mall we frequent at a place we always pass by when we get in or go home. The reasons why we never got to eat here until that day were, one: we only get to pass here when we go to the place where we meet or when we're done with our business in this mall and go home, and two: when we do pass by here when hungry, the place is always full. Actually, the latter was also true when we went in. Luckily, a table just got cleared, so we took the opportunity to find out just why this place is always packed.

We had little idea what kind of food this cafe had, seeing the tables outside usually have pastas and greens. When we got to see the menu, we find out that their food basically consists of that, and sandwiches and other usual cafe food fare. As for the cost, well, it's pretty cafe-esque, comparable to food at your popular coffee places such as Starbucks (yes, they do serve food). Dominant in their menu is their pasta, so Beloved chose one that she fancies from what it's called and perhaps its description—their Leek and Saffron Cream with Fillet of Dory (230 Php). As for me, I picked one of their small selection of sandwiches—the Fili Beef and Tomatoes (205 Php). We also ordered one of their more curious salads—the Fried Kesong Puti and Calamansi Vinaigrette (199 Php). Finally, well, I guess last two, we got a pitcher of their Sangria Iced Tea (224 Php) and one of their Mary Grace Cheese Roll (42 Php), just to try it out.

Five Cows (Trinoma)

Beloved and I had lunch the other day at Five Cows. This ice cream bar/resto at one corner on the top floor of Trinoma is a place we always pass by being denizens of the said mall. We never got to try it because of two things: first, their prices are far out of reach for former plebeians such as ourselves; and second due to the fact that it is primarily an ice cream bar. Of course, Beloved wanted to try it out because of the second reason plus the fact that their staff wears a funny-looking cap with a stuffed cow on top. I let this slide that day.

While they do serve some hot meals, most of their menu is dedicated to dessert. They have eight pages dedicated to ice cream and stuff you can make out of ice cream. As for the food itself, it was a typical cafe fare mostly composing of sandwiches and finger foods, but there were also some rice meals. We ordered their Calamari (160 Php), Prime Burger (275 Php) for me, and Fish Roll au Gratin (195 Php) for Beloved. Of course, we didn't let the opportunity pass to get dessert, so Beloved also ordered their Caramel Macadamia (190 Php). An interesting fact to share is they have some desserts they torch on fire, which we got to witness that day, but didn't order for ourselves.

Greens Vegetarian Restaurant and Cafe (Scout Castor Street, near Tomas Morato)

It's been a while since our last nomnom adventure. I guess it deserves some sort of explanation. I got a job, you see. No, it's not really keeping me busy. However, I've yet to receive my first paycheck. We've been planning this nomnom trip since one of our friends recommended this to us, but we never had the money to do so. Luckily, Beloved managed to keep some, so we took the opportunity earlier today to eat at Greens Vegetarian Restaurant and Cafe.

This place is located near Tomas Morato, at one of the Scout street annexes, which is no wonder we've never seen this place before. From its name, it's safe to assume that it's not a place that carnivorous people will enjoy. Being a carnivorous person myself, I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, but a couple of weeks ago, a co-worker offered me a vegetarian barbecue which I actually enjoyed and I found to be better than the real thing. It's not from this place, though, so that's another place to visit someday.

That, plus the tip from our friend made us decide to go there for dinner. It was just a short way from Tomas Morato, and once we arrived, we were greeted by a green facade of vines and nature. Inside its gates was a garden of greenness, and what looked like a house. Actually, it was a house transformed into a resto-cafe. The place itself felt... green. No, not because of the shrubbery, but because it was dimly lit, perhaps to conserve energy, and the colors they used for their interiors had pretty earthy colors.

As expected, their menu is filled with vegetarian stuff. It ranges from the usual salad, to the unusual vegetarian appetizers, to the even more unusual meat substitutes. I was pretty pleased that their choices of appetizers include a sampler plate, which includes three appetizers of your choice. To sample everything except for a couple, we had two orders of their Three For All sampler (80 Php each), one containing Potato Patties, Fried Mushroom, and Chicharon, and the other containing Potato Patties (no, this is not a typo), Veggie Sticks, and Crunchy Bean Curd Wrapper. We also had an order of their Greens House Salad (105 Php). I also ordered their Greens Vegetarian Barbecue (75 Php), because it was my first real meal of the day. This comes with your choice of either plain, java, or brown rice, and I chose the last one, just so I can have an exclamation to the healthiness of the place. Finally, we ordered their Veggie "Beef" and Broccoli (185 Php) to share. Yes, it really has quotation marks in the beef. We wanted to order their Vegetarian Sisig, but Beloved didn't want to eat rice and would rather have broccoli.

Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee (SM North EDSA)

After dinner at La Mesa Grill, me and Inggo looked for a place to hang out at Sky Garden since we didn't want to go home yet. We ended up at Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee which is just a few steps away from La Mesa Grill. It's a small coffee shop that specializes in cakes and coffee, obviously. What made me choose this store from all the shops in Sky Garden is that they serve Alamid Coffee, which is the Tagalog version of Kopi Luwak or Civet Coffee. I didn't order that one because it costs (185php) a cup and didn't have the budget.

Instead, I ordered a slice of Crème brûlée for 60php, Iced Thai Milk Tea (80php) for me and Iced Green Milk Tea (80php) for Inggo.

Seattle's Best Coffee (Trinoma)

Today, I bought my copy of Starcraft II: Wings of Liberty in Trinoma. But that's not what this post is about. After going there, we had coffee at Seattle's Best Coffee. Because I spent almost all my money on the said game, we decided to just have one last nomnom adventure for the month for the heck of it. So, I guess because of Starcraft II, this will probably be the last post for the month, and maybe the last post for quite a while.

Anyway, Seattle's Best Coffee is known for—you guessed it—its coffee. This is beloved's favorite coffee shop, and this is often compared or at least considered an alternative to the more popular Starbucks. Beloved is a coffee aficionado unlike me, and I can't really tell any major difference on the taste, quality, and texture of the coffee of most coffee shops—even their prices are similar. Beloved says that SBC's mocha is smoother, which is why she prefers it here. Personally, I prefer Starbucks for a different reason. We ordered our usuals: a Large Mocha (135 Php) for beloved and a Large White Chocolate Mocha (150 Php) for me, both hot. We also ordered their Belgian Honey Waffle (75 Php) because I haven't had anything to eat yet.

Xtremely Xpresso Cafe (Subic)

Beloved and I went to a trip to Zambales which turned into a trip to Subic after a day because of the randomness of the impulses of my father side. There, we got to try out a couple of restaurants that we decided to do a review on. When we got to Subic, we stopped by a cafe called Xtremely Xpresso Cafe for brunch.

Although there's plenty of coffee in their menu, it's more of a diner than a cafe, especially since they serve pizza, pasta, sandwiches, rice meals, and breakfast. Among them was a 22-inch pizza for around 450 to 650 Php, which seems to be a great deal. Unfortunately, they don't serve pizza during the time we got there. Instead, we ordered their pasta, Nut Pesto (220 Php) which comes with your choice of topping: seafood, Hungarian sausage, and... another that I forget. For drinks, I ordered Green Tea (50 Php) for myself and Iced Tea (60 Php) for beloved.