Cakes & Recipes

Soooo. The thing about living in the south when your boyfriend lives up north is that most of his friends live up north and even if the party you guys are going to is happening in the evening, things like traffic and the weather will force you to be up north ridiculously early. Although in this case, I was just really, really excited to see Keavin. The party (a despedida of one friend and the birthday celebration of another) was set for six in the evening, onwards. We were at Greenhills at nine in the morning. Forget on time for tonight, I am always late for yesterday.

Eventually, Keav and I got sick of hanging out in Greenhills (a constant cycle of Krispy Kreme, Promenade, Vera Mall) so we decided to do a little wandering. We were walking around aimlessly for almost an hour just checking out different carenderias (it's fun, you should try it haha), sari-sari stores (oh look, they have Bazooka) and street food stands (wahhh no fishball) when a house with a pretty door caught my eye. Attached to the gate was a tarpaulin that said "Cakes & Recipes"--and beside the door was a flashy LED board that said the place was open. So, hungry and thirsty from all that walking we decided to give the place a looksie. And wow, did we like what we found.

 Cakes & Recipes is a homey cafe/restaurant. They serve almost everything: from rice meals to sandwiches to pasta to cake to coffee to pastries. Aside from the food being great and affordable, the ambiance is a huge part of the appeal of this place. They have wooden furniture and a breezy but just-big-enough garden area.

Muffin Madness!

I know it's nonsensical for me to complain about being tired and then not head to sleep but I swore to myself (and to my friend Robyn, who makes these lovely things) that I would post about these muffins and I'm afraid tonight's the only time I have. :) These muffins were given to me as a welcome home surprise by Keavin when I arrived from Vietnam last week--he surprised me by showing up at Taft and revealing that we were there to meet up with Robyn for her awesome muffins!

Already a muffin-over-cupcake-anyday type of girl, these have made my convictions ever stronger. Keav got me a dozen in banana with nutella filling & oat crunch Toppings (right) + ricotta cheese filled with strawberries marinated in balsamic vinegar topping (left) and wow. WOW. I don't think I've ever tasted any muffins better than these--and that's saying a lot because I LOVE CBTL's cheese muffins. Both of these flavors went amazingly with coffee--plus they kept pretty long without going in the refrigerator (around 2 days). I won't be able to tell you what happened after the second day though, as they were all in my (and Keav and my friends and my family)'s tummy(ies) by then. :) 

Anywho, I thought I'd do a post on these to add a little sunshine to today's otherwise gloomy WinaWondersphere. :)) :D These come in lots of unique flavors too like chili tablea chocolate, apple mint jelly &coffee and candied ginger with graham crunch toppings. NOMNOMNMONOM!!!

If you guys are interested in ordering from Robyn, you guys can drop her a line by adding her here! You can also catch her at the 11:11 relaunch on December 15th. :) She'll be selling these lovely muffarooos then. These go for around P550/box of 6/ P850 per box of 12 and are worth every hundred. Delicious! :D

Ho Chi Minh, Day 2: L'USINE!

 I haven't updated in a while because I wasn't sure how to go about posting about the rest of my stay in Vietnam. We did so many things and it seemed unfair to cram all that info into just one post so I decided to do a post per interesting place we went.

My second day in Vietnam was packed with adventures! Because my sister is a bonafide lakwatchera (love it) and we didn't have any time to waste, we picked ourselves up off the couch and headed out. 

One of the places my sister took me was L'USINE--L'USINE means factory in French and this concept was just so well-executed, I couldn't get over it. I would try and describe this to you a little more but I don't think that would do L'USINE any justice.

 I figure that a concept like "warehouse-turned-cafe" has the possibility of being cheesy or contrived but it works so well here because actual machines are incorporated into the interior. For example, this industrial drier was converted into a table and the hook was switched up so that it holds up a light bulb instead of fabric or paper. 

 Everything--from the chairs and tables to the exposed beams to the old photographs on the walls--is stripped-down or dressed- up industrial decor. I loved the office chairs and the heavy tables.

 Perhaps one of the most interesting things about L'USINE is that it doubles as a boutique. Their items are hella pricey, but I suppose that's because most people come over for the coffee and not for the clothing. The pieces are very unique and very pretty, though. I also love the window that looks out into the main street. It has a 1997 Great Expectations feel that I found extremely seductive.

 I also loved that their place mats doubled as menus. Plus, they're take-home-able and you can actually have them deliver to you. Because Ho Chi Minh is so small, most of the restaurants deliver and they have small calling cards you can take with you when you go (or like me, you could just take the entire menu). The prices for their food and coffee are pretty reasonable, too. 

I had a Cafe Latte which went for 60,000 VND (120 Pesos) and a fudge brownie for the same price. Both were excellent! My only annoyance was that the Latte came served in a glass instead of a mug which made it hard for me to drink. 

 My sister had a Cappuccino (also for 60,000 VND) and a slice of carrot cake--this was a bit more expensive at 65,000 VND (130 Pesos) but not without reason; it was delicious (and I usually severely dislike carrot cake). 

 Both the carrot cake and the fudge brownie came with jam on the side. I found this pretty weird at first, but after trying it (at my sister's insistence) it wasn't so bad. The jam was a bit sour and that neutralized the rich sweetness of the pastries. 

They also have Wifi at L'USINE (and actually, almost everywhere in Ho Chi Minh) and that makes it a great place to hang out and get work done. If I lived there, I think I'd probably spend a lot of time at this cafe. 

For those of you who are in the area or who might be headed there soon, L'USINE is located at 151/1 Dong Khoi Street, District 1 Ho Chi Minh City. :)

Caffe Ti-amo

Yesterday, I had coffee with Marz and we went out to buy adorable berry-pink-and-black stands for MoarBooks (we like to call it investing) to use at BLTX and other events this year. After a long two hours of perusing aisles and aisles of Daiso (because we are indeed, indie cheap-asses) stock, we decided to have a little coffee break at Caffe Ti-amo in Greenbelt. I'd seen this place a million times before, on my way to the nearby Watsons but I'd never actually been inside--the high ceilings and faux-warehouse interiors are really nice. So, yeah. I had a Caramel Macchiato while we sat ourselves down and computed and computed and computed away at investments and predicted returns and wow, this place has excellent coffee. 

 They also duo as a gelato shop and have a lot of espresso-gelato hybrids as well but sugar makes me crazy so I didn't think it'd be a good idea to try those out so late in the day. But yeah. Wow. I will definitely be heading back there the next time I'm in Makati--it's also a lot cheaper than your regular designer coffee: it was around P90 for the Macchiato whereas the Macchiato's average price elsewhere is around P135 a regular cup. :D

Old Haunts | Value Foods

I am a creature of habit when it comes to food--as my friends can tell you, I am absolutely the most unadventurous person when it comes to cuisine. I'll try something new once in a while, but mostly I stick to what I like. Back before I'd turned into a semi-hermit (and when it wasn't weird to have your ID number be 107), there were only a couple of places I'd drag my friends to to eat--and because I'm so unadventurous with these things, on the occasion that I need to eat somewhere, I head over to these old haunts. And it always pains me to find them much changed (whether for better or for worse, I guess). 

Back in 2010, I used to eat at Value Foods all the time. It was one of the places where I made friends with the staff and I could walk in and they'd know what it was I wanted. (This is a shout out to the dear owner and to the old staff: Kuya JR, Ate Rose, Sir Joey, Jason, Che and everyone I haven't mentioned.) 

Anyway, Keav and I were hanging out in Taft the other night and I decided to take him there since he loves Chinese and Japanese cuisine. And when I got there, I was greeted by Jason, who was still a trainee the last time I ate there. Small talk followed and I realized that it was startlingly quiet in there. I asked Jason where everyone was and he informed me that they'd all left after Yum Cha (an upscale effort owned by the same sweet Singaporean guy) closed down. This made me immensely sad because 1.) I loved Yum Cha and now there's no where else to get braised noodles and 2.) I didn't even get to say goodbye to those people who'd left. Le Sigh. I am one for nostalgia indeed.

Anyway, in honor of these old haunts I thought I'd do a series of posts on my favorite old haunts in the Taft area and this bit on Value Foods is one of them. :)

Value Foods definitely stays true to its name--it is the one place you can eat quality asian cuisine and get good service at a reasonable price. You'll spend an average of 110-150/meal there and be incredibly full after. They're located in EGI Taft Tower (sandwiched between Archer's Place and Gokongwei building), ground floor. 

My favorites (personally) are the following: Gyoza (I would gladly break my vegetarian diet for this and I did, for old times' sake) at P85/5 pieces, Seafood rice (no need for ulam with this, as it is complete with veggies and seafood) at P110/serving and their Sukiyaki Ramen, also at P110/serving. 

 Plus, they've got free iced tea and soup with every meal (not applicable for delivery). Another wonderful thing about them (which is another reason why I loved them so much when I lived in Taft) is that they deliver within 3 kms from EGI. They're a godsend during exam week and/or when it's raining. All you have to do is text them your order, your location (+ landmarks) and how much change you need (change for P500, etc.). Their number is 09276002022. :)

Another winner is their Super Duper Sumo Bento Meal--which Keav, the Lord of the Huge Appetite and Fast Metabolism had. This consists of Ebi, Vegetable & Kani Tempura, mixed vegetables, Beef Teriyaki, Fried Rice and 2 pieces of their legendary gyoza + miso soup + iced tea. Very delicious, very filling and uber worth the P145 it costs. 

Let me know how you like it if/when you try it! :) 

Brightside Entry | Snacks!

Ever since I was a kid, I've never been the type of person who particularly enjoys set meal time--it just doesn't make sense to me; why do I have to eat when I'm not yet hungry and why do I have to eat so much? I'm the kind of person who likes her eating spread out throughout the day. And today was a great lazy day for me--I got up at 10, had breakfast, read Storm of Swords the whole day, fell asleep at 4 in the afternoon and woke up at 6. I completely skipped lunch and almost went without dinner, but thankfully my dad decided to treat me and ate Audrey to a little snackaroo this afternoon!

 I found this awesome sandwich place that allows you to substitute meat for cheese! One of the hardest things about going vegetarian is finding something to eat at the mall but this place was great--that's a premium cheddar + lettuce + cucumber + tomato sandwich. I already ate half when I realized I wanted to take a photo though, so apologies. :)) It doesn't quite look as appetizing as it was in real life.

 My dad had some salmon sashimi, one of his favorites that are actually good for him. Ate Audrey and I split the kani and california maki--I don't feel bad about eating the kani because it's not actually crab; not that that makes it any healthier but it makes me happy no animals were harmed in the making of my food anyway. 

 I also decided to buy myself Soft Batch cookies, which I haven't had in the longest time. I heated these and found myself reliving my childhood as I bit into the beautiful, fall-apart goodness of these cookies. Crazy. Sweet tooth, satisfied. :)

Inspiration | Kimono Tops

I've been really obsessed with floral print on Kimono tops lately. They looks so fresh and really pay homage to that distinctly eastern aesthetic. :) Maybe this is the result of watching too much anime as a child, but there's just something fresh about something floral that can billow in the breeze. I ordered something similar from Staple Lip Trend and I just can't wait to feature it next week. :D In the meantime, here's a little inspiration for everyone!

Brightside Entry | The Acacia Breakfast Chronicles 4

This morning I realized exactly why I'm not a very adventurous person when it comes to food--I usually stick to the basics and go for what I know works. I threw together this plate of longganissa, cold cuts, cheese, pancakes and nuts; it sounds delicious but it didn't quite taste as good as I'd thought it would--the meat spoiled it for me; I'm not fond of sweet longganissa and the prosciutto was too salty. 

 Halfway through the plate (at which point I'd decided I wasn't going to finish my food) I decided to get myself some french toast and a hard-boiled egg--basically what I usually eat when I'm at home. Could this be suite life homesickness? The french toast was amazing and went perfectly with their coffee, which has improved tremendously over the past few days.

They were also able to get the french toast just the way I like it--a very, very golden brown with lots of crisp on the outside and fluffiness on the inside. 

What made my day about breakfast was Preview Magazine's July Issue with Dawn Zulueta on the cover. Preview has got to be my favorite Philippine style magazine; their editorials are beautiful and they're able to keep their features relevant and relatable. I feel that a lot of fashion magazines talk at you whereas Preview talks to you. Finished eating breakfast and reading the issue simultaneously. 

Also, this is going to be the last breakfast that I'm going to be covering--I've tried a little bit of everything. :) Over-all, I'd rank the Acacia Buffet at 3/5 stars: they've got good food but its quality isn't consistent enough (yet) to become a favorite. 

I hope everyone's having a good Thursday! 

The Acacia Breakfast Chronicles 2

Hi, everyone! So today's the second day of my Acacia Breakfast Buffet coverage. While I stuck to a couple of my favorites--like the french toast and the cheese--I also decided to mix it up and get a couple of more fruity things. :)

The entire spread consisted of: a piece of French Toast, a bowl of Froot Loops and milk (because I am a child), mushroom omelette and cheddar cheese, a strip of bacon, a couple of cold cuts, coffee, fresh watermelon juice and a couple of pineapple chunks. Nommm. :)

The thing that I love about the Acacia buffet is that you can eat without stuffing yourself silly since they have so many different options--you can get a little bit of everything.

 The omelette was heavenly. It's also cooked in Olive Oil which makes the fact that it's fried less deadly, I suppose. I also love that you can pick what they put in it--I picked shittake mushrooms, tomatoes, red bell peppers and onions then ate it with a little chunk of cheddar cheese which made it taste even better.

 I ate a little bit of the french toast today--they're getting better, I think--with a couple of cold cuts and a strip of bacon. The cold cuts were heavenly; so soft and tender. Muy delicioso!

 The watermelon juice was very refreshing indeed. I just got a little though because it was really sweet. I also loved that they kept the jars of juice chilled in a bucket of ice, which let you keep the drink cold without diluting its flavor.

Coffee as usual. A little less watery brew this morning, which was great. :) I also ran into Apple, who waitresses for the buffet--turns out she used to work at Omakase and remembered me and my sister from there! :)) Thank you for the great service, Apple and the rest of the Acacia crew, actually. :D Day 2 of the buffet was great! Tomorrow I'm going to try some of the rice meals and their breakfast salads. :D Have a good Tuesday everyone!

The Acacia Breakfast Chronicles 1

I have spent a lot of time pondering how to blog about the Acacia Breakfast Buffet because I am but one pocket-sized (as my friend Alain would say) girl and I can't eat my way through a buffet in one sitting. Since I'm staying here for a couple more days with my sister, I thought I'd do a chronicle of posts on this massive buffet--they have almost anything you would want for breakfast, from Arroz Caldo to breakfast Cereal.

So, yeah! Today, I decided to go for a pretty light breakfast since I was in a hurry to get to the bus station and head to school--which by the way, the wonderful people here were lovely enough to help me with; they have a car service that'll bring you anywhere you want to go in Alabang for free so long as you're a guest. 

Today I decided to go for the french toast, an assortment of cheeses (including Brie, my favorite cheese in the entire freaking world), a strip of bacon (my family is transitioning into vegetarianism) and some coffee. 

 Pretty satisfied with this, except that I would've liked it better if their french toast was a tad crispier on the outside; they're alright as they are but I personally prefer a little crunch. 

 My no coffee diet lasted less than a week. Their coffee is alright--your standard brew. It isn't bad but it's not something that I'd go craving for either. :) If you need a wake up fix in the morning, this is great. Also, free refills so while it's not benguet coffee or anything, it'll do.

 A little panorama view of The Lobby at Acacia; I love that you can look out onto the Alabang traffic and watch the cars go by. Yes, I am a huge Snow Patrol fan.

I also love the pattern on their chairs; I couldn't resist taking a photo. More entries to come! :) Hope everyone's starting the week off with a smile!

Favorite Things | Cakes at Conti's

I have Marz to thank for this discovery; I've only recently been going to the Conti's in Town Center because I'm the kind of person who likes to stick to what she knows and I grew up going to the one in BF Homes so I just never really thought to head to the little bakery they have here in Alabang. But a week ago (it was a Sunday), Marz decided to drag me over there to split a dessert; as it turns out that was one thing about that day that went right. :)) We had New York Cheesecake and while this might be a little biased as NY Cheesecake is my favorite kind, it was the best cake I've ever tasted. Most cake shops that make NY Cheesecake tend to either go overboard with the cream or let the cake get really, really bland. But at Conti's they're able to keep their cake fresh and delicious; there's a hint of citrus-ness that doesn't let the creamy texture of the cheesecake overpower the dessert.

Today, after my brunch/movie date with myself  I met up with Joy and Trish and we headed to Conti's after dinner for a little something sweet. Joy bought a chocolate cake for her man love (whose birthday it is today--Happy Birthday monsieur!) and Trish & I split a Blueberry Cheesecake. We were also picked as one of the lucky tables that got free samples of their butterscotch bars which were delicious as well. :) 

Conti's is definitely a place to go if you want value for your money; a (pretty big) slice of cake here costs on the average P80 and it's great to split with a friend because eating the whole slice may overwhelm your tastebuds. :) They also have very affordable coffee and excellent customer service. This definitely brightened up my day. I'll be back, Conti's!

Favorite Things | Jamba Juice

I hung out with the family today after a very tiring but fulfilling day of chem lab, hanging out with friends, walking around Shaw/Ortigas and having an early dinner with Keav. I got to Town Center at around 8:00 and found that all of the day's walking had made me hungry again--I ate something very healthy: a noodle/lettuce dish with a fish sauce/vinegar dressing; I'll get back to you on what this was called or I think my sissy-in-law Ate Audrey is doing a post on this soon, if you'd like to check this out.

My favorite part of that meal, however, came post-dinner. We decided to go to Jamba Juice for dessert--we're all trying to eat as healthily as we can; life is precious and while my family is truly one composed of people who are alcoholics and chain smokers deep down, we've lately made a decision to try and switch that lifestyle around.

 And really, it isn't much of a challenge--who wants soda when there is something as delectable as Jamba Juice around. I'm not usually a fan of fruit shake stands because the syrup they use to sweeten the fruit makes me want to throw up, but the thing I love about Jamba Juice is that they really use juice to make the smoothies. My favorite is the Carribean Passion--although my sisters like Mango Go (I think that's what it's called) and my brother likes the Aloha one.

 Me, exhausted but happy after a long, well-traveled day. :)

A drink for everyone! I also love the booster shot things that they give you for free--I chose the one with anti-oxidants because hey, who doesn't want to age gracefully? :) Yumyumyum! Definitely one of the great things about today! Happy Monday everyone! I hope your week started out great!