First Sip: Cup Point

Sunnies Studios seamlessly grew its brand from fashion to food as if the two go hand in hand. By tickling everyone's love for aesthetics, Sunnies even attracted the non-lipstick user me to check out its famous Fluffmatte lipsticks. And I actually liked it that I bought two! And to celebrate my new beauty finds, I dropped by Sunnies' cutesy coffee shop, Cup Point. 

Hello, Cup Point!

Cup Point is the slightly hidden cafe behind Sunnies Specs SM Megamall. 

New Bites: Krispy Kreme's Halloween-Themed Doughnuts and Frozen Kreme Shakes

Halloween is one of the most celebrated events of the year. With kids and adults donning their favorite costumes and joining the merriment with sweet treats on hand, it isn't hard to love this day of the year. And to make things even more interesting, Krispy Kreme launched not just a couple of Halloween-themed doughnuts but nine creepily adorable ones!

Hello, Krispy Kreme!

Celebrating spooks fest with these adorable limited edition Halloween-themed doughnuts is one of the best ways to make one's party fun. 

When in Korea: Raccoon Café Kkukkune

I've been to various kinds of cafés. There are the common ones like dog and cat cafés and more interesting ones like owl café. But on my trip to Seoul, Korea, I chanced upon another quirky cafe. A raccoon café! 

Hello, Raccoon Café Kkukkune!

Apparently, raccoon cafés are now the craze in Korea and we were lucky to experience this one of a kind trend during our stay in Seoul. 

Not Your Typical Cup: Happy Beans Rainbow Coffee Latte

Flat white, 3D latte art, coffee with flower petals and now, colorful cup of coffee. Wait, what?! Yes, your usual black or brown cup of joe had a bit of makeover and it made coffee lovers go wild. Well, almost. 

Hello, Happy Beans!

This adorable coffee shop is located at the 2nd floor of Metrowalk, inside Mall of Korea. 

I was so giddy when I finally step foot inside the Instagram-worthy café where every corner deserves a photo or two. We got to the place a bit late but the friendly staff welcomed us with a big smile on her face. We were told though that we could only order drinks during that time as the kitchen is already closed. It was okay as we came to try Happy Beans Rainbow Coffee Latte (PHP128).

While waiting for our drinks, we took several snapshots of the place, from the cute salt and pepper shakers to the shelf full of board and card games. 

I then noticed the barista prepping the milk. It signalled me to approach the bar to take some photos of her making the colorful cup of caffeine. I happily asked her if she could prep it on the counter so that we could take photos of it. However, I just got an annoyed and loud “Teka lang miss. Ginagawa ko pa.” reply from the barista. She said it a couple of times too every time I approach the counter. She also banged some of the tools she used on the steel counter which I thought was to let out her annoyance. I figured that I must have been very annoying that night or that she was PMS-ing. 

But she was not annoyed. She was actually frustrated with the new machine they got that night. She could not get the right temperature to make the perfect milk to create the popular rainbow coffee latte. She threw away perhaps four to five cups before serving ours. 

After getting the right temperature, she called me back to take a photo of the magical transformation of coffee.

I was at awe when I saw her make the latte art. At first, I thought that she puts the latte art after pouring coffee, just like how others make it. 

But she actually makes it WHILE pouring coffee. I have no idea how she makes it but I was very impressed. 

The coffee beans are sourced locally and were sadly overpowered by milk. It was like drinking a very milky cup of cappuccino. Then again, it was perfect that time as it was already almost 10:45 pm when we got our coffee.

And to make up for the long wait, Zappy, the head barista whom we thought was pissed with us, didn’t let us pay for our coffee. She didn’t really have to as she already won us back when we witnessed how challenging it is to make rainbow latte. 

I’ll definitely be back to try the other drinks and perhaps some of the savory dishes. 

Happy Beans is located at 2nd Floor, Mall of Korea, Metrowalk Commercial Complex, Meralco Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City.

When in Seoul: Visit Hello Cat!

I have an intense love for furry animals. I just love to pet dogs, cats, and any adorable animals I could get my hands on. My dream is to be able to hug the following: bears, tigers, lions and wolves. Since my dream could kill me, I’ll settle with being surrounded by adorable cats for now. But the cat cafés in Manila were a bit far from my area and I hate to say this… the cats are not that cute for me to brave the traffic. And so I kept delaying my trip to the nearest cat café and ended up visiting Hello Cat! in Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea instead. 

Meow*, Hello Cat!

My sister and I were supposed to head to another cat café that seems more adorable with its chic interiors. But the tourist information center failed us and we ended up visiting a smaller cat café which is located on the third floor of a building with a bingsu place on the second floor. 

Since it was drizzling that afternoon, my sister and I didn’t bother to look for the other cat café anymore even if we have some discount vouchers for it. 

We were greeted by a black cat signage on the wall heading to the front door of the café. Once we got in, we were instructed to remove our shoes and wear the slippers provided by the café. We were also instructed to sanitize our hands before entering the cat zone. 

Once inside, we settled our bill (KW8,000 per person) and ordered a drink each. We both got hot chocolate as we were really cold from the pre-winter breeze. 

While waiting for our drinks and after putting our stuff inside the lockers under the seats, we ogled over the adorable cats. Some were grouchy while some were just mesmerized by the raindrops on the window or taking a cat nap. 

Since we were not allowed to lift the cats, we decided to buy a cat treat for KW2,000. It was worth it! 

First Bite: Coffee Project

I love adorable cafés. I really appreciate it when owners invest time, money or both in designing their coffee shops. And when I saw a few reviews about Coffee Project, I knew that I have to visit this place! 

Hello, Coffee Project! 

The very feminine coffee shop is screaming beautiful in every corner. I just have to take snapshots of the overly yet tastefully decorated ceiling and hallway before placing my order. 

Since we were expecting to visit a lot of restaurants, I opted to share a breakfast rice meal with R. We ordered Garlic Beef Tapa (PHP295) and I ordered a glass of Caphe Sua Da (PHP155) for my drink as I badly needed coffee yesterday. (I only had 4 hours of sleep the night before.) 

After placing our orders (or was it before?), J and I had fun with our mini photoshoot by the corridor towards the quaint washroom of the establishment. This is the perfect spot if you want a new profile picture! 

First served was the Caphe Sua Da. It was served with the condensed milk at the bottom of the glass and the dripped coffee on top of it. There was also a separate glass of ice where you pour the sweetened coffee after. 

It was good though I find it too sweet. It would have been nicer if they put the condensed milk in a separate glass or container so that I could control my drink's sweetness. 

Our food arrived within the acceptable 15 minute mark and first served was Abe's and Jai's deconstructed 3 piece Garlic Longganisa (PHP295 each). It came with two sunny side up eggs, half of a tomato and garlic rice. Surprisingly, they didn't feel that there was not much longganisa for the rice. I guess serving it deconstructed is a nice way to portion your viand well. 

Restaurant Love: CO/OP Manila

Quaint coffee shops never fail to make me giddy. But quaint coffee shops that serve good food make me happier. Shops like Tweedle Book Café, Refinery, Yardstick and UCC are just a few that make me go gaga. Last week, I went to one of the cutest cafés I know… CO/OP Manila.

Hello again, CO/OP Manila!

It has been a while since my last visit. I recall that I only had dessert and coffee when I visited this cute place for the first time. This time around, I went for dinner and I realized that there are only a few savory options. Anyway, I decided to go for the Smoked Salmon (PHP370) while F got the Tartufo (PHP370) and R got the Beef Brisket Sandwich (PHP390). I also got the CO/OP Iced Tea (PHP80) while R got the Strawberry Lemonade (PHP150).

I noticed that the place is practically empty. It’s a perfect place to catch up with friends on a weeknight or the sanctuary of a person cramming.

First served were our drinks.

My iced tea was sweet yet refreshing. R also liked his strawberry lemonade. Though I couldn’t get much from him but a simple, “’k lang.”

Soon, our dishes were served.

My First Bite: Stacy's

Cute restaurants attract me like an insect being lured by the light. Okay, perhaps that wasn't the best way to describe it but you get my point.  Such was the case ever since I saw several blogs featuring the quaint restaurant called Stacy's.

I have been wanting to visit Stacy's for the longest time but Quezon City is a bit too far from me and the possibility of me getting lost is almost 100%. But thankfully, Stacy's opened another branch, this time at The Fort (which is very near my place!). 

After seeing the announcement of their second branch, I immediately tagged my friends asked them if they want to have lunch there sometime... soon. And they agreed! Hurray!!!

We decided to have K's birthday lunch there and that means free lunch! Thanks, K!

I'M IN LOVE: Minions of Despicable Me

It has been a while since I last bought a Happy Meal. I believe they were giving out Rise of the Guardians toys then (and I got an elf). I never thought of wanting to complete a collection again till…

 

BA BA BA BABANANA BA BA BA BABANANA NA NA NA AHH POTATO NA AH AH BANANA…

Yes, that song! Those cute yellow minions captured my heart ever since I saw them on the big screen helping out Gru to be the best villain ever.