Takeout Picks: Black Scoop

Black Scoop is one of my go-to milk tea shops since 2018. With its delectable fruit teas and addictive milk teas, it's hard not to grab a few drinks whenever I pass by a branch. I know that they have savory meals too, but I only got to try some of its dishes during the community quarantine. And since I now know that they have good chicken poppers, I decided to grab some again after my OB appointment. 

Hello, Black Scoop.

For a milk tea shop, Black Scoop offers a good range of dishes to complement its sweet drinks. Its menu includes rice meals, sandwiches, pasta, and snacks. 

First Bite: Sundays by Merry Moo

Summer may have been long over but the intense Manila heat is here to stay. And there's no better way to keep cool than with a scoop or two of ice cream. But why stop there when you can have three and a yummy waffle bowl to eat it with?

Hello, Sundays by Merry Moo.

Merry Moo is one of the homegrown ice cream brands I love. Its fun and innovative flavors keep it relevant especially with today's discerning market.

Is FRNK Milk Bar More Than Just A Pretty Shop?

Instagrammable. That word has been the focus of most food and drink establishments and sadly, fail to deliver what's really important... taste. This is the reason why I often avoid pretty food and colorful drinks. I'm always scared of getting duped by its beautiful appearance and leave my taste buds miserable. But when most of my friends say that this new hipster drink brand offers nothing but goodness, I just have to give in to try FRNK Milk Bar. 

Hello, FRNK Milk Bar. 

FRNK Milk Bar is one of celebrity Isabelle Daza's business ventures. And just like all the other brands she's involved with, FRNK is a beauty in all aspects of marketing. All of FRNK's drinks are worthy to be part of anyone's Instagram with its sleek presentation. 

Love at First Sight: Serenitea x Sesame Street

“Early bird gets the worm. But cookie taste better than worm. So me sleep in," says Cookie Monster. And I think I actually embraced that idea when I feasted on nothing but cookies for weeks. As a fan of this crazy-eyed blue cutiepie, I was so happy when Sesame Street collaborated with one of my favorites--Serenitea.

Hello, Serenitea x Sesame Street!

Serenitea has always been my number one milk tea. And just when I thought I don't have enough room to like this any more, it came up with a collaboration that made me love it even more. 

First Sip: Tea Mama

Tea is not exactly a popular drink of choice in Manila. With majority of the market more inclined to get sweetened drinks such as boba and soda, tea is a far fifth or sixth in the drinks category. But I'm glad that there are establishments that focus on tea and offer a wide selection at that. And when I got to encounter da.u.de back in 2014, I was beyond thrilled. Competition must be tough though as it rebranded again and is now called Tea Mama. 

Hello, Tea Mama. 

Tea Mama is the revamped version of Sweetea's by da.u.de. Aside from its interesting selection of tea, it now offers other refreshing drinks such as fruit tea and matcha latte. It also offers pearl milk tea and milkshakes for those who prefer sweet drinks. 

All About Serenitea's Cookie Brûlée Series

I have been drinking too much milk tea these past weeks to the point of planning to do some serious boba detox. But just when I thought I could finally start, Serenitea launched its crème brûlée line.  

Hello, Serenitea. 

Serenitea has been one of my favorite milk tea brands ever since my first sip of its Hokkaido Milk tea back in 2011. And despite the influx of so many boba shops opening in Manila, Serenitea remains to be one of my top 3! 

First Sip: One Zo

Milk tea is everywhere and it is so close to turning me into the same shape as tapioca! But it's just too hard to resist especially when new brands keep opening here and there. And just a few weeks back, a boba shop also from Taiwan opened in Promenade Greenhills. But unlike all the other milk tea joints, this one makes its pearls from scratch and cook fresh batches every day. And did I mention that it comes in different flavors?

Hello, One Zo. 

Named after the Mandarin translation for playing with balls of dough, One Zo is known for its freshly made flavored pearls. 

Harlan+Holden Coffee now open in BGC

We've all heard the saying "Time is Gold" when we were younger. But it was only a few years back when I got a better understanding of what it truly meant. With the feeling that 24 hours a day not enough to have things done, I tried so many hacks to make myself more efficient. But I still end up rushing doing this and that, especially getting from point A to point B. Thankfully, there are a bunch of online services and apps to help me multitask and I sure am glad that there's a coffee shop that thought of a way to save us coffee lovers precious minutes.

Hello, Harlan+Holden Coffee!

The posh retail shop Harlan+Holden finally opens another branch of its coffee shop concept and this time, it's at One Bonifacio High Street!

First Bite: Nomi Matcha and Açaí

I'm a big fan of matcha. Perhaps it's because of my intense love for anything Japanese. But there is something about matcha that I find very endearing. It's my go-to treat whenever I indulged in something (too) sinful  as a cup or two of this green wonder would make me feel less guilty. But what I love most about matcha is how it evolved from a drink made from a very precised tea ceremonies into a modern and casual treat which ranges from drinks to desserts. I've also tried some savory dishes infused with green tea! Though there are hits and misses here and there, I'm always open to trying out new matcha places. And a few weeks back, a new matcha player opened in BGC so...

Hello, Nomi Matcha and Açaí!

Nomi, or drink in Japanese, is the first food venture of three Japanese friends who thought of giving the well-loved matcha a modern take. 

Situated at the ground floor of W City Center along 5th Avenue, the first thing I noticed was its brightly lit space and its light-colored interiors with touches of green and pink. 

First Bite: Harlan + Holden

Harlan + Holden instantly charmed me when I saw photos of its picturesque cafe in Rockwell. Call me sucker for Instagram-worthy places but I did my research and read great reviews of this place prompting me to ask R and his parents to a trip here one afternoon.

Hello, Harlan + Holden. 

First Bite: Tsujiri

Tsujiri has been known as matcha paradise. By using premium green tea and complemented by curated Japanese toppings, this new player in the market has been well-received despite its intimidating price range. I've been wanting to visit its first store in S Maison but the traffic hinders me from visiting. Thankfully, it opened somewhere closer to home.

Hello, Tsujiri!

I was so giddy when I found out that Tsujiri opened its doors in BGC. Located on the third floor of SM Aura, I could finally indulge in what serious matcha lovers consider as the best green tea ice cream around.

First Bite: Respite

Tomas Morato has turned from a drinking spot to a food haven these past years. And now, with more variety and restaurants, I sometimes get confused on where to eat. Thankfully, a Tomas Morato food crawl introduced me to this slightly off the grid coffee shop that offers delectable green tea cake! I wouldn’t have discovered this if it weren’t for that superb foodie event organized by Zomato.

Restaurant Love: Chaya

A trip to Chaya is always one of the things that excite me whenever R and I visit Baguio. Discovering this hidden gem along Legarda Road has been one of our fondest Baguio memories. Just thinking about its superb sashimi and sukiyaki make me drool for hours. And a few months back, we decided to escape the scorching Manila heat and headed to Baguio one rainy Friday late afternoon. As we reached Baguio with grumbling tummies, we couldn’t think of anything else but Chaya. 

Hello again, Chaya! 

Unlike our first visit, the place was packed with locals and tourists alike. As we were expecting to hear the dreaded phrase, “we’re full and could not accommodate you”, we were ushered to the back part of the restaurant which happens to be a dining area as well. 

Foodie Alert: Starbucks' New Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly Frappuccino

I’m not a fan of Starbucks but I am a fan of freebies. When R scored some free Starbucks from BPI, we decided to use some of his electronic vouchers to avail of some drinks. 

Hello, Starbucks!

It has been weeks since R mentioned that we pass by Starbucks to get some free drinks but we always forget it when we do our errands. It was only yesterday when we finally got to visit the famous mermaid.

The SM Aura branch was packed with only a few seats near the sunny side of the café vacant. 

R went with a Green Tea Frappuccino (PHP185, Venti) while I went with the new Starbucks drink Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly Frappuccino (PHP200, Venti). I was thinking of getting the Double Chocolate Green Tea Frappuccino but decided to just sip from R’s cup for some matcha love.

Service was superb as our drinks were ready as soon as we settled our bill! Talk about lightning fast service!

R’s Green Tea Frappuccino was delightfully sweet with a hint of green tea. The matcha taste wasn’t as strong as I thought. The green color was deceiving. 

My Chocolate Black Tea with Earl Grey Jelly Frappuccino, which I now baptize as CBTEGJF with CBT as its nickname, was pretty good. I loved how the Kenyan tea leaves offset the sweetness of chocolates. The two flavors blended so well. I also liked the touch of chocolate black tea powder on top of the whipped cream. Be careful though with the chocolate Javan chips as it could get stuck in between your teeth. So smile with caution, especially if you’re on a coffee date with your sweetie pie (and you haven’t reached the sweatpants stage of your relationship). 

Click here for a complete list of Starbucks branches.

First Bite: Kozui

I have heard of Kozui before and it seems to be a go to place for matcha lovers. I just never braved the traffic to buy a soft serve ice cream especially since Family Mart is a lot closer. But with C in our group and with her love for matcha, we headed to the well-loved (and pioneer) matcha joint for some cold treats. 

Hello, Kozui Green Tea!

The place was a lot smaller and worn out than I pictured. The place actually looked… sad. 

Anyway, I decided to go with Green Tea Anmitsu with strawberries (PHP150/bowl) and shared it with C as we were trying to save space for other dishes.

Our bowl was served after a few minutes and the first thing I looked for was the strawberries. Apparently, it was just some sort of strawberry jam-slash-jello. 

Beat the Heat with Carousel Creamery Handcrafted Ice Cream 101 Flavors

Several reviews have been raving about Carousel Creamery's delightful customer service. They are also very active and interactive online and today was not an exemption.

Hello, Carousel Creamery! I NEED YOU! Save me from melting!!!

The crazy heat makes me picture the sun with a smirk on its face while looking down at us while we desperately look for ways to cool down. One of the quickest ways I could think of is to buy ice cream. 

After a great lunch at Dohtonbori, we decided to get some cold treats at the well loved ice cream parlor. And when we got there, the place was packed with other melting human beings. 

The order system seemed to have changed as we didn't have to pay first before sampling some flavors. There were also no tokens given. The cashier also told me to just approach any of the servers when I have decided on what I would like to order. 

I roamed around and squeezed my way from one display chest to another and sampled a few flavors namely--mango sorbet, green mango and a few more I could not remember the names but the tastes were a bit too sweet and heavy hence the reason why I didn't get those flavors. The mango sorbet was pretty good as it had a refreshing flavor. The green mango was a tangier version of mango sorbet but I was not in the mood for anything sour. I then asked for a flavor that has a nice light taste yet refreshing... and weird. He quickly recommended Olive and Basil. Weird enough. Game!

I sampled it and true enough, it had a nice light taste and it tasted weird at first. (It had a tinge of herby taste and it reminded K of pesto.) But I eventually grew fond of it. I found the one out of 101 flavors! 

Green Tea Heaven: O’sulloc Tea House

Hipster. That’s how R described this quaint tea shop known for its wide range of teas from Jeju Island. Yes, I’m talking about O’sulloc Tea House.

Hello, O’sulloc Tea House.

The two storey high tea shop was quite packed on a rainy Saturday night.

It has a wide range of teas and sweets displayed on the ground floor. The packaging of its teas is also so adorable, perfect as Christmas gifts! (I personally love its Wedding Tea. It smells so great!)

Since we were still full from our Jjimak dinner, my mom and I decided to share a glass of King O Fredo (8,500₩) while my sister opted to get Jeju Milk Ice Cream (6,000₩).

While waiting, I explored the tea shop and went up to the second floor.

And it has a different feel to it. It was warmer with its wooden interiors. It also has interesting wall details and I spotted a door that says OSULLOC LABORATORY. It must be where tea magic happens! *drools*

Love at First Bite: Sweets House Cha Cha

I am so overwhelmed with the food choices here in Hong Kong. There are just so many options. The supermarket alone, such as City Super, has a wide selection of snacks, drinks and yes, sashimi! I am so in love with it that just visiting the supermarket gives me the thrill I get from riding Space Mountain. And one night, R’s good friend C introduced a delightful soft served ice cream to us.

Hello, Sweets House Cha Cha!

This sweets concessionaire is located inside City Super, Times Square, Causeway Bay. Here you have two options for your soft serve, matcha or Hokkaido Milk. R opted for Matcha in waffle cone (HK$32) so I went for Hokkaido Milk with mochi (HK$34) which C also recommended (sans the mochi).

First served was R’s matcha and the first thing I noticed was the inviting vibrant green color of the matcha. It sure looks like it has a strong and powerful flavor. True enough, it did. And R liked it. It had that slight bitter taste that you’d get in matcha. This is a must-order for those who just could not get enough of green tea.

My Hokkaido Milk was served next and up close, you could mistake it as typical vanilla ice cream. But this one has a milkier and creamier taste. It was like eating sweet milk… in ice cream form.

Love at First Bite: Chaya

It has been over one decade since I last visited Baguio and that’s why I was so giddy when R suggested that we visit the land of Ube Halaya last long weekend. I was thinking of all sorts of places to visit but I was warned by R that the traffic in Baguio’s as crazy as Manila’s. And he’s right.

After visiting the crowded Ben Cab Museum (and failed attempt to eat at Café Sabel) and the not in season Strawberry Farm, we were famished. R suggested that we pass by Legarda as he knows this Japanese place that serves good food. I also read about this restaurant called Chaya and it looks promising based on reviews. Long story short, we ended up in Chaya.

We were greeted by a quaint house with warm furniture. We got a table for two and ordered the following: Salmon Sashimi (PHP350), Spicy Tuna (PHP390), Sukiyaki (PHP390) and Isobeyaki (PHP150). We also ordered Iced Green Tea (PHP90) and Green Tea Shake (PHP120).

While waiting, we were given some complimentary appetizers—sautéed veggies and tuna. It was small but really tasty.

My Iced Green Tea was served next and it had that lovely real green tea taste. 

R’ s Green Tea Shake was better though as it tasted like green tea ice cream!

The salmon sashimi was divine! It was fresh and the melts-in-your-mouth type. This is a must order dish!

Love at First Sip: Kissako Uji Matcha Café

Friday nights are meant for munching and discovering new food. I am not so fond of eating the same food twice as there are just so many restaurants to visit and so many dishes to try. Just thinking about it makes me so giddy.

Last Friday, I made an 8 p.m. reservation for three at Locavore thinking that my sister’s last class ends late. But we all got together at 6:30. So to kill time, I asked them if we could visit the new Japanese tea and coffee shop I spotted a few weeks ago.

Hello, Kissako!

The place is quite small and could only accommodate perhaps 5-6 groups at a time. Choices are also limited making it easier for me choose. I went with Strawberry Shortcake (PHP170), Chocolate Mousse (PHP170) and Horiguchi Coffee (PHP130) in medium roast.

The cakes arrived in cute dark colored clay plates. I am already in love without even tasting the cake yet.