First Sip: Dark Specialty Coffee

I found myself getting lost in SM North one afternoon. As I try to look for a camera store that sells the lens I plan to buy for myself as Christmas gift, I spotted Dark Specialty Coffee. And since I love anything with caffeine, chocolate or tea, I decided to take a break from getting lost and have a drink. 

Hello, Dark Specialty Coffee. 

New Restaurant Alert: TenRen's Tea

New restaurants, cafés or whathaveyou attract me like fly to light. I just have to go nearer… and nearer… and… *bite/slurp* Well, okay, I have to order first and pay before I devour whatever I chose. Anyway, the point is, I simply could not resist new places especially if these places offer food or drinks. I am actually practicing intense self control not to go to S Maison to try the new restaurants there as I wanted to go with the awesome looloo group. So to distract myself, I headed to Greenhills and went to the new tea shop TenRen’s Tea. 

Hello, TenRen’s Tea!

I got lost finding this place. I saw the wrong and incomplete addresses in my food apps so it took me a while to get here. (By the way, it is on the second floor of the Promenade Mall, quite near Gourdo’s and on top of Starbucks.) 

The shop was empty at 3:30 p.m. and the server near the door gave me a free sample of their bestseller 913 King’s Oolong Milk Tea (PHP100). I liked it so I went with that one but with 50% sugar level and with pearls (additional PHP10) as I wanted to chew on something. 

The wait wasn’t that long as I was the only customer then. It took them 2 minutes to prepare my drink and it was ample time for me to take a few snapshots of the place for “documentation.” While waiting, I noticed that they did not design the place for people to linger around. There are only two tall tables and 3-4 stools each. There are no power outlets or washroom inside the shop as well. Oh, and it was hot inside! 

I guess, it really is just designed for take out and the store is to showcase its various teas. 

Love at First Sip: United Coffee

Now on our last stop, simply because the establishments in the area were getting ready to close, we decided to go for a nice and quiet place to chat. The coffee shop in the Nav compound made me curious and after our meal at Diner on 16^th, we opted to look for it. And thanks to the shop’s signage, finding it was a breeze. But the climb up wasn’t due to my aching knees. >.<

Hello, United Coffee.

There were only two other tables occupied when we arrived. The interiors reminded me of a humbler Yardstick—warm and cozy. We settled in one of the window seats.

The place is still on its soft opening, having opened its doors last December. Menu is not very extensive but since I was already full and slightly sleepy, none appealed to me. The friendly server suggested their bestseller, Espresso + Milk + Mocha (PHP160) and as a sucker for bestsellers, I gave it a try. I wanted to try the S’mores cake but I just do not have space for it anymore. T_T