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. 

Staycation Chronicles: Bayleaf Cavite

I hardly consider Cavite as a location for a quick getaway. In fact, I couldn't think of a single thing to do in the area. But who would have thought that there's a gem waiting to be found along the long Governor's Drive? 

Hello, Bayleaf Cavite.

Bayleaf may not be exactly a new name in the hospitality industry as its Intramuros branch has been around for over five years. Built as an extension to Lyceum of the Philippines, Bayleaf served as the culinary arm of the university. And it was not long after the success of Bayleaf Intramuros when the Laurel family decided to open another one, this time in Cavite.

First Sip: M&S Café

Marks & Spencer has been known as one of the major British multinational retailers offering quality garments, body care and snacks. But it was during my random hunt for a cold drink when I discovered that Marks & Spencer also has a café.

Hello, M&S Café.

I got excited when I found out that Marks & Spencer is no longer just a bakery but a café with a wide selection of beverages.

First Sip: La Lola Churreria

I had to visit a few showrooms a few months back and booked an Uber before things become chaotic. I got a call after getting in my Uber car and was informed that I could use the company car and have one of the guys drive me around. Sweet was the first word that came to mind. But it turned really bitter, salty, umami… anything but sweet, when things became crazy. And let me explain why.

Since the company car was finally available, I decided to be dropped off at Uptown Mall and wait for the car to pick me up. I was told that the driver was on his way but it will take him at least 15 minutes to reach me. It’s such a waste to just sit inside the mall and count the number of flies that pass by so I went up to La Lola Churreria and bought Iced Mocha (PHP130, large) to go. 

There was a bit of order back log so I had to wait for a while before my drink was served. 

But the servers do not seem to be proactive as they did not trigger my number to activate (or vibrate and light up) when my drink was ready to be served. I noticed my drink, alone on the counter, yearning to be loved. I asked the server if the drink was mine and true enough, it was my iced mocha. The server apologized though after I told her that I wasn’t sure if it was mine as my number did not light up. 

Not sure if it was because this La Lola branch was new but these servers needed to be trained. They also kept on chatting with each other making the preparation time longer. 

Anyway, my iced mocha drink was lovely. It wasn’t that sweet and it had a nice chocolatey and tinge of caffeine taste. The texture was slightly rough so try not to order this if you have an itchy throat.

*Continuation of bitter, salty, umami story: The driver eventually managed to pick me up after half an hour and we had to go back to the office to change cars as the car he brought was coding that day. We quickly switched cars and went out again. But the driver got a call from an irate colleague and demanded the car to be returned as his bike was in the trunk of the car. In short, I ended commuting again and wasted almost an hour and half from this mishap. :(

La Lola is located at 3rd Floor, Uptown Mall, 9th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. It is just a few steps away from the Uptown Cinemas. 

First Sip: Habitual Coffee

The summer heat is making me cranky. It is just too intense these days. But I could never turn down a free cup of coffee.

Hello, Habitual Coffee!

This small coffee shop located at Ortigas Home Depot is one of the silent players in the world of third wave coffee.

Upon entering, I fell in love with the shelves that display cute knick-knacks. My sister finds it pricey though.