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. 

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf launches Genmaicha Iced Tea

We're probably one of the few Asian countries that doesn't drink a lot of tea. Most would go for sugary drinks like soda, juice drinks or boba. I'm happy that despite the limited demand for this healthier option, there are a few establishments that offer wide selection of tea, and great ones at that. I also love how these brands make tea less foreign to many by presenting it as iced tea. And speaking of iced tea, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Genmaicha Iced Tea is really good!

Hello, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

CBTL's Genmaicha is one of my favorite hot tea variants for years. I love its earthy taste from the roasted popped brown rice. Its nutty note made it so addictive as it beautifully blends with the refreshing flavor of green tea. The perfect marriage of two classic Japanese flavors of this drink is just one of the handful of reasons why I love Genmaicha. Aside from its great taste, it is also packed with health benefits which includes increase function of catecholamine and encourages fat loss!

First Sip: Nitro 7 Coffee & Tea Bar

I used to be heavily dependent on coffee that I need at least a cup or two a day to function. Avoiding it has been a difficult task but I've slowly became less hooked to the fragrant drink after some time. But I could never say no to a cup of mocha. And when I spotted Nitro 7, I just have to try its Nitro Mocha. 

Hello, Nitro 7 Coffee & Tea Bar. 

As you could tell from its name, Nitro 7 Coffee & Tea Bar is not your usual place to get your caffeine fix. 

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Celebrates 15 Years in the Philippines

2018 is a special year for Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf as it marks yet another milestone for its Philippine franchise. This year marks the well-loved coffee shop's 15th year in the country. And there's no better way to celebrate this momentous moment than with coffee and tea. 

Happy Anniversary, Coffee Bean & Tea.

The event started with some interactive activities such as visiting some booths where we learn more about Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) and some where we had to do a flatlay using CBTL products. I have to admit, the crossword puzzle was a tough one if solved without the materials available for us that day. 

First Sip: Dipdenza Coffee

After a filling dinner at Manam’s, F and I decided to cap the night with a warm drink. (When you reach our age, you’d want tea or coffee after a meal to help aid digestion.) I remembered that there was this coffee shop that I wanted to try when I went to Jonas for dinner. And without thinking twice, I convinced F to have our warm drinks there. 

Hello, Dipdenza Coffee! 

It has been several months since I last visited Fort Strip. I’d usually head home right away given the unpredictability of Mother Nature. Also, Fort Strip isn’t exactly “on the way” back home. Then again, so are the other restaurants I have visited these past days. Anyway…

F and I stood in front of the counter for a few minutes with blank faces and obvious traces of food coma. Eventually, F went with a cup of tea while I ordered Hot Chocolate (PHP110). Yeah… I should have ordered tea too or at the very least, coffee. But I wanted something semi dessert. 

Service was quick as there were no other customers during our visit aside from the other fellow busy tinkering with his laptop. 

My hot chocolate drink had a bit of art on top and it made my expectation a bit higher.

But I was disappointed after my first sip. It wasn’t thick enough and it tasted just like Swiss Miss. It was an overpriced slightly watery Swiss Miss.

Then again, I guess their specialty is coffee. Also, the place was a bit hidden and quiet making it a perfect venue for catch up sessions.  So I’ll give this place a second chance to impress me. 

Dipdenza Coffee is located at Fort Strip, 5th Avenue and 7th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. It is right beside Early Bird Breakfast Club. 

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Tea Appreciation Workshop

Tea has been one of my staple drinks ever since I discovered that tea is still delicious even without sweeteners. It helps me unwind and relax and I feel healthier after enjoying a cup or two. But as much as I love tea, I do not know much about it except that it soothes the mind and has anti-aging properties. And so when Foodgrammer.ph asked me to attend a tea appreciation workshop hosted by The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, I immediately said YES.

Hello, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf!

I must admit, despite being a regular in BGC, it was my first time to set foot inside CBTL’s Bonifacio Stopover branch. It is smaller compared to its bistro counterpart and the one in High Street but it still has the warm and homey vibe that its patrons love. 

After registering and having a small chat with Nella of CBTL, we sat down and enjoyed our complimentary vegetarian sandwich which had a lovely serving of carrots, onions, and mushrooms among others. 

Despite the thickness of the bread, it was served as a light snack because of its filling; hence making this sandwich a lovely morning snack. It’s filling but not too heavy to put weight on those eyelids. We were also given a huge cookie which I wasn’t able to eat as I was saving space for lunch #1 and lunch #2. 

After half an hour, the workshop finally started and we were introduced to the two legends of tea and how tea is planted and cultivated. It may sound boring but it was surprisingly interesting. I am always fascinated by how the food and drinks we enjoy are brought from farm to table. But let me skip the educational part which you could Google and focus on the teas I discovered during the workshop. 

First Bite: Café Viola

R and I always see this quaint looking restaurant whenever we visit Crosswinds for a short weekend getaway. We never bother to stop and check though as the place is always packed with diners. We did try though during Valentine’s and failed as all tables were occupied and the ones that will clear soon were reserved. But we finally got to successfully visit it a few weekends ago.

Hello, Café Vio La! (Yes, there really is a space in between Vio and La.)

The place was quite full at 8 p.m. on a Sunday but we managed to get a table for five.

Famished from swimming, we ordered Pork Crackling (PHP595), Grilled Norwegian Salmon (PHP595), Homemade Chicken Pork Adobo (PHP425), Garlic Longganisa (PHP295) and Garlic Beef Tapa (PHP375). L also ordered a pot of hot Camomile tea (PHP85). 

First served was the pot of tea which tasted like hot lemon water. The tea taste was so mild. 

The Homemade Chicken and Pork Adobo was served next and B who is not a local was looking for the adobo sauce. This one was the type of adobo where the chicken thighs and pork spare ribs are slow-cooked and simmered till dry in its natural juices, vinegar, palm sugar and lots of garlic and spices. I wasn’t able to take a photo of it as B was hungry. 

A Sweet Delight: Sweetea by da.u.de

I love tea. Fine, I love coffee more but there’s something calming and sophisticated with tea that makes me want to have a little bit of tea time from time to time. da.u.de for one gave me a tough time. Every time I try to visit its Fort branch, it’s always closed (and sadly, it permanently closed a few months back). Luckily, the owner decided to do a rebranding and da.u.de is now… Sweetea.

Hello, Sweetea.

I was so excited to visit the place when Yummy featured it in its Instagram account. Since its newest baby is just in Megamall’s Mega Food Hall, I thought to myself that I could easily visit the place.

And we’re destined! While doing a few errands for work, I passed by the new food court of Megamall and spotted Sweetea near the entrance.

I decided to order Jasmine Mint with minimal sweetener (PHP120 regular | PHP130 large) since I wanted something refreshing.

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.

Puppy Love: Barkin' Blends

I love animals. Wait, let me make that more specific. I love furry and cuddly animals. I get so giddy whenever I see a puppy, kitten or just about anything that I could pat and hug. So when my colleague M mentioned that a puppy café called Barkin' Blends will be opening soon, I JUST HAVE TO VISIT IT ASAP.

My sister and I were super excited to visit the puppy cafe. Unfortunately, she was too busy with school work that she had meetings even on Sundays. (Eww.) And since my EQ drops to negative when I really want something, I went without her. (Sorry.)

Hello, Barkin’ Blends!

V was already there when I arrived and we hurriedly paid the entrance fee of PHP180 inclusive of one drink so that we could play with the puppies.

 

There were a lot of people so we were not able to have quality time with the puppies that much.

Restaurant Love: Poetry & Prose Patisserie

I have never been fond of partying, clubbing or bar hopping. Some people say that I’m missing a lot. Maybe. But I am a-okay with that. It is just not for me. I don’t dance to *tugs tugs tugs* nor do I like to scream just to be heard. I am happy with being in a coffee shop or tea place and munch on some pastries and have a nice chat with friends. Fine, I'm a cat lady without a cat.

It has been a while since I last met my good friends A and I. I really enjoy being a third wheel when I’m with them.

This time, we decided to hold our bible study at Poetry & Prose Patisserie as A has been curious with its food and I have always wanted to try the pastries.

After a quick look at the menu, A went with the Baba au Rhum (PHP105) and a cup of tea (PHP125) while I ordered the Bread Basket (PHP275).  I ordered a cup of Café Latte (PHP105), Financiers (PHP85) and Mango Mousse (PHP255).

First served were our drinks.

My café latte was slightly sweet and the coffee’s taste wasn’t that strong. Perhaps I should have ordered cappuccino instead. However, I always order cappuccino. I wanted it to be stronger to have a better contrast with the sweet pastries.

Coffee Love: Local Edition Coffee & Tea

I love coffee. I can drink five cups a day and still be a-okay. Fine, I will be giddier than usual and laugh at mundane things but hey, my heart still beats at a normal rate (at times). But aside from salmon sashimi, a good coffee place is my weakness. I get so thrilled whenever I discover a quaint new coffee shop.

Since the Dinner in the Dark will start around… well, dinner time, my favorite Dragon lady and I decided to visit one coffee shop after a quick stop at Lusso. T recommended that we try Local Edition Coffee &Tea and I got curious with it since I saw a few food bloggers post a lot of photos of the coffee with Iced Gem Biscuits. It is kind of a blast from the past seeing that snack. I’m sure the 80’s kids could relate.

When we arrived, the place was almost empty as there were only two other tables occupied.

We approached the counter and stared at the menu. We noticed that there are steps to making your coffee. First, the base—coffee or tea. Second step is to choose the preparation. Last is where you could customize—level of sweetness, hot or cold, and strong or regular. T and I both chose Flat White coffee (PHP135). We also ordered an Oatmeal cookie (PHP60) for us to munch.

It didn’t take long before our coffees were prepared.

I skipped the sugar this time around as we were told that the coffee isn’t bitter and is naturally sweeter compared to other coffee. True enough, it wasn’t that strong and I was able to finish my drink without sugar.

Love At First Bite: Paul

I find it really amusing how I get to reconnect with people this year. With food. Food truly brings (hungry) people together.

K bought some vouchers to this Chinese restaurant a few months back and realized that it will be expiring soon. Knowing that E and I are gluttons, K invited us to have lunch with him so that he could finally use the will-expire-in-two-weeks vouchers.

The lunch was filling but it did not satisfy us. So we decided to have coffee at Paul. (And I was so excited as I wanted to visit this place for months but the place is always packed!) That Sunday was not an exception as we had to wait for roughly 20 minutes to get a table.

Hello, Paul. *giddily smiles at the menu*

I forgot that I was full when I started to browse. I wanted to buy some savory dishes but K and E were focused on desserts so I pretended I was just looking at the sweets as well. I still got all hyper though with all the tarts, eclairs, cakes and macarons! Was I in heaven?

K and E settled for the Café surprise (PHP280) and I ordered the same but I also ordered Eclair aux fraises (PHP170) and Tartelette Chocolat (PHP210).

 

First to arrive was my eclair and it sure looked mouthwatering. I needed high EQ just so I could avoid attacking it right away. But I did get a bit of the cream while waiting for E and K's orders.

Finally... Da.u.de

I have always wanted to visit Da.u.de for the longest time but every single time I visit, a CLOSED signage greets me. Every. Single. Time. However, I never give up. If I want something, I will do what it takes to get it. Determination!

C and I agreed to have lunch over a silent chat (weird!) last May 1 and since I get to suggest where we’ll have lunch, I suggested Da.u.de simply because I just have to eat there (fine, and have my photo taken with their adorable mustache glass mugs). Luckily, C decide to call first to check if the store was open last May 1 and my bad luck was still with me as they were closed that day. Then again, C was told that they actually have another branch near A. Venue and it was open to feed the hungry tea fanatics. Yahoo!

It was surreal when I stepped in. Finally, I get to try Da.u.de after so many failed attempts.

The place was empty when we arrived. The food selection was limited so I opted to have a Salmon + Cream Cheese (PHP275) while C had Mushroom Mascarpone (PHP370).

First served was our tea which came with a plastic tea pot with a hole on its base. Apparently, you have to put it on top of the tea cup and it pours the filtered tea in an instant. It was like magic! (That or I just get easily impressed. )

An English Lunch for Two: TWG Tea Salon and Boutique

When I was younger, I love to play “tea party” with my toys as my guests. (Go blame my sister who was born 6 years later!) I do recall though that I had fun and served real food and air as tea. I guess that pretty much explains why I was a ball when I was a toddler. I never liked real tea though growing up as I found it too Chinese and I hated Chinese food when I was young. (Note: past tense.) But as I transformed to become a foodie I am now, I got so addicted to tea that every time a tea place opens up or when I pass by TWG, my heart skips a beat. Yes, I have a weird attachment to food.

Summer is here and it’s sizzling hot outside! Yet, all I want last Saturday was hot tea. So off I go to TWG to try another brunch set.

When I arrived, no one was there so I was slightly lonesome. I took my time reading the menu and read the inclusions per set. I went for the Governor set (PHP900) which includes a pot of Tea (I got Private Hour simply because I was alone), a glass of orange or apple juice, Chicken en Brochette, scones or muffins, and a choice of TWG Tea patisserie from the trolley (I chose the strawberry tart).

My tea and main course arrived when A messaged me that she was near. She went for the NY Breakfast Tea, Garden Lasagna (PHP350) and a plate of steak that we both forgot its name.

Restaurant Discovery: Poetry & Prose Patisserie

I just love tea. (Okay, I love coffee more but I chose to give that up this lent.) Combine it with a new tea place and I'm practically someone you could easily drag. Add a bit of movie talk and I'll definitely be there. And that's the reason why I got to try Poetry & Prose Patisserie.

Why hello there, Poetry & Prose Patisserie.

F was already inside when I arrived and I felt so guilty for being 30 minutes late (but I had a good reason, I swear!). The place was pretty small and could sit around 15 to 20 people max. The server was pretty attentive as she gave me a menu as soon as I sat down. 

I haven't had lunch yet when I arrived so I went for something filling.  I got the Eggs Benedict (PHP355) and a pot of Jasmine Tea (PHP125). F ordered a salad with honey mustard dressing. (Yes, that made me feel a tad guilty ordering something heavier.)

Since there were only a few customers, service was pretty quick. I got my tea in less than 10 minutes (well, it was just a tea bag and water) and my dish arrived in less than 15 minutes. F's salad arrived at the same time as my Eggs Benedict.

Restaurant Discovery: Kimukatsu

People change as time pass by. Priorities shift and some friends come and go. That's how life is. Dwelling in how great things were will just hinder you from appreciating the present. I admit, I used to be guilty with reminiscing about the past, how happy and carefree college was. Okay, perhaps it wasn't as carefree as I recall as I do remember sleepless nights because of those financial models we just could not balance. But I am thankful for one thing... the people who stayed. 

It has been a while since I last saw J and M. The last time I met J was way back in 2010 while it was 2012 for M. I guess we all got busy but interestingly, kept in touch thanks to Facebook. Hey, this could be a movie, eh? Uh, not really.

Anyway, we all decided to meet up at Shangri-La (since I'm the youngest and I get the first pick!) and went to Kimukatsu, a new Japanese restaurant at the East Wing.

For some reason, I had an impression that it is just like its neighbor, Ikkoryu Fukuoka. But when we got there and saw the menu, it is just like Yabu. KimuKATSU... duh! Since we're there and comfy, we decided to go for it. 

I ordered the Black Pepper Katsu (PHP390) while J went for the Tatsuta-Age (PHP180) and another katsu viand I forgot to note. M on the other hand went for the Kimukatsu Plain Sandwich (PHP210) and Agedashi Tofu (PHP180). I also ordered Japanese Panna Cotta for dessert (PHP110).

First served were the complimentary miso soup and cabbage followed by the Tatsuta-Age and Kimukatsu Plain Sandwich. I had to take quick snapshots of the dishes as I was not with people who are used to being around a food blogger who believes in "picture before satisfying the tummy". 

Now Serving Tea: TWG Tea Salon and Boutique, Shangri-La Plaza Mall

I am so fascinated with TWG. Call me a frustrated British wannabe but there is something so comforting dining at TWG. I feel so girly and classy.*blinks slowly* All those tea cans, charming golden tea pots, dainty pastries and even rock sugar (is that how you call it?), I feel like I’m back to my kiddie days playing tea party with friends.

TWG Shangri-La branch is now open! Yahoo!

The place was slightly packed when we arrived and it was already past 9 p.m. that time. Well, it was a Friday. But it was not a pay day weekend.

Since we all came from dinner c/o birthday girl L, we opted to just have tea and a few pastries. 

An English Afternoon: TWG Tea Salon and Boutique

Tea, just like ramen and katsu, has been available in the market for a long time but it was just recently when it became a craze… a big craze. Taking photos with that cute cup with a mustache to the reflection on a shiny gold teapot, these are just a few of many posts  we commonly see on our social media news feeds. Yes, compared to those tea bags available in your favorite supermarket, these raved ones are pretty pricey. But I guess you pay for the ambiance and rather English experience. 

I’m in love with that classy tea place. Yes, it was love at first sight. I enjoyed munching those wonderful brunch dishes while sipping my Pink Garden tea. I just have to go back for more. And I did with T last time.

Since we just came from lunch then, we opted to just try TWG’s pastries. There are two kinds—Tea and French. After a bit of thinking, we chose to try Financiers with Matcha Tea (PHP150 for 2 pieces).