After eating a lot at Mercato High StreEAT BGC, we then settled to have coffee and desserts instead of having dinner ð
Elephant Grounds was TAPped!
Taste - 4/5 Double shot espresso for the win ðĨ° Desserts are good too! Don't skip their icecream!!!
Ambiance - 3/5 Most of the time, the place is full. Although it did try to achieve the 'relax and third wave cafe' look, I still find the place a bit small and that you'll hear other table's stories (but this depends on their voice).
Price - 3/5 I can't say affordable but price range is average. You can have a cup of coffee for 150php.
Still, Elephant Grounds won't shortchanged you when it comes to quality and taste!
My friends and I were talking of bbq or streetfood for few weeks now and we're so happy that we were all able to meet for some bbq time!
Prior today, I was with another friend when I've chanced upon the newly organized Mercato HighStrEat in BGC. We looked around and can confirm that new Mercato indeed befits its name - HighStrEAT! Not because of the location but because of the choices ð
Example, Wolfgang, La Picara etc. - exceeded my expectations ðĪĢ
Good thing the usual affordable stalls are there!
Going back to the present, I came here with another set of friends! We ordered what we craved for weeks now - bbq, isaw, takoyaki, tacos (El Chupacabra), cheesecake and more!
We were so full that instead of looking for a dinner place, we opted to dropped by for desserts and coffee at Elephant Grounds!
Since June, I've been complaining of back and shoulderaches. In short, I wanted to get a nice relaxing massage but given the current situation, I can't do anything about it.
Hence, when the government allowed the massage spas to slowly re-open, I made it a point to get a massage before the year ends.
There were only few massage spas that re-opened and we chanced upon Breeze Oriental Spa & Massage. We made a reservation to be sure that we won't wait in line.
Here's a short video of how it went by:
The first thing that we did when we enter the place was to fill the form for contact tracing. We were then asked for the type of massage that we want and we availed the Revitalize Oil Massage that will last for an hour. We also opted for individual rooms.
After the session, I became a fan! It was trully a nice experience. I didn't expect that they are trained to even know the pressure points of the body, making the massage experience trully unforgettable. I mean, they're very accurate to press which is which.
My friend and I wanted another hour ðĪĢ We might get the Thai massage next time.
There was this one time that we went to Greenbelt for coffee but ended up trying Tsujiri.
Tsujiri is a brand from Uji Kyoto, Japan and I've assumed that their tea is imported from Uji too.
Uji matcha is a top quality matcha in Japan and is used during tea ceremonies.
I had Yuzu O-Matcha and it was refreshing! The combination of citrus and matcha is something that I didn't expect to turn out good. Maybe because it is served with ice.
I got to taste my sister's order - Signature O-Matcha. I saw that it was prepared the traditional way and when I sipped, I felt like I'm having a tea ceremony minus the sitting position and the yukata ð
The cake was good too! Next time, we'll try the matcha lava cake.
The place is small, so few seats were available.
Tsujiri was TAPped!
Taste: 5/5 Perfect for matcha lovers out there! I feel that every matcha drink is superb given that we've tried two and it was good!
I stopped myself from ordering another Yuzu O-Matcha! I hope they offer a bigger size in the future.
Ambiance: 3.5/5 If you want a place to relax and stay longer, then this is not the place for you since there were only limited seats available.
Place is okay for a quick rest.
Price: 4/5 A bit pricey but definitely, worth it ðĩðŊ
For our Christmas breakfast date, we made a reservation at West Town's Coffee. I had a hard time reaching out to them since they don't really respond. I even resorted to messaging the concierge building just to confirm if the cafe have a bike parking.
Good thing they serve good coffee!
TAPped!
Taste - 4/5 Food is okay and they have a lot of choices too! They also serve Turkish coffee and a lot more. If only this cafe is near my place then I'll definitely be here most of the time for a cup of ☕!
Ambiance -4/5 They offer seats upstairs and I guess the vibe there is nice too. I am not sure if its because of quarantine but the cafe isn't crowded. You can actually bring your work there!
Price - 4/5 Reasonable prices for both coffee and food.
My first time here was years ago. I remember that when we went there, the place already shifted to a bar (we didn't know).
So in the morning, the cafe is open, then by 6pm, they open the bar.
I think we had black coffee alongside different test tubes in a rack, which I think were sugar syrup? To be honest, I felt that out of pity, they allowed us to order coffee even if the kitchen already shifted to bar menu ðĪĢ Thanks again! ☕
Anyway, went here last time to meet a close friend. I had a fun time ð I'd probably think that my friend works there too as he really knows everyone! ðĪĢ Thanks to the kind and funny baristas ð
Also, thanks for the free taste! I forgot what its called, but if ever you plan to visit Curator, do try their cocktail drinks too ðŊ
Curator was TAPped!
Taste: 4/5 Bikini sandwich tastes good that I should have ordered black coffee instead of trying my luck if I'll like the Shake-O-What-O.
As for the said drink - uhm, I still prefer the usual black coffee with milk ð
Ambiance 3/5 The place is small so don't bring too much friends especially as Manila is still under quarantine.
Price 4/5 Shake-O-What-O is a drink that is unique to this cafe, hence, give it a try!
Price ranges from 100 and up, since cocktail drinks tend to be more pricey.
A blessing that we were able to unwind prior the global lockdown due to Covid-19.
Our itinerary was based on the things and activities that we wanted to do in Taiwan and naturally, we all agreed to attend the lantern festival.
Sharing you the summary of our 'unforgettable' 2020 travel ðĪĢ
First Part
Arrived in Taipei and left our bags at the hotel before we walked around Ximending.
Prior that, while at the airport, we rented a wifi device before heading to Taipei (recommended!)
We availed a day tour via Klook and went to see the following places/attractions in:
Taichung:
Zhongshe Flower Mart
Flower lovers will definitely like this place. Everywhere we look, there's different types of flowers that I myself is not sure of the names or types (sorry, I am not a plant person but I appreciate these beauties).
Walk around the whole area and feast your eyes to the colorful flowers all at once ð
Rainbow Village
From colorful flowers to colorful houses!
To save the village from demolition, Huang Yung-Fu, now known as Rainbow Grandpa, painted houses in different colorful designs.
When we arrived, I first thought of how will it be if these houses were actually classrooms? Isn't it a joy to spend learning surrounded by colorful doodle arts and designs!
Gaomei Wetlands
After all places colorful - the tour ended at Gaomei, where the cold never bothered us anyway (lol).
The wetland was said to be famous for sunsets. t
In oir visit, the wind was really strong. I personally thanked my facemask, otherwise, I feel that my whole face will be numbed and maybe I'll develop blisters ðĪĢ
From afar, you'll also see the towering windmills! Anyway, the sunset was indeed nice but somehow it didn't pass my expectation since I've seen a lot of sunsets back home.
After the sunset, we boarded the tour bus and went back to the city.
Next stop: Keelung
Second Part
Keelung
We stayed in Keelung area to see Jiufen area and the lantern festival in Pingxi.
Keelung City is a port city near Taipei.
Keelung Night Market
A lot of food choices! It was a bit raining but we persisted ð
We like chicken chop and beef! We also had hakaw and more.
Xu, Zi-Sang Historical Home
The house looked creepy and it wasn't maintained, hence, visit or step inside the place at your own risk ð
Jiufen
Jiufen is a mountain town known as an old town. The view from above is wonderful!
I think we kinda got lost as the narrow alleyways looked the same.
We saw a lot of food, souvenirs, teashops and milktea ð
• Xing Fu Tang Brown sugar milktea tastes good!
• Amei Teahouse Known for their best quality teas! We weren't able to try their tea due to volume of guests and limited time.
Pingxi
Pingxi is a rural district in New Taipei.
Our fist stop was Shifen Waterfall, also know as 'Little Niagara of Taiwan.'
It was cold but we were very excited for the lantern festival. At around 6pm, we went to the area where we can watch the release of hundred lanterns at a time.
Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival is a yearly festival where people gather to write their dreams and wishes for the year on the lanterns before releasing it to the sky.
We didn't do it since we need to register first and it might take so long for our turn to release the lanterns. Hence, after watching 3 to 5 sets of lanterns released above, we opted to go back home.
We passed by food stalls and tried some! We also went to Shifen Old Street to check the old railway and lantern shops.
We then head back to Keelung. We were so thankful since the organizers prepared free transportation for everyone. All you need to do is find the bus that stops in the area you will be going and wait for your turn to be seated.
A tiring day, plus the cold weather and rain, still, worth it!
Last Part
Taipei
After staying in Keelung for 2 nights, we went back to Taipei for a quick city tour and food trip before flying back to Manila.
For easy guidance and transport, we availed the bus tour and chose the places we wanted to visit.
Mengjia Longshan Temple A temple for Taoist, Buddhist and Confucian faiths (source: CultureTrip).
We stayed here for a bit and paid respect.
Taipei 101 World's tallest building from 2004 until 2010.
We just went to the garden area and didn't really avail an observatory ticket.
We ate at Din Tai Fung while checking the news about the possible lockdown due to Covid-19.
Huashan 1914 Creative Park It was a winery turned park (source: Undiscovered Taipei).
We strolled around the park before passing by a coffeeshop!
There were restaurants inside as well.
Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial A place built for Chiang Kai-Shek, who led Kuomintang (National Chinese Party) and transferred to Taiwan (source: BBC UK).
We weren't able to witness the changing of the guards but it's okay!
As usual, we ended the day with food ð
Comes midnight, I've received an email that our flight was cancelled and the option is to board the 2am flight ðŦ
Imagine our adrenaline rush at that time! It's either we extend our stay or we go for the 2am with only an hour or so to board the flight. We don't know how we managed to pull it off ðĪĢ
We didn't make it on time so we asked them nicely since.
Good thing they were kind enough to assist us. So yes, hello Manila in 2hrs and really, it was very tiring ðĪŠ
Fast forward to December, and here I am, very much excited to treat my hair!
Since I previously had my haircolor and treatment at Azta Urban Salon, I decided to return to them for just a haircut.
I arrived around past 10am, did the quarantine procedures before I sat and waited for my turn.
I was then asked what I wanted to do with my hair and told them that I wanted a trim and maybe treatment. They offer a 20% off for haircut and treatment and another 10% off if I avail another service such as haircolor.
In short, I availed the following services: haircut, keratin treatment and haircolor (touch up only).
Louie, the assigned hairstylist, was helpful (others were helpful too).
I left the salon past 2pm and very much satisfied with the result.
I had late lunch and walked around the mall to check if I need to buy anything.
No Brand - mostly sell Korean products such as noodles, snacks, ice cream and a lot more!
