Oh how time flies...

Hola!

Almost done compiling my Japan videos and photos. Hopefully I will be able to share it with you soon! 

Lately, I've been busy with work and personal errands. 

My mind is in a mess as I try to think everything in one go and I am telling you now, don't be like me  🤣 

Anyway, will update soon! 

Thanks!

♡,

Mari

Ikea | Swedish Restaurant and Swedish Cafe

Our 1st Ikea visit was spent on eating 😅 

Swedish Restaurant 

Better visit during non-peak hours if you do not want to waste time waiting for your turn. 

The resto also offer salad, salmon and other desserts or breads. 

The operation of the restaurant felt like a canteen set-up and their food was comparable to home-cooked meals. 

We wanted to try their 'famous' Swedish meatballs so we ordered 12 pieces 😁 

I was also curious what do they meant with 'Nordic' drink which turned out to be sparkling flavored water. I recommend raspberry to be safe although I like them all! 

What surprised me was their chocolate cake! Deliciously sweet and melts in your mouth! If I can only order for take away (sigh)... perfect with coffee ☕ 

We also ordered chicken wings which tasted so-so. Got mushroom soup as well and I like their fries too! 

For pomodoro pasta, they offer it with or without vegan meatballs. We had it plain (no meatballs) since we already ordered 12 pieces of meatballs. 

Prices are not cheap but not too expensive. 

We skipped ordering coffee since we wanted to try it at the Ikea's Swedish Cafe. 

However, I recommend their drinks since they offer it in unlimited serving. Imagine sitting in a corner of their dining area, carefully drinking a cup of coffee and enjoying a slice of chocolate cake! (I will do this next time!) 

We finished our lunch with bulging bellies and smiles. 

Swedish Café 

After lunch, we went directly to Ikea's Swedish Cafe for a cup of coffee. 

It took awhile before we found our way to the cafe because there was no other exit or shortcut. 

So what's special here? 

Of course, coffee! 

We wanted to have a taste of PATAR beans (arabica). 

We skipped dessert because we already had it at the restaurant. 

They offer breads and other cakes too. 

So for coffee, we ordered Americano and Cappuccino. My sister wanted to try their tea, unfortunately, it was not available at that time so she got water instead 😅 

Their coffee did not disappoint! Plus points for the soft couches and nice ambiance despite seeing a lot of people passing by going upstairs (seats were near the escalator). 

I already imagined myself sitting with friends and catching-up over a cup of coffee and dessert or bread🙃 

Would be nice if they will expand their cafe! 

The price range is reasonable too! You can get a good and quality cup of coffee for below 120php. 

The coffee serving was not bottomless or unlimited but it does not mean that we will not go back! 

Can't wait to bring my friends here! 

♡,

Mari

 

Who would have known, its 2022!

Thankful to begin the year with family and relatives.

May this year be more fulfilling and meaningful 🙏

♡,

Mari

How my 2021 ended.

Less than 4 hours to welcome 2022, and I can hear the sound of fireworks from a far while I work silently in my room. 

I tried to think of anything special that happened to me this year and I cannot think of any. Most of my happenings involved work and ... a lot more of work. 

I felt the days were fast and that time was limited to finish my tasks or to do lists. 

I cannot say I am 💯% happy but all I can say is that I am grateful and still thankful. 

Almost 2 years of working from home and I must say that work wise, this has been a challenging year for me. 

Overall, a tough year to the point that I do not even know how I was able to go through every issues thrown at me. 

I sincerely hope and pray that 2022 will be a lot more better and promising in terms of personal growth and career. 

Ciao 2021,

Mari

Bohol 2018 | Beach and Island Tour

Bohol ✈ getaway with officemates turned friends! 

Here's what we did in Bohol!

Our first day was spent getting ready for the island tour and walking by the beach. 

We stayed at Island World Panglao, about 15mins away from the sea.

Surprisingly, Panglao seemed crowded and very much different compared to my first visit way back 6 yrs. ago (estimate). High-end hotels and new restaurants left an impression that Bohol looked similar to Boracay. The beach was crowded too!

Still, we had a pleasant time. 

We went to Bohol to relax and we were able to do that! 

♡,

Mari

Souffle pancakes and Coffee at am.pm Philippines

By far the 'best' souffle pancakes I had in Manila 😁

am.pm is a Hong Kong brand and this is their first branch in the Philippines. 

Nice place to hang out with family or friends. 

The cafe's interior looks lively and fun.

Pancakes: Apart from the usual jiggly description, am.pm's souffle pancakes melts in your mouth. No kidding! Though I like both flavors, creme brulee and chocolate, I still prefer the latter. Maybe because creme brulee and egg almost tastes the same? 😅

Nothing special with the coffee americano ☕ and my sister likes her milktea drink. 

TAPped!

Taste 4/5

I like both dark chocolate and creme brulee souffle pancakes 😁

Black coffee tastes okay.

Ambiance 3/5

Space is small, only few seats for dine-in.

Price 3/5 

For me, it is pricey.

Souffle pancakes, anyone? 😉

♡,

Mari

Work from Home | A cup of coffee a day (Nespresso)

我喜欢咖啡 ❤

Sharing my coffee experience with Nespresso capsules for a year, aside from brewing, dripbags, teabags and coffee press 😁

Latest ☕ compilation:

 

Coffee is part of my life. 

My day starts with a cup of coffee and sometimes ends with another cup as well.

Prior pandemic, I frequent cafes and coffeeshops and missed counting the times when I go back and forth the office pantry to satisfy my coffee needs. 

Things changed when the pandemic lockdown started since I have to be creative at home in preparing my coffee. 

I have a lot of coffee options, some I bought from trips and some were given to me as gifts.

 

I even tried making my own version of 'kori kohi.' 

Then I discovered that Nespresso sells their mini machines at a discounted price from time to time. When I chanced upon it, I bought one 😁 (I got mine in red).

Wonder why I chose Nespresso brand over other machines? 

It's because they offer a lot of flavors apart from the limited edition flavors from time to time.

Also, thanks to my aunts for introducing this brand to me 😁 

I had my first Nespresso coffee when I stayed at my aunt's place. Few years after, I went to another aunt's place for a visit and found that she also had one. So I told myself, I will also buy one but the cheapest version 😆

Not really sure if the pandemic pushed me into buying a machine but at some point, I realized how much I've spent on coffee in a year 🤣 (like seriously 🤪)

I can say that a cup of Nespresso a day is more economical than a cup of tall, venti, large, or grande in any coffeeshops. Also, I can freely switch to brewed coffee or dripbag since I'm just at home. 

Going back, what I really like is their wide range of coffee flavors. 

 

Each flavor has it's own intensity. If I want a mild one, I can choose between intensities 4 to 6, while beyond 7 is reserved for days when I need to stay awake past midnight due to work 😅. 

I also got a Nespresso milk frother for free because I bought capsules in a bundle. It was a good deal!!! 

I use the frother from time to time, makes me feel like I'm a barista 😄 I also add cinnamon and whipped cream on top. Sometimes, I add ice. 

So now have the option to just chill at home! Very nice isn't it? We just order pastries or desserts for take-away. 

Surely, for a family who likes coffee very much, an espresso machine is a good investment. 

(If you have a bigger budget, then maybe you can buy machines the same as the ones seen in the cafes.)

Do you also like coffee? 

你喜欢咖啡了吗? 

♡,

Mari

Coffeeshops in PH: Kape Lokal