BGC Coffeeshop | Elephant Grounds

After eating a lot at Mercato High StreEAT BGC, we then settled to have coffee and desserts instead of having dinner 😁 

Elephant Grounds was TAPped!

Taste - 4/5
Double shot espresso for the win 🥰
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!

Kape tayo? 😊

♡, Mari

Food Trip: Mercato High StrEAT in BGC

Finally, ISAW!

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 😅

Example, Wolfgang, La Picara etc. - exceeded my expectations 🤣

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!

So much for cravings 🙂

♡, Mari

Self Care at Breeze Oriental Spa & Massage

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 🤣
We might get the Thai massage next time.

And yes, you're welcome 😉

♡, Mari

Tea Time: Tsujiri, brand originated from Japan

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 😊

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 🍵💯

Matcha-rap! 🤭

♡, Mari

Coffeemates at West Town's Coffee

Yay! Met my coffeemates after several months! 

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.

Hope to visit them again next time!

Thanks gels for the gifts 😘🤗
Our next stop - massage place! (Breeze Oriental Spa & Massage)

♡, Mari

Coffeeshops in Taiwan

Travels won't be complete without a dose of coffee. 

We've tried two cafes while in Taiwan, alongside milkteas, sweets and streetfood!

1. Keelung Senki Coffee
Ordered americano whipped cream and I wasn't disappointed.

We also paired it with a slice of tiramisu, which was also deliciously good.

It was a bit raining and very cold when we went here after snacking at the nightmarket.
The place is small but has a 'homey' feeling.

2. Simple Kaffa
After visiting Huasan park, we chanced upon this cafe. I ordered cappuccino for take-away since its their closing time already.

Coffee was strong in flavor and smooth. Their place is nice, like those cozy third wave cafes.

Good place for catching up with friends.

P.S. don't miss the ice cream sold by Fourth Union Credit! 

Take a look on the THINGS WE DID IN TAIWAN

♡, Mari

The Curator Coffee and Cocktails

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 🤣 Thanks again! ☕

Anyway, went here last time to meet a close friend. I had a fun time 🙂 I'd probably think that my friend works there too as he really knows everyone! 🤣 Thanks to the kind and funny baristas 🙂

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 💯 

 

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 😁

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.

♡, Mari