Exciting eat-outs at Tokyo Bubble Tea

Very early this year, I saw on Facebook Tokyo Bubble Tea -- a  casual and informal restaurant serving Japanese and Korean food with a number of branches in and outside Metro Manila. The very yummy-looking food picture in that post got me drooling and so wanting to go! So on the first Saturday of 2017, after watching a Metro Manila Film Festival entry at SM North Edsa, I had late lunch at Tokyo Bubble Tea there at The Block and ordered what got me drooling on first sight - the Teriyaki Chicken Doria. It was sooo good it made me resolved to be back soon. Since then, I've made three visits -- once with a friend, at the Trinoma branch and twice solo at the SM North Edsa. 
How I wish they have a store at the Taft Ave. area in Manila 
so I could go too before or after going to church. 
So far, these are what I/we have ordered at Tokyo Bubble Tea:

 Teriyaki Chicken Doria, P255.
This casserole is pure bliss! Delicious grilled chicken teriyaki tops a bed of cheesy cream sauce with baked rice underneath. A spoonful of everything could send the taste buds an awesome myriad of flavors -- sweet-salty, tangy and smoky all at once. I remember the muffled "uhmmm" that I uttered with each of the first few spoonfuls! I tell you, this rice casserole isn't easy to forget and could send you daydreaming 
long after the last mouthful. 

Ebi Yakisoba, P289.

Yakisoba is Japan's counterpart to our very own "pancit". It's a noodle dish with meat and vegetables and is quite comparable to pancit canton. At Tokyo Bubble Tea, yakisoba is good - meaty and with lots of veggies. Meanwhile, there are two pieces of ebi (shrimp) tempura drizzled with sweet tonkatsu sauce. This dish is yummy but not guilt-free for me because of the sweetness.

Gyutendon, P325.

This was my friend's order. Rice is topped with tempura 
and slices of beef, and served on a hot stone bowl.

Bibimbop, P288.

Bibimbap (also, bi him bap or bibimbop), is a Korean dish that is one of my favorites. I'm glad it's served at Tokyo Bubble Tea! However, I got a bit sad when it was served, seeing it lacking in vibrant colors because there's too little veggies :(  
Good thing there's enough beef and a whole lot of flavors to still make 
me happy with my bowl of bibimbap. 😊

Matcha Cappuccino cake, P105/slice

My friend and I shared this dessert that provided a nice ending to our lunch. There's just a hint of sweetness to this moist and delicious baked goody, thankfully. Lip-smacking fillings of what tasted like mocha cream, actually the "cappuccino", are tucked in between layers of green tea-flavored cake. This was amazingly good!

Matcha Japanese Cheesecake Cream (M), P125.

This was such an awesome drink I fell in love with it on first sip! It's a milk drink with green tea topped with cheesecake cream that was just a little sweet but overly delicious. The cream reminded me of "taho" without the sugary syrup, only it's thinner and with a milky consistency. Black pearls are at the bottom, 
completing this lip-smacking drink.

Coffee Milk Tea with Jelly (L), P135.
 I loved this one, too even if I asked for 0% sugar. Truth is, 
I love all things coffee!

Strawberry Fruit-C (M), P115.
My friend's drink of choice. She loved it for it's sourness.

Brewed coffee, P85. 
My all-time elixir that I chose to have that particular time as we were having cake 
for dessert. Yup, perfect pairing, it was!

Inside Tokyo Bubble Tea in Trinoma

I just think Tokyo Bubble Tea is one great foodie find that is quite unique, modern and exciting. It offers good, healthier alternative to the usual pasta, pizza and burger that most restaurants offer, which are oftentimes the lazy, no-brainer choice when we decide to eat at the mall. However, there's a downside : prices are a bit steep and they charge for service so be prepared to spend more or less P400 each. I promise you one thing, though. Burning a hole in your pocket won't hurt so much this time with the quality of food and drinks that you're having. That said, expect me to jump at every chance to be back at Tokyo Bubble Tea. 
See you there, folks!
Happy eating!

Today's Word: John 3:16

Jesus is alive! Hallelujah! Believers of God and Jesus celebrated Resurrection Sunday yesterday. If only all people knew the profound meaning and importance of Jesus rising from the dead, we would all have thrown bigger feasts yesterday than any other day of the year! The Lord is alive today and forever, and is at the right hand of the Father interceding for us. With His resurrection, He not only triumphed over death but also over sickness, poverty, and all other forms of oppression by the enemy, Satan. 

Because of this, He is able to help us rise above all troubles us human being suffer. We just have to ask and trust Jesus! What a happy day Resurrection Sunday indeed was! I hope you skipped the Easter egg hunt and read and reflected on how Jesus won against all forces of evil to give us eternal life, healing and prosperity. Praise and thank Him for His sacrifice on the cross that shows his boundless, immeasurable 

and unfathomable love for you and for me.

God bless you today.

Today's Word: Romans 5:8

Once again, it's Holy Week! For some of us, it's the perfect time for a summer getaway. For others, it's the best opportunity to reflect on what God has done for us - He gave us Jesus, to die on the cross in order to save us from eternal condemnation. While setting our minds on Jesus -- pondering about His death on the cross -- is the best thing to do, true followers of the Lord should do this all year round and not just 
on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday. Come to think of it, 
it's the greatest love story ever told!

 For who among us would be willing to give up life for someone who does us wrong, who hurts, insults, and humiliates us? But that was exactly what Jesus did for us humans! During the hours leading to His death. He was mocked, insulted, hurt, yet He endured everything to the point of death, knowing His sacrifice would mean salvation for us. What great, unequalled love! 

Today, ponder on Jesus' sacrifice on the cross and God's immense and immeasurable love for you. Give back to Jesus by accepting Him as your Lord and Savior. He deserves all your love and praise for what He has done! 
Have a blessed Holy Week.

(Thank you, vision2hear.wordpress.com for this photo)

Awesome breaks at Seattle's Best Coffee

I'm having a new favorite place for food and coffee, one that I tried for the first time only early in January this year, though it's no newbie in the gastronomic scene. Yup, Seattle's Best Coffee has been in the Philippines since 2000 (it opened in 1991 in its place of origin -- Seattle, Washington), but I only paid attention to it when I saw its beautiful-looking store inside UST. And what do you know, I fell in love with the food, drinks and ambiance of this place that I've gone back regularly since the first visit. 

What I've tried so far:

All-vegetable salad, P165. 
This was my very first order and already my favorite. I have this almost each time I visit. Crunchy greens, carrot strips and croutons plus yummy Caesar dressing (there are other kinds of dressings, by the way), it's a health buff's treat. Well, that's what I'm trying so hard to become - a health nut. The only thing I dislike in this plate? The heap of potato chips! When you're trying to eat healthy, this could be a step back so I try not to eat it. 
I fail every time, though. Hehe.. 

Regular Breakfast 2, P190.
My next visit was an early one like the first, so I had breakfast at SBC and this was my choice. The corned beef was really good! A little salty as expected, but very juicy and flavorful. There were bits of potato to tone down the saltiness, thankfully. Together with the pieces of wheat bread and two sunny side up eggs, my breakfast plate was awesome! Surely a nice way to start a work day. 😉

Clubhouse Sandwich, P200.
I shared this and an order of All-Vegetable Salad with my youngest child one time. I loved that wheat bread was used in the clubhouse instead of white tasty bread. As you could see, scrimping on fillings is unheard of here. There's 
a lot! -- ham, bacon, cheese, egg and veggies. Potato chips also come 
on the side. If I still need to say so, this sandwich 
is both delicious and filling!


Pesto, P180.
One Sunday after church, I again decided to drop by UST before heading home to have snacks at Seattle's Best. This time, I chose to have pasta -- Pesto. This one was really good! The sauce made up of olive oil, basil, nuts and garlic was bursting with flavors, you won't want to stop eating till the last wee bit of morsel! 
I even wanted to lick my plate clean. 😁

Ham & Cheese Croissant, P90.
One of my two daughters joined me once at SBC. I then had the all-vegetable salad while the young lady went for this Ham and Cheese Croissant, 
which was delicious -- flaky and crusty.

Chicken Pie, P85.
Just yesterday, I was with my helper at the very new (just opened this week!) SBC store at Fisher Mall in front of the stand-alone Cotton On after plant shopping at QC Circle, and this was her choice. She said the pie had a good amount of filling and that it was good and she liked it. She paired this one with Snapple Pink Lemonade.

Adobo Pandesal, P75.
This was mine which I paired with Matcha Javakula and it was a perfect match! This pandesal is light and soft and deliciously filled with shredded pork adobo. It's so apt for a light snack and even for breakfast, with fried egg and brewed coffee, I could imagine.

Almond Caramel Roca - P145.

One time, I met with a friend at Seattle's Best and it was good to have someone to share the guilt of eating cake with. Hehe...This teardrop-shaped babe brought no remorse, though, 'coz it was undoubtedly the best cake I've had in a long while. It's not entirely chocolate, it's actually layered inside. There's marshmallow and a layer of what tasted like sans rival. This Almond Roca is like a piece of heaven! I could totally 
ignore the diabetic's guilt with it. Hahaha!

Oreo cheesecake, P145.
My kids and I love Oreo (though I could only eat apiece once in a while). Who doesn't? It's sweet and comforting - handy when one needs to chase the blues away. Double the goodness when you find it on top of your cheesecake! You bet it's perfect to have while sipping steaming cup of joe.

Matcha Green Tea Javakula, P180.
This is one of the four special Javakula flavors SBC is offering this summer. The others are Peppermint Pot, Sea Salt Caramel and Java Chip. Because I love Green Tea on account of its health properties, I tried this flavor first. It's cool and refreshing..Perfect to have on a searing hot summer afternoon. And isn't that emoji topper cute?

Green Tea Latte (M), P165.

Loved this one too, which was my breakfast drink one time at the UST store. It had a rich and creamy taste with nary a hint of tea bitterness. Too bad I forgot to ask the crew who got my order to tone down the sweetness or scrap sugar altogether so the yumminess of my drink didn't pass without some guilt.

Iced Breve (S), P130.
It was at SBC when I first learned about Breve coffee. And it was love at first sip! Breve is half-half of milk and steamed milk plus espresso.

Chocolate milkshake, P175.
My son's order which he finished to the last drop. I guess it's good? 😀

Raspberry Mocha Kiss (S), P155.
Daughter's drink which she regretted ordering 
for the "medicine" taste.

Latte (S), P120.
What? No latte art? It's the only downside to this. Perfect 
cup of joe taste-wise, though.

Brewed coffee (M) P115.
My early morning elixir when I had breakfast at SBC. Some jolt, it provided, to literally jump-start my day.

Seattle's Best Coffee at UST

The newest Seattle's Best Coffee branch, opened April 6, 2017 at Fisher Mall

Needless to say, I've added Seattle's Best Coffee to my list of cafés to regularly visit. The food is good, coffee is crave-worthy (the Breve is tops!), and the prices don't  require breaking the bank. What's more, I love the peace and quiet I get to enjoy at the UST branch, which, as an added bonus, is very near our home. The only other branch I've been to so far is the new one at Fisher Mall but it's really small so we had to sit outside and as it was a hot summer afternoon,
I didn't get to enjoy my stay much.
 Try Seattle's Best Coffee in case you haven't, guys. It has many branches in Metro Manila and surely, there's one near you. By the way, for a bit of trivia, SBC is owned by the same ones of Starbucks. Quality-wise, I think that's an assurance, though I must admit I'm no fan of the latter.
Happy eating!