Dessert and coffee at Dolcelatte

Being diabetic, I avoid desserts especially when eating out. But I do give in once in a while, when I have company to share something sweet with. This way, I can have just a small portion and leave the rest to whoever is with me. 
Recently, after my friends and I had a really good lunch at a Korean restaurant and were on our way to the office, we saw Dolcelatte on Quezon Ave. and had a spur of the moment decision to swing by for dessert and coffee. It was my first visit, though I see this nice-looking place daily on my way to work. 
Oh my, it's a diabetic person's nightmare of a place with all those mouthwatering cakes on display! On the other hand, the place is heaven to those who have sweet tooth and don't have to worry about their blood glucose shooting up. I was just glad my good friend was with me, we split a slice of heaven..
in the form of carrot cake :)
Our orders:

Valrhona Crunch, P225.

 Carrot cake, P150.

Blueberry Danish, P68.

Cafe Latte Blended, P150.

Dark Mocha Latte (blended), P175.

Frozen Hot Choco, P195.

Cafe Latte, regular, P125.

Cakes on display

Croughnuts! Dolcelatte was famous for these when they 
were the craze five years ago.

Deli meats for sale.

Inside Dolcelatte

Dolcelatte along Quezon Ave., near EDSA, in Quezon City

We all enjoyed the pastry, cakes and drinks. The carrot cake, which is my favorite, was moist and delicious. I wished I could eat the whole slice! 

But Dolcelatte isn't just about desserts. They have a full menu - from appetizers, soup, salad, to main entrees. They even sell frozen imported deli meats. 
My friends and I had quite a lovely time, though we didn't get to stay long. The place was quiet and cozy, and the crew were friendly and patient with our whims. You know when good friends are together, everyone's "makulit"! We hope to be back soon at Dolcelatte for a full meal and lots of banter and laughter. :)

Bo's Coffee for everything great

If you're no newbie to this site, you know I love coffee and hanging out at coffee shops on my days off from work. I have a number of favorites when it comes to caffeine places and the list is stretching! Bo's Coffee is one of the latest additions and I've been to their store at SM San Lazaro three times and at SM Manila on one occasion. I've also gone to their branch at the ground floor of Pacific Sky Loft on Lacson St. near UST in Manila, which might as well be the newest Bo's Coffee in the metro. 
So what draws me back to Bo's? The smell (of coffee, of course) is wonderful, the ambiance is relaxing and both the coffee and food are great.
What I've had so far:

Spanish Sardines Pasta, P185.
On days that you want to avoid meat, this one's the perfect thing to eat. And you won't regret the healthy choice a bit because this dish is so good! I loved the balance of spicy, salty, sour and tangy flavors from the fish, olives and dried tomatoes.

Bolognese Pasta, P185.
This is definitely crave-worthy. I'm actually craving as I write this! I remember the spaghetti being bathed in delicious red, meaty sauce that was rightly sour and with just a hint of sweetness. A piece of herbed focaccia bread accompanied this wonderful pasta 
that came in a huge serving.

Bangus Omelette, P195.
Don't be deceived by this omelette's plain looks because the taste is far from being plain. Flaked tinapang bangus, eggs and cheese and probably onion and garlic make up this divine dish that was perfect company to buttered wheat bread. I love smoked fish and I learned from here that it could go so well with cheese. You gotta try this one!

Coffee Jelly Frappe, P160.
I paired this with the Bolognese pasta and it couldn't be any better. Still strong iced coffee with the addition of coffee-flavored jellies and topped with whipped cream. My only problem was that it was sweet and that's sinful for me.

Latte, P110.
I love coffee at Bo's -- full-bodied but not too strong to give me heartburn in the aftermath. I love, too, the fact that only Philippine coffee varieties are used here, benefitting local farmers.

Cappuccino, P110.
Espresso, milk and cinnamon. Perfect trio!

Bo's Coffee at the Pacific Sky Loft on Lacson St., Manila.

Bo's Coffee is one of those go-to places for the caffeine fix that really has a following. I know because it's always hard to find a vacant table when I come! I almost always have to do some waiting. I bet it's because of my above-mentioned factors -- great coffee, food and ambiance. Add to these reasonable prices and friendly crew. 
Try Bo's Coffee if you haven't, folks! There sure is a store near you. 

Always, Mi Amor

As a food blogger constantly looking for new places to eat in and write about, I rarely go back to restaurants that I've already reviewed. However, there's this one place that I keep coming back to even if there's nothing new to write about it. It's Amor Bakery along the busy street of Espana in Manila, near UST.

I first blogged about this place that was really just a "bakery" when it opened in April 2015. Today, I'm happy to report that it has grown really big, with several branches already! Amor also is now already a full service 

restaurant serving hot meals.

The new stores are in SM City Manila, Ongpin St. also in Manila, Tandang Sora in Quezon City, Katipunan also in Quezon City, and SM Center in Sangandaan, Caloocan City. There are also two stores now outside Metro Manila -- at SM Baliwag in Bulacan, and in Cagayan de Oro City. Soon, there will be branches as well 
in Pulilan, Bulacan and in Pampanga.

I visit Amor-Espana every now and then, usually on Sundays after going to church. I love whiling away time there, writing my blog. Sometimes, I tag the kids along; one time, a friend, who came all the way from Mindanao, and knew Amor is my favorite spot that really has a soft spot in my heart. Aww..

What do I love about Amor? The beauty of the place itself. If you haven't been to any of its stores, I strongly urge you to go and see for yourself the lovely interior and experience the relaxing ambiance especially at night when the lovely chandeliers are on, casting faint light as well as shadows. The capiz lamps on tables also 
set a fine, subdued mood that soothes. 

Now on to the food. It's last August that Amor-Espana started to offer hot meals. Before, I would just have bread and coffee or fruit tea as those were all that's available. Nowadays, I could go to have lunch as there's pasta, rice meals, soup and salad. Sliced cake is also available now, in case I'm in need of dessert. Haha!

These are what I've tried out of the new menu so far:

Corn-infused Cream of Cauliflower soup, P139.
This soup is healthy as well as tasty. I thought having cauliflower, it wouldn't taste as good as say, mushroom soup, but I was wrong. For once, I could have something both healthy and delicious. It's flavorful and creamy, only, too thick. I would have liked it more if it were a little more watery. But the piece of garlic toast was love. It was crunchy! 
I wished there were two pieces instead of one.

Kani Spring Roll Salad, P139.
This salad is heavy on the tummy because of the crabmeat and noodle-filled Vietnamese-style spring rolls. The greens are topped with very thin strips of kani or seaweed and everything is drizzled with a sweet peanut sauce. Delicious!

Kung Pao Pasta, P179.
You've gotta give this Asian-style pasta some love because it's really good! It's basically spaghetti noodles with maybe, soy and sesame oil and seeds, with lots of bite-sized chicken, carrots, peanuts and what seemed to me to be either cubed chayote or turnip. Thumbs up to this dish that could give one a filling and satisfying meal.

Braised pork belly with Buttered Vegetable Spears and Mashed Potato, P145.
I loved that there's a lot of veggies here. And the pork is really good! 
The sauce, with it's glorious red color, is sweetish and delightful. 

The only downside to this dish? The pork slices were horribly fatty and there 
was just so little lean meat for me to eat! Oh, Amor, please choose leaner pork 
as this one's gonna give me a heart attack! If you do, this Braised pork belly 
is going to be a perfect dish for lunch or dinner.

Matcha Red Bean cake, P89./slice
This was very new on the menu, offered starting only last Saturday, September 30, 
the server told me after asking if it was good. For me, this was heavenly 
although I'm pretty sure not everyone would agree. This cake's level of 
sweetness is really low, that's why it's the perfect cheat day dessert for
 diabetics like me. Haha! I love matcha and I shun anything too sweet, 
so me and this cake are a match made in heaven, methinks!
Meanwhile, Amor has made available several new bread varieties that 
aren't only visually appealing but yummy too! My top faves are the 
Sausage Danish and Ham BBQ Danish, while the others 
were my kids' orders which they loved.

Sausage Danish, P79. and Ham BBQ Danish, P59. I ordered these 
together with Cappuccino, P145.

Hawaiian Pizza, P79.

                                                Chocolate Bun, P45. 

Pork Floss Bun, 59.; Ham, corn and egg, P49. 

Drink is Chocolate Milk Tea, P95. 

                 As for the drinks, these are what my kids and  I love at Amor:

Caramel Macchiato, 500 ml, P170.

Mocha Frapmor, 500 ml, P160.

Lychee Smorthie, P120.

Lychee Fruit Tea, 500 ml, P85.

In and around Amor in Espana, Manila

Upstairs:

Downstairs:

Counter

Yummy-looking all!

Menu 

                Amor at the corner of Espana Blvd. and Tolentino St., 

Sampaloc, Manila

Amor Bakery won't be "mi amor" for nothing and you can take my word for it -- you're gonna love it there. Enjoy the food, drinks and the place itself 
together with your family and friends. 
Happy eating!

Vanilla Cupcake Bakery: Great food, great place

It was on one weekday afternoon when my good friend in the office decided to give me a "merienda" treat. God bless her. :-) Since we would have to go first to a bank on Quezon Ave. corner Sct. Albano where she had to make a transaction, I suggested we go to Vanilla Cupcake Bakery on Mother Ignacia St. Trusting me wholeheartedly 
when it comes to food, she readily obliged. Haha!
 It was my second time at this very lovely and highly Instagrammable restaurant but the first was at the Trinoma branch. The one on Mother Ignacia is even prettier! Once we stepped inside, my friend and I immediately felt good and happy to be there. We then placed our orders, after which I started clicking away with my camera, forgetting about hunger with the dollhouse-like charm all around us. 


Mismatched chairs in pretty prints


Lovely lamps and chandeliers all around


Spiritual and inspirational messages on the wall


On one side, the wall is a big montage of patterns and designs.



Not too long afterwards, it was time to eat and we marveled at such
 beauties again - our food and my drink - which were all lovely-looking 
in the way they were served.

'A Shrimp-y Situation'
Despite the quirky name, you just have to take this dish seriously. My friend chose this for us to share. I admit that initially, I wasn't very happy over her choice because I disliked the first seafood marinara that I had in another restaurant some three years earlier and haven't forgotten about it. But I had a change of heart when I tasted this one. It was sooo good! The sauce had the perfect balance of sweet-sour-salty tastes and bathed every strand of al dente pasta. Every mouthful would flood the taste buds with a delightful 
burst of flavors. Both my friend and I were blown away by 
how luscious this shrimp pasta was.

'Famous Chicken Sandwich'
Chicken spread, lettuce, egg, -- these filled our delightful sandwich that was served with potato wedges with a creamy-slightly sour dip. It went so well with the pasta and indeed 
filled our happy tummies.

Strawberry Shortcake
A visit to Vanilla Cupcake wouldn't be complete without having one of their heavenly-looking cakes and cupcakes. With the many lovely variants on sight, choosing dessert is the one difficult thing about being at Vanilla Cupcake. Thankfully, our choice was great - striking the perfect balance between sweet and sour. And the sweetness wasn't even too much and quickly overpowered by the sourness of the strawberries. My food buddy and I shared this slice of strawberry cake that gave a happy ending to our afternoon meal.

Cappuccino

My friend had a can of Coke to wash down the food while I, as usual, had coffee. I went for 
this artful cup of deliciously bold cappuccino. 

A frenzy of mouthwatering desserts

Meanwhile, more of the interiors:

           I'm sure this would look good hanging over our dining table at home.

Lookie here! Even the restroom could make anyone love to hang around.

Huge menu outside

What greets you when you arrive

Vanilla Cupcake Bakery on Mother Ignacia St., 
South Triangle, Q.C.

Vanilla Cupcake Bakery proves that good food and great ambiance is a surefire formula for a successful restaurant business. For what better way is there to have a relaxing time with a friend than to eat tasty food in a cozy, lovely place? A lot of foodies like me 
have this concept of one good time!
If any of you, guys, haven't been at Vanilla Cupcake Bakery, hurry and be there to see how delightful it is to the senses. Aside from the Trinoma and Mother Ignacia branches that I've been to, there is also one at UP Town Center, Eastwood Mall, Alabang Town Center, BGC, Glorietta 3 and 4 and also in Subic, Zambales and Baguio City.
Happy eating!