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. 

Halloween: To celebrate or not?

Today is All Saints' Day and it was Halloween just a few hours ago. Many pictures are in my social media feed showing how my friends celebrated this occasion much like the way it's done in foreign countries, the US especially. Children and even adults are dressed as witches, goblins and zombies and seem to be having fun 
in parties and trick or treat activities. 

But are we Christians supposed to celebrate Halloween and (unknowingly) glorify evil by dressing up as creatures of darkness? Before I got born again in 2013, I considered Halloween as the second happiest occasion of the year next to Christmas. I thought it was a lot of fun and even held a party at home one time, with me and all my children 

and helpers dressed up as witches and ghosts. 

More than a year later, I became a Christian and learned that celebrating Halloween isn't a good thing to do because it exposes one's self to forces of evil and Satanism and glorifies the enemy of God. In the web, there's a lot of good reads about this but there are, too, other articles debunking this, and even saying that Halloween is originally a religious (Roman Catholic) tradition before it was commercialized 
and celebrated "differently". 

Reading all these could bring confusion than enlightenment, really, but for me, a Bible verse can put the argument to rest. It's 1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. One would be wise to do a self-examination with this verse and ask, "Do the things I do/wear to celebrate Halloween give glory to God?" Think about it and pray.

Meanwhile, I was at my favorite place last Saturday -- Amor Bakery along Espana Blvd. -- to have coffee and this was what I got: a "spider" on my cupcake! I never knew spiders tasted good. Haha! Nope, I wasn't celebrating Halloween. 
I only wanted a cupcake to go with my latte, 
and given a free arthropod, too. Tee-hee! 

Bibimbap craving satisfied at Korean J Grill

I suddenly craved for bibimbap last week and asked my friends in the office if we could go eat Korean food. After doing a little research on nice Korean restaurants, off we went for lunch to Korean J Grill along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. This place is a nice one, we found out, with a more modern and casual ambiance compared to other Korean restaurants we've been to. From the many pictures hanged on the wall, we learned, too,  that many celebrities visit this place like Vice Ganda and Billy Crawford. 
In a little while, it was the food's turn to delight us. 

Our orders:

Dolsot Bibimbab, P250.

This was love at first taste! Each spoonful gives a burst of delightful flavors. I loved too that there's a whole lot of bite-sized chicken and vegetables, they won't leave you wanting but oh-so-satisfied. And the serving is humungous, it could feed two persons. Craving more than satisfied!

Japchae, P300.

This Korean "pancit" was really good although it's a little too sweet for me. Lots of veggies here, too, and like the bibimbab, the serving is big enough to satisfy two to three people.

Sam Gyeop Sal, P350.

Samgyeopsal means "three-layered-flesh" and is one of Korea's most popular dishes consisting of grilled pork belly, lettuce, and a whole gamut of side dishes, which could vary in different restaurants. Kimchi, which is fermented cabbage is, always included in the set, though, as it is a staple in every Korean meal. To eat Sam gyeop sal, put a piece of meat on a bed of lettuce and top it off with sauces - ssamjang (made out of soybean paste, hot pepper paste, sesame oil, and other ingredients) and gireumjang (sesame oil, salt, and black pepper). 
This, I promise, is sooo good, I'm craving for it as I write this! 

Dweji Galbi, P350.
Dweji galbi means means grilled spareribs but I'm not sure if it's the one that's pictured here 
'coz they look pretty much the same and even the taste don't differ to me. 
The meat is really tender and savory, I couldn't help but eat a lot!

Side dishes served along with the sam gyeop sal and dwelji galbi

My favorite among the side dishes we were served were the lettuce with chili and vinegar and sliced radish. By the way, refill of side dishes is free here 

at Korean J Grill (as it is in most Korean restaurants). 

Love it! 

 Celebrity customers

Korean J Grill is at #186 Tomas Morato Avenue, Sacred Heart, Quezon City

It was one great meal that my friends and I shared at Korean J Grill. We immensely enjoyed our lunch! Everything was really good it was hard to tell which dish was the best. To top it all, we didn't pay much and only shelled out P300 each. Such a great deal for an unforgettable lunch! We are surely coming back to Korean J Grill, 
and I have the feeling it's gonna be soon!