Tim Hortons opens at SM City San Lazaro

Me and my friends had been eagerly anticipating the opening of Tim Hortons at the SM City San Lazaro and finally, the long wait is over. Canada's favorite coffee shop opened in this mall in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. 

On my birthday last Monday, Aug. 20, I chose to have brunch there 

with my good friend and we both loved the place. Unlike the small, cramped UN Ave. branch where I used to spend Sunday afternoons after our worship service nearby, the Tim Hortons store at SM City San Lazaro is spacious and airy, very welcoming 
and homey. It's a place most suitable for hanging out either 
to work or have a chat with friends. 

Anyway, it was brunch for us, as I mentioned, and we had:

Crispy Chicken Ciabatta combo, P230.
This would have been a great sandwich, chicken being my favorite but the patty was dry, sadly. I hope this isn't always the case 'coz I still want to have this next time. By the way, a combo comes with a small drink, either hot or iced coffee, and a serving of Tim's delicious potato wedges.

Italiano Grilled Bagel combo, P270.
My friend's. I forgot to ask her if she liked it but I loved the bagel when I ordered it at the UN Avenue branch. There was a lot of filling and the ham was great-tasting and fresh. (The S'mores Pocket is a separate order.) 

S'mores Pocket, P35. 

Small original blend coffee, P70.
I ordered hot coffee (with cream but no sugar) after nearly two hours of exchanging stories with 
my friend and I was really feeling cold inside the store.

Well, what do you know, I was back at Tim Hortons just five days later after having a much-needed pedi and bag-shopping. Oh, I wanted to celebrate having scored a nice tote at 50% off from Charles & Keith and ordered:

Steak and Cheese Panini combo, P250.
Loved this one! There's a huge mound of thinly sliced beef as you can see. No scrimping! It's cheesy, too and with some slices of red onion. The only thing I didn't like so much was the bread (ciabatta, I think) 'coz it wasn't as soft as I wanted. This combo is very filling, aside from yummy!

In and around Tim Hortons at SM City San Lazaro

 Counter

Desserts!

Weekend crowd! 
No vacant table on a Saturday afternoon.

Just over a week after it opened, Tim Hortons is already giving coffee shops at SM City San Lazaro stiff competition. It was jam-packed last Saturday! And I can't 

blame all those people, both young and old, for trooping to this place 

even if it's hidden, tucked away on one far end of the mall. 

This place is lovely, very comfy-looking and the coffee is really good! The sandwiches could still improve but the pastries are crave-worthy. I've tried

their muffin and donuts at the UN Ave. branch and I loved them, 

especially the red muffin (blueberry, I think). 

If you haven't been to Tim's Hortons, I highly recommend this store 

at SM City San Lazaro. You'll love it here. 

That's a guarantee!

Tim Hortons: Lovin' this newbie

          There's a newbie in the country's food scene and I'm already lovin' it! It's Tim Hortons - a cafe and bakeshop that was founded in Canada by hockey player Tim Horton in 1964. As of the end of 2016, it already had over 4,600 restaurants in nine countries. 

           Last February, the first Tim Hortons store in the Philippines opened at Uptown Mall in BGC. Shortly after, another one opened at UN Square along UN Avenue in Manila. Soon, branches will also open at Eastwood, One Central in Makati RCBC Tower, Venize Grand Canal, The Link Glorietta, Net Quad BGC, Insular Life -Ayala and Blue Bay.

            Fortunately for me, the UN Avenue store is almost just a stone throw away from our church on Taft Avenue, so I've visited it twice since it opened.

   These were my orders:

Italiano Grilled Bagel, P180.
Loved this one. Lots of meat and veggies in between halved grilled bagel. There's ham in there plus pepperoni, onions, and greens underneath. Everything makes this sandwich super! I just know I have a new favorite that's tasty and filling.

    Crispy Chicken Sandwich Ciabatta, P140.

This would have been good, too, if only the ciabatta bread was fresh that time. I suspected otherwise because the bun wasn't as soft as I expected. The fried chicken breast filling was delicious, however, -- perfectly seasoned and fried to a nice crisp on the outside but tender on the inside. Lettuce and tomato slices bring this 

healthy sandwich to completion.

  Vanilla Dip Donut, P40.

For the love of my diabetic self, I didn't eat this lovely thing but ordered it solely to be photographed. I gave it to my son back at home. Well, I did take one bite just to find out if it was good and it didn't disappoint. It was soft, chewy and delicious, only a bit

smaller than other donuts.

  Potato Wedges, P60.

Fries here at Tims are cut in wedges, making them more handy and delightful to bite and chew on. The potato slices are lightly salted and even herbed I think because I could see teeny weeny bits of greens sprinkled all over them. They tasted more natural than their counterpart in fast food chains, so I could say I like 

Tim Hortons fries better.

 Iced Original Blend Coffee (S), P70.

I've had so many glasses of iced coffee in as many coffee shops and I could honestly say this one at Tims is the best ever! I'm not sure what makes it stand out but I could taste a hint of malt giving it a unique and distinct character. And though this cup of joe is iced, the boldness of coffee is still present, enough to make me happy with my caffeine fix and needed afternoon jolt. My only regret? I should have 

upsized my iced coffee!

Cappuccino, (M), P105.
Love, love, love! Need I say more? Even just the aroma of this cup of joe was pure bliss and comfort. One of the best cups of 
cappuccino I've ever had.

Menu

Inside Tim Hortons

Tim Hortons at UN Square, UN Avenue corner San Marcelino St., Ermita, Manila

I know it's a bit late but welcome to the Philippines, Tim Hortons. My arms (and well, mouth. Hehe...) are wide-open for you and I'm looking forward to many weekend afternoons at your UN Square store. 
Folks, come try the food and coffee here if you haven't and 
enjoy the goodness at prices lower than in most 
well-known coffee places in the metro. There's a variety of savory sandwiches to fill you up and saccharine pastries and donuts to satisfy your​ sweet tooth. To quench your thirst, there's smoothie, lemonade and tea, aside from coffee.
See you at Tim Hortons, guys! 
Happy eating!