Why I keep going back to Figaro

Figaro Coffee Company is one those places that not only serves a good cup of java but also healthy, mouthwatering food at reasonable prices, the reason it's one of my favorites. That's even with the opening of new coffee and milk tea shops nowadays. Well, I am just reminded that I haven't tried Figaro's milk tea drinks yet, 
which is another reason to visit again soon! 
My kids and I have visited their branches along Banawe St. in Quezon City (my preferred store because of the relaxing ambiance!) and at Robinsons 
Place Manila numerous times and I'm surprised to realize 
I haven't shared about it in my blog! 
What do we love at Figaro aside from coffee? The salads, pasta, sandwiches, rice 
meals and cakes! It would have been easier to say everything, I know! I don't 
remember ordering something that I didn't particularly like at 
Figaro, except for one (find out later!). 

What we've had so far:

Asian Chicken Salad, P219.
This is my top fave salad at Figaro. The medley of colors makes this healthy plate so yummy and appetizing. And the slices of chicken make this one pass as a complete meal in itself, especially if you're cutting down on carbs. It's filling! The sweet and tangy Asian sauce makes this salad a feast for the taste buds. 

Mexican Taco Salad, P225.
A hit among the kids and the kids at heart! It's ok to let the young ones enjoy 
the corn chips as long as they eat the veggies too. 😊

Greek Roka Salad, P219.
Reminds me of the waldorf salad at a fast food chain. I love 
candied walnuts with my greens! 

Pasta a la Carlo, P235.
I could say this is not the usual pasta you can order at restaurants. This dish has 
some unique flavors that go well together. It's sweetish, 
savory, a bit sour, and overall delicious. 

Italian Meatball Bolognese, P235.
The closest my big-little boy could get to spaghetti and he had no complaints! 

Gourmet Spanish Chorizo Pasta, P285.
Another pasta dish that's uniquely Figaro's. Loved this delish filling treat as well.

Five Cheese and Garlic Pizza, P225.
A simple yet tasty treat I would love to have anytime. I'm a huge fan of both 
cheese and garlic so this pizza is tops for me!

Gourmet Spanish Chorizo Cubana, P275.

This is an awesome plate with a really good meat dish and is offered as all-day breakfast. Who doesn't love fried bananas and egg? 

Lemon Butter Fish Fillet, P249.
A simple fish meal that's nevertheless a delight to the taste buds. This is an 
Executive Lunch Set that comes with lemonade and dessert. 

French Mushroom Omelette, P225.

A light meal if it's all you want. However, this was really light because there 
weren't a lot of mushrooms in my serving. And you may have noticed 
that the salad looks rather lonely. Boo-hoo! This was the only time 
I didn't get to enjoy my order at Figaro.

Figaro Club Croissant Sandwich, P225.
This was a huge, tasty and filling meal. With a side of potato chips to enjoy.

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich, P280.
Flavorful pulled pork with healthy alfalfa and lettuce, sandwiched in between 
two slices of batard bread and served with potato chips. 
My daughter loved this one. 

Mango Cheesecake
Thumbs up to this one's flavor, texture and sweetness that's not overpowering. 
I thought, however, that some fresh mango slices on top would be wonderful. 

Mocha Cappuccino Cake
I ordered this in 2017 but it's currently not available anymore. This was 
as good as it sounds. Mocha? Cappuccino? Count me in! 

Cafe Latte, (small, P120.)
When you want an espresso-based cup of joe but want to pare down the strong kick, have it with some milk like this one has. 

Brewed Coffee, (small, P95.)

My poison, as always. Something to jolt me awake on a lazy aftie! 

Iced Matcha Green Tea Latte (medium, P165.)
One of my son's favorite cold drinks.

Matcha Green Tea Latte (small, P145.)

My daughter's choice. She loves
 Figaro's version for being creamy with just the right sweetness

Caramel Frappe (medium, P165.)
Kids love sweet things, don't they? My son once ordered 
this and said it was good.

Salad and Sandwich Combo, P195.
This was my latest order at the new Figaro Sun Mall branch in Quezon City. I had the Chicken Waldorf sandwich and Asian Salad, washed down with cafe latte. The sandwich was awesome with really tasty filling. I was just a little sad that there 
was no latte art in my cup of joe. Sob, sob.. 

At the second level of my favorite Figaro branch along Banawe St. 
in Quezon City. Look how cozy and homey this nook is!

Love Figaro too? What are your favorites? But if you haven't been to any of its numerous branches (a total of 90, folks, worldwide), haul off yourself there 
soon, won't you, and enjoy good coffee and a myriad 
of delicious dishes and desserts. 
Happy eating! 

Note: Prices are from current menu posted on Zomato.

Starbucks opens new branch in QC

Going to work hadn't exactly been something to look forward to in the mornings..Well, until Starbucks opened a new branch in our office neighborhood! My co-workers and I were filled with excitement the moment we learned a new store would be opening very near our building and more so when it actually flung its doors open last week. We wasted no time and went there at once to buy afternoon perk-me-ups. 

We were very impressed about how huge, spacious and elegant was this new Starbucks branch! Floor-to-ceiling glass walls, wood panels, high ceiling, ambiant lighting -- everything worked well to give the interiors a modern, 
chic and homey look and feel. 

But for me, what sets this branch apart is how friendly the crew are. They are welcoming, helpful, warm and cheerful. I must admit that I wasn't really a Starbucks fan but I recently became one. I still don't know much about their food and drinks, but the crew member at the counter was patient in helping me make a choice, as I explained that I wanted a drink that's fancy without being sweet. That could be a bit of a challenge, I know. Haha! Anyway, my choices during the last two occasions 
I was at this new branch were:

Thanksgiving Sandwich and Cappuccino

Cream Cheese Donut

Iced hibiscus tea with pomegranate pearls

In and around Starbucks-Visayas Ave. 

Starbucks on Visayas Ave. corner Road 10 in Barangay Vasra, Quezon City 

Starbucks is a much-welcome addition to the list of foodie places on Visayas Ave. For us who go to work here, it has made our every day a bit more exciting! Imagine going to Starbucks instead of the boring cafeteria for the lunch or afternoon break. A great stress-buster, that's what it is! I'll have more of you, 
Starbucks-Visayas Ave., and you, more of me!

Dark Specialty Roast: My last foodie find for 2018

After partying left and right just before Christmas Day, I found myself tired of eating meat. So I decided to take a break from pork, beef and chicken for one whole day on the last Saturday before the 25th of December and stick to fish and veggies. It would be a bit of a challenge as I had to go out to do some gift shopping, I thought, as not all restaurants have fish on their menu. Fortunately, I found Dark Specialty Coffee at SM North Edsa because it's where I discovered a fantastic pasta dish with smoked milkfish or tinapang bangus which is one of my top favorite all-day breakfast food. Yay, goodness without red nor white meat! As a bonus, they serve good coffee, too, although I chose a cold coffee and tea blend as thirst quencher.

My lunch at Dark Specialty Roast:

Pasta Maria Ana, P165.

This has milkfish flakes, fresh tomatoes, capers, black olives and extra virgin olive oil.

Iced Cafe Matcha, regular, P160.
Green tea and coffee in a single cup, and the combination of flavors was awesome! 

Dark is my last foodie discovery for 2018 and I was glad to know about and be able to try it. It's a small coffee place with not much on the menu (three pasta dishes, I think, and some meat pies and cakes plus drinks) and shares space with Onesimus men's wear store. Don't let the size of the physical store keep you from visiting this coffee shop, however, as I guarantee, you'll be in for quite a nice surprise, based on 
my first impression of the food and drink.
Will I go back? I would love to! That tinapang bangus pasta would be 
something worth coming back for!

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!

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.