Enjoy coffee breaks at Country Style

When I'm at the mall and want a good cup of joe and a light meal because I'm not really hungry, I usually go to Country Style where sandwiches and coffee are both awesome and affordable. For a bit of info, Country Style is a Canadian bakery, deli and cafe franchise, with over 30 branches in the Philippines at present.
But what makes a sandwich awesome for me? First, it must be visually appealing to stir up the appetite.  You know - colors! There must be greens and reds for the veggies. Also, there must not be scrimping on the filling. The taste, of course, is just as important and the bread must be fresh. For these categories, it's all check for Country Style for me. As a bonus, their sandwiches are huge, so I usually only eat half 
and take the other half home. 
Meanwhile, their brewed coffee serves as the perfect thing to wash down everything. Yes, the cup of joe is another thing I love at Country Style - it's of medium roast so it doesn't come too strong for me. The only thing that makes Country Style less 
than perfect for me is they don't offer fancier coffee 
so no cappuccino or latte for me here. 

Anyway, here's what I (and sometimes, a companion) have 
had so far at Country Style:

Bagel Sunriser, P180. with brewed coffee

Ham Double Decker Sandwich, P125.

Bagel de Luxe, P110.

What's more to love at Country Style? They have all-day breakfast rice meals, too. My daughter once had this Beef Tapa with fried egg meal and she approved of the savory and 

tender slices of marinated beef.  

And there's more: pasta! Surprisingly, the spaghetti is quite good as attested to by my little boy. The sauce has a bold (notice the deep red color) , intense tomato-and-spice flavor balanced with a hint of sweetness. Aside from spaghetti, there's carbonara, 
too, but I've not tried it yet.

Spaghetti, P75. (not sure about this price, though)

Country Style is also known for their donuts, which my daughter loves. 
The Choco Log, which has a rich chocolate filling, is her top pick.

Choco Log, P30.

I also once ate a bit of the Cookies and Cream donut - a square piece of saccharine heaven 
that, had I finished, would have given me a diabetic's nightmare.

Cookies & Cream, P30.

Coffee - as always, my elixir. Only P50. per cup

 

Drooling over those treats? Head over now to the nearest Country Style and enjoy a sandwich (or donut, or a rice meal) and steaming cup of brewed coffee as much as I do. Most SM Malls have a branch, where you can quietly 

work on your tablet or read a book.

Happy eating!

Today's Word: Isaiah 40:31

Are you waiting for a blessing from the Lord? I am. For almost four years now, I'm eagerly waiting for a prayer to be answered. Sometimes, I get impatient and lose hope. Other times, I'm ready to give up. I would think maybe, it's not for me, maybe God did not want this thing for me. But in those times that I told Him I was giving up praying for such a blessing, He would orchestrate circumstances that would put me back on track. After that happened a few times, I understood. What I'm praying for, God wants to give 

me - only, it was not yet the right time. So what am I supposed to do? Wait. Continue to hope, pray and believe. After finally realizing God's will, He would give me 

the patience and strength to carry on. 

Do you find yourself in the same situation as mine? Are you losing hope because 

the answer to your prayer has taken too long? Take heart! God is 

faithful and He will deliver! So hold on and continue to pray, 

believing that in the Lord's perfect timing, your blessing 

will come and the wait is going to be worth it! 

God bless you today. 

                                                    (Thank you, Digital Bible for this photo)

Oliva Bistro Cafe: One of Visayas Ave.'s best-kept secrets

Like some areas, my office neighborhood in Visayas Ave. has its so-called best-kept secrets, gastronomically speaking. One of them is Oliva Bistro Cafe, which offers a variety of Indian and other Asian as well as Western dishes. It is owned by an Indian chef who has a Filipina wife. I first ate here more than two years ago but I recently rediscovered it together with my office friends. We visited Oliva Bistro and Cafe twice last month (August) and swore by their awesome entrees and desserts. 

Our orders:

Butter Chicken Masala
This was a friend's order, which I tasted and it was really good - layers of lip-smacking flavors from coconut milk, butter and Indian spices. I never thought I could eat Indian food because I'm not very fond of curry but this Butter Chicken Masala was surprisingly delicious! My friend ordered two pieces of Roti Prata to go with it and I thought the two were perfect together. Roti prata, for those who are not in the know, is fried flour-based pancake
that is cooked over a flat grill.

Linguine with salmon and spinach in garlic cream sauce

This was another friend's order which I had a taste of, too. This was delish! My friend relished it till the plate was clean, all the while raving that it was rightly creamy and flavorful, and not to mention, healthy with the salmon and spinach.

Pasta Oliva

This was my order on one occasion. It's a very simple pasta dish with olive oil, dried tomatoes, olives and some spices -- a bit bland for me but it's perfect for those 
who prefer something light and healthy.

Fettuccine carbonara with chicken, bacon and mushrooms

This one's my ultimate favorite pasta at Oliva. What to love? The fettuccine is al dente. The sauce has a balance of flavors - not too creamy nor salty and of the right amount to cover each strand of noodle. The serving size is quite big, too. Also, the piece of herbed bread is delish 
and a nice complement to the pasta.  

Oliva Club Sandwich

This one's a filling merienda that could also be a good choice for lunch as it's loaded with meat -  ham, bacon, chicken plus egg and veggies. Oliva's lightly flavored fries are so good, too! 

Vanilla Panna Cotta

This was a little too sweet but delicious, that's for sure, apart from being pretty.

Mini blueberry and caramel cheesecake

I've tasted both of these and I loved them but the caramel (salted, yes) is my favorite because it's the more unique flavor. Oliva's cheesecakes have an Oreo base instead of graham but remarkably, they're not too sweet. There's also strawberry mini cheesecake 
but that one I have yet to taste.

For drinks we had:

Fresh lemonade

Cucumber mint cooler

Fresh calamansi juice

Cappuccino

My drink on two occasions. I love the cappuccino at Oliva -- the beans are of medium roast, thus, the coffee's not too strong.

Meanwhile, on my first time at Oliva Bistro Cafe, these were 
my friend and I's orders: 

Hainanese Chicken Rice
This is one of my top favorite Asian foods and I was happy that Oliva served it. It's the ginger sauce that gives 'white chicken' its flavor and Oliva's 
version did not disappoint. 

Grilled Double Pork Chops

My friend's order which she said was tender, flavorful and nicely grilled.

Sauces for our orders 

Lemonade

Menu

Inside Oliva Bistro Cafe

 Oliva Bistro Cafe at # 77 Visayas Ave., Diliman, Quezon City

Oliva Bistro Cafe is, I'm sure to say, one of the best restaurants in our side of the city - definitely a must-visit when you want gourmet food that's fresh and great-tasting.
It has another branch at #8010 Marcos Highway, Santolan, Pasig City, so you folks, 
who are near that place can visit it.
Happy eating!