Coffee Project glams up U-Belt

I first stepped into a Coffee Project branch in August 2017, choosing it as venue for an important writing that I had to make. It was their store at South Triangle in Tomas Morato, Quezon City--a place that seemed to have come straight from the pages of my favorite fairy tale book! Flowers were everywhere I laid my eyes on and the whole store just smelled divine. It was the chicest, sassiest place I'd ever seen. 

Fast forward to November 2018. I was on my bed browsing through Zomato and getting suggestions on nearby places to visit for coffee in Manila. And there it was, Coffee Project on España Blvd. -- very, very new and just a good 10 minutes from home! Was I thrilled! I was there just a few days later, ogling and enjoying another lovely, elegant and cozy place to finish a cup of coffee while 
reading a book or chatting with a friend. 
Since my first time there, I've visited the place for three consecutive weekends and it's always difficult finding a vacant table. Coffee Project--España is always jam-packed with students who have apparently considered the coffee shop their library, staying there for several hours reading through textbooks or typing on their laptop. Oh, well! Anyway, I was there alone on first occasion, with my son's girlfriend 
on the second and with my youngest child on the third. 

Here's what we had:

Caesar Salad, P155.
Fresh, crunchy lettuce and lots of bacon bits. I thought that the croutons 
were cut a bit too big, though. Still, this is yummy and filling, too!

Carbonara, P195.
I loved this one! It was creamy and bacon-y and the sauce was perfect in consistency -- not too runny and not too thick.

Bacon and Egg in Rye Sandwich, P130.

When I saw the piece of bacon on the plate, I thought, "How nice of them to give extra bacon" but I realize as I write this that it just fell off the sandwich. Hahaha! I was chatting with my son's girlfriend as I was eating this that I hadn't paid much attention. But I do remember that the bun wasn't as soft as I would have liked and 
that I was looking for some spread for added flavor.

Fold Over Pesto Cream pastry, P65.

Just lovely with coffee. It was two thumbs up on first bite for being flaky 
and crunchy on the outside and savory with the
tangy pesto spread inside.

Red Velvet Cake, P150.

This was divine. A slice of heaven! It's moist and not cloying; the level of sweetness was just right for me. My boy loved it too! I paired it with a hot cup of latte 
and my son, with his chocolate frappe. 

Oreo Cheesecake, P160.

This was too saccharine for me but my son's girlfriend loved it. 
A sweet girl with a sweet tooth!

Chocolate Cookie Frappe, P190.

My baby (my 12-year-old) always goes for a chocolate drink at coffee shops and this earned his nod. He wanted the largest size but that's a no-no for having too much sugar.

Mocha Frappe, P165.

I'm a coffee person but wanted it cold one hot Sunday afternoon (and it was November, quite unusual indeed!) so this was my choice. I would have given it some love were it not too sweet for my taste.

Caffe Latte, P125.

Coffee Project's cup of joe is a pleasure to have anytime. It's 
bold, smooth and comforting. Just perfect!

Cappuccino, P140.
Hot, delicious and the ideal cake partner!

 Counter

Assortment of cakes, sandwiches and pastries
A lovely sight to behold! Tee-hee.

Inside Coffee Project-España

  Coffee Project at the ground floor of Vista Residences, 
G. Tolentino St. corner España Boulevard

Coffee Project stores all have beautiful, relaxing interiors but the Espana branch is tops for me. Aside from being near where I live, I believe it's bigger and lovelier than the other branches. Try visiting when you're in the University Belt (near UST but on the opposite side) and enjoy chilling out while having some coffee or tea and good food. Hope you find a seat quickly, though. If you don't, 
remember that patience is a virtue. 
Hahaha!

Red Table for good, affordable Korean food

How often do you have that feeling of coming out of a restaurant happy and fully satisfied because you've just had a delicious, filling meal and without breaking the bank as a bonus? That's exactly my feels every time I have my favorites at Red Table -- that casual Korean restaurant that you find at SM Malls. I say every time I have my favorites because not every order left me truly happy. There are some things that were quite good and then there were those were really, really good 
that I crave for them from time to time.

I love Red Table for a number of reasons: One, they serve yummy, flavor-packed food. Two, their serving size is perfect for me. Not too little, not too much (I'm not a fan of "unli" restaurants because even though I love food, I don't and can't eat much). 
Three, I love Korean food for scoring high in the nutrition department

(there's always vegetables whatever you order). 

And four, I love the affordability. 

Well, here are the dishes that I've so far tried at Red Table. 
At the top are my favorites while at the bottom are those that are not.

Samgyupsal
I super love the flavorful, tender and juicy meat, plus lots of onion and garlic slices. The soup and kimchi are included in the set but the cup of rice is ordered separately. I often crave 
for this filling and very satisfying meal. Two thumbs up!

Bibimbap
This is one of my top favorite Korean dishes. Healthy and delicious, it's a complete one-bowl meal with meat and veggies coming in a frenzy of colors, flavors and textures. Delicious!

Osam-Bulgogi
I was impressed by this flavor-packed dish of pork, squid and vegetables. The combination of sweetness and spiciness makes the taste buds dance in a delightful hysteria! Be forewarned, you'd be eating a lot of rice with this, so gather up some self-control 
if you're trying to cut back on carbs.

Sundubu jjige
This is spicy soft tofu stew that I fell in love with on first taste. That kick 
is sure to chase the blues away!

Bulgogi sizzling pan

Bite-sized beef slices are tender and fun to eat. Cabbage adds nutrients to this delicious viand.

Bulgogi deopbap

I hope I remembered right the name of this dish. The sunny side-up egg makes 

the bulgogi one notch more filling and satisfying.

Japchae
Korean pancit with glass noodles, beef and veggie strips plus strings of fried scrambled egg. 
This one's yummy but a bit too saccharine for me.

Gimbap
Korean version of my favorite Japanese comfort food. I still prefer sushi, though.

Menu

 Inside Red Table at SM City San Lazaro

Red Table is my go-to place when I'm either at SM  San Lazaro or Manila and craving for my Korean food favorites. Most of their offers are really good and no item on the menu is above P200 per order.That means saving a lot of moolah compared to eating at unli-barbecue restaurants (That is if you aren't a big eater or not famished, I clarify). What's more, the place is nice and clean and servers are courteous. 
There's nothing that's hard to love at this place!

Steak to One at Quezon Memorial Circle

Early last week, my food buddy and I discovered a nice place to have a steak and really chill out in the middle of a park with lots of trees and a huge play area for kids. It's Steak to One inside the Quezon Memorial Circle. It's been operating 
since 2016 and also accepts catering services. 
We were the only customers during the time we were there but according to the owner, who introduced herself as Rose Imperial, they have a full house at night time on weekdays and all day during weekends. Now, the lady was a charming and amiable elderly woman who was a pleasure to meet. We had a great time talking and laughing. She even gave us free leche flan for dessert!

Anyway, my friend and I came at lunchtime and these were our orders:

Pomelo Salad, P165.

This was my friend's and she loved it! I had a taste and agreed with her that it's really good! Aside from pomelo chunks, there's lettuce, kani (crab meat), nuts and spices -- all perfectly coming together especially when bathed in vinaigrette. 

It's a feast for the taste buds!

Caesar Salad, P155.

This was my starter that I really loved as well. Caesar salad is my default order 
when I want a salad and Steak to One's version didn't disappoint.

 It's bacony and cheesy!

Porterhouse Steak, P280.

My buddy's main entree. She let me have some and I found the meat really 
tasty and tender. I'd love to have it on my next visit.

Shrimp Scampi, P190.

This was my order which, sadly, failed to impress me. It was dry and the shrimps were obviously not fresh. Ms. Rose, seeing my plate when I was done eating but with some of the pasta left, knew it was not prepared well. She apologized and said it was actually one of their best sellers and was unhappy at how my order turned out. She talked with the chef and came back, explaining that the parmesan cheese should have been served separately, not mixed into the dish as it would soak up the sauce, resulting in dry pasta. She then offered us free dessert to make up for my disappointment. I didn't mention about the shrimp anymore, as she already felt unhappy about the dry pasta. Well, they're forgiven. I'm sure that's not always the case. 

Free leche flan for dessert!
This was heavenly! Very smooth and creamy. I thought I went up to dessert heaven and came back right on time to return to work. Hahaha!

Brewed coffee, P78.
I was happy they have good coffee and it's even refillable, 
with fresh milk, to boot!

They give service water with lemon!

Inside Steak to One

If you're somewhere near the Quezon Memorial Circle, I recommend that you visit Steak to One for affordable but juicy, yummy steaks. Don't forget they have mouthwatering leche flan as well! I hope to be back soon to try their 
other offers. And yes, spend some time at the swing 
in the nearby kids' play area!