This bakery became my go to place for sweets. The ensaymada and cheese rolls were my late mom's…read morefavorite and mine as well. i recently tried cinnamon rolls it was good as well. The sourdough bread was light and great for sandwiches. I have yet to try the brownies and lemon bars. I will though the next time i am home. i highly recommend.

Love this bakery and for the quality you get, it's completely worth the price. Nothing tastes like…read morethey skimped on ingredients or used any substitutes for the real thing. This branch is in a really convenient location and is maintained well. The people who work here are also super nice! I bought my birthday cake (the Purple Carousel chocolate cake) here, and they gave me an extra bag of sweets! My favorites are their: *Lemon bars - really great lemon flavor and have a tart, refreshing sweetness *Chocolate revel bars - probably the best I've had *Chocolate Campfire cake - very rich, but in this amazing way where you don't get tired of eating it! I've also had their: *Purple Carousel chocolate cake - classic chocolate cake with these chocolate wafers on top *Mini Pecan Pie - not the consistency I prefer in a pecan pie but the flavor was still very good *Mini Chocnut Pie - light, could use a stronger chocnut flavor, I really liked the crust though *Cookies - I love cookies so I usually get 1 or 2 with whatever else I'm buying that day, theirs are crispy on the edges and chewy on the inside *Quiche Tinapa - Liked this a lot and just ate mine chilled, but I think it would be better to warm it a little at home

My friend kept telling us that we have to try this Korean shaved ice, I'd never had it before and…read moreit wasn't on my list of must tries but finally we went along and I'm glad we did, first of all the regular size could be shared with multiple people so I would say try that size first and see what you think, we were a group of 4 adults and a child and we split 4 of them, it's a small store but there was enough space since it wasn't crowded at the time, the prices are inexpensive but that's in my opinion with my USD, the flavors we tried were mango, choc/matcha, Ube and strawberry, I can't compare to other shaved ice since it was the first time I had it but I enjoyed it, the fruits were fresh and flavors good, it's something I would go back and try again especially because it's not really dairy based besides the ice cream on some of them, I'm here for another week and I'm sure I'll have it again before leaving

I always get very excited whenever a new coffee shop opens in Maginhawa. My neighborhood has plenty…read moreof good restaurants where you can eat your fill, but sadly, there are only a handful of places where you can relax and sit down with a book while enjoying your coffee. Some of the places are always full, and some close rather early. I really loved it when Magpie opened in StrEAT, not only because they are very close to my house, but also, because they offer really good coffee and real espresso, which is always a plus. I am a big espresso machiatto person, and when a shop makes good espresso with a hearty layer of crema, I'm sold. Magpie is in the hopping and popping Maginhawa StrEAT Food Park, and when all of the other stalls are chaotic, loud and always filled with the hungry hordes, Magpie seems like an oasis of calm and relaxation. The air-conditioned premises are a far cry from the hot and humid outside seating areas. The glass walls create a sound barrier that isolates the coffee shop from the commotion of the food park. Here, you can pick a table and zone out. The smell of coffee fills the air, and the casual yet reserved coffee shop din is comforting, not distracting and overwhelming. Russel, the owner is always fun and quirky, and her baristas are friendly, knowledgeable and skilled at making the beverages. They told me that the source their coffees from the North, bringing to their store the best of Kalinga, Benguet and Sagada blends. What I also love about Magpie is its Korean pastries and ice desserts. The green tea bing soo is a refreshing treat when you want to stave off the summer heat. Local coffee and Korean desserts? A perfect marriage, if you'll ask me.

Magpie Cafe is one of the food trucks/food stalls found in Maginhawa strEAT Food Park Area…read more Definitely a coffee lover haven, they not only serve coffees and frappes, but they serve desserts as well. Mango madness had me crazy!! It's an ice shavings dessert with whipped cream, graham, chocolate drizzle and mangoes on top. Definitely a must-try! Affordable price, too!

A date with my sister usually involves a movie and/or shopping, popcorn, crepes, and milk teas!…read moreSince we live nearby, out go-to mall is Robinson's Place. Crepes and Cream may be ubiquitous in the metro's malls, but that doesn't mean their products are automatically inferior. What I can appreciate is that they offer a variety of flavors, from the savory to the sweet; their stalls and are clean and uncluttered; and they make the crepes fresh and fast. (It's quite addicting to watch their staff turn the batter into perfectly thin crepes that, no sweat! And I've always marveled at how their crepes don't tear or break down at all despite being filled and folded in a rush.) I recently triend their Kani Crepe while my sister had the Taco Crepe for lunch. Though the filling is not as abundant as I would have wanted, the simple but yummy flavor of the crepe made up for it. They were quite filling, too, lasting us till dinner while we strolled around the mall.

I love crepes. The first time I was introduced to this wonderful desert was when my sister ordered…read moreit at the Makati Shangri-la when we were kids. BAck then I was the type who played it safe by ordering ice cream instead of something as exotic as crepe. Nowadays, more people are familiar with this particular slice of dessert than I know. Crepes and cream is a bit special to me because it was the first establishment that showed me that crepes could be savory too. Before I tried this place, all the crepes I ever had were of the desert variety. That said, the stuff on their menu isn't that expensive. The quality of the crepe is great at least when compared to most of the places I've been to. Give it a try, once again, since you'll do little wrong in spending your money here. I sure as heck didn't regret it when I did.

First time here and it's not bad. It is a place for studying. It has desks, booths with bean bags…read moreand pillows and low tables as well as big tables for groups. I went here with friends and we got a booth upstairs. It wasn't too loud so I was able to get some studying done. I ordered an iced hazelnut latte and it was good! Maybe kind of pricey it was 160P. Didn't try the food but the cakes are 100 plus for a slice. Come here for the studying environment. It is very cute. I was here on a Friday night and it wasn't completely packed. Hopefully I can go here earlier in the day so I can really study all day here. It is open until 3am! My issue is that there is no wifi...only good thing is that less distractions but sometimes you just need some good wifi while studying. Excited to come back here and study even more :)

Cafe I'm Here has a really big space considering that it is a cafe. I find their coffee okay, not…read morebad but nothing out of the ordinary as well. But what I love about this cafe is their booths for seating. If you are fond of sitting in the floor or lying down, then this place is for you! It's a great place to hang out with your friends, chill and it is also a great place for study. They have ample electric outlets which make them also a great place to work or charge your gadgets. One downside is that they don't have wifi, which is one of the things I consider for a perfect hangout place. But if you do want to really talk and hangout with your friends, this will be a good place for you.

Grabbed some ensaymadas to-go from this famous spot. Got both a cheddar and a quezo de bola. Both…read morewere super delicious - cheesy and sweet, with the pastry itself being very light and fluffy. I preferred the quezo de bola more than the cheddar but both were delicious. Would def come back!

i swear hizon's mocha cake is basically a manila time machine. my lola used to bring one to…read morebirthdays and the rule was always "don't smash the box on the jeep ride home" . it's that super light chiffon + buttercream combo that doesn't feel heavy even after a big meal. also the ensaymada + hot tsokolate there on a rainy afternoon? undefeated. legit old-school manila vibes.

While strolling inside the mall, I got easily distracted with those mysterious colorful balls lined…read moreup inside a big chiller. I immediately asked the seller what are those balls and assumed that these are Japanese ice cream because of the hiragana translation beside every flavor that they have. For a small ice cream, 75Php is kinda pricey for me but it doesn't matter anymore because I really enjoy these babies and I can't get enough of them. My personal favorites are green tea, black sesame, oreos and milk. I always get their box with 6 pcs of mochi ice cream because lucky Chinatown mall is out of my way. :(

I love the way this chef thinks. While people tend to look outward for flavors, some tend to forget…read morethat we have a great palette of flavors to work with right here! Case in point, the way the Baker's Table takes candy from your childhood and uses it as the backdrop for pastry. Personally, I think it's brilliant. Candy's everywhere yet they've managed to take something so mundane and repackage it into something absolutely fitting. Three words, people: Butterball Caramel Cake. Predictable as I am, that was all it took to convince me of its brilliance. I love the fact that they never lose the essence of the candy. It's right there even if you're eating a piece of cake. They don't even commit the usual sins most bakeries do. The cake isn't dry and it isn't cloyingly sweet. Perfect with a cup of coffee (or tea, as my case was). I really can't say too much about this place. Candy has this sort of effect on people where no two experiences will ever be the same. It's really the kind of cake that's better experienced than read about.

This cake shop is a total childhood throwback, as they feature cakes made from local popular sweets…read morelike Hang, Potchi, and Haw Haw. Despite me living a few minutes away, I first saw them on TV, baking their bestseller: Haw Haw cake. I'd always loved that candy, and I still do. I buy some from sari-sari stores whenever I can, so I didn't waste time and headed straight to the bakery. That cake is such a hit. They didn't have any in stock during my visit so I had to drop by the next day. To my horror. I went back first thing in the morning and sure enough, a whole cake was there waiting for me. I think a single slice costs around Php 125, which isn't really bad. We're talking about premium cakes here. The Haw Haw cake reminded me of tres leches, for some reason. Light chiffon, a little moist. It has a thin cream filling and the frosting tasted exactly like the candy, only better.

When I went to Malabon for a writing assignment for a food blog that I wrote for, I didn't expect…read moreto find any exciting places to review. I haven't even been to Malabon prior to the trip, that's why I didn't know what to expect. I was walking along General Luna and I was quite shocked to find an Illy sign. Illy Coffee is really good, and it is only usually found in most high-end places like malls and posh office buildings. You can also find them in airport lounges. I thought it was just a spoof of Illy's logo but when I came closer, it really was Illy Coffee. Prejudice aside, I didn't expect to find good places, but I was surprised to find an Illy cafe in this busy street. Cups & Cones, as it turns out, is owned by the architect and interior designer that designs coffee shops for Illy in the Philippines, that's why they were able to get a franchise. The coffee shop and restaurant has a high-end feel and I bet it wouldn't look out of place in really posh community centers. It definitely changed the way I think about Malabon, and I realized that places like Cups & Cones set the bar high for other new businesses in the area. What I love about this coffee shop aside from the coffee is their selection of mouthwatering cakes and pastries. I was able to try their homemade blueberry cheesecake, which was rich and creamy. I was also intrigued to try their horse tapa, but I was already full from the sandwhiches that I ate earlier that day. I found out that horse meat is really popular in this part of the Metro. Anyway, I would recommend Cups & Cones if you are in the area. It is located in the same street as most of the newer establishments that have made Malabon into a culinary desitnation to rival Maginhawa and Kapitolyo.