I miss Jamba so much from back home so I'm glad they have some here in the Philippines. The one on…read moreTomas is pretty small but on a Saturday afternoon it's not busy. Studying here isn't bad...they don't blast the music. Music is good here :) I order Caribbean passion it's what I expect, fruity haha. 5 stars because every order I've had has tasted great. I remember in the states there were times it just didn't taste right. I wonder if they know the secret menu...probably not. I'll ask next time. I'll just keep my order simple for now. After overloading on coffee all the time Jamba is perfect!

I'm so glad Jamba Juice came to the Philippines and into my life, as few else things really give me…read morethat unfettered joy than sipping on a good fruit smoothie. I love berries particularly, so I'm all about the Five Fruit Frenzy and the Razzmatazz. I have a best friend in their Strawberry Surf Rider though. Most people can't take its intense tartness but I can't live without it. It's all just pulverized fruit, I know, but it gives me so much pleasure, that when the Jamba Juice at Magnolia packed up and left, I could have cried. That mall is now a sadder version of what it once was without a Jamba Juice. Luckily for me, they opened another branch at the nearby Tomas Morato. It lacks the particular homeyness of the Magnolia store--it's kinda small and too open and visible from the street, I feel--but I can make do. For the sake of the smoothie.

The Fruit Magic branch in Katipunan is probably one of my favorite stores to visit in the area for…read moreso many reasons. Firstly, my need to stay healthy and fit has led me to be fond of fruit and vegetable juices. As a busy student in ADMU, I found it very convenient that a Fruit Magic branch is just around the corner that sells fresh, healthy products to anybody who wants them. The store itself has more of a cafe-style environment, which complements its appeal to those who simply want to relax and refresh both their bodies and minds at the same time. Secondly, the staff in this branch truly knows how to treat their customers. They are very kind, helpful, and cordial, which has won me over as a loyal customer. As I have become so frequent of a visitor of the Katipunan branch, recent visits have seen me simply enter the store and without saying a word, the cashier already knew what I wanted to order. A similar situation happened when they gave me a Loyalty card. And of course, it is guaranteed that the products here are freshly made, especially the juices and shakes. I am particularly fond of Cold Defender, a combination of orange, carrot, and pineapple, which has greatly helped reduce my proneness to colds and allergic rhinitis. My girlfriend frequently asks me to buy the mango-banana shake, which is both delicious and nutritious. I like that they also offer leaflets to inform customers of how their products are made and their health benefits. It helps that the products are also reasonably priced. Every time I have a chance to just roam around the Katipunan area, one of my must-do activities is to stop by Fruit Magic. After all, it wouldn't hurt to have a proper dose of refreshing fruit-and-vegetable juice guaranteed to make you healthier, happier, and better off at the same time.

When I want something a little healthier and all the other coffee shops in Katipunan are too…read morecrowded anyway, I usually end up in this Fruit Magic right here. This one's a lounge type store so you can hang around to read a book or do some work. Recently, they've removed the sockets in the walls to discourage overstayers, haha. But here's a sneaky tip: they left one by the bare wall on the right side of the entrance! It's usually covered by an ottoman but they're not gonna stop you if you discover it and plug in, HAHA. When I do this I usually get the biggest size shake or smoothie and maybe a chicken wrap to compensate and not get them annoyed, hehe. :) The staff are very nice and friendly anyway. They don't really get annoyed. It's also very quiet and secluded in there so you won't get bothered or distracted too much if you're doing some serious work. I still really like Fruit Magic's fruit drinks more than any other juice/smoothie bar because they don't put too much sugar in them. It's mostly pure fruit in there. And it remains affordable and not too pricey. Always a fan of the Strawberry-Mango fruit shake at just P100 for the biggest size! They have a bunch of other special concoctions too that are worth a try.

Note: I went to the MegaMall location in Mandaluyong, but couldn't find a Yelp page for that…read more I saw this on my friend's Instagram from his recent trip to the Philippines and made it a point to go too. The place is cute and tropically decorated. The cashier was very helpful and informative about the different toppings/flavors. We ordered two s'mores Sub-zero soft serve cups and one mini s'mores shake for my grandma. It was aesthetically pleasing and tasted pretty good. Nothing too crazy special about the flavor since ours was all blue-colored vanilla. There was a good amount of ice cream though, and I love anything s'mores so the marshmallows and graham cracker went well with it. Also loved the chocolate syrup syringe!! I knocked off a star because we actually got lost trying to find it (no one working in SM knew where it was but that's more the mall's fault than the actual place. So frustrating!). Also 4 stars because the inside is very small and so are the tables and chairs, and it took a while for our desserts to come out. It was good but probably won't be back anytime soon.

Disclaimer: I went to the MegaMall location. I think the MegaMall location is a new, because…read morethere's no Yelp page for it. I was wandering around the mall and stumbled upon a pastel-y colored shop filled with a lot of people taking pictures of their drinks and soft-serve. I decided to drop by and order the Baby Cookie Jar and Chocolate Popcorn Soft Serve. Baby Cookie Jar: a smaller size of the regular-sized Cookie Jar. It's filled with brown sugar cinnamon, chocolate cookie, and cookie dough ice cream. I thought that the drink was too sweet. I was expecting the drink to taste like a chocolate chip cookie, but it tasted more like a snickerdoodle because it had a very strong cinnamon flavor. I wasn't fan of the drink. Chocolate Popcorn Soft Serve: since it was the holidays, they only had a Gingerbread Cookie Crunch flavored soft serve. It was so good! The chocolate popcorn with the soft serve wasn't too sweet. It also came with a syringe filled with chocolate syrup, so you can put as much chocolate you want on your chocolate popcorn / soft serve that is served on a chocolate cone. Chocolate-overload! Overall, this place serves very Instagrammable drinks and desserts. If you want to satisfy your sweet tooth, then come try this place! Since I am not a fan over overly-sweet things, I would take a pass on the drinks and get a soft serve.

You're in SM Aura and you need your caffeine fix. So, you rush to Starbucks at the ground floor,…read morebut there are no more seats and you just don't want to drink your coffee standing up. You decide to go down to the lower ground and found Breadtalk-slash-Toastbox. There are empty tables and coffee smells good. But wait, do you really want to sit beside that couple loudly slurping their laksa? As you begin to salivate, can you stop yourself from spending more on Hainanese Chicken? Dyahe, you have to find another café. So, five escalator rides later, you reach the Sky Park. There's Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. "Finally!" You exclaim to yourself. But as you enter, the place feels more like a sauna than a café and sitting in the al fresco area is out of the question because you value your pink healthy lungs. Now what? Here's an idea. Go down to Food On Four on the fourth level. Near the far end of the food court sits Cinnabon. They have good coffee. So good that you will have palpitations after you drink one. Yep, their brew is that strong. Aside from the coffee junkie in you, you can also feed your sweet tooth fantasies by having cinnamon rolls. Or sticks. I always order cinnamon sticks because I can dip them in my cuppa. Your coffee and sticks will cost you less than PHP 200.00. As to table and seat, take your pick. You're in a food court. There's always room for one or a dozen.

Who can forget when Cinnabon first came here to the Philippines back in the 90's? I remember it…read morehaving a long queue and people buying it by the dozens. It was something very similar when Krispy Kreme opened up here too. One thing they both have in common though is how rich and sinful they are. I love having Cinnabon but I also love my health more that's why I avoid it as much as possible. I remember my mom buying half a dozen of mini Cinnabon Pecanbons every other day and having it for breakfast. It was pure heaven and the dough was so soft like it would melt in your mouth. The pecans were crunchy and the cream was just to die for. Cinnabon is still around though have diminished in their branches. I don't recommend this for the diabetics or health buffs but it's something you can definitely indulge in once in a while.

I love the ambiance of this place. The French Baker Salon de The is located in the lower level of…read moreMegamall. The decor is really nice and chic. I came here with my mom, uncle and cousin for merienda. We got cakes and coffee drinks. Everything tasted great, service was also nice. It's a nice place to tambay and people-watch. There's a to-go version of the French Baker that is more popular than this sit-down cafe, and that's located on one of the upper levels of Megamall.

The Mega Fashion Hall is the "premium" side of SM Megamall, which house a multiple anchor stores,…read morewhich include Zara, H&M, Din Tai Fung, Forever 21 and many more.... So many places to go to and so many people to go through, which is why we sought refuge here in this elegantly appointed Cafe. Obviously a "premium version" of the French Baker, serving not only coffee, tea, and some pastries, but a full hot meal, ranging from Salads to Steaks and even Pizzas & Pasta for a European appeal. I had a cup of tea from their selection of Ronnefeldt Teas, which is also for sale and a slice of cake from the pastry counter. Matcha Green Cake (125 PHP) Plated with a side of whipped cream to contrast with overtly green cake and pairs the white frosting. So much padding for an otherwise decent cake, it didn't wow me, but that's just me, maybe you'll enjoy. English Breakfast Tea (125 PHP) Served in a pot for you enjoy through your stay. This my first encounter with Ronnefeldt Tea's, a German tea brand that has been around since 1823. I feel that the brewing process here has mangled the quality of the tea, as it was boiling hot when served, which burned the flavour and extracts too much tannins that made it a bitter experience.

Come for the sweet stuff but stay for the savoury…read more Contrary to what most people think, there's definitely more to Buckys than their irresistible non-brownies. What makes Buckys Poblacion special is their evolving menu of comfort food that one can enjoy in a laid-back space, punctuated with cool yet subtle elements like whimsical-looking rabbits stamped on the wall. Whether you're here having brunch, lunch, happy hour, or dinner expect to leave satisfied and already planning your next visit to Buckys Poblacion. Despite the many choices, the one thing that keeps me coming back to Poblacion is Buckys and their ohh-so-sinful and ohh-so-crispy boneless fried chicken. Two pieces of golden brown, double fried, juicy-on-the-inside chicken legs cooked perfectly and served with sides of silky smooth mashed potatoes and bright purple cabbage to balance the sinfulness. What I call it: the better chickenjoy. Read my full review at www.thefoodi.com

Buckys has a new spot in Poblacion and I'm all about it!…read more Every day has new flavors, and new combos of not-a-brownie to try. Want yours with Soft serve? Espresso? Hey, you can have both! Delicious squares of tasty cake, cinnamon soft serve, and home cooked comfort food. What's not to love?

It was my first time to try Korean bingsu and I really loved it. The ratio of shaved ice to…read moretoppings was just right and who doesn't love mangoes anyway. =) The peanut flavored one (sorry forgot the name) was also good.

Their green tea bingsu wasn't available that day. I've been craving for it lately! So settle with…read morefor something chocolatey (of course). Flavored bingsu takes time to prepare vs. plain ice variants so expect to wait 10 minutes. Cafe Seol Hwa's brownie bingsu is topped with a scoop of ice cream, chunks of brownies and a few cashew halves and cereal for an extra crunch. It's not too sweet nor does it resemble shaved ice/sherbet- a real must try for dessert lovers who want something different from ice cream. The super fine ice doesn't melt quickly too. Very pleasant staff and they even gave us Korean face masks!

I sat at the cafe later evening on one of their couches and was so pleasantly surprised by the…read morewonderful service and the very well prepared food. I got the adobo and it was a generous serving and presented beautifully. If you're staying at the Fairmont, this is a wonderful cafe and bar in the evening and full of life with couples and families taking in the evening over a drink or a nice meal.

The pastries are limited, as quality is where they prioritise. The Macaroon cake is delicious with…read morefresh strawberries held together with some tasty Crème mousseline and sandwiched between the two large macaroon shells that are 5 inches in diameter. yum! It's around 230 PHP for anyone who is wondering. The service is good, actually great as they still offer you water unlike other hotel bakeshops. When compared to the newly opened Laduree at 8 Rockwell that doesn't offer any seating this is a great value. They also prepare fresh sandwiches and hot meals.