Manila had this milk tea craze and everyone went crazy for it. Except me, though. I've never really…read morebeen a milk tea aficionado. It's nice and creamy, yes, but I'm not addicted. We could co-exist, milk tea and I, but if they suddenly disappeared from the face of this planet, I wouldn't notice. Unlike, if that happens to ice cream, I'd go crazy. Cha Dao happens to be near where I live and we'd occasionally grab some milk tea there. Then one day, they were serving Sugarlick ice cream too. Now I'm all "Cha Dao is my favorite milk tea place everrrrrr." PROS: They offer milk tea in a lot of different flavors, and a lot of them are unique Cha Dao offerings; You can stay indoors and enjoy their air conditioning, or at their porch. It's very conducive for just hanging out or doing your stuff since it's peaceful, comfy, and quiet; They have Sugarlick homemade artisan ice cream! It comes in all awesome flavors like Nutty Salted Caramel and Mango Torte. Each scoop fills up the entire cup! CONS: It's not a really good place for snacking. They have some cookies and their awesome ice cream, but they don't have your common café pastries. TL;DR: Come for the milk tea, stay for the Chocolate Cookie Dough ice cream. Stay for the Wi-Fi too.

And here we have yet another Maginhawa milk tea regular. It's lasted pretty long, too which should…read moresay something. Of all the milk tea joints, Cha Dao and Tea Please are the two places with the most diverse menus so if you're tired of your usual choices, there's always these guys. Where Tea Please has more adventurous flavors, Cha Dao offers more variations. You have your usual fruit teas and black teas and green teas... but they have things like Strawberries n' Cream, Chocolate Strawberry Yakult, Wintermelon Salted Caramel... the list goes on. Be prepared to spend a few minutes looking the menu over, trying to decide if you want your usual or if you'd like to try something new. Whatever you pick though, it's all good. The flavors are there and aren't overpowering whatsoever. I'd say this is where to go when you want something close to your usual flavor but don't want something too foreign. Also, this place is pretty good to hang out with friends but if you want munchies, better bring your own. (Or you could buy barbecue from the Grill Queen next door, your choice.)

We were looking for something quick to eat for late lunch and saw this cafe. The menu is a mixture…read moreof Japanese, French with some Filipino dishes. Food: Kani Mango Salad - we ordered this to add vegetable serving to our main dish! Salad's fresh and crispy. Vegetable Curry Rice - the curry rice is one the better ones I've had. Spicy Puttanesca - this pasta dish has shrimp, squid and scallops. Good, tasty and not too spicy! Banana Chocolate French Toast Tower - this was recommended by our servers. We like how it was already sliced in cubes with just the right about crunch on the toast! Latte - coffee's food Overall, the food's good, great presentation, service is ok and the place is clean!

Their coffees are always one of the best go to coffees. I always try to have the Blue Mountain if…read moregoing for classic brews, and for the iced concoctions, I would go for either the Iced Sumiyaki or the Kori Kohi. The desserts are definitely a mouthful, do not underestimate the portions. Their curries are good as well, one of my preferred Japanese curry places prior to CoCo Ichibanya. Ambience: Good, cozy and warm and another reason again for loving the UCC chain is indoor smoking area :) Taste: Great, though some are average especially with the recent entries of various Japanese restaurant chains Presentation: Great Value: Good, not too pricey nor does it give the best value Service: Great Overall: Great, am a fan of the UCC chain

I have a friend and she likes green tea. She likes to have green tea in the morning, green tea cake…read morefor dessert, green tea latte as her coffee and green tea biscuits for a snack. I am not obsessed with green tea as much as her. But I like to appreciate green tea every now and then, especially the good kind. Kozui is a coffee shop that apparently specializes in green tea products. But when I'm here, I always go for their Black Sesame frappucino-like drink. While I haven't quiet tried to sample their food items, I did try most of their dessert line-up, including their mocha balls, green tea ice cream and tiramisu. It's said that Kozui is owned by the same team from one of my favorite milk tea places located in San Juan called Tea Tap. So only if they're able to bring to Kozui my favorite Rose Milk Tea from Tea Tap, they will definitely find themselves one more loyal customer.

Kozui is definitely a matcha heaven for me. I fell in love with their teas that are stored in…read morecanisters especially the Jasmine Green Tea and their Geinmacha Tea and guess what? They're so affordable compared to other tea places. They sell their tea for around 150 to less than 200 compared to the others that sell it for at least 500 pesos per canister of the same size. The place is nice for quiet intimate conversations, studying or even writing your next novel. The music isn't too loud so that you could focus on whatever it is that you're working on. I just wish that they could expand their space in their next branch and hopefully, somewhere in Pasig. I've yet to try their green tea ice cream and their food selection which I heard were really really good. I also wanna hoard their other flavors as I've only tried two of them so far.

I first tried Tokyo Bubble Tea in SM North EDSA with my mom, and even if we only had their…read morechocolate drink, the soft bubbles that sank at the bottom of their glass was my favorite. I'm not a fan of sago because it's usually tough to chew, but Bubble Tea's were just so soft. Years later, my SO and I visited the same store and had a full meal each aside from a strawberry milk tea and milkshake. With bubbles, of course. PROS: The interiors did not change much. It still remained in its pastel-colored prettiness with the hanging globes of light and inviting couches; The food was enjoyable and amazing. They had pretty good presentation and the taste was memorable because it was what you're looking for in Japanese food, but with fun twists. From the bright pink mayonnaise of their maki, to the mangos on their salad, everything complemented each other. My SO officially declared their beef gyudon it his new favorite; Our server, Frances, was very pleasant and friendly. She makes sure that she delivers everything you need with a smile and a bubbly personality. CONS: It may set you back at least P900.00 for the rice meals with the milk shake included (for 2), but it's worth it; I hope they would have a bigger space in the near future. But their loft works fine for us at present. TL;DR: Tokyo Bubble Tea serves a variety of meals, desserts, and sweet drinks that pleases all your senses. You will step out your restaurant with a happy heart.

Nostalgic Mongolian Bowls & More…read more A Katipunan classic, Sweet Inspirations is best known for its Mongolian rice bowls, where you can load up on meats, veggies, and sauces. At ₱599 for unlimited bowls, it's a great deal--pile it high and fill up to your heart's content! Beyond Mongolian, the menu has Filipino and Western comfort food, including Pork Spareribs, Grilled Boneless Chicken, and Lengua with Mushrooms. Portions are average and best for solo diners rather than sharing. Their bakery selection includes classics like Ensaymada (₱50), Spanish Bread (₱30), and Cinnamon Rolls, along with cakes such as Chocolate Decadence, Sans Rival, and Tiramisu. While the variety is nice, the cakes tend to be on the dry side. The ambience is simple, but it's a spot packed with nostalgia, especially for former Ateneans. If you're craving a customizable, hearty Mongolian bowl, this is the place to go! Verdict: Unlimited Mongolian bowls are a steal! Cakes are dry, not the best for dessert lovers Other dishes are decent, but portions are just okay Would I come back? Yes--for the Mongolian!

The cheapest buffet I've ever had at only (240 PHP or 5 USD) and it comes with unlimited coffee…read more Selection is basic, they have; scrambled egg, mixed chopped buttered veggies, crispy tawilis (salty), embutido, beef tapa, plain and garlic rice, arroz caldo, champorado, and some desserts. Their food can't be faulted at their price point and their pros out weigh the cons, but to dine here is for convenience and not as a dining destination. Look at this way, if you just want egg and rice, this is the best deal anywhere, because it's unlimited and ready for the picking. AMBIANCE Marble floor and walls designed to a homey feel, in fact it looks like a house from the outside. Interestingly enough they haven't increased their price since they opened in 1990.

I was very happy to find that a new Japanese restaurant had opened its doors in SM Hypermarket as…read moreI'm there all the time and there's no cuisine that I love more in the world than the aforementioned. So I sat down, asked for a menu, and took my sweet time looking through it. I couldn't wait to try out what this place had to offer! I ended up asking for the miso soup, ebi tempura, and a nice tall glass of their red iced tea. On my first visit, I was impressed. It was delicious and I savored each bite. The sauce was served piping hot too which made the meal that much more special. However, the second time around, I found that the tempura was cooked in oil that had been used numerous times before. That was very disappointing. I'm willing to give Hanako a third try but if they strike out, I'm out.

Since I've started frequenting Sm Hypermarket, I keep discovering that SM really does have it all…read morefor you. Near dinner time one night I wanted something that tasted even just close to Japanese food and found Hanako. I wasn't expecting much but really enjoyed it, especially at the decent price range. We ordered the fried rice (gohan) worth P70 and got a bowl that could have been shared by 2 people. I took a mental note to get that for take-out next time. We kept it simple and stuck to agedashi tofu with an extra order of beef with it and we had a good meal out of that.

This CB&TL is conveniently located in Glorietta Mall on 2F overlooking The Atrium. You can easily…read morespend an hour or so catching up with friends and enjoying the comforts of an indoor mall with air con. I prefer drinking Coffee Bean over the other coffee shop, for thier really delicious coffee as well as their friendly baristas. The variety of food and snacks in The Philippines is so different from back home. They don't have free wifi, so it's best to detach from the outside world for a moment. Their lines aren't super crazy long, and all their baristas are really friendly, 5 stars for this Coffee Bean!

Hot drinks served in glass mug, unlike Starbucks in a disposable cup…read more After dinner, we decided to have matcha tea and hot vanilla at this Coffee Bean greenbelt. Price is comparable with other known cafes. Wifi is free. Ask for the code when you pay the cashier for your order, Looking at their pastries, it's outer crust needs more color. Blueberry cheesecake looks yummy. It's past 11pm, it would be nice if they sell the Desserts half of its price instead of throwing them at the end of the day. No restroom, so you have to go out of the shop then go inside the mall. You can go down walking or ride the elevator. Not much of a coffee drinker, but I think Coffee Bean is nice place to hang out for hot and cold drinks. Starbucks is a bit crowded. You can take your drink and enjoy while it is hot or cold in the shades, located just in front of its main door.

I'd been eyeing this cafe ever since the banners went up their then-being-renovated space in the…read moreFashion Hall. I missed their grand opening but at least the cafe was there for every one to enjoy! This is one of those places where I would like to stay for hours, ordering food after food after food (or maybe even drink), and just paint with my watercolors. They really have good fixtures and the lighting in there is great, so snap away! The highlight of my stay: I got to taste their famous Chococro. Well they're just basically tiny croissants BUT they're tiny and flaky and soft and I don't know. I really love it. It only costs Php 55 apiece. Some basic Chococro flavors are only there for a limited time, though. During our visit, my boyfriend got the chocolate almond (which I never got to taste because ugh allergies), and I think I got the matcha one. I can't remember because I gobbled mine in one bite.

Love the ambience. Perfect place to wait while your gf or bf goes shopping while u rest and relax w…read moreWiFi