Food Post. Dolce Latte.

It was another from duty day for me. My friend and I decided to meet up somewhere in Quezon City since my work is within the area and he has to go to Trinoma afterwards. I've been bugging him about tasting different cronuts/ croughnuts/ cronutz that are sprouting like mushrooms within the district. So we opted to try Dolce Latte, a cafe and gourmet bakeshop along Quezon avenue. 

Upon entering the cafe, I was greeted with high technology sensor doors. Not many cafes offer this type of techie stuff. But I got to understand why as I went inside. The cafe / bakeshop is enormous. It even has a second floor. The place is good for dinner with friends, even ten of them in a long table, or even a meeting / conference over lunch / dinner since Dolce Latte offers function rooms for such affairs. But I found it appealing that their tables for 2-4 people are really spacious and comfy. We're only looking for seats for two but they offered us a couch type instead, that would seat around 6 people. 

Before rushing into non-stop gabbing and talking, my friend and I ordered. The first thing that came to mind was, "What time would you offer the croughnuts?" The waiter immediately said that they're for reservation but they usually have pieces available around after lunch, maybe 3:00pm or so. We came there around lunch. So I figured, we really have to do some serious blabbing to get to wait until 3 pm!!!

What's the craze about these croughnuts anyway? Well, maybe it has become a fad since it's new and interesting. Who wouldn't be interested in a merge of a croissant and a doughnut? As a "bread" person, I surely went gaga when I heard about this bread trend. Anyway, so we ordered. We had salad Caesar Salad, Cheese burger, and Club sandwich. For their food, I'm sure I would've been more impressed if I've tried some of their entrees. Given that we wanted a light lunch for a big big dessert, we settled for these meals. The salad was really refreshing. It was tossed for us by the waiter and served us on each plate. I specifically asked the waiter to cut the burger in half since I like sharing my food. Notice that it was not forgotten. The burger is reminiscent of an old style burger wherein they'd put some margarine or butter on the buns. Side dishes of coleslaw and fries came with the burger and sandwich. The fries were heavenly! Crisp outside but soft inside. Perfect! The club sandwich is really good if you like wheat bread and healthy stuff... though as a wheat lover, um, I wasn't too pleased. I ordered a dolce latte (espresso with caramel). Gosh, was it utterly sweeeeet! I was really glad that they serve unlimited water to drown such taste. Sabi na eh, bitter talaga peg ko. 

We're not even finished on the food and talk, we noticed that the servers are carrying boxes and boxes of croughnuts! I immediately asked our server to let us choose among the available ones. We opted to have Apple cinnamon, Chocolate caramel, and Peanut butter crisp. Apple cinnamon was my top favorite among the three since it was refreshing and just the right mix of tangy and sweet. Chocolate caramel is my friend's favorite one. For me, a darker chocolate would've done it justice. Peanut butter crisp is another like like like! It's topped with Reese's peanut butter crushed cups. Yum! The pastry itself is a consistent mixture of the layers of croissant with the chewy goodness of doughnut. 

As for their service. Bow. Super attentive servers. Maybe because of the service charge, but it's all worth it. 

Price? I must say, I need to try their other food choices. Because given our light lunch, we chose simple usual food that are not that extraordinary for the 3-digit price range.

Ambiance: Hands down, perfect. Nothing to add more or to lessen. The yellow mellow light is conducive to a relaxed mood. Adequate for talking and catching up. I must say, I need to know whether yellow light is still used for the function / meeting rooms.

Croughnuts? I love them. However, I find them a bit overrated. They're still pastries. We just have to try them to get to know them better. But I've had better pastries, believe me. "Bread" person nga diba. But, I want to try their other flavors. 

Parking: Good spots in front and there's a parking lot rental at the side. 

Wifi: Check!

Verdict: 7/10 Craving for more... why? I think there are really a lot of food choices to choose from, this may need to be modified once I've tried all their croughnut flavors and their entrees. 

Upper left: old-style cheese burger; Upper right: Dolce latte, iced; Lower left: croughnuts!; Lower right: Club sandwich

Upper right: Apple cinnamon; Front: Chocolate caramel; Upper left: Peanut butter crisp

You can easily browse through their website: http://www.dolcelatte.ph
The site offers a fool-proof way to reach the cafe through commute or car. It also showcases their menu and facilities. One click away to knowing more about dolce latte!

Fashion Post. My little black skater skirt.

Yes, I rode the trend. I bought not one, but four, skater skirts. So far, here's my favorite and most versatile black skater skirt. 

There are two looks where I used this black skater skirt. For the first look, as preppy as always, I wanted a school girl look. I paired my skirt with this baby pink button down blouse with black crossed collar details from Forever21. It was just my luck that this blouse was on sale when we went to F21 in Hong Kong. I basically got this for only 200 pesos! I used my black envelope type faux leather bag with gold studs, which is convertible from clutch to body bag. Again, a bargain deal when we shopped in HK, since I got this for only around 400 pesos. Since the outfit is cute enough, i just added my dangling earrings with faux gray pearls. For shoe option, flats will work with this. It's just a battle whether to use black flats (might be boring or just plain preppy) or use studded ones to complement the studded bag for a minimal rocker vibe.

For the second look, I opted to go school girl rocker chic. As noticed, I used my envelope bag again. My cream black dotted blouse from Forever21 gave the preppy school girl touch, especially once worn with all buttons fastened. The black studded vest from People are People gave the rocker appeal.  I used my tiger face earrings from Forever21 and some faux pearls layered bracelet for my accessories. I leave the option of shoe use to you. This can be worn with black heeled booties (wedge type or stilettos type).

Fashion Post. Online shopping.

There was a time that I got so engrossed with online shopping... well I think I still am! But now that I've experienced online shopping more often, I encountered some ways to make it easier, budget friendly, and hassle free.

I've been using Ebay since time immemorial. However, I found that there are just so much stuffs on the site, that I got to check out other things that I basically don't even need. As a newbie then, I tend to be a joy bidder and then ended up either asking the seller to pretty please let me off the hook or just pay for the item I bid for. Don't get me wrong, Ebay is shopping heaven or even Divisoria for that matter. You can bid and buy new or pre-loved items. An array of items flood the site! However, if fashion is your cuppa tea then you might get bored checking out every single item under clothing/ accessories/ shoes/ bags since not all sellers aim to please the eye. Some sellers really just want to sell their items as soon as possible, whether or not they give justice to your visual preferences.

Moving on... As networking sites evolved, I found that online sellers also gravitated towards them. It started with Multiply. Then Facebook. And then Instagram. Girls (well, most of them) are born easily distracted with cute, shiny, and nice looking stuffs. Whether these are items they need, if the item is the current fad or even just looks trendy, they'll give it a thought. And I am one of most girls. I love visual stimulation. This is why I click "like" and then go back to those pictures of the items I want and then decide super hard whether to buy or not.

So, if you're new in online buying, here are some tips.

1. Set your limits --- unless you have a budget of a million, then go ahead and buy buy buy! But if you're thrifty but trendy, stay attuned to those online sellers that offer cheaper items of the same kind you like. Since I use mostly Instagram, I make sure to note the common selling price of the item I want and then compare. 
2. Decide whether to buy ONE item or to buy in BULK. This is how it usually goes for me, I buy in bulk! Why? After setting a budget (well, kind of, since I tend to SOMETIMES overspend...) I go to my usual online sellers, visit their accounts / sites, pick out the things I need (want!), contact the sellers to buy items together. If I buy just one item, the shipping fee is fixed, for example 60 pesos in Metro Manila. But in bulk, unless hindered by the weight, you can all join them in one bag and still pay the same. Also, if I really bought a lot of items from one seller, I ask her to give me a freebie (kapal ng mukha lang talaga!) or make it a whole number payment (i.e. total of 2376 pesos, to 2300 na lang). 
3. Clarify details. Is the item new or pre-loved? Maybe the item's cheap for all the wrong reasons. Don't be scared to ask the seller why the item is priced that way and if it is authentic (especially for branded items) or not. Also, note whether the items are already "on-hand", meaning ready to ship. If it's "pre-order", the item will be shipped on a certain date and some sellers would ask for a reservation fee. 
4. Read the seller's terms and conditions. Some sellers prefer certain payment and delivery methods. Some would allow meet up. Some sellers ship using certain courier services, on specified days during the week. For items #3 and #4, If you don't dwell on this, a scenario like this might happen: you might think that your item has not be delivered well in fact, it was a pre-order item to be delivered on a specified date. 
5. Decide how to pay. Mobile banking or Bank deposit? I usually pay via bank deposit. This way, I can make sure that the sellers are legitimate, especially if their name is broadcasted in their site for everyone to see, you can compare it with their bank details. What sellers usually do, they
6. Most importantly, make sure to leave your shipping details - your name, contact number, complete address for shipping, AND GET THE TRACKING NUMBER and COURIER service for your package. Getting the tracking number ensures that you have a package that will be directed to your door. Online, you can easily access the courier service website and track your package. 

I hope I got my point across that online shopping is not just fancy to the eyes. It is not even cheap. And it is not even safe at all times. So just make sure to be guided and vigilant when it comes to shopping matters.

Fashion Post. Missing Summer.

I have always been a fan of summer. Since rainy months are here, I just wanted to share this look that is refreshingly tangy and mood-lifting.

My yellow collared sleeveless top with colorful bird print from Landmark gives that lemony look of summer. When paired with my pomelo colored knee-length skirt from Forever21, my citrusy summer look is almost complete! I can use this complete look for work or even for some malling or lunch or coffee dates. The key is just mixing up my accessories. I used my camel satchel bag from Mixmi and wrapped my braided belt around my blouse. Though not featured in the picture, I used my camel platform maryjanes from Shoebox. I just added a chunky bracelet in beige to complement the subdued tones of my accessories. I opted to use camel or beige based colors so that I won't put off the focus on my citrus ensemble. To add a vintage flair (as usual, a trademark for my style, I guess), I prepped up with some faux pearls necklace. Adding anything vintage or preppy somehow automatically makes the outfit ready for work. For my make up, I just did my usual sunblock-BBcream-mascara combo but left out blush (I trust my natural pinkish glow!). I focused on putting on red red lippies from Stila.

Wildflour Cafe + Bakery

Upper Left: Strawberry Granita Flan; Upper Right: Apple Pie, Streusel, Caramel Sauce, Cinnamon ice cream; Lower Left: Salted Chocolate Cake; Lower Right: Pastel De Tres Leches

I was from duty that day when I asked my sister and my niece where our feet will take us. My sister's automatic answer was Trinoma, a mall in Quezon City. We usually go there since the mall's practically complete, with affordable buys (Landmark!), and entertaining costumes for the sales people. Really, it was entertaining to see sales people dressed up to mimic Michael Jackson (bitin black pants, white socks, black shiny shoes, jacket, shades and all).

Going back to my story, I hinted on the places we haven't gone. So i suggested Bonifacio Global City. We made our itinerary. First we visit SM Aura, drop by Serendra to dig in some desserts at Chez Karine, and then dine at Wildflour... or whichever comes first.  We first went to SM Aura. All the buzz about this "posh" SM died on me since most of the shops aren't even open. But I do see good brands. Some brands, I'm not familiar with (maybe because it's too posh or expensive for poor me!). I'm impressed with their elegant but fresh take on their department store. Even the smell is expensive! Reminds me of Rustan's. Try going to a regular SM department store and you wouldn't be greeted with such enthusiasm or be smelling the expensive scent of branded items. Maybe the reason behind such enthusiasm is due to few but rich customers. We stayed there for a bit and waited for another relative, my niece's mom.

Our next stop was Wildflour. We established that our food trip road trip is actually a dessert trip. So we got ourselves busied on looking for Wildflour Cafe and Bakery. It was located at the ground floor of Net lima building, 4th corner 26th. What I immediately looked for are cronuts! Damn, I wanna taste those! But unfortunate things happen and we didn't get hold of the last batch for the day. We begrudgingly moved on to other desserts.

What's nice about Wildflour servers is that they're very attentive. They immediately seated us four and gave us water and some fresh hot bread with butter. Pantawid gutom muna! The server then helped us pick out a variety of desserts and drinks.

We decided on strawberry granita flan, apple pie, salted chocolate cake, and pastel de tres leches. We chose the following drinks: iced cubano, green tea mojito, agua fresca, and cafe latte.

Verdict on the drinks:
Iced cubano - it is an iced espresso drink with cinnamon powder. My sister ordered this and she described it as, "Sana uminom na lang ako ng iced coffee at nagtaktak ng cinnamon powder diretso sa bibig ko." Harsh? Well for some people who do not like that much cinnamon, you might want to stay away from this. Seriously. When I took a sip, it was precisely how she described it.

Green tea mojito - it's a concoction of green tea with basil and pineapple. It was refreshing to pair with any food, even desserts. The pineapple complemented well with basil, creating a fresh herbal infusion.  I vote for this drink for you guys out there who wants a "safe" drink. No alcohol included!

Agua fresca - Cucumber with mint. Sounds refreshing? I guess that would be an acquired taste. I've tried a similar drink in another cafe at Greenbelt. For me, the cucumber was too overpowering that it leaves tastebuds confused, if there's such a thing. The drink overpowers the desserts and it leaves a cucumber taste that does not go well with most of what we ordered. I guess you can pair this well with an entree.

Cafe latte - I ordered this one just to know whether they make good coffee that'll go well with my chocolate cake. I must say, I wasn't disappointed.

Verdict on desserts:
Strawberry granita flan - I loooove how refreshing it was! It came to us chilled and in a bottle with layers of flan topped with strawberry sauce and fruits. It titillates the palate to battle between the sweet tangy goodness of the fruit and sauce with the creamy sweetness of the flan. Sarap! However, you better eat it fast, it gets quite soft and mushy once left at room temperature too long.

Apple pie - this pie came with the usual streusel, caramel sauce and ice cream. But... the ice cream was cinnamon flavored! Again, if you're not that fond of cinnamon, you might get disappointed with this one. You might want to ask the server to change the ice cream flavor to vanilla. However, I noted that the streusel was strongly buttery flavored and the apple slivers were a bit reminiscent of rum-infused fruits. I didn't get to ask whether rum was added to this dessert, though I noted such taste.

Salted chocolate cake - Literally, there are rock salt pieces scattered and hidden within the velvety chocolate cake. The layers of chocolate sponge were amped up by the lovely sweet salty goodness of the fudge in between. It was generously covered with delectable rich milk chocolate to satisfy any sweet (or salty!) tooth. I found this salted chocolate cake ranking the top spots of my most fave chocolate cakes.

Pastel de tres leches - this dessert is reminiscent of dulce leche cakes. It was served in a dessert glass in a layer of vanilla sponge cake topped with cream and caramel sauce. This is a safe choice if you want a dessert that's light and sweet and familiar.

Overall, My experience at Wildflour was great. It would've been better if I got hold of some cronuts. Maybe a box of them! I'll have another blog about that some other time. The interior design and lighting  was simple and practical. Their cafe at BGC was quite small but cozy enough not to be ignored by servers. The parking was a bit of a problem for us since the building's parking was full at that time. Pricey, yes, but definitely worth the desserts and service. I will surely come back for more desserts and to try the other food they offer.

Wildflour Cafe + Bakery (Podium)

Address: G/F The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Wilfdlour Cafe + Bakery (Bonifacio Global City)

Address: Net Lima Building, 4th ave. cor. 26th street, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

Telephone No.: 856-7600

July 21, 2013. Pancakes and Me.

I play the role of the supportive wife --- most of the times.

I found that being a supportive wife is something that a husband finds precious. A man does not only stay for the food. As the saying goes, "A way to a man's heart is through his stomach." He does not stay for the attraction or chemistry alone.  At times, a man just wants to be cherished, feel that someone cares for him.

So. Blah blah. Long story short. I went to my husband's work, which is at Santa Rosa, Laguna. Coming from Manila, it was quite a ride. A ride that you might want to dismiss by listening to great IPOD music playlist or by watching the movies or shows on the bus television. If you're lucky, you might be riding a bus liner that has wifi access. Killing boredom is the key to these loooong provincial rides.

I was supposed to wait on my husband to finish work. Have a date with him after. Be the doting sweet wife that I occasionally am. As soon as I stepped on the grounds of Santa Rosa, I decided to kill some more time by having some nail care done at Paseo de Santa Rosa. I found Tips n' Toes at the 2nd level, and spent quite some time there and was entertained. One attendant was checking up on my already drying up nail polish. As soon as she did this, a middle-aged female customer burst out religious anecdotes... so the attendant, suppressing her giggle, gave out a snort and gave me her most mischievous smile. She asked me, "O ma'am, ikaw ba, nailigtas ka na ba ng panginoon?" I just gave her a polite smile and continued on being fascinated with the customer. What's more entertaining is that the whole room quieted... and you can see snips of side glances from other customers. As if she weren't making the rest of the room uncomfortable, the customer prodded on her attendants to agree with her religious beliefs. I guess it made the other customers more weirded out and one by one they started saying they need to finish fast. I was so intently worked up with her out burst that I forgot that I already dried up my nail polish. I paid my bill and then checked my watch. Goodness, time flies when you're entertained! It was already 6:00 pm and I was expecting my hubby to come running to fetch me at Paseo.

Lo and behold. Hubby's work will take more time. Then I said hello to Pancake House. I was comforted out of boredom by this scrumptious feel-good marble pancakes topped with butter and peanut butter!!! I love love love peanut butter. It practically goes with anything "pastry". I must say, I am biased since i adore bread with anything sweet paired with brewed coffee or latte. After extending some time at Pancake House, I received updates on his overtime. Yes, he was on overtime. I left Pancake House with my sweet tooth satisfied but a bit disappointed that I ended my dessert dateless. I played the doting wife role and bought him some bottled water then opted to go check him up on their office. If time can be chopped to stop, I would've done it then. But time just seems to extend to eternity. Good thing eternity ended at 10:00pm.

As the ever loyal wife, I asked him if he's hungry. So we ended up going back to Paseo and had our dinner with rants over at Shakey's. So much for being a caring and loyal but hungry wife.