Found this new place on the 2L of Robinson's Galleria, along the wing that faces EDSA. You can't miss it because it's this free-standing mid-sized yellow and black structure that'll make you stop in your tracks if you've never seen it there before. There were also banners posted around it, showing some of their specials that made me remember that it was almost dinner time. It can seat about 50 people. Couldn't pin down their look -- funky, hip, cosmo, or asian with a hint of persian, even clubbish, with its semi-private area that has sheer black curtains enclosing it. They had some wall art with a fantasy, yellow submarine-ish touch, and the seats were cozy. Whatever, you can't mistake it for a yellowcab resto. Different enough to intrigue me. So I got the rest of the fam to agree to try the place out.
Their food was good --esp the adobo-rice (sorry for the segue) -- now I know they have to be asian: see, they had adobo and they also had pork and chicken sate. So maybe neo-asian? The prices were not too expensive for an unplanned dinner. Of course, I had to try the coffee, since the unique name called out to me before the smell of the food.
I wonder now, though -- is there chai tea in their coffee? I never got to find out. I didn't dare order a cappuccino or latte or mocha, since they didn't use, nor did they have any, non-fat or soy milk (I am lactose-intolerant). So I had to choose between a single or double-shot espresso, but I already had several cups of coffee by that time of the night, so ... what the heck, get the basic coffee, right? So I ordered an Americano.
The presentation was ok, in a no-nonsense crystal (or glass) cup-and-saucer set, which was meant to show that the coffee had a good color and was freshly-made (notice the froth). It came with a good-sized gingersnapish cookie (good thing, because the dessert we chose to order was --- "out of stock" Welcome to the Philippines!). The brew was relatively mild, just right as an ender for the heavy dinner, and the flavor was alright -- no bitterness that will make hair come out of your chest. Nothing to go jumping around about, but I won't say I was disappointed.
Nice alternative, especially if I find myself in that side of the mall, unwilling to walk to the center or the other end for my usual soy mocha or latte from Figaro. I will have to go back to find out if the cafe does have chai tea.