Cafe Americano at French cafe Alexandre

I've been meaning to visit this Parisienne cafe-lounge-patisserie since receiving posts about it via Facebook. I was so excited that I was finally able to do just that yesterday. What drove me? The promos they send VIP members via email. With the print out of the email notification (requirement to redeem the promo item for the month) tucked in my book, I headed out to their Mega Mall branch yesterday, ready to just take a peek, try their coffee, and go on from there, should the coffee be as good as they say it is.

I hesitated before going into the shop because it was empty. It was not exactly a lunch or dinner place, so there shouldn't have been a lull. Fortunately, the menu board with a list of items interspersed with photos of food items that looked very inviting was enough to get us through the door, because from then on, I was not disappointed. At all.

The decor was so loung-y, mostly black and white, with a near ceiling-height version of the Eiffel Tower greeting patrons by the entrance, black lucite sconces and lamps, a panoramic black and white shot of Paris (I think) behind the counter. The music matched of course.

I ordered a cafe Americano. It was smelled good, was served steaming, had the right consistency, and tasted very good. It came in a mug, so I had enough to last me though the delectable food we chose for our snack.

Our choices: Pizza Margherita, Croissant aux Amandes et Chocolat (Almond & Chocolate Croissant), and a slice of their Alexandre Signature Tarte Tatin (Thin crusted apple pie, served with vanilla ice cream on top and a dollop of whipped cream on the side).

The pizza was thin-crust and served on a chopping board. It was sooo light and delicious, we wolfed it down after our first enjoyable slow bites to savor the flavor.

my daughter ordered the pizza and had to share it.

The Almond and Chocolate croissant was so delightful. We had two, and we just had to, haha. The taste was enough, but what added to the experience of savoring each bite was the light, crunchy, chewy, moist mix in every bite. I am still experiencing a hangover of that sensory overload.

The Tarte Tatin was my husband's choice. He just has to have an apple pie (or whatever the version would be) in every cafe. It was different, but had that same light, rich, chewy-crunchy characteristic -- worth the price.

Before leaving, the very accommodating and charming manager Harrison (don't be fooled by his name because he is French) gave us a complimentary pair of what he called Cannele, small tubular pastries with a soft and tender custard center and a dark, thick caramelized crust. These were just like the others we  had - delicious, moist, with a very good caramelized bottom.

photo from www.alexandre.ph

After giving the French names of the pastry we ordered a shot with the help of Harrison, he happily announced that they plan to hold French lessons at the cafe soon --  Coffee, French food, with a little lesson of conversational French on the side.

Now that I know what a fabulous treat it is in this hip cafe Alexandre, I will make sure I visit their flagship cafe at the Fort very soon. Check out the lovely story behind the cafe, the warmth that goes into every recipe, and the branches at www.alexandre.ph.

P.S. So sad to find out that this cafe, after closing down its Mega Mall branch, decided to fold up altogether. I mourn the loss :-(

R.O.X. Blend, Alamid Cafe Xpress

I met with one of the owners Bote Central, the company behind the famous Alamid (Civet) Coffee and my new find, 18 Days Coffee, a few days ago. I needed to get more details for my story on the Alamid Mt. Malarayat Trek for a travel magazine. Naturally, we agreed to meet at their first cafe, the ACX (Alamid Cafe Xpress), inside the expansive recreational outdoor shop R.O.X.at the Bonifacio High Street at the Fort. So, I had coffee. Of course! Nope, I didn't have a cup of their civet coffee. That, I had been introduced to shortly after coming back from the (I will share my review of that soon).

This time around, I was treated to their exclusive R.O.X. blend - Arabica beans from Mt. Matutum and Sagada, Mountain Province, and Robusta beans (P80.00 per cup). Even if these particular Arabica beans are supposed to have a bit of an acidic "wine-y" taste and the Robusta more bitter than most, I found the blend very good, needing very little milk or sugar to compliment the full-bodied taste. No sourness or unpleasant bitterness, even as an after-taste. As I've learned from many experts, there's nothing like the aroma and flavor of coffee that's sourced, roasted and ground as recently as possible.

Boni High Street is a place I frequent for work meetings, shopping, book-hunting, or hanging out with family and friends. Even if it's a long commercial strip with a coffee shop every few meters (should anyone be surprised that Starbucks has both ends covered?), and more coffee offered in a number of restaurants, I've already tried just about every single one; several, more than once. ACX as a new option, and in a different set-up (imagine being surrounded by travel gear, outdoor apparel, shoes, and accessories), is definitely a welcome addition for me. Taking a look at the menu, I think I have a few other reasons -- like sandwiches, pastries, and soon, I was informed, coffee events -- apart from my favorite beverage, to go back.

P.S. Sadly, this coffee station no longer stands. Another one gone too soon.

Brewed Coffee, Sugarhouse

Sugarhouse, an old favorite since college, counted among the four places where my coffee love - ok, and habit - was developed, is still very much around. Although now reduced to a fraction of what it used to enjoy in floor space, you can still count on a Sugarhouse for their French Apple Pie (one of the best I ever had) and other fab desserts to have with their good old dependable coffee.

I know it's still around because I automatically do a quick salute every time I see one, which is mostly at Eastwood, Mega Mall (now just a small, walk-in with a few tables), and the Power Plant mall at Rockwell. I have to confess, though, that it's been some time since I actually entered and enjoyed anything in any of their branches. Sugarhouse is getting lost among the mushrooming and more du jour cafes people just want to try out, get to love, or love to be seen in.

Fortunately, last Sunday at the Power Plant, we just had time to do some "important" post-lunch shopping and a have quick coffee break before heading to our weekly dinner at my parents'. With the mall's usual family crowd, Starbucks, Figaro, and TCBTL were not options, so we kept going till our tired feet and our craving for apple pie (my own craving was for coffee, period) led us to their now smaller and cozier Cafe Sugarhouse in the mall's level P1 food court.

Man, the apple pie was soooo good, i had to watch myself. Oh, and we didn't stop with that, we also got a slice of their New York cheesecake, and loved it, too. And, of course, coffee. Aaahhhh. Just in time and just the right strength for that particular time of the day in a bustling food court. They serve full-bodied, mildly dense Danesi coffee, steaming and freshly-made per cup.  I need to make a mental note to visit more often. Sugarhouse should not fade away. Nothing as comforting as a good-old, good-old coffee place.

House Brew, Banapple

My husband and I finally made a stop at this pastry shop that had grown from a small four-table affair to the entire 2-storey quaint structure you can't miss: a bright crayola-ish looking country cottage that has cars slowing down, fighting for parking space, and often, settling for leaving their vehicle in a second lane, on a very busy avenue. I thought the novelty would wear off, but it hasn't. 

That's what good baking can do. People swear by their banana cream pie. I love their cheesecake and apple pie. And these pastries are turned them into the traffic monster on Katipunan Avenue in the Blue Ridge area.

We were so hungry because it was way past the lunch hour, and we thought, might as well join those going gaga over Banapple. Much to our surprise, people were still enjoying lunch entrees that were large enough to share (and that's what most of them did... share), and had a slice or two of their cakes & pies waiting temptingly. We didn't know what to try first. Very good and filling comfort food, dessert, and of course, coffee. All reasonable priced.

Unfortunately, although the apple pie my husband and I shared was very good, the coffee was too strong and bold (more like bitter) for me -- and it wasn't an espresso; it was a full cup of brewed coffee, probably Americano. I finished an entire little cup of milk, added sugar, and watered it down twice. On top of that, the wait and food prep staff didn't know what kind of coffee it was, except that it was freshly ground roasted coffee beans.  I couldn't believe that they could have such good food, such a following, and coffee that was too bitter to enjoy. Could I have just come on a bad day? Probably, and I should make sure, so I'll visit again for weekend brunch with the kids soon, and get another taste.

Batangueno-style Coffee, Kape de Malarayat

that's steam from the coffee migling with the fog close to the mountain top

I've had Batangas-grown coffee before (mostly Barako and Mountain-grown Arabica), but it was only recently that I got to first sample how Batangas folk had their coffee: freshly picked beans, roasted and ground but traditionally prepared by heating up the grains with water in an open pot, and served already sweetened. This was during a media outing sponsored by the Cafe Alamid group (the people behind the popular Civet coffee), R.O.X., and Moster Centaur, during which we were given a fresh insight on the exotic Cafe Alamid (more on that later), and treated twice with the farmers' very own Kape de Malarayat. A blend of Robusta, Liberica, and Arabica Exelsa, grown and picked from the mountains in their "backyards", this coffee is produced with love and hard work by the Malarayat Coffee Farmers and Consumers Cooperative with help and guidance from the Alamid group.

Looks like an easy leisurely trek from here, but that it wasn't.

My first cup of Batangas-style brew was at a small camp near the top of Mt. Malarayat in Lipa, Batangas (about an hour and a half-drive from the Fort in Taguig), where we were feted with a sumptuous reward of barbequed skewered pork, bangus stuffed with tomatoes and onions, and roasted veggies, after our 45-minute challenging trek up. By the time we were enjoying our lunch, I spotted the coffee already being cooked and stirred in a large open pot (we were at least 20 that day), over the campfire, and ladled through a sieve, into our disposable cups. Because I rarely sweeten my coffee (I usually have mine with some soymilk or powdered non-dairy coffee creamer), I was surprised at how sweet it was. I actually (ignorantly) thought it had something to do with a distinct property of freshly-picked, freshly roasted, freshly-ground, freshly-prepared local coffee. It didn't matter much to me at that time, since my last coffee was a Starbucks soy mocha before we left. It was time for another dose.

After once again dealing with the slippery, rocky walk, this time down the mountain, we were taken to where the farmers process the coffee, in the nearby Barangay Sto. Nino. There, once again, to my surprise, we had sweet black coffee. That's where I learned Batangas peeps (Batangenos) take their coffee black but sweetened. Although I prefer unsweetened coffee and won't see a change on this soon, this style tends to grow on you. Or was it because I got up so early for this junket, I just needed my fix more? Whatever, I just had to have another cup. It can be delish.

I got to take home a pack to enjoy at home, yayness!

Cafe Americano at Blenz Coffee

I've started going back to Mega Mall after years of avoiding trips there. I hate the noise, the crowds, and the length I have to walk to get from one side to the other, on several floors. I mean, what if whatever you went to shop for or purchase happens to be at one end, and the other store you had to visit at the other?!

Then they opened that area at the center called the Mega Atrium, where many good restaurants and shops are, on all 4 upper floors (meaning excluding the basement), tucked away from the general melee. Strategically located at the opening of those pockets of wonder are cafes, one on each floor. Since Forever21, the Gap, Mango, Aldo, Promod, All Flipflops, etc., my favorite fashion haunts are on the 2nd level, I would always see this relatively new coffee shop:  Blenz (Canadian Coffee). It was always full, no matter what time I'd be in the area, so I thought, "hmm, must be good coffee."

So I finally tried hanging out at the place and sampling their coffee, and I wished my expectations weren't so high. Upon placing my order I already began to wonder why these people patronized the place. The baristas didn't make any eye contact and seemed a bit impatient when I asked for recommendations and explanations about their coffees. She had to consult a superior, who seemed like he couldn't care less. Hmm. And to think they had all this pride in their barista training.

Then I got my coffee, and it smelled so good. Oh, and a free table in spite of the crowd. Hopes went up! I started to get comfy and took out my book, ready for a nice hour at least, but the coffee kept spilling from between the rim and the lid *tsk*. It spilled so much, in fact, that I decided to drink my coffee without the lid. And yet more coffee bled on my next paper towels; I figured it had to be a leak in the cup. I asked the barista for a replacement; she put my cup into a fresh one and replaced the older lid. Still... coffee kept dripping. 

Ask help from the barista again? Never mind. She didn't look like she wanted to hear what was wrong and busied herself with arranging stuff far into the other end of the counter. 

The coffee was good, no doubt; actually, good enough for you to skip the escalator ride up to TCBTL, or another flight up to Starbucks, or venture even higher to Bo's Coffee Club. But perhaps the most obvious reason for the consistent crowd would more likely be the free Wifi and the enclosed smoking area. I mean, where's the next exit if you wanted a smoke with your coffee, right? On both ends of the long expanse of each floor. So there! 

Tchibo brew at the French Baker

Oops, I just had to take a bite first.

Like I always tell myself, what's a bakery without good coffee? The French Baker, in most SM malls and some supermarkets, has this bold, flavorful coffee presented in a takeout box that also contains a tub of milk, sachets of sugar and a pastry. I love these extra touches, especially the tub of milk instead of a packet of powdered non-dairy creamer.

The day I tried their coffee (again, after years since my last cup), I got a yummy chewy brownie. 

Now I know how much their coffee has improved, I'm going back for more.