Coffee Jelly dessert at Mesa

It was an extremely warm day, and as much as I wanted iced coffee to cap the sumptious Filipino lunch with my work-mates, I went with the next-best option: Coffee Jelly with Vanilla ice cream. Just the right amount in a martini glass, that I could still enjoy it on a full stomach. It had the bonus of two wafer sticks (barquillos), so that there was a mix of rich & creamy, delightful crunch, and light & refreshing caffeine in every spoonful. Yum. 

Brewed Coffee, Sonia's Cupcakes

oops, missed taking a shot while the froth was still set

Nothing can be worse than a pastry or confectioner's shop serving bad coffee, or none at all. That's a fab detail Sonia didn't leave out. I wouldn't have dared having any of Sonia's delectable-looking cupcakes with their choice of toppings, had I not noticed the choices of coffee they had on their menu board. (Great job!)

So I tried their house brew. They serve Lavazza coffee and the blend and variant they served was just so good. The right strength and flavor to go with the sweetness of their specialty cupcakes. Great idea!  so got one teeny-tiny cupcake -- not the ones with butter icing *shudder* or whatever else they top most of the cupcakes with, but a cheesecake swirl (sorry, couldn't remember what it was called) to compliment my coffee. If you haven't tried the pastries or even visited the place, Sonia's Cupcakes is at Serendra, The Fort, Taguig. You'll have to burn all that sugar, might as well join the runners in that area after.

Philippine Mountain Coffee/The Charcoal Roasted Coffee

Tiendesitas is along C5 in Pasig

In the dining area of Tiendesitas, the sprawling split-level open-air shopping, leisure, dining center that boasts of local specialties, is a stall proudly selling brewed coffee and bags of coffee beans.  For their brew, they offer three variants sourced from different mountainous parts of the country:

1. Mild coffee from Malay-Balay, 
2. Medium-strength from Tagaytay
3. Strong from Kalinga 

I've tried both the Tagaytay and the Kalinga coffees, brewed on the spot with a drip-type coffeemaker, and served in a no-nonsense mug with matching ceramic jars for powdered creamer, brown sugar, and plastic stirrer. 

Although lacking in presentation and customer service, I thought the coffee can stand on its own -- each cup fresh, hot, and full-flavored.  Yet, in spite of the good beverage in front of me, I sat sipping forlornly in one of their upholstered metal garden-type sets, because it was a humid day, I was surrounded by pet stores and dogs "malling" with their proud owners, therefore sniffling with allergic rhinitis, and Tiendesitas' dining area was noisy (which is common). I suddently sort of longed for the lively banter and eye contact one could always count on from chirpy and expert baristas. I guess after sampling which coffee variant you'd like more, I'd say get a pack to go because this coffee is best brewed and enjoyed at home.  

(Soy) Peppermint Mocha, Starbucks

It's here! It's back! Starbucks heard our wishes and hopes and gave us back the joy of Peppermint Mocha. I've had only this since I heard about the return. Will I go through the entire process of collecting stamps for the diary that will probably run out? 

The Starbucks diary is a secret fetish because I got one every single year but never got to use any of them beyond March. Well, once till June. Don't ask me why -- maybe it's the size, then when they made a skinnier version, it competed with a really fab notebook I got that Christmas. Maybe it's the lined pages. Still, I couldn't help but feel compelled to get one again this year -- sucker, I know -- because I like that it's covered with fabric and especially after the cute hard-sell of the barista: "We brought back the coffee coupons!"

Soon I will have for a collection, partially-filled in Starbucks diaries. One day, I will use them for telephone messages, scratch paper or as a scrapbook. Who knows? In the meantime, I will have a Peppermint Soy Mocha as much as I can this Holiday season. Then, I'll start hoping and wishing for the joy of Gingerbread Latte for next year.

Brewed Coffee and Cappuccino, Mary Grace Cafe

Not once, in all the hours I've spent at Mary Grace Cafe -- for a meeting or to drop in to pass the time or take a break at any -- was never disappointed with the coffee. The brew is rich, bold, and flavorful -- such a comfort.

Each place is cozy in a country-homey way, even if their tables are  a bit too closely-spaced (that's not why it's cozy). I can't complain about the service. The wait staff is well-trained, friendly, and solicitous. Well, orders could come a little quicker, but who's in a hurry? The pastry? They all go fabulously with the coffees. Go for the apple pie -- one of the best I've tasted -- the rich ensaymadas and the signature melt-in-your-mouth cheese rolls. The sansrival is a bit on the sweet side, so I can get my fix elsewhere.

If there should ever be a day that you couldn't take another coffee, you should try their hot chocolate. Rich, dark, and so good for your soul.

Brewed Coffee, Cafe Azul, Ateneo de Manila

Yep, they're one and the same. Sweet Inspirations, that Katipunan, Loyola Heights landmark and fave student hangout, is the coffee shop-restaurant behind Cafe Azul in Ateneo's Moro Lorenzo gym.

I always order coffee there, no need to move to another place for that after a meal. I also always have coffee there when I have a slice of their NY Cheesecake, a 'super pwede-na' not-necessarily-gourmet-or-the-best-in-the-metro good cheesecake, which I happen to love. 

That they are a no-pretenses cafe (group) that serves good food with student-friendly prices has always been a dependable fact. For under P150.00 you get a satisfying brewed coffee-NY cheesecake fix. While waiting for someone at the Ateneo, while taking a break from the traffic along Katipunan, to end one of their tummy busting meals (esp their famous mongolian barbeque), but please, not after working out at the Moro Lorenzo Gym.

Their coffee is always freshly brewed, very good, and for the price, I'm not complaining. When I'm in any of the two branches, I can fool myself into thinking I'm a student busy with a book instead of a mom waiting for her kids to come out of school or just needing a coffee-cheesecake fix.

Brewed Coffee, Cafe Breton

I love crepes. It's one dessert I can really whip up well, and the first I ever presented my then-future in-laws with. Easy to prepare comfort food. For me, they're better than pancakes.

So it's really a treat to have good old dependable Cafe Breton for both yummy crepes and excellent coffee. Is it a wonder they're a hit wherever they set up shop? Their coffee is strong but very good... freshly made all the time. There's also something about the dishes they serve the food and warm beverages in that add to the comfort feeling. 

A perfect combination for me, which I order all the time -- La Pinay and Breton's house brew.