Foodie Adventure: Coffee Project

     Coffee shops are our best friend! It's the perfect place to unwind and relax. It is the place where you can hang out with your family, friends and love ones. All you have to do is to order some coffee or tea, maybe some bread or cake, then look for the best spot to spend a couple of hours and be comfortable! A few days ago, we were about to go to our usual coffee shop to spend the evening when we saw this shop. My best friend who was the one insisting me and my partner that we should try this out since it's new. So with that, we entered the glass door and what we saw really amazed us!

     Manny Villar, a senator of the Philippines, established the first Coffee Project in Starmall Alabang, 2014. Then later on, as the business progressed, he opened more shops in Metro Manila, Pampanga and Bataan. Manny tells that drinking coffee was his and his mother's bonding time after a tiring day selling fish in Divisoria martket. He also stated that whenever his family goes to other places or countries, they would always stop by a coffee shop to have coffee. His love for coffee made him venture into the coffee business and since he also loves plants and flowers, this became the main theme of his coffee shop. He wanted to create a comfortable and cozy atmosphere that when customers come in, they will immediately feel the warm and relaxing mood of the shop. That's why the decors are mostly of flowers, plants, leather sofas, books, vintage items and classy chandeliers. Coffee Project also offers cakes, cookies, biscuits, and other pastries. The branch we went to is at Vito Cruz, Taft Avenue Malate, Manila.

     When we entered, we were welcomed by a friendly staff. The place was indeed so cozy and huge, we just had to check every nook and cranny to see where can the customers hang out. There were plenty of areas to choose from! Personally, I do not know how they call it but based on what I saw, there were like living room area, dining room, library area, lounge area, and so much more that I wish I asked one of the staff how they call it. They also have a second floor, that means this is not the usual size for a coffee shop. 

What attracted me most are the shelves filled with vintage books, classic items and the artificial potted plants that looked real!

Not to mention those hanging books and succulent-filled light bulbs. Are we in Hogwarts? Wow!

The Menu

(click to see the larger picture)

They also have an outdoor lounging area. No Smoking!

What we ordered? These! Plus, each of us were given a stub which contains the password of their WiFi connection good for two hours.

Vanilla Macadamia, White Mocha and Coffee Creme Brulee

We were also given a Frequency Card wherein you will fill this out with stamps for every purchase of coffee. You get to have freebies and free upsizing =]

     Our stay was really relaxing! There was no distracting sounds, the whole area was so clean and we will definitely go there again. The staffs are really friendly and courteous too. The coffee definitely tasted great! Coffee Project is highly recommended for coffee lovers, catering to those who want to relax from a tiring day and most of all, this is a perfect place to hang out and rest.

Foodie Adventure: Quik Snack

     Back on the days when I was a little boy, my brother and I went to a restaurant somewhere in Binondo. I remember it was way too early in the morning and I know I was sleepy at that time. I could smell the delicious aroma of sunny-side up, bacon, ham, bread and fresh coffee - the smell of a hearty breakfast. My brother ordered us a breakfast meal and I remember that he ordered bacon, fried rice and a cup of hot chocolate to start my day. It was one of the best memories I had when I was a kid. As a Filipino-Chinese guy, growing up I was really exposed to Chinese food and Chinese Restaurants which I honestly love everything about it. One of the best meals I ever tasted is in

     This restaurant is located along Carvajal Street, Binondo, Manila just a few blocks away from the Filipino-Chinese Friendhip Arch. A little background story: Quik Snack was founded by Ahma Pilar Ferrero as a bakery in Cebu (where she was born - 1909), but the bakery did not turn out well so her son-in-law asked her to start a restaurant business in Manila. As per her daughter-in-law, Ahma Pilar was a great cook that she can do a lot of vegetable dishes that were not common during her time. She learned to cook these vegetarian dishes when she served at Chinese Temples in Cebu and Manila. As per her son, the business was established by the time Ahma Pilar was 60 years old but she was always ready to take challenges.

     The restaurant is very cozy, and what I observed is that it is always full! You can see vacant tables for only about less than 10 minutes, then customers come in again. The lighting and air conditioning is really good that if you happen to shop around Binondo for almost the whole day, it would be a good idea to go to Quik Snack to relax and have a quick snack! Hahahah (I just made a joke!=])

     Another thing that I noticed is that the owner probably likes to draw and paint. I'm not sure if these are his or her works but I find it very nice!

     Upon sitting, a friendly food server approached us and gave us the menu. While deciding which food to order, he served us a glass of water. I was surprised because it is not just ordinary water! It was lemon-flavored and honestly, it is my first time getting served lemon-water in a restaurant. The menu has plenty of dishes, snacks and desserts to choose from. I must admit I was quite confused.

     After a few minutes we decided to try out Kutchay-Ah, Stired fried noodles, fried spring rolls and black jello as our drinks. It didn't longer than 5 minutes when the first one was served to us! They're quite quick when it comes to the serving of the dishes and that is a plus!

Kutchay-Ah

This is one of Quik Snack's specialties. It's like the Spanish Empanadas but there's more to it! The crust is sweet and soft while the stuffing is so tasty! It contains vegetables, meat and sauce, it is like a surprise mini pie :) I really enjoy eating this as an appetizer.

Fried Lumpia

Next one is the Fried Lumpia or the Fried Spring rolls. Among all the variety of spring rolls I tasted so far, this is different. It is so big! no, it is massive! I'm sure it's about as thick as your wrist and the stuffing is full of vegetables and tofu - talking about eating healthy while enjoying every single bite of this delicious meal. Another unique factor is the vinegar served as a dip. Try adding some on every bite will lead you to a different flavor. Everything just becomes sweet and a little bit sour, it really complements the spring roll.

Stir-fried pork noodle with Saté

Now this one is really delicious! Once you order their stir-fried noodles, you get to choose which add-ons you like and these are either: Saté Sauce, Talaba (oyster), Fish, Fish Balls or Renion(kidneys). Since I'm not too fond of seafood (yeah, I know), we chose the Saté Sauce. It is really tasty and the sauce added a spicy kick to it. It is very healthy not to mention it has sliced water spinach.

Black Jello (Gulaman)

For our drinks, we ordered this refreshing Black Jello. Summer is coming in the Philippines and it's a good idea to stay hydrated with cold, refreshing and healthy drinks such as this one. Jello is made from processed seaweeds and it is good for hydrating the skin.

 Halo-Halo

There's always room for dessert! The ever famous Philippine dessert is also served in this Chinese restaurant. It comes with a little pitcher of milk so you can add it later on.

     So if ever you need to have a little snack, drop by at Quik Snack. Everything is very affordable and the serving is good too! You can bring along your friends and family here to relax and eat. The place is easy to find and just outside of this restaurant, there are little stalls of fruits,veggies and seafood! It is like a mini market.

Foodie Adventure: TWIPS Bake House

     Last Sunday my partner and I went to do a little shopping around Binondo (Manila's Chinatown). It was a good day. the weather was neither hot nor "rainy" and there were so many people doing their Christmas shopping. From a certain mall, we were on our way going to the next one when suddenly, a cheerful guy wearing a Santa hat gave us a flyer. It was about a bake shop! =]

     We checked one picture after the other; also checked the prices which was placed in the corner of each picture and we thought that the breads are really affordable. We were actually walking while looking at the flyer then my partner told me that he wanted to check out the place. I was halfway asking where the location of the shop was then when I turned my back searching, we saw the shop was just behind us! Remembering how our faces looked, we were so excited! The name of the bake shop is TWIPS Bake House.

     I was able to do a little chitchat with the owner of the bakery, she is a young Filipino-Chinese woman (I forgot to ask her name though =[, I need to do some updates about these information soon...) and she said that TWIPS was opened last October 26, 2016 and I remember she said that their facilities and equipment were bought from Taiwan. The bakers are well-trained and are skilled in baking, thus producing these hearty breads. TWIPS is located at 832 Benavidez Street, Binondo, Manila. She also informed that the name is actually an acronym each letter is taken from the first letter of the name from each of the family member.

Map in the flyer

     Upon entering the shop, we were welcomed with the tasty aroma of freshly-baked breads. The guy who gave us the flyer earlier was brewing coffee, and the cashier was at the counter. The place really looks awesome! That made us remember the android restaurant simulation game we're playing because inside this bake shop gives you a feeling you are in a calm and happy place or it's like those animé series that features cafés or shops that makes you feel you want to be there - and now in Twips, it is REAL =]

     There are four sets of bread stands or displays and the breads are neatly arranged on the trays. Clean tongs and trays are at the corner for you to use. There were actually rollers on the base of each tray where you can pull the whole tray out to get the breads as the glass cover automatically flips open. It was so cool! It's a modern-type of bread stand =] very convenient since you are holding a tong and a tray as you get which bread you like to have.

     The decors are nice and they are not too plenty which gives a relaxed feeling like those in a country house.

     There are also about four tables and some chairs beside the counter for those customers who would like to dine in and relax after a tiring day of shopping or work (the standing woman in corner is actually the owner =]).

     They also serve hot and cold drinks. You can choose from a selection of coffee and tea.

     I, of course, didn't go home empty handed because we have to buy some breads to take home since they are too delicious to miss out! Oh, and did I mention they give customers some free samples to try? They give you bite-sized bread of those that are best sellers and those that are new.

      So here's what TWIPS looks from the outside (sorry I did not notice the electrical wires covering the sign). The design is really inviting, the glass windows give people a chance to see what's inside which will make them come in and experience something different~
     All in all I will really recommend this bake house. If you want something new, definitely this is the one for you. The breads are really tasty and if you ask about prices, they are really affordable. I've tried a lot of breads from different bake houses, but TWIPS is really different. Plus, the staff are very friendly which is a big factor since bake houses are part of the hospitality industry, meaning you must execute hospitality and good customer service. Go ahead and visit them!~ =]