DITS - Desserts in the Sky, Atria

After our meeting at UP in Iloilo City, we decided to go have some snacks. Our friend took us to what he said was a popular cafe at the Atria. DITS stands for Desserts in the Sky and a nice place to have some snacks over conversations not to mention meetings.

Store front

Their halu-halo is highly recommended and reminded us of Razon's

They also have baked products like cakes and pastries

The interior was welcoming. There is a second level or mezzanine.

Breads and pastries

Various baked delights including cookies, otap and crinkles. You can get these for souvenirs.

The otap and cookies were really good. I brought the cookies home but started eating the otap at the hotel. I thought the otap was among the best I've tasted (no, Shamrock is not the best though it's good enough and better than many, ordinary otap). I will probably buy their otap if I get a chance to go to DITS the next time I'm in Iloilo.

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Cafe Amazon

The first time I saw a Cafe Amazon was not in Thailand but in the Philippines. There is a Cafe Amazon at the PTT service stop along SCTEX. I didn't know it was a Thai brand though I knew PTT to be Thai. Fast forward to our recent trip to Thailand and the cafe, I found out, was all over the place (that's in a good way, of course). There seems to be one at every corner and at least at every PTT along the expressways.

The shop's menu include various drinks. There's something there for everyone or anyone's fancy.

Coffee, tea or choco to take home, prepare and enjoy. We picked up a few boxes for souvenirs including pasalubong for friends.

My iced chocolate drink for our long road trip to Kanchanaburi

They also have sandwiches, cakes and pastries, juice, water and other stuff to go with your drinks.

We thought that this is a company that's competitive particularly to the likes of Starbucks.

Their coffee and chocolate are good. The banana bread was also okay. We only had some drinks to go when I took these photos as we were on our way to Kanchanaburi from Bangkok. We eventually went back to a Cafe Amazon near our hotel to get our morning drinks there.

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Miguel's Garden Cafe, Sumulong Highway, Antipolo

There's a cafe that's becoming popular if not yet that popular along Sumulong Highway in Antipolo. It is right across from Haven of Angels Memorial Chapel and Crematorium. We thought that it would probably be popular with those who have their dead at Haven of Angels with visitors doing the ritual 'pagpag' (shaking off) after going to a funeral wake. Since it is also along a popular bike route, I suppose that cyclists also go there for meals or drinks.

The entrance is at the back and away from the busy Sumulong Highway

A serving of potato wedges for a relatively heavy merienda

Coffee for the wife

Ripe mango shake and ube cake for me

The interiors are well-lighted and very pleasant to the eye. It gives a light, relaxed feeling to diners.

It was off-peak when we had our merienda there so there weren't many people around. There was a large group in a separate area though who were eating there after a funeral ceremony (most of them wore black and an urn was on the table near people who might be the closest kin of the departed).

Our merienda was good and we hope to go there again for either lunch or dinner. There are many items on their menu and some friends who've eaten there say their orders we're okay. It has a sister restaurant across the highway (beside Haven) that's called The Grounds. We haven't checked that out but will surely try eating there in the near future as we are curious about the new restaurants and cafes sprouting along Sumulong Highway. There are many already operating at the section near Cloud 9 and Padi's Point that we wanted to try eating at. So far, we've only managed to order from Behrouz when we had a craving for Persian food.

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Lunch at the Shangri-La Mactan lobby cafe

We decided to just stay at the Shang instead of going out to find other places to eat at. In the past, we usually went out to try some local restaurants or at least be able to go around Cebu. This time, we opted to stay put since we already had our Ocean Park adventure on day 1 of our vacation. That included a ramen lunch at SM Seaside. We haven't really eaten at every venue at Shang Mactan despite staying there several times in the past. And so we ended up lunching at the lobby cafe. The menu turned up okay and items were just right for a not so heavy lunch.

Ham and cheese on ciabatta with fries on the side

Vietnamese spring rolls

Cheeseburger and fries

 

Of course it was pricier than other restaurants but if you factor in the travel time and the cost of transportation, it's probably cheaper at the hotel and it was less risk in terms of the likelihood of being exposed to Covid-19.

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Drip Kofi at Beverly Hills, Antipolo

There's a nice addition to the small shops at the Village Corner at Beverly Hills in Antipolo City. Drip Kofi opened last summer just behind the original building where it has an al fresco set-up. The original Drip Kofi is located inside the subdivision and is still open to customers but the main cafe is now more conveniently located and near the road (Ortigas Avenue Extension).

The coffee shop is a welcome addition to the shops at our village center located near the gate of the subdivision.

 

Cold drinks and a cheesecake

The outdoors is perfect especially if you're conscious of health protocols including maintaining physical distance and proper ventilation. There's still a pandemic, after all.

Outdoor tables and seats

Service counter where they take your orders

Menu - there's a nice selection of hot and cold drinks and then some - food and dessert

Their coffee is good and they also sell them in beans or ground. The desserts are also good. We haven't tried their food but we hear they're also good. I wonder though if there are many "dine-in" customers. We usually only see Grab riders placing orders there. We hope such coffee shops are able to sustain their businesses. Many stores and shops like this closed during the pandemic and were not able to recover. We hope these will be able to overcome the challenges amidst the pandemic and the economic difficulties now attributed to the war in Ukraine. Tangkilikin natin! (let's support them!)

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Dinner at Wild Flour, Uptown BGC

I was back in BGC last week to receive deliveries of furniture and appliances for our new hang-out at the Uptown part of BGC. After all the deliveries were made, I settled in for an overnighter so I could see for myself how it felt again to be living in a CBD. Previously, we have rented a one bedroom at BGC while our home was under construction. We had our previous home but during the wet season that year, the floods were quite frequent and disrupted our activities. My wife's office was at BGC and to spare her from the longer commute, we decided to get a place there while our home project was ongoing.

As we didn't have anything to cook or cook with yet (not that we needed to at the moment), I decided to go out to explore the nearby mall and see where I can get a nice meal. On the way to the mall, I walked past Wild Flour at the junction near our building. I had not eaten there for over 2 years now mainly due to the pandemic and lock-downs. It was an easy decision for me to come back and have my meal there rather than dine at one of the many restaurants at the mall.

Grape shake - haven't had this for while though I could easily come up with some with a blender at home. Perfect refreshment after a walk.

The view across from the cafe

Tuna melt sandwich with a generous serving of salad greens on the side

Wild Flour's tuna melt sandwich is among those I consider as comfort food. Somehow, they prepare this very well with their freshly baked bread, and the salad greens are always of the best quality. The serving's not too much and not too little. Needless to say, I went back very satisfied with my dinner. And I did take home a couple of their old-fashioned donuts for my breakfast the following morning.

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First 'dine in' in a while - CBTL Robinsons Antipolo

I arrived early for the supermarket and ended up waiting for it to open at the nearby coffee shop. CBTL opens early (7:00 AM compared to Starbucks, which opens at 8:00 AM) so it was a no-brainer. I actually prefer going to the CBTL near our place than Starbucks though I used to hang out more at Starbucks for its more work-appropriate set-up. I thought CBTL's set-up here is more for meet-ups and lounging.

I had the cafe all to myself.

I already had my early breakfast so I settled for something that is to me a light meal. I got a couple of brownies to take home.

 

Well technically it wasn't a "dine-in" because it wasn't dinner. I had the option to have my meal outdoors but since there were no other customers, I decided to enjoy my food and drink inside the cafe. The staff just asked me to present my vaccination card as a requirement for those staying in the cafe.

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Arab Quarter in Singapore

I begin the year not with a chocolate review nor a watch feature but with some travel photos. These are from our recent trip to Singapore, trips that we always consider as sentimental journeys. Despite living in the city-state for almost 2 years, we have not really explored as much as we wanted to. We do have our favorite haunts and almost always go to one or some of them whenever we are in SG. One of the places we had planned to go to for the weekend trip was the Arab Quarter. We wanted to have another look at the carpets and lamps

The buildings evoke the Singapore of old times. Shops and restaurants (businesses) were usually at the ground floor and residential space on the second.

Contrary to what some think or imagine Singapore to be, there are actually a lot of cars here but many are used on the weekends and for leisurely drives or trips. Most Singaporeans and foreign workers take public transport any day of the week.

There is a good view of the grand mosque from the pedestrian-only street. The street is lined with restaurants, cafes and shops. 

Turkish restaurant - we have a favorite where we always have a great meal and enjoy Turkish coffee afterwards.

Malay-Singaporean cuisine themed restaurants are also along the street

There are also Lebanese, Indonesian and Indian cuisine themed restaurants but the central attraction is the mosque.

The mosque attracts both religious (Muslims) and non-religious (tourists) people. Singapore is a model in terms of tolerance and understanding among peoples of various religions and cultures. There is respect here among them and that is reinforced by the rule of law in the city state.

I will post about the lamps we got soon!
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Eggs for Breakfast, Antipolo City

The wife had been telling me about this restaurant/cafe in Antipolo that she wanted to try eating at. One time she was able to do so and with our daughter as the opportunity presented itself after doing some errands a couple of months ago. Eggs for Breakfast is located at the Velada Estate in the Villa Cecilia Subdivision along Sumulong Highway. The junction where you turn right is immediately after the Caltex Station a short distance from the Masinag Junction. 

I finally was able to eat there after an appointment in Marikina. This time, I was with my wife and kid and my in-laws. Here are a few photos I took.

The path from the parking area to the restaurant was a very pleasant one as a nice garden suddenly appears before you.

The restaurant/cafe is found inside a compound or estate, which is also an events venue.

Eggs Benedict - this was among their signature dishes and it did not disappoint

Caesar's Salad - the greens were fresh and crispy while the dressing was just right and, I thought, was lighter than the usual dressing.

Tapsilog - their take on this popular item on Filipino breakfasts

Carbonara - the shiitake and truffle gave this version a thumbs up from me.

The food was good and the service was also good. It is a good choice for those wanting to have breakfast, brunch or lunch. I thought that their selection of items featuring their "eggs" theme suits them well. I have yet to try their French toast but I hear it was also good. Price-wise, the items won't certainly put a proverbial hole in your pocket. I look forward to eating here again sometime soon to try other items on their menu. I think I am not alone in this regard for the restaurant as they sure had a steady stream of diners there. Perhaps they should consider having a bigger area to accommodate more people?

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Cafe Inggo, Sto. Domingo, Quezon City

I was having our vehicle serviced at our dealer along Quezon Avenue and instead of waiting at the dealer I decided to go to nearby Sto. Domingo to have some quiet time and have breakfast out the cafe at the shrine complex. What was previously Cafe Dominic is now Cafe Inggo. The name change is obviously a play on Domingo (Dominic in English) that has several nicknames in the Philippines including the popular Doming/Domeng and the playful (sometimes funny) Inggo.

Two friars greeted me as I was seated at my table

A collection of prints of old churches in the Philippines

A painting depicting the familiar scene of the Pieta hangs above the main door

Cafe operating hours

The interior of the cafe had enough tables for groups or individuals. Each table had a coffee table book for browsing by customers.

I had Spanish sardines with an egg sunny side up. They actually serve breakfast meals with 2 eggs but I requested to only be served one. I also had thick iced chocolate of the "tsokolate-eh" kind

Spanish sardines cooked with onions and spread over lettuce, sliced tomatoes and sliced cucumber

I had leche flan for dessert as I had some time left before I headed back to get our vehicle. The leche flan was topped with macapuno, whipped cream and had a slice of orange on the side.

I returned again after a few days to have our other vehicle serviced. That time, I ordered their longganisa (native sausage from Tuguegarao, Cagayan I was informed).

The food is good and the service very attentive. Price-wise, the cost of meals will not hurt your pocket and the servings are just right. It is definitely a nice place to consider for dining when one is in the area. 

Cafe Inggo is located at the far end of the Sto. Domingo complex along Quezon Avenue. The times I've been there it was never crowded and you can easily get a table. I just wonder though if it is crowded on Sundays or feast days of the church.

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