I only learned about this place just this weekend when a former colleague-turned-friend asked to…read morehang out here. I've always liked Maginhawa but it's just really complicated to go to for someone who doesn't own a car so admittedly, I wasn't too thrilled about the idea. I still agreed to go, though since it has been a while since we last saw each other. Since I wasn't familiar with Maginhawa, I decided to take a cab and Waze it. YAY, WAZE! It was situated right in front of the famous Artsy Cafe. WUMS (When Uan Met Sally) Cafe had a conjoined store of all things kitschy! They have bracelets, necklaces, boho-inspired garments, boho bags and a ton more! If Phoebe Buffay swung by this place, she'd probably live here. Too bad though, most of the items are pretty expensive. Think a bracelet for 1,000 bucks or more. On to the cafe part. Okay, first off, I love Mumford and Sons, and I feel like if they ever made a Mumford and Sons-esque cafe, it would be similar to WUMS. It just had that very down-to-earth, hippie vibe that I love! Just walking into their small cafe and seeing the interiors, I knew I was going to love this place. I got to try their French Onion Soup and to be honest, there wasn't anything special about it. I'd still prefer Friday's French Onion Soup any day. Their Margherita Panini, however, was pretty good. I also loved their frozen house blend iced tea. Overall, this place is a delight to have been discovered. If only it weren't too far from me, I'd probably visit this place more than a few times in a month.

I just love this place…read more I live about a block away from this place and I would pass by it ever since it was still being constructed. I watched it evolve from an empty garage to a construction site, and now, a really hip and cool place to eat, to shop and to hang out with a couple friends over good food and wine. I love the artistic vibe and the very artsy inspirations that went into the design and the concept of the store. It combines a lot of intricate Byzantine frescoes and paintings with distressed furniture, lots of bronze and wrought iron, and lots of soft textures from the silks and the clothes that are being sold. They have antiques and flea market finds from all over the world that you can buy and add to your collection of curios at home. This antique shop/vintage store/gift shop/knick knacks paradise/cafe/restaurant (whew lots of slashes there) is a fun and quirky neighborhood joint that will have you coming back for more. I am a big fan of the squash and sweet potato soup, which is just the right consistency and creaminess. Squash soup is simply my favorite, and I love how they do a good job with that here. The service is top-notch and the ambiance is just lovely. I would recommend it for a date with a special someone, or if you want a cute space for a meeting with a client. I will surely come back for more!

This tea experience trumps all others. For the first time, I got a taste of how aristocrats lounge…read morearound and drink tea. There was one historical movie I watched where tea was poured into a bud and it quickly bloomed into a flower. I tried it once on my own when I bought a bud meant to bloom and be drank as tea, but it didn't really bloom when I poured water on it. I was mesmerized by TWG's tea list that seemed to go on forever, but of course I was drawn most to the flower teas. My friends and I chose a non-caffeine one the waiter recommended. Though I did not see it bloom as the teapot already had water, it was gratifying to see a big flower in the glass teapot. And, its flavor is quite intense - we had the pot refilled with water three times and I can still taste the distinct flavor even on the last refill. We paired the tea with macarons and scones, and I felt like I briefly got a taste of the England I read about in books. Of course the sweets were scrumptious. The place is quite pricey but the experience is definitely worth it if you want to drink tea taken to another level.

DISAPPOINTING. The…read moretea was satisfactory at best considering it came out lukewarm, not even hot, I would have been surprised if they had steeped the tea for longer than 30 seconds. The service was OK at best, where the waiters seemed more interested in getting us to leave the café so they could go home. The crépes were quite nice, although a bit rich with a creamy sauce, but that is up to personal taste. DO NOT get the chocolate fondant, whilst it may be advertised as warm it comes out stone cold, and the ice cream is nothing to write about either, it has far too many ice flakes in it, a symptom of being in a freezer for far too long. The decor is fantastic though, and the chairs are comfy. For a place that prides itself on its tea, I found it lacking and left sorely disappointed (especially with their English Breakfast)

With all the Milk Tea stores are springing left and right, Macao Imperial Tea's drink selection is…read morethe most hype-worthy! Love the cheesecake milk tea. There is a striking balance of sweet and salty. Packaging is intricately designed. Though the service is slow for there are a lot for app-delivery orders being prepared ahead of us.

Zaan Japanese Teahouse is located along Mo. Ignacia near Roces Ave. (towards the direction of Sct…read more Chuatoco). From the outside, it doesn't seem like a restaurant, because of the building façade, but you'll notice the Japanese word flags you see on Japanese restaurant. When we entered the restaurant, there is a small receiving area that divides the dining area with a Japanese paper door. From the menu that shows curiosity due to unfamiliar menu items with photos, we ordered alot. Hiya Tofu. It is basically a small block of silken tofu with fermented soy sauce and some grated ginger. The simple flavors of the tofu is enhanced by the ginger and soy. Crispy Tofu. It is like a deconstructed agedashi tofu. Sweet soy sauce was served on the side. The light, crisp tofu plus the rich umami flavor of the sauce just gives the tofu life (flavor). Razu Bonito Cheese. It is a rice sandwich wrapped in nori seaweed. Similar to an onigiri, but this is shaped into a square envelope. Brown rice was filled with cheese and hydrated bonito fish flakes. The flavors was intense! Sweet, briny umami flavor from the fish was balanced by the cheese and rice. It reminded me of my first breakfast in Tokyo, Onigiri with salmon. Sukiyaki Udon. It is a dried sukiyaki noodle soup. The ingredients was cooked/simmered in the soup broth that absorbed all the rich umami flavor. Slices of beef, Chinese dried shiitake, gari, and some aromatics was the whole topping for the udon. It was good and tasty, similar to our instant pansit canton minus the oil, with a flavor of sukiyaki soup. For dessert, Shiratama Kinako. It is sticky rice balls with muscovado sugar syrup and soy bean flour. Its like 'bilo-bilo' plus arnibal, and nutty, dry flour that incorporates all flavor. The rice ball was soft and not chewy. It was really good. I remembered eating one this in Japan. It was molded in a popsicle stick, like sapin sapin on a stick. Zaan just reminds me of my trip to Japan. The simple but bold flavors of Japan just express itself in a subtle way from all the dishes I've tried here. Praise to Zaan for bringing Japanese tea time here in Manila. *They are also offering Japanese tea ceremony classes for P700 for 3 pax and P230 additional per head. P.S. look for the 'hidden' menu near the back of the album. #TheFoodCrawlers #OngsFoodprints

Most Japanese restaurants I know offer almost the same thing: ramen, gyouza, katsudon, sushi... the…read moreusual staples. They're also almost too big, too crowded and too noisy. Zaan is none of these things. It has a small menu of only a select number of dishes for a rather cheap 150php to 200php price range and don't seem to carry most of the usual heavy staples you usually find. But don't let that fool you. Zaan is the Osaka calm to most other places' Tokyo bustle. There is a certain tranquility about its location, the taste of its food and the ambiance. The food is light yet leaves you full but not so full that you feel bloated. Non Iwamoto, the owner, is welcoming and very warm toward her guests. It's a great place for a light lunch and for (in my opinion) some of the best matcha I've ever had. If you're looking for a great Japanese experience in the middle of Quezon City, Zaan is the place to go. Also, for the curious: if you've ever wanted to try an authentic Japanese tea ceremony, I recommend calling ahead to reserve a slot for you and three of your friends.

I love tea and this place will have a special place when I come to the Philippines. It's hidden in…read morethe corner, but once you see it then you'll never forget. They have over 95 teas from around the world and each one has its own story to tell. They even have a book that accompanies the table to give a description of each tea. The is definitely intimidating for any first time tea taster, but if you are a fan of high tea then you'll be right at home here. $595pesos for three tea sandwiches, 2 scones, and a pot of tea. Delicious! Enjoy!

I've always been a fan of TWG but for some reason my visit to Shangri-La branch was just a 'meh'…read more I went there on a holiday and it was not packed. However it took time to get the attention of wait staff. The tea was awesome, as usual. I had the Sweet France tea for the first time and it smelled so good too. I had scones with my tea. Their scones were dry - tasteless. The tea jelly that they served was very watery that I had it replaced. This used to be my go to place for scones, but I was disappointed and I don't think I'd go back.

Still our favourite place to get our macaron fix…read more HALIBUT MILLEFEUILLI (720 PHP) Halibut pan-seared with a crisp ravioli millefeuille accompanied by sautéed artichokes, carrots and a beurre blanc sauce infused with Ocean Voyage Tea. Ocean fresh taste and creamy smooth texture. MACARONS (50 PHP) Singapore surprise macaron (50 PHP) with its surprisingly creamy filling and tea infused flavour makes for an interesting bite. HOT TEA (190 PHP) We had the "Singapore Breakfast Tea" our favourite among the dozen we tried so far. A light refreshing tea with a surprising sweet taste at the tip of the aroma. The place isn't fully enclosed space like their BGC, Greenbelt , and Resorts World branch, but it's big enough to make it feel like one.

Talk about taking your concept one step further. Station 7tea8 (apart from that pun of a name) is…read morenothing short of brilliant. When it comes to milk tea, that's all you probably expect, right? Milk tea, smoothies, the usual. Maybe the occasional finger food... but Station 7tea8 (that's so trippy to type out) does EVERYTHING and I mean everything infused with tea. Green tea bacon pesto pasta? Chicken tea-riyaki? Matcha mayo in your ham and egg sandwich? I love their creativity. Full points on the whole adventures-in-flavor thing I have going on here. But my absolute best find in this place? A humble tea egg. For the uninitiated, a tea egg is exactly what it sounds like. You take a boiled egg and have it soak in a mix of tea and herbs for a few hours. This gives the egg a nice deep flavor. Not only do you get the eggy goodness but you also get a hint of earthiness from the tea and the herbs. Normally, I'd have to trek all the way to 168 for my tea egg fix but lo and behold. Here it is in my own back yard. And they do tea eggs right. Sure, it's not as earthy and "tea-y" as I'd liked but the flavors are there. That first bite has a lot of flavor in itself. Too bad they get served cold. Their milk tea isn't so bad either. Probably one of the places with better matcha, as far as I'm concerned. It's creamy and you get that matcha taste with a curious chocolatey aftertone. Really good on a hot afternoon. And the price isn't so bad either! Their tea comes into the under-100 range for a pretty big cup and the pasta is around 150php for good amount. Definitely worth the money. The place itself is pretty small though so if you aren't averse to outdoor seating, you have nothing to worry about.

*grown-up Ted Mosby voice* Kids, this is how I met Station 7Tea 8. I was in Maginhawa after school…read moreand I had a craving for Good Burgers, in particular their Silly Burger, which is really spicy. As I was wolfing this burger down, the chili started getting to me and I needed something to drink that wasn't soda. Luckily, there was a milk tea store right beside us! It was Station 7Tea 8 (that's really annoying to type out). So I ordered Almond Milk Tea. I thought, how different can milk tea shops get, right? I just really wanted the spices watered down. But as I was looking around the shop, it was so intricately decorated, I wanted to stay and have a look around. There was a shelf with teapots and different kinds of tea leaves, which the attendant explained was for do-it-yourself tea - the customers get to prepare the tea themselves. Where has this place been all my milk-tea-drinking-life? They even have meals that are made specifically to compliment the tea you're drinking, and - because this thing caught my eye on the menu - tea eggs??? The nice attendant explained yet again to me that tea eggs are eggs that are boiled in tea instead of water. I had no idea such a thing was possible. I was only at Station 7Tea8 (easier said than typed) to buy a random milk tea drink, I ended up staying a bit longer (leaving my friends at Good Burger, haha), my curiosity peaked and spiced out tasted buds forgotten. I'm definitely going back - I'm so intrigued by those tea eggs. And for the record, the Almond Milk Tea I ordered gets a two thumbs up!

True taste of a refreshing cup of Taiwanese Fruit Tea (best served after a dimsum feast)…read more We had the Signature Fruit Tea (P120) and Wintermelon Milk (P100). The taste is as equally good with the ones in Taiwan. The fruit tea comes with fresh slices that makes it feel healthier. We originally wanted to try Brown Sugar Pearl Milk that was no longer available at that time thus, giving us a reason to swing by this stall again. Other branches are found in San Juan, Ayala the 30th and BGC. The cup says they also deliver!

AMBIENCE Parking is available for this shop plus the New…read moreHatchin Grocery just nearby. If you love grocery shopping for Japanese items, I strongly recommend giving this grocery a visit. Parking slots are limited but we haven't had a hard time just yet. Location is walking distance from National Shrine of the Sacred Heart and YMCA of Makati. FOOD We were supposed to try Zomato Gold to buy some pastries but they weren't included (including the Strawberry Short Cake), so we ended up purchasing their Soft Serve for the meantime. I must say, it was really good and pretty close to the soft serves at Japan. Quality of their vanilla was perfect and the cone was the most impressive part. If you're familiar with Filipino butter cookies called Lengua de gato, that's what it tasted like but this cone was a tad softer. It's a bit pricey but I got more than what I paid for thanks to that cone. I would still consider buying this again and to emphasize that point, I ordered it twice already. SERVICE Typical. We just ordered a Soft Serve. :p

I bought a strawberry shortcake from this store thru Grab. The best I ever had here in the…read morePhilippines. It had the same texture, flavor, and aesthetic as the ones being sold in Japan. After I finished up my piece, all I wanted to do next is to travel back to Japan. I'll definitely purchase here again if there's a special occasion. It is quite pricey for my regular cake intake.

Whenever I eat at the Food Hall, I always drop by this stall for something to drink. They…read morespecialize in freshly-brewed artisanal teas and I looove drinking tea (Yep, not a coffee drinker). The tea they serve is very light, fresh and fruity. They have many fruity combinations and infusions like their Mango-Nilla, Berry Burst, and Pina Rose. They also have coffee options but, really, you are here for the Teas! Also, since it's a "Build Your Own" tea, they have a unique add-on called Fruit Bombs. Not sure how to describe them but, seriously, if you want and extra fruity kick, get these in your tea! Honestly, I love their Classic Sweet Tea. It's simple and the sweetness is just right. Add Php20 to add Milk and it becomes a Sweet Milk Tea! Oh, you can also have the option of getting it by the pitcher for Php200. It's good for 4-6 people. :)

I've always had a liking for fancy things and experiences, so when a good friend of mine told me…read moreshe would give me a gift certificate to Da.U.De, I was thrilled beyond words. I decided to spend the afternoon with my sister who worked in the area and shared my fascination for tea. We got the high tea set and because it was a pretty hot afternoon, we both got our cups of tea iced. The selection definitely tickled our fancy, starting off with the madelines, and crackers with marmalade, lemon curd, and cottage cheese. For our savory selection, we got a tartine (which I have totally forgotten about because I fancy the sandwich more) and the open-faced mini sandwich with grilled vegetables, which I adored because mostly of the beautiful taste of all the veggies that grilling brings out. My iced tea was also lovely. Despite it's having a light or mild taste, I found it very refreshing literally and figuratively, because I knew that my iced tea was really that - iced tea. No added sweeteners, just brewed tea leaves with their lovely beads of ice.