My friend kept telling us that we have to try this Korean shaved ice, I'd never had it before and…read moreit wasn't on my list of must tries but finally we went along and I'm glad we did, first of all the regular size could be shared with multiple people so I would say try that size first and see what you think, we were a group of 4 adults and a child and we split 4 of them, it's a small store but there was enough space since it wasn't crowded at the time, the prices are inexpensive but that's in my opinion with my USD, the flavors we tried were mango, choc/matcha, Ube and strawberry, I can't compare to other shaved ice since it was the first time I had it but I enjoyed it, the fruits were fresh and flavors good, it's something I would go back and try again especially because it's not really dairy based besides the ice cream on some of them, I'm here for another week and I'm sure I'll have it again before leaving

This bakery became my go to place for sweets. The ensaymada and cheese rolls were my late mom's…read morefavorite and mine as well. i recently tried cinnamon rolls it was good as well. The sourdough bread was light and great for sandwiches. I have yet to try the brownies and lemon bars. I will though the next time i am home. i highly recommend.

Love this bakery and for the quality you get, it's completely worth the price. Nothing tastes like…read morethey skimped on ingredients or used any substitutes for the real thing. This branch is in a really convenient location and is maintained well. The people who work here are also super nice! I bought my birthday cake (the Purple Carousel chocolate cake) here, and they gave me an extra bag of sweets! My favorites are their: *Lemon bars - really great lemon flavor and have a tart, refreshing sweetness *Chocolate revel bars - probably the best I've had *Chocolate Campfire cake - very rich, but in this amazing way where you don't get tired of eating it! I've also had their: *Purple Carousel chocolate cake - classic chocolate cake with these chocolate wafers on top *Mini Pecan Pie - not the consistency I prefer in a pecan pie but the flavor was still very good *Mini Chocnut Pie - light, could use a stronger chocnut flavor, I really liked the crust though *Cookies - I love cookies so I usually get 1 or 2 with whatever else I'm buying that day, theirs are crispy on the edges and chewy on the inside *Quiche Tinapa - Liked this a lot and just ate mine chilled, but I think it would be better to warm it a little at home

It's not Japanese at all, believe me! This restaurant offers American, Italian and some Asian…read moredishes that you'll be longing for after taking in your last bite. Starting from their Newspaper style menu, you'll know that you're in for a great time in dining here. I suggest that you go for Chicken Teriyaki Casserole, Chicken Parmigiana and their Pork Chop dishes! Definitely worth every Peso. Their desserts are also very much calling out to your sweet teeth, as they offer a la mode French toasts, mini cakes and some chocolate treats. Their staff is very welcoming and warm, they'll assist you in each way they can.

Signature salad is good, didn't like the truffle mushroom soup,preferred Mary grace mush room…read moresoup,tebasaki chicken is good, strawberry almond salad is also good

Was here for a quick snack while walking around eastwood. This is a korean owned establishment and…read moreat the time wasent busy. I ordered the strawberry cheese bingsu. But they have about 14 other bingsus to choose from. They really follow the mantra of do a few things exceptionally instead of a lot of things but just average. It was cold, it was delicious and it really hit that sweet spot. It wasent overly sweet but u knew for sure it was a dessert. The strawberries were fresh and quite delicious. The pieces of cream cheese was good as well. And the strawberry drizzle or jam was throughout the bingsu. We got the regular size which was quite enough for one person. It was an excellent treat while walking the hot streets of manila!!

Another unconventional ice cream serving! Wow, Filipino summer is absolutely grinding up ice cream…read morebusinesses all around. Anyway, Masatami Ice Cream is a personal favorite, especially when I am not in the mood to have cup/cakes, halo-halo, pies, overly-sweet fast food sundaes and others for dessert. I always see a long line when I pass by the Masatami stall, and one day, I finally discovered why. They're delicious, unique, and definitely generous in serving size! I recommend the Cream Cheese Ice Cream or the Nutella one! While waiting for your turn, witness how they shave the ice and "shred" the ice cream into smooth, heavenly texture and taste of this lovely dessert. For a hot day or after a huge meal, try Masatami Ice Cream!

I discovered these guys during a hot summer afternoon while cooling off in SM North EDSA. If you…read moreknow Philippine summers, you can probably guess how bad it was. Despite the aircon, it was still that kind of summer where you want to drink everything in sight. So naturally, you'd try and find something else to help you cool you down. But what did I want? Not a shake. They seemed too heavy for what I wanted. Not ice cream. Still not what I was looking for. Juice? Soda? And then I saw people carting around massive balls of shaved ice. My previous experiences with shaved ice cones weren't exactly pleasant. They always seemed to be with ice that was too coarse and ended up being tasteless balls of minced ice after a while. But these looked different so... why not. Time for Masatami to prove me wrong. And they did. So, the first thing they did right was with the texture. This is based more on a Hawaiian style shaved ice so you get ice that's more finely shaved rather than the crushed ice variant most people are used to seeing. Its also this texture that lets the syrup mix in properly so you're not left wondering "now what do I do with this ball of tasteless frozen water?" after a few minutes. Come to think of it, when it melts, it tastes more like a tasty sugary drink. Their bestseller seems to be this rainbow shaved ice but I'm a bit of a purist. Even if you can mix in all these flavors, I still prefer sticking to just one or two. You also have an option to add in Azuki beans, vanilla ice cream or a drizzle of condensed milk. Personally I go with the milk. It really pulls the flavors together. If you're looking for something simple to either cool you off or as dessert after a heavier meal, I'd say head over to Masatami and pick a couple of flavors. It's a great dessert that's both refreshing and light.

Was looking for dessert around Banawe after dinner and stumbled around to this place. Snow Creme…read morehas its other branch in Maginhawa, but this one seems to be alot more spacier. Anyways, the food here are snow ice, milk tea, smoothies, and snacks. Tried the tiramisu snow ice - regular size - and it definitely hit the spot. It was the perfect individual size with ice shavings, whip cream on top with gelatin bits on the side. My friend also tried the berry and mangos snow ice which looked amazing. The place is really spacious and clean. Service was fast and prompt. Available parking outside, but not many slots. Will definitely come back here to try the rest of their menu out!

I was out on an errand in Caloocan, and I had no idea where to sit down for a while to send my…read moreemails and enjoy a cup of coffee. Luckily, I saw a bright sign when I was in the jeep, and decided to go down and check out City Cakes Coffee and Pastries. It was a chance encounter: one of those serendipitous moments where you enter a shop or a restaurant that you have never been to before, and instantaneously like it. City Cakes is probably the only decent coffee shop within several blocks, and it has become one of the more popular places to hang out if you are tired of chain restaurants. There are no big-name coffee shops in the area yet, but this is a good enough second option. I love that it is cozy, and the trendy murals on walls depict scenes from cities such as Paris, Milan and New York. They have tables and chairs where students or professionals can work, study or meet with colleagues. I like how the cafe has light lunch options such as sandwiches and pasta. They also have pastries, cakes and cookies on their display shelves. The coffee is quite okay, and so are the blended beverages.

I always get very excited whenever a new coffee shop opens in Maginhawa. My neighborhood has plenty…read moreof good restaurants where you can eat your fill, but sadly, there are only a handful of places where you can relax and sit down with a book while enjoying your coffee. Some of the places are always full, and some close rather early. I really loved it when Magpie opened in StrEAT, not only because they are very close to my house, but also, because they offer really good coffee and real espresso, which is always a plus. I am a big espresso machiatto person, and when a shop makes good espresso with a hearty layer of crema, I'm sold. Magpie is in the hopping and popping Maginhawa StrEAT Food Park, and when all of the other stalls are chaotic, loud and always filled with the hungry hordes, Magpie seems like an oasis of calm and relaxation. The air-conditioned premises are a far cry from the hot and humid outside seating areas. The glass walls create a sound barrier that isolates the coffee shop from the commotion of the food park. Here, you can pick a table and zone out. The smell of coffee fills the air, and the casual yet reserved coffee shop din is comforting, not distracting and overwhelming. Russel, the owner is always fun and quirky, and her baristas are friendly, knowledgeable and skilled at making the beverages. They told me that the source their coffees from the North, bringing to their store the best of Kalinga, Benguet and Sagada blends. What I also love about Magpie is its Korean pastries and ice desserts. The green tea bing soo is a refreshing treat when you want to stave off the summer heat. Local coffee and Korean desserts? A perfect marriage, if you'll ask me.

Magpie Cafe is one of the food trucks/food stalls found in Maginhawa strEAT Food Park Area…read more Definitely a coffee lover haven, they not only serve coffees and frappes, but they serve desserts as well. Mango madness had me crazy!! It's an ice shavings dessert with whipped cream, graham, chocolate drizzle and mangoes on top. Definitely a must-try! Affordable price, too!

It was 7:00pm and we're looking for a place to eat in Banawe. All the restaurants are either for…read morewaiting-list or no parking. Chanced upon Kabigting's and we thought of something light to eat. This restaurant is popularized by its version of halo-halo, unique pinoy dessert that primarily uses shaved ice as a base. Every part of the country has a different take on Halo-halo. Kabigting's cup is printed with a branding: The Pride of Arayat. Each serving is priced at P100. The main components are Carabao Milk, beans, creamed corn and PASTILLAS. I like halo-halo with less ingredients. The only thing I disapproved of is the intense sweetness. Good thing I ate it with a plate of Lumpiang Sariwa. We were the only customers that time (who in the right mind would eat Halo-halo for dinner). The service is quite fast. Kapampangan cooking is popular with different establishments that sprung out in Manila. Pampaga is the origin of the buco pandan of Nathaniel's, tibok-tibok of Susie's, and even halo-halo of Razon's. They must be really imaginative with the 2 popular names of halo-halo coming from the same province.

For me, this is the BEST HALO-HALO IN MANILA!!!! Sorry to Razon's lovers, but this is just simply a…read morenotch higher than Razon's. Just like Razon's halo-halo, Kabigting's halo-halo only has three ingredients: pastillas, sweetened beans and corn. I suppose the halo-halo in Pampanga is more leaning on to the minimalist rather than those from the Tagalog regions' smogasborg compounding of ingredients. What I really rave for this halo-halo is the creaminess. It does not only come from the milk but from the pastillas. It's actually a sweetened carabao's milk, hence, another source of milk in your halo-halo. The sweetened beans make the halo-halo thick and gives you quite an exercise when you mix your halo-halo. The corn gives the slightest crunch. The three ingredients don't overlap each other in terms of taste, it actually compliments each one. Compared to the ice of Razon's, the ice in Kabigting's halo-halo is very fine. The simple flavour of the halo-halo is just perfect for me. It's a creamy, sweet, and milky desert everyone must try.

For homemade-quality sweets, I will always recommend House of Silvanas. Their Food for the Gods is…read morefilled with flavour even at the smallest bite. Their bucayo, which a local sweet made from coconut flakes is a wonder for a quick sugar fix. Their Silvanas? Don't even get me started. Melt-in-your-mouth wafers with the perfect amount of butter and flavoring. They also have a few cupcakes which are even better and taste far less commercial than some of the ones sold by the pricier cupcake cafes. They also sell polvoron; classic and cookies 'n' cream. Both good. (Polvoron is polvoron. You can't sing much praises about it without sounding like you're pushing it.) They also have mango bars which I love because of the texture. A bit crumbly but still chewy and filled with tiny dried mango bits. Their Josephines which are sugar biscuits with light cream in between are also perfect with black tea or coffee and I love how the cream is never heavy. Their lemon bars though, lack a bit of lemony-ness for my taste and the cheddar used for their ensaimadas is bit too sharp and salty. Their cheese rolls are perfectly soft but ironically, lacking in cheese. All three are still good though.

Is it odd that whenever I go to House of Silvanas, I never get their silvanas? Stay with me on this…read moreone, because I need to talk about their other desserts that I absolutely love. When you go to House of Silvanas, there is a dessert they have called Black Bottoms, which are essentially cupcakes made with a cheesecake top (!!!!!!!11!!!1?!!), dotted with chocolate chips and moist, chocolate cake on the bottom. I never fail to purchase one whenever I feel bad, because the moment I sink my teeth into this cupcake, first taking in the creamy cheese and then the chocolate, my eyes roll back in delight, and I find myself making joyful squeaky noises in appreciation. I think it's safe to say that the Black Bottoms from House of Silvanas are my favorite baked dessert. My next favorite dessert would have to be Napoleones. While House of Silvanas doesn't have them, they do have a dessert called the Josephine. It's occurred to me that Josephine was the name of Napoleon Bonaparte's wife, so maybe this has something to do with the fact that the Josephine is kind of like a napoleone, only crunchier and more rectangle-shaped. One bite into the puff pastry reveals a sinfully delicious custard center, and before you know it, you've eaten the entire damn confection (more like inhaled, in my case). I should probably get to trying the actual Silvanas they sell here, but for the most part, the Black Bottoms and Josephines are top-of-mind, and they should also be your must-tries when you come here, too!