tea – Jellybeans in the City

Get “Berry Much in Love” with these newly relaunched strawberry drinks from Moonleaf Tea Shop

Who can resist strawberries?

That vibrant red color, the rich plumpness of the fruit, the heady beckoning fragrance and the burst of fruity sweetness as you bite into it with just a bit of tanginess to make it all the more intriguing to the palate. Any encounter with this fruit is a sensual delight.

It’s hardly surprising, then, that this fruit becomes so prevalent around Valentine’s Day.

Moonleaf Tea Shop brings strawberry lovers fresh ways to enjoy their favorite fruit with the relaunch of its strawberry line of drinks under its Berry Much in Love category.

These drinks pair the fruity sweetness of strawberry with Moonleaf’s house-brewed black or green tea, creamy milk, and chewy coconut nata. This line includes:

Strawberry Milk Tea with Nata (Php120).

Strawberry Black Tea with Nata (Php100).

Strawberry Yakult with Nata (Php120).

Strawberry Milk Slush with Nata (Php160).

Since these drinks are best enjoyed when shared with our special someone, Moonleaf makes this drinks available on special deals which give great savings:

2 Strawberry Milk Tea with Nata for Php199 (save Php41)
2 Strawberry Black Tea with Nata for Php179 (save Php21)
2 Strawberry Yakult with Nata for Php189 (save Php51)
2 Strawberry Milk Slush with Nata for Php249 (save Php71)

Enjoy these deals until March 31, 2021.

Can’t wait to get “Berry Much in Love” with these drinks? Grab yours now by dropping by your nearest Moonleaf Tea Shop branch or ordering from GrabFood, FoodPanda, Shopee and Lazada.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature article.

Photo credit: Massimiliano Martini on Unsplash for the strawberry photo

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Milk tea adventure at Xing Fu Tang, Greenhills

In the last sweltering days of summer, just before the rainy season began, I met up with some friends at Greenhills’ Promenade Mall to go on a milk tea adventure.

A new milk tea place has just opened in the mall, another entrant into the already crowded milk tea category.

Also originating from milk tea’s motherland of Taiwan, Xing Fu Tang’s claim to fame is its brown sugar milk drink. Chewy boba pearls are cooked in brown sugar syrup prior to being placed in a cup which is then filled with milk tea. You will recognize this trendy drink by the “tiger stripes” along the sides of the cup.

Still, Xing Fu Tang has a lot more going for it than just brown sugar milk. The Greenhills store, for instance, has a wooden Chinese fortune chest. You open the drawer that matches the characters in the bamboo stick you selected from a bunch, then you can read your fortune. It’s a fun and novel way to pass the time, especially when lines get long.

Xing Fu Tang’s beverage offerings that our group sampled include:

Brown Sugar Boba Milk (Php120).

Mango Smoothie and Rabbit Panna Cotta (Php145).

Brown Sugar Boba and Herbal Jelly Milk (Php130).

Matcha Boba Milk (Php120).

Grapefruit Green Tea (Php120).

Soda and Handmade Jelly (Php120).

I find Xing Fu Tang’s approach to its drinks whimsically creative in presentation, taste and mouthfeel. The addition of a rabbit-shaped panna cota on top of the mango fruit drink, for instance, is a conversation piece in itself. The combination of the fizzy soda with the hand-made jelly spheres, on the other hand, made for an interesting drink.

I’d love to come back and try the other drinks soon!

Many thanks to Francis G for sharing his GC!

This Xing Fu Tang branch is located at Ground Floor, Promenade, Greeenhills, Shopping Center, San Juan, open Mondays to Fridays from 11am to 10pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm.

Another branch is located at Fifth Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, open Mondays to Fridays from 11am to 10pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

A new foodie haven: Shizuka Cafe, Little Baguio

With all the frenetic activity at work and at home, don’t you sometimes for a place where you can just relax and enjoy your time alone or with a few close friends?

Well, look no further than this relatively new cafe located a few minutes’ ride away from Greenhills.

From the outside, Shizuka Cafe may blend in among the many dining establishments in Little Baguio, but inside is a welcoming and cozy haven. Muted lighting and artfully displayed Japanese-themed bric-a-bracs make it a comfy and relaxing place, in line with the meaning of its name – shizuka, which means calm, peaceful, silent and quiet.

Shizuka’s Chef Paul Tan and his partners introduced quite a lot of innovations and advocacies to the local dining scene which include Shitzuka’s drives for artisanship (by carefully crafting its food and beverage offering), sustainability (through minimizing the use of plastic in its operations), local commerce (by sourcing its ingredients for its homey Japanese cuisine and finely craft coffee beverages from local merchants) and diversity (by employing differently abled staff).

Together with my foodie friends from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH, I was able to sample some of the well-crafted dishes that Shizuka brings to the table. Check them out:

Onion Tempura (Php125). Onions coated in tempura batter then deep-friend and served with wasabi aioli. I love how texture of the onions and the flavor complexity that the wasabi aioli adds to the dish.

Pork Gyoza (Php150). Five pieces of the popular pork and vegetable pot stickers. In contrast to the usual gyoza from other restaurants, these come in pretty square shapes.

Nachos (Pho180). Crispy wonton wrappers doused with a sauce made from three cheeses and topped with soy Bolognese and parmesan cheese. I found myself reaching into this bowl and popping those nachos into my mouth again and again.

Tori Tebasaki (Php155). Tender chicken wings glazed with a sambal sauce, an exotic take on the chicken wings dish.

Tori Salad (Php180). Mixed greens with grilled chicken and miso balsamic vinaigrette.

Katsu Sando (Php190). Breaded ground pork katsu sandwiches coated with house-made tonkatsu sauce.

Tori Pesto (Php165). Sandwich with freshly grilled chicken and shiitake tossed in pesto sauce.

Nori Mac and Cheese (Php190). Shell macaroni in a cream sauce made of mozzarella, cheddar and parmesan served a crispy nori. I tried this hearty pasta dish with both with a touch of seven spices and without and I like it better without the spice.

Gyu Salpicao (Php290). Flavorful tenderloin in garlicky salpicao sauce over rice served with a sous vide egg. Salpicao is oftentimes a hit or miss with me: any excess in salty, sweet or spicy flavors tends to detract from my enjoyment. I’m happy to discover that this version of the dish is very well-balanced with added richness from the sous vide egg.

Tori HBS (Php210). Crispy fried chicken tossed in honey butter glaze over rice, also served with sous vide egg. What makes the Gyu Salpicao a standout also applies in this dish.

Big Breakfast (Php230). Imagine waking up to a hearty breakfast of hefty pancakes smothered in premium butter, generous slices of Italian sausage and fluffy scrambled eggs. Heck, fill yourself up with this meal any time of the day.

The Nursery (Php115). Peanut butter cream cheese with chocolate soil. A real treat for a sweet tooth like me.

Better than Doughnuts (Php100). My first taste of freshly made Southern American-style beignets more than met my expectations. Fluffy and chewy and perfectly complemented by matcha or chocolate ganache, this serves as a wonderful cap to the meal.

Shizuka Cafe also brings imaginatively crafted beverages to the table. These include:

White Genmaicha Cha (Php108 for 16oz | Php128 for 22oz). One of the Flaky Sea Salt and Cheese series, this features a not-too-sweet earthy rice and green tea flavor. I would have loved it sweeter but this would be good for those who are managing their sugar intake.

Strawberry Milk (Php118 for 16oz | Php138 for 22oz). Fresh strawberries blended with milk and also topped with Flaky Sea Salt and Cheese. I wish it could have maintained its consistency (we took a long time taking pictures) but it is sweetly refreshing just the same.

Cold Brew Latte (Php108 for 16oz | Php128 for 22oz). The more caffeinated among the Flaky Sea Salt and Cheese series, this is good for those looking for a pick-me-up.

Strawberry Chamomile (Php145). Refreshing loose-leaf chamomile tea and strawberries.

Sparkling Yuzu Mojito (Php220). This refreshing citrusy drink is made with yuzu and lime fruit juice, tonic water and white rhum.

Strawberry Sakerita (Php230). Loose-leaf chamomile tea blended with fresh strawberries and sake served in a glass with salted rim. A sweeter and milder Japanese version of the margarita, one I can imagine myself enjoying again and again.

So when you’re feeling overwhelmed or just want to unwind in a relaxing and welcoming environment, head off to Shizuka Cafe. Bring your friends with you for an extra good time!

Shizuka Cafe is located at 709 Jose Abad Santos Corner F. Calderon, Little Baguio, San Juan City, open daily from 8am to 10pm. For inquiries, reservations and pick up arrangements, call +63 926 0792964.

No time to drop by Shizuka Cafe? Order what your craving for via Grab Food and have it delivered right to your doorstep.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I attended a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

Tea drinks created with passion at Royaltea, San Juan

There’s another reason for tea lovers out there to rejoice: Royaltea, the tea brand which originated from China, has further strengthened its foothold in the country through its second branch in San Juan.

Adding to Royaltea’s existing Taft Avenue branch, the newly opened store in San Juan now serves the brand’s signature tea drinks to the students of nearby Xavier School and residents of adjacent Greenhills villages.

Globally, Royaltea has over 500 stores with highest growth in number in countries such as China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the United States. It prides itself on only using the most premium, fresh and natural ingredients which include natural loose tea leaves and fresh fruits.

It is especially known for its Cheese Teas, beverages with rich and creamy cheese covers made from authentic New Zealand cream cheese. I was able to taste some of Royaltea’s Cheezo drinks when I dropped by for the Grand Opening of its San Juan branch.

These include:

Avocado Cheezo (Php180). Definitely one of my new favorites! The tea taste is not as intense as the Mango Cheezo’s, and the salty sweetness of the milk cap complements the earthy sweetness of the fresh avocado.

Mango Cheezo (Php180). Uses fresh mango and possesses an intense tangy-sweet taste, probably from the tea.

Very Strawberry Cheezo (Php180). Uses fresh strawberries and has an intense sweetness.

Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea with Cheezo (Php130). The caramelized sugar flavor in the milk tea and the chewy tapioca black pearls are given an added layer of flavor from the sweet-saltiness of the cream cheese cover.

The best way to drink these Cheezo drinks is to first sip from the top to really get the cheese flavor, then use the straw to sip the tea from the bottom.

I look forward to checking out Royaltea’s upcoming branches in Quezon City which are nearer my workplace: one in Sgt. Esguerra Avenue and the other in Banawe. It will be so much easier for me to enjoy the store’s myriad of offerings together with my coworkers.

By the way, did you know that Royaltea’s large cups are reusable? Bring them back with you when you re-visit the store, ask the milk tea barista to serve your drinks there, and voila! Not only have you done your part in lessening plastic waste, you also get Php5 knocked off your tea price.

This Royaltea branch is located at 67 Washington Street, Greenhills, San Juan. The other branch is located at Ground Floor, WH Taft Residences, Malate Manila.

Header image provided by Royaltea. All other photos are mine.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meetup held here wherein in drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Rediscovering tea at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, BGC

With the onset of the rainy season, don’t you sometimes feel the need to just snuggle up somewhere with a nice, hot cup of tea?

Well, why not?

For centuries, tea has long been known to give comfort to its drinkers, with stimulating mental alertness, increasing resistance to disease, cleansing and reinvigorating skin, assisting in proper digestion and easing joint and muscle discomfort.

But did you know that there is a proper way to enjoy your cup of tea?

Together with my friends from #WeLoveToEatPH, I discovered that there’s more to tea than meets the eye at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s recent #DiscoverTea event held at the 26th Street Bistro in Bonifacio Global City.

One of these discoveries is the process of tea cupping, which involves using multiple senses to appreciate and evaluate tea.

Here’s how:

With your sense of sight, visually examine the dry and unfurled tea leaves. Whole leaves with good color indicate tea of good quality.

With your sense of smell, take in the aroma of tea and try to distinguish the unique smell of each variant from the others.

With your sense of taste and touch, take in the flavor and mouthfeel of the brew as you slurp it using a stainless steel spoon.

Many things enter into the equation when it comes to enjoying a perfect cup of tea. Those that are stored in airtight containers and placed in a cool, dry and dark place will be able to keep their potency of flavor much longer. Those made of full and loose tea leaves would provide the finest taste, especially when steeped in freshly boiled water, and in the right proportion (8oz of hot water per 1 tsp of tea: or 12-16oz of hot water per tea bag).

Steeping time also plays an important role in producing your perfect cup. Steep it too briefly and you won’t maximize the tea’s flavor; steep it for too long and you scald the leaves, giving the tea a bitter taste.

Green teas require the shortest steeping time at 3 minutes, while black and oolong teas require a bit longer steeping time at 5 minutes. Herbal and fruit infusion teas require the longest at 7 minutes.

Also, be sure to pour the hot water over the tea, instead of dropping the tea bad into the hot water.

The #DiscoverTea event also served as the launch of CBTL’s new tea flavors which we enjoyed with some of the cafe’s pastry offerings.

Food-and-tea pairing is designed to enhance the flavor of the tea and the pastry by finding similar or complementary elements in both, as in the case of:

African Sunrise x Banana Chocolate Muffin. CBTL’s hand-crafted honeybush with a mild and sweet taste, and aromatic vanilla flavoring brought out the light sweetness of the cafe’s chocolate chip-laden classic banana muffin.

Genmaicha x Spicy Tuna Pandesal. The roasted flavor of from the Sencha tea and rice blend complemented the spicy tuna inside the hot pan de sal.

Apricot Ceylon x Blueberry Cheesecake. Definitely my favorite pairing, the light and fruity Ceylon tea is a great foil to the rich blueberry-topped cheesecake.

Pomegranate Blueberry x White Chocolate Berry Cheesecake. The bright and fresh yet exotic tea brought out the richness of the decadent blueberry-filled white chocolate cheesecake.

After our tea pairing experience, our team went on a new foodie adventure: blending our own tea! We mixed Black Ceylon tea leaves with dried mango bits, pieces of orange peel and rose petals. After steeping in hot water, the resulting drink is fragrant and light, with a slight citrusy flavor. Who knew we could be tea masters for a day, eh?

The #DiscoverTea event showed us that there are a million ways to enjoy a classic.

Thanks to Harvard of AlwaysHungry.ph for extending the invitation and to the folks of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf for the awesome tea rediscovery experience!

This Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branch (26th Street Bistro) is located at Net Lima Building, 26th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Other CBTL branches in Taguig may be found at:

Ground Floor, Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Taguig
B8 Bonifacio High Street, BGC
32nd Street corner 11th Avenue, Park Triangle, BGC
Third Floor, BHS Central Square, BGC
Third Floor, Uptown Place Mall, BGC
Every Nation Building, 32nd Avenue corner University Parkway, BGC
Ground Floor, BGC Stopover Pavilion, BGC
Burgos Circle, BGC
Fifth Floor, SM Aura Premier, BGC
Shell Logcom, CP Garcia Avenue, Greater Taguig
Ground Floor, Vista Mall, Greater Taguig

Disclosure: Together with fellow foodies, I attended a tea tasting and pairing event held at 26th Street Bistro. Food and drink mentioned here we served as part of the program and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my other posts on The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf:

Tea Mama: Tea that’s good and good for you

We love our tea, whether infused with fruits or milk. We cannot seem to get away from our daily dose of sweet sugary tea goodness. It’s more than an addiction but also a part of our lifestyle and with that lifestyle comes the real question…

Is this good for me?

Now, you’re given a choice of what’s good for you without sacrificing the flavor and goodness of tea.

Tea Mama knows what’s good and good for you.

Like any mother, Tea Mama knows what’s good and what’s good for you just like our real moms. Our moms only want the best for us and so does Tea Mama. We make sure we preserve the freshness and bring out the natural flavors of each drink. Tea is warm and fulfilling and that’s our goal with each cup that we blend for you. Each of our tea blends are unique and carefully sourced from all over the world by the country’s First Certified Tea Master, Renee Sebastian.

#ChooseGood

Tea Mama encourages you to Choose Good by making sure we use only the freshest ingredients and expertly brewed tea to bring out the best in every drink. We want our tea to help nourish, soothe and uplift the body. Tea Mama is made for the health conscious you.

#DoGood

Tea Mama is a sustainable brand that encourages care for the planet by using only eco- friendly methods and biodegradable materials. We also source some of our ingredients locally and is proudly produced in the Philippines.

#FeelGood

Tea Mama wants you to enjoy the goodness of tea, just the way you prefer it. With various options, you can create you tea drink, just the way you like it. Tea Mama offers vegan, non-dairy and other options that fits your lifestyle. Treating yourself to a tea infused drink is now guilt-free.

Tea Mama offers fresh and fruity tea blends, healthy vegan & non-dairy milk tea
options and delicious matcha latte blends.

At Tea Mama, we let you get to know more about each tea blend that you are about to
consume. Go ahead and always feel free to ask us with what goes inside your cup. Let
us help you elevate your appreciation for tea. Tea Mama shares this warmth with
everyone who comes across our shops and beverages.

Time to #ChooseGood, #DoGood and #FeelGood with Tea Mama.

Tea Mama will open its first branch in the country at the SM Megamall Food Hall on July 10.

Product info and images provided by Tea Mama via a press release.

Breakfast Takeout at 85C Bakery Cafe, Lynnwood

Yesterday, the second day of our family in the Evergreen State, my brother took us to his favorite pastry shop, 85C Bakery Cafe.

85C got its name from its belief that coffee holds its flavor best at a steady temperature of 85 degrees Celsius. Its name is a statement of the cafe’s commitment to serving handcrafted coffee of the highest quality.

Each 85C store has its own in-shop bakery with a wide variety of pastries baked fresh every hour.

These pastries were the reason for our visit yesterday afternoon: the plan was to buy some of the store’s freshly baked goods for our breakfast the next day. Our loot included:

Milk Toast (USD3.00). A loaf with a fresh and natural milk taste.

Taro Puff Pastry (USD2.50). This puff pastry is light, flaky, and layered with delicious taro filling inside.

Milk Pudding (USD2.00). A traditional Japanese style soft bread with vanilla custard inside.

Garlic Cheese (USD2.00). A soft textured bread topped with our signature garlic spread, mozzarella cheese, and sprinkled with fresh parsley.

Cheese Dog (USD2.20). Soft bread wrapped around a hot dog, with cheddar & mozzarella cheese. Baked with ketchup, light mayo, black pepper and dry parsley.

Marble Taro (USD3.00). A sweet bread made with mixed grains and filled with signature taro filling.

This morning, I had the Milk Pudding and Taro Puff Pastry for my meal while I was enjoying the crisp morning air.

While it would be optimal to consume the pastries as soon as bought but they still tasted great with my morning coffee this morning.

This 85C Bakery Cafe outlet is located at 18700A 33rd Avenue W Lynnwood, WA 98037. For inquiries, call (425) 6722885.

Another outlet may be found at 501 S Jackson Street, Seattle, WA 98104.

For more details, visit www.85cbakerycafe.com.

Fun and fresh flavors at the newly opened Yi Fang, Tomas Morato

The Pinoy’s fascination for all kinds of teas is going strong and is showing no signs of waning. Case in point: the proliferation of tea joints all over the metro and beyond.

One such joint is the newly-opened branch of Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea along Tomas Morato. The latest of this chain’s stores to set up shop in Quezon City, its opening day was marked by long lines of customers (including riders from food delivery services).

Taiwan is the birthplace of the milk tea. It was invented in Tainan and Taichung in the 1980s where it was dubbed the boba milk tea. Years later, fruit flavors are incorporated into the drinks, giving rise to fruit teas.

Yi Fang had its roots in the early 20th century Taiwan during the Japanese occupation of the country. Chen-Jen, developed cold drinks from overripe pineapples so that her husband working in the fields will have something to soothe his thirst. Chen-Jen´s nickname is Yi Fang, a name which her grandson adopted as the brand which inherited her fruit tea recipes and methods.

Yi Fang is notable for its brown sugar pearls – tapioca balls cooked and served in brown sugar syrup. These chewy and yummy pearls give the concoctions such as the Brown Sugar Pearl Tea Latte (Php120) a sweet and somewhat toasty taste.

It has also innovated on its tea mixtures through its Yakult series, drinks enriched in both nutrition and flavor with the probiotic milk beverage. The Yakult Pineapple Green Tea (Php120), for example, benefits from an added tanginess and creamy mouthfeel.

Want to skip the hassle and the long lines? Order online and just arrange for a quick pickup anytime from 11am to 11pm. You may also course your order through Honestbee or Grab Food Delivery.

Update: I recently joined my officemates in ordering a Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea (Php120) via Grab Food Delivery. I loved its creamy milk tea and chewy black pearls. Sugar level at 50% is just right because the brown sugar syrup is quite sweet already.

View this post on Instagram

Joined my officemates in ordering some refreshing drinks from @yifangteaph along Tomas Morato via @grabfoodph. Mine is the #brownsugarpearlmilktea, yum! It’s starting to feel like summer! Check out my blog post about this store’s opening day at https://beingjellybeans.com/2019/02/18/fun-and-fresh-flavors-at-the-newly-opened-yi-fang-tomas-morato/ . . . . . #drinkstagram #drinkersofinstagram #drinkpic #drinksmnl #drinksome #drinkstime #drinkspecials #drinksofig #drinkporn #beverageporn #saansaph

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Feb 18, 2019 at 10:02pm PST

This Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea outlet is located at 20 Lansbergh Place Condominium, 170 Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Castor Street, Sacred Heart, Quezon City.

Other Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea outlets in the metro include:

Fourth Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City

M. Paterno Street, Fronting Mango Tree Residences, Greater San Juan, San Juan City
Third Floor, Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City
Ground Floor, Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, 2nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Ground Floor, Wumaco Building, Bonifacio High Street, 7th Avenue Corner Lane P, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers of #WeLoveToEatPH, I was invited to attend this resto’s grand opening wherein drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Tea break at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Crosswinds Tagaytay

One morning during our family’s sojourn in Tagaytay, I braved the bracingly cold breezes and the light drizzle and went for a walk from the cottage where we were staying upwards along the Calamba-Tagaytay Road.

After years of living a sedentary lifestyle, I am now trying to ease my system towards being more active. I found walking to be a low-impact way to get the blood pumpin’ and, hopefully, get the calories burnin’. Plus, I get the chance to leisurely see the Tagaytay sights.

Two kilometers into my walk, I espied the windmill at the entrance of Crosswinds Resort which happen to have right below it a branch of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Feeling that I’ve earned the respite, I decided to stop over and have a cup of tea. I was welcomed by the cafe’s relaxing vibe, just starting to fill up with people getting their breakfast. I decided on a hot whole leaf tea drink for my break from walking: something that will warm my system against the cold winds of Tagaytay while light enough not to negate the calories burned from my exercise.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf prides itself on its drive to provides its patrons refreshing drinks made from their collection of unique, hand-plucked and premium whole-leaf tea harvested from the most exclusive tea-growing estates in the world.

Its whole leaf tea drink offerings come in unique pyramid-shaped single-serve tea bags which allow their contents comprised of tea leaves and buds to fully expand and infuse flavor upon steeping in hot water. This allows drinkers to experience the same aroma and richness of tea normally achieved through brewing tea leaves in a teapot or using a tea infuser.

I chose the Lemon Chamomile Tea (Php120) sweetened with a Honey Stick (Php15). Like other Herbal and Fruit Infusion teas, it was steeped in boiled filtered water for seven minutes, during which its fresh, crisp and lemony aroma wafted to my nostrils. Its bright and citrus-y taste is light and soothing, setting me up on a mellow yet happy mood for my walk back to the cottage.

This Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branch is located at Crosswinds, Calamba Road, Tagaytay City, open Sundays to Thursdays from 8.30am to 7pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 8.30am to 8pm.

Other branches in Tagaytay are located at:

Al-Fresco Area, Lower Ground Floor, Fora Tagaytay, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City, open daily from 10am to 8pm.
Second Floor, Ayala Malls Serin, Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road, Tagaytay City, open daily from 8.30pm to 9pm.

Check out my blog posts on some of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branches in Metro Manila:

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, Tomas Morato

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, SM East Ortigas

Milk tea break at Macao Imperial Tea, Timog

After lunch at nearby Cafe I’m Here, my friend and I hied ourselves over to the Macao Imperial Tea outlet along Timog Avenue. Occupying a narrow area in the second floor of RTT Building, it is one of eleven outlets in Metro Manila of this new entrant to the milk tea business.

When we arrived as the lunch hour was nearing its end, there was an impressive line to the counter of people waiting to order their drinks, a testament to the popularity of this milk tea brand. Despite the narrow space, there were quite a few seating spaces.

Having been named one of the top ten milk tea places in Metro Manila, Macao Imperial Tea serves an extensive menu that includes coffee, milk tea and cream cheese-based drinks.

For this visit, we each ordered a Black Pearl Milk Tea. At only Php100, each drink comes in a premium-looking reusable plastic cup. The milk tea was creamy and not-too-sweet with pearls serving as nice accents to the drink.

We took our drinks back to the office to enjoy at our leisure.

This Macao Imperial Milk Tea branch is located at RTT Building, Tomas MoratoCorner Timog Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City. Other branches are located at:

780 Banawe Street, Banawe, Quezon City
Fisher Mall, Quezon Avenue, Del Monte, Quezon City
Ground Floor, Circuit Makati, Olympia, Makati City
308 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City
Third Floor, Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
Fourth Floor, SM City Manila, Ermita, Manila
Calle Bistro, Ground Floor, Ever Gotesco Mall, Commonwealth, Old Balara, Quezon City
Second Floor, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo, Manila
Ground Floor, Unimart Supermarket, Oranbo, Pasig City
SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City