Paper Moon Cafe

Someone was craving for cheesecake so before heading home we went around Glorietta to find a place where we could have dessert.

Spotted . . . Paper Moon Cafe

. . . tapioca at paper moon cafe

It was right in the middle of the aisle but the place was just perfect. Love their seats.

We checked out the cake display and decided to order a cheesecake to share. Upon placing our order, the waitstaff informed us about a discounted mille crepe for every purchase of coffee. So we took advantage and got ourselves an original mille crepe. This was their best seller, according to her.

My cafe au lait with cute latte art.

cafe au lai . . .

The coffee was so-so. Good enough so you can have something to pair your cakes with.

. . . original mille crepe, white chocolate cheesecake and my cafe au lai

The white chocolate cheesecake with oreo crust was okay but I still prefer the traditional baked cheesecake.

i forgot to include tapioca's espresso teehee . . .

The mille crepe was just okay, too. Well, it's better than the one I've tried at Pepper Lunch. It's also very filling and somewhat cloying after you get the first few bites. Good thing we have the cheesecake to alternate between bites.

. . . selfie

Overall, the items we tried were mediocre at best. Not something we'd be looking for or crave enough to get us back to this cafe asap. But I would give it another shot because I still wanted to try their ube or blueberry mille crepes and the cheese tarts. Maybe after that I can conclude if it's worth another visit or not.

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Cafe Mary Grace - Revisited

On the last minute, our supposed plan to stay at home and rest changed again. We got bored. And the thought of staying at home doing the same things we always do every weekend didn't feel right. Not on our special day. We needed to do something productive.

I was thinking of a good 'ol comfort food from Cafe Mary Grace. I wanted Tapioca to try out their pasta so we can replicate them at home. He's taste bud is so awesome he can tell even the smallest hint of spice or herbs in the dish. Soon enough we found ourselves at their tiny cafe in Serendra.

 . . . home made wild raspberry iced tea

We love homemade iced teas and a glass would never be enough so we ordered a pitcher to share. This was sweet and tangy.

toasted bread with cheddar cheese, tomatoes and capers . . .

 Tapioca loved the fresh bread. He always appreciates good bread. The dip was just okay.

 . . . caesar sald

We never fail to order this salad whenever we're eating out. Mary Grace's version looks kinda sad in the photo but  what lacks on the appearance compensates for the taste. Though I'd say we've tried much better Caesar salad elsewhere.

smoked salmon and cream . . .

. . . spanish sardines and olives pasta 

I let Tapioca order our drinks and the starters but I chose our pasta dishes. I had the salmon and cream while Tapioca had the Spanish sardines and olives pasta. 

My gosh, saltiness was reigning on both pasta dishes and I thought it was just normal. I mean smoked salmon was supposed to be salty right? So there goes Tapioca complaining on his first bite while I, on the other hand only realized this halfway through. 

The saltiness was extreme. It's not just the sauce itself but we're guessing they put too much salt in the water they used to cook the pasta and it carried on to our dishes. The iced tea was not helping at all so we asked for water which took forever to arrive. The place was pretty jam-packed so we understood all the delay. 

But seriously, I thought of returning the pasta and complained. But then again  I have heard so many bad stories about customers returning their food. I'm afraid their kitchen staff would think we're hard-to-pleased customers and they might play with our food. I didn't want to imagine anymore!

Tapioca and I were very hungry. It was our first meal of the day at three in the afternoon. Despite the uber saltiness we managed to finish the pasta but our mouths were as dry as hell! Tapioca was very mad and swore never to return. 

I pleaded to him to let me get their cheesecake which I missed so much. He was very disappointed and refused to order dessert. I felt bad because I was the one who dragged him here in the first place. Tapioca was in a rush to leave the cafe. He said we can get dessert elsewhere and get rid of the nasty salty taste in our mouth.

My friends and I had a wonderful experience the last time we dined here and it was unfortunate Tapioca didn't get the same experience. I love Mary Grace Cafe especially their pasta dishes but they let me down. Sigh. I still wanted to give them one last chance and decide if it's good-bye or not.

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Café 1771

We've been meaning to set up another special day soon and this one place we're considering to be part of. This place has some serious interiors. Looking at the photos online makes me drool in envy. So there you go, I drool not just for food but for designer-worthy photos of well decorated homes. I wish our house would look as nice and homey and beautiful as this restaurant someday.

Cafe 1771 is divided into three dining areas namely Whimsy, The Lounge and Wine Bar. I wanted to dine in The Lounge however it was reserved for someone's party so we settled in The Whimsy.

 . . . popcorn and freshly brewed iced tea

The popcorn was complimentary. I always love freshly brewed iced tea and it was nice that they served it in a really tall glass.

caesar salad . . .

Tapioca's choice. Generous serving of fresh greens. It came in a really huge bowl. Love the fresh and crisp greens and the light dressing. This salad was good.

. . . tomato soup

Soup of the day was Jellybean's choice. When they told me it was tomato soup I had second thoughts of ordering this because I never really like tomato soup. It's like having a main dish instead of an appetizer. But they told me it was cream base so I gave it a try. It was nicely plated. One spoonful and I fell in love. I finally found a tomato soup that I adore. Rich, creamy, not too sour and not too hot.

 Jellybean's main course . . .

Sauteed sea bream with French beans and brunoise of dried mango, garlic and bacon; tomato-anchovy and olive oil dressing with risotto cake. I was thinking of having meat as the main dish but I thought I might not be able to finish it. This was our server's recommendation. 

I love the fresh and crunchy French beans. The risotto cake was quite filling. They gave me 2 big chunks of fish. It was soft and moist but after finishing the first chunk it became boring. I gave the rest to Tapioca.

. . . Tapioca's main course

Handmade ravioli filled with oyster mushroom and ricotta cheese, tossed in extra virgin olive oil and herbs. It looked small in serving but Tapioca said it was very filling. He liked it a lot. After wiping out everything on his plate he declared he was full and refused to order dessert.

Feel at home with the pink high chair. I love  it! So comfy and girly.

And I refused to leave without having dessert. Tapioca agreed to share this . . .

 lemon tart with candied orange peel . . .

This reminded me of lemon pie from the Lemon Pie House in Sagada except this was more sour and tangy. We paired it with some green tea.

It was such a nice dining experience. The food was beautifully plated and tasted good, too. Service was impeccable. Food was served hot but not too hot that you'll burn your tongue. Cold food served on chilled plates. The timing and pacing of the food we ordered was also perfect. After we're done with the appetizers, our main courses arrive then followed by dessert and tea. 

Nanonood siguro sila ng Hell's Kitchen kaya ganun. Lol! I wish to go back and try other dishes and desserts. And hopeful I get to experience dining at The Lounge next time.

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Banapple On A Busy Weekend

The tiny Banapple place along Katipunan Avenue was packed with diners one weekend night. Didn't want to go to the other side of the road for the bigger branch, Tapioca and I decided to have take out instead. Here's what we ordered . . .

. . . warm chicken salad sandwich

Chicken in creamy white sauce with lettuce and cucumber.

trio of sausages fettuccine . . .

Fettuccine with crumbled chorizo, garlic longganisa and hungarian sausage in creamy sauce. Tapioca's choice.

. . . baked creamy cheesy penne

A combination of white cheese and tomato meat sauce with hungarian sausage. Jellybean's choice. After a couple of forkfuls, I realized this is not my kind of pasta. I'm more of a cream-based pasta. Ending? Tapioca and I switched pasta dishes.

apple caramel crumble pie . . .

I've already tried most of Banapple's cheesecakes but they're more on the sweet side. Not really sure what cake to order, Tapioca picked a pie instead. This was his kind of dessert. I gave it a try and still found it too sweet. Tsk, tsk. I'm still on the lookout for the perfect cake from Banapple that fits my palate.

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