[Review] Executive Cafe and Wine Galore

It was coworking day for me and (fortunately) 2 of my workmates who also live in Davao. We agreed to meet up once in a while and explore coffee shops and cafes around the metro.

I suggested that we try Executive Cafe and Wine Galore. It's located along Quirino Street (in front of Davao Doctor's Hospital, above BPI Quirino Branch)

When I pass by this area I would always look up and resolve to check the place out. From the outside the place really looked classy. Since it said 'wine' I had the impression this place is where yuppies would go and hang out after a long day at work.

I was surprised to find the place tiny. 

I was really confused the way this cafe is setup. Maybe I haven't been to a cafe that serves cocktails? Probably they should make up their mind if they want to be a cafe or a bar. A lot of students where there catching up on school work and studying. Maybe this would be a good place for them, though I could just imagine yuppies to be disappointed when they see the place full of students and their laptops.

Don't get me started on their menu. This chicken sandwich costs P75. Really? There's nothing special in it! Obviously it's just bread and some chicken spread they bought at the grocery. No plating. No presentation. 

'Wine Galore'? I didn't even see one wine bottle on their list!

Their menu is quite pricey too.

hot drinks (P50-P115), smoothies (P150-P160), sandwiches (P70-P90), cocktails (P120-P150). 

They have frozen margarita, frozen blue margarita, frozen daiquri, kamikaze, executive mojito, executive, mudslide, zombie, executive illusion, executive pinacolada. I can't imagine a group having drinks and the next table is full of students studying.

And oh! You'll have to pay P30 for charging your laptops.

Overall, I'm quite disappointed with my visit. Probably won't go back again.

Review: A cool and cozy afternoon at Alleycat

I desperately needed to connect to the Internet for work (which I could have done at home if the modem did not conk out). So I had to resort to the most affordable cafe where I can avail of their wifi (hehe)

Alleycat it is. It began to rain on my way there and it was definitely a refuge.

Alleycat's space is quite small, with only 4 tables on the 1st floor. If you opt to chill on the 2nd floor, you would have to sit on the floor and find your spot (there are no tables!)

Anyway, for me the tiny space makes it more comfy. The place is certainly kitty- inspired. You will be amused with all the little details and doodles of cats.

They have books that you can read while enjoying your tea. I chose this to stack up on my knowledge on how to take care of my new kitty. 

Littly kitty cat on cloud- 9

Here's Alleycat's menu (as of June 2015)

alleycat milktea

Php 80:  royal, vanilla

Php 90: blueberry, wintermelon, alleycat, caramel, coffeetea, strawberry, honeydew, taro

Php 100: dark choco, choco banana

Php 120: matcha 

fruit tea (Php 80 all)

peach, lychee, passion fruit, strawberry grapes, orange, lemon , kiwi

snacks

cheese quesadilla (Php 90), chip and dip (Php 70), (Php 85): pb & j, ham and cheese, tuna

Drop by Alleycat at Poblacion St, Davao City (near Metro Lifestyle, Torres Street). It's inside a compound 'The Site'

Bet you haven't heard of Blitz Torte

Or maybe you have, if you're an avid foodie. At cafes or pastry shops people usually order chocolate moist cake, blueberry cheesecake, sans rival etc. But seeing a Blitz Torte in their menu, for me, is actually quite rare (cafes should really start serving this amazing treat).  Blitz Torte is a German dessert made of soft cake and meringue. 

I remember the first time I savored this delicious dessert. My officemate invited us to have lunch at her house because it was fiesta time. After we devoured our lunch I noticed my officemate was missing. When she came back, she had in her hands a box of Blitz Torte. We were all oooohhing and aaahhhing as our eyes feasted on the pastry and our hands itching to take a piece. And since that time I was in love with Blitz Torte.

I only know of one place that sells that box of Blitz Torte, and it is in Aracels in Calinan (it's crazy far from the downtown area). So if ever you're in Calinan (perhaps a stopover before going to the Philippine Eagle Center? ;) , go to Aracels and grab a box of Blitz Torte. The price is awesome- Php 230. 00/ box! I know I'll be ordering a box or two for Christmas.

P.S. if you know bake shops that sell Blitz Torte, please let me know! :)

Review: Euro Cafe

For us Davaoenyos, the most common place to be is Gaisano Mall. It's where we pass our time walking aimlessly around its floors. If you're tired from walking and just want to have a break, or you find yourself in an unfortunate situation of waiting for somebody for an hour, try hanging out at Euro Cafe.

We all know that bakeshop right beside the stairs as you go down near National Bookstore. For pan lovers, this is the place in Gaisano Mall to get your fix of bread and other baked goods.

Honestly, me and my boyfriend were so tired from walking that I resolved to order anything just to sit in Euro Cafe. Lo and behold, they have affordable cakes! This Chocolate Ganache is Php 40. 00. For the price, it looks appetizing.

My boyfriend ordered the blueberry cake. This one is Php 45. 00. I like the taste and the blueberry-ness (we all know that taste when we eat blueberry cheesecake) I think they pretty much got it with this one.

However, when I tried slicing the Chocolate Ganache, the icing came off :( 

There are TVs placed near the tables if you sit inside. It's always playing 'Just for Laughs'- a good thing if you want something to distract yourself. Wi-fi was still under repair

My rating:

Ambience: 3.9 out of 5- if you want to hang out somewhere comfortable and affordable without having to choose to go to fastfood joints, this is the place

Food: 3.5 out of 5: The cakes were good and presentable, but the Chocolate Ganache icing was just sad.

Review: Saging Repablik

I don't know about you but I enjoyed my time at Saging Repablik (partly because it was a treat by my boyfriend's parents, -thanks!-). Initially, I thought it would be like Kasagingan along Torres Street (which is closed now by the way huhu).  

I love the modern- ish feel of the place. It's kind of like a mix of country and urban/modern/minimalist ambience.

monobloc chairs? I'm not sure about this.

When I scanned the place, the first thing that caught my eye is their souvenir shop. It's cool that they incorporated their merchandise in their cafe. They have shirts, bags, and mugs. The items' prices range Php 300. 00+

We found ourselves a table and the waiter handed us the menu. It was quite strange that we had to be seated, check the menu and go to the counter to place our orders. 

Here's their menu and prices:

I hope these are recycled because this will be a huge plus :)

I found their choice of utensils quirky and amusing. One thing's for sure: it's definitely something out of the box.

We ordered the banana cake, banana chips, turon, pasta ala cubana beef and chicken lollipops

The banana cake. It's light and fluffy, unlike the banana cake that's dense. Perhaps they can improve on the presentation? 

The banana chips. You would expect it to be sweet, like the ones you're used to. They are actually quite salty, like junk food. But the salty seasoning is not grainy. The texture of the salt is quite soft. I'd take this over junk food any day.

Pasta Ala Cubana Beef. First, the bread pieces are big so it makes you full. This has raisins so the last bite is a surprise of sweetness :)

Turon. You get three for Php 85. 00. Kind of pricey. The sauce thing is condensed milk and cheese.

Chicken lollipops. Here you have the chicken lollipops and bite- size banana pops. Quite an interesting combination.

More than anything else, I enjoyed the ambience of the place. The service was quite good, the waiter was quick and cheery.

My rating:

Ambience: 4 out 5. It's clean, spacious, quirky, and some of the stuff are upcycled (I hope)

Food: 3.8 out of 5: They can still improve more on their menu.

Price: 3 out 5: I have heard a lot of comments that this place is pricey. Maybe because for bananas they did not expect to pay Php 80. 00 +

You can find Saging Repablik at V. Mapa Street Davao City.

Review: Manang's Chicken

Me and my boyfriend were strolling around the mall looking for somewhere to eat. It really takes us a long time to choose a joint because we always consider first if we can afford their menu. We passed by Manang's Chicken (Gaisano Mall- 4th floor) twice already so we decided to give it a try. We were also enticed to enter their joint as their booths and chairs looked comfy and there were not many people who dined there.

A little background on Manang's Chicken:
Ang Bagong Fried Chicken ng Pinoy owned and operated by Giabella Foods Corporation, a 100% Filipino owned company. 

That sweet, salty, crispy, juicy chicken you’re sinking your teeth into has been a staple at our family dining table for the past 20 years. Our beloved cook, affectionately called “Manang,” whipped it up for all of our family occasions and nobody ever got enough of it. Fast forward to 2011 and Manang’s soy garlic chicken evolved from the comfort food of our dining table, to the local weekend market, and finally to a growing chain of fast food restaurants! Manang unwittingly redefined fried chicken for the Pinoy market.
(from Manang's Chicken website- http://www.manangschicken.com/about-manangs-chicken/)

(photos from http://www.manangschicken.com)

I had the cheesy spaghetti (P69. 00) while my boyfriend got the crispy chicken sandwich with chips (P75.00)-I don't quite remember, but it's in that price range.

Their spaghetti meal was nothing special, really. I think that it lacks the rich sweet flavor that the Filipino spaghetti taste has that we're all accustomed to. When I mixed the sauce and the pasta, the color was bland. Jollibee's spaghetti had more rich sauce compared to this. For 69pesos, I should have dragged my bum to Jollibee instead.

I took a bite from my boyfriend's chicken sandwich. I was surprised to find some sort of hash browns  

(or was it mashed potatoes?) beneath the chicken fillet- patty. Im not exactly sure if the hash browns was a win, it tasted kind of strange. It also had some sort of coleslaw, which for me is a plus considering that most chicken sandwich from other fastfood chains are only composed of the buns and the chicken fillet-patty. I'd still go for McDonald's or KFC's chicken fillet sandwich in the taste department.

The chips were a disappointment. I did not get if I was nibbling on potato or kamote chips. What even made it go down lower was that the staff did not even heat the chips. It was a pain eating it.

With all the bad say on the food, at least the customer service department was good.. Their staff was accommodating and polite. When I handed a 500 bill the staff kindly asked me to wait as they did not have enough for my change.

Overall:

Food: 3/5

Ambiance: 4/5 (like I said, the chairs and booths were comfy enough)

Customer service: 4/5

I hope they improve the taste and quality of their menu. It was a bit of a downer, really. They'll have to step up their game if they want to be at par with the big guys.