My Very Tea-ta Afternoon: Afternoon Tea Experience at The Peninsula Manila

If asked to choose between coffee or tea, I choose coffee. But over the years, I've learned to appreciate drinking tea as well. Western people might consider drinking tea a very English thing to do but here in the Philippines, it's a very tita thing to do. So that's what I had - a tea-ta weekend when a friend invited me for an afternoon tea experience at Peninsula Manila. 

We made a reservation and had our vaccination cards ready for presentation when we went. After all, indoor dine-ins are only allowed for vaccinated people. We encountered a glitch however when we got to the hotel as they couldn't find our reservation.  I supposed it wasn't much of a surprise when that happened. We assumed our reservation was confirmed as no one from their team came back to us when my friend contacted them via Facebook. I was ready to drop the plan and go somewhere else if we weren't going to be allowed in. About fifteen minutes later though, someone from their team came to fetch us and finally we were seated. 

The Peninsula Manila is one of the oldest hotels in the country located in the business district of Makati City. It's a five-star hotel and as soon as you step foot inside, you'd see the luxury emanating from the hotel's facade.   

  

I couldn't help but admire this hotel even though it's not the first time I've stepped foot inside. It has been a while though since the last time I was here. It's the first time I went in any hotel since the pandemic began. 

The afternoon tea set at The Peninsula Manila cost Php1,200/pax or Php1,815 should you choose to have a flute of Champagne with it. It consists of sweet and savory snacks along with a pot of hot tea. 

It's been so long since I actually had an afternoon tea experience like this. The first was at TWG in Greenbelt pre-pandemic times, many years ago. I love the tea I picked out that went with my snacks, which coincidentally is also from TWG: Vanilla Bourbon. I've already got it added on to my cart at Lazada. Buy it here.  

As for the snacks, I expected I wouldn't be fulfilled. But I left Peninsula Manila on a full stomach. The afternoon tea set snacks were delicious and filling! I got my money's worth. 

Here are just some more of the food shots from my afternoon tea experience at The Peninsula Manila.  

Overall, a pleasant afternoon tea experience.  

   

Photo Walk: Makati in Pictures

I spent a day exploring some parts of Makati with a friend. This city, at least, some parts of it, is really nice to visit by foot. I love that about this city too - the fact that you can get around places just walking. It's nice to walk around. You discover interesting places you'd likely visit and you get to appreciate the architecture around too. 

Let me show you around Makati in photos. 

Greenbelt, Makati

I love this mall because it has a wide and open area. I'm glad that when this mall was renovated to the architecture it is now, Ayala not only retained the open space, it also planted more trees and plants around. 

Ayala Avenue

We walked around the central business district on a weekday. Before COVID-19 and before our endless quarantines, this part of the city was filled with people. Mostly people who work in any one of the tall buildings around Ayala Avenue. 

When I was about to join the work force, I wanted to work in any one of those high rise buildings. To have an office on a top floor, with a window with a view of the busy Ayala Avenue. When the weather is nice, the sun's rays would stream in my office, through the window, lighting up the room. 

Times have changed. People aren't milling around the Makati Central Business District these days specially at lunch or closing of business. These days most work from home in a bid to curb the rising cases of Covid-19 in the city. And I no longer dream of working in one of those tall buildings with a plush office. 

Another thing I love about Makati City? The parks! This is the Ayala Triangle Park where the Makati Stock Exchange office is as well. If and when you need a breather and want to be surrounded by nature, go to a park! You can even do outdoor exercise around this park. It's the biggest park around Makati city. Though it's not the quietest park since it is on Ayala Avenue, a busy road. Plus there's a construction going around here these days. If you want a serene park, I suggest Washington Sycip Park! 

Makati Avenue

In Makati Avenue, you'll find more tall buildings. It's also a busy road even in this time of pandemic if you've got a car. For a taste of Philippine history, check out the status monuments in the area. There's also the old airport in Ayala Triangle, now a restaurant. 

Poblacion, Makati

Poblacion used to be just a quiet residential area of Makati City. But over the years, it's grown to be known for hole in the wall restaurants and bars. Some of those small and awesome businesses have closed now, sadly affected by the prolonged quarantines. Though there are still some quaint restaurants worth visiting like the recently opened Cafe Fleur. 

Salcedo Village, Makati

Last stop of our photo walk was Salcedo Village, Makati. It's the upper class residential area in the city's that's not in a gated village. They live in condominiums with security manning the entrances. I want to live in one of those white and guarded condos. I'd spend my week nights at the nearby Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf store or dine al fresco at one of the restaurants that have opened shop in the past few years. On Saturdays, I'd spend my mornings visiting the Salcedo weekend market where I'd buy plants and flowers as nice decors for the house or support a small food business. 

Well, that's it for my Makati photo walk! Oh how I miss going around the city specially on a weekend morning. It's not the same these days. The streets have less people.  Though I've never been a fan of crowds, it's sad to know that we're staying home because we are in a pandemic. 

Anyway, we capped off the photo walk with a nice lunch at Fifty Nine Flower Cafe. Walking around sure can work up an appetite. 

Where to Eat in the City: Recent Places I Scoped Out

 

I've seen the phrase "quarantine body" bein thrown around since last year when we all started to stay home more. The term is being used as a new way to described gaining weight, supposedly from all the eating they do. Well, with all the recent eating I've been doing, I might just start using the phrase! 

The telltale signs have been documented on this blog of course! My last post talked about my visit to a restaurant in Poblacion, Makati, Cafe Fleur. And in today's blog post, I'm once again writing about two more places in the city where I recently ate. 

M Bakery 

First up is this dessert place I went to over the weekend. M Bakery, located in Bonifacio Global City. This isn't a newly opened shop. This popular New York bakery, more known as Magnolia Bakery, came to the Philippines in 2018. It's their first store in Southeast Asia. 

I've been to this bakery before COVID-19. And it was just as busy then as it was when I visited again. It's not hard to see why people flock to this place. A lot of Filipinos have a sweet tooth. And in this pastel and cream colored shop, there's a lot of delicious looking baked goods to choose from! 

 

 

I couldn't find a vacant spot in the shop. Not that I minded any bit. A crowd of people isn't my cup of tea especially these days when the threat of a deadly virus is still around. It's a good thing the city has tables available outside for al fresco dining. 

I got myself this marble cream cheese brownie. Seriously so sweet! I couldn't finish this even when I washed it down with my house bland - I mean house blend - iced tea. Still, I would come back to M Bakery so I could try all the other available desserts in the shop. 

Fifty Nine Flower Cafe

Welcome to Fifty Nine Flower Cafe, a new and very Instagrammable place to dine in at, located at Paseo de Roxas, Makati. My friend, Dom and I dined here after spending a tiring morning of photo walk around Makati. According to this Spot article, the cafe used to be a baking studio where the owner had an unforgettable date with a man who's now her husband. Such a cute and romantic backstory! 

When we arrived, it wasn't packed with people yet so we were able to get a few photos of the cafe so I could show you guys just how pretty it is inside.

 

The cafe has a lot of flower decors all around. I was partly tempted to buy dried flowers from their shop. I've been meaning to add more dried flowers to my work desk' decor. But since I've been doing my best not to do impulse shopping, I decided against it. 

Just one solo photo while we waited for our food to arrive which wasn't such a long wait! 

Dom ordered the 59 House Sandwich - their version of clubhouse sandwich while I got the lasagna. Coming from the outside where it was hot, we helped ourselves to milkshakes. He got the chocolate while I got vanilla. 

In this day and age of smartphones with nice cameras and social media, having a place that looks pretty is a must! Lots of people, millennials like me and Gen Z peeps love taking photos and sharing it online. Well Fifty Nine Flower Cafe's definitely got that part down with its beautiful interiors. But this cafe's got more than its looks going for it! The food, the most important part, is also very good! 

Dom said he didn't feel stiffed at all as the sandwich had a generous amount of tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce, ham, bacon and cheese. I was also satisfied with my choice dish. Soon as I took a bite out of my lasagna, I was delighted. Such a creamy lasagna! And of course those milk shakes are love! 

We capped off our lunch at Fifty Nine Flower Cafe with a shared order of New York cheesecake. Sweets overload! But this cheesecake's definitely a dessert must have! 

I would come back to this place again. I mean it's so pretty! Plus that lasagna was good! I imagine the rest of the dishes they offer are too.     

It may be raining nonstop these days but I'm glad the sun shows up even for a short period of time, allowing me to have these food adventures in the city. 

Note: Some of the photos I used for my Fifty Nine Flower Cafe post are courtesy of Dom  

Weekend Brunch at Cafe Fleur, Makati

I had the chance to check out a recently opened restaurant in Poblacion, Makati. I went to Cafe Fleur by chef Sau Del Rosario. According to articles I read online about this restaurant, it is a smaller, more metropolitan version of his restaurant located in Angeles, Pampanga. 

The al fresco dining area was the first thing I saw when I got at Cafe Fleur which only had one other set of foreign customers dining in at the time I arrived. It got busier by lunch time. I immediately felt like I was in a posh boutique resort hotel seeing the wooden floors and panels and the rattan furniture. 

The light hit the restaurant just right, making the whole restaurant area bright and inviting to look at specially with its walls painted white. The ambience of Cafe Fleur was warm and inviting.   

Dried flowers and coffee table books decor added to the cozy feels of the restaurant. 

The Dishes

Main dish I ordered was the lamb shank tangine plus jasmine rice as it was nearly lunch and I was starved! This is one of their best sellers according to the wait staff who serviced our table. So good! It had a hint of spiciness to it but I was able to get past that. The lamb meat was soft and easy enough to chew. First time I ever ate lamb in my life guys! 

For dessert, I had vuko fye. Yes, you read that right. Vuko fye, no mispelling there. According to what I read, it's Chef Sau highlighting the comedic mispronunciation of some Kampanpagans. It's bigger than the usual buko pies you'd buy from Laguna and stuffed with a whole lot of coconuts! It was so delicious! 

I washed it all down with a cold glass of calamansi iced tea which I also would recommend and water. 

I'd love to go back to Cafe Fleur. I know my friends would enjoy dining at this restaurant as much as I did. 

You can visit Cafe Fleur at Enriquez St., Poblacion, Makati City. They are open from Tuesday - Sunday, 10am to 10pm. Follow their Instagram and Facebook for updates. 

  

 

 

  

 

Exploring Legaspi Village, Makati

Being out and about around town was a usual scenario for me before. Of course, with COVID-19, going out became a once or twice a month instead for me. A couple of weeks ago, I was able to meet a few friends for a bit in Makati and I took that opportunity to explore what the city had to offer aside from the malls, particularly Legaspi Village. 

Washington Sycip Park 

This park has been around for years. It was renovated a few years ago and re-opened to the public in late 2017. The redevelopment of Washington Sycip is part of Makati Commercial Estate Association's (MaCEA) commitment to greening projects in Makati. 

Before meeting our other friends for lunch, my friend, Mai and I dropped by the park for a little OOTD. It's a really nice park to take photos in. Also it's the closest thing to nature in the city. Being around green and open spaces these days make me happier. 

 

Walk around to the inner part of Washington Sycip and you'll find some featured sculptures by Impy Pilapil. Needing some words of wisdom and motivation? You'll also find some in this park from business icon, Washington SyCip, the person who the park was named after. 

Even when the park is filled with people working out, there's still some part in Washington Sycip that you can go to for some peace and quiet. This spot looks like a nice place to read and drink iced coffee at. 

Washington Sycip park has a lot of trees such as Narra, Mahogany and Acacia!

Lunch at Monowine Cafe

There are a lot of nice restaurants in Legaspi Village. If you want to avoid the crowd at the mall or simply looking for some place new to eat at, check out this restaurant we had lunch at, Monowine Cafe. 

Creamy chicken and mushroom pasta

Burnt Basque Cheesecake

 

Food was delicious. Our favorite though would be the dessert pictured above. My foodie friend, Ryan, said it was absolutely good! Actually, Mai and I demolished our shared cheesecake in no time at all. 

Monowine Cafe has an alfresco area. We initially intended to eat alfresco but it was just too hot outside. We opted to dine in instead and we had the place to ourselves. Couldn't resist taking a photo with their wine display in the background. It's just so nice! 

Monowine Cafe is located at Perea st., Legaspi Village, Makati. If you're bringing a car, you can opt to park in the street or park at Greenbelt area. It's walking distance from the mall. 

  

So that's my quick weekend trip out. I'd definitely want to explore more of Makati City. The city just has so many to offer!