Sulen

Remember a few months back when I posted about a cafe that was going to open beside the lobby of Elena Tower Inn? Well, they’re finally open!

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It was rather unfortunate that I missed their opening day since I was travelling to Kalibo at that time. I’m sure it would have been a lot of fun getting first dibs on everything. But anyway…

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Welcome to Sulen, an art cafe aimed to lure the creative and brilliant minds of Iligan.

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This cafe is a perfect haven for artists, students and yuppies to huddle together for a coffee date. The chill vibe makes it an ideal spot to study or to catch up on some work.

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On one of their walls is a beautiful hand-painted mural that pays homage to Vincent van Gogh’s painting, The Starry Night.

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I feel blessed and honored to have worked closely with Sulen as they release 5 new beverages and 3 new dishes on their menu.

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Creamy Nut Frappe
Made with a shot of espresso and a hint of hazelnut flavor, topped with whipped cream and crushed nuts.

Rocky Road Frappe
A dessert smoothie made with chocolate and Irish cream syrup, finished off with some whipped cream and marshmallows on top.

Scarlet Iced Tea
Refreshingly cool tea made with strawberry syrup and agave nectar served over ice. This is a personal favorite.

Bailey’s Frappe
Blended with chocolate sauce and a splash of Bailey’s, hand-topped with whipped cream and an Oreo biscuit for good measure.

Jack Frost Frappe 
A coffee-free frappe made with white chocolate and topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup. This is also another favorite of mine.

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Tuna Casserole
Classic tuna pasta recipe baked with a blanket of cheese on top.

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French Toast
Pan-grilled eggy bread topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a drizzle of maple syrup.

This is something I’d like to have for breakfast everyday.

Just look at that sexy trail of melted ice cream dripping at the edge of the toast. Make sure to ask for some cinnamon to sprinkle on top for that extra kick of flavor. 

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Baked Macaroni
Creamy baked macaroni just like how your genius aunt would make it. I’d definitely come back for more of this.

Their new menu additions are to be launched on July 27. Sulen is open daily from 8 AM to 11 PM.

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Davao-Gensan Trip Part 8: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Many moons ago, I noticed that a lot of people on my Facebook newsfeed have been raving about The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL). And being a tea-o-holic that I am (an ex-coffee addict too), I don’t wanna be left behind. 

CBTL is an American coffee chain that serves only the world’s finest coffee and tea. Born in South Califoria on 1963, CBTL has grown into one of the largest coffee and tea companies in the world with over 900 outlets in 23 countries since. And yes, of course, they have free WiFi too.

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This was taken on our first CBTL experience at Abreeza. In the photo above are Ice Blended Matcha Green Tea and White Choco Dream Latte.

Both are just a dream in a cup. Really. Definitely better than Starbucks by a mile. 

And just so you know… 
Starbucks doesn’t exactly thrill me. There. I finally spilled the beans. Please don’t roast me! (puns intended)

Oh, lemme introduce to you the greatest invention since sliced bread…

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This thingamajig! I really don’t know what it’s called. If you happen to know, you have to tell me! 

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What’s so great about this thing is (more like are):
1. It eliminates those silly table number tags.
2. I don’t have to constantly fidget as I wait for my name to be called. 
3. It vibrates and lights up once your order is ready.

Doesn’t it make life a lot easier? Whoever thought of this sorcery is a freakin’ genius! 

I still don’t understand why other restaurants or fastfood chains still don’t have this brilliant piece of technology yet. I’m sure it’s not that hard and expensive to make, right? Wishful thinking.

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Having watched too many Masterchef episodes made me feel sorry for ourselves that we haven’t tried eggs benedict yet. So we really had to give it a go! This was our second CBTL experience at SM Lanang. 

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The look on his eyes explained everything. Haha! Clearly, he’s more excited than I am.

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As my boyfriend ran the knife through the egg, the yolk didn’t run into this thick velvety sauce as I saw it should in Masterchef a thousand times over.

I then pictured Gordon Ramsey in my head like this…

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While it wasn’t close to perfect (at least to Gordon’s standard), it tasted really good. And that’s all that matters. I also happen to like my eggs to be done over medium thankyouverymuch.

For all those who have been disenchanted with overrated coffee shops, I plead that you at least give Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf a chance.

They serve high-quality, great tasting coffee, tea and food. Plus, their service and ambiance is marvelous.

Their beverages cost between 100~200 pesos… Not bad right? Know more about what they serve here.

24 & 2 Part 4: Sweet Leaf Bubble Tea Cafe

This is day number two of our post-anniversary celebration and there’s no better way to start the day than having a cup of milk tea (unless you’re a coffee person then it’s coffee).

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So off we went to Sweet Leaf Bubble Tea Cafe. This is another milk tea shop in CDO that serves authentic Taiwanese tea and it is located at Pabayo and Chavez Streets, Divisoria.

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Since we went there early on a Sunday, we got to “own” the whole place.

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It’s so hard not to feel at home here. 

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I really love their wall decor.

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Here’s a closer look.

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More of their wall decor. Diggin’ the quotes!

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Anyway, here’s what we had. Left, my rock salt and cheese matcha milk tea with tapioca pearls. Right, my boyfriend’s rock salt and cheese dark chocolate milk tea with some pudding added on.

I didn’t really enjoy mine… However, my boyfriend’s milk tea was the bomb! Definitely a must-try! It’s actually their best seller. 

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My boyfriend propping up the menu. We still have a looong list of milk teas to taste. Good thing teas here are affordable.

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Although I may be disappointed with their rock salt and cheese matcha tea but I’ll definitely come back here to try some more.

The Irresistable Charm of Chingkeetea

Recently, tea houses have been blossoming and spreading like wildflowers. And for someone like me who loves tea, this is amazing news! 

I love tea! Hot tea, cold tea, blended tea, iced tea, you name it! 

I have already been to a few tea houses but so far nothing quite compares to Chingkeetea (or maybe I’m just a little biased).

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Chingkeetea is a cozy little tea house nestled somewhere in the heart of Cagayan de Oro City.

They serve a variety of delicious milk teas and fruit teas… 
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They also have some snacks that go well with tea like cookies, cupcakes and pasta. All reasonably priced so that students can easily afford.

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My personal favorite is Wintermelon Milk Tea with Tapioca Pearls. 

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The rustic vibe gives Chingkeetea that distinct charm and character which sets it apart from all other tea houses. It’s just so hard to not fall in love with the place. 

It is one of the go-to places for tea and photo ops.

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Look, there’s me just chillin’ out…

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And then, there’s my boyfriend… Swingin’.

Chingkeetea is not only for the tea lovers. It is also a hub for the bloggers, the shutterbugs, the bookworms and the creative youth in general. 

Since I’m pretty sure I’ll keep coming back here (because I can’t get enough of Chingkeetea’s charm and milk tea of course), please expect more blog posts about it some time in the future.

‘Til my next post, have a nice Sunday everyone!