Given a chance to be warped into another world, you would take it right?  Allow us to invite you to Kurimi クリーミー Milk Tea Bar, a fun, cool and quirky 2D Cafe in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

 Kurimi is actually an onomatopoeia of the word "creamy".  As we've researched, Kurimi is Filipino-owned and it also tapped young Filipino artists in order to conceptualize its cafes.  It has multiple branches and all have their own distinguishing features.

Kurimi Tomas Morato Facade

While it looks surreal in photos, it is even more surreal when you're actually there.

So, we are quite fortunate that we can easily access this kind of cafe.  Kurimi's food and drink price point is very affordable too.

We can still recall the time when we visited a 3D Illusion Museum, the entrance was pricey and it was quite exhausting to roam about.

The experience with a 2D cafe is totally different.  It grants you the relaxing and dreamy nostalgic feeling of childhood dreams.  You can simply take your time to appreciate the cartoonish 2D art at your own pace.  Whenever you are seated, you are surrounded with 2D illusion objects.  The place is well-utilized (even the restroom!).  You can also play around to be whatever you wish like: 1.) fitting in as a character of a.) a 2D comic, b.) a black and white drawing or c.) an uncolored page of a coloring book or 2.) simply pop out as a colorful special hero or heroine.

Of course, the food and drinks are another way to enjoy the place too.

 

Drinks

Kurimi has an extensive selection of drinks and toppings so it can cater to a wide-range of preference.

♥ Kurimi Milk Tea Baby Special Oreo-Cheesecake with Pearl (145 php/L), ♥ Strawberry Cream Cheese with Pearl (125 php/L) & ♥ Fruit Tea Special Mango with Nata de Coco (120 php/L)

Signature Milk Tea

The Kurimi Milk Tea Baby Special Oreo-Cheesecake with Pearl is a must-try!  It really lives up to its name.

Cream Cheese Series

Those who prefer fruity and milk drinks will enjoy the Strawberry Cream Cheese with Pearl.  This is a level-up version of the classic strawberry milkshake.  

Fruit Tea Special 

Unlike the two other drinks which were thick and rich, the Fruit Tea Special Mango with Nata de Coco offers a lighter and refreshing experience.   

 

Food

♥ Kurimi Milk Tea Baby Special Oreo-Cheesecake with Pearl (145 php/L), ♥ Strawberry Cream Cheese with Pearl (125 php/L), ♥ Fruit Tea Special Mango with Nata de Coco (120 php/L), Pork Gyoza (70 php) & Proscuitto E Formaggio (Ham and Cheese) (160 php)

Kurimi is owned by the Milkin Corp., the company behind Fiorgelato and Japanese fast food DM EXPRESS so they offer the same food.

Gyoza (70 php)

We had the Pork Gyoza (70 php) & Proscuitto E Formaggio (Ham and Cheese) (160 php).

 

Promo Alert

Visit them on Thursdays with your vaccination card and avail a 20% of discount!  Thumbs up for this nice incentive.  With this kind of mentality, we are more confident that we can achieve herd immunity and economic recovery faster.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Guess what's our new profile picture?  Yes, that's our way of convincing you to visit Kurimi クリーミー Milk Tea Bar! You can also order via grab and foodpanda.

Last month, I was invited to partake on the Grand Opening Celebration of Elements Hall at Rallos.  I was expecting it to be just another food park but happy to find it was not!


Although I visit food parks,  don't visit them during the day because of the heat and humidity of our summers. So I was happy to see that Elements Hall at Rallos is a building full of food joints. 


Think of it as an air-conditioned mall but purely for food!  The second floor has standalone restaurants like the Red Pineapple and Twa Pak To and a food court called Picnic Grounds.


Red Pineapple



The Red Pineapple serves dimsum treats at affordable price.  I highly recommend their Taipao.

Twa Pak To

Another Chinese food choice is Twa Pak To.  I will surely try it if I have a chance to pass by Elements again.

Picnic Grounds

Clucky's

Clucky's

Fun fact!  Coincidentally, I have encountered Clucky's 6 years before.  That was a long time ago when my sister used to have study medicine and work at Medical City as part of her curriculum.  Now, my sister is already a doctor.  We loved Clucky's so I'm so glad that Clucky's has made a comeback after all these years.

Kimchi Rice

Pair their chicken and Kimchi Rice and you'll surely enjoy it!


Gelato Lab
Yearning for gelato as a refreshing treat or post-meal dessert?  Gelato Lab is your next stop.

They have take out pints.


Or, in scoops.  


18 Days Coffee Roaster
Looking for quality coffee?  18 Day Coffee Roasters will exceed your expectations with their wide-range of locally-sourced coffee beans.


Bibi-Waf
Bibi-Waf has a creative take on its savory and dessert waffles.


Ground Floor

Nina's Sweet Delicacies
Coming all the way from Bulacan is Nina's Sweet Delicacies.  It is a sister-company of Eurobake.  According to the staffs, Nina's is actually the name of their daughter.


They offer free taste of their famous Inipit.

 Actually, the Inipit is a new discovery for me.  This is what Bulacan is famed for.  It's a light chiffon sandwich with a sweet and creamy custard in between.


Eurobake is also famous for their Malolos Ensaymada.  I have now marked this as a perfect potluck contribution.

There are more shops in store so check Elements Hall at Rallos soon.

Elements Hall 
No. 27 Scout Rallos, near corner Scout Tobias,
Quezon City, Metro Manila

Having a heavy craving for meat that needs to be satisfied, I somehow ended up at Fat Daddy's Smokehouse in UP Town Center Katipunan.

It's been a long time since I've gone back to UP Town Center and it was so much different from my last visit.


I initially intended to explore more of it.  But, the menu at Fat Daddy's is so extensive that my dining experience was already more than satisfying.


Fat Daddy's occupied a huge portion of area space at UP Town Center.  It has a nice western vibe.


The displays are cute.  They also sell merchandise in case you're interested.

Food

Starters

♥ Hot Pork Poppers (175 php)

Before you proceed to the heavy course, Fat Daddy's recommends you to have some starters first.

♥ Crispy Fried Pickles (185 php)

I also recommend that you don't skip this part because their starters are really good and fun to munch with your companions while waiting.

♥ Fried Chitlins (185 php)

 I can't keep my hands of these Fried Chitlins!  It's so addictive you'll forget about guilt. =p

Set Meals

♥ Smoked Pork Ribs, ♥ Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Pulled Pork, Smoked Hotlinks and Smoked Chicken BBQ with coleslaw, pickles on the side an our choice of side: Mashed Potatoes

I think we got to  try every meat dish and sides on the menu.  My top picks are: Smoked Pork Ribs, Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Chicken BBQ and Mashed Potatoes.

Sides

♥ Hot Mess (170 php)

I really love the Hot Mess.  The texture of the mashed potato is comfortingly smooth and the savory flavor complements it well.
 

♥ Mac and Cheese (170 php)

The Mac and Cheese is also one of the best I've had!  

Desserts

♥ Pecan Pie (250 php)

I know it is a difficult thing to do but definitely save room for desserts!  This Pecan Pie is the best pecan pie ever!!!

Peach Cobbler (250 php)

The Peach Cobbler is a bit sweeter than the Pecan Pie.  

♥ Bacon Smore's Dip (250 php)

If you're with a group, a must order is the Bacon Smore's Dip.  It comes with a chocolate lava inside.

Drinks

♥ Lemonade (150 php)

To refresh and cleanse your palate, the Lemonade is a great choice.  Although if you're saving, I think you should just skip this because the price is not reasonable.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Overall, Fat Daddy's is the place to go to when you're craving for smokey and savory meat!  Better bring your food squad because its best to share so you can try all their variants and see which fits your liking like we did.  I think the only thing that will hinder students from frequently revisiting this place is the pricing.  It is a bit beyond a student's staple allowance.

I've tried Moonleaf Tea Shop at a stall before.  But, it's the first time I'm visiting their store.  

It has a garage-type front and within it is the store.  It has an al fresco area where I noticed a lot of students with laptops and cigarettes are stationed.


The ambiance inside is more to my liking.  The air-conditioning is very good and they have free WiFi.

They also sell cookies and cakes.  The set up is similar to upscale coffee shops like CBTL and Starbucks.
 

Maple Milk Tea

While some of my companions tried their best-selling Wintermelon Milk Tea, I tried their new limited edition Maple Milk Tea which they just launched this December.  I initially requested to have mine at 25% sweetness level but I'm told it would be lacking in taste so it has to be at least 50% or more.  It was pretty good because it's a whole new experience although the sweetness kind of grows on you as you drink.  I'm told it's not just maple syrup and milk tea.  Their secret recipe includes more spices.  

I've asked my friends who tried both the Wintermelon Milk Tea and Maple Milk Tea at 100% sweetness level which is better.  Some liked the Wintermelon Milk Tea more saying the Maple Milk Tea is sweeter.  While, some said it's vice versa lol.  So I guess, you have to try it out for yourself and decide.

Where to Eat in Maginhawa
Big B Burger
Casa Quesadilla
Chilli and Ink (Closed)
Cocina Juan 
Galli Village Cafe
Homies Pinoy Fried Chicken
Katz Diner
Moonleaf Tea Shop
Pipino Vegetarian Food by Pino
Sancho Churreria Manila
The Iscreamist

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Moonleaf Tea Shop in Maginhawa is the kind of place I want to chill while surfing the net.  Too bad it's far from home.   If I'm in the area, I'd drop by and try more of their drinks cause I think I still have to find one that soothes my taste which is less sweet.