The COVID Pandemic has made us realize how we can be consciously or subconsciously affected by everything around us.  The months of confinement made us yearn for the psychological comfort of once again being able to go out.  Fortunately, we can now (with safety measures) go out once again and chill at our favorite cafes like Cafe Mary Grace.

Well-known for its Ensaymadas and Cheese Rolls, Mary Grace has become one of the fastest growing local food brands.  Even during the pandemic, it has continued to open more kiosks and cafes. All of its kiosks and cafes have the same interior which we love.  It just charms us to coziness each time.  The yellow lighting, floral and ceramic decors and the homey furniture and fixtures harmoniously makes it one of the most beautiful and cutsie cafe in the Philippines.

Food

The cafe menu covers all types of meals from breakfast to after-dinner snacks. 

Crispy Cassava Chips with Onion Dip (205 php)

Since we wanted to take our time and enjoy our meals slowly, we first ordered the Crispy Cassava Chips with Onion Dip for starters.  This is our first time to try this and it was surprisingly good!  So good that we dare say that the Onion Dip is as addictive as the more famous Spinach Dips or Artichoke Dips.

Hearty Soups

Seafood Chowder (190 php)

The Seafood Chowder has the right blend of creaminess, richness and chunkiness to make it the appropriate warm and comforting soup that prepares the belly for a heavier meal.

Salads

Fresh Kesong Puti & Calamansi Vinaigrette (288 php)

The Fresh Kesong Puti & Calamansi Vinaigrette is a refreshing salad to try as it incorporates local ingredients.  The kesong puti is fried and breaded but not oily at all.  It was so much fun to eat.

Mary Grace Caesar Salad (360 php)

 The Mary Grace Caesar Salad is the classic Caesar Salad done right.

Tomato- Based Pasta

Pasta Amatriciana with Meatballs (320 php)

This is the first time for us to encounter a pasta with Amatriciana sauce.  Based on our research, the Amatriciana sauce is a sauce named after the town of Amatrice and is actually one of the most famous pasta sauces in Italian cuisine today.  While we couldn't verify how near it is to that one you can find in such town, we enjoyed this Pasta Amatriciana with Meatballs as the red sauce was rich in spices with a tinge of savoriness and tanginess.

Cream-Based Pastas

Classic Carbonara (315  php)

The Classic Carbonara is one of Cafe Mary Grace best sellers.  Everyone who has tried this has loved this.  We're sure you would too!  Enough said!

Pizzas

Margherita (498  php)

Cafe Mary Grace pizzas are thin and chewy dough crusted topped with fresh and premium ingredients such as its home-made tomato.  We opted for the classic Margherita which was a great compliment to our other orders.

Freshers

Homemade Iced Tea

Apple, Cinnamon Tea and Honey (95 php)

Premium Coffee & Teas

Peppermint Iced Mocha (185 php)

After our meal, we stayed for coffee.  The Peppermint Iced Mocha was a hit among us.

Cappuccino Regular (120 php)

If you're the plain-type of tito or tita, you can go for the hot Cappuccino.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cafe Mary Grace is one of the best cafes in terms of ambiance and food quality in the Metro Manila.  We can see this cafe chain as one that would expand with more branches in the future. 

Whenever the family would crave for affordable Asian comfort food in our neighbor Robinson's Place Mall, we all know that our destination would be Recipes.


Recipes now has 9 branches with this Greenhills 8 Missouri branch just newly opened.

What sets this Recipes branch apart from the rest, it that it has Specialties and Sweets.  Specialties and Sweets is their sister company that offers pastries.


The cakes are great desserts. 

Just looking at the chiller, you will surely find them enticing.

The cookies and cakes are also a good match to their teas and coffee. 



Food

Chicken

♥ General's Chicken (225 php)

For me the General's Chicken style is similar to the Korean Fried Chicken or Manang's Chicken.  What I like about this is that the thigh fillet are neatly cut into chunks so you don't need to grab them with your hands.  The sweet-spicy sauce is also not overwhelmingly strong so you can eat this along with other viands.  It also has eggplant slices that complement in terms of flavor and texture.


Vegetables

♥ Vegetable Kare Kare (175 php)

The Vegetable Kare Kare is my favorite.  I'm a huge fan of kare-kare and Recipes does it right.

♥ Gising Gising (190 php)

The Gising Gising is so good and crave-worthy!  Sometimes, I would dine at Recipes simply just for this.  The right amount of spiciness that goes well with the coconut milk, savory flavor from the pork meat and pleasurable crunchiness from the chopped baguio beans makes this Gising Gising dish so irresistibly good.

Seafood

Crispy Tilapia (225 php)

I'm very picky with the tilapia fish.  I can only count by hand the tilapia dishes I like.  And, this Crispy Tilapia is one of them.


Drinks

Fresh Fruit Juice: Ripe Mango (88 php)

Coffee

Cappuccino (100 php) with Complimentary Cran-Date Nut Squares (Christmas Promo)

 Specialties and Sweets

Calamansi Tart (140 php)

The Calamansi Tart is a really tangy.  Best to eat it with the sweet meringue top if you can't tolerate sourness. 

♥ Barako Brownie with Vanilla Sauce (160 php)

The Barako Brownie with Vanilla Sauce is to die for!  Perfect sweet meal-ender.  Bravo!!!

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Recipes and Specialties and Sweets is a great duo.  Now, you have a reason to drop by not just for the meals but for the sweet treats!

After a dinner in the Makati area, my little sister insisted that we should have some coffee.  We googled for a coffee shop nearby and Commune popped up.


I've heard a lot of raves about Commune in the social media.  I was expecting it to have an ambiance like the mainstream coffee and tea shops.  But, it turned out to be quite simplistic.  It intentionally had mix-matched chairs.  

Some portions have high tables with high stools.  I liked the interiors especially the dangling lights.  However, the lack of sufficient air-conditioning made me uncomfortable. 

The cupcakes didn't seem to entice any of us so we didn't try any.

Hot Drinks

Cappuccino (99 php)

My little sister ordered the Cappuccino and requested to have a 3D latte art.  We were happy with the latte art but the coffee was just average.
 

Cappuccino Decaf (120 php)

Cold Drinks

Iced Cappuccino (130 php)

I ordered the Iced Cappuccino which was very diluted for my liking.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I don't understand what the hype over Commune is.  Perhaps, we should try their food to appreciate?  Or, this turns into something extraordinary during weekdays?  I'll probably only revisit if I'm looking for a hang out place in the area as the price is pretty decent.

Tsok.Nut Batirol had a simple ambiance with a native Filipino feel.  It had wooden tables and semi-rattan chairs.



Cool Blends

Iced Cappucino (95 php)

Cakes and Pastries

♥ Tablea Cake (95 php)

♥ Tablea Cake (95 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict


Tsok.Nut Batirol RCBC Plaza Map