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. 

Cafe

Coffee

♥ Mocha (190 php)

Cold Drink (with Vanilla Ice Cream)


All Day Menu

Breakfast

♥ Classic French Toast (370 php)

Southbank's french toast isn't just savy with all the colorful dusts and edible flowers, it is also so delicious that all my companions preferred this over pancakes.  It was an interesting discovery for us that whipped ricotta adds a complementing creamy texture and wholesome flavor to the Classic French Toast.

♥ Croquettes (350 php)

We've always been a fan of croquettes.  We loved Southbank's version comes with  potato, cheese, sous-vide egg and roasted capsicum.

Southbank Pancakes (390 php)

The Southbank Pancakes comes with mixed berries jelly.   You'll love this if you enjoy berries with maple syrup.

Mains

♥ Ricotta Salad (390 php)

The Ricotta Salad is rich and fresh.  Thus, it delivers a perfect combination of  pleasure and healthy eating.

♥ Southbank Burger (580 php)

♥ Squid Ink Pasta (450 php)

The Squid Ink Pasta was another amazing dish to try.  There's a lot of things going on with this pasta dish like some tinge of spiciness, zesty cheese and tangy tomato sauce and they all worked wonderfully well with the squid ink capellini. 

♥ Tiger Prawn Risotto (580 php)

The Tiger Prawn Risotto is a medley of all our favorites: prawn thermidore, mushroom and sun-dried tomatoes so it was instant love upon first taste.  When it comes to risotto, another essential factor is the texture.  As you can see, it is creamy and the rice isn't too sticky, heavy or mushy so it was pleasurable to eat.

♥ Salmon Aburi Bowl (620 php)

Hickory BBQ Pork Belly Bowl (420 php)

The Hickory BBQ Pork Belly Bowl is so tender and deliciously smoky and sweet.  This is a great comforting meal. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict

Saverde is not located on a famous mall or at a main stream corner lot.  In fact, it is found in a conspicuous alley. 

Yet, it is full even on a typical weekday.

It may not look much from the outside, but you'll find it cozy once you step in.


Saverde has a lot of options from food to drinks.  I noticed most customers already know what to order so they could probably tell that we were tourists as we took a lot of time in deciding what to order.  What shocked us was the unbelievably cheap pricing!

If you're a fan of nighttime al fresco, don't you agree this is a decent spot?  It's not as popular as the air-conditioned areas though.

Saverde also has this pink hue function room.

Food

Buttermilk Toast (20 php)

When I first saw this, what I thought was.  Why don't they raise the price?  Are they even earning?  If I ordered a toast like this in any cafe in Manila it would surely be over a 100 php.  Believe me this
Buttermilk Toast is as good as it looks!  I am so willing to pay much more for it.  

Beef Tapa (75 php)

My favorite Filipino breakfast is actually Tapa.  I have a narrow preference when it comes to tapa.  Believe it or not, I am one of the few who did not fall in love with the tapa of famous Tapa chains like Tapa King and Rufo's.  But, I loved Saverde's Beef Tapa.  It looks so gourmet yet check out the price and you'll surely be surprised!

Chicken in a Basket (130 php)

The Chicken in a Basket is a great dish to order for sharing.  Because of the cozy ambiance, I'm sure you and you're companions would want to stay a bit longer.  You can munch on this to enjoy your stay even more.

Ice Blends

Iced Cafe Latte (60 php)

This is by far the cheapest coffee drink I have ever encountered!  I found it to be a bit sweet for my taste because I'm a black coffee drinker but my companions loved this!  Plus points for presentation too right?

♥ Mango Burst (60 php)

For a hot summer day, I can't help but be pleased by the refreshing Saverde  Mango Burst upon first sip!  I truly enjoyed this that I would order this over coffee drinks. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Saverde Coffee Shop reminds us that there are so many homegrown industries out there that deserve to be discovered! When visiting Bataan, check out Saverde Coffee Shop - Bataan's Leading Homegrown Coffee Shop in Abucay, Bataan.