Back when we were little kids, life was slow and relaxed.  I still recall when my little sister would cheat our siesta time and play as soon as our yaya would step out of our room.  Oh, how we miss those days when we were the ones refusing to sleep and now it has become a luxury we could barely afford.   And caffeine  become our allies in coping with our responsibilities.  We grew to love coffee and tea.  My little sister even admits her coffee addiction.

After our pleasant experience at Akiba Cafe's first branch in Megamall last year, my little sister and I were quite excited to try the wider selections at their second branch at Ash Creek.  Ash Creek is just on the opposite side of Madison Square in Greenhills. 


The store is very visible along Ortigas Avenue.  It has adequate parking too.  According to my other little sister, it's more convenient to drive through and grab a quick drink here in the mornings before going to work. 

The place was spacious and cozy.  It has lofts and a bar type table on the side too. 

Drinks

Classic Hot Kohi

Tokyo Cappucino Regular (110 php)

Little sis ordered the Tokyo Cappucino which she loved before.  Being particular with coffee, she told me that it wasn't as strong and aromatic as she remembered.

Flavored Hot Kohi

Mt. Fuji Kohi Regular (140 php)

Craving for more caffeine, I ordered a Mt. Fuji Kohi for little sis because she raved about it before.  But since this had more cream than the Tokyo Cappucino, it was lighter. 


Caffeine-Free Chiru

♥ Black Sesame Chiru Regular (140 php)

While my little sis is loyal to the familiar drinks, I opted to try something new with the Black Sesame Chiru.   I've always been a black sesame fan.   I've tried black sesame mochi,  mochi ice cream (Mochi Creme and Mochiko), ice cream (The Cake Club and Hongkong Roast) and macarons.  But, this is my first time to try it as a drink.  Upon first sip, I instantly fell in love with the perfect blend of texture and flavor from the crushed sesame and cream. 
 

♥ Cookie Butter Chiru Regular

Ever since the Cookie Butter became the latest food trend, many have dared to infuse cookie butter to every form thinkable such as doughnuts (Krispy Kreme and Go Nuts Donuts), cookies, brownies and all sorts.  But, none have dared to go as far as making it into a drink like Akiba Cafe's Cookie Butter Chiru.  I have to admit, I expected it to be thick and heavy but it turned out to be silky smooth and effort-less to gulp.  You haven't enjoyed the best of Cookie Butter until you've tried this!


Trifle Drinks

♥ Matcha (Green Tea) Trifle Tea Regular (110 php)

Although I was delighted with the new chiru offerings, my heart will always belong to Akiba Cafe's Matcha (Green Tea) Trifle Tea.  It's a must order for me in every visit.


Katsu Donburi

♥ Tori Katsu (325 php)

Little sis tried the Tori Katsu and loved it!  She let me try so I could join in with her on her gleeful episode.   Indeed the crunchy golder brown coating and the tender and succulent chicken meat was impressive.

♥ Rosu Katsu (325 php)

The Rosu Katsu was also to rave for!  The crunchiness is as sensational as the Tori Katsu.  The pork meat was chunky yet juicy and tender.  Little sis said she liked this compared to Katsu Cafe's Pork Katsu which was obviously made out of grind pork meat.
 

♥ Tamago (25 php)

Who doesn't love egg?  This umami rich food is captivating in whatever way it is prepared.  But, never have we been overwhelmed with eggs until we tried Akiba Cafe's Tamago.  It has the fluffiness of cotton candy, puffiness of marshmallows and yet, runny yolks!  Seriously, my home-cooked scrambled eggs is nothing compared to this.  I can't help but wonder how they make this!

Classic, Teriyaki, Japanese Curry, Garlic Wasabi, Seaweed and Parmesan (55 php/additional sauce)

I personally find the plain katsu a satisfying viand on its own.  But, the sauce made it even more irresistible.  Every sauce had its own flare but we had our favorite pairings.   For us the best match for the Tori Katsu is the Teriyaki while the best match for the Rosu Katsu is the Japanese Curry.  We're guessing that the Garlic Wasabi, Seaweed and Parmesan would definitely complement the Sakana (Fish)  Katsu well.

Cakes
s

♥ Banoffee (80 php)

♥ Banoffee (80 php)

I've been wanting to try their Banoffee so this time finally gave it a try!  I usually find a Banoffee too sweet for my threshold but this one swooned me over.   The rhapsody of texture of the light and smooth cream, slippery and mushy bananas, thick and chewy toffee, heavy and crunchy crust is superb. 

Japanese Cheesecake (120 php)

Too bad we couldn't share the same enthusiasm for the Japanese Cheesecake.  Our expectation of a Japanese Cheesecake would be soft, light and creamy like that of Mother's Crepe or Tokyo Cafe.  Instead we got this... It was hard and not in a good way like that of my favorite Sarah Lee Butter Pound Cake but in a stale kind of way.  And, the thick crust was even harder.  Little sis didn't want to eat another spoonful of it so I had to gobble it up on my own which was not a problem for me thanks to the of delicious drinks. 

♥ Sweet Potato Cake (130 php)

Little sis will never forgive me if we ended with that so I suggested that she try the Sweet Potato Cake was one of my favorite cakes at Akiba second to the Green Tea Cheesecake.  As expected, she loved it and we were all smiles as we went on our way home.  


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Akiba Cafe has always been a great choice for drinks and cakes.  Now, it got even better with its delicious meals.  That's what I love about Akiba Cafe.  There's always something worth coming back for.

Taza de Oro Food Garden has the typical Chinese ambiance.  It had red walls which matched with its red seats, large round tables, Chinese lanterns, cold cuts display and an aquarium of fresh fishes.

Despite having eaten at traditional Chinese restaurants all my life, it is actually the first time I ate at one with the company of fellow foodies instead of family.  As we sat on the big round table, I suddenly remembered my family.



Soup

♥ Hot & Sour Soup L (490 php)

I'm sure I've mentioned before the Hot & Sour Soup is my favorite.  I always drink it with a tinge of black vinegar.  I was so glad that our hosts decided to order it for us.  Taza de Oro Food Garden's version is delicious!  It had a generous amount of mushrooms, tofu, bamboo shots and roasted pork strips.  Although I personally prefer it with more chili, this got me hooked.  If I were dining with my family and close friends, I would probably ask for a refill before the servers took away the big bowl still with a lot of soup.  What a pity because I was too shy. =(


Pork

Braised Patatim with 12 pcs. CuaPao (680 php)

We all loved the Braised Patatim with 12 pcs. CuaPao.  The Braised Patatim was served hot and it was so tender and tasty.  The Cuapao was perfectly soft and moist.  I filled as much meat in my CuaPao as I could.  Yum!


Chicken

♥ Golden Butter Chicken L (460 php)