Looking at the sign, my little sister was quite reluctant thinking its just another milk tea shop.  But, as we came in, we were all surprised that the place was spacious and quite elegant.  


They served milk teas, yogurt and meals.  Since we already ate our lunch, we simply ordered their milk teas. Their pricing is on the premium side matching those found on the malls especially since they charge separately for the toppings.  Luckily, it was my little sister's bf treat. =p

Like all other milk tea shops, you can choose your toppings and the sweetness level.

♥Paris Rose Milk Tea Tall (95 php), ♥Hokkaido Milk Tea Tall (95 php) and Passion Fruit with Perilla Tall  (80 php + 15 php)

Milk Tea Series

The Paris Rose Milk Tea Tall (95 php) had rose syrup with a strong green tea base.  The natural flowery sweetness from the paris rse syrup contrasts the green milk tea well so I really enjoyed this to the last sip.

The Hokkaido Milk Tea Tall (95 php) is also very good.  I just noticed that their black tea is not as fragrant as their green milk tea variants. 

Matcha Green Milk Tea
The Matcha Milk Tea Tall (95 php) was too milky for my taste.  I would prefer a stronger concentration for the matcha itself. 

Fruit Tea
My little sister choose the Passion Fruit with Perilla Tall  (80 php + 15 php).  She found the green tea and the citrus flavor of the passion fruit too strong for her preference so she was not able to finish her drink.  She also did not like chewing on the Perilla. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
TeaTap Cafe offers fragrant milk tea for tea lovers.  You can assure that the price you pay is for a quality milk tea.  A single sip with leave you a lingering flavor and scent.  I really enjoyed my drink.  I'll probably try more when I'm in the area.  I hope they open more branches so its more accessible.  Maybe on my next visit, we can try their meals too.

As I observed the place, I begun to understand why it was called "Cafe by the Ruins".  All over the restaurant, you can visibly see the parts where ruins still lie.  The ruins are damaged with bullet holes but are still sturdy and stable.


We sat near the counter where we could smell the fragrant fresh-baked pastries.  I also watched as the servers scrambled to cater to the huge demand of rushing customers.  While waiting, we bought some breads for us to bring home.


The cafe is surprisingly very spacious.  The structure is mostly made of wood with artistic lighting hanged on its wooden foundations.   There were also photos plastered on its wooden walls.


Origamis are also used as decorations.  Atop each wooden table is a napkin holder and some flowers.  


As we sat, we all had the menu placed on each of our wooden place mats.

Food

Breads and Spreads

♥ Ernie's Kamote with Herb Cheese (80 php)

We couldn't resist the tempting scent surrounding usso we ordered Ernie's Kamote with Herb Cheese.  It was served warm so the flavors and fragrant was delightful.  We enjoyed its soft and moist texture. 

We bought one of this and the Malunggay Bread for my family.  To my surprise, they were not able to appreciate as much as we did.

Ensaymada (80 php)

The Ensaymada for me was good but not proportionate to its price.  I personally perfer Mary Grace's compared to this.  

Soups

♥ Kalabasa Puree (100 php)

The Kalabasa Puree was thick and sweet just the way I liked it.  It is topped with garlic croutons which is a great complement.

Salads

♥ Baguio Bounty Salad (285 php)

Cha Dao Tea Place is a small kiosk with three small wooden tables and matching wooden benches.  It had a yellow green theme which I find very pleasing to the eyes.  It also reminds me of green tea leaves which I find adequate for a milk tea store.

Black Milk Tea L (50 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cha Dao Tea Place is a great place to hang out because its cool, clean and cozy.  Students are lucky to have an affordable place to hang out in.  As low as 50 php, you can buy a cool cup of tea.  At their price, even students can easily buy a cup or two.  A cup of tea is a good caffeine boost for any lazy class day.  It is also a good source of anti-oxydants.  The staffs are also very friendly.  They are very happy to serve and they attend to you in a quick manner.  But since the space is quite limited, it might not be able to cater to all its customers during their peak hours so there's no choice but to take out.

Indoor Waiting Area

Outdoor Waiting Area

The out waiting area is not as extravagant but I love the simple homey feel.  



They had a store for souvenirs by the annex just before the kitchen.


Just beside our table, we saw this framed collage of clippings where Halo Halo de Iloko was featured.   We've heard it has been featured in a lot of TV shows too and many celebrities have visited there.  Of course, that got me even more excited.

Food

Halo-Halo

♥ Buko Halo-Halo (170 php)

I ordered the Buko Halo-Halo which is the a halo-halo composed of Ube Ice Cream, Ube San Gabriel, Yema Pandan, Milk, Pastilla de Leche, ube, macapuno, cereal, langka, kaong and shaved ice.  What makes their halo-halo special is that the ingredients are all the best from the Ilocos region.  It also came with a glass of buko juice.  Not only did it look cute with a mini umbrella and a leaf decoration, it was delicious too.  

Panciteria

♥ Palabokano (150 php)

Kurt ordered the Palabokano which is their home-made palabok with home-made longganisa bits, leeks, egg, chicharon and vegetables.  We both agreed that this was a great innovation.  It made the ordinary version of the palabok more savory.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Halo Halo de Iloko serves an awesome halo-halo and other dishes that will surely satisfy you.  But, the most important part when dining at Halo Halo de Iloko is the ambiance.  Stay and be enthralled at its magical atmosphere.  Their pricing is very affordable too.  We will surely visit here again when in the area.

Their sign is well lit and the menu with price and imagery will surely entice passers by to try it out.  Upon entry there is a counter in front which I could not comprehend why since they don't adopt the pay-as-you-order system.  Perhaps, they are expecting take-outs and deliveries where customers will order upfront.  


The interiors are simple like a typical downtown noodle house.  It made me feel as if I was in Chinatown when this is located in the middle of Malate.  It had a orange and white color scheme.  It looked clean and cozy despite its simplistic appearance. Despite the lack of air-conditioning, it was well ventilated.  There were only around 10 tables.  Every orange table has six matching orange chairs each.  The tables are equipped with chopsticks, sauces, napkins and even the menu. 

I have observed that their customers are from all walks of life.  Some customers are foreigners while the others are locals who are even wearing their comfortable homey clothes.  

Food

Dongbei Chives Dumpling (99 php)

Each order of the Dongbei Chives Dumpling has six pieces.  That's a good deal because you could tell by your first bite that they are made fresh with quality ingredients.  The shell is silky and easy to chew.  The meat with chives is so moist that its juice that pours all over your mouth.  

Braised Beef Lami (129 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Qian Do Lami Hand Pulled Noodles is a good place to go for a satisfying quality meal.  The meals they offer are really cheap that it can even compete with the prices of fast food chains.  If ever we end up in this side of the area, we will definitely drop by here again to try out their other offerings.  I'm looking forward to trying more of their Donbei Dumplings.  This is indeed a good find for us.  

The bar area is easily noticeable with its adequate lighting.  It has a couch in the area by the side while the rest of the space is for partying.  


The dining area is bigger housing numerous black tables and cushioned seats.  Each table has a glass of bread sticks.   

Food

Insalate

♥ Degli Imperatori (290 php)

Il Ponticello's version of caesar's salad with olive oil based dressing over crisp lollo rosso and iceberg lettuce with bacon, croutons, onion rings and parmesan cheese

Minestre

♥ Al Pomodoro (180 php)

The Al Pomodoro is a thick, fragrant and zesty tomato basil soup.  The spices complements the tomato-base well.

♥ Ai Funghi Porcini (235 php)

I loved the  Ai Funghi Porcini  which is a porcini mushroom cream soup.  The soup was able to bring out the holistic taste of the porcini mushroom. 

Patata E Porri (160 php)

The Patata E Porri is a light potato and leeks soup.  It was good but the other soups outshun this one.

Primi

♥ Tagliolini Con Le Capesente (545 php)

The Tagliolini Con Le Capesente  is one of the best pastas I have ever encountered.  Not only is it aesthetically appealing, it was delicious with its seafood cream sauce too.  The soft and succulent shrimps and the scallops made the experience even better.  

Secondi

Pesce Al Vino Bianco (490 php)

The Pesce Al Vino Bianco  is fish fillet sauteed in white wine and extra virgin olive oil with lemon butter sauce.  Although I enjoyed the taste, it felt a bit dry for me.

♥ Picatta Petto Di Pollo (380 php)

The Picatta Petto Di Pollo  or pan-seared chicken breast in white wine and mushrooms is a must-try for mushroom lovers because of its sumptuous sauce.  The chicken meat is tender and juicy and the chicken skin is savory.

Contorni

Spinaci Saltati (78 php)

The Spinaci Saltati is simply sauteed spinach with garlic.  It was nothing special but worth ordering if you want to have greens for side dish.

Caponata Siciliana (95 php)

The Caponata Siciliana  is an eggplant stew that is worth the try.  The tomato-based sauce and sweet eggplant chunks go well together.  

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Il Ponticello may be known for its bar but the food is pretty good too.  Like all other restaurant and bars, I find the pricing to be a bit heavy on the pocket.  But, I assure you that they have excellent dishes that's worth your money like the Tagliolini Con Le Capesente.