I got to try some drinks at Black Canyon Coffee and International Thai Cuisine one time.  I noticed that they had some food offering which garnered international awards so I vowed to come back and try their dishes.  

P.S. In the past I've been focusing more on the Bonifacio Global City side.  A few months ago, I got to try Amici in Venice Piazza and noticed that there are also a lot of restaurants blooming in McKinley Hill especially in Tuscany Estates.  I'll probably try more of the new restaurant concepts here next time because parking is FREE! XD
Since I rarely go out with the family, I am usually the one who gets to choose where we should eat out.  So one time, I decided to go finally revisit Black Canyon Coffee.  The family didn't seem convinced that they have any interesting dishes because the "International Cuisine" part on the sign is almost negligible and the place looks like a typical coffee shop.  

This poster on the outside is the only hint that they served food

Upon stepping in, we were asked if we're dining in and then ushered to a table on the first floor.  She then handed the menu which implies that the counter would probably be for take out of drinks and cakes.  What about for drinks and cake orders that are dine in?  


We passed by a chiller with some cakes.  But, these cakes are not on the menu so we forgot about them as soon as we were seated. 


The first floor has a casual dining area with black tables and chairs.  There are loft-type seats on one side and typical lounge or coffee shop couches with small tables by the window side. 

The second floor is more of a cozy-type.  It's closed since we've been told that its used exclusively for functions but I happen to pass by just for the restroom. 

Food


Salads

♥ Grilled Black Pepper Salmon Steak Salad (242 php)

We tried to order those recommended on the menu but there's just so many of them. XD One of them is the Grilled Black Pepper Salmon Steak Salad.   This is a sensational salad because of the perfectly grilled salmon that's almost pillow soft and oh-so-flavorful!  Although I've had grilled salmon so many times in my life, I never thought it could be as awesome as this!  You can Choose your salad dressing: Japanese Sesame Dressing, Chilli Lime and Salad Cream.  We chose the Japanese Sesame Dressing which was a great complement.

Curries/Soups

♥ Spicy Prawn Soup (Tom Yum Goong) (230 php)

The Spicy Prawn Soup (Tom Yum Goong) is marked as being internationally awarded for many years.  It is well-deserved!  It's has spiciness brings out the various flavorful spices instead of overpowering it.  It's got generous portions of soft prawns and mushrooms too.

Ala Carte

♥ Stir Fried Curry Prawn, Chicken, Mushroom and Chilli (256 php)

Another recommended dish is the Stir Fried Curry Prawn, Chicken, Mushroom and Chilli.  This is my favorite dish among our orders!  We all loved this. 

Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts (Gai Pad Med Ma Muang Himmapan) (226 php)

The Stir Fried Chicken with Cashew Nuts (Gai Pad Med Ma Muang Himmapan) is my mom's favorite dish so she picked this out.  This has a bit of a spicy kick which I loved. 


Noodles

♥ Thai Style Fried Noodles with Prawn (Pad Thai) (232 php)

The Thai Style Fried Noodles with Prawn (Pad Thai) is another internationally awarded dish.  This is one of the best pad Thai we've ever tried.  Like their other offerings, the flavors of the spices are really brought out and harmonize with each other.


Rice Dishes

Fried Rice with Shrimp Paste (194 php)

The Fried Rice with Shrimp Paste is also very good!  I just wish they had a bigger serving size because we're not used to order fried rice individually. 

Hot Coffee

♥ Cappuccino (120 php)

My brother ordered the Cappuccino.  It is served with a beautiful leaf latte art, cookies and a cup of jasmine tea.  Having tried almost all coffee shops in the Metro, I have to declare this as one of the best we've had!

Caffe Latte (120 php)

Like the Capuccino, the Caffe Latte with rosy latte art, cookies and jasmine tea is just as splendid.  My little sis is more than pleased with this.



Iced Coffee

♥ Black Canyon Iced Coffee (140 php)

The Black Canyon Iced Coffee has a distinguishing rich, bold, roasted and nutty flavor.  I loved it!

Coffee Frappe

Black Crunch Frappe (150 php)

The Black Crunch Frappe is more on the sweet side and lighter coffee flavor.  Although I'm an Oreo fan, I wished the coffee flavor was a bit stronger like the rest.

♥ Cranberry Coffee Frappe (150 php)

The Cranberry Coffee Frappe has the rich blissful blend like the Black Canyon Iced Coffee but with cranberries and whipped cream.


Iced Tea

Iced Lemon Tea (65 php)

I got the Iced Lemon Tea as a freebie for my first foursquare check-in.  Now, this is one of the rare moments where I'd be raving about a house brewed Iced Lemon Tea.   This had a soothing citrus flavor which is not sweet at all.

♥ Cha Thai Yen (Thai Iced Tea with Milk) (90 php)

If you enjoy Thai milk tea like I do, their Cha Thai Yen (Thai Iced Tea with Milk) is a good option.

♥ Green Tea Frappe (140 php)

Among the Iced Tea selections, my favorite is the Green Tea Frappe.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Black Canyon Coffee and International Thai Cuisine offers brilliant dishes and blends making it a great dining, meeting or hang out place.  Did I mention they have a fast and reliable WiFi?  The staffs are very accommodating too.  They also have promos and special menus so avail of that for more savings.  I find their pricing scheme for the food is quite odd because they are not exact.  I also noticed that this branch has higher pricing than their first branch in SM South Mall.  They also have a 5% service charge even for drinks when dined in which is not usual for typical coffee shops. 

Just us we were about to head home, we were all bedazzled by the cute cake display of Tous Les Jours at SM Mall of Asia. We just had to go inside and check it out.

Tous Les Jours  is a French-Asian inspired bakery that originated in Korea.  It currently has over 1,600 stores worldwide.  Its branched quickly blossomed here in the Philippines too with six branches.  Tous Les Jours means every day in French.  This coincides with their slogan "Tous les Jours, serving only freshly baked bread. Fresh Bakery, Fresh Everyday"



As much as we wanted to take one of these cakes home, none of us wanted to buy one.  All of us are just hopeful that come Valentines Day, a prince charming will come and give us one of these cakes as a Valentine's day gift.  So if you're still thinking of a Valentine gift that will surely win a girl's heart, here's my personal suggestion. =)

So saving our cake craving for a dream yet to come true, we moved on to the pastry section. As we picked up the loaves on the top basket, we noticed that it didn't have any price so we asked the staff.  She said "Oh, hindi po yan binebenta.  Display lang po yan"  (That's not for sale.  It's only for display) Then she took a piece and said "Matigas po oh".  (Look it's hard)

We all laughed because we've been to some pastry shops that display their pastries that way.  We never imagined that Tous Les Jours would be bold enough to use real hardened pastries just for display purposes.  Haha!  It was quite an embarrassing experience but a funny one too. =D

I think its a great idea that their pastries are all packed and sealed neatly.  Cause to be honest, I notice that the usual bread picking system with the tongs in other bread shops are a bit faulty in terms of hygiene and appearance.  I've witnessed how people accidentally touch the bread or mess it up by picking it up with the tong, dropping it or returning it when they change their minds before they reach the counter. 

Apple Pie (48 php),  ♥ Cream Cheese Walnut Bread (128 php),  Multigrain Pan Bread (128 php),     Lets Twist Cinnamon Sugar (18 php), Soboro (28 php) and Sweet Potato Pie (48 php)

I love the Cream Cheese Walnut Bread the most among the pastries I've tried!  The rest were pretty good too.  The pricing is reasonable and competitive with other pastry chains.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Tous Les Jours offers a pastry shop that will surely continue to draw many customers with its adorable cakes and unique pastry varieties.  Unlike other cake shops, they are full of creativity.  It's a brilliant idea for them to create themed cakes according to events and occasions.  After seeing their lovely Valentine cakes, I look forward to visiting it again not just for its pastries but to see what cake designs they have in store for the rest of the year.