True Blends the Strip is the new tea and coffee place right beside Medical City and Mercury Drug Store at The Strip Complex in Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City.

With its luminuous blue and white sign that's visible along Ortigas avenue, it's easy to spot when you're in the area. 

True Blends the Strip has a fast and reliable WiFi and parking spaces which makes it a great place to chill especially during this hot summer season.

It has a modern casual interiors with a few seating capacity since most of its customers order to go.  During early afternoon, the place could get pretty crowded. 

Drinks
What differentiates True Blends the Strip from other milk tea shops is its resealable cap.  It's not tight-sealed unlike the rest so that you can have it adjusted or corrected so you can enjoy your order.  

Milk Tea Blends
All the Milk Tea Blends comes with FREE pearls.  You can add or change the toppings though if you like. They have Coffee Jelly (15 php), Fruit Jelly (15 php), Egg Pudding (15 php), Crystals/Nata (15 php), Milo Balls (15 php) and Mallows (5 php).

Chocolate Milk Tea Venti (75 php) and Royal Milk Tea Venti (60 php)

For starters, you can try the classic Royal Milk Tea which is made from black tea and is the most common milk tea blend commercially available.  The price is quite affordable because the grande is sold at 50 php and you can upgrade it to venti by adding only 10 php.  But for those who are chocoholics like me, try the Chocolate Milk Tea.  The chocolate is rich and bold but it still has a hint of black tea in it. 

Taro Taro Venti (90 php)

I'm generally not a fan of taro milk tea although I love Quickly's Super Taro Ice.   I've tried  taro milk tea at other milk tea stores and none of them was able to impress me.  But, this has turned the tables around.  Perhaps, its because of the Taro Taro's special scoop of ice cream that made the flavors richer and cooler. 

Green Tea Series
I really love the aromatic flavor of green tea so I've tried most of the Green Tea Series.  All Green Tea Series comes with FREE crystals/nata. 

Berry Green Tea Venti (65 php) and Lychee Nata Venti (65 php)

The Berry Green Tea has a sweet berry flavor with a refreshing green tea after taste. On the other hand, the Lychee Nata is mellow and light.  I think it's the perfect thirst quencher for a hot summer day.

 

Passionfruit Venti (65 php) and Green Apple Tea Venti (65 php)

I also appreciate tanginess so I liked the Passionfruit too.  But, the most popular one in the Green Tea Series is the Green Apple Tea.  Even kids love the soothing blend of apple and green tea. 

Cheese Cloud
For non-tea lovers, fret not because True Blends the Strip has a special Cheese Cloud selection just for you.

Oreo Dark Choco Cheese Venti (110 php)

I've heard lots of people raving over the  Oreo Dark Choco Cheese so I decided to give it a try too.  The cheese cloud is light, creamy and not too salty at all.  It does wonders to the bitter sweet dark chocolate.  


Yakult Series w/ QQ

Peach-Mango Venti (95 php)

The Peach-Mango yakult delivers an exquisite taste of tropical fruits with the perfect tanginess of the yakult.  I'd say the balance is spot on.


Sandwiches

Garlic Stuffed Bread: Ham and Cheese and Double Cheese (25 php/piece)

This is my latest cheap eats discovery!  For only 25 php, you can try the warm Garlic Stuffed Bread in either Ham and Cheese and Double Cheese.  I personally prefer the Ham and Cheese.  I'd recommend this affordable snack to the students and employees within the area.

Hazelnut-Banana (55 php)

The Hazelnut-Banana is highly recommend for nutella addicts.  I also like how they serve their sandwiches crisp like a panini. 

Clubhouse (90 php)

The crowd favorite is the Clubhouse.  It's a whole healthy meal in itself with lettuce, tomatoes, ham, egg and cheese at a very reasonable price of 90 php.


Sausages

Schublig (120 php)

You should try the Schublig too.  It's a real meaty one that will surely satisfy your appetite.  

True Blends the Strip Delivers 
True Blends the Strip offers FREE delivery within the area, you can check their covered area below. 
 

True Blends The Strip Promos
When you purchase a venti, you can ask for their loyalty card and upon collecting 10 stamps, you get one FREE. For more updates and promos like them at https://www.facebook.com/trueblendsstrip or follow them on twitter https://twitter.com/trueblendsstrip  They also encourage their customers to share they pictures in instagram using hashtag #trueblndsstrip.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
True Blends The Strip is a must visit tea and coffee place when you're in the Medical City vicinity.  With their wide range of variety and drink personalization service, I'm sure you'll find a drink that will satisfy you.  Their pricing is really affordable so drop by or call for delivery and try it out yourself.  

  

Slappy Cakes is a franchise from Oregon Portland and has branches in Tokyo, Japan and Maui too.  It is an all-day breakfast restaurant with a "Make Your Own Pancake Right at your Table" concept.

Slappy Cakes in Eastwood City Mall has an inviting bright orange signage.  I heard it replaced O'sonho.


The servers are all wearing the orange Slappy Cakes shirt with white long sleeves consistent with their color scheme. 

The place is well-lit highlighting each table equipped with non-stick pancake grills that could seat up to 8 people.  I could tell from the set up that its recommended for groups.


Make Your Own Pancakes

Step 1: Choose Your Batter

Peanut Butter (260 php), Vegan (260 php), Whole Grain (225 php), Buttermilk (225 php) and Chocolate (260 php)

So your batter is like your jumbo pencil to your edible art work.  Each one has its own flavor, consistency and texture.  We just couldn't limit ourselves and tried them all!

♥ Peanut Butter (260 php)
I don't recall having tried Peanut Butter batter before.  This is worth the try!  The flavor is light which is good because you do have a whole bottle to consume.  The consistency is perfect for drawing too.

Vegan (260 php)
The Vegan doesn't have any milk in it.  I was kind of expecting this to taste like the usual batter but it has a bit of a saltiness to it.  This is a bit more diluted compared to the rest.  So if you're going to use this, a gentle squeeze will do.

Whole Grain (225 php)
The Whole Grain has a pleasant roughness to it.  It's perfect for making slightly toasted and crispy pancakes.  I enjoyed it as a drawing tool too.

Buttermilk (225 php)
The Buttermilk is your classic batter.  I'm afraid that's all I can say about it.

♥ Chocolate (260 php)
The Chocolate is my favorite!  It has a bold rich bitter sweet flavor.  It kind of taste like a brownie but twice as fun with the make your own pancake experience!  It also adds color to your pancake plate.   But, using it to draw could be quite challenging.

Step 2: Pick Some Fixins and Step 3: Add Some Toppings

Bacon (80 php), Maple Syrup (45 php), Blueberries (75 php), Mangoes (60 php) and Chocolate Chips (45 php)

They had a lot of fixins from fresh fruits like Mangoes, sweetened ones like Blueberries to savory ones like the Bacon which you can add to your batter while cooking.

For toppings we had the classic Maple Syrup (80 php) and Lemon Curd (80 php).

one bottle of batter can make a lot of pancakes so take your time.  You can practice making plain simple ones at first.

Or better yet, you can start by writing your name or messages. 

You can form shapes too.  I found the heart shape to be the easiest one to make. 

And, this is my "butterfly" turned "Easter bunny" Multigrain and Peanut Butter topped with Blueberries and Mangoes pancake.  My friends say it looks like a "deformed fetus". =)) Whatever it is, it ended up in my tummy.  ;)

Bacon (80 php) and ♥ Assorted Mushroom (70 php)

From the Savory Fixin, I attempted to make my savory pancake.

Heart shaped multigrain and chocolate with bacon and mushroom pancake.

Blueberries (75 php) and ♥ Lemon Curd (80 php)

I also tried the menu suggestion to make Blueberries Pancakes and after cooking top it with Lemon Curd.  It was pretty good.  The Lemon Curd is quite tasty so a thin spread is enough.

Sumi's Pancakes

Sumi has always been the creative one in our group.  You can make cute ones like these too for you and your better half.

The Foodies Circle Collaborative Piece

You can transform the grill into your canvass like we did.  Here's a collaborative piece we made. =)  I'm gonna try making a butterfly again like Berylle's next time. ;D

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Slappy Cakes is a fun definitely a must try place for slappy happy fun moments to cherish with your friends and loves ones.  Aside from pancakes, they serve breakfast meals too.  The staff shared that the Truck Stop and Pork Belly Benedict are their best-sellers.  I'm going to try those on my next visit.  Oh, they also have alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages which are available even in the morning.  They believe that its never too early to drink!

As much as I love to walk on dry pavement very now and then, I just can't stand the humid feel in this blazing hot summer.  I often find myself craving for cold sweet treats and thanks to my friend Sumi, I got to try out Masatami Shave Ice once again. 

This humble yet artsy wooden hut is located at the outdoor areas of SM Mall of Asia.

Hawaiian Shave Ice
I found it quite interesting to watch them make my order.

♥ Rainbow Shave Ice with Snow Cap and Vanilla Ice Cream (55 php + 10 php + 20 php)

As soon as my order was handed to me, I couldn't help but smile with excitement over the huge Rainbow Shave Ice with Snow Cap and Vanilla Ice Cream.  It was very visually appealing with its colorful flavors.  It's actually kind of cute.  If a guy wants to impress his girl with a sweet tooth, I'm sure she'll be pleased if he buys her this.
 

♥ Rainbow Shave Ice with Snow Cap and Vanilla Ice Cream (55 php + 10 php + 20 php)

I've tried snow cones before but this has got to be the best I've tried yet.  I loved spoonful and slurps of this.  The snow cap really upgrades this to another level.  I also love the smooth and creaminess that the vanilla ice cream delivers. 

Flavored Shaved Ice

♥ Buko Pandan with Pearls and Nata de Coco Large (85 php + 8 php + 8 php)

I really love Buco Pandan. And, this Flavored Shave Ice version is simply delightful that I'd definitely like to have it again.

♥ Buko Pandan with Pearls and Nata de Coco Large (85 php + 8 php + 8 php)

I'll try this with Azuki Beans like their menu photo next time because sadly, they ran out of it.

Flavor of the Week

It's kind of cool that they have a Flavor of the Week selection so you can always look forward to trying something new.

Nutella Large (140 php)

If you're among the many Nutella fans, you'll certainly like this.  It captures the nutty goodness of Nutella with an addition of peanut bits. 


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I highly recommend Masatami Shave Ice as a must stop for a refreshing cup of shave ice this blazing hot summer.  Their cold sweet treats are great for sharing too.  But, its so good you might wanna get your own. 

Being near our neighborhood, we're been passing by Armada Hotel Manila for quite some time now.  Yet, it was only when my friend invited me for lunch did I discover that there is an authentic Thai restaurant called Raja Thai Cuisine located at its mezzanine floor. Armada Hotel Manila used to be Centara Hotel, a Thai hotel chain.  Thus, it holds a Thai specialty restaurant. 

Thai Cuisine is one of my favorites so I'm glad to add my dining experience at Raja Thai Cuisine to my food memoirs. 

Raja Thai Cuisine is very visible from its surrounding glass windows. 

The interior is simple but classy with its hardwood ceiling and walls accented with Thai prints. It has a nice window view.

Table set up is fine dining.

It has an open kitchen so you can observe the busy chefs preparing your Thai dishes.  I'm told that their head chef is Thai too.


Food

Appetizers

♥ Kai Hor Baitoy (Deep Fried Chicken Wrapped in Pandan Leaves) (270 php)

The Kai Hor Baitoy is boneless chicken marinated in Thai herbs, wrapped in pandan leaves and cooked deep fried. It is served with a lightly spiced chili sauce topped with sesame seeds.  Raja's version of this Thai classic does not disappoint.  The chicken bits were tender and tasty.  

Soup

Tom Yum Koong (Spicy Prawn Soup) (475 php)

The Tom Yum Koong is my favorite Thai soup.  I've tried this in almost all Thai restaurants I've been too.  I must say that all I've tried are different from one another.  This one has a dominant galangal ginger flavor with a slight hint of kaffir lime, lemon juice and chili.  It had generous portions of mushrooms and medium prawns. 

Salad

♥ Yum Som O (Spicy Pomelo Salad) (435 php)

For salad, we had my favorite Yum Som O which is a spicy pomelo salad with shrimp, sliced shallot, mint leaves, coconut, roasted chili paste, garlic, chili and coriander leaves.  It was seasoned with fish sauce and lemon juice so mix it well before eating so you can enjoy the balance of spiciness, saltiness and sourness.  I really loved this so I'm proud to say that I finished almost everything in this platter.

Curry

♥ Kaeng Kiewan Kai, Nuea Moo (Thai Green Curry with Chicken) (455 php)

I've learned to love even the bold tasting curry dishes.  But for beginners, I always recommend the Kaeng Kiewan Kai, Nuea Moo or Thai Green Curry with Chicken because the taste of green curry is light and mild.  In addition, the coconut milk makes it even lighter to the palate.  It has red chili, red bell peppers, egg plant and basil leaves too.  This is another one of the better dishes we've tried.

Prawns

Koong Khatiem Prik Thai (Prawns in Garlic and Pepper Sauce) (605 php)

The Koong Khatiem Prik Thai is stir-friend medium prawns with garlic and pepper sauce.  This was my first time to try this but it failed to give off any memorable impact.

Pork

Moo Phad Khing (Pork with Ginger) (305 php)

The Moo Phad Khing is stir-fried sliced pork with spring onions, ginger, capsicum, chopped garlic, chili, onion, black mushroom, seasoned with fish sauce, oyster sauce and soya sauce.  Taste-wise this is fairly appealing to any diner.  But, I wish the meat slices were not so tough to chew on.

Noodles

Phad Thai Koong (450 php)

The Phad Thai Koong is phad thai noodle with medium prawns.  This is a usual staple for me when visiting a Thai restaurant.  In terms of flavor and ingredients, this has exceeded my expectations.  But, the texture of the noodles could still be improved.  

Fried Rice

Dessert

Khao New Mamueng (Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Milk) (280 php)

I just love Thai dessrts!  The Khao New Mamueng which is mango sticky rice topped with coconut milk is so refreshing that I finished this in a jiffy.

Drinks

Pineapple Smoothie (169 php)

The Pineapple Smoothie is the perfect drink for the season. 

UPDATE (June 21, 2013): We ate here again and ordered Preaw Waan Pla (sweet and sour fish), Chicken Satay, Pork Curry and Water Chestnut in Coconut Cream.  The family loved the authenticity of the dishes.  It completely overturned my first impression and we're planning to dine here again.

Update (Sept. 30, 2013):  Spotted a new Korean band called "N.O.M" while dining here with their guide. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Raja Thai Cuisine offers the luxury of fine dining, rooftop window scenery and Authentic Thai cuisine.  Considering it is located in a hotel, it does come with a price.