Choosing The Perfect Coffee Maker

If you aren't actually awake until your first cup of coffee, it's important that you buy a good, high-quality coffee maker to perk you up and prepare you for the day. But how can you tell the difference between excellent and good enough? Here are three tips for finding that perfect coffee maker.

1: Determine Your Budget
While you can find standard, single-drip machines for under $20, the price of fancy coffee makers can quickly escalate into the hundreds. Decide right away how much you're willing to spend to make a great cup of joe.

2: Form A Shortlist of Desired Features
Unless you are prepared to shell out major bucks for a five-star coffee maker, you'll probably need to prioritize what you want most in terms of features, preferences and add-ons. For example, do you like pods or percolators? Will you be dark-roasting a lot of your beans? Do you need espresso making capabilities?

A percolator from my previous post.

3: Read The Warranty
Since coffee makers are usually turned on with bleary eyes and one hand, it isn't at all uncommon for things to go wrong. Before you commit to a purchase, make sure you've read the fine print and understood what can and can't be guaranteed, replaced or refunded.

These are just three things to consider when looking for a coffee maker. There are many more, but you won't actually fall in love with a machine until you've felt it with your own hands, so get out there and go shopping!

J. Co Donuts and Coffee

Those are complementary Glazzy Donuts from J. Co. Yep, I did not pay for a single centavo for that donut and I was a very happy receiver. Earlier, we ordered that Frappe and several other dozens of a variety of donut flavors from J. Co. It was actually my first time to go to a J. Co store and we were very fortunate that there were no lines at their Greenbelt branch. Which meant that we were not pressured at ordering and we could take our time choosing the donuts we'd love to try. Well, we ended up buying almost every flavor, we got 4 dozens of donuts and a box of 24-pieces JPops.

J. Co Donuts and Coffee deserves to be on everybody's pasalubong list, considering not only the fact that it is something new and not well available in the provinces, but also because it's delicious and they really have good flavors, too. They also have some healthy choices like the Green Tea donut. A dozen of J. Co Donuts cost P550 at discounted rate.

If you're not in the mood to carry gigantic boxes full of donuts, there is a very good alternative for that - J. Pops! J Pops are tiny cake/donuts that cost only P250 for a box of 24. J Pops are very convenient to carry, and I have noticed that these tiny donuts doesn't dry out that much even if you store them in the refrigerator for 3 to 5 days! Unlike the bigger J. Co Donuts which are best consumed on the day, the J. Pops stood the test of time.

And by the way, that Frappe is one heaven of a drink. I must say that J. Co Donuts and Coffee Greenbelt branch is also a good place to hang out. Just time your visit on off-peak hours because it could really get crowded and queuing would become a challenge at certain hours.

Thanks to J. Co for my free Glazzy Donut. (--,)

Hanoi Vietnamese Cuisine at Abreeza Mall

Do you want to try Vietnamese cuisine? 

Vietnamese cuisine encompasses the foods and beverages of Vietnam, and features a combination of five fundamental taste elements (Vietnamese: ngũ vị) in the overall meal. Each Vietnamese dish has a distinctive flavor which reflects one or more of these elements. Common ingredients include fish sauce, shrimp paste, soy sauce, rice, fresh herbs, and fruits and vegetables. Vietnamese recipes use lemongrass, ginger, mint, Vietnamese mint, long coriander, Saigon cinnamon, bird's eye chili, lime, and basil leaves. Traditional Vietnamese cooking is greatly admired for its fresh ingredients, minimal use of oil, and reliance on herbs and vegetables. With the balance between fresh herbs and meats and a selective use of spices to reach a fine taste, Vietnamese food is considered one of the healthiest cuisines worldwide. Source: Wikipedia.

Here in Davao City, your cravings will be satisfied by Hanoi Vietnamese Cuisine located at Abreeza Mall. Here are some photos we took during our lunch at Hanoi:

Pho is a known Vietnamese dish that means noodle soup with beef, chicken, or seafood.

Pho Tai - P250

Pho Tai is basically a noodle soup with slices of semi-cooked beef and topped with spring onions. The beef is cooked from boiling broth of spices. Hanoi Vietnamese Cuisine serves Pho Tai with bean sprouts and basil leaves, this is a confirmation from the Wikipedia article quoted above. The noodle soup is a little sweet.

Here's also one of my favorite dishes from this restaurant:

Suon Ram Man- P220

Suon Ram Man is caramelized pork. I love this dish, it's sweet but it's still perfect to be paired with a cup of rice. The meat is so tender and juicy and delicious.

And of course, to conclude our lunch is this Vietnamese Brewed Coffee....

Vietnamese Brewed Coffee - P90.00

If you're wondering where the coffee is, it's in that white cup. The thing on top of the cup is a percolator. Basically, your coffee is being brewed right at the cup. Just add sweetened milk to your desired taste.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Blueberry Cheesecake Overload

Please don't consider this as an eyesore. I really love blueberry cheesecake, and I was so glad that I got this slice of blueberry cheesecake at a discounted price from Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL) last month. I used the vouchers that may be found at the CBTL journal.

My choice of drink is this Original Iced Mocha. I love that it's not too sweet. And I don't mind the cream, by the way. And there's a snapshot of that blueberry cheesecake that I was talking about earlier.

All those blueberry goodness on top!

Don't you want to take a bite?

This is seriously one of the best blueberry cheesecakes I've eaten!

I could not exactly say if this cheesecake was baked or not.

A visit at the CBTL would never be complete without a hot cup of coffee.

There you go, some really lovely (?) photos just to make you drool. I'll be going back to CBTL soon to claim my March voucher treat: Free Iced Tea for every purchase of sandwich. (--,)

A Taste of Blugre

Choco Torte with Cream Sauce

Blugre is one of the top places that I go to whenever I have some visitors who are coming to Davao City. Because Davao is known for Durian, I'd like my visitors to have a taste of the famous fruit. So what if my friends have their own prejudices about durian and wouldn't want to experience the pleasure of eating it? We have a lot of alternatives in Davao including Blugre's Gatchpuccino and Larcepuccino

Cheese Roll Bites

Gatchpuccino is the old name of the famous hot durian coffee drink, Durian Capuccino, it's cappuccino with a shot of espresso and is Blugre's signature drink. If you want an ice-cold durian drink, you can go for the Larcepuccino, which is the cold version of the Gatchpuccino. Larcepuccino is my favorite!

Tuna Cheese Melt

Aside from coffee, a lot of desserts are also being served by Blugre. During our visit at Blugre Gaisano Mall of Davao, Ms. Joanne B. Siy, the VP for Operations of Blugre gave us a taste of their Cheese Roll Bites, Choco Torte with Cream Sauce, and Tuna Cheese Melt. We were also served with Iced Raspberry which instantly made friends with my taste buds.

Next time you visit Davao, be sure to drop by the different branches of Blugre in Landco Corporate Building, Gaisano Mall of Davao, and Matina Town Square. A new branch will soon open at HMPC Davao Doctors College Building on February 28, 2013. See you there!

Java Jive

Java Jive is the newly-opened coffee shop along Quirino Street, Davao City. It has been warmly welcomed by Davaoeños who love good coffee, good food, and good music.

Java Jive is Davao's newest coffee, tea, soda, and music abode. It is open 24 hours a day and 7 days a week. What's great about Java Jive, aside from their menu, is that they promote the local Davao talents.

As a non coffee drinker, I enjoyed my healthy alternative - fragrant Jasmine Green Tea.

Java Jive serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even midnight snacks! It's very convenient to have a 24/7 food place right in the heart of the city.

Having relaxing live music while sipping your drink is so much better than Sitti's album bossa nova replayed endlessly. You can even jam with the singers if you want to. *wink*

That's Java Jive from across the street, lighting up a part of Quirino Avenue. Java Jive is located at 1.18 Centron Building, Quirino Street, corner Gen. Luna Street, Davao City.

Like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thejavajive

The Hot Light is On

Krispy Kreme will finally open its first branch in Mindanao tomorrow, October 20, 2012, 9:00 A. M. at SM City Annex and this will be followed by the opening of a second branch on the same day at 12:00 noon at Abreeza Mall, all in Davao City.

Here's what happened during Krispy Kreme's VIP Cocktails Night:

Kids wearing their KK hat helped us do the countdown before the the first KK branch is unveiled.

Two lucky persons got the Golden Ticket. They each have the privilege of getting free doughnuts and coffee for one year. That's a dozen doughnuts per week! They're very lucky!

Invitees were privileged to get a Krispy Kreme treat: you can choose to eat any of the KK donuts and try any of their drinks. I chose the Chocolate Chip Kruffin and Caramel Latte while a lot of guests ate the Original Glazed doughnuts. 

The night's host, Bb. Pilipinas - International 2007 Nadia Shami
with John Bretana of the Davao Bloggers

A KK staff, who looks a lot like one from Ghostbusters, was distributing Krispy Kreme's signature coffee.

 Kids had the chance to design their own donuts.

This lovely girl shows off her own Krispy Kreme doughnut creation.

A KK fan happily posed in front of our camera.

The KK family is not mindful of the crowd. They served us with big smiles. Ang gaganda at ang gu-guwapo ng crew!

Tell us your KK experience!

Café France: More Than Just Your Usual Coffee Shop

Looking for a place to hangout, relax, and spend time with your family and friends? A coffee shop is a place to be! But if you’re tired of eating just cookies, cakes, and desserts with your coffee, fret not because Café France is now here in Davao with its pilot store outside Luzon located at the 2^nd Floor, Manila Bulletin Building, corner Rizal and Ponciano Streets, Davao City.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I haven’t seen any coffee shop in the metro serving fresh bread. But in Café France, you can choose among the different bread recipes made from authentic French flour and following French standards.

Being more than just a coffee shop, Café France also offers a wide array of pasta and sandwiches, along with rice meals widely loved by Filipinos. Café France offers fresh and healthy food choices which are either baked or cooked on site.

If you’re not so much into coffee, you can never go wrong with their freshly-made Red Grape or Mango Loco. Both are not only delicious, but nutritious as well.

My top picks:

Tray Couture: Pierre (P290) Savor their Seafood Marinara made with the most tender shrimps I’ve ever tasted, with the freshest tomatoes to boot. The Seafood Clubhouse is made mainly from crab sticks. The pumpkin soup, cleverly placed in what I call as a “shot glass,” is also very creamy and delicious. On top of these yummy treats, you also get a piece of chocolate nibble for dessert.

PIERRE
Left: Cafe France Official Photo
Right: My Pierre shot during the Cafe France Media Brunch
Notice how the bread sticks were substituted with baguette chips

CHICKEN MEDITERRANEAN
Left: Cafe France
Right: My sister's Chicken Mediterranean
Notice how you can choose between pasta with bread  and rice

Drinks: I can’t choose between Red Grape Frappe and Mango Loco. This grape shake is not your typical grape-flavored-powder-juice-drink. It’s made from real red grapes.

Watch out for the opening of two new branches at the Upper Ground Floor, Gaisano Mall of Davao, and at The Peak, also in the same mall.

C’est la vie!

Zabadani

It's nice to be back in Zabadani after almost 2 years of not visiting the cafe. A lot has changed and improved, one of which is the newest branch located in The Peak, Gaisano Mall of Davao.

I used to go to Zabadani for the internet (yes, it had around 5 computer units 2 years ago). It was an internet cafe slash coffee shop slash Middle Eastern cuisine when I first stepped inside that cozy cafe in Ponciano, conveniently located at the back of the University of Mindanao. I used to frequent this place when I was attending law school. I was a coffee addict then, and their layered coffee was one of my favorites. Now that I've cut back on my cafe, Zabadani is still here offering their Bruschetta, Kebabs, Beef Squares, and the rest of their menu. Just recently, I tried their flavored yogurt smoothie (try Macadamia!) and it became my instant favorite! 

More photos will be uploaded soon, with caption, of course. I forgot the correct names of the food that we ordered but I'm sure the one on the topmost of this post is Beef Stew. I'll be updating this once I get the correct names. Ciao! (--,)