Melrose & Morgan

The sunlight peeps through the curtains and welcomes me to a beautiful Sunday morning, and as I open my eyes, I smile at the thought of a breezy day outside. I curl under the comforter for a few more minutes, then get up to take a shower.

I choose to wear a pale yellow sundress and pair it with green ballet flats. I pick up my journal and my sunglasses, then step out the door, breathing in the fresh cool breeze.

Basking in the sunlight, I make my way to Melrose & Morgan with a joyful bounce in my step. The smell of freshly cooked food filled the air as I near the store, and I can’t wait to see what goodies they have prepared this morning.

“Good morning, miss!” I am greeted by the friendly people who run the place. I smile broadly and ask enthusiastically, “What are we having today?” I see an array of delicious food as a warm middle aged man recites today’s menu to me. I choose the Roast Tomato, Spinach, and Parmesan Tart, the Bacon and Cheese Tart, and a Wild Rice Salad, and I get my favorite freshly squeezed orange juice too.

I decide to go to the park and enjoy my lovely breakfast there. Not many people are present, which is weird for a Sunday morning. “Maybe they decided to sleep in,” I thought to myself. I pick a picnic table under a beautiful tree and start eating my salad, savoring every bite. As I take the first tart out, I get my journal too and start writing about this beautiful morning that I’m having, taking small bites of the phenomenal pie in tart between thoughts.

Ahhh, the makings of a glorious day.

I stop daydreaming and start writing this post.

–

This  daydream was sparked by Melrose & Morgan.

S’mores, please!

These look so good, I wanna cry. Craving for s’mores!!!

(from here)

(from here)

Graduation Dinner & Earth Hour at Le Soufflé

My mom, grandpa, and I went to Le Soufflé, The Fort after my graduation last night. It was unfortunate that their Top of the Citi branch was closed. I wanted to go there because they claim that it has a great view of Makati City.

We arrived at the restaurant in time for Earth Hour and I was pleased to find out that they supported this campaign. The place, lit with candles all around, looked very inviting. We were seated after a couple of minutes of waiting even though we didn’t have a reservation.

I don’t remember exactly what I had because I decided to order the set menu for the day after having a really hard time browsing through the menu with a votive candle in hand. The 4-course meal started with an endive salad, followed by a cream soup, then sea bass for the main course, and a banana and mango crepe for dessert. I let my mom have the dessert because I wanted to get a soufflé. The food was good, but not spectacular. Mom ordered a lamb shank and Papa had strip loin. I think they both enjoyed their choices.

A few seconds after serving my dark and white chocolate soufflé, they served me with a slice of cake as congratulations. I ended my graduation dinner with a glass of Taittinger Brut Champagne, which, upon seeing its price on the receipt, made my heart skip a beat. :-/

I would go back to Le Soufflé for the excellent service and to give it another shot to delight me with its food. I won’t order so hastily when I go back.

Spreading McLove

Cocoa Steamer - Lovin' it! It was served with a heart-shaped froth in time for Valentine's day!

I’ve never been a big fan of hot chocolate. It used to be that even just the thought of it would make me cringe. But a couple of months ago, Genine couldn’t stop talking about McCafe’s supposed delectable take on this classic drink – the Cocoa Steamer. I thought, “Hmm, that sounds inviting”, so I agreed to come and try it with her. The opening of McCafe in Katipunan couldn’t have come in a more perfect timing.

I loved it.  It was rich in just the right way – satisfying my palate with every sip but still leaving me craving for more.

I like leaving everything as is – the froth on top sort of filters the rich and thick concoction so that when it reaches my mouth, everything is rightly balanced. Plus, I like looking down at the perfectly stenciled ‘M’ against that fluffly bed of white. Imagine my delight when last Friday, I ordered a cup and was served the one in the picture above! It’s usually just a perfect circle. Heehee.

At 80 Pesos a (regular) cup, I’m perfectly happy with this good find.

Not so Blissful Belly

Two Fridays ago, Genine and I finally tried this vegetarian place along Xavierville Avenue. It’s been on our list of restaurants to dine in because let’s face it, who wouldn’t be lured by the name, Blissful Belly? As food lovers, that’s all we want our bellies to be.

The small place was packed when we got there. A good sign, we thought. The food must be great! We settled on a small table beside the door and were immediately confused as to how and where to order. We saw a lot of people crowding around the counter, so we copied them. Turns out it was self-service. Five steaming pots were on the counter; one had brown rice, and the others, vegetables cooked in different ways.

I remember feeling very uncomfortable. I wasn’t used to that kind of set up, and more importantly, the servers weren’t efficient and friendly. When we got our meals, which, in fairness, had generous servings of veggies, we walked back to our table, excited to have blissful bellies!

Halfway through the meal, I whispered to Genine, “I’m not so blissful.” And she said she wasn’t too. We had sour looks on our faces, disappointed and a hundred and ten bucks poorer. The food was healthy, of course, but there wasn’t anything special about it. If we wanted to eat normal veggie meals, we would have eaten at home instead. As if we haven’t had enough, we ordered a slice of carrot cake. Again, disappointment filled our tummies. It was a sad, sad lunch meal.

I asked, “So, are we going back [to this glorified carinderia]?” I got a firm NO.