Gong Cha Cebu

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"Gong Cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me," is what the boyfriend sang out when we first passed by the Gong Cha branch in SM City Cebu. It's pretty catchy, I must admit. Often, he would even sing it for the rest of the day while shopping in SM, which gives you an LSS.

I realized that we have to try Gong Cha, because it's a new milk tea place and there were many people lining up. We were able to order their milk tea, however, on the second time we passed by.

Gong Cha is a Taiwanese brand that already has a steady stream of followers here in the Philippines. They already have many branches in the world. The branch in SM is Gong Cha Philippine's 19th branch.

We got the Gong Cha Winter Melon Milk Tea, which is one of our ultimate milk tea flavors for every tea house in Cebu. It tastes just like the usual winter melon flavor. It reminded me of Heart Tea's own Wintermelon Milk Tea, which costs about half of Gong Cha's. I also wasn't impressed with their pearls. We found it too hard and a struggle to chew them all. I wasn't even able to finish all of my pearls.

Gong Cha's bestseller: House Special Milk Winter Melon Tea

The next time we went back, we tried their bestseller which was the Gong Cha House Special Milk Winter Melon Tea. We weren't expecting much from it because we didn't really love their other milk tea. However, we were wrong. It was REALLY good. It tasted just right with the perfect sweetness and flavor in it. It's also refreshing with every sip. It was just like heaven. The boyfriend referred to it as being "raw." It's like your all the stresses inside you are relieved with every sip. It's now one of my most favorite milk teas here in Cebu and it's worth the money.

Although Gong Cha is on the expensive spectrum among the tea houses in Cebu, I think some of their teas are worth the price, especially their bestseller. I can't wait to be back and order another Gong Cha House Special, but still the winter melon tea.

Tell me what you think of Gong Cha's teas and comment below. :)

It's Terrific at Tea-rrific

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Okay, the title sucks. I just wanted to sound witty, which obviously didn't work out for me. Anyway, I think you guys may have passed by Tea-riffic in SM City Cebu. It's a small cart located at the lower ground floor near Chester Enterprises. A friend, Athena, suggested this place before. I've passed by the cart a couple of times already but never had the chance to get a cup of their tea.

the menu.

It was good that the boyfriend suddenly wanted to try out their tea. I just came from Starbucks earlier, so I declined the tea invitation. The boyfriend did get his tea, though. He tried their wintermelon milk tea grande for P65. Not that bad, really.

wintermelon. yum!

I like the taste of their tea. The ice is not really that smooth nor is to hard. I love its texture. My only issue with their tea is their tapioca. I don't really know if I'm too picky or the pearls are too weird for my taste. It's just too hard and gooey for me. I think I got too used with the soft pearls from Bubble Bee Tea House.

They also offer a whole lot of different tea flavors. It can be a good option especially when you want to just chill out on a hot day. It's also a healthy way to do so.

*photos taken with Lucky Super 200 x Minolta Maxxum 3 (FILM BABY!)*

The New Bubble Bee Tea House (SM Branch)

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If you've followed this blog long enough, you probably know that the boyfriend and I loooovee Bubble Bee Tea House (BBTH). It's definitely a great place to hang out and drink bubble tea. For some reason, Bubble Bee Tea House seemed to have disappeared from their place in SM a few months ago. The boyfriend and I were pretty disappointed. It was where we usually stayed when we got too tired from walking around the mall. Not having BBTH in SM was really weird for us. We felt so out of place.

However, our despair is already over. We were so happy that BBTH is finally has a new spot. They're now right beside F21! How cool is that? I got so excited when we saw the new BBTH. They still have the same fun design that I love. But, the new place is smaller than their previous one. I like the lounge-y feel of their former stall. However, their new interior is also great and funky.

The new BBTH counter.

The old tables and chairs retained.

What I like best about this new place is that they are already serving food and other desserts. What took my attention is the Oreo Mudpie Crepe. This is new to their SM City branch. Bubble Bee Tea House in SM used to serve drinks alone. We wanted to try out their crepes for weeks already but we were just so unlucky. Prior to this post, we've tried visiting them five times in the hopes of tasting their crepe but to no avail. It was only yesterday that we've successfully ordered the crepe.

Their crepe definitely looks yummy. It's so pretty that I don't want to eat it. I just want to stare at it the entire time, honestly. It certainly is as yummy as it looks. Although I am not a big fan of crepes, I would say I really love their version. It's really worth every peso and the Oreo crumbs add texture and that sweet taste.

Me and the crepe.

Although they still serve pretty much the same menu like they did before, they've increased their prices a bit. They've increased P5 to P10 on their drinks. They also don't have their matcha slush anymore to the boyfriend's dismay. I also like matcha but I'm not as sad as the boyfriend is.

On our first try. No crepe, unfortunately.

A tip to those who want to try out their crepe and other food, visit them on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays as their attendant said. They don't usually serve on Mondays to Thursdays due to some functions at the main branch. Just inquire from their friendly cashiers and attendants regarding the schedule.

* Photos of me taken by the boyfriend. :) *

OT: The Old Spaghetti House

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I've been wanting to go the Old Spaghetti House in SM City Cebu for a really long time. Although the both the boyfriend and I have wanted to go there, we never found time. Most often, we get to go to other restaurants instead.

For the boyfriend's birthday, we planned to go to a local Filipino resto. However, when we were already on the way there, we felt like neither of us feel like eating crispy pata which is the specialty of the resto. We debated for a while and landed on the The Old Spaghetti House. There are never a lot of people there which makes it a desirable place for dinner.

One of the coolest-looking pizzas I've ever seen.

I really like the ambiance of the place. It has a vintage and homey feel that makes you think of your mum's cooking, not that my mother likes Italian food. Their furniture and decors remind me of European bed and breakfast. The restaurant is cozy. They have nice and attentive waiters. You don't have to wait a long time for the food, which is a plus. You get served five minutes after ordering.

Nachos.

We got their Five-Cheese Pizza, Nachos Supreme, Lasagna, and White Sauce Carbonara. I have to say that they really have great food. They were all yummy. Their pizza had thin crust which the boyfriend love. It was also fun since the slices were in strips. It looked cool and it was definitely good, especially if you are a cheese lover like the boyfriend. I love TOSH's nachos! The salsa was just so yummy. If only our own homemade nachos tasted like this. It was probably the easiest food to finish. It just took a minute or so to finish all the chips. It was that good.

Mi lazagna. ♥

The boyfriend's carbonara.

I ordered the lazagna for myself. I think it tasted even better than I expected. I like how soft the cheese was but not too soft that made it difficult to eat. The boyfriend got himself the carbonara. Their carbonara was also really good, though I'm not much of a carbonara fan. 

Green tea (matcha) shake.

Mango shake.

That night, we were so full that we postponed our supposed gelato date. I really love TOSH's food. However, I wasn't able to eat to my heart's content since I wasn't feeling much of myself. I was a bit sick that I couldn't really eat so much and I couldn't really feel the joy of eating. I'd love to go back to The Old Spaghetti House next time and have the same meal again.

After eating everything. 

PS. We spent a grand-ish for our dinner. Not really that affordable but 'twas worth it.

Gluttony Day at Gelatissimo

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The boyfriend and I love Gelatissimo. It's our favorite gelato. I think I've mentioned Gelatissimo in some of my blogs about ice cream.

Last November 18 was Gelatissimo's third year anniversary and they were giving a 50-percent discount on their cones and cups products. It was something that the boyfriend and I wouldn't miss even if the new Forever21 was opening as well. Note: We went to the SM branch not because of F21 (but I was happy to have dropped by F21), but because the boyfriend is not much of a  fan of the Gelatissimo Ayala's service.

Anyway, we got ourselves three flavors in a cup each. Instead of paying 180 for each cup, we just  paid 90. So we decided to get two cups and we had them for a price of one. How cool is that?

I got tiramisu, green tea, and creme caramel. The boyfriend on the other hand had rock melon, lime and choco dip.

The boyfriend's rock melon, lime and choco dip.

My tiramisu, green tea and creme caramel.

One thing I like about gelato, especially Gelatissimo's, is that it's very creamy and full-flavored. You could really identify the difference from your ordinary ice cream. Although it's a bit pricey, it's worth every scoop. You can really taste the flavor instead of just the sweetness.

The boyfriend with his empty cup in hand.

I wish every day was Gelatissimo's anniversary. LOL. :))

Nano Ice Sramble

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When I was younger, I used to envy my friends who were allowed to buy ice scramble outside the school. Our school never had those small stalls that sell food outside. The ice scramble vendor used to come by once a week and stayed near Our Lady of Fatima Parish in Basak. 

My classmates, after school, would go running towards the vendor and buy their ice scramble. At that time, I didn't have an allowance yet. I would go to my mother's office which was also in my school and ask for money. But I wasn't allowed to. My mother told me it was dirty and bad for me. I never questioned her. And that was my sad story with ice scramble. 

My first order of Nano. Large cup with mallows, rainbow and chocolate sprinkles.

Since I wasn't allowed to eat, I never tried ice scramble. I don't even know how it tastes like until recently. It was by accident when I first bumped into Nano Ice Scramble in SM City Cebu. You can find their food cart on the second floor near SM Department Store. That was after we (the boyfriend and I) went to a trekking adventure with some friends. I wanted to try it out since it was new. 

The ice scramble in Nano is pretty much similar (in looks) with that of the ice scramble sold along the streets. But, I really like the Nano version since it has strawberry ice! Yes, strawberry! I just love it (since it's pink). You can also avail of different toppings on your ice scramble. 

Kiddie cup. ♥

Their ice scramble is available in different sizes. Their large cup costs P17. Their regular is about P14 and their Kiddie cup is for P10 only. When you buy any of those, you get a free teaspoon of skimmed milk and syrup (either chocolate or strawberry) over your cup. You can also get additional toppings like rainbow candies, mallows, chocolate strips and others. The toppings usually vary depending on the availability.

Top view. Mallows, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate sprinkles and strawberry syrup.

I really like the Nano ice scramble. I like the strawberry flavored ice since it's easier to eat. Although the ice isn't perfectly shaved it doesn't hurt the tongue that much when you start digging in. I also like the toppings since it made eating the ice scramble easier and more fun. I just cannot finish the regular one with just the limited amount of toppings. I prefer the kiddie cup since I can finish everything without much problem.

The Nano Ice Scramble Food Cart in SM City Cebu.

I like the idea of having ice scramble in the mall. At least my mother won't be asking much about the sanitation and others. I think this is also a good way of letting the kids experience ice scramble without any sanitation risks. But, the street version is truly a Filipino way of having ice scramble. I'll probably try one next time.

The Banana Way

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I love bananas! I love banana cakes, banana jam, fried bananas. I love everything and anything about bananas. And, we got lucky because we found this stall last weekend. Guess what? They sell bananas! You hear me right. Bananas in the mall!

I was really ecstatic when I found their stall in SM City Cebu. The boyfriend and I were waiting for a friend to come out from Odyssey when we saw picture of a banana covered in green syrup (he likes green). So, I knew he wanted to try. Well, the bananas looked tempting so we gave it a shot.

Frozen banana with green apple syrup and candy sprinkles.

We bought three bananas from Frozen Dipped Bananas on Stick. For P25 you can already get a banana with a syrup or your choice and a dip of your choice. The boyfriend opted for a green apple syrup and candy sprinkled. I chose chocolate syrup and chocolate sprinkles. My friend got chocolate syrup and candy sprinkle for her banana. 

I can say it was really good. It's like you're biting the usual candy coated sweets, but you're tasting bananas in the inside. It definitely is a healthier way to candies. The syrup and the sprinkles were sweet and the banana somehow neutralized the sugar.

Frozen dipped bananas in a cup. With wafer sticks!

We didn't get pictures that time since we just came from a thrifting trip downtown. So, the boyfriend and I decided to come back soon and get some bananas soon. Since I felt so down the other day, I decided to grab some frozen dipped bananas (and Bubble Bee!). 

The boyfriend still got the same banana with green apple syrup and candy sprinkles. On the other hand, I got bananas on cup which cost P45. If you are getting the cup, you will be able to choose two syrups and two sprinkles for your banana. I picked strawberry and chocolate syrup added with candy and chocolate sprinkles. It also looked cute!

What's left of my bananas in the cup. LOL.

They didn't really have any place to eat your bananas, so we went to Bubble Bee Tea House.We tried the bananas and sadly, they tasted weird. They felt squishy. The syrup and sprinkles still tasted great. But, when you get to the core (the banana part), it was sloppy. 

The previous bananas we got from our last visit were great. I think the bananas are starting to rot or maybe they're overripe. Nevertheless, trying it out was really good. I'd still buy one next time. I hope it'll be a better tasting banana.

My dipped bananas with my ultra fave Almond Tea. Yum!

If you are also interested, here is a sketch to their stall. Forgive the awful sketching skills.

It's near the staircase. I hope you get my sketch though. xD

Bubbly Tea!

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One of my most favorite places ever to hang out is Bubble Bee Tea (BBT) House in SM City Cebu. It is an inexpensive way to cool down and just chill when you find yourself drained with all the walking in SM. For about P 100, you can already order yourself a queen (size) slush with pearls. Their drinks here are sweet. So, if you are craving for a frap-ish drink with sago, then BBT is the place to be.

The Bubble Bee Tea House in SM City Cebu. (Photo Credits: Bubble Bee Tea House Facebook Page)

There never is a single week that I fail to visit Bubble Bee Tea House. My boyfie and I would consider their slush as a life extenders. This is a joke actually. But, we both love their drinks here. We are regular customers here to the extent of even knowing the clerks/waiters. It’s funny because they already know us and would greet us even if they are not in their stall. They already know what we like so they would even order for us.

Another nice thing about BBT is that you can plug your laptop while sipping your slush. This is one of the many reasons why I love it here. Plus, you are also able to use SM’s free wi-fi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our favorites. Matcha and Honey Dew Slush! ♥

My favorite slush flavor (evar!) is Honey Dew Slush. This is probably what I would always order every time we go visit the place. Honey dew is sweet and fits those people who have a high tolerance for sweet (like me!). Matcha slush is perfect for those who like Bo’s green tea frap. BBT’s matcha is very similar to that of Bo’s except for the pearls.

The photo above is their queen sized slush. Each of those only cost about P100. It’s not that heavy on the budget. They also have a smaller slush, bumble, which only costs P85.

BBTH logo on their table.

The Bubble Bee Tea House SM branch only offers drinks to its patrons. They have different flavors and different types (series) of drink to suit anyone’s fancy. They have the milk tea series, slush series, tea series, hot tea series and, their newest, the fresh fruit slush series. For the drinks menu, just check out here.

BBT’s hot tea series is also good. Their Almond Milk Tea smells like bubblegum. I honestly get a high with just a whiff of it.

The yummy pearls.

Bubble Bee Tea House has a main branch which offers not only drinks, but also yummy food as well. Although I have’t really been to the main branch because every time we plan it out something bad happens, the ambiance is said to be cool. You can check out their updated menu at their Facebook page.

Note: This is a repost from my other blog: thesweettotheddiaries.wordpress.com. I'm moving in to Blogspot! :)