Cafe Travel: what an intriguing name! More than the want for some caffeine, it's the curiosity that got the better of us. So one nippy night, our feet brought us to this cafe along Taft. 


cafe travel taft food review entrance
Welcome to Cafe Travel!
cafe travel taft food review counter
Annyeonghaseyo!
At the entrance, we were greeted by columns of pictures- a must when travelling. Then at a nook, an Eiffel Tower greets plus post and mailbox, an old telephone, jars of trinkets, a big panda and sticky notes on the wall. At some point we don't know how these relate to travel already (maybe the Korean owners traveled far o put up a cafe?) but nevertheless, all these little detail to the cozy ambiance. 


cafe travel taft food review decors
Panda x Eiffel
cafe travel taft food review decors phone
Call me baby!
cafe travel taft food review interiors
Picture Tree
At a glance, it looks like Noriter, even the seats (but with pillows)! And much brighter and cleaner.
cafe travel taft food review seats
Happy place!
cafe travel taft food review cakes and drinks
Food for three!

We traveled to eat so we munched all sweets! Tried Travel Special's Java Chip at Php 180 and Oreo Cookies Cake at Php 170. The drink was good, the Oreo cake was a blast! 



cafe travel taft food review oreo cookies cake
Oreo Cookies Cake
cafe travel taft food review javachip
Travel Java Chip
They tried New York Cheesecake (Blueberry) at Php 190 and Dark Chocolate Cake at Php 170. The latter was not that dark, in fact it's sweet. But hats down to the former. Their NY Cheesecake was oh so good and compact! All were expensive but it's definitely a sweet-tooth-craving-satisfied-kinda-day.


cafe travel taft food review newyork cheesecake
New York Cheesecake (Blueberry)
cafe travel taft food review dark chocolate cake
Dark Chocolate Cake
Only contention were:
  • There's nothing to eat except sweets! Wish they'd offer more
cafe travel taft food review cakes at counter
Sweetness overload
  • Just spent a tad higher (Php 350 compared if we went to the much popular cafes
Overall, their cakes are to miss. And next time, we'd bring around post-it notes.


cafe travel taft food review wall post
Next time, baby
cafe travel taft food review menu
Menu please


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Rating: 4 


Cafe Travel is located at:


Archer's Nook Center, 
2624 Taft Avenue, 
Malate, Manila
After 8 months, it was nice finally #meating 8 Cuts Burger Blends


8 cuts burger blends moa food exterior
In SM MOA
Aside from 8 being a lucky number, the name was such because they boast of 8 cuts of the beef: chuck, rib-eye, short-rib, sirloin, brisket, hanger, flank, oxtail and blended into the ff:


8 cuts burger blends moa food review
So here's the visualization :)
  • House Blend
  • Beef Bomb
  • Ox Blend
  • Big Game
  • Steak Cut
8 cuts burger blends moa food patties
And the blends
As for their interior, eights simple. Just an industrial vibe with pops of blue and red. I must say, I can relate to their concept. Plus, I also love their menu-- informative without being too wordy. 

Made on the spot
8 cuts burger blends moa food tribute menu
Tribute Menu
The first-timer in me tried among their Tribute Burgers. Weighing my options, I ended up with Piggy at Php 255 (at 1/4 lb)- a beef bomb blend patty of chuck and short-rib, yellow cheddar, crisp bacon strips, house-made bacon jam, ioilo rossa greens, garlic aioil ail on a Sesame Seed Bun. 

8 cuts burger blends moa food Piggy
Piggy at Php 255
Tried eating the patty itself, and just like what they menu flavor profile says, it's is fresh, well-balanced, great all-around. Indeed it was fresh, assembled on site, although a bit lacking in flavor. Gorging it altogether, I daresay the combination of the bacon- or maybe the bacon jam added its enjoyable flavor. 


For my drinks, opted for a BB favorite, Salted Caramel Shake at Php 150 (12 oz). The shake was pleasant. Not too sweet but no hint of salt. 



8 cuts burger blends moa food salted caramel shake

8 cuts burger blends moa food shake menu

Overall, it was a fun experience. Should be back for DIY. 


8 cuts burger blends moa food DIY
Next time, boss

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Rating: 4


8 Cuts Burger Blends has a branch in:


G/F, South Wing, 
Mall of Asia Complex (MOA)
Pasay City
Bean Leaf has been a good place to chill so far. First off, as with any milk tea/ cafe shops, they offer wi-fi connection. Second, they're open until the wee hours, 2pm (or 3pm). Third, their sausages are to love!


bean leaf las pinas review
Simple green interiors
bean leaf las pinas review menu
Check out their menu
Yep, it's not about their milk teas but sausages (and their desserts in cute cans) that's a hit. At Php 105, theirs come with two lumps of mashed potatoes in sauce. There are several to choose from:
  • Frankfurter
  • Hungarian
  • Veal Bratwurst
  • Schublig
  • Pork Bratwurst
  • Chorizo
  • Italian Garlic
Sauces can also be chosen from Teriyaki, BBQ, Garlic Mayo, Satay and Honey Mustard (default). 

beanleaf las pinas review sausages
Yummy, right?
After all, not so many (or none actually for that matter) milk tea shops with yummy drinks offer great meals to deal with. Much so sausages! That differentiated them from others. 

As for this review, opted for Veal Bratwurt and Mixed Berries (Php 70 for Large) but it doesn't have that much difference from the Raspberry flavor. So I still like better their milk teas. 


bean leaf las pinas review milk tea
Mixed berries
What's to say but good job, Bean Leaf!


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Rating: 4


Beanleaf has a branch in:


Alabang-Zapote Road,
Pamplona, Las PiƱas City

Store Hours: 9 AM to 2 AM
Buffet 101, at SM Mall of Asia, boasts of its international cuisine and five-star hotel feel. As per the two, check! 


buffet 101 mall of asia food review exterior

buffet 101 mall of asia food review interior

As many as I can count for these review, here are the food selection for Mon-Fri dinner at Php 939 that they have:
  • American- lamb, steaks, chowders, a few breads etc. 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review US Prime ribs

buffet 101 mall of asia food review chowder
  • Seafood- scallops, oysters and several kinds of fish for cooking
buffet 101 mall of asia food review seafood
  • Japanese- maki & sushi, tempura, soba  
buffet 101 mall of asia food review maki

buffet 101 mall of asia food review kimchi soba
  • Italian- pizzas and helpings of pasta
buffet 101 mall of asia food review
  • Mexican- nachos
buffet 101 mall of asia food review nacho
  • Chinese- dimsum, asado pork etc.
buffet 101 mall of asia food review chinese

buffet 101 mall of asia food international
  • Salad & Cold Cuts- greens, DIY and the concocted jellies and fruits; ham etc
buffet 101 mall of asia food review salad
  • Desserts- crepe, halo-halo, waffle, gummies and candies, cakes and ice creams
buffet 101 mall of asia food review dessert

buffet 101 mall of asia food review taho station

As my general rule, I roam around the entirety of the food selection first. Then after greens, I go straight to the expensive foods. Suggest better ways if you have :)


Pros:

  • Overall the food quality was fine. 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review lamb chop station

buffet 101 mall of asia food trip
  • Lamb chops, US Prime Ribs, yummy! Tried well done this time but ought to always be medium rare. 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review lamb chop
  • Seafood you can ask to cook. And my friend commented, it's fresher than Vikings (even the Japanese sashimi). 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review japanese station
  • I love potatoes and there were so many kinds of these inside. But don't eat too much, it's cheap compared to how much you paid and it'll make you fool, I mean full, at once.
buffet 101 mall of asia food assesment
  • I love the shakes, only I hope they took out the seeds of watermelon first. It's awkward to spit.
  • Well for others this might be a con, there's a lot of viand. But none of which I like so much that I ignored them. 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review
  • They have crepe station, too! And waffle station! And taho! 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review crepe station

buffet 101 mall of asia food waffle corner
  • Gummy bears, worms, candies whatevs for grabs! Though don't take a plateful of it, just like what I saw in the lady's. 
                                 buffet 101 mall of asia food review candy station
  • Better desserts than Banzai's. And if you love Red Ribbon, they have it here, too. 
  • Unli cold drinks
  • Fruits!
buffet 101 mall of asia food review fruits
  • And speaking of, with draft beer section, whoah!
buffet 101 mall of asia food review draft beer

Cons:
  • Not too many selection compared to, at this point, my benchmark: Vikings. After about the third round, I don't know what to eat anymore.
  • I always start with a salad. Wait, but their crouton was bread pan?
buffet 101 mall of asia food review
  • Unlike Vikings's delectable ice cream, we have a again a buffet who loves Nestle/ Selecta. Whichever. 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review ice cream
  • Why do they always have makis and sushis? Well, I don't eat these anymore than one because it'll bloat me twice faster. 
  • Only one fondue/ fountain which was chocolate
buffet 101 mall of asia food review chocolate fondue
  • I don't think I saw tea or any hot drinks. It'll be a good way to digest them. 
  • I didn't enjoy their dimsums, located on the farthest side, especially the hakaw. 
buffet 101 mall of asia food review dimsum

Next, I'm looking for a buffet with burger bites. Where to? 

Buffet 101 Rates: 

PHP699Lunch 11 AM to 3 PM Mon-Fri
PHP939Dinner 6:30 PM to 11 PM Mon-Fri


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Rating: 3.5 


Buffet 101 is located at: 

Building K, SM By The Bay, 
Sunset Boulevard, 
Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City