Choices

"A cup of tea is a cup of peace."

~Sen Sōshitsu XVI, 16th tea master of the Urasenke family

We finally have TWG Tea Salons in Manila. Those mostly yellow cans on the walls, reflected on the large mirrors of the dining area, are just a few of the more-than-a-thousand tea varieties available at the shops. To be honest, I find the food too expensive (though I've finally satisfied my curiosity about scones), but I'm just very happy that I finally have a place to go to for some good loose leaf tea. And as long as one doesn't buy their fancy cans, the cost of TWG's teas won't break the bank.
 

American nostalgia

"Remembrance of things past is not necessarily the remembrance of things as they were."

~Marcel Proust (1871–1922), French novelist

A gaudy and lovely Rock-Ola jukebox at the American 1950s diner-themed Johnny Rockets in Bonifacio Global City.

Framed

"Set wide the window. Let me drink the day."

~Edith Wharton, Artemis to Actaeon and Other Verses

Other than the enormous floor lamp in the middle of the room (see yesterday's post), the interior of Earth Kitchen is simple and even quite spartan: raw cement floors and walls, and tables and chairs that are very utilitarian. The big window which looks out onto the street is beautifully screened by the bamboo and palm trees outside, however, making it look like a painting from inside. The real paintings which currently adorn the otherwise bare walls were created by students of Cabuynan Elementary School in Tanauan, Leyte who survived Typhoon Haiyan. They are for sale for PhP500 each and all of the proceeds will be used to rebuild their school.

Art light

"There is one fundamental fact about lighting:
Where there is no light, there is no beauty."

~Ruby Ross Wood (1881–1950), New York interior decorator

The largest piece of decoration inside Earth Kitchen is a natural fiber screen designed with their logo, which can be seen on the sign outside the restaurant. It's a lovely piece of art and also happens to be an enormous floor lamp.

Healthy. Local. Sustainable.

"Why does no one speak of the cultural advantages of the country? For example, is a well groomed, ecologically kept, sustainably fertile farm any less cultural, any less artful, than paintings of fat angels on church ceilings?"

~Gene Logsdon, Living at Nature's Pace: Farming and the American Dream

Less than a year old, Earth Kitchen is a small restaurant operated by Got Heart Foundation, which helps marginalized farmers and indigenous communities all over the Philippines with natural and sustainable farming. Earth Kitchen is a showcase of healthy and delicious dishes which use fresh, all-natural ingredients, but it is not a vegetarian restaurant. "Fresh" and "all-natural" are words not limited to fruits and vegetables, after all.

Uncommon

"Learn to do common things uncommonly well; we must always keep in mind that anything that helps fill the dinner pail is valuable."

~George Washington Carver (1864–1943), American scientist and botanist

More creative pieces of decoration from The Breakfast Table (see previous post): a chandelier made out of metal pails, and tin cups and mugs used as planters.

Between the pails and the cups, I half expected to see a cow for some really fresh milk.

Blue jeans

"Blue jeans are the most beautiful things since the gondola."

~Diana Vreeland (1903–1989), fashion editor and columnist

The funky denim place mats of The Breakfast Table look like they're made from recycled jeans.

Martha Stewart would approve

"Everywhere I go, I always look for creative entrepreneurs, whether it's artisans and craftsmen, small farmers and gardeners, or restaurateurs who use fresh, locally sourced ingredients."

~Martha Stewart

The tiny Poco Deli in Kapitolyo, Pasig City has a special mission: to serve only premium, all-natural food and drinks made in small batches by dedicated artisans. This is true for their sausages and smoked bacon, pizza and pasta, steak, cakes and ice cream, and beer and wine. With the notable exception of the wines, almost everything is also proudly Philippine-made. This dedication to everything artisanal translates into some of the richest and most deliciously unique flavors I have ever encountered. Gorgonzola and fig ice cream, anyone?

Pray Laugh Eat

A suggestion from the owners of Old Oven Art Cafe.

Sold

One wall of the Old Oven Art Cafe (see yesterday's post) displays framed photographs for sale.

The food's good, too

The quirky Old Oven Art Cafe is filled with paintings, photographs, and unusual knick-knacks. Alone? Grab a magazine. With family and friends? Grab a board game. It's actually a pretty cool place to hang out—if only it were more convenient to me.

3.1415

From the same chef and co-owner of Pino and Pipino restaurants comes π (Pi), which serves breakfast fare and pies everyday from 7am to 10pm. Who said that Eggs Benedict, omelettes and pancakes are only for early mornings? And who said that cream pies are not for breakfast?

Portrait with noodles

Kanzhu, a small restaurant that we tried recently, prides itself in its hand-pulled noodles. It's easy to understand why—freshly made noodles have a soft, wonderful texture that commercial noodles just cannot replicate. I think Kanzhu has to work on their broth, though—it was disappointingly bland and is a discredit to their hardworking noodle-maker.

Yummy to the last sip

When something becomes popular in Manila, it really becomes popular. During the past year, tea shops have opened in almost every block in the metro. The range is very wide—from quiet places that serve fresh, carefully brewed organic teas to shops that serve tea drinks with milk, all sorts of flavorings, sago pearls and jelly cubes, and everything in between. One guess what kind of tea Pao Pao Xiao Chi serves. It was the only place I could get a cold drink at the Greenhills West Clubhouse. To be fair, the simple iced fruit tea I had was pretty good; it wasn't too sweet and they have a light touch with the flavoring so I could still taste the tea.

Evening lights

9 Spoons, the 9th floor restaurant of The Bayleaf Intramuros, overlooks the Club Intramuros Golf Course and has commanding views of the historic, neoclassical government buildings along Padre Burgos Avenue. Our table had a lovely view of the Manila City Hall and its distinctive clock tower. Aside from the lights and bayleaf-patterned screens of the restaurant, also reflected in the window is the keyboardist who provided the evening's pleasant dinner music.
 

Modern Filipino

The interior design may not be traditional Filipino, but Café Via Mare serves some of the best Filipino food in Metro Manila (and in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone). This is their branch in the University of the Philippines - Diliman GT Toyota Asian Cultural Center.

Loopy

The chandelier at Hossein's Restaurant—which serves very good Persian, Arabian and Indian cuisine—in Trinoma mall.
 
Just because I like it and the shadows the glass loops throw against the ceiling.

Drive-thru

The beach in Boracay where we had our lunch (see yesterday's post).
  I just had to join in the "It's more fun in the Philippines" fun.

Brekkie

Coffee mural at Pancake House. With a pancake and waffle, of course.

See murals from around the world in Monday Mural.

Coffee and chicken

There's a new Seattle's Best Coffee and Kenny Rogers Roasters in our neighborhood.
  They're pretty small to have such an enormous sign.
  I like how the sign looks small against the big sky, though.