Are you looking to find the best of the latest food business in Metro? UP Economics Society in partnership with Barangay Teachers Village East who are celebrating their Fortieth Year presents 'FOODGASM GOES TO MAGINHAWA!'  

A foodie's dream event on Saturday, October 17th. There will be four main attractions: A food tasting competition, an eating contest, a bazaar and a concert! It will be day to remember! We will be there so why don't you eat with us and tell us what you think!

You can contact us via social media and tell us what you think:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatneilwritesabout

Instagram: https://instagram.com/whatneilwritesabout/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatneilwrites

Reserve your tickets now for the food-tasting segment of Foodgasm Goes to Maginhawa on October 17, 2015 and get a chance to be a food critic for a day! Each ticket entitles you the chance to taste food entries of a given set (there will be 2 sets of around 20-25 food businesses).

The specific set your ticket would entitle you would be determined in a first-come first served basis. Nevertheless, all ticket holders would be ensured that they would have a set, only in determining if it would be set A or B would first-come first serve basis apply.

The respective dishes and food establishments per set would be released online before the actual event.

The mechanics for reserving are all in the form.

RESERVE HERE: tinyurl.com/FoodgasmTickets

LIMITED TICKETS would be released so make sure to get yours now by clicking on the link below!

For questions please message us in our page or contact 09273138714.

So what are you waiting for? Block out October 17th and get your foodie on!

The Schedule and Prices for the tickets are located below:

FOOD TASTING COMPETITION

Pre-Selling: P200

Door Price: P250

Reserve your tickets at tinyurl.com/FoodgasmTickets

EATING CONTEST

Before Oct 17: P100/person

Day itself: P120/person

*Come in groups of 4

Contact: Gel Clemente 0917 804 0924

CONCERT

8PM onwards

Alcoholic beverages will be served

Free for all!

BAZAAR

9AM til 12MN

Again if you haven't already, you can hit us up during the event via social media links below, See you there!:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whatneilwritesabout

Instagram: https://instagram.com/whatneilwritesabout/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/whatneilwrites

The great thing about San Juan is the proximity to different cities like Manila, Quezon City, Mandaluyong and Pasig. Manila is also beside the edge of Makati specifically the Chino Roces Side. When I found out that a several coffee shops will be opening there I was thrilled! 

The first of the two is Restock Curiosities which is from the geniuses of Magnum Opus and several partners. The second one, is Habitual Coffee which I will be writing about soon! 

Restock can be found along Guijo street that intersects Kamagong. It is right across from the famous 12/10 restaurant. 

The Ambiance

As you walk along Guijo, you will see a building painted in dark blue with some plants infront of a huge window with the sign 'RESTOCK.' The entrance is a pair of thick wooden doors with small windows and thick pipe handlebars. 

Once inside you will be greeted by a collection of art in many forms. Furniture, knick knacks, paintings, drawings, craft bags and the like which mostly are made in the Philippines. Yes, feel good for patriotism!

The feeling of creativity exudes from every corner which truly gives you a wonderful relaxed feeling. If you need to work but need to think of Ideas, Restock is one of those place you should go to. 

Warm and inviting!

From the door, to your left is the bar. It isn't the most complex and expanded bar you will find but that the magic that happens here is just as amazing as any long bar you'll find around.

What I love about this place is that you are free to walk around and check what items that have been curated by the partners. They are priced reasonably well and I will bet you that you will find something you like.

The Coffee-Tonic is a great unique way to have your Coffee!

The Coffee, The Beverages and The Service

The bean blend they use are sourced from the finest sources that is delivered fresh every week. I encourage you to taste each one and find what you like! When you do find the blend that you love, the hard part comes next because would you take your coffee the classic way or a creative way?

That is the appeal to the beverages of Restock. There are the usual latte, espresso, mocha and etc., but there are also the bipolar, the flight and the coffee tonic.

The Malagos Mocha of Restock!

I personally love the Coffee-Tonic and the Malagos Chocolate Mocha because of the unique characteristics of the tonic and Malagos that perfectly blend with the beans! 

The Coffee-Tonic was interesting because the contrasting flavors of the beans and the earthy ingredients of the Tonic blend so well but are really distinct to the characteristics of the beans.

The Bipolar! Have your Coffee two ways!

They also offer Pizzadillas which is an interesting partner to the coffee when you're hungry or when you're with your friends.

They offer products from the Lost Nomad, Magnetic Poetry, Where to Next post cards, Satchmi Vinyls and a lot more. I encourage you to visit and see for yourself.

The staff are open and kind. They willingly, and happily assist you whether it be about the beverages or the curated merchandise. In fact at one point I just decided to come up and talk to them about random topics and the story of how the place came to be. It was a nice little change of pace!

The Facade! Restock Curiosities

 The Price

The coffee starts at Php 100 and can go up to Php 300+ for the flight! The Bags, Postcards and the rest of the curated merchandise vary depending on the item. It is best to come over and try and feel them for yourself.

Do you want to Contact 'Restock'

Address: 7635 Guijo St, San Antonio Village, Makati City, Philippines
Telephone number: (+63) 917-663-1011

Instagram: @restock

 Operating Hours: Mon-Sun: 12NN to 10PM

When I began my foray into specialty coffee, I thought I had finally found a coffee shop that served wonderful cups of caffeine water that was near my workplace. Unfortunately, as we discussed in my Department of Coffee article, DOC was moving and I had to quickly fill that void. I turned to Google.

So I did a google search of coffee shops nearby. I was in luck there were several of them in the vicinity. Some had their own websites and some had not. One in particular was EDSA beverage design group. It had this refined aesthetic feel to it that got me curious, and so I went in for a visit.

I took note of their address and planned my route with Google Maps. The landmarks were a Shell Gasoline station that was a little away from Connecticut street corner EDSA and the Sambokojin beside a Kia and Mazda dealership. In between those landmarks is the CLMC building with a Metrobank at the ground floor and design studio at the second floor. 

The Arena sits at the center of the studio where most of the beverages are made.

The Ambiance

When I arrived at the CLMC building, I saw three establishments on the ground floor, a Metrobank on the right, a Tile Gallery on the left, and EDSA BDG in the middle. It's quite easy to spot because the facade is basically a glass window and a huge glass door with their motto 'In Pursuit of the Noble Beverage.'

As you step inside the first thing you'll see on your left is the Roasting Lab and a lot of containers. This is where they roast the beans. At the end of the hallway is the stairway into the studio.

As you reach the end of the stairway is the Logo of the company ready to greet you. On your left are the different coffee and beverage making instruments that they sell which is complete with price lists.  On your right is the the studio, specifically the Arena where most beverages are made fresh as you order.

The studio is divided into sections that cater to your current mood. Each section maintains the artistic, repurposed aesthetic but gives emphasis on the customers needs like the one with a couch, the one with the work desk, the one with the bar counter and the al fresco set up.

The Coffee, The Beverages and The Service

If you look closely the arena is with little obstructions that encourages interaction with the EBDG's team. In fact they are really courteous and open to your questions and curiosities about their services and expertise. 

YKW beans are a mix between single origin beans like the Carmen Estate Panama beans and blends like the Dark Matter Theory and Winds of Winter that I had at Satchmi and the Curtator. 

You have a choice to have your coffee as a shot...

I personally love the latest blend of Dark Matter Theory for its balance. Normally when I have my cup of Joe, I take little sips but Whenever I have the DMT, I end up drinking a third of the glass full of it. It is just so smooth especially when made into a Latte. 

...or the choice of a Latte!

They also serve dishes that match their coffee, craft sodas and better common cocktails. Feel free to ask the team if you feel like your confused with your beverage or your meal pairings.

Below is a sneak peek at how they do their magic in the studio. 

Aside from their coffee, they serve other beverages like the craft soda line COO (a play on CO2), the Better Common Cocktails and the TBGB Ginger beer.

I've had the Long Tory Better Common Cocktail that hits you with a hard buzz while going down your throat smoothly, and the PCR COO craft soda which is a totally new way of refreshing yourself. You may stop drinking mainstream sodas like Coke and Pepsi if you keep on having this.

A new way to refresh yourself with the PCR! (Pamplemousse, Citron and Rose)

The Price

Their espresso coffee starts at Php 100.00 and can move up to Php 120.00 for their Latte. Their craft soda and craft beers start at Php 250.00 per bottle and can max out at Php 300.00. They serve pasta like Gnocchi and Aglio Oglios that start at Php 280.00 and can max out to Php 450.00 like the poached salmon with citrus Vinaigrette.

Do you want to Contact 'EDSA Beverage Design Group'

Address: 209 Edsa Southbound CLMC Building, Mandaluyong City
Telephone number: (02) 631-9035
Website: www.edsa-bdg.com
Instagram: @edsabdg
 Operating Hours: Mon-Sat: 10AM to 11PM; Sun:10AM to 7PM

One talented Star Wars fan decided to mount a GoPro on himself to enlighten us on how it would feel like to be a Jedi against the Empire in a barren desert world.

The audio and special effects are captivating and realistic that it evokes the feeling of seeing the original trilogy for the first time all over again. 

After mounting the camera on himself we see him fighting a small group of stormtroopers that escalate in numbers, into AT-ATs, and into a TIE Fighter. It was clearly made for his love of the franchise!

Thank you Bill Parker!

[Source: Billywarp1 Youtube Channel]

Department of Coffee Philippines was kind enough to do a quick video about brewing your own coffee at home with both the Pour Over Method and with the French Press. In the video we show you step by step on how to get your caffeine fix at home. This recipe is for one cup of coffee.

They have a wonderful shop near Tomas Morato, and you should see there interiors on our article on DOC.

The Ingredients

• 15 grams of Coffee beans of Choice
• 230 ml of Hot Water

The Equipment

• Grinder (Preferably Burr type)
• French Press
• Kettle (Electric or Stove top)
• Scale (with Tare Option)
• Countdown timer

I can't thank Department of Coffee enough for letting me learn from them up close. I hope you can visit them too! They are very open to your queries and suggestions!

Do you want to Contact 'Department of Coffee'

Address: 87A Don Roces Ave, Kamuning, Quezon City
Telephone number: (02) 374-6194

Instagram: @departmentofcoffee

 Operating Hours: Mon-Sun: 7AM to 11PM

Department of Coffee Philippines was kind enough to do a quick video about brewing your own coffee at home with both the Pour Over Method and with the French Press. In the video we show you step by step on how to get your caffeine fix at home. This recipe is for one cup of coffee.

They have a wonderful shop near Tomas Morato, and you should see there interiors on our article on DOC.

The Ingredients

• 15 grams of Coffee beans of Choice
• 260 ml of Hot Water

The Equipment

• Grinder (Preferably Burr type)
• Kalita 102 Dripper and Glass Server
• Kettle (Electric or Stove top)
• Scale (with Tare Option)
• Countdown timer

I can't thank Department of Coffee enough for letting me learn from them up close. I hope you can visit them too! They are very open to your queries and suggestions!

Do you want to Contact 'Department of Coffee'

Address: 87A Don Roces Ave, Kamuning, Quezon City
Telephone number: (02) 374-6194

Instagram: @departmentofcoffee

 Operating Hours: Mon-Sun: 7AM to 11PM

I have heard of a coffee shop that serves #YKW coffee beans that is hidden at the heart of Legazpi Village right across the Park, but you won't find it if you weren't looking for it. Like any other day it was time to satisfy my curiosity so I set out to find this hidden coffee oasis.

Once you see the Cyrano Wine Shop along Legazpi you may find yourself a little confused because the wine shop itself isn't too big yet you will find the standard sauvignons and merlots on the shelves, but soon after you will notice a normal sized bright brown wooden door at the edge of the room which appeals to your curiosity and pulls you in and as you open it, you will find yourself into the Curator!

The wood from the upholstery and the bar and the artworks are sourced locally sourced

The Ambiance

The Cyrano wine shop's aesthetics is your typical store with huge windows and with huge shelves to accommodate their wide selection of wines, but once you see the Curator you will be surprised by the total departure from that design language where there are a lot of textured concrete with accents of steel pipes, steel switches and wooden upholstery. It is a modern take on concrete rustic look which amazingly is classier than the sum of its parts.

The wood from the upholstery the bar and the framed artworks and the art themselves are sourced locally which is a reaffirmation that Filipinos are capable of world class craftsmanship that leaves you smiling whenever you sit down and relax at this place

 

The Coffee, The Cocktails and The Service

Similar to Satchmi, they get their beams from #YKW, so EDSA Beverage Design Group staples like the Winds of Winter, Ethiopia Yirga Cheffe and the Panama Carmen Estate are present which in my book is already a winner. All that's left is whether their machine and their baristas are up to par.

As I've had my Ethiopia from EDSA once before I already had my expectations set; however, I was surprised that the signature fruity flavor at the end which I am not a big fan of wasn't as strong as I remembered. I liked it and with that two-thirds of the equation is set!

I then asked the kind baristas as to how this was so. Apparently, It is still up to how the barista who calibrates and who prepares  the ingredients. I promptly asked for the barista who calibrated and praised him.

This wasn't the first time that I had a lot of questions and Giann, Sonny and Ivan were all very kind to accommodate my curiosities and observations with regards to the beverages and the coffee. Their passion for their craft really shines as they patiently listened and answered my queries with out fail. It came to the point that they let me inside the bar and let me try making my own espresso.

It immediately catches your eye because of its copper color and Steam Punk Aesthetics!

Their machine is the Italian made Victoria Arduino which immediately catches your eye because of its copper color and steam punk aesthetics. It was wonderful to take her for a spin even though it was just pulling the huge lever that made a clicking sound to tell you it's done.

As for the cocktails I was only able to try their latest creation, the Shako-WHAT-o which at the time was only three days old. It was an amazing creation that was made from different ingredients and their home made cold brew which the only draw back was the fact that I couldn't sleep that night which could be a huge appeal for some people.

The Chakawhato is made with several ingredients along with their home made cold brew!

I am already finding reasons to come back so I can try the following: the Catcher, the Miss Gardner and the Rye 'n Gosling. I hope to come by again real soon.

The Price

Their coffee starts at Php 120.00 while their juices and cocktails start at Php 250.00 and can max out at Php 800.00 per drink. They also serve a variety of coffee partners like Beef tapa Brioche, and the Doughdealer Cookies that start at Php 90.00 where it can max out at Php 450.00 like the chiken Pastel.

A showcase of their Barista's Skill at Latte Art!

The Verdict

Overall Verdict: A

Beverage Quality: A

Service Quality: A

Bang for your Buck: A

Do you want to Contact 'The Curator Coffee and Cocktails'

Address: 194 Legazpi St. cor. C. Palanca St., Legazpi Village, Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
Telephone number: (+63) 916-355-4129
Website: www.thecurator.com.ph
Instagram: @thecurator_
 Operating Hours: Mon-Thurs: 7AM to 2AM; Fri-Sat: 7AM to 3AM; Sun: 7AM to 6PM

With a rise of the MP3s in the early 2000s, I could walk around with my whole music library. Loving music never felt so good. That is until my birthday came a couple of years ago where a reunion with my High School 'Barkada' happened and my friend Peter introduced me to his new found passion: high-end audio.  That night, he let me listen to one of his favorite albums that was in a Vinyl (the old LP records) Rip FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) format. I could hear the different guitar strums, the drum beats, the vocals, the blending and etc. DISTINCTIVELY. I was dumbfounded to discover that audio was far more complex than I had imagined.

I hated him for that because after that day I could never go back to MP3s. In a way, it was like comparing those foreign colored print textbooks with embossed text that was on thick glossy paper to the mass market photocopy like print on thin fragile paper.

Though it seemed that MP3s took over, it may never really did because Vinyl sales were stable at the time and is now on the rise and one of the major distributors of it is Satchmi and at 2014 they opened their store at the 4th Floor of the New Mega Fashion Hall at the SM Megamall complex. 

The facade feels very inviting!

The Ambiance

When you get to the 4th floor of the Mega Fashion Hall, you will find a store that looks like it came from the early nineties. You know the ones with the huge windows with the signs painted on the glass which are held together by wooden frames and concrete columns that surround a pair of tall bright red doors. Orange lights radiates from the inside catching your attention and inviting you inside. Whoever designed this place pulled off the blend of industrial and rustic look. It is similar to the stores you see in an episode of FRIENDS from the nineties.

Wonderful Acoustics and Warm Lighting Relaxes You

What astounds me is the blend of the wonderful acoustics and warm lighting which ends up relaxing and encouraging you to get what work you need to be done. It is a place that I find solace when I really want to be productive. I am still wondering how I can be so productive here even though they have a lot of things that can distract you. The wonderful mural and the different accents truly bring this place to life!

I wonder how I can be so productive when there are a lot of things that can distract you

 Here is a video of what you will see and of what you can do when you get there:

The Service

They carry a wide selection of vinyls from the modern to the classics. You can also reserve a copy of a vinyl should you wish to get it as soon as the next shipment arrives; however, if you are new to this you would need a turntable to play your new vinyl. They offer the Motorino turntables which cater specifically to the amateur music enthusiast in a wide variety of designs. In fact you can have the designs unique to you. They have a line of uniquely painted ones displayed. Go crazy! I mean I did, because I saw one with R2-D2, a Pokeball and a TARDIS.

You can have them designed unique to you. I saw one with R2-D2, a Pokeball and a Tardis!

They also carry lifestyle accessories such as high quality socks and ties. You will enjoy the texture and craftsmanship of the ties itself. If you are like me, then the only problem is that I have yet to have a tailored suit to match any of their collections. I am adding that to my bucket list.

You will Enjoy the texture and craftsmanship of the ties itself!

The staff attends to your needs may it be to the music or the coffee. You will especially enjoy just sitting around, doing your work or maybe reading a book and ask about the details of some of their products. For example, I asked about the beans from the coffee they served me and the Baristas were kind enough to answer all my questions from the beans to their machine and to their own personal process. I also asked quite a bit to their sales associate about the vinyls and turntables.

They are more more than happy to guide you through their different drinks and coffee beans!

At the time, it wasn't too crowded. So my Cafe Latte came within five minutes of my order. Nothing beats quick high quality service. I just can't get enough of the Winds of Winter Beans from EDSA Beverage Design Group. (to which I will write more about soon)

Here is a video of one of their Baristas showcasing their hand-crafted speacity Coffee:

The Price

Satchmi's vinyl offering starts at Php 1000.00 and maxes out depending on the vinyl itself.Their Turntables like the Motorino II starts at Php 7799.00 while the Rega starts at Php 17500.00.The Hand-Crafted Coffees start at Php 100.00 and maxes out depending on the complexity of the beverage. I personally love their Lattes.

The Conclusion

Satchmi is primarily a music lifestyle store where you are welcome to browse their wide selection of vinyls, turntables and accessories. It is also a place where you can sit down, read a book or do some work while having an amazing batch of their Specialty Coffee while listening to their high quality audio. You can also take it to-go. Whatever floats your boat. Whether you already are an enthusiast or are just curious. There is no better place than this to come and tickle your fancy.

While listening to their High Quality Audio

It is a wonderful place that celebrates the wonders of old and brings them to the modern times. If you are a vinyl lover then there is no question whether or not you should visit this place. Go, Go Now. However, if you are new to this and want to know more, then the staff will be there to satisfy your curiosities. If you're like me who wants to enjoy quality music with a great cup of coffee then Satchmi may be a good place to visit every now then.

If coffee is not your thing and you want to hangout with your loved ones, The Farmacy is a good choice, and with the blazing heat of Manila summer, it is the perfect place to hang with ICE CREAM!

Do you want to Contact 'Satchmi?'

Address: 4/F Mega Fashion Hall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City

Telephone number: (02) 401-6905

Facebook: Satchmi Official Facebook Page

Operating Hours: Mon-Sun: 10AM to 9PM