Food Archives | Page 42 of 68

Lindt’s Winter Exculsive: Hazelnut Hot Chocolate

3 July 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 4 Comments Category: Aussie Life, Food, The Married Life

There’s something about traveling together that makes us (my Husband and I) closer to each other that after we traveled, we missed being away from each other. After our Manila & Seoul vacation, it took us almost four weeks to spend a whole day out together.

It’s very rare that we in sync our day/s off work because we usually allot that for our respective “me” times. However, for our first day off work after vacation, we decided to align our schedules together and spend the whole day traipsing around the city. Although we enjoyed our vaycay immensely, we found that we missed the laidback atmostphere and familiarity that Sydney brings.

Our date started with a late lunch at our newest Korean resto find (coming soon in the next entry) and then we just wasted time hanging out in the shops at Pitt Street. A walk along George Street led us to the Apple Store where we just played with their devices and looked at gadget accessories. We were on our way to Circular Quay for the Vivid Sydney when tea time came and it was fortunate that we were near Lindt Cafe.

It was the first week of Winter and there were signs that they are offering their Winter Exclusive–the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate.

I was looking forward to having coffee but when I saw their Winter Special, I immediately changed my mind and ordered the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate instead.

Chocolate with almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts or toffee nuts are a favourite of mine so I had to take advantage as Winter is only three months.

The limited edition Hazelnut Hot Chocolate is only available at the Lindt Cafe. It combines the richness and earthy aromas of roasted hazelnuts and Lindt‘s dark or milk chocolate, with added honey and caramel for a perfect blend.

I smelled it from a few meters away as the waiter walks out of the counter to serve our drinks. I was in hazelnut heaven from the first sip thereon. The flavour of hazelnut was abundant and rich. Truly perfect for chilly-snugly days.

The Husband opted for his usual favourite: Cafe Mocha (Dark Chocolate was his preference for the chocolate).

We shared a slice of their Wimbledon, a layered cake of mascapone and vanilla bean cream, almond vanilla cake, strawberry puree, bordered by shards of red and white chocolate.

We’ve go two more months of the Winter Season so if ever you are near a Lindt Cafe, drop by and warm up with a cup of the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate.

Lindt Cafe
Martin Place * Darling Harbour * George Street

Themed Cafe: Angel in Us Coffee (Seoul, Korea)

15 June 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 12 Comments Category: Food, I Love Seoul, Travel

On the second day of our Seoul adventure, we had coffee before heading out to the train station. As luck would have it, we found another themed cafe in the basement of our hotel.

From afar, I thought the name of the cafe was “Angelinus” but when we got closer, it was “Angel in Us“.

The cafe was had cozy, homey feel. A splash of brown here and there made up the interiors. I was amazed that they had real trees inside. Made me feel like I’m in a garden.

Since this was another themed cafe, a myriad of angels and wings adorned the place.

I love their “winged” sofas. 🙂

Their wooden chairs carved to look like you have wings when you sit down.

See? I had wings when I sat down for coffee! 🙂

We each had cup of coffee and a piece of bagel. Nothing spectacular with their bagel but their coffee was good. It was dark and rich.

My Husband always orders either a Cafe Mocha or a Latte but I’ve consistently ordered Cafe Americano (or a Long Black if not available) especially when I’m trying out a new brand of coffee. I always like drinking black coffee (with 1-2 teaspoons of sugar or sometimes none) so I can truly taste the pureness of the coffee.

Angel in Us Coffee uses their patented convection roasting technology which means that each coffee bean is roasted on a bed of hot air. Convection is a superior method of heat transfer that results to a fully developed and evenly roasted coffee bean. That’s why when I had their Cafe Americano, all I tasted was the richness of the coffee–no burnt taste.

As we enjoyed our cuppa, we noticed that the locals sipped their coffees via their stirrers. I had a looked at my stirrer and noticed that it had a hole. I never really noticed that before. Most of the cafes I’ve been to seemed to only offer ordinary stirrers (no holes). I found out from some of my tweetmates that in some countries, only stirrers with holes are available in their cafes. The advantage of sipping your coffee is that it doesn’t stain your teeth as compared to drinking it straight from the cup.

If you are ever in Seoul and find this cafe, try it and have coffee with wings.
Angel in Us Coffee
http://www.angelinus.co.kr/
Basement, Lotte City Hotel Mapo
Cafes found all over the city

Themed Cafe: Charlie Brown Cafe (Seoul, South Korea)

4 June 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 7 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Cherished Memories, Food, I Love Seoul, Photography, Travel

One of the things I noticed about cafes in Seoul is that when it’s a themed cafe, they are consistent when it comes to following the theme of their cafes. One of the themed cafes and also one of the restaurants we had a meal at Hongdae, was at the Charlie Brown Cafe.

P1040581Charlie Brown Cafe (Seoul, South Korea)

It was a miracle we found this cafe in the middle of Hongdae. We knew that there is a Charlie Brown Cafe in Hongdae. We hoped to find it but after awhile of going around the streets of Seoul and having realized that most street signs are in Korean, we let go of the fact of finding it. On our first day in Seoul, we thought to ourselves to just throw our cautions to the wind and not expect to find all the things we hoped to find in this trip.

After walking around the shopping area of Hongdae, we decided to have afternoon tea. Due to some twist of fate, we entered a small alley and when we turned a corner, we were surprised to see this sight…!

Charlie Brown is a famous character of the comic strips Peanuts created by Charles M. Schulz. When I was a kid, I had a few Peanuts comic books and I enjoyed the life and humour of Peanuts characters such as Charlie Brown, Snoopy, Linus and Lucy Van Pelt, Sally Brown, Schroeder and Woodstock. Seeing Peanuts characters come to life in the form of food and dining is one of the cutest experience I’ve ever had.

The Charlie Brown Cafe brought me back to my childhood as I was amused by several Peanuts interiors and dining paraphernalia.

Upon entrance to the cafe, you will be greeted by Peanuts characters.

Their counter and menu board full of characters drawings.

Peanuts characters are seen everywhere in the cafe, from the pillars of the cafe…

on the tables and walls….

The door to the ladies’ room…

Comic strips on the tissue holder inside the ladies’ room.

Woodstock reminds us to throw our trash properly.

The Charlie Brown Cafe logo stamped on their serviettes.

Their pagers have Peanuts characters…

and even their cutlery! Oh sooo cute!

The Husband ordered a big cup of Cafe Mocha with a lot of cream.

While I ordered Cafe Americano and after I had my first sip, Snoopy’s head appeared. I love it! I also love their coffee. Tasty, rich and smooth.

The back of their coffee mug.

The Husband and I only shared a plate of Belgian Waffle. We loved the presentation of this dish. Notice that the waffle is shaped like the head of Snoopy. The Belgian Waffle plate already came with slices of fruits, whipped cream, maple syrup and two scoops of ice cream.

Wedged in between the scoops of ice cream was a small piece white chocolate stamped with Snoopy lying on top of his doghouse.

The Husband and I enjoyed our dining experience at the Charlie Brown Cafe. The coffee and food was good. And before we left, I just had to have a photo with my most favourite Peanuts characters, LINUS Van Pelt.

You can bring home some Peanuts goodies too. At the Charlie Brown Cafe, you can purchase souvenirs such as mugs, shirts, stationery, etc.

My Husband and I bought two little plates which we’re already using at home as cheese, fruit and cake platters.

We also bought a Charlie Brown Cafe mobile key chain/monitor cleaner which we will turn into a ref magnet. They don’t have ref magnet so we will improvise.

I also bought this pink Peanuts mechanical pencil so that every time I write, I’ll always remember the fun and cute time we had at Charlie Brown Cafe.

Charlie Brown Cafe
Hongdae, Seoul, South Korea
Check this map for location
If you are taking the train, get on Line 2 and get off Hongik University Station.

Bakery Cafe: Tous les Jours (Seoul, South Korea)

2 June 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 8 Comments Category: Food, I Love Seoul, Photography, Travel

Tonight, I ache to write about food and so instead of writing about Hongdae as promised, I just had to indulge myself. Our Hongdae photos would have to wait awhile before it gets published.

By the time we checked-in at Lottle City Hotel, we were already starving. So before we unpack and rest (the plan was to have a short nap before we conquer the streets of Hongdae), we had to feed ourselves. As faith would have it (plus the fact that we studied the area where we chose to stay), a lot of cafes surround our hotel.

The Husband and I just had to look outside our window and looked for a place to eat. Down below, right infront of our hotel, we saw an attractive looking bakery and I immediately decided, “There! That’s where we’re going to eat!” So off we went down to have a cuppa and some good bread for breakfast.

I love the concept of a bakery and cafe in one. I love the smell of freshly-baked bread and pastries. Even before we crossed the street, I already smelled the aroma of brewed coffee and baked bread and in a few seconds, we were welcomed at Tous les Jours with a simple. “Annyeong Haseyo!“.

Established in 1996, Tous Les Jours is a leading chain in Korea’s food industry’s premium café bakery segment.

Tous Les Jours is a French-Asian Bakery serving a unique selection of bakery goods and beverages made with the highest quality ingredients.

They have stores in America, China and Vietnam.

Half the space of their branch is the bakery.

Korea is known for their cake arts. Their cakes look so creative and delicious. And since they love eating fruits, they use them to decorate their cakes.

Took a photo of this Teddy Bear Cake because it’s such a cutie!

The other half of their Mapo branch’s space is the cafe.

Cozy interiors of natural colors and soft lighting.

This one’s my favourite. I love it when I find functional accents like this in cafes and restaurants. The cafe was mostly wood and leather and then there’s this cute pieces of metal in one corner.

We missed the morning rush so there weren’t so many people in the bakery/cafe. We had a blast taking photos.

Bakery cafes are a norm in Korea wherein the bread and pastries are readily available for customers to pick and bring to the counter for payment.

Once you’re at the counter, they transfer your goodies unto a plate if you will eat at the cafe or pack them away for take out.

I had the Croque Monsieur which is only a ham and cheese sandwich only that the cheese is on top of the bread. It was a bit toasty, warm and cheesy.

The Husband had Yuna’s Blueberry Cream Cheese Bread. It was perfect for him because he has a sweet tooth. It tasted delicious and we loved the sprinkled almond bits on top.

The Husband had a Latte.

While I had Chamomile Tea. REAL Chamomile Tea, not just a tea bag. Since we will nap after we had breakfast, I needed a drink that will relax me.

I love it! Nothing beats natural stuff.

Now for some camwhoring.

The happy Husband with our drinks. Now that’s what you call service with a smile.

Their lighting is great…great for taking photographs and portraits.

As I’m about to have a cuppa.

The Husband likes taking photos of me, especially candid ones. He always notice that I close my eyes when I drink or eat something beautiful. He likes making jokes of my silly, crazy habits and I’d just laugh my heart out. And sometimes I’d just smirk at my silliness.

On our last day in Seoul, we dropped by Tous les Jours one last time and hoarded a few of their breads: Peanut Butter Cream Bun (my fave!), Walnut & Red Bean Bread (my mum’s fave) and Pastry Donuts.

Tous les Jours

Mapo-Gu
Seoul, South Korea 121805

Jollibee is Love!

14 April 2011 Ibyang Sanchez 7 Comments Category: Charmed Life of a Mrs, Cherished Memories, Food, Travel

What was my first meal when I arrived in Manila? What else, but Jollibee!!!!!

Jollibee is the most famous and well-loved fastfood restaurant in the Philippines. I grew up enjoying Jollibee’s Chickenjoy and Yum Burger.

Do you have a favourite Jollibee memory? I do! I remember celebrating my 7th birthday in Jollibee Cubao and my favourite mascot, Jollibee, entertained the guests by dancing and playing with the kids at my party.

On the evening we arrived in Manila, our first stop was at a Jollibee branch for dinner.

We missed Jollibee’s Chickenjoy very much!! When my parents asked us what we wanted, we both said, “Two-piece Chickenjoy, please?”

After all these years, it is still the same taste of Chickenjoy we are familiar with. Although, there was a change in chicken size and consistency of their gravy, it is still the same delicious and tasty Chickenjoy we love.

On our second week here, we had dinner again at Jollibee so we can have a taste of their burgers.

I had the Yum with Cheese which looked smaller but the the taste still the same.

The burger meals came with a small serving of skinny but crunchy French Fries (chips).

The Husband ordered the Burger Steak rice meal. The Philippines is known for eating rice in every meal so Jollibee offers this meal for burger and rice lovers.

For snacks, we love the Classic Jolly Hotdog. Delicious hotdog in a bun with cheese generously sprinkled on top.

We also love breakfasts at Jollibee. My favourite is the Longganisa Meal and the Corned Beef Meal.

Going back home will never be complete without indulging in our favourite meals at Jollibee. My friends and I in Australia always wish that someday, Jollibee will have a branch in Sydney.

It’s a restaurant that means a lot to us because it will always remind us of home, of our childhood, and of good food that brings satisfaction to our tummies and smiles on our faces.