Hello guys! I'm back from deep slumber! And I'm back with my milk tea review no. 2!
Honestly, I'm a milk tea fanatic. I can finish one order of any milk tea. I know. I know. I've been to Gong Cha far too many times already but I'm blogging about it just now. Hehe! :P Let me tell you a slight backgrounder about the craze on Gong Cha milk tea.
Gong Cha is a Southeast Asia milk tea brand. It was first launched in Taiwan, and now boasts more than a hundred outlets worldwide. Before it even hit the Philippines, Gong Cha has been up and about in SE asian countries such as Malaysia, Hongkong and Singapore. Gong Cha which means tea that is served to the Emperor or Royal Court.
The only Gong Cha outlets I know here in the Philippines are the ones in MOA, Glorietta and the other one in SM Megamall which I frequent went to when I'm craving for a milk tea fix. Their branch in SM Megamall is enough for a tea place. Situated in 2F Mega Atrium, its interior exudes a simple yet cozy vibe with maroon walls interrupted by smoky swirls of white. Marble top tables and black hard plastic chairs were spaced comfortably and lights dimmed accordingly.
Tea.Coffee.Juice
It is similar to Happy Lemon's concept of cheese and rock salt. Gong Cha milk was slightly salty and sweet at the same time. It was also creamy. If you are the type of person who likes everything a little salty and who would not mind tasting it from a cup, then go for this mil tea place Gong Cha milk variety which comes in an assortment of tea combinations such as green, black, alisan or earl grey.
My all-time favorite which I usually order is the Gong Cha Winter Melon tea and Milk Tea with Pearl Jelly. A rush of smooth, creamy, and foamy milk cream greeted my mouth and what transpired within the next few seconds was a heaven for my mouth with a cream yet a clean texture. I love the way the foam tastes and when it mixes with the tea. Kabooom!!! A match made in heaven. I could see a sprinkle of a green matcha powder on top. As I dug my straw deeper, my mouth was awash with honeyed overlapping tastes of young winter melon and sugar. The tea flavor is very apparent and that's one of the things I really look for. And for me, what might be an optional ingredient for others can actually be a deal-breaker for me: the pearls. :) The Gong Cha pearls were nice, soft and chewy and therefore merit the my praise as a milk tea fanatic. If you're a newbie in the milk tea craze, go for their sweetened milk teas like the wintermelon and chocolate.
Sprinkled with green matcha powder
They said there are three ways to enjoy Gong Cha House special. First, is to sip the special cream on top! Itried it and it was heaven! It's so yummy that you would want to order another serving of the cream. Haha! I wonder how they do it. It's creamy and a little bit salty. It's like cheese and milk in one. Super delicious!! :)) Doing the second step to enjoy the cup: Tasting the tea! I took a sip and says: this is really authentic winter melon! It doesn't taste like other milk tea establishments winter melon tea. Last step: Mix the cream and tea! Baboom! It looks like milk tea! But it doesn't taste like milk tea while getting the satisfaction of drinking the tea passing through a thick foamy layer.
Overall, I was satisfied with my Gong Cha experience and will definitely go back to try out their other specialty drinks. I think the price is reasonable considering that I really enjoyed my drink. Like I mentioned on my past review, other milk tea places were missing something, sometimes it would be the "umay" factor and for the most of the time, the consistency of the pearl. With Gong Cha, the taste of their drink really stands out. Go and try and you might fall in love with it, who knows?? Very distinct and definitely a must-try!! :))
Gong Cha Philippines currently has 5 branches all over the metro:
Ang unang taglish blog post ko. BOW! Trip trip lang. Inaasam ko na sana kasing galing kong sumulat si Bob Ong. O baka excuse ko lang ito kasi wala sa mood ang utak ko na mag-Ingles ng tuloy tuloy. Kung anuman yun, wala nang pakialamanan, walang basagan ng trip basta taglish ito.
Naisip ko nalang bigla, bakit kaya ang dami paring tao ang nahihilig sa pagsusulat, mapaonline o gamit ang ballpen at papel. Sabagay, at least ang pagsusulat may kabuua, minsan ang tao wala! Sadyang magulo lang. May simula, gitna at dulo. Walang labis, walang kulang. May kahulugan, may nilalaman, may pinaghuhugutan - minsan marami, minsan iisa lang. Depende kung sino ang nagsusulat at depende kung sino ang nagbabasa. Naisip ko dahil sa pagiging OC ko minsan o lagi, natutuwa kasi ako kahit sa mga letra o salitang ginagamit ko kailangan ganito, kailangan ganyan. Gusto ko kasi may order, para mas magandang tignan. Na kahit papaano walang magulo. Naalala ko lang nung nagsisimula akong magsulat (dating dati pa) na puro tuldok lang ang alam ko, na tuldok lang ang dulo ng kada sentence. Ngayong matanda na ako, mula sa tuldok puro question mark nalang ang kinaduduluhan ng lahat. (Alam ko maraming sumasangayon sa akin tungkol dito, diba?!) Wala na ngang katapusan, wala pang kasiguruhang kasagutan. Parang mas mahirap, mas kumplikado, at magulo.
Siguro.....yung magulong bagay na iyan may pinanggagalingan. Ikaw? Ano sa tingin mo?? Simple lang naman ang lahat ng bagay eh, kailangan pang pakumplikahin. May mga bagay lang talaga sa buhay na sadyang nagyayare. Ang mga pangyayari o sitwasyon na inaakala natin ay nagaganap lang sa mga nababasa natin sa dyaryo o napapanuod sa TV ay maaari pala mangyari sa totoong buhay. Nakakagulat. Di kapanipaniwala pero TOTOO. Lahat nalang may rason, may dahilan. Nature, nurture sabi nga nila. Nasa paligid lang din naman daw ang solusyon. Parepareho lang yang mga experiences! Isa itong aral na hindi dapat ipagwalang bahala. Sa mga ganitong sitwasyon alam natin na lahat tayo ay naging biktima. BIKTIMA NG PAGKAKATAON.
Simple lang ang mga sagot. Gusto lang natin i-stress ang ating utak at magpakabusy para mabigyan ng dahilan ang lahat ng tanong sa isipan natin. Ika nga nila, yan ang DEFENSE MECHANISM ng tao. Ang saya lang eh noh!! Katulad nga ng nabasa ko sa twitter, "Same shit, Different day!" Ang lungkot no?? Kaya siguro dahil dyan, paikot ikot lang ang buhay ng tao. We go around circles repeating the same freakin' cycle over and over again. It's the run and chase game. Buti pa sa pagsusulat, you're free to express your feeling. Minsan madaming nakakarelate sa nararamdaman mo. Alam mong di ka nagiisa sa nararanasan mo, marami kang kadamay. Sarap ng ganun noh? At least yung mga salita alam nila kung saan sila titigil. Syempre, walang iba kundi dun oh, sa tuldok....tuldok....tuldok....
Pero, minsan sa dinami dami ng tuldok sa buhay mo, yung tipong kahit ilang beses ka na nagpaikot ikot sa buhay mo, thinking that somehow besides the feeling of exhaustion.....you learn something and you understand how to handle things better, eh hindi mo parin alam ang gusto mo. Ang gulo ko eh!! Hahaha Eh, paano nga ba malalaman kung ano ba ang taenang gusto mo?? Kasi, kahit ako sa sarili ko naguguluhan ako!! Pasensya ah! Ang gulo kong kausap! Haha! :P Anyway, that's why I came here for. I'm not so sure where this entry is leading to. There are too many floating bubbles in my head waiting to be pop in my head. I've written sooo much. I can't believe so much has already happened. Life changes too fast before our eyes we barely even notice it. Still, I am lot more thankful for my blessings!! Ngitian lang ang buhay!! FIGHTING!! :))
I will take this time to savor this moment because according to my page views, my blog reached almost 3,000+. Wow, Man!!! O.O
Who would've have thought that there are people out there who'd take time to read my post, post comments and compliment my writing {which somethings my rants and pep talks which makes no sense}.
Even if there aren't much comments and no followers, I still appreciate the time and effort you guys use to stop by and read this blog of mine! :)
While I haven't too vocal about it, I am a fan but not a hardcore Marvel comics fan so I have not much knowledge of what happens to these characters other than what I see on the big screen or what I stumble upon online.
**SPOILERS ALERT!!!!!**
Last weekend me and my BFFs ventured out to see The Amazing Spiderman and although I was looking forward to finally seeing the film, after many months of talking about the film, I must confess that I was not all that excited. I am more excited to see The Dark Knight Rises. I was only kinda interested in seeing Spider-Man. Even right up to ten minutes before the film started in the lobby of the cinema, I just couldn't muster up any excitement for it. It's not that I didn't think the film could be good. With the "The Avengers" dominating box office records worldwide and with the "The Dark Knight Rises" set to definitively close the book on the most epic cinematic chapter in superhero history, everyone has been wondering what room is left for Peter Parker to spin his web once more. Well, nevertheless we have "The Amazing Superman", a film that retells the story we saw just ten years ago, about a boy, a spider bite and some great responsibility.
Remakes. Reboots. Reimaginings. There are so many remakes in the works right now, and not just little films but big ones. Classics. Is that Ok?? I had a bit of a rant the other day regarding all the remakes and probably will continue to do so in the future. Then I see the trailer. Then, I see the film. Then, it's OK......sometimes! :))
Upon seeing the trailer, I've felt that this new remake is far too close to the original series of Spider man films that have already been released and I suppose, I didn't think this new spider man film is all that necessary.
The spider man films are an iconic, unforgettable benchmark of the Golden Age of superhero cinema. They represent the beginning not just of mainstream acceptance, but of mainstream embrace of these characters being truthfully represented in the big screen. To put it in context, "The Dark Knight" came out a year after "Spider man 3" and now the "The Dark Knight Rises" is coming out the same summer as a Spider man remake. It's seems like it too soon. I'm going to warn you all now that comparisons between this films are going to come thick and fast, as there's just not really any other way of looking at the film.
Every last speck of integrity and endurance that makes Peter Parker a hero comes from Uncle Ben and Aunt May. His actual parents being dead was just an excuse to came up, in order to give Peter extra baggage on top of all of the problems he dealt with as teenage superhero.
When I first heard that Andrew Garfield was going to play as Spider man, my thoughts: why are they replacing Tobey Maguire in the first place? Won't it be confusing? and Andrew Garfield? As Spider man? Eh. Then, I found out.....it's a different approach to the story of Spider man.
Chief among the high points of this film is Andrew Garfield himself. Garfield injects an honest integrity and web-swinging electricity into Peter Parker, completely submerging himself in the role with brilliance. His performance is wonderfully toned and layered to the point where you fall in love with Peter as a real person and not as a cartoon classic. Peter is no longer the stereotypical nerd he was in the previous films and is far closer to the complex, socially challenged techie in the comics; his bedroom, his belongings and his very mind constantly cluttered with weird little inventions, his hairstyle and the general sexiness of his brand of geekiness.
Who wouldn't love a nerd like him? :))
Actually, I think I just got used to Tobey Maguire as Spider man. After all, he did do three movies of Spider man. Honestly, he wasn't the hot type. His character then was really the geeky/nerdy kind.....but I did like him. Andrew Garfield was the hot kind of geeky/ nerdy......and I love him!! Another adds up in my list of crushes. Hehe
Like the evolution of comics characters, Spider man's humour always feels like a natural; development as a result of the confidence Peter's new identity gives him. Spidey's still not quite the comedian he is in the comics, but I was genuinely delighted by the three-dimensionality of Garfield's portrayal. For me, he is as close to the definitive Spider man as we've seen so far and I look forward to watching him continue to grow and develop over the course of more films.
Emma Stone is predictably enjoyable as Gwen Stacy and her chemistry with Garfield is right on the track. It gives Gwen much more to do than MJ ever did in the other films and it's a delight to have such a strong female character a bit bookier; more prim and proper.
Rhys Ifan is fine as Curt Connors/ The Lizard, the plot about cross-species and turning into a giant lizard creature is all done as well as it could be once again we're given the same tired mold of villain that Peter faced. Connors is an intelligent mentor to Peter before some science happens and he begins hearing voices that tell him he has to be evil and kill Spider man. This is exactly the same as Green Goblin and Doc Ock right down to the sinister voices in their heads. Can we please have just one Spider man film where the bad guys don't discover his secret identity? :P
There's a scene near the climax of the film where a wounded Spider man is having trouble getting to OsCorp building to fight with the Lizard, so a group of crane workers set up a more convenient swing-through for him. It's funny, sweet touching little scene designed to show how much New York really cares for Spider man despite the negative press he receives.
Simply put, I enjoyed "The Amazing Spiderman". I didn't see it in 3D, the inclusion of 'Spidey-Cam' was clever albeit a little head turning. The special effects were well done, Connors transition looked impressive.
While watching the "The Amazing Spiderman", I suspected on a number of occasions despite its flaws, it might be the best Spider man film ever. Its devotion to fleshing out the the previously explored characters and giving a grittier examination of hows and whys of Spidey's weird life really impressed me, as did the high-flying special effects. The movie lived up to its name with the fast-paced action involved. It was really amazing! With the trick of making spider man's movements fast, made it look like he was a real spider.
This version of Spider man showed different genres in one -- action, romance, family, drama and even comedy. I don't know if it's just because of Andrew Garfield that I became biased but for me, the story of The Amazing Spiderman is much more interesting. The Back story of Peter Parker and his parents gave viewers a clearer understanding of where the story is going. We all know that Peter Parker will try to uncover the secrets left by his parents and save his city from criminals of any kind.
With such a heavy story.....they were able to come up with calmer scenes that made it comedic in a way. Like when Spider-Man and Lizard were fighting in school, particularly in the library and an old man was there but didn't know anything that was happening behind him coz' of his earphones listening to classic music. Haha. The background music made it soooo much funnier!! :))
Emma Stone and Andrew Garfield love team really clicked! Their every scene made me giddy! :D
With that being said, "The Amazing Spiderman" is almost as good as it could possibly be. Despite a few serious problems stemming from a cliched villain and a really shabby mystery that does nothing but set up the sequel, the film does an admirable job at reawakening the web-slinger and what he stands for. I was pleasantly surprised at how well-executed the film was and would be quick to recommend it. It didn't blow me away totally and its flaws were considerable, but I'm glad to say that spider man is back and that it looks as though he'll be around for another while longer.
I feel like this post is mostly about Andrew Garfield. Hehe. :)) than the movie itself. Oh well, Andrew Garfield is Spider man and Spider man is the movie, so I guess it's fine! He's amazing! The movie is amazing! It's The Amazing Spiderman!
So yes! go see the film! even if you are a fan of the others, especially if you're not. As per most Marvel films, keep an eye and stay for the extra scene during the credits - I smell a sequel. I'm going to give this film an 8/10.
Here's the exclusive 4 minutes SUPER PREVIEW:
Disclaimer: Do not own all the pictures featured on this page. All images from google.
Call me grateful, ecstatic, exhilarated, joyous, or whatever else all that may amount to. But I've never been so glad to meet them and have been part of their life. :)
They are my original adventure-mates!! We go anywhere. We go anytime (dati), but now that almost all of us have things to be busy with, a schedule plan is a must! Haha :P
At last, this hang-out was been push through!! :)) I finally had the chance to bond with my cutie patootie sisterettes. It was great seeing this girls again, especially my closest, Sha because we haven't see each other for months!! It's also a late/post birthday treat to them.
We plan to invade Eastwood Citywalk for lunch, movie date and milk tea time. Anyways, it was a tiring and fun filled day!! :))
We had lunch at BonChon. To our guy friend, Michael, thanks for accompanying us I know you miss this girls too, its just sad that you had to leave early. Anyway, we can plan again another hangout with them. :)) Watched the movie Amazing Spiderman + super long chikahan and updates about each other and Tea time @ Chatime and buy fries at NYFD before going home.
I'm blessed beyond belief when it comes to friends. I have the greatest friends of all!!! :)))
Here are some of our crazy pictures. Credits to Sha! Sorry for the low quality.
Nothing really beats quality time with friends. :)
>> Good reads!! Inspiring article to share...:)
>>Take a minute and let yourself 'go-there'. Close your eyes and think about what would your dream look like if you could make it a reality. DARE TO BELIEVE, IT IS POSSIBLE!! :))
Dear Fresh Grad,
I think I saw you yesterday along Makati Avenue, wearing the most smart-casual attire your closet will allow, waiting for the traffic light to change to red. You were clutching a brown envelope -- they contained your resumes, right? But, you looked a little flustered. Did your job interview not go so well? It's your fifth interview in six weeks, I hear? Don't worry, they say " Don't call us, we'll call you" to almost everybody. Hindi ka nag-iisa. Oh, your best friend nailed her interview on the first try? And your other ka-barkada, too? Well, good for them. Wag ka lang inggitera.
I know, I know. You've imagined yourself to be in your dream job immediately after graduation, getting paid (a lot), and doing what you love to do (so "it doesn't feel like work at all,"). You saw yourself changing the world, while live posting it on twitter.
I must say, your imagination's pretty impressive, and you must've been reading a lot of Steve Jobs. Darling, the real world doesn't work that way, and definitely not that fast. So your two friends who nailed it on their first try? I'll bet you'll spend at least one Friday night with them at a karaoke bar, singing your angst away. Alani's Hand in My Pocket is a good first song, by the way.
*Buying Starbucks
You'll find a job yourself soon. It won't be your dream job, but hey, at least it will pay for happy hour. You will be asked to buy Starbucks for your boss's guest, and while walking out of the office, you'll tell the universe, "Nag-graduate ako ng cum laude para lang bumili ng kape?" When you return, the boss will be angry to know that you forgot to put Splenda in his coffee, and the universe will tell you, "E kape nga lang hindi mo mabili ng maayos, cum laude ka pa nyan ha." You will print the wrong report. You will be yelled at for a lousy job someone else did, and you will be yelled at for a job you put your whole heart into. You will be told you're stupid, and if you're lucky, the whole office will be there to hear it. You will cry in your cubicle. You will lose the promotion to the boss's son, or to someone less hardworking than you. You will learn about dirty office politics, and you will be frustrated to know that you can't do anything about it. You will figure in office tsismis, and you'll make your Twitter account private. You will see your friends going to Boracay, Bangkok and Europe, having the time of their lives. while you're left here, living paycheck to paycheck, wishing you were born an Ayala, a Gokongwei, or a Gosling. You will think about quitting. You will lose the sparkle and the passion. You will forget about your ultimate dream when the real world crushes it right before your eyes.
But, please don't!!
*Make Passion Last
The truth is, you will never be as passionate as your Fresh Grad self ever again. Make that passion last as long as you can. I don't want to be dramatic, but really, that sparkle? Once it's gone, you can never take it back. Oo, parang virginity lang.
So while you have it, savor the moment. Go make mistakes, while you're still expected to be imperfect. Go cry in the cubicle, while your age allows it. Go sing Hand in My Pocket and You Learn at the karaoke bar, while you're still "young and underpaid". Go chase your dreams and change the world.The best time to change the world? It's right after college, when you are f***ing sure you can.
See, you will become 26. Then 28. Then 30. And you will be busy looking for money to pay for the bills, or yelling at your assistant who printed the wrong report, and you will just forget about the world you badly wanted to change before.
How old are you again? Actually, I don't really need to know. You were glowing from where I saw you, and that gave away your age. So stand up straight, clutch your resumes, hold on to your dreams, and stay glowing as long as you can. Make the most of your youth. I swear, you'll miss it when it's gone, and by that time, you will only be able to write about it.
I have noticed that I got a lot of page views during the past few weeks upon checking may page view tab. Am I feeling really guilty because I wasn't able to update my blog. Don't think that I've abandoned this already, I haven't and I won't. :) Actually, I often think about posting some of rants Haha!, new reviews and whatnot but I just don't have the luxury of time to type up a decent entry as of late. Right now, I'm busy at work and the coming week is going to be the ultimate experience of that.
Maybe I'll get some time off, like weekends, to come up with an entry but i'll be purely text. Taking pictures takes some time sooooo yeah!! :P
I have so much I want to share. Things in my mind are exploding but it's hard for me to put it in words right now! RAWR! I promise to update my blog as soon as I have much time. A virtual HUGS to all my readers!! :) Anyway, I hope you're all doing well. :)
