Milk Tea-rific #3: Chatime

Hello bloggers! Sorry for being lazy posting again. Been busy doing some stuffs and fixing things. But I already have a list of things to post for me to share it to you. But for the mean time let me just share to you my milk tea review no.3.

MILK TEA!! One of my favorite drinks nowadays! I always crave for one. 

My official introduction to the world of--hold on, I mean the wonderful world of milk tea was from Chatime. Tea and milk are two things poles apart in taste. But, when blended together, tastes amazing! It's just so damn good. I tried so many milk tea store out there but Chatime is really one of the best!

Good Tea, Good Time!

Chatime is founded in Taiwan on 2003 and as of March 2012 it has over 500 outlets in 15 countries and counting. Chatime (again, I need to be wittier! Haha!), the largest international milk tea brand would open its doors in Manila! True enough, with over 12 stores in the top malls all over the country, Chatime's pretty much gathered a loyal following in the milk-tea-loving crowd, ME INCLUDED!! :) I suddenly got giddy and a lot more fun than the images of relaxation and tea pots that we're used to. I'm just happy its family is expanding and more people are gaining awareness about its great flavors. Fine! it was a bit of an exaggeration but it definitely made me smile from one ear to the other. I must have had dozens of cups of Chatime milk tea already before I was finally able to write an entry about it.

Recently, in the Philippines there is a lot of milk tea outlets established wherever you go and a lot of people began to be curious about the taste then became crazy about the said beverage. Milk teas had been quite a fad food wise, sprouting like mushrooms all over the metro taking over the Starbucks culture and Chatime is one of the many milk tea company responsible for it. They have the variety of flavors that you can enjoy from plain milk tea to a flavored tea. Not only milk tea but they also offer fruit juices. It's your choice! Chatime uses freshly brewed tea infused with different natural flavors to make the best bubble tea drink in town! Here is a small peek of their menu:

Menu  from their Facebook page

Their menu is written in both English and Chinese. Their prices are almost the same of the other tea house. However, their prices are not inclusive of toppings. An additional topping costs PHP15-PHP25.

A usual that I get is the Chocolate Mousse with 100% sugar and normal ice (PHP85-Medium, PHP95-Large), Taro Pudding Milk Tea with the same specifics. I always add topping of pearls whenever I ordered a drink. It taste good and addicting; now I know why it's one of their best selling flavor. Also, Matcha Tea Latte is a green tea with latte underneath it. The taste is less sweet which I do prefer compared to Starbucks' green tea frappe. I think even without the latte the green tea would taste a bit bitter which for some people will pass the said drink. 

Taro Pudding Milk Tea

Global branches

Chocolate Mousse

RECOMMENDED!! I think Chatime offers one of the better tasting milk teas in town. They have a wide selection of drinks and you have the option to choose the amount of sugar and ice you want. 

They also had this electronic round mini frisbee-like disc (I don't know what it is called exactly) given to you while waiting for your drinks. It lights up and buzzes once your drinks are ready for pick-up at the counter. So no need to loiter around the counter. 

But what I loved about this store is their new IPAD menu! It shows all their drinks with fun facts about each drink. You can also see which add-ons are best for the drink. Just touch it and you'll see all the refreshing teas Chatime has to offer.

Once you get there, it is very relaxing despite the number of people going in and out of the store. Comfy and chic, it is fun and relaxed at the same time. Enjoy the bright purple and pink accents against the bright white interiors. Which almost girls like!! :) Sink into the lean back soft seats with your milk tea in hand. Definitely a cool place to hangout with your friends up until the weeee hours. I thinks it's also a good place to do a lot of planning and thinking here. And like what I always look for from all the other milk tea I've tried, and like what I've stated from my previous milk teas entry, I want the tea flavor intact! And here, you still get that yummy yummy tea taste!!

They're also selling cakes, breads, mini hamburgers and other staples such as the curry dog, french fries, and pepper salt chicken pops! You won't miss it for sure!

Pastries and Desserts

While I've compelled to keep trying the different milk teas out there, it doesn't hurt to have a favorite. I'll always be loyal to Chatime. 

Have you gone for your own Chatime yet?? I think this will be a place for me to hang out and enjoy the drinks from time to time...For those milk tea lover if you want to try this, check out their Website, like their Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter. 

Chew on this: Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken

"Home of the World Famous Portuguese Style Grilled Chicken"

Piri-piri, Peri-peri or Peli-peli is the name used in Portuguese and a number of African languages to describe the African bird's eye chili, a member of the Capsicum plant genus. This is a small and extremely spicy variety. The variations in spelling derive from the various pronunciations of the word in parts of Africa, although "Piri-piri" is the correct spelling in Portuguese. (Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piri_piri)

So, just looking at the definition you can already assume that Peri-peri chicken would have an exotic taste. Hmmmm....Interesting right?!

Together with my dad and sister we went at SM Megamall because my sister is planning to buy a new phone and my dad need to buy new clothes for their company outing. Since, it's tiring to go around the mall and walk through each stores, Mr. Stomach was growling and that was our signal that we should eat to pacify our hunger. It's hard to decide where to eat in a place as big as SM Megamall because there are really lots of good restaurants to choose from but this particular restaurant caught my eye simply and lured to this place out of pure hunger, the SM Megamall branch located on the Bridgeway 3rd level of building B in between Racks and Tokyo Cafe was conveniently situated. Chicken lovers can rejoice with the menu filled with chicken dishes from salads, entrees, wraps, sandwiches, pasta and of course, the Filipino staple, platters and combo meals. If you're craving chicken minus the grease then their charcoal-grilled chicken is a very good alternative.

"OLA, SENOR, SENORA!!!" that will be the greeting you will hear upon entering the restaurant. The place is nice. They got these yellow lanterns above each tables that made it a happy, bright looking place. It has a very light ambiance too. I got excited. I don't know why but the very easy and light feeling made me feel excited to the chicken that we will be ordering.

I ordered the Everyday Platter B (1/4 pc. Peri-peri chicken, 2pcs. Parmesan shrimp, Corn and Carrots, Java rice and gravy for P235) because I was so hungry, excited and my appetite has been crazy lately I forgot to take the picture of it! Hehe :P And I chose the Lemon and Garlic flavor for my chicken . It's worth it. The price is reasonable as the serving is big. Big enough for a little girl with a monster stomach like me. My chicken? Simot-sarap! As in sarap to the bones. ^-^ The chicken tasted different than the usual grilled chicken that I'm familiar with. You can taste some herbs and other flavors on it and the good things is, you don't need to dip it in gravy to enjoy the chicken because it is good as it is.

My dad ordered just a 1/4 pc. Peri-peri chicken also in a Lemon and Garlic flavor and my sister chose to have Classic Carbonara with 2 pcs. finger bread on the side. Every time you order chicken the servers will ask you what marinade you prefer. They have Lemon and Garlic, Mild spicy and Hot and Spicy. Service at this branch was fast which was perfect because we were all starving.

Classic Carbonara

1/4 pc. Peri-peri Chicken (Lemon & Garlic)

The Platters (A,B,C) seems to be making it big, eliminating the need to decide on a three-course meal, being budget friendly. The best thing about Peri-peri is the P49 unlimited soup and beverages promo. Take note, the soup is not just something cupped out from a dish; we are talking about the real soup here. 

Their menu and price list

Depending on the day (they have two choices per day) and based on my experience, they have Mushroom Soup, Corn Soup, Carrot and Pumpkin Soup and Broccoli Cream soup. May be because it's weekend that there are many soup choices. 

My top pick is unexpectedly the Carrot and Pumpkin Soup. Creamy, tasty and healthy. Second on my list is the Corn Soup because I am just a corn person. The Broccoli Cream Soup is a must try too, although the Mushroom soup is so-so.

Carrot and Pumpkin Soup

Mushroom Soup

For the beverages, they've got tons. I ordered a mango shake coz' I don't feel like the drinks available for the promo. Hihihi Mango juice, Lemon Iced tea, Strawberry juice, Sodas (Pepsi products), Coffee, Hot tea and the list goes on.....The soup and drinks were self-service so you can really get as much as you want. How would they know you availed of the unlimited deal? :P They use different glasses and soup bowls than those for regular servings, of course! 

Whether you are a big eater or on a diet, there's always a room for you. Average price per meal range around P150 - P250, depending on the included number of sides. They also serve Salads, Burger and Quesadillas. One thing I'm sad with Peri-peri is they didn't offer any kind of desserts or sweets! :( I hope they will add it up in their menu in future time. 

My handsome father

Me, Daddy and big sister happy tummy!!

With all our orders in Peri-peri Charcoal Chicken, overall, I must say that this restaurant is actually highly recommended since they are not the usual chicken mean you will have plus considering the price, they are not really costly. It was still a satisfying meal. We'll go back there for sure and still have to try other good food that they offer next time. I couldn't move out of really bloated tummy by then! If you come across this restaurant, try it, don't chicken out!! Indulge!! :D

Eat less, But Eat Often

I just read it from a magazine, I know this will help some people. :)) Especially to girls out there who are body conscious and on a diet. And I just wanna share it.

When you are trying to cut back on the amount of food you eat, you will be tempted to cut back on the number of times you are eating. After all, if you are trying to reduce calories, isn't it easiest to reduce the number of meals? This strategy, however, is a recipe for failure.

Aside from the difficulties you might experience because of hunger from skipping meals, eating fewer times per day reduces the efficiency of our bodies in processing food as fuels. In other words, skipping meals maximizes the caloric effect of the food we do eat. A study at Oxford University found that people who ate five to six times a day had a 5% lower total cholesterol and were 45% more likely to be able to sustain their target weight than people who ate once or twice a day. - David Niven, Ph.D., The 100 simple secrets of healthy people

I hope this article will help to maintain your body healthy and have a sexy curve.

Be FIT and FAB!!