Revel Bars at Cheesecake Melliza

When buying at Cheesecake Melliza for the first time, the obvious choice would be the bestseller - cheesecake of course - but no, I decided to deviate from the expected and go for the revel bars. At P100 for 4 bars, it's quite a steal!

There were actually other brownie-like bars that experimented on dark and white chocolate, cookies and cheesecake bars that screamed "Buy us!" but this forlorn cat needed grainy comforting, and so the revel bars went from display to "Sold!"

The bars did not scrimp on the grain and sugar aspect. A hefty serving of oats, I gladly welcomed, but the highly sweetened chocolate was not appreciated by my palate (and stomach). Chocolate on its own is splendid but sweetening it up further reduced the cocoa goodness and turned it into a brown sugar hyper bar.

Perhaps those with high tolerance for sugar would find revelry in these bars, but as for me, "Pass!"

Aum Sweet Aum at New Bombay

Because I hate waiting in lines when I'm hungry, I've found the quick fix for this: Indian food (New Bombay, Glorietta). Filipinos have a knack for displaying patience especially when queueing for buffets and oily food joints, thus leaving exotic restaurants bare and welcoming to the impatient wanderer such as myself! Aside from 2 other guests, New Bombay was ours to enjoy with ample space to stretch our legs and even request for warm water. Thank Shiva!

Of course space isn't the only draw for New Bombay. While the restaurant raised prices (and reduced serving size) since my last visit, the menu is filled with amazing Indian delicacies and entrees fit for vegetarians and those I'm-trying-not-to-eat-meat-this-Christmas-season dieters. Don't expect waitresses to force their beef specialties or Chef's-pork-dish-of-the-day on you - nope, just healthy eating at its curriest.

[caption id="attachment_1133" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Palak Paneer"][/caption]

Palak Paneer (P225)

Our staple order may not be the prettiest sight, but the homemade cottage cheese in spicy spinach sauce was so good and comforting, it warranted seconds. The spicy creamy spinach sauce was really flavorsome, and if I could just cook this at home, I sure am eating this everyday. Oh wait, did I just say cook? Oh well, at least New Bombay has branches at The Columns and Podium. That should address the cooking deficiency.

[caption id="attachment_1132" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Chicken Tikka Masala"][/caption]

Chicken Tikka Masala (P225)

Chicken in tomato-masala sauce makes the best partner to palak paneer, not to mention that they unintentionally scream Merry Christmas on our table. Together though, they do make this unbeatable spicy duo when spread on naan. Better than just plain curry or tandoori, the chicken tikka masala is bathed in this amazing red sauce that makes other saucy dishes blush in bland shame.

[caption id="attachment_1136" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Cottage Cheese Pakora"][/caption]

Cottage Cheese Pakora (P165)

These cottage cheese cubes fried in this yellow batter are filling and tasty, but a bit of a letdown for their price. It was a redundant order as well, having selected the palak paneer as a main dish. For those who like fried cheese though, this should make the cut. Next time though, I might consider the samosas or vegetable cutlets.

[caption id="attachment_1134" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="(L) Naan, (R) Masala Kulcha"][/caption]

Garlic Naan (P75) and Masala Kulcha (P145)

Perfectly baked naan can either make or break the meal. Good thing New Bombay is already an expert at this and managed to serve them chewy and right. The Masala Kulcha is like the high-end cousin of the naan, more grand and stuffed with mashed potatoes and onions. For almost twice the price of the naan though, I'd rather go for economy, since all that masala flavor dissipated once the palak paneer's spinach sauce splashed all over the kulcha.

[caption id="attachment_1135" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Lunch is served!"][/caption]

With my plate containing a hodge podge of colors and spice levels, it was impossible not to enjoy this commotion. A mega masala meal can really knock off all that holiday stress and bring us closer to a mundane sense of nirvana - which ultimately disappeared once we faced the Makati traffic.

Doesn't matter, at least even for a few minutes, we got a sense of "Aum" even away from home.

Namaste!

Going, Going, Gong Cha!

Perhaps by its musically inspired name—in which I find no appeal being lyrically incapacitated—Gong Cha has never tempted me with its lavishly named tea drinks. That was until I saw the gleaming queue at Glorietta (milk tea at an Ayala Mall, a rare find!) did I realize that well, maybe there’s hope despite its taunting name.

The milk tea listing can be quite exhausting—the long line something to be grateful for having given us ample time to think,brainstorm and analyze the potential taste of every green tea combination.

The “premium” milk teas start with the signature name Gong Cha, and I initially considered it an endeavor to create brand impact. The guess was a tad too academic, as explained by the cheery cashier. Gong Cha milk tea = with cream on top. Oh my, did you say cream? Good thing there was a second option.

Going for the Large Milk Green Tea (30% sugar) with pudding (P105 total) was perhaps the wisest decision. Not really a fan of pearls, which seemed to create a choking feeling after every sip, the pudding provided a smooth sweet treat that didn’t interfere with the drink or clog the straw. The green tea was identifiable but rather overpowered by the supposed tinge of Jasmine. If I were to rename the drink, it would be more like Milky Jasmine with Green Tea (in the proper order of flavors). The 30% sweetness was tolerable yet compared with the 30% of other brands (Serenitea and Cha Time) this was one big, SWEET 30%. I cringe at the thought of 100% sweetness—a surefire nightmare for my dentist and weighing scale!

Why many people would opt for Gong Cha can be no question with its massive list of exuberant flavors, tea selections, shakes, and price. Even tea cynics will find interest in their menu with their shakes (coffee, chocolate or milk flavor), creative mixes (like Yakult Green Tea) and ice cream specials. 

Still pondering over the origin of the name Gong Cha, I was looking forward to seeing a real gong be used to call out the orders, or a gong being used to lull the workers to their tea making rhythm. Wrong again. At least they didn’t have to sing out my name when they called out my order or it would’ve been Gone Cha for me.