Figaro Releases "Blissful Holiday" Drinks and Meals

Had the chance to visit Figaro in Tomas Morato a few days ago together with some other bloggers as they introduced new holiday meals and drinks this season, they call it Blissful Holiday. I tried them all so don't be surprised why I'm fat for crying out loud LOL. Anyway, here's what we had :)

The Chicken Galantine Canneloni is much like our favorite chicken dish but it's stuffed inside Canneloni pasta and laid in with a chunky tomato based sauce with basil and parmesan cheese. It's hearty and filling, but more on the tangy side. This costs 189 and would be perfect with any cold drink I presume.

The Chicken Mushroom Cannelloni on the other hand is more creamy. For those who prefer a not to acidic kind of dinner, then this would be it. The mushroom bits are mixed into the chicken and stuffed inside the cannelloni pasta too. I think they sauteed that before pouring a little cream on top. This is my favorite. They make it al dente so you can still feel the pasta  when you bite into it.

For those who want a more filling plate, this is their Chicken Roulade Plate. It's got fried chicken breast rolled and breaded with meaty filling inside. It is served with a side of Arrabbiata, Pesto, Al Tonno or Carbonara. It's good for 2 actually, but if you're like me that can actually have a big meal... go ahead and make my day! This costs 249, a bit good for how big of a meal this is. Then, here's the drinks!

This is Hazelnut Cinnamon done three ways. One is a Jelly Float, the other is a latte, and my favorite is the Frost! It's all good, very affordable too and you kinda get the spice in the drinks so in a nutshell, it's christmasy if there's a term for that.

Premium Salted Caramel - my personal favorite among the cakes and pastries served that evening. It's deceiving because you think it's going to be chocolatey but no, it's more on the caramel side of things and it's really good.

For those who don't like it sweet, the Light Ginger Bread Loaf may be your best option. It's fluffy, like a soft gingerbread man and would be perfect with black coffee. I like that they stayed with the taste that would probably be more English if that makes sense. 

For those who love those sweet fruit bits on fruit cakes, this Fruit Loaf Mini is something that you would also like. It's like a lighter version of fruit cake but you get those intense bits of fruit you love in fruit cakes. I know that sounded a bit redundant but that's what it actually really tastes like. Yes this also has rum on it, but not going to make you buzzed after a piece or two. It's nice for those Frost drinks they have in the store. Order more!

 For those who want a combination of sweet and tangy, they've got this Fruit Forest Cheese Cake. It's baked cheesecake topped with whipped cream and layers of fruit cream and 5 kinds of berries. I think it was strawberries, raspberries, blue berries, black berries, red currant. I liked this one too. Have hot coffee with this one instead so it'll contrast with the cold cheesecake. Trust me on hot Hazelnut Cinnamon coffee.

Here's what happened during the small event at Figaro in Tomas Morato:


Figaro Blissful Holiday by kumagcow

For those who love merchandise, Figaro can give you the Figaro Notebook, Ribbed Tumbler, Vacuum Flask, Yellow Stainless Tumbler, Magic Mug, Coffee Belt mugs, Bean Map Mug and Mask Mug available all year and you don't have to collect stickers anymore to get it. Cool right? Aside from that, they've got Gift Certificates. It's the best thing to give if you're near a Figaro Branch and your office mates would just use it for their everyday coffee dose. It's available in 100 and 500 denominations, so no need to worry if you're out of ideas. They can decide themselves and get the best coffee at Figaro.

It'll only be available this holiday season so if you've got spare time, visit a store or branch near you!

For more information about their products:

Figaro Coffee Philippines

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.figarocoffee.com/

London Style Brew now in Manila: Costa Coffee

Great news for coffee lovers out there, there's a new brand in town and this really came in the right time when we're almost all bored about the usual coffee shop we see in major thoroughfares. London based Costa Coffee is now in the Philippines and they're gearing to put up more stores in the country soon.  Costa Coffee was founded in London by Bruno and Sergio Costa sparked by their love for premium quality coffee. They've got 40 years of experience to back that up and over 3,000 Costa stores around the world to prove it. Their goal is to be the worlds most loved coffee shop brand, a feat that they can well do in the next few years I bet.

The Interiors

The place has 2 floors and is pretty much reflected to be much like the streets of London inside complete with a red phone booth outside which you can take photos with. The interior's made of several brick walls, upholstered and regular seats that would gladly be reminiscent of an Austin Powers movie.

It's the London culture, the vibe, the colors that they would like you to see inside the store. There several corners in this place that I would have loved to reserve for myself when I get the chance to hang out in Eastwood, especially the window seats. Remember, the Brits are some of the worlds most demanding customers and if they want quality on their drinks or food, they need to get it and this is much of a standard thing in Costa Coffee shops I'm sure.

Figaro Delos Santos Now Open!

Ventured out in Delos Santos Medical Center, a hospital located at E. Rodriguez Sr. Boulevard in Quezon City. On it's Medical Arts Building, there's a new Figaro branch that opened just recently. This March 9, they opened up shop on the building's ground floor. I think I have a place to hang out now aside from the Figaro Tomas Morato branch I frequent to. This is officially their Figaro Delos Santos Branch, instead of hogging the place for myself, here I go again generously sharing this with you!

The Interiors

The place can sit around 30 people at a time and has got very few foot traffic. Current clientele consists only of Doctors, Nurses, Patients (yes I saw some of them walked in!) and their families.

Front of bar, small cake fridge for the usual pastries and small drinks.

It's in the small details. This matters.

The place is very cozy, it's got very nice air conditioning that could shelter you from the hot afternoon sun. The place is secured because there are tons of security guards from the building. As for service, they would gladly welcome each customer to their establishment once they enter the door. Don't panic if they sound kinda repetitive because I think they have standardized the "Good Afternoon Sir/Ma'am, Welcome to Figaro!" line. I got myself ready for what's up next!

The Food

Figaro has tons of food to choose from. They've got cakes, pastries, pastas, but today I was opting for something light - so I asked them what's new from the counter and they had these awesome sandwiches ready to be taken out. They call em "TO GO Sandwiches" and I checked out this lot!

They designed these sandwiches so it'll be easier to carry out as it's prepared in advanced. You can ask them to heat it up, wrap it up again or maybe buy it off the shelf and take into your offices and heat it up in the pantry. I'm sure everyone has got microwave ovens or toasters these days!

This is their Spam and Egg Sandwich. It's simple, like in Hawaii, it's good, like breakfast all day. It's not like those expensive sandwiches you purchase off that other popular coffee shop. At Php 70, it's not way overpriced. These are gourmet sandwiches and prepared quite nicely. I liked mine a little toasty and they've got griddles inside the store to make paninis in, I suggest you ask them to toast it there instead of the oven. You can thank me later.

This one's their Barbecue Chicken Sandwich. It's like BLT but with chicken breast fillets (no bacon was harmed during this commercial) that are lightly grilled, then put on rye. This actually has a little mayo on it but it's not overpowering, so feel free to indulge. It's very filling and if you need protein in your diet, this would be something that I suggest you have. I think you can also have it cold because I don't think it would make sense if the veggies inside would be hot as its selling point is the crisp things it comes with.

I super duper love the way they served my sandwiches to look like they're little hearts on a plate. If you want something more savory, then get this Creamy Cheese Chorizo Sandwich. The smoky slices of meat, chopped up and put on this bun with a little dressing plus a few leaves of iceberg lettuce is just divine. You get your tummies full in no time. If you're kinda avoiding rice and still want something that would feed your muscles, you get your protein fix from the meat in these healthy sandwiches. I must say, we meat lovers tend to have nicer skin than vegetarians, but don't quote me on that haha! (my honest observation)

If you're a cheese monster like me, make sure you try Figaro's very own Triple Cheese Pimiento Sandwich. It's a mix of Cheddar, Mozzarella, and Pizza Cheese. It's quite tasty and judging from the looks of it, it would be something that kids would definitely like.

Mediterranean Strawberry Cheesecake

Figaroccino Cookie Crumble

Blueberry Muffin is love!

Chocolate Chip Muffin!

Figaro Frappe comes in Figarocinno Caramel Chips, White Chocolate Mocha and Figarocinno Cookie Crumble

Since it's summer, I think it's time you get to try Figaro's very own Figaro Frappe line. If it's hot outside and you feel you should extinguish that with something cold, never go out of the store without trying these!

This is Figaro's White Chocolate Mocha. I was surprised because when I tasted them, not one of them is too sweet. I felt safe and I don't think I'd be having diabetes the next day. You can still taste the light white chocolate flavor of the drink plus a hint of mocha as an aftertaste. I think this would be good for those who want to take things lightly as I didn't feel sugar high afterwards. I get crazy when I get to that state.

This is their Figaroccino Caramel Chips. I don't know what they put on top but I think it's like shaved graham crackers. Again, it's not too sweet. I think they got the hang of just putting the right amount of sugar in every beverage, which is a cool thing because you don't have to instruct them anymore on how you want your drink to be. If you wish to have something additional, they would gladly oblige and do it for you. The caramel I think is just in the background, it doesn't super impose on you in every sip. 

I guess this is their piece de resistance, they call it Figaroccino Cookie Crumble. As the name suggests, this is their drink with real deal cookies and cream. The cookie they use is also real deal (I must repeat) Oreo so you don't lack in the taste department. I have to say again, this is not too sweet. Whoever formulated these drinks must have gotten really serious about not making each one of them go overboard because they know they are gunning for a larger market. They're well researched I bet.

 

Now there's more reason to visit Figaro. They've opened their Figaro Delos Santos branch so they could cater to people from Manila, Quezon City and nearby areas. I suggest you take advantage of their promo called "Celebrate With Us!" which is available solely for this branch. For every purchase Php 300 worth of coffee and other products, you can take Php 100.00 off it. You must purchase regular items though and it cannot be used in conjunction with any other promo or discount. It will only run from March 7 to April 6, 2015 (which is like next week!). So if you're craving for coffee, pastas, the best gourmet sandwiches that you can just grab and go, make sure you visit the new Fiagro Delos Santos in E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Quezon City. It's right before the intersection of Araneta Avenue and right at the hospital grounds so you won't miss it. If you know coffee, you should know there's always a Figaro branch near you!

P.S.: They'll be also offering Lenten Meals that mostly comprise fish on their menu. If you're a little devout, that's the best thing they have inside the store starting tomorrow. Thank you so much to the good people at Figaro Delos Santos branch who made the few hours of my stay here quite nice. I'll be back of course!

For more information about their products:

Figaro Coffee Company

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.figarocoffee.com/