Slice of Pia Cayetano’s

The other side of the outdoorsy, eco-defending senadora Pia Cayetano is revealing. Slice cafe/bakery in Bonifacio High St. Central in Taguig is a slice of her creativity and enthusiasm for healthful living.

According to Slice’s Facebook page, “Slice is where breakfast is served all day, dessert is at the top of the menu and healthy alternatives are always recommended.”

After going out of town over the weekend, Ericke came home with boxes of Slice muffins and cupcakes. She handed me my yema cupcake, Slice’s bestseller. The size is modest. The yema (candied egg yolk) matched the beautiful, fairly thin texture of the chocolate cupcake, all in all tasting much like a Toffifee sans a hazelnut. Love the idea of prettifying a cupcake with dainty swirl roses.

Sticking to Slice’s eco-friendly attitude, the boxes came in a reusable bag. Clever packaging is important to punch up an otherwise hard-to-embrace cause and culture besides attracting people to wonderful options. More power to Slice!

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2012

Everything nice…

I’ve been going over and making minor edits on the MayDay Mt. Bike Downhill Race photos for how many days now.  My eyes are tired. And I have yet to start the story. The photos of the prearranged pinikpikan are literally lifeless … ugh, taking a break…

Before leaving Baguio, we dropped by the Mile Hi Center in Camp John Hay for a burger lunch at Brothers Burger, but after placing our order, Alexa and I ran to Everything Nice to check out the cakes. Italian cheesecake was the closest thing to my fave New York cheesecake… one for me, and Alex, predictably, a chocolate fudge — both to go.

Do you know that there’s so much history in our own extrahot chili (Capsicum chinense or Capsicum sinense)? Ours is one of the hottest peppers in the world. The Caramba! Habanero’s product description reads: The mother chili habanero bush originally cultivated since prehistoric times in Peru and Mexico, made its way to the West Indies, brought to Spain in 1494, survived the Acapulco-Manila Galleon trade in the 15th and 16th century, and propagated in the Philippine Islands for its medicinal effects.

The Caramba! brand of Habanero is a fine hot sauce. It’s blended with Philippine mango puree and palm vinegar “to round up its full traditional indigenous taste and aroma, evidenced by its top-note jerky prickly heat, and arrested by its back-note soothing sensations.” Well, a little too complex for me. To put it simply, it’s hot enough, yet it doesn’t burn in the mouth. No overwhelming hotness when I tried it with my Black Angus Burger.

Love Brothers Burger consistent quality and lavish portions. Read this old post if you want to know more about the Filipino Brothers Burger.

Brandon’s Lamb Burger with mint sauce was yummy as well!

Let’s back-pedal to Everything Nice. My cheesecake was kinda gritty and the color was off. I don’t know if it’s normal, but it had a strange orangey hue. The cheese is supposed to be ricotta. Alexa was not satisfied either with her choco fudge. I used to get splendid sans rival from the shop. I have not seen theirs in the last decade.

Sweet then spicy or the other way around. I need a jolt while blogging.  Right now, I’m craving for kooky kiamoy. The temperature in Ilocos is getting unbearably crazy humid. I really don’t know if global warming has something to do with brain function, tell me.

Photographed by Blauearth © Blauearth™ All Rights Reserved 2009-2012

Family date night: Frontrow Fashion Café and Wellness (NEW in Laoag!)

Before I go to bed, just one more quick post before the news gets stale.

Though I was dog tired from tending my BlauEarth Community Ties spot at the eco-living bazaar ’til sundown, I hanged out with the kids at the most current coffee bar in town, the Frontrow. It’s a cushy café that offers hot and cold coffee and chocolate treats, fruit smoothies and healthy pastas. Oh, it has a little fashion nook, how so original?

The interiors are done in soothing colors. I personally love the apple green chairs.

Premium coffee blends from Switzerland.

Eugene’s.

Really nice people, Frontrow owner Precy Llanes  (also franchise co-owner of Chow King Laoag) with son Joshua and friends.

Heirloom artwork collection from Precy’s late mom, artist/painter Rosita C. Mallari of Baguio and Switzerland.

Unique art. Love ’em.

The bottle on the right is Precy’s favorite, a European landscape painting.

What was so funny, Ericke?

In this corner… hahah, the girls.

It’s not about the shoes, it’s the tale of the mottled skin… thank God, only in the cold; and it’s in the genes.

Goofing around for my camera.

Maybe, I could feature the pastas next time. I wanted the Pasta Janet with interesting kare-kare sauce, but, unfortunately, the pastas will be available on the grand opening. The café had a soft opening, I think, last Friday.

I had a slice of their mocha crema de fruta and it was good! The prices are really cool.

Frontrow is on the second floor of the M&P Bueno Bldg. along Panganiban St., Laoag

Photos by Blauearth Copyright © Blauearth™ ALL RIGHTS RESERVED