Minipresso GR - The Review

And today for the first time in history, in unadulterated photo session, we will answer the wonderful question of how can I afford espresso?

First up in our coffee series - we got ourselves a nifty Minipresso GR. Wacaco now has Nanopresso GR and Minipresso NS variants. The Minipresso GR is for your GRound coffee while the Minipresso NS is for your NeSpresso coffee pods (which is very wasteful and harmful to the environment). The Nanopresso is Wacaco's later product which is smaller and marketed so much better, so now they are putting Minipresso GR on sale.

This review post is for the Minipresso GR and how it fairs with a budget espresso machine powered by electricity. The Minipresso GR was dubbed with having the known perfect pressure of 8 bars for espresso. They're now dismissing it with the release of the Nanopresso which they claim can go up to 16 bars, because what do you know - marketing anything "higher is better" just seems so appealing, right?

First off, the box. It has quick view instructions at the back in case you forget how to use it or you just want to show off your Minipresso without having to explain how it works.

What's inside - there is an instruction manual with your warranty card and the pouch containing your spanking new Minipresso GR.

There's a regular 2oz shot glass for size comparison.

When you disassemble your Minipresso, you get 8 items. The water compartment, a drinking cup, a 1-shot 8g coffee scoop + tamper, the pumping mechanism, the portafilter, a cleaning brush, another filter/wall, and the pump output.

I already ground my coffee (remember to use freshly ground coffee for the best taste and experience) and the scoop/tamper has a really nice 8g sure measurement which fits perfectly in the filter. You can use the back of the scoop as the tamper and yes, it still fits perfectly.

Follow the next steps for your caffeine fix!
- Put coffee in the filter, tamp it. Put it on top of the pumping mechanism and put the cover. Seal it shut.
- Put water in the compartment.
- Put the entire cartridge on top of the water compartment. Seal it, too.
- Pull out the pump and start the process!

This is one part wherein everything just fits perfectly, like your hand in mine.

You can use one hand or both hands. Just grip it and find inner peace.

Now wait till your espresso comes out and see all the crema it has. It has legitimate crema and it tastes wonderful. This is a really nice gadget to bring whenever and wherever. The cleaning process is quite easy, to be honest. If you have a sink nearby, just remove the water compartment and the filter part, expect a few drops of coffee, you can easily dunk out the pressed coffee grounds and just run water through your Minipresso.

Here's the rest of the gang all cleaned up! (Ok, just washed with water.)

So, do you need a Minipresso in your life?
> Do you usually stay over a friend's house who only drinks instant coffee?
> Your office pantry does not have an espresso machine.
> Do you go camping or you love having a picnic outside your home?
> Do you love to travel and you love a good cup all the same?
> You don't have the luxury of getting your own machine?
> Do you just want to always be prepared to have coffee so you can be ready to whatever life throws at you?
> Do you love collecting portable stuff? Or okay, anything coffee-related?

Oh hello there, baby. You're magic incarnate.

Now this is from my budget espresso machine. Crema might be a little thinner but it tastes just as good. One factor you can control with your Minipresso is the temperature. Higher-end espresso machines can also give you control over your water temperature.

1, 2, 3. 1, 2, 3, drink!!!

The Minipresso GR retails at $50.00 and it costs around PHP 3,500 locally. Catch when it's on sale and just use ShippingBox or ShoppingCart for your other items.

We'll have an entry next time comparing a budget espresso machine vs a Breville dual boiler. I also have plans of posting about Aeropress, Bialetti stove top espressos, syphon, pour overs, and other coffee paraphernalia I got here because this is my way of putting off other important things I should do.

Old Coffee Talk

So I have decided to postpone completing my tasks that pay the bills and unearth all of  my posts that remained in the Draft status.

First post I chose to unearth? Coffee.

So what do we have here? It's a collection of the 2015 photos that I found lying somewhere under the forgotten lands in my phone.

Back to the coffee cup. Seen in this photo is our effort to make slow-drip coffee thanks to our empty margarita mix from Kirkland. Haha. We tied the plastic bottle and tried to hang it on the handle of the drawer on top. Well. When curiosity strikes and we've got nothing but time on our hands, you'll get this makeshift drip. Don't forget the pressure inside the bottle as it is dripped vertically. Or just don't do this at all. 

I have done a couple of batches of cold brew coffee (12-hour ones) at home and the best way to do it is teach people at home how to do it, too. Haha. I prepare it, leave a note, and my lovable yaya does the rest. I just call her up and she filters it. When I get home from the office, I have one mason jar of pure goodness. *smug face* Here's one small bottle of it, ready to bring anywhere I want. :)

And then we have this. Not sure if I posted it in my Taiwan entry (IF I HAVE ONE), but this sexy baby was purchased in Taipei. We were just walking towards a night market and poof. Something caught our peripheral vision we just had to turn our heads. A freaking coffee shop full of beautiful things. What a pretty sight, this syphon filter is!!! Also pictured below is my friend's manual grinder from Gloria Jean's. What a good day for coffee! Light them up!

When there's an espresso machine, it's always iced latte by the patio while waiting for the sun to kiss the plants. One's served with sugar and the other is just natural goodness. 

More coffee photos with some presence of wine, but not together. I have a regular single-serve pour-over filter but I remember that the old coffee makers (from my mom) made use of paper filters instead of the built in washable/reusable nylon ones they have now. So when I found it again, AHA! There you go. Easier to hand brew for a number of caffeine-regulars!

Coffee. It never gets old. Only we do. Huhu.

You Know, February Happened!

What?! My photo last February was not posted!

Happy birthday to myself! There's wine, cakes, and a cd to boot. That's a pink moscato on top, a Kindle Paperwhite I ordered while it was on sale, and Echosmith before they got big. <3

UCC Ready-to-Go Drip Coffee

Origami coffee is what Starbucks dubbed it as. Here we have the UCC Special of drip coffee with pre-ground beans packed already, sans the "Origami" name.

This is useful when the coffee vendo just can't wake you up and you can't bring all your coffee paraphernalia. Just open a pack, lock it on the sides, and start pouring hot water. Wait (it's kind of therapeutic, too) and then enjoy. 

Next cup please. 

Coffee Ain't Dead, Electricity Is!

So, typhoon Glenda blew Luzon away and NCR experienced really strong winds. The power was out by 4am and fortunately in our place, it was back by 2pm. However, coffee time can't wait until 2pm. Here's the problem: How can I grind my beans (medium-fine) for my moka pot? :(

I just can't smash them or drive over them. I want coffee. :(

I just can't soak them or chew the beans. I really want my moka pot. :(

Instead of sleeping or crying in the corner, I decided to rummage through my sealed caffeine box and found my brother's unopened Trung Nguyen coffee. Ohmyglob. Vietnamese coffee!! I got one pack that says "2" meaning it's a mix of arabica and robusta beans (my personal favorite is "S"). VN coffee are pre-ground and so I got my filter out and saw we had condensed milk to complete the experience.

Seriously. Buy a clear cup (or a mason jar, whatever floats your boat). It makes you appreciate your drinks so much more. Look at the condensed milk lying so peacefully at the bottom of the cup. 

Nyumnyum. Coffee. Condensed milk. Nyum. 

Side - have you seen my friend try out making foam art? I haven't even tried making latte art but she's proving to no one she can make foam art, too. Not sure though how to put the markings. :|

Cold Brew Your Way in Summer Time

It's (still) summer. How do we deal with caffeine in this heat?

Iced coffee, of course! Brew the wonderful beans via press, pour over, or even coffee brewer, and then add ice. Voila! Instant refreshing jolt to the system!

Free Benguet coffee!

Then we have something called cold brew coffee. Cold brewing is using room temperature water to soak the ground beans for a minimum of 12 hours (others go as much as 24 hours if you can wait that much) and get coffee "concentrate" in return. You then dilute that with water or milk or ice or if you want, you can take a shot of it in its unadulterated form ala espresso shots. At this rate, patience is truly a virtue. 

It's supposed to be 18hrs for 7AM.
Was so excited I can't count properly anymore!

There are different factors that can be played with. We have grind type, hours of brewing, and of course, kind of coffee bean (and its roast). You can experiment with different combinations and try out which formula tastes best for you.

The coffee "concentrate" plus the cold brew mix with milk. Yum!!

You can also use milk instead of water to make your cold brew even more fun. Adding ice is optional. I prefer not to add ice because it dilutes the concentrate more. 

There are recommendations that say use coarse grind for your brew. I used a medium grind initially with my Bukidnon Hineleban beans (superb) while I used the pre-ground coarse beans from Benguet for my second round. My third attempt got me using a fine grind of Bag of Beans arabica coffee. Amongst all, I enjoyed my Hineleban beans the most but it's probably because I have a bias to medium roasted beans. The Benguet beans are mostly robusta and you can use this if you want a taste similar to espresso. As for the proportion, I encouraged my friends to try different ones so we can compare notes. 

So in a nutshell, iced coffee is coffee brewed with the use of hot water and then with the addition of ice while cold brew is coffee brewed with not hot (can be room or cold) water and then kept in the refrigerator or room temperature (if your place is centralized). 

Fisher Cafe - Cheapest Coffee So Far!

So I've been frequenting Fisher Mall lately because of my friend who has a clinic there and of course where there are people, there are coffee shops. So the in-house coffee shop here is Fisher Cafe. There's a Seattle's Best Coffee spot in their Upper Basement part but then SBC drinks are too sweet so let's not talk about them.

Heated pour over drips in the house, yo!

This place has the cheapest coffee. Their cappuccino is good and it's for Php95 only. Then after some time, I saw ceramic pour overs on top of their espresso machine. They're now offering hand brewed coffee! It's only Php85 (the cheapest hand brewed coffee I have ever encountered) and you get to choose the beans you like! I interviewed their barista and although he was gathering some time before he could answer, I saw the cheat sheet at the other side of the place. 

Fisher Cafe has two spots inside the mall.  One is near the supermarket and the other is on the 4F, near the cinemas. And I prefer the latter spot since it has an overlooking view of... Quezon Avenue. Haha. I'm so getting some coffee there the next time I visit.  

Battle of the Brewed (Coffee)

There has been mainstream coffee shops under attack lately like Starbucks, The Coffee Bean, and Seattle's Best. The influx of "third wave" coffee shops make people more snobbish about coffee and look down on these "mainstream" giant coffee shops, but they increase coffee awareness and appreciation in return. We welcome Craft Coffee, Commune, Kuppa, Magnum Opus, Yardstick, and other places I haven't tried yet (no, Epic Cafe, it's not your time yet) with open arms and open wallets.

Well, this is not a review of those places. Yes, these coffee shops serve good coffee by means of good beans and careful handling. This is about the cheapest and most available brewed coffee your money can buy. Brewing your own batch is of course the best and cheapest approach but sometimes you just want to spend money on things like... hmmm, aside from Goody hair elastics, more like... coffee. 

Location: Fisher Mall

Items to be briefly discussed here:

Dunkin' Donuts Brewed Coffee

McDonald's Premium Roast (aka their Brewed Coffee)

Price:

DD - 8oz costs Php35; 12oz Php45

McDo - 8oz costs Php25; 12oz Php35

Obviously, McDonald's is cheaper by volume. 

Beans:

Both use pre-ground coffee beans. McDo says they use 100% pure arabica beans.

(Note: McDonald's use freshly ground beans for their espresso-based drinks but that is a different topic.)

Packaging:

DD Brewed Coffee has thicker drinking plastic part and thicker cup holder, albeit a smaller area covered. DD also has their own creamer (5 grams) and sugar packets while McDonald's has Coffee-Mate (3 grams) for their creamer. (Note: Drinking brewed coffee in its purest form, meaning no sugar nor milk or creamer, is still the best approach.)

Oh, hi, Gus! You're the background shot!

So, what's the main difference? Aside from the price which is the ultimate factor for coffee cheapos like me, McDonald's brewed coffee is thinner and more diluted compared to Dunkin' Donuts' coffee. DD has more body and a stronger taste. What I'm not sure of is the consistency - if DD has this better coffee throughout their branches or is it hit-or-miss like McDonald's, because some branches serve okay-coffee while some branches serve colored hot water. (-.-)

Oh by the way, when you can, brew your own coffee. Invest on beans and a coffee press or drip coffee filter. But on this day, let it be known: Dunkin' Donuts wins the brewed coffee battle. And you should never buy Jollibee brewed coffee. It's just plain sad. And awful. And did I mention awful? Oh yeeeeaaaaah... Their iced coffee? It is instant coffee with ice. 

Mason Jars and Paper Straws

Iced brewed coffee suddenly looks extra better when it's
in a mason jar, with some fancy shmancy paper straw.

When we all want to be different, we just get something from anywhere. If we want good things, we get it. 

So when mason jars went viral (you can get one from paperstrawlove), everybody just had to get one. Well, I drink coffee all the time and iced coffee is fun even though you had to pour milk in it. So here, a mason jar. With a paper straw. Brewed coffee with milk and ice and caramel syrup. Then use freaking paper straws that get all cramped up and you can't drink anything anymore. It was so "cool" I just ended up throwing the straw away and just drank from the jar. (-__-) But hey, I love my mason jar. I'm using it for my soy milk now! As for the paper straws, I know it's environment-friendly and I'm aware of my carbon footprint but it just won't work out. The paper melts after some time and you really can't do anything about it unless you cut the ends. So, just don't use straws anymore. I'm sorry, it's not me, it's really you, paper straw.

Filters, Filters, Filters!!!

Try walking around a new mall and the first thing you do is memorize the layout. Okay, if that's not the first thing you do, that occupies my time. Then you get to visit this new mall a little more and you go inside stores because there's nothing to do anyway. One of these stores I often just pass by is one that I consider a wasteland - a place that has truckloads of things you don't actually need but end up buying anyway for some reason. It's like going inside a house full of Budol-Budol Gang members. Daiso, this 88-peso store holds a goldmine of things you actually need, things you might need, things you think you need (but you don't!!), and things you never thought you'd need (and still don't know up to now if you need them). 

I had an item in mind even before I left home: paper coffee filter. I am running low on them and with the resumption of work, I might need more. Then we went inside Daiso to kill time. Dang it! It was like finding your true love without looking for it! I found a happy corner!!

Just put coffee into the filter, put this on top of your cup
or mug, then add water! Instant coffee brewer! Genius!

There was one area that housed things I never imagined available here for only Php88! I was so giddy, I got myself coffee paper cone filters, tea paper packet filters, and was about to grab coffee filters that were just like those portable brewers (e.g. Starbucks Origami), except you don't need a brewer - you put your freshly ground coffee directly in it. So much fun for Php88! I know I'm coming back at this wallet trap. I'm currently pursuing water therapy but this recent discovery (I know, I'm late) might pose as a challenge. Still. Happy. Me. Depressed. Wallet. 

November In A Toothpaste Tube (Nutshell Is Too Mainstream)

It has probably been ten years since I last posted something here. It's just that the internet at the office is not friendly for websites that require a sign-in account, so I'm restricted to just viewing and reading blogs (yup, Harvard Business Review keeps me preoccupied almost all the time, nopes, what are you saying that I'm viewing the Oatmeal in the office?!). I've been doing a lot of things in my leisure - that is, time you have for yourself after work/office hours. And usually with the traffic, leisure is just too little nowadays. I have come to appreciate my weekends and officemates more, because how can you survive being in an environment wherein you abhor the people around you?

This post is basically a catch-up for me. I have been through a lot since I last posted an entry. There were ups and downs, but mostly my days have been pretty amazing. So, what did I miss posting about?

I finally bought a coffee burr grinder. Plus I was able to purchase a single cup brewer. I can bring this in the office or just make a cup for myself without having to clean the coffee press or plug in the coffee maker. Lazy asses, unite!!! Woohoo!!

Meet Wentworth the Miller!

I have been lusting for this one in Amazon for quite some time and then one morning, my friends and I chanced upon 2 stocks of this and I basically screamed in delight. Without having to utter 2 sentences, Neth bought one as well and we were ready to swat away hands that would get it before us.

The coffee brewer on the left, with its ammo on the right.

Then, I have finally climbed Mt. Pico de Loro at Cavite. Time to party!!! I have dreamed of going here and just burn my skin from the UV rays while punishing my legs in the process. The falls as a sidetrip is worth it, even if it'll take off at least 30 minutes of your trek time.

Hello, beautiful.

My November was not just about coffee and mountains, there are a lot of food and merriment involved as well, but since this is just my first post for November, I'll divide my posts into a number of entries just because I feel like doing it. Uh-huh, I'm bad-ass that way!

TWG Tea 2

Originally posted Oct 23, updated Nov 27 with the 1837 Green Tea and 1837 White Tea.

So basically coming off from the first post about TWG teas, I have tried Weekend in Venice and Sakura! Sakura! Tea. Also joining the pack is Kiel's stash of Happy Birthday Tea and the 3 new ones from my mom: Weekend in Shanghai, Green Tea, and White Tea. Oh she also brought me macarons which she got for free. She got it from the Filipina sales attendant at TWG and they chatted for some time and then for some reason my mom got free macarons. Na-budul-budol si ate. She didn't know what hit her, HA!

The (new) line up of leaves I got from TWG:
Happy Birthday Tea is a blend of "mild" black tea, sweet red berries, and a touch of vanilla.
Weekend in Shanghai is green tea infusion of ripe red berries, "mystical blossoms", and a hint of mint.
Green tea and white tea are of the basic kinds. They do not have infusions but for some reason, they still smell so good! Very similar to the "usual" TWG smell. Mabango pala talaga ang mahal na tea.

Still, the champion tea for me is still Weekend in Venice, it must be the pineapple. It has to be the pineapple! Sakura! Sakura! comes in a near second place, while Happy Birthday Tea is also a good tea - it's black tea with a sweet taste. Weekend in Shanghai tastes a little different, I thought the ripe red berries would bring good justice but the mint balances the sweet taste.

Remember, a teaspoon for every person and another for the pot!

Both Weekend in Venice and Sakura! Sakura! are green tea with fruits and flowers. I drank flowers, amazeballs. :|

Update!! I can't believe that I just opened the 1837 Green Tea with the description from urbantea.com,
"A fragrant fantasy, this aromatic green tea blend of TWG Tea’s signature 1837 Tea is a voyage, boasting a lofty fruit and flower bouquet that leaves a delicious aftertaste of red fruits and caramel with a light touch of astringency. A delightful tea for any time of the day and perfect paired with desserts." It even has blue petals!

Green and blue. Sister said "Crayola!" :|

While the 1837 White Tea, "A twist on TWG Tea’s renowned signature tea, 1837 White is an ethereal blend of white tea with notes of fruits and flowers from the Bermuda triangle, which leaves a lingering aftertaste of wild berries and anise. A crystalline and sophisticated tea for the evening."

Caffeinated in Vietnamese and Thai Fashion

So basically, one of the prime reasons I was excited to go to Vietnam and Thailand is this: coffee and tea. It's caffeine in a nutshell.  I have been brewing both Vietnamese coffee and Thai tea because friends and family have been sharing coffee beans and tea leaves for me to enjoy. It's about condensed milk plus the taste of Vietnamese coffee beans that's amazing, as well as condensed milk plus Thai tea leaves that somehow makes a really good drink that will keep you running in circles all day long.

The first time I tasted "authentic" Vietnamese coffee was of the iced type. I thought I saw stars but then realized I was just exaggerating. I drank another one again the next day (actually I drank around 4 glasses on our second day in Vietnam) but tried it without ice and then had the plain black one, too, because I was really excited to try everything. Nothing trumps iced coffee with milk! I can have it day in and day out until my waistline balloons and my blood sugar skyrockets, whichever comes first.

First taste of authentic (hot) Vietnamese coffee with milk. T___T

I was so wired up after the first time I tasted coffee in our hostel. It's just the first day and I still have lots of time to drink. More glasses of good coffee, I tell you! This time try it iced! Still gooooood. I also tried it plain black - just didn't take a photo of it anymore, that's too much nonsense crap I've been shoving into your eyes.

Iced Vietnamese Coffee (with milk) like a boss.
Ca phe sua da!

How about their tea? I tried "hot Vietnamese tea" at Mui Ne and... it's not note-worthy. The taste is something near jasmine tea. It was a good break from all the coffee I've been consuming though. Cute pot. End of story.

I still managed to empty the pot. My own solo tea party again.

Oh the legitimate brewing of Vietnamese coffee, Trung Nguyen Cafe is the place to be. Purchase all the good stuff here! This is actually how they prepare all of the coffee in Vietnam. They pour in ground beans into the filter and then hot water comes in and you have to wait for your coffee. It's worth the wait, anyway!

Fracking good!

Thailand. The first time I brewed my own tea from tea leaves (not tea bags) using our percolator yielded a dark colored drink. It was dark brown in color (so instantly it's black tea) and after consuming it plainly after some time, I decided to pour in condensed milk and some sweetener to try to match the recipe (since I used to be hooked on Nestea's instant Thai milk tea which is also yummy). Holy schmoly. Instant addiction to Thai milk tea! Try it iced and omg, this is fresh (not instant)! Blood sugar test, anyone?

Ta-ta-Thai iced milk tea! Oh the calories!!

Where does it come from? No, not from some magical tree that gives off milk tea as its sap. This is the brand I've been using for my Thai milk tea.

I still have no idea what brand this is.
Except that it says "Please Drink Thai Tea Mix Number One Brand" in the label.

This is the stock at the end of the trip. The damage, oooh the damage. Hahaha.

I lodged this inside my bag across three countries. Dedication!

There's Creative 1 (culi robusta) and Creative 2 (robusta arabica) Trung Nguyen Coffee plus Weasel Coffee from Vietnam (we still have the Buon Me Thuot Special "Home Blend" from Trung Nguyen as well); Tea Kaffir and Green Tea from Cambodia; and Nestea instant milk tea and Thai tea leaves from Thailand. Bwahaha.

How Do I Brew Thee, Tea?

I have searched far and wide about brewing, nah, I just searched in the Internet about brewing tea. There are a lot of styles and ways but for me it only boils (pun not intended) down to two kinds: Boil then steep and/or boil-while-steeping.

A.) Boil then steep is more commonly done. You use teapots or other containers such as a coffee press.

1 - Boil water. No duh. Prepare your stuff while waiting for water to cool down by a few degrees.
2 - Pour water into your teapot or coffee press to heat it then dispose this water.
3 - Add teaspoons-full of leaves. One teaspoon for every person and another for the pot. (Actually this depends on you. I usually put 3 teaspoons all for myself, haha.)
4 - Pour the water and let your tea steep. (Check the steeping time below, depending on your tea.)
5 - Prepare your mugs/cups and then wait for your tea.
6 - Freaking enjoy your drink.

My Weekend in Venice tea steeped using the coffee press.

B.) Although less common, I prefer doing this because of the temperature, using our handy-dandy old school percolator. It works for black tea because as I have read it can be brewed in not just hot water, but truly boiling water.

1 - Put filtered water in your percolator. Oh God, don't use your socks in filtering water from the faucet.
2 - Add tea leaves (same for me, 2-3 teaspoons of leaves).

Teehee, yummy Chocolate Tea from TWG.

3 - Turn the stove on and watch the water boil and pass through the strainer/holder again and again.

Patience is a virtue.

4 - Let it cool for a while or you can pour your tea into your mugs/cups right away, if preferred.
5 - Enjoy your tea! Be careful though, this one's piping hot!

So a rundown of steeping time and temperature:

Black tea (as well as red/rooibos tea) - boiling water; 4-6 minutes
Oolong tea - less than boiling water (190F); 5-8 minutes
White tea - less than boiling water (180F); 4-6 minutes
Green tea - slightly cooler water (150-160F); 2-4 minutes
Herbal tea - can be steeped using boiling water; 5 minutes (but this varies as there are a lot of blends available)

You can check out this link for other ways of brewing, too. :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Since we're here already, let's include the caffeine content of tea as well. A cup of the following has a range of caffeine (based from thefragrantleaf site):

Black Tea: 23 - 110mg
Oolong Tea: 12 - 55mg
Green Tea: 8 - 36mg
White Tea: 6 - 25mg

Although I basically have no idea how much caffeine those are, just think that drip-brewed arabica coffee has around 80-130mg of caffeine.Your herbal teas are pretty much safe from caffeine. So you can drink a lot of those to calm your nerves, or basically try sleeping instead.

If you want to enjoy your tea at night and still need your sleep, steep your tea in hot water for 45 seconds and then discard that. They said that 80% of the caffeine will be extracted within the first 30 seconds of steeping, so after throwing out the initial tea, add water to your leaves and brew again. :)

TWG Tea

The tea diaries.

Entry two.
I should stop counting the entries.

Shala (adj.) - basically means sushal or rich. It means following an expensive lifestyle (even just for the moment). The word has been played around to make it more appealing to people. This is the direct opposite of a poorita. Poor. Get it? :|

Example: Your friend who just normally orders fast-food take-away suddenly declared that your group will eat at a steakhouse. "Wow, shala ka ngayon ah!"

Here is one shala tea from Singapore. Well you can still taste TWG teas here in the country at La Creperie and Sweet Bella Cafe. We usually order Silver Moon tea which costs around PHP200++ for a pot (and there are only like what, 2 tea bags inside?). The second refill will taste lighter and when you ask for a third refill you're better off drinking hot water instead. They cost that much. 

So when my teammate tweeted (yes it's now a verb same as "googled") that he's beside the TWG store in SG, I knew that was my moment to have a hold of my own TWG teas. As usual, I prefer the loose tea leaves over the tea bags so I could brew my own and well, I can put the leaves into an infuser anyway. He said there were no Silver Moon available so he went ahead with my initially requested Chocolate Tea and asked the European salesperson for his recommendation. Tadah! Weekend in Venice plus Sakura! Sakura! Tea. I have no idea yet as to what kind of teas these are (green or black or white) but I know they are specialty blends.

Weekend in Venice; Chocolate Tea; Sakura! Sakura! Tea
photo from the generous donor, Alex.

Thanks to Alex, my tea friend, for these! He also refilled my Korean brown rice green tea stash with those Sulloc tea bags. Haha.

I have been sniffing these tea packs since I got them and since I'm not yet ready to brew them, I settled for my home-boy, the Assam tea leaves. It's poorita week (the week before payday) and I can't be rich yet.

Yes, there's even a box of macarons that were really really yummy
and were gone in 60 seconds. T__T

So when I got my leaves, I did a quick research while sniffing them on and on. Natural high! After a few minutes, now I know my TWG ABCs and I can brew peacefully. Green and black tea blends! 

Sakura! Sakura! Tea includes cherry blossoms and green tea.

Weekend in Venice Tea is a green tea blend with pineapple, forest berries, and rose petals.

Chocolate Tea has black tea mixed with cacao shells.

The Tea Diaries

The tea diaries.
Entry one.

Loose Thai tea leaves, Indian black tea leaves, Korean rice green teabags, and Chinese loose green tea leaves. I still can't get over the fact that we don't have freaking oolong tea leaves here at home.

Thai tea leaves, Korean brown rice green tea bags,
and Indian black tea leaves.

Given that we have leaves from 4 countries, the next question is what kind are those tea leaves anyway? Coffee is too mainstream, everyone knows their coffee, but there are only quite a few who knows what they're drinking. We have a percolator here at home, as well as a coffee press, and a couple of tea strainers. This means loose tea leaves are the preferred ammunition because tea bags are just too constricting...and easy to use. Bwahahaha. Kidding aside, it's because there's a common thinking that tea leaves pre-packed into bags are oftentimes of a lesser quality as opposed to the loose ones.

For the longest time, I was not sure as to what the teas are in Chinese restaurants. I have been the fondest tea drinker (read: thinks she has her own tea party) each time I go to a restaurant which serves "house tea" whether I'm with family or friends. It's oolong for the record. Most Chinese restaurants serve oolong tea while they offer jasmine tea for a price. I remember a friend saying, "parang lasang bulaklak" when he tasted the jasmine tea. No duh.

There are 6 kinds of tea namely white tea, yellow tea, green tea, oolong, black tea, and post-fermented tea which I have no idea about. Wikipedia says that it is "green tea that has been allowed to ferment/compost" so I believe it.

Tea is very popular in Europe most especially in UK. Ask Dolores Umbridge, "Would you like some taaay?" And she'll probably shove it down your throat anyway. English breakfast tea is basically black tea (a blend of Assam and Ceylon) which has the highest caffeine content across all tea types.

Since we've been brewing tea for quite some time and I've been gulping them like crazy, when milk tea shops sprouted around the metro like some fungi, their teas have to be tasted. Well, milk teas deserve another full entry because they are just TMTM - too many to mention.

Chinese green tea is already lodged in my brain while rice tea whether Korean or Japanese, is easily distinguishable because of the taste. Oolong tea as mentioned, is commonly served in Chinese restaurants. The challenge was when my friend gave me whole leaf Assam tea leaves and my mom's friend gave me Indian black tea leaves in a box. There were no labels for the Assam tea and the Indian tea (Brooke Bond) didn't mention what kind of tea it was. It's the ultimate battle of the black tea (since Assam is the most popular kind of black tea)!! I initially thought they were similar since they're both considered as black tea (haha such a noob) but then the taste is really different. You would be a puss to declare that they are the same because the taste and color itself won't allow you to mention it.

Assam (black) tea has a stronger taste and I have been ordering its milk tea variant a few times just so I can lodge the taste in my brain (junkie alert). Meanwhile, the Indian black tea has a darker color but has a less distinct taste, meaning you could go by drinking a whole cup without thinking what-the-heck-is-this-taste(?!). Aha. So what the freak is it?! I was holding a mug of Brooke Bond Red Label black tea when a oh-why-so-stupid moment came to me. Obviously it's no match to Archimedes' naked eureka moment, but my Indian tea is a blend of darker Assam tea leaves and some flavorings. This is actually called "mamri" which is a type of Assam tea cured in a way that it looks like granules instead of "leaves" and as I've read, this is the preferred type of Assam tea used in making spiced chai. (Orange pekoe is not a type of tea but is a type of tea grade.)

Wait. My Red Label "mamri" tea is... somewhat darker than the whole leaf Assam tea I have, so what is its difference from the Thai tea which is distinctly...orange?! Thai tea lists camellia sinensis (which is the tea plant) as its ingredients and a number of food coloring. From the start, the leaves smell different. Thai tea leaves have a stronger smell compared to our friendly mamri ones. When you pour water, the cup immediately fills with light orange color. That's definitely the food coloring working on its own. It would be a dark orange color which would be highlighted when you make it into the popular cha yen - Thai iced milk tea.

And oh, I drink my tea plain. No sugar, lemon, honey, or anything else. Milk tea (which I also concoct) made from freshly brewed tea leaves plus a whole lot of other stories, is a separate entry already.

For those who are not big fans of tea and its beautiful varieties, I'd recommend green tea (not the rice tea type) or black tea (choose English breakfast tea, as "pure" assam might be too strong/flavorful for you) if you're drinking it hot sans additions. They don't have any quirky taste (my friend loathes rice green tea and most herbal teas) nor smell (my sister abhors jasmine tea for some reason). Safe and sound!

Internet-Less Life For A Week

When there's no Internet at home, you're pretty damn sure you're screwed. Well, I know I am since it's my work-from-home day! Tuesday is doomed, the Internet was missing in action and so is our Globe landline. Curses!!! After reporting the issue, I have to find a place with stable connection. I made a mad dash to Wilson Figaro and ordered their biggest drink (16oz Iced Cappuccino is only PHP119, not bad) as I will be staying for quite some time. Hahaha. Perfect ass seat-warmer. Students and their parents come and go, with the kids having their after-school snacks of pizza, sandwiches, and pasta while the wifi-leeching corporate slave is just chugging iced coffee. Pizza or sandwiches plus pasta is only a snack for them. :| Aside from "famished" kids, there are also those who stayed in the coffee shop to study. Two students on separate occasions brought out their iPads, books, and notebooks and started their work, of course, with more food. I still am holding on to my PHP 119-drink while plugging the laptop. I'm staying!!!

After my 3-hour stint in the coffee shop which seemed like forever, where else will I find free Internet? So the next best area is the wake. There's a good hotspot in Arlington protected by WEP key, mwahaha. Tuesday has been about leeching wifi. After shift, we already went home since we're going to change venue for Wednesday from Arlington to Ascension.

Oh Wednesday, coding day. There's a freaking The Black Fleet van parked at the new venue (where my grandmother's wake was also held).

Bieber Bus.

We still don't have Internet at home so I came with my parents and was already at the venue early. Honestly, I'm not much help at the wake, just an additional caffeine-junkie and mouth to feed.

*One week has passed.*
Believe it or not, after a week since I drafted the sentences above, I came back to Wilson Figaro before my lolo's pa-siyam, which we're going to have at my aunt's hospital room. So it was coffee shop day again!

9 oz Butterscotch Vanilla Latte. PHP 115.

After 4 hours which didn't feel like forever because I was at the inner part of the cafe, my mom sent me a text message that I can now go to Cardinal Santos to join the novena and have the pa-siyam dinner (they ordered in Mann Hann). Hey, I liked the Butterscotch Vanilla Latte! I'm actually looking forward to tasting their macchiato and cafe au lait.

My short stint with Figaro made me study the different coffee drinks again. I'm looking forward on being a regular there. Expensive thing, though, and I think at one time I'm going to ram the flower box in front.