Tomas Morato
Quezon City
Ambience
From the outside, it doesn’t seem too special at all, at least for college students who have been drinking nothing but Milk Tea since the first outbreak of all things Lactose-infused began. When we walked inside, however, it seemed to call out to us. The magazines were in Japanese. The walls had origami hangings. The music was anime pop. It was heaven. And yes, even with all that pink it was heaven.
We even had the choice of sitting on Japanese-inspired raised platforms with pillows that forced guests into the seiza sitting position, or the half-recline often presented in Roman Renaissance art. There were normal tables, too, but M and I decided to take one of those platform things. It was a good decision. Even with the medium-sized space of the restaurant and its mono-room approach to interior design, we found a little privacy.
Food
Naturally, M ordered a slice of her Mango Cake, and Japanese Green Milk Tea with Pearls to go along with it. I still had my Coffee Mocha from an earlier escapade, so I just ordered Tiramisu. The cakes were really pretty, and very meticulously done. I found it amazing how even after M, who eats quite messily despite taking so much time with her food, munched through half her cake, the thing still looked dainty and pristine. For a moment, I realized if this level of quality was what Japanese customers demanded from their desserts: Even after eating so much, the things still had to look showcase-worthy.
We took some Chocolate Crinkles for Roommie L, too. She said she liked how they weren’t too bitter or too sweet, and how they were larger than most Chocolate Crinkles.
Budget
The cakes were pricey. Given, however, that M had been craving for Mango Cake for almost two weeks and I was suitably impressed with the high quality of the desserts, the price we paid for our food was well worth it. The servings were actually reasonable, too – the Choco Crinkles, I would argue, were even quite large despite being so affordable. The teas were served in tall glasses, and at a leisurely pace, it would take at least an hour to get to the bottom of the glasses.
For most of the cakes, PhP150 is enough for a slice – most of their desserts, if not all, are under that price. For the drinks, PhP150 is just right.
Service
Somehow, I got the feeling the staff’s shop was very used to dealing with fangirls like M and I. The lady who took our order was very patient, and she even handed M a magazine she thought M might like. The Manager was very hands on, too. She opened the door to the toilet for me when we both realized it had been locked from the inside.
The staff member who took the cake for me, however – and here I pause to laugh at the corniness of my wordplay – was the lady we last spoke to before we left. After staying there for two hours in early December, you say, people who are unused to air conditioning tend to freeze up. So even after surrounding myself with fat pillows courtesy of the shop, my teeth were chattering, and M and I decided to find some warmth by returning to the real world and parting for the evening. As we were paying for the bill, we requested water, and the lady we spoke to, even after confirming that we didn’t want ice in our glasses, even proposed that we take warm water instead. That was very nice of her, I think. She was smiling the whole time, too, like the two of us amused her or something.
Recommended for
This is a good place for fangirls to bond over all things bright and glittery and rainbow-colored. There were guys there, but all of them seemed to have been dragged to the area by girlfriends who wanted to have milk tea. It’s a good place to hang out with girly girlfriends, especially if you all like sugary anime music playing in the background.
Photo Credits
Open Rice
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