Inarawan Coffee

 

Inarawan Coffee is probably one of the best coffees I've tasted in Marikina. They process their coffee manually, slowly with such accuracy. They take their coffee seriously and what I received was a cup of unexpected wonder. 

The lot where their building stood had a weird shape thus explained the building's unique form and design. It has a bike lane on one side and a street on the other, so the location was also peculiar. However, I still found it to be very interesting. The shop was not fully finished yet when we visited so we were not allowed to see the second floor.  The walls and ceilings were painted in black which gave the shop  a gloomy yet cozy Gotham feel to it. Surprisingly, their coffees and food lived up to my expectation.

Iced Arabica was strong and perfect for coffee enthusiasts like me.  It was bold and has this robust flavor.  It was served with lots of ice, just the way I wanted it. A good choice for a slow lazy afternoon and perfect to savor with friends.

Iced Salty Cream Barako has that solid body and a light bitter aftertaste. Topped with thick salty cream, perfect to those who want it to be both strong and creamy.

Iced Spanish Latte combines rich and smooth espresso taste. It surely gave me that great indulgent coffee experience. 

Iced Blended Cookies and Cream is a fun childlike drink. It is recommended to those that crave a sweet creamy cookie taste. A lovely rewarding beverage treat for a quick break. 

Iced Blended Double Chocolate is a devilish drink that comes with whipped cream, ice, milk and chocolate syrup. It is both indulgent and refreshingly sweet, a must-ty to all chocolate lovers.

Green Apple + Curacao Fruit Tea is a personal favorite. It is not too sweet yet tangy and super refreshing. It is your one-way ticket to summerville. 

Carlsen's Favorite is a light staple American style breakfast with waffle, Hungarian sausage, chicken nuggets, butter and maple syrup.  

Nic's Platter comes with longganisa and bacon instead. If you think that's not healthy, you can also choose their Buttered Croissant instead. We also recommend you try their oatmeal cookies. They're divine.

Inarawan Coffee is high quality yet affordable coffee shop that is perfect to those who are not hurrying. From their cozy atmosphere to their authentic experience, strong brewed coffee and delicious pastries.  I will definitely come back to this coffee heaven.  They are located at #2 Sampaguita Street, San Isidro II, Concepcion Uno. Open daily from Mondays to Thursdays 9AM-10PM, Fridays 9AM-11PM and Saturdays to Sundays 7:30AM - 11PM. You may call them at 0945 694 2328 for your orders and inquiries.  Click here to view their most recent menu with updated pricing. 

Posted By Marikeño2:44:00 AM

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Mookata Masterz

 

Mookata Masterz is the newest addition to the barbecue scene in the city. If you are into barbecue and hotpot, this is definitely the one for you. So Mookata is a combination of meat and seafood barbecue with a steamboat on the side for your hotpot which originated in Thailand.  You may throw the vegetables, many assorted type of high quality balls and others to the hotpot with their prepared stock.

Just like the other barbecue places that we know of, you would have to cook food by yourself. To set your expectation, this is not a buffet restaurant. You choose the set or bundle that you would like to consume based on your budget and the number of people that will share it with you. For example, their Set A is good for 1-2 people, Set B is good for 3-4 people, Set C is good for 5-6 people and their Set D is for 7-9 people.  See updated menu and price list below:

Mookata Masterz is located at the Rooftop Angels and Saints Building, #70 Champagnat Avenue, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City. They open from Tuesdays to Fridays, 2PM-1AM and also Saturdays to Sundays, 3PM-1AM. For inquiries and reservations, you can text or call this number at 0968 270 7077.

Posted By Marikeño1:18:00 AM

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Oppa Bowl to Go

Oppa Bowl to Go is your latest and craziest boneless Korean chicken trend in Marikina City. It is very similar to the fried chicken craze you see on television in K-dramas. It comes in 8 different flavors: original, soy garlic, spicy chili, honey butter, sweet chili, lemon glaze, salted egg and hot buffalo. 

It is you perfect snack when watching Netflix, when studying or simply when you are just plain hungry.  You can either buy half a chicken or an entire chicken. I personally liked their original flavored chicken which is comparable to the yangnyeom chicken I had in Jeonju, Gangneung and Itaewon when I was in South Korea. It had hints of gochujang (chili paste), gochugaru (chili flakes), ginger, garlic, honey and some soy sauce. The chicken fillet was smothered in their thick signature red sweet spicy sauce then sprinkled with roasted sesame seed. It is so good, you want the entire box for yourself. 

Tired of eating the usual white rice? You can try their kimchi fried rice which goes quite well with their famous chicken. It has bits and bits of kimchi cabbage and just like their chicken, it is always served hot and steamy. 

Oppa Bowl to Go is located at 142 MH Del Pilar Street, Calumpang, Marikina. Open daily from 10AM to 1AM.  You may order by calling their number at 0967 395 0780 or via the Grabfood app. Click here to view their most recent menu with pricing. Prices may change without prior notice. 

Posted By Marikeño12:06:00 AM

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Tito Rex's

 

Tito Rex's is quite popular for their affordable Goto Marinduque, tapa meals and sizzling steaks. What do most people like about their food? They love them because they serve them fast and sizzling hot. Their business started in 2015 by a proprietor with a freight forwarding business and built their main branch, the Marikina Heights store.  Until to this day, they offer good quality homemade traditional comfort food at affordable prices.

We recently visited their main branch located at 161 General Ordonez Street, Marikina Heights. Their store is set al fresco style to prevent your clothes from smelling like barbecue smoke.  Their dining area was set simple yet cozy. The tables and chairs were made from varnished wood which gave us that familiar homey feeling. The place was well-lighted and and there were adequate space to move around. We were immediately approached and greeted by their well-dressed staff on their signature black, red and white uniform. Our food were ready to be served.

• Goto Marinduque Reload: Their goto was very fulfilling.  Being a goto fan myself, I find their goto to be large in its portion. It has so many ingredients and it was party of different flavors in one spoonful.  This is the ultimate Marikina comfort food. 

• Tokwa't Baboy (for sharing): Again their portion was huge. It was definitely good for sharing. Their tokwa't baboy was perfectly cooked and the vinegar dressing that came with it was just paired perfectly to their very famous Goto Marinduque.  It was a truly rewarding moment for our team.

• Sizzling Sisig: Their sisig was very tasty. You can never go wrong with any sizzling sisig out there. Best paired with white rice.

• Grilled Tuna Belly: This was the pinnacle of our trip. It was grilled to perfection and it went quite well with the Java rice. It was cooked well and not dry. It was moist and very tender. We loved it.

• Tito Rex Tapa: It is the breakfast of champions and it won our hearts. Very tender and moist. Comes with sunny side egg and Java rice. A hearty breakfast.

• Leche Flan Ala Mode: Sweet flan with vanilla chocolate ice cream on top. 

You might want to try their local sizzling steaks as well. 

Tito Rex's Goto Marinduque, Tapa and Steakhouse main branch is located at 161 General Ordoñez Street, Marikina Heights. Open daily from 8AM to 10PM. You can call them on these telephone numbers: 02 70038539, 0977 6763941 and 0961 9342953.  Visit their other store branches in Marikina Sumulong, San Mateo and coming soon along Gil Fernando Avenue. Click here to view their most recent menu and pricing.

Posted By Marikeño12:53:00 AM

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Mango Royal Milkshake Sta. Elena

 

Mango Royal Milkshake (Santa Elena) is now my newest go-to place for a quick mango dessert fix. Mango is the national fruit in the Philippines and we produce the best quality and the sweetest mango fruit in Southeast Asia.  And there's more to that. The bright yellow color of the fruit symbolizes richness and its shape embodies the most important part of a human body, the heart. Thus, it is my most favorite Philippine fruit of all. 

They first started in 2018 when it was simply served as a regular fresh mango shake. From its humble beginning, the mango business prospered and the Mango Royal Milkshake brand expanded and was launched on April 2020. Yes, they are young and new but yet are aggressive and they are ready to take the country. They opened their first franchise store in Marikina in August 2020 along Shoe Avenue, Sta. Elena, near Teatro Marikina.  And I am telling you, masarap silang lahat. 

Here are some of the milkshake variants and fruit juices that we've tried at their store:

• Mango Royal: P100 for the grande size. It has everything sinful yet so good: thick frosted cream cheese, sweet mango chunks, crushed graham and Oreo cookies, caramel syrup, sweet soft pearl and fresh mango milkshake. This is my most favorite and I highly recommend it to everyone. Price is very affordable but the taste is huge.

• Mango Cheesecake: P85 for grande size. It tasted both refreshing, creamy and sweet. 

• Mango Plain: P65 for grande size. It the the most affordable item in their menu. If you want it plain and simple minus the big guilt, this is for you.

• Mango Banana: P85 for grande size. Mango and banana fruits is a good combination. It also has crushed graham and Oreo, caramel syrup and sweet chewy pearls. 

• Mango Oreo: P70 for grande size. It has fresh mango shake, crushed Oreo, caramel syrup and super chewy pearl. 

• Mango Strawberry: P85 for grande size. It has fresh mango shake, sweet and tangy strawberry plum and syrup, crushed graham and Oreo and my favorite, sweet pearls.

• Fresh Mango Juice: P65 for grande size. It is cold mango juice with pearls. Super refreshing.

Mango Royal Milkshake Santa Elena opens daily from 11AM to 9PM.  They are located at 238-A Shoe Avenue, Santa Elena, Marikina City. You may order via Grabfood or Food Panda.  You can also do pick up which is so much cheaper.  For inquiries and to place your order, you may call them at 0992 559 1069. Click here to view their most recent menu and pricing.

Posted By Marikeño8:18:00 PM

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K-Food Central

 

K-Food Central is now my most favorite Korean Samgyeobsal (barbecue) place in Marikina.  From the quality of their meat, to the freshness of their vegetables, to the authenticity of their Korean food, side dishes and a lot more. I could go on and on and on about them but let me give you more reasons to visit K-Food Central.

Quality of their meat is quite good. They offer all kinds of meat from seafood, beef, pork and chicken. Their meat is superb for a very affordable price. Everything is unlimited from their well-marinated barbecue, side dishes, Korean fried chicken and even iced tea.  There is no time limit. Click here to see their full menu.

Place is hip with trendy Korean music. Their 3rd floor is covered in Korean art mural. If you are into K-drama, K-movies or even K-pop, everything you will see around you are very familiar: BTS, Blackpink, Train to Busan, Squid Game, just to name a few. You will also find other wall art to be very recognizable like Korean hangul, bibimbap, kimchi, hanbok and a lot more. They also play Korean pop music to complete the Korean mood. It took me back to Seoul again. 

Restaurant is well-ventilated with 270 degree view of the riverpark. Their third floor has a great view of the river with so many windows and a big balcony so air freely comes in and out. If you come during sundown, you will witness one of the best-looking sunsets in Marikina. Their second floor is airconditioned and also has an open balcony. 

Service is outstanding.  Staff are very polite, well-dressed and properly trained. They are also very attentive and proactive, not because we are featuring them but because it's just the way they are. 

All-day breakfast.  They now also serve breakfast.  If you are tired of your usual breakfast and would to try something new yet familiar, be sure to head to K-Food Central and try their drip coffee, Korean tapa (highly recommended), tocino, longganisa and spam with omelets.  We also loved their egg drop sandwich with beef. Serving is big and the vegetables are fresh and crunchy. If you want something hot and soupy, we'd like you to try their budae jigae or army stew.  See their breakfast menu by clicking here. 

K-Food Central is located at 94 Ming Ramos Lane, Riverpark, Sta. Elena, Marikina City.  Opens daily, 4PM to 11PM.

Posted By Marikeño3:08:00 AM

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Walsi Kopi

 

Walsi Kopi's name came from the shop's owner's grandfather's name (just as I guessed) whose nickname is Islaw (or Walsi, when spelled backwards).  Their tagline El Paborito meant that the coffee shop's owner was Islaw's most favorite grandson. I just love how a young entrepreneur like RKevin devoted his coffee business in memoriam of his late beloved Lolo Islaw.  It is not very common for the younger generations now to look into the past while braving their future. 

The owner had some experience to work abroad as a barista which explained his fresh, audacious and sometimes wild coffee imagination. Here are just some of the coffee and non-coffee beverages we had tried:

Their iced Spanish latte and dark mocha crunch are truly their best sellers for very obvious reasons. The Spanish latte is an espresso-based drink with milk. Slightly sweeter than other regular latte drinks and affordable too. Their dark mocha crunch is probably more to my liking. I love simply loved its flavor and texture.

Kopi gelato is a sweet tooth favorite. We find it very sweet yet refreshing. It is a good beverage for the younger customers. Creamy salted caramel (a premium non-coffee drink) is also a good choice especially for a caramel lover like me and also their Fresa de Crema or strawberry and cream for its smooth fruity taste. My personal summer favorite is their Ube Swabe Frappuccino. They used real ube halaya and it tasted very Pinoy. I would probably buy this over and over and over again. 

Walsi Kopi is a coffee take out store located at 113 E Dela Paz Street, San Roque. They are open daily from 1PM to 12MN.  Click here to view their full menu with pricing.

Posted By Marikeño1:21:00 AM

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The Seasalt Brownie

 

The Seasalt Brownie has finally landed in Ayala Feliz Mall, Pasig City. If you are into fudgy crumbly brownie then you must try the Seasalt Brownie. They are the Philippines’ first Pinoy-inspired gourmet, sea salt brownie and dolce desserts. 

Made with farm fresh eggs and divine butter, their brownies are baked into this incredibly moist fudge brownie, topped with fine organic sea salt. It can be stored in the chiller and will maintain its moisture. They are also called the healthy brownie as they are low in sugar. 

They recently launched their 2023 Luck and Love Limited Flavor Collection which consists of 4 creative flavors:

• 8 Treasures

• Tella 'Bout You

• Mandirigma

• Binibini Latte

You may also enjoy their 8 premium handcrafted flavors, available to you brownie enthusiasts, all-year round:

• Perlas ng Silangan

• Smores Brownie

• Rebelde

• Maharlika

• Sikwate Champorado

• Walnut Delight

• Black Forest

• Bibingka Special

Visit The Seasalt Brownie at the ground floor of Ayala Feliz Mall, Pasig City. You may also contact them via their mobile phone at 0917 8549597.

Posted By Marikeño11:04:00 PM

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