#issaeats: Sugarleaf & Commune!

The inevitable is happening: classes start again tomorrow. I'm currently Googling if it's a holiday next week (http://www.mb.com.ph/malacanang-declares-papal-visit-holiday/ IS THIS LEGIT?) and counting the days until the shortest of short summer vacation starts (Just two weeks!). But I promise that though I need another break, I'm definitely taking my studies seriously. I said it here, so I better stick to it!

Inna (my sister) and my classes start tomorrow, so we had the whole Monday to frustratingly mull on the fact that Christmas is over and we needed to go back to our school lives. So as part of our last day with no obligations whatsoever (except for my accounting homework), we spent the whole afternoon with Mama. Her new year's resolution was to start eating healthier while mine was to explore different places to eat instead of the usual Zarks/McDonald's/mainstream comfort food places, so I suggested to go to Sugarleaf, then to Commune for dessert (Have been craving for more sweet than salty lately hmm).

Last selfie before classes officially start boohoo- the next photo you see of me will be me crying over the dark circles under my eyes

SUGARLEAF

It isn't hard to spot Sugarleaf because it's in a hospital (MEDICard Lifestyle Center in Makati)

Sugarleaf was a restaurant I went to when I was in in 9th grade and went to MEDICard because of my leg. If you're wondering what happened to my leg, I basically fell down while dancing during P.E. and my mom and aunts took me there to have it checked. We forgot to pickup the XRay sheet thing but I'm sure it wasn't anything serious since I ended up limping for only a month, half the time I was just pretending (If my former class adviser reads this, sorry for being dramatic!). It got me out of a lot of things though, so the antisocial person in me was happy I fell tihi

BACK to Sugarleaf, it was an accidental discovery and we had lunch there. I swore to my mom that we'll eat here again, but we never did. I either forget about this place when we don't know where to eat, or I would rather go have something else for lunch, like pizza. I was actually supposed to review the one in San Juan last year, but it was being renovated, so I had to wait for the right time to ask if we could eat in Sugarleaf. So here's to three years of waiting!

Sugarleaf has two floors: First floor for their minimart (I forgot to take photos, but they had really great stuff there, gonna remind myself to visit their shop in San Juan sometime!) and the second floor for their restaurant. As you can see, it's small but with a nice, green ambiance. We sat in one of their booths, and I was really comfortable the whole time (Not the "It's so comfy I need to sleep here" kind, but just the right amount!).

I ordered their Vegetarian sandwich (148 PHP), my mom ordered the Rellenong Bangus rice topping (95 PHP) and the liver cleanse healing juice (110 PHP), while my sister ordered the Rellenong Bangus with free range egg (155 PHP). We also ordered their Garden Greens salad (238 PHP). Unfortunately, they didn't have any pasta available and I was craving for their pesto!

Their liver cleansing juice was small (around 3/4-1 cup, maybe?), but I'm pretty sure I'd be relieved that it wasn't a tall glass, because I sure as hell won't be able to finish it! The healing juices are straight up liquid vegetables (No water, no sugar, no appeal for Issa). Pineapple, beetroot, lime and CARROTS (YECH) mixed together is just not my thing. I'd rather have their soy milk smoothie!
If you're thinking that I never gave it a chance and that one or two sips isn't enough to judge, you're wrong. The taste is almost exactly what my grandma used to give my sister and I when we were kids. The juicer, wheat grass and carrot juice were our enemies back then. And while I closed my nose, held my tears and suffered, the drain in our garden was my sister's only solution (sorry, mommy!). Luckily, my grandma doesn't offer it as much as she used to before, though the juicer is still on our counter, beside our toaster. I hope she doesn't get reminded about it, though!

My sister and mom's order came in first, while I had to hungrily wait for the salad and my sandwich. But I did take a few bites from theirs tihi

Their bangus tastes delicious! Normally, I don't eat bangus (or any kind of fish) because I don't like feeling their bones and accidentally swallowing one. That and listening to MIKA's Lady Jane has made me not want to eat fish in fear that I'm eating a mermaid. But it tastes real good and their serving was big, too!

My sandwich came after a few minutes (which kind of felt like a few hours, to be honest). It comes with a small serving of baked, gluten free soy chips, which tasted like sweet potato chips. The sandwich was big and with a fair share of vegetables (mangoes with lettuce, watercress, cucumber, along with the retched carrots!). Besides the carrots (I'm sorry, I love all vegetables but really hate carrots), I enjoyed my meal, especially the bread. I have no idea how to describe the bread, except for the fact that it's soft but crunchy and tastes really good.

Their salad came with Passionfruit dressing, which tasted VERY good together. Sort of like a sweeter version of balsamic vinegar, I think? I still have no idea what a Passionfruit is, I only know is that those little black things (pepper or seeds?) were stuck between my teeth the whole time and no one bothered to tell me only until we were about to leave. Still enjoyed it, though.

The waiters were very nice and accommodating. May have been because I smiled at them with black seeds stuck between my teeth, but I prefer to think that they're just always very hospitable towards their customers.

Service + Place + Food + Price = 9.5/10! If you're from Makati, want to keep your new year's resolution and start eating healthy, take your lunch/dinner at Sugarleaf! Besides their salads, their meals and sandwiches cost less than 200 PHP, so it's great for your stomach AND your wallet! I'm going back here and this time trying their pasta and desserts (YES, they've got cake and cookies, too! All guilt-free). For my lovely blockmates from uni, they'll be reopening their branch sometime this year, so there's something to look forward to this 2015!

Sugarleaf

Address: Ground Level, MediCard Lifestyle Center, 51 Paseo de Roxas Corner Gil Puyat Avenue, Urdaneta, Makati City

Website: http://www.sugarleafph.com/

Contact: +63 2 812 7323

COMMUNE

We called up Commune to ask how to get there from MEDICard, and seeing that it was just a few blocks away, we decided to walk there. Glad to see my mom eager to become fitter, even if it was just a ten minute walk. Even the small changes count!

I was too shy to take a decent photo from the outside. But anyway, Commune is what I believe to be an "artisanal"/"third wave" cafe. I passed by it once and was interested in their Commune logo. And being tired if my Instagram being all about Starbucks (Under this brown skin is a mainstream white girl), I suggested taking a visit to Commune.

I apologize, since I didn't take much photos.

Commune's a decent-sized place, and it's got comfortable chairs and bar stools. My butt prefers soft couches, though, so we sat by the window with comfy chairs. Its got this "homey" feeling. I still have no idea how to describe homey, but it just made me feel like I was comfortable with being here, having a cuppa with a friend and chatting the whole afternoon. While it's got a nice, "hipster" design (unique decor and books included!), it was similar to the Starbucks branch in MOA with the bar stools and such, so it wasn't something new. That and there wasn't much variety with the drinks. Being used to cafes like Coffee Bean or Starbucks, I guess I'm not the best person to trust when judging places like these, though.

I ordered their Caffe Latte (105 PHP), while my sister got the Mocha (110 PHP). Mama didn't order anything (she lessened sweets intake: yay for mama!). Inna wanted to get those cookie shots but I decided against it since I didn't want her to eat any more than she should.

I thought I wouldn't need the brown sugar, but when I took a sip, even ampalaya tastes sweeter! I should probably use the sugar, they put the packet for a reason.

Their latte art was cute, but I honestly expected a bit more. It's still pretty cool!
As for the taste (coming from your not so much of a coffee connoisseur), it was okay. Not great but not bad, either, it satisfied my taste buds just right. A plus is that it's really fun to make foamy mustaches while you drink!

Service + Place + Drinks + Price = 8/10. It isn't the usual, but with these upcoming third wave cafes coming in, it may as well be the next big thing since milk tea. As for their service, they were nice, but a bit stiff. They may have been judging me taking photos wahaha

Oh, and I might as well say this now: INSTAGRAMMABLE! If you wanna show off your latte art and say you've been to a cafe that isn't a Starbucks and feel all hipster, Commune is right here. Just don't take too much photos, I might end up personally throwing your phone for it.

Commune
Address: Liberty Plaza, 102 H.V. Dela Costa Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CommunePH
Website: http://www.commune.ph/
Number: +63 2 889 2660 / +63 933 720 0241

I still have a long way to go to actually becoming more acquainted with these sort of things (Which is hard, since I don't want to be consuming too much of these drinks and my parents won't allow me to drink coffee [Yes I am 18 years old and my parents won't let me drink coffee]), but I hope you do visit Commune and tell me what you think. ;-)

At this rate, I'll end up being twice my size before 2015 ends. But it's worth it!