Bread & Bean PWNS All Other Coffeeshops

Happy almost-Easter everybody! This is probably my favorite holiday of the year (well, next to Christmas). One of the best things about it is that because everyone's out of town to enjoy the long weekend, the city streets are clear as day and I can drive from Alabang to Quezon City with no sweat. Which brings me to today's topic.

Bread & Bean is coffeeshop, bakeshop, and restaurant all in one.

Living in the South, I am usually hesitant to travel further than Makati for recreation (by that I mean eating out). Ortigas, San Juan, and Quezon City are places I usually pass up because of the hellish amount of traffic that can be expected along EDSA. To make things easier, I just stay within fifteen kilometers of my house.

But there are some exceptions. Bread & Bean is one of the few (another one is Everything at Steak). This little coffeeshop along Jose Abad Santos street in San Juan is of those places that I'd gladly and willingly go back to, traffic or no traffic.

L-R: Classic Hot Chocolate (p80), Choco Peppermint Fredoccino (p100),
Capuccino (p80), Dark Choco Fredoccino (p100)

Even though there are so many coffee shop chains close the South, Bread & Bean gives you a different experience. The area is laid back, with warm wood decor and, comfy chairs, and friendly personnel. But those just the extras. Besides the general homey feel, they also serve excellent coffee, breads and cakes.

My all time favorite is the Choco Peppermint Fredoccino, a cool and refreshing frappuccino blended in with minty chocolate bits and topped with whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles.

The mango cake slice is lovely.

They also have a selection of mouth-watering cakes (pictures as proof!), all reasonably priced at 60-80 per slice. Another Bread & Bean feature is that their breads are baked fresh daily. The very tasty (and my favorite) ham and cheese loaf is a treat. Sorry, I don't have a photo of the bread section, just head over and try their fresh breads yourself. You won't be disappointed.

FACEBOOK PROMO:

Look at what I saw posted on their wall-

Like and share the Bread & Bean fanpage (link below) and get a cake when you visit, absoulutely free. Just tell them your name when you get there (won't hurt to tell them you heard about them from BaconTunaMelt).  Pretty sweet deal, imo.

Bread & Bean Cafe

Location: Unit 3, Citiplace Building Jose Abad Santos Street, San Juan

Other info: Bread & Bean Cafe Facebook Page

Map:

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STEAKS! at Everything at Steak

After the victory of the DLSU Lady Spikers against the UST Tigresses last Sunday, securing the UAAP Season 73 Volleyball Championship (woohoo!), we were in such high spirits that we wanted to celebrate. 

Days prior to the game, I read this post over at FlairCandy about a new steakhouse in San Juan. Because we were in the area (the game was held at the FilOil Flying V Arena), it was decided that having steak while basking in the glory of the win discussing the game highlights would be a great way to spend the rest of the night.

Everything At Steak

Although it's not along a major road, we didn't have a difficult time locating the place. From the arena, we took a left to P. Guevarra street and cruised down the road until we saw the landmarks (North Park on the left side, Petron/Everything At Steak on the right).

Everything At Steak is a smallish steak place (the place can fit thirty at most) that gives off a warm, homey vibe with its cushy couches at one end, pastel color theme, and friendly crew. Now let's get down to business, let's start talking about the meats. 

Pork Spareribs (p195)

Every main course order at Everything At Steak comes with a side dish and a cup of plain rice. Upon ordering, you have to choose the marinade for the meat, the sauce, and the siding (details at the end of the post).

This in picture is an order of grilled Pork Spare Ribs in original flavor with barbecue sauce and a side of mac n' cheese. The meat was so tender it almost melts in your mouth, it's juicy, tasty, and as advertised, it was thick and large. (The photo doesn't do justice to how humongous the meat was.)

T-Bone (p195)

This one in picture, is the T-Bone steak in original marinade, mushroom gravy, and a side of corn on the cob. The meat, also unusually thick and juicy for the price, was a little tougher in consistency than the spareribs and was slightly plain. It wasn't the best but it still tasted pretty good.

Lamb Shoulder (p195)

This is an order of the Lamb Shoulder in original marinade, mint sauce, and served with a side of mac n' cheese. The meat is obviously smaller than the first two on this list but it's lamb. Where else can you get lamb here in the city for only that much? It's a steal at the price they're selling it for. The mint sauce is an acquired taste and I wouldn't recommend it if you have a strong aversion to wasabi (it has a similar kick).

Moo Fries (p120)

Lastly, we had to order the famous Moo Fries because of all the good reviews. And I'd have to agree with each one of them. I loved it. The presentation is fun and quirky, with the fries arranged for easy picking and the to-die-for meat sauce slathered generously in the middle. If you're curious, there are more fries inside the bowl, but you have to use a fork to pick them because they're covered in the meat sauce. This was so good.

All in all, Everything At Steak is a fantastic find. Most orders are large enough for people with extra healthy appetites and the prices they're selling them for are insanely low (it's unbelievable). They don't accept credit card payments though, so you better bring some cash when you decide to visit. Parking is also a breeze as there are designated parking slots for diners (in fact, we left our car parked in front of the restaurant and had coffee at the shop on the next street).

Main course choices:

Siding:	2pcs fried egg, 2pcs garlic bread, garlic rice, grilled corn on the cob, coleslaw, meatball pasta, chorizo carbonara, mac n' cheese, french fries, twister fries, mashed potato, potato wedges, twiced baked potato, potato salad
Marinade:	New Orleans Rub (spicy), Original Marinade
Sauce:	Original Mushroom Gravy, Peppercorn Gravy, Barbecue, Mint Sauce, and Country Style Gravy

Everything At Steak
Location: 5 P. Guevarra corner V. Cruz streets, San Juan
Contact details: (02) 726-2386

Other info: Everything At Steak Facebook Page
Map:

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