New Year, New Food Place to Try

Teacup
G/F Pentagrand Bldg.,
#58 Mo. Ignacia St., Quezon City
+63 (02)921-0988
05 January 2011

It's now 2012... but believe it or not, I still haven't finished sharing food trips from 2010! Well, I suppose to continue with the flow of food trips, but since I just had my first food trip with co-bloggers, might as well share this story first. I received an invitation from bloggy friend Janese for a group food trip, and because I want to cultivate friendships with bloggers and taste new kinds of food, it was an invitation I gladly accepted. Our destination? Teacup along Mother Ignacia in Quezon City.


Owned by the Maristela family, Teacup is still a baby, having opened its doors to foodies last 08 December 2011. The family may be into different passions, but one passion they all share is food. According to Ms. Boots Maristela, their family loves to travel and traveling is never complete without tasting different cuisines the place has to offer. They opened Teacup as they want to have the sense of fulfillment in serving good food, and this place is the extension of their house.


Indeed, it is. Upon entering the restaurant / cafe, I was greeted by a very homey and relaxing atmosphere. The decorations are things from their own home - including an artwork done by one of Ms. Boots' children. Not only that, during hectic days, some of the children also helps with preparing the dishes and serving the customers. Their staff are all friendly and courteous as well.


Aside from the main dining area, they also have a secluded room for big groups who wanted to have a little privacy. Here, people can do their business meetings or parties. They do charge a minimal amount for it, but it's consumable (you can use it for your food purchases). However, should you want to use the room the entire day and/or you needed to hook up electrical equipments (maybe a projector for business meetings), they will have an additional charge for it.

The restaurant is still new, and their menu isn't that extensive. What they take pride of is that even if choices of food is short, all dishes listed are delicious and worth every peso. Most of the dishes are also the kinds of dishes they serve at home whenever they have guests coming over. Simply put, the short list of food on the menu are family favorites. The place may be called "Teacup," but it's not just tea or coffee they are serving, they also serve breakfast, rice meals, snacks and pastries.

Sharing some of the food and drinks we had that day:


Coffee Latte. I arrived earlier than my bloggy pals, so I had coffee first. Very rich, aromatic, and comforting.


Beef Salpicao. Beef tenderloin sauteed in olive oil and lots of garlic. One of Teacup's best selling dishes; I loved that the beef was tender and very flavorful... the seasoning was just right and that I could taste the garlic flavor in every bite. It also had a very, very mild kick of spice into it - something I really appreciated.


Chicken Cordon Bleu. A tasty roll of chicken breast fillet with ham and cheese, topped with creamy gravy. It was cooked perfectly. The chicken meat was tender and the cheese didn't overpower the taste of the dish. The breading had a light crisp on it that added texture to the dish. Since the gravy wasn't drowning the chicken slices, I was able to enjoy tasting the different flavors the dish has to offer.


Meaty Lasagna. A meaty, saucy goodness in between layers of al dente pasta topped with rich bechamel sauce. It was truly meaty! I loved the creaminess of the bechamel sauce and it reminded me of the pasta dish I used to cook for Christmas one time years ago (spaghetti with two sauces). The dish was alright, but one thing I didn't like was that it was a little sweet. Then again, since Filipino kids love pasta with a hint of sweetness, this would be a great pasta choice for kids.


Assam Milk Tea with Coffee Jelly and Boba Pearls. Two of us had the one with Coffee Jelly, two of us had the one with Boba Pearls, one of us had both sinkers in one glass. In 2011, I got to taste different versions of the iced milk tea, and this one was just right.


Ube Halaya Cake. I super duper loved this cake - it's like eating two desserts at the same time! Sweetness was very light, and all of us really wanted to eat more of this!


Chocolate Fudge Cake. It tasted like most chocolate fudge cakes I have tasted... a little bit on the sweet side (maybe because I tasted the Ube Halaya Cake first), but it can be a good pastry to go with a cup of hot coffee.


Blueberry Cheesecake. We didn't taste this... I just took a picture from outside of their cake rack.

How nice was it to try something new for the new year? Overall, I loved the food trip; and I loved that I was able to share this moment with some bloggy pals.

By the way, they do have WiFi, too.

Teacup is located along Mother Ignacia Street in Quezon City, near the back side of St. Mary's School of Quezon City. If you're commuting from Quezon Avenue, you can take the Sct. Magbanua Road (beside Capitol Medical Center) and two blocks away, you will see Teacup. For inquiries, you can call the number listed at the top part of this post or visit the Teacup Facebook Page.