Sunday, January 8, 2012

The Good And The Bad! COFFEE


We love our coffee!  That goes without saying, it tastes great, perks us up and makes everyone else bearable on a Monday morning.  But the immediate benefits of coffee are not the only reasons to love it.   And what could have be a better way that to experience it a hundreds of ways.   

There was  a write up that I read,  about the good health benefits of drinking coffee, but I believe it has to be in moderation, of course, you can not have a complete health if you only get coffees and be addicted to it.
A study made by Eating Well Magazine by Kerri-Ann Jennings, M.S., R.D., Associate Nutrition Editor of  Eating Well Magazine has given us five health reasons that we should not stop drinking coffee.  Here they are:

 *   It  provides relief from headaches, including migraines. Exactly how caffeine relieves headaches isn’t clear. But scientists do know that caffeine boosts the activity of brain cells, causing surrounding blood vessels to constrict. One theory is that this constriction helps to relieve the pressure that causes the pain, says Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of neurology and director of the Headache Clinic at the University of Vermont Medical School.

It protects your heart.  Moderate coffee drinkers (1 to 3 cups/day) have lower rates of stroke than noncoffee drinkers, an effect linked to coffee’s antioxidants. Coffee has more antioxidants per serving than blueberries, making it the biggest source of antioxidants in American diets. All those antioxidants may help suppress the damaging effect of inflammation on arteries. Immediately after drinking it, coffee raises your blood pressure and heart rate, but over the long term, it actually may lower blood pressure as coffee’s antioxidants activate nitric acid, widening blood vessels.

* It boosts your brain power: Drinking between 1 and 5 cups a day (admittedly a big range) may help reduce risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as Parkinson’s disease, studies suggest. Those antioxidants may ward off brain cell damage and help the neurotransmitters involved in cognitive function to work better.

 * It diverts diabetes: Those antioxidants (chlorogenic acid and quinides, specifically) play another role: boosting your cells’ sensitivity to insulin, which helps regulate blood sugar. In fact, people who drink 4 or more cups of coffee each day may have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to some studies. Other studies have shown that caffeine can blunt the insulin-sensitivity boost, so if you do drink several cups a day, try mixing in decaf occasionally.

With that I was able to write about where  I had to get my coffees and his.   This post was actually part of my year-end blog for 2011, where I planned and miserably failed, to collate and organize all my coffee and cafe blogs.  Anyways, here are some good spots where you can have a great coffee break and some grubs to go with it.
Where good coffee,  ambiance and more reasons why you should have coffee harmonizes or not. . .

1.  Nanyang Kopi at Toast Box
     Greenbelt 5 3rd Flr.. Ayala Center
     Remark: 
 One of the finest Singaporean   Coffee I had,  dark and strong coffee   without condensed milk that's smooth.  A bit heavy on the mouth, a taste for it might needed to be acquired first.  A regular 3 in 1 coffee mix drinker may not like it.  



Nanyang Kopi with Kaya Toast meal package, comes with 2 poached eggs (P130)

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2.  Kopi Tarik at Singapore Food Republic 
 Fort Bonifacio 
also at Nasi Lemak
Robinsons Galleri, Ortigas Center
Remark: 
   Same as the coffee I had at Ya Kun Kaya at MOA, and Toast Box.   Though the difference here is that how the concoction was made, check it out at my Singapore Food Republic review.











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3.  Chocolate Fire
PDCP Bank Centre,
Corner of Leviste Street & Rufino Street, Salcedo Village,
Makati
Remark: 
Good  Italian Coffee goes with a huge selection of chocolate creations.   The best hot-choco in town!!! Read about it HERE.


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 4.  Organic Coffee at Big Bad Wolf
Grnd flr. Fairways Tower, 5th ave cor. Mckinley, Bonifacio Global City
Remarks:  Gourmet Organic  Coffees from Malongo are like  rare jewels for us.  The aromatic blends in fair-trade or single-origin types that comes ready to be mixed with coffee are worth-trying and having.   P100 for a cup is a steal.
To find out more about Malongo coffee, go to their webpage HERE.
 
Columbia Supremo Cappuccino
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5. New Christmas Flavors from Figaro
Greenbelt 3
Ayala, Makati

Remarks:
Last December Figaro launched the Berry Bliss concoctions.   So I found myself indulging in their Raspberry Mint Latte.   The bitter taste harmonized well with the berry and minty notes of the two said ingredients.
Cappuccino
 I have always avoided trying out chain coffee specialty shops, but undeniably,  cafes such as Figaro, Starbucks and others still are unbeatable when comes to gourmet coffee.
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6.  Cafe Zenses...blog follows...
3rd Flr., SM Bicutan

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Needless to say,  it's not always  as good as t gets.   Occasionally I do bump in to some clever coffee shops or restaurants disguising as cafe and menu' having barely brewed coffee or a selection of typical coffee but lacking in the true full-bodied, caffeine kick and the distinct  taste we look for in coffee drinks.  Sadly, there are some, and let me give you a few...usually I don't take pictures of them anymore, so I just had them listed.

1.  Cafe at Narda's
Session Road, Baguio
Remark:  
Sorry but though it is prolifically known for woven art the brewed coffee was awful, I wasn't able to finish it even halfway.   We thought we are going to get good points on Cordillera blends but sad to say, we didn't.  The good thing though, I ordered a slice of their carrot cake, which is also famous in the area.   The healthy cake rich in carotine and Vitamin A is moist and sweet enough without being treachy. 

The best-selling carrot cake in Baguio at Cafe Narda's
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2.  Zuni
Cafe American topped with Cinnamon
Check out my review on the restaurant, kindly click HERE
Remarks:
The coffee was too strong for me, it was bitter though I could put too much sugar to balance it, though.  So I don't really suggest you get coffees here.   You' rather get it elsewhere after having a sumptuous meal at Zuni.








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3.  Cibo
Greenbelt 5
Ayala Center, Makati
Remarks:
Yes, coffee gone bad here.   Had the best-selling pizza they have on the menu, and I was really disappointed.   With the thought in my mind, "Is this the same Cibo, I'd always loved at Glorietta?"   The coffee (brewed coffee only) was so bitter and faint without the aroma and the taste I've been expecting.  To make it worse, the pizza was dry and hard, with the oval crust being tough and thick to be disliked.   Toppings were less also,  so are they skimping on what's essential on longed for any Italian pizza?
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 So here's to a New Year of more cups and mugs of good coffee... Who's joining me on my  coffenating saga?  You're all welcome, as long as you're paying for your own coffee...Hahaha...!
Cheerio! 


10 comments:

  1. Gosh...coffee fix. I hope your body is not quivering over coffee overload. I'm pretty content with good old nescafe though I've tried kopiko too which tastes a bit strong but in a nice way.

    ReplyDelete
  2. wahaha! Tnx for the review! Now i have a good idea of where and what to get at this places! I love coffee too!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi! I am also a big fan of coffee! I usually drink coffee everyday. Need ko talaga ito to boost my energy and keep me awake for the day's work. I love to try different coffee varieties, too. I've also able to read about the benefits of drinking coffee and somehow it made me love coffee more.

    I already followed u Sis via GFC as KRIZZA. Add up this blog to my blogroll too as per your request. Hope u can do the same, too. Thanks a lot and have a great day!

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  4. Organic coffee? What's it like? And yes, Lavazza is good too. But still, Illy is the most expensive and the best coffee here. Thus sayeth my taste buds....

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