Restaurant Thoughts: Raintree More Than Just Milk Tea

It's been awhile since our last visit to Raintree. My family moved to a different location, so it took some time for us to visit our favorite milk tea shop again. Last time I made an article about it was back in 2011 see here: http://frommomachie.blogspot.com/2012/01/raintree-my-special-milk-tea.html

Since then, Raintree has moved up to a different level. It's more than just a milk tea shop, it's now a cafe that offers, pasta, sandwiches, other pastries (aside from their delicious macarons) like brownies and cupcakes and beef rice bowls.

On the side, the cozy cafe also opened it's doors and added Pampanga's Best and a confectionery called Raintea Confectionery that sell French Macarons.

 Jasmine Floral and Belgian Chocolate

We never tire of our usual from Raintree. They serve rich milk teas. When I say rich, there's not a taste of artificial flavoring. For the diabetics, Raintree sells Splenda as substitute so you can still enjoy something cold and tasteful.

On a regular weekday, my husband and I stays at Raintree while waiting for the fetching time of our son whose school is just a few minutes away. I like matching my milk tea with some macarons (php30ea) and a cupcake (php60ea) which I share with my other half and a little for our baby.

Raintree's Pasta Carbonara (php150)

Here, we paired our pastas with Raintree's Specialtea and Amaretto (almond) milk tea.

Raintree's Pasta Pesto (Php150)

Their pasta is one of my favorites because everything in it is freshly made then served. Pasta sauce is thick and is not salty. The pasta noodles itself is firm. But the part I like the most is the large amount of Parmesan cheese that covered the pasta and the slice of French bread.

There's a lot to look forward to on the coming days... Remember, we still have some Manly meals: Beef Rice Bowls to try. (wink!)

My Home- Cured Bacon

I really didn't think of making my own bacon until I saw the pork belly (bacon cut) S&R was selling. I must admit, it's such a blessing to have time to go shopping on a weekday, less people, relaxing stroll from one aisle to another and more choices for me. When I saw the pork belly streaks, it reminded me of S&R's cured bacon itself. They sell good bacon by the way.

For a change, thought I start fresh, like make my own bacon "again" instead of buying the commercial ones.

This was my second attempt on dry curing my own bacon. This time, I was successful. One of the most important things to take note of in producing good bacon is the freshness and the cut of the meat itself. On my first try 4 years ago, it didn't turn out well because I used regular pork belly slices which is thicker than the ones I recently used.

The process of home- curing is very easy. Of course it will all depend on the bacon marinade you're going to use.

Here's a link that may help you. Home- cured Bacon

Here are some points:

1. Buy fresh pork belly streaks.

2. Once you've marinated your meat, put it in a Ziploc.

3. Refrigerate for 7 days.

4. Every other day, turn the Ziploc upside down or just enough to reposition the meat in the bag.

I personally prefer using Ziploc in marinating meat. It's well- sealed and it preserves freshness.

My second batch is on the way. Even if the waiting period sucks, it's all worth it. Breakfast is love with bacon. Our champorado is made special with bacon on the side. Bacon can make a bland, ordinary sandwich more enticing and exciting to eat. Plain bacon and rice is the best!

Canterberry Café

It was my usual weekend visit to my parents, there was nothing to do... my husband was at work, my dad's busy with stuff needed to be fixed, my brothers were both working. The girls are the only ones in the house. My mom, my sisters and I were having a good laugh, boredom sets in, it's almost lunch we decided to drive and have a good meal at a nearby restaurant.

I lived in Taytay Rizal half of my childhood until I got married. This restaurant discovery my sisters shared with me was worth it. I never thought that something like it will flourish at the heart of the town itself.

They call it Canterberry Café .

Canterberry Café offers Filipino viands for a very affordable price. An All-day Meal which consist of a viand and rice costs around Php50-80. Sizzlers and Appetizers good for 3-4 costs Php95-380. A pitcher of iced tea is at Php90. They also have a delectable line of desserts, snacks, sandwiches, pizza and pasta. Even for a single order, satisfaction is guaranteed, it's as good as eating our favorite home-cooked meal.

The restaurant itself is not air-conditioned, but its big windows keeps the place cool enough to enjoy ones dining experience. Canterberry Café is often visited by students like my sisters. They love Canterberry because it's a place where they can eat clean, delicious food and hangout with their friends. On a food adventure, I always take note of the crowd or the people that often makes up the place. In Canterberry, I was happy to see families, couples maybe on a lunch date and a bunch of youngsters having a good time.

As a foodie who loves to try everything and anything that will make my tummy happy, I am very proud of this restaurant find because I experienced quality service, good food and nice ambiance in a restaurant found in our humble town of Taytay Rizal... as if I ate in a restaurant within Makati or Quezon City. If you're in the area of Rizal, stop by.

Canterberry Café

E-149, E. Rodriguez Avenue, Taytay, Rizal 1920

Find more, visit and like: Canterberry Café on Facebook