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Welcome to My New Food Blog

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

I was invited to check out this new cafe nearby called Santiago’s Cafe. It is located in one of the side streets near Boni Circle and I would say that this is one of those places I would consider as a hidden spot of Mandaluyong – the coffee is great, and as for the food, their Bacon Truffle Pasta is really good

From the outside, Santiago’s Cafe looks not interesting enough. The area is very residential. It is owned by the same family behind Black Maria cinema, which is just next door. Black Maria is a tiny theater that screens indie films. I asked the staff why this shop named Santiago and then he said that this shop is named after one of the children, and some of the milkshakes are named after other family members.

The decors are very eye catching and I describe this place as “Aesthetic”. The ambiance and the environment there are so relax and fresh to me. It is a small cafe that probably seats around 20.

THE FOOD

The menu is limited to a few dishes, but I don’t mind. If you watch Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, you’d know that a smaller menu is easier for a restaurant to manage. It’s also better from the customer’s point of view because we get fresher food from faster turnover, and there’s a big chance that only the best dishes are offered.

I ordered their Chicken Parmigiana Pasta (P180) is coated in a thick and rich tomato sauce. I liked it. I like that the serving is big enough to satisfy hungry customers. This is the dish I recommend.

Santiago’s Cafe uses coffee beans from Bean & Barley, and their coffee is pretty good. I tried their shake, I can’t remember exactly, but I think this is the Santi’s Milkshake (P180).

BLACK MARIA MICRO CINEMA

Black Maria is just next door. Santiago’s Cafe actually acts as a waiting area for Black Maria customers.

We were given a tour of Black Maria – it’s just one cinema that seats 30. Ticket price is P200. The screen is 20-ft (diagonal), and they use Dolby Surround Sound 7.1. You can rent the cinema for block screenings, all you need to do is buy out all the 30 seats.You can take food from Santiago’s Cafe and eat it while watching the movie, and what’s more, you can drink alcohol inside the movie theater! Of course, all the food & drinks should be purchased from Santiago’s Cafe.

SUMMARY

Of the dishes I was able to sample, the best one, in my opinion, is the Chicken Parmigiana Pasta. The rest of the dishes are okay.
This coffee shop looks great, it feels indie, but not too “out there” that it will put off people who are not into indie stuff. Thank goodness they didn’t go with the “cinema” theme. The decor theme is flamingo with rose gold accents, which is the Aesthetic there.I noticed that they only had some cupcakes on display. They need to add some cakes & pastries to pair with their coffees. Pricing – I find their pricing reasonable – it’s on the same level as similar establishments. However, I find their food and coffee above average compared to similar establishments.Their cinema style menu board is the only accommodation they gave to the cinema theme. I must say that Santiago’s Cafe is a hidden gem that inside streets of Mandaluyong. Unfortunately, parking is limited. Even though indie movies are not my thing, I will go back to Santiago’s Cafe for coffee and that Chicken Parmigiana Pasta.

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