hi lori!

been browsing thru your past entries. i am thoroughly enjoying your blog

wow! i wish starbucks can put up an outlet like that in manila! it looks so peaceful as compared to a lot of noisy, hellhole outlets in manila.

y’know, i’ve never been to baguio (*gasp*) my fave starbucks outlet of the moment is in Tagaytay. Fantastic view of Taal Lake and utterly freeeeezing there! definitely condusive for coffee. only bad thing about it is that there are a lot of people. but it’s still cozy nonetheless.

i now have a reason to go to Baguio. Lol.

some other off-topic comments:
1) Where can you get Valhrona (baking) chocolate in Manila? i’ve been looking for those for ages! Do you also know where to get Callebaut at a more affordable price? (it’s expensive at Chocolate Lovers) Cook’s Exchange is starting to sell them (around 250 pesos/500g) but they’re out of semi-sweet chocolate, wah.

2) I loooove Baker’s Illustrated as well. One of the best baking books out there.

3) Caramel Cake at Estrel’s: fantastic! i once interviewed one of the owners for a paper i was doing and she gave me a free sample of a hot-off-the-oven caramel cake. *melts* i might buy a whole cake sometime…and pick up a bibingcrepe along the way. maybe i’m being too indulgent.

whoops! this is pretty long. thanks for taking the time to read my comment.

~April

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Comment by Anonymous — June 8, 2005 @ 7:23 pm

Hi April,
Thanks for clearing up that bit of info as to where you are exactly. :p

You’ve never been to the Starbucks in Baguio and I’ve never been to the one in Tagaytay. LOL! Now I have a reason to go to Tags.

Now to answer your q’s:

1. Valrhona baking chocolate can be found in only one place:
Sweet Craft
373 Boni Ave.
Tel # 532-1595.
It *is* expensive, but very good for those desserts where chocolate is the dominant ingredient.

As for Callebaut, it really is a good quality chocolate, which is why you get what you pay for (which is a lot!). I get my Callebaut at Chef’s Nook, this cool little store along Pilar St. in Mandaluyong.

Hope this helps. Send any of your q’s my way.

lori

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Comment by Lori — June 8, 2005 @ 8:19 pm

haha, everything is at QC (or Mandaluyong and Cubao), far from the south, where i live.

thanks so much lori for the addresses! ever since i started baking (2 years ago), i’ve been using local baking chocolate for baking, and i’ve been waiting for so long to use quality chocolate for my fave chocolate recipes (and others which require a certain percentage of cocoa, which i haven’t tried out let for lack of quality baking choco)

now i don’t know what i prioritize the day after i get home…get bibingcrepe (i’m obsessed coz i love bibingka and ingenious/unique food creations) and/or pass by Sweet Craft and Chef’s Nook…aaah decisions! XD

~April

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Comment by Anonymous — June 9, 2005 @ 2:03 am

The Starbucks in Baguio has got to be the most comfortable branch, from the looks of it. The noisiest I’ve been to has got to be the Katipunan branch during the school year; it’s noisy and chock-full of people.

It’s been a while since I’ve been to Baguio; probably it’s about time to bring Gabby there.

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Comment by Eric — June 9, 2005 @ 7:42 am

hi lori!
this is astrid. found your site through mari. i love it but it makes me drool and i don’t think that’s good for our office keyboard. i blogged about your site when you you talked about pampanga. haven’t been to everybody’s cafe and will try to find it when i get the strength to organize a pampanga food trip. but i’ve been to rumpa.

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Comment by a — June 9, 2005 @ 12:22 pm

April,

I will travel as far as I have to to get quality ingredients for my baking. You have to. Once you make a commitment to make something, it just flows naturally.

When you get back to Manila, I suggest you make a day of it. Go splurge on a bibingcrepe in the morning and then go to Sweetcraft in the afternoon.

lori

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Comment by Lori — June 9, 2005 @ 1:45 pm

Eric,

*Definitely* time to bring Gabby there. Boo was there when she was just 3 months.

Yes, it’s understandable why the Starbucks on Katipunan would be noisy. Imagine all those students flying high on caffeine and hormones!

lori

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Comment by Lori — June 9, 2005 @ 1:46 pm

lori,

actually, i do travel as far as i have to in order to get quality ingredients and baking supplies. (to the dismay of my parents, who complain of my baking-related expenses–from baking supplies to cookbooks) I was just amused because ever since Chocolate Lover in Jupiter closed, i realized that all of the other quality baking supply stores are either located in QC or in Divisoria/Quiapo (for baking pans, etc)…located on both ends of the world (from the perspective of someone living in the south, LOL)!

It’s something that my parents don’t understand though, coz it’s their gas (and money) i’m using to make those long trips (and use their money to purchase goodies). XD How many times have I heard from them “Why don’t you just buy your baking supplies in Glorietta?” (expensive, that’s why!)

But after they have eaten the cakes i’ve baked, I don’t hear any complaints from them. XD

~April

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Comment by Anonymous — June 9, 2005 @ 5:30 pm

‘born and raised in Baguio. ‘didn’t know they now have Starbucks? Time to pay my hometown a visit:-)

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Comment by ting-aling — June 12, 2005 @ 8:25 am

Ting-aling –

Yup, do go and visit your old hometown. You’re lucky you can call it that.

lori

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Comment by Lori — June 13, 2005 @ 7:44 pm

Great shots of the Starbucks and also food. Been browsing your Flickr stream and it brought me here. I might have to make that Biscotti, yum!

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Comment by German Chocolate Ladies — September 1, 2005 @ 8:49 pm

hi lori,

Ingrid’s Sweet Haven is a new patisserie and baking supplies shop in pasig. very accessible if you’re coming from c-5 or libis area. they have just opened , it think, for more than 3 months. very clean and has lots of baking ingredients and materials. if they still don’t carry the item that you’re looking for, the owner will look for a supplier in order to provide what you need…in a very affordable price (good grief!) try calling at their office (6412561) and ask for their location sketch.ohhh! and i learned from a friend of mine (who’s near at this place) that they actually conduct FREE baking demos in their place! talk about FREEbies huh?!

maeing

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Comment by Anonymous — June 18, 2006 @ 1:03 pm

Hello!

Anyone who knows the supplier of Starbucks chocolate cake and the number?

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Comment by Anonymous — June 26, 2006 @ 4:20 pm

hi… wow.. i love starbucks but i have never been there..!! hindi pa po ako nakakain jan… at nakakapasok! hehehheheh… poor lang po kasi ako..! wish ko sana makakain ako jan sa starbucks na yan..!! heheheheh…. thanks..!!

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Comment by -'iSjAN'- — October 27, 2006 @ 9:44 am

purple oven supplies starbucks all those yummy cakes and pastries
-Lami C

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Comment by Anonymous — December 5, 2006 @ 8:38 pm

generic cialis

news

Trackback by generic cialis — October 16, 2007 @ 10:04 am

.. was born and raised in baguio! but i now live in salcedo village makati…

i instantly missed home when i saw these pics! thanks for sharing!!

abt two years ago our routine was to drive to this Starbucks in Camp John Hay at 7am… we watch the sunrise, feel the chilly (and that is “chillyyyy!!!”) air, and listen to birds chirping… sipping searing cafe mocha or tazo’s pazzion… YES this is the best Starbucks branch… very quiet, people who come in are so unassuming and the conversations are kept at a very mum level… u can just hear tapping of laptop keys.

good u enjoyed it there!

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Comment by ginnie — August 17, 2008 @ 12:05 am

and by the way, the supplier of Starbucks in Baguio for the pastries is Baguio Country Club. so the pastries in Starbucks baguio are different from those here in manila. just want to share

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Comment by ginnie — August 17, 2008 @ 12:08 am