The Graceful Mist: Caffe La Tea

Hello readers,

Caffe La Tea - Vegetarian Picks (Review at http://www.TheGracefulMist.com)

Caffe La Tea - Vegetarian Picks Photo (Review at http://www.TheGracefulMist.com)

In this post, I`ll introduce you to Caffe La Tea, a cozy coffee, milk tea, and food stop with 10 branches in the country. Their store offers a great selection of food and drinks. Below are 3 out of 4 marked vegetarian foods they offer to serve.

Caffe La Tea`s Vegetarian Foods

1. Mojos

(Sliced Potatoes and Aioli Dip)

Caffe La Tea - Vegetarian Picks: Mojos (Php 119.00) Photo (Review at http://www.TheGracefulMist.com)

These Mojos are actually appetizers. They had a taste of authentic potato fries but I felt like there was too much onion-like taste to it. It tasted odd combined with the sauce. My friend commented that the sauce tasted like it has too much vinegar. I didn`t quite enjoy it.

2. Mozza Lava Sticks

(Mozzarella and Pomodoro)

Caffe La Tea - Vegetarian Picks: Mozza Lava Sticks (Php 129.00) Photo (Review at http://www.TheGracefulMist.com)

The Mozza Lava Sticks has a slight cheesy taste but it`s not much. It`s very filling. The sauce reminds me of spaghetti sauce. It`s an appetizer but I felt like after eating it, I was already full even though I shared it with my brother. Definitely share it with your family or friends or else you`ll be full before the actual meal. It`s "nakakasuya" (translation: distasteful because it`s "too much") in a way, so it`s a good thing I had their Milky Taro to sweeten things up.

At the time, when I asked for the bill later on, it took them about 10-15 minutes before giving the bill because their printer somehow had problems.

3. Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil

(Mushrooms and Truffle Cream Sauce)

Caffe La Tea - Vegetarian Picks: Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil (Php 159.00) Photo (Review at http://www.TheGracefulMist.com)

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil is basically like Carbonara. It has a bread at the side and has lots of sauce in the pasta. It was very delicious. I generally like pastas so I really liked this food. As for the price, I think it`s quite expensive considering there`s a carinderia outside my school selling Carbonara for only Php 30.00. The air-conditioned place and free Wi-Fi tried to make it up to me though! Regardless of the price, it`s my Vegetarian pick out of all the 3 Vegetarian foods I`ve had in their restaurant.

"Deviled Tofu", another food which was marked as "Vegetarian" in their menu, is tofu with lots of chili. I didn`t try it mainly because I generally don`t find spicy foods delightful. I opted out of eating this one since I had a huge feeling I won`t enjoy it much because as stated in their menu, it has "lots of chilis".

They didn`t have a lot of vegetarian foods to pick from and most of them are appetizers. The "Deviled Tofu" has lots of chili so that`s out of the options for me. That left me with only the Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil, my vegetarian pick.

Caffe La Tea - Place and Service

Caffe La Tea in Anonas has outdoor tables and chairs for customers and there are two floors inside. It had good air-conditioning and free Wi-Fi. They had quite a lot of waitresses and waiters to serve customers.

It`s quite noisy outside the store because of passing jeepneys, tricycles and other vehicles, business establishments going by their day-to-day tasks, and chatters of passersby as it is located in a very populated area in Anonas. Directly from the door, the cashier counter and comfort rooms can be seen. The comfort rooms have sliding doors so I really have to close the door tight. Inside the first floor, there are about 2 available tables and cushioned seats facing another counter. Upstairs, there are seats available for 1 person up to a group of about 10.

During my visits, they usually play relaxing music but it can be quite noisy at the second floor since they usually have a lot of customers. I wouldn`t recommend it as a place to study or do work because there could be loud chatters and the pressure to leave immediately since they have many customers during lunch, merienda and dinner.

Their customer service was alright. The employees were welcoming and nice. They also played a birthday song and sung quite a few times for some customers` birthdays. Sometimes I get my order quite fast and sometimes it takes more time but it usually took them quite some time giving the bill and/or change.

Ratings

Flavor/Taste: 4/5 Flowers

1. Mojos:

2. Mozza Lava Sticks:

3. Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil:

Price - 3/5 Flowers

Service - 3/5 Flowers

Place - 3/5 Flowers

Overall Experience - 3/5 Flowers

Wild Mushroom and Truffle Oil which was my vegetarian pick tasted delicious but it was not easy in the pockets for a student`s casual dining. The rest of the vegetarian foods had flavors of their own and may not appeal to each customer`s taste preference. All in all, Caffe La Tea was a nice place to eat at but it`s not recommendable for strict vegetarians because of the limited options.

Reminder: Stores of Caffe La Tea may vary in design, location, menu, and arrangement for the different branches.