As of today, we’re being hosted by the awesome Kenneth Kwee of Inspirelight.net. Please be informed (and update your links) because we’ve moved to…
http://thecaviarbar.inspirelight.net
See you there!
Today’s inspiring reminder #1
Read: Abbey Sy’s The ABCs of Journaling
The ABCs of Journaling
Abbey Sy
Hardbound, 121 pages, with full colour illustrations and photographs
Published by Summit Books
I have been following Abbey Sy’s work ever since I attended the Type Lab event last year. She is phenomenal–there’s her website to prove it! One look at her book–The ABCs of Hand Lettering–and it was typography love at first sight for me, and also the start of my somewhat muted journey into learning about calligraphy and typography.
Back then, before law school happened, I loved to pour out my innermost thoughts, and put them on paper. They were pretty much emo-laden thoughts (not exactly proud of that haha)–and although I cringe about what I have written back then, I pretty much enjoyed making it look pretty all the same. Continue reading “Read: Abbey Sy’s The ABCs of Journaling”
Don Rodolfo’s Cafe
With the ingenuity of the fast-food culture of this generation, there is nothing that creativity cannot do— and certainly this includes your happy meal confidently towering in pitch black disposition.
Ladies and gentlemen, our next stop is at Don Rodolfo’s Cafe—the only restaurant in Bicol Region (as of writing) that serves the famous Black Burger which first originated in Japan.
The big black murder is all about the black sauce, beef patty, bacon, lettuce and tomatoes atop slices of potatoes all stabbed in the middle of a black burger bun.
My boyfriend took the honour of conquering the Black Burger challenge.
While I took the liberty of trying the yummy looking traditional Adobo meal with egg and rice.
While waiting for our orders, I took the time to take a few snaps of every interesting corner. Lo and behold, I took photos of everything!
The space of the cafe is relatively smaller compared to other coffee shops however Don Rodolfo’s passion for art made way to maximise the space without compromising the rustic theme.
The doodles made by the customers and local artists are neatly displayed in one corner.
Some of the smaller pieces are framed on the opposite wall.
The shop’s windows are also lined with these witty whatnots.
There is also a freedom wall that showcases events, sayings and other artworks.
Book shelves are neatly piled with books arranged according to colour– which interested me for some weird reason.
Certainly it is a place to hang out and indulge in food, company and passion for a lot of things.
The main attraction of the cafe itself is “the wall” that exhibits fancy doodles about random words and sayings. So yes, here is the shameless compulsory pose for the day. 🙂
Young with a tinge of structured elegance — that is everything that can summarise the overall vibe of Don Rodolfo’s Cafe.
AMBIANCE (9) I absolutely love the rustic feel. The place is smaller than it seems on the outside but the interior arrangement and furniture maximised every corner possible.
Don Rodolfo’s Cafe has maintained its elegant rustic ambiance with a hint of young, free, and raw art here and there.
The crowd was at a minimum when we visited. Most of the customers were students.
FOOD (3) The burger didn’t have the juicy and tender feel we expected. Aside from being dry, the elements of the burger didn’t seem to fit perfectly together, unfortunately failing to give you the tasty feel you always yearn at the very first bite. The fried potatoes were great– I especially loved the cheese topped with it.
The adobo rice meal was nothing extraordinary– in fact, it lacked the kick of the salty and saucy taste that I always loved with Juan Miguel’s (my boyfriend) version of adobo.
Serving time took 20-30 minutes which was not bad for a cafe serving full meals.
LOCATION (5) Don Rodolfo’s Cafe is located at Liboton Street, a bit farther from the centre of the city itself. The area is accessible to both public and private transportation– tho there can be a bit of traffic build up along the area sometimes.
There is no allocated space for parking except side parking not exclusive to the store.
The verdict: Don Rodolfo’s Cafe is a place to indulge with good company over conversations and art. Every corner is certainly Instagram-worthy.
Don Rodolfo’s Cafe
M.T. Villanueva Avenue Former Liboton Street
Naga City
Facebook Page:Â Rodolfo’s Cafe
Instagram:Â @rodolfoscafe
Contact No.:Â 0999 994 4042
The Healing Bread
Welcome to the Healing Bread, a quaint spot at the heart of Naga City, Camarines Sur.
Unassuming, quiet and devoid of all loud and bright posters of the city, The Healing Bread welcomes you like a gracious host welcomes her guests for a Sunday brunch of tea and oven-fresh croissants.
The store’s interior takes us farther down memory lane, reminding us of weekend visits to our aunties in the province where everything seems organic and gluten-free.
Simple furniture, random books, and a minimal interior houses such a cozy candor that takes us back to wherever and however home may be.
One corner of the store subtly showcases pastry and other local delicacies. The Coriander and Raisin Rye Bread (100 php)Â stays thus far as the best selling bread according to them (mentally referring to the store’s name itself).
According to my research, rye is a type of grass grown as grain and is a member of the wheat family. According to  them, rye has extensive benefits in lowering diabetes, preventing gallstones, providing excellent alternative to wheat, promoting weight loss, providing source of fiber, providing anti-cancer benefits, providing a number of heart benefits, sourcing good protein, maintaining healthy gastrointestinal function, and assisting in menopausal symptoms. Now that’s a lot of benefits in one piece of bread!
The pictures below show the other organic products they are offering.
Being a fan of cooking, I asked if they also sell fresh herbs. And yes, foodies out there, they sell fresh and grown herbs upon request.
I sat in trance while waiting for my take-out pizza order.
While complimentary tea is served.
Serving time took a little while than expected and then tadah! Vegetable Pizza is served.
Whole wheat and oatmeal crust topped with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, spinach and dressing never tasted so good (and convenient to bite to-go style)!
AMBIANCE (8) Simplicity is always key. I admire the conventional cozy look of the store emphasizing on a lot of light, Â space, and breathing air for a quiet tea afternoon with friends while watching the rush of the day pass by outside.
I visited around lunchtime and humidity can be a bit harsh on that time of the day, particularly in that area. It may probably be the reason why I was the only customer when I arrived. Air conditioning will for sure attract traffic to the store, especially for customers who might want to hang out for brunch.
FOOD (9) Aside from being healthy, food is creatively amazing! The menu offers a selection of other options such ah, moringa, pesto breads and basil breads; vegan chocolate cake and lemonsito cake; mushroom and pesto pizza; mushroom burgers;  vegan burritos and quesadillas. Drinks offered are Bignay Yakult Shake, Veggie Shake, Guyabano Black Rice Coffee, Lemon Grass Juice.
According to the staff, the menu adjusts depending on the availability of ingredients and ingenuity of the kitchen staff.
Serving time took 30 minutes yet I am giving it a sterling 9. I believe its one thing to serve delicious food– and with the fast-paced, fast-food industry nowadays, it takes passion to CREATE good food.
LOCATION (8) The store is located along Panganiban Drive, one of the main streets in Naga City easily accessible to public/private transportation.
There is generous space for side parking however not exclusive to the store.
The verdict: This will certainly be a genuine, simple, and creative way I can represent Naga City in more ways than one.
Door 8 Duplex 3 Panganiban Drive, Naga City
(Near Naga City Subdivision entrance)
Email: thehealingbread@yahoo.com
Contact No.0917-807-5004 or 0918-663-0534
Science lovers, unite.
Apologies for the slightly cheesy title, but if you’re one who loves everything science related, here’s one event you’ll be interested in visiting!
The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) invites you to their annual National Science and Technology Week. This year, the theme is “Juan Science, One Nation.” This event will take place in all the science communities in the Philippines, as listed in the poster above, starting on 25 July to 29 July 2016.
The DOST and their agencies and regional offices will celebrate this event through their own open house exhibits and guided tours.
 For further information, please visit http://nstw.dost.gov.ph
Quick updates!
Hello, fellow Caviars! How are you all doing? Just to let you know that we’re up and running again. A lot of things came up for the past few months, causing an unintentional hiatus.
With that over, we would like to welcome our fourth Caviar, Shaynie! Due to slightly different time shifts, we’re still in coordination, but hopefully, you’ll hear from her soon! Also, we might be having a fifth Caviar, but that’s still under negotiation.
Have you guys read Joana (aka. Joey)’s posts on gratitude and her review on Bear Cups Patisserie? If not yet, please do! Layla’s post on red velvet cookies is a recipe worth trying, and her review on the movie Testament of Youth also wants to be read! She also has written something about books she read while growing up. What are yours? We’d love to hear from you.
Hopefully we’ll be able to read Mel’s blog entries. Working in journalism can be quite hectic, so we understand! She’s also a cool artist–so we’re crossing our fingers that we get to see her art creations too!
We’re excited to post more about our adventures.
xoxo, Joey, Layla, Mel and Shaynie.
Super scrrrrumptious red velvet cookies.
A few years ago, I was on a quest to find the perfect red velvet cake. Or red velvet anything, rather. Last year, whilst browsing through one of my favourite blogs, I saw this among her “most popular” blog posts. Curiosity piqued, I clicked on that, and felt my mouth water. What I saw was a picture of red velvet cookies filled with cream cheese in between. Fortunately, this came with a recipe, one that I itched to try–and did. It had a different outcome, though–probably because I am not used to weighted measurements in a recipe. So, after a bit of tweaking, I came up with the desired result.
Another thing: the apple cider vinegar is one important ingredient in this recipe. Please don’t skip this!
So, I give you the recipe. Enjoy baking!
Bear Cups Patisserie
Nestled subtly in one of the busy hotels along Magsaysay Avenue is a bear-themed pastry shop that will catch your eye in wonder.
AMBIANCE : Your gaze will dance in rhythm to the sea of teddy bears hanging from the ceiling lights, squeezed in between the shelves and sitting on the counter. Pink, Blue, Yellow, Brown– if you have a thing for teddy bears, you will have for sure come up with a name for each one of them.
The pastry shop is adorned with other lovely ornaments that compliment with the theme.
Hushed and low lighting emphasise the cozy and warm vibe of the store.
A romantic tree lined with dots of green lights serve as the main accent of the spacious dinning area.
Shelves are personalised with the colourful pictures of visiting customers.
I specifically liked that with all the colour and details catching your attention, the furniture and walls remain as minimalist as possible. This balance makes the store adequately spacious yet remaining as fuzzy and cozy as it is supposed to be.
FOOD: As a customary tradition, I requested for the best-seller. Tadah! The house’s favourite is the Angus Beef Tower Burger (280PHP).
The Burger Anatomy: The classic burger is dressed up to the nines, filled with thick and tender 100% beef patty, white onion, pickles, tomatoes, crispy lettuce, bacon and melted cheese (according to the menu).
And as in other things in life, is served with crispy fries.
Being a pastry shop, they also serve all kinds of deserts.
AMBIANCE (6) I like the space and the concept. The interior however lacked in tasteful reinforcement of the theme.
The shop occupies part of the hotel’s building facing away from main entrance. Therefore minimal customers are seen hanging out or dining. I was the only customer when I visited.
FOOD (8) The Angus Beef Tower Burger (280PHP) gave justice to its claim as being the best-seller. A bit pricey for your usual cafe but the serving and the taste made up for it.
Checking the menu, I was surprised to see that they serve a wide variety of food for a pastry shop (sandwiches, pastas, appetizers, shakes, frappes, all-day luncheon, salads, all-day breakfast, hot drinks, iced drinks, loaded meals, rice toppings, teas). You name it. Serving time took 20-30 minutes tho.
LOCATION (8) The pastry shop is located at the ground floor of a hotel which makes it ironically hidden in a location lined with coffee shops and restaurants. If you want a breathing space for your writing while conveniently staying in the city proper, this could be a place for you.
Parking space is exclusive for the hotel and restaurant customers.
The verdict: This will be my go-to place when I need some me time for my writing while splurging on good food.
Oh, and the bears are for sale. 🙂
Address: Catmon II, Balatas Street, Magsaysay Avenue, Naga, Camarines Sur
Phone: +63Â (054) 472 2328
Gratitude Post
For my first ever post, I want to talk about eyes.
“For she had eyes and chose me.”
With this, I commemorate the moment I captured those eyes. Ten years ago, in between Botany classes–with my seven mega-pixel, point-and-shoot camera, I captured eyes. And in those eyes, I have seen my own beauty being reflected.
I may be chewing a gum or carrying a can of Coke in my right hand right now.
Nonetheless I want you to see what I see.
I may be wearing an obscurely undone hair.
Nonetheless I hope that you too, in those rare moments when you least care, should know that you are as beautiful.
My adjectives are poor.
Nonetheless, I pray and I hope that it will linger of  faith, hope, love, and all the other wonderful things this life has to offer.
Now this post may come a bit later than expected, but then I shrug, step forward extend my right hand, reach for yours and smile in the awkward way I always do.
Nonetheless, welcome. My name is Joana.
