maginhawastreetadventure – On Purple Wings

Caffera as in Cafe and Camera combined…

My life is shaped by the urgent need to wander and observe, and my camera is my passport.” ~Steve McCurry~ (An American photographer).

There is this new place Jen is telling me about, a themed coffee shop owned by a Photography enthusiast like her. It’s name is “Caffera”.

This you will see upon entry… It is actually already stimulating..

And she has been persuading me to see it for the longest time. I am half-hearted to go because it entails more than 3 hours travel from our place. We are in San Pedro, Laguna and the shop is in Maginhawa street, Quezon City. Eventually I gave in due to her beguiling tricks.

And without her knowledge, I am also eyeing to see in person the string of coffee shops, pizzerias, burger stands, name it that were so famous in Maginhawa street paralleled with those you will find in Aguirre Avenue in Sucat, Paranaque and Kapitolyo street in Mandaluyong and the one in Tomas Morato. Most bloggers term them as Foodie’s Mecca.

And so during the holidays, we opted to plot not just Caffera but some more interesting spots Maginhawa street can offer.

Now, we’re wondering if we can have this card even if we’re not a resident of QC..

True enough, the place will be loved by anyone who have been fascinated with photography and all the materials needed in pursuing this passion is displayed in all corners. All the accessories, even those that we have might have missed is there. If there is one adjective for this place, it is “inspiring”.

c11 — Touches of Christmas decors were neatly placed around the cafe..

Right in front of the counter which entice guests like a food porn..

c10 — Lots of vintage cameras you’ll see..

Please take a look:

Notice the roll of film utilized as label? =)

I have exceeded my expectations – I wondered if they have cakes in camera shapes..

c14 — The glass window is written with calligraphy..

c19 — Several models of vintage cameras..

c15 — Collection of emptied rolls of film, a light, camera, action display, vintage cameras..

c16 — An old movie camera.. Most displays are DIYs! =)

c17 — Even the menu is photography inspired: It says FRAPPerture, ISO Amaro, Mugshot coffee, etc.

c18 — Delighted guests can’t help but express their appreciation..

c25 — Even the quotes are all about Photography…=)

c20 — This is my favorite part of the place..

c21 — There’s our coffee drinks. In mugs that were made of camera lens. #amazing

c24 — Brought me back during college days when we took up a few units of Photography class..

c22 — I can’t help it, I took a photo of their mirror inside the rest room…

If you want locally-produced coffee beans, brewed with love and passion for photography, sweet yet not too strong iced coffee, then Caffera is the perfect place for you. The ambiance suits both millennials and the not too millennials as well. =)

Being here, you will sense the owner’s passion through the consistency of themed displays painstakingly created so as to come up with such an “inspiring” place.

Caffera Cafe is located at:

Unit 204, Second Floor, Dona Zenona Suites, 54 Maginhawa Corner Mahusay Street, UP Village, Diliman, Quezon City.

CASA QUESADILLA

“Mexican food is so full of colour, life and music. It’s like a pinata exploding in your mouth.” ~Kate Mclennan~

Nowadays, finding a TexMex restaurant is as easy as ABC.

Being a fan of Mexican food, Jen and I didn’t have a hard time looking for one should the cravings set in. Filipinos and Mexicans have similarities in culture, food and even language due to our common root. Both countries were being inhabited by the Spaniards. This historical trail is evident up to this very time.

At Maginhawa street, while eyeing Caffera: Cafe and Camera combined. We intentionally treaded the stretch of this famous street at Sikatuna Village in Quezon City to explore and choose food spots we intend visit in the future. Which obviously made us very hungry.

We weren’t surprised to find out that there are a lot of Texmex spots that we can choose from. We opted to try Casa Quesadilla.

Jen being crazy with quesadillas, immediately entered the multi-colored entrance of Casa Quesadilla. I, on the other hand like quesadillas too but my favorite Mexican food is Chimichangas, though there a few restaurants which offer this, they usually offer Burritos instead. I am good with Burritos but I like Chimis better since the latter has no rice.

The Casa is like a hole in the wall type of Texmex joint. Still, they have a wide array of recipes to choose from.

We just had quesadillas and nachos salad. Quick and light. It took them less than 10 minutes to serve it.

I had to use the loo, and I have to pass by their kitchen to get there and I can attest to the cleanliness of their kitchen. The loo is clean too.

They also offer alcoholic drinks and there are 2 groups enjoying their drinks outside while we dined inside.

And much to our content, their food is satisfying, Texmex is like comfort food to me and Jen.

Now, we’re ready to stride again for our next stop. We passed by a bespoke restaurant on our way to Casa Quesadilla and it honestly looked interesting: When Uan met Sally. While Gourmet Gypsy Art cafe is befitting. =)

Casa Quesadilla is located at Unit 1, 176 Maginhawa, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City