The Sweet Spot: A Sweet Bakery & Cafe at Teachers Village

While my blog is doing better as I've expected, I don't see myself as someone worth interviewing. However, in the span of two months, I've already had two groups of college students interview me for their project. Even though I usually shy away from this kind of feature, I'm floored that they actually found me and my blog. Really, I'm beyond flattered!

Just over a month after these advertising students interviewed me for their multimedia class, I got another message from a group of college students for an interview. This time, it's for food blogging/writing as they themselves are making a food magazine for their creative writing class. And having worn the same shoes as them a few years ago, I know how hard it can be to look for someone who'd agree for an interview. So one fine weekday afternoon, we met at The Sweet Spot Bakery & Cafe at Teachers Village.

Located at Maginhawa corner Makadios stands the barely eight-month old The Sweet Spot Bakery & Cafe. It was actually my first time here, and so are the pretty Noreen and Sandra who I met that day. If you're wondering why we chose this spot, let's just say I gave them a list of places they can check out, and they went with The Sweet Spot.

Even at first glance, the cafe would seem a perfect spot to do the interview. It's cozy with a touch of industrial kitschy. And while the place isn't really big, the high ceiling makes it feel otherwise. They also have a mezzanine for those who prefer it more intimate.

My new-found friends chose we sit at the mezzanine. And while I personally prefer to stay at the beautifully-lit (with natural lighting) ground floor, I can't deny I also enjoyed staying at the second level. There were framed manga-ish drawings that didn't only catch my attention, but also had me ogling at them every few minutes. #AnimeCoupleFTW

✓ Singapore Sling Hot Tea (P70) and the view from the mezzanine

While Noreen and Sandra were ordering, I first enjoyed the Singapore Sling I got beforehand. And nope, this isn't the famous alcoholic Singapore Sling cocktail. This is the cafe's take on it, but in tea form. It had berries, cherries, lemon, orange, pineapple and Madagascar vanilla which makes every sip oozing with sweet, tangy and creamy notes. You can enjoy this either hot or cold too. Next time, I'll make sure to try this iced though. I'm sure it'll be better since I found the hot version a little too sweet for my palate.

Porchetta Sandwich (P185)

For our heavy merienda, the girls ordered a Porchetta Sandwich, an Italian favorite with crispy pork roast, apple compote and honey mustard dressing. Every bite off this sandwich has a really good sweet and savory flavors. The pork was quite crispy, but bordering tough though. However, I really enjoyed this sandwich flavor-wise.

Pulled Pork Adobo Sandwich (P160)

We also had the Pulled Pork Adobo Sandwich which has adobo flakes, kesong puti, atchara and sunny-side up egg sandwiched in freshly-baked pan de sal. I've always loved adobo flakes, so seeing this served on our table got me excited. However, I was a little disappointed of how salty the adobo flakes were. Even Noreen and Sandra noticed it too. Maybe if they'd tone down the saltiness, this would've been a bomb of a sandwich.

✓ Asahi Fish and Wasabi Fries (P220)

To break the sandwich streak, we had the Asahi Fish and Wasabi Fries, a Japanized fish and chips. The bad angle I took this shot from doesn't justify how good these Japanese beer-battered fish fillets were. The coating was delicately crisp just as how I like it! There were also bits of nori thrown into the batter, which while not doing anything for the taste, makes every piece look nicer. The potato wedges on the other hand, was only lightly-powdered with wasabi, so even non-wasabi lovers can enjoy them.

✓ Southern Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta (P200)

Going back to the carb-loading, we had the Southern Grilled Chicken Penne Pasta. I know, I know, you can't see the chicken breast slices. But they're there, tucked underneath the penne. Unlike most tomato-based pasta dishes I've had from restaurants and cafes, this tasted different, but in a good way. It was like a fusion of tomato sauce and succotash with hints of hickory barbecue. Every forkful was sweet, tangy and slightly savory with enjoyable bell pepper notes. The girls and I couldn't find any fault. Well, maybe except for the presentation. If only the chicken were placed on top of the pasta...

Me with the pretty Sandra and Noreen

Thank you girls for treating me to heavy merienda which already became my dinner. Haha! Hope to meet you again and your other group mates Andrea and Marjorie. Next time, ako naman ang taya! Good luck with your project! Go ace it girls! *wink*

THE VERDICT

The Sweet Spot Cafe is indeed a sweet and quaint cafe along Maginhawa; a perfect spot to enjoy your "me time" or to catch up with a friend or two. Apart from its cozy industrial kitschy ambiance, the place also offers good food and drinks with very reasonable price tags. So if you're looking for a new cafe, away from the cluster of mainstream coffee shop franchises, The Sweet Spot Cafe is definitely worth a try!

Taste - 3.5/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 4/5
Overall Value - 4/5

The Sweet Spot Bakery & Cafe, Teachers Village
189 Maginhawa St. cor. Makadios St.,
Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 435-3045; (0917) 824-5454
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