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Eat in peace: Green Pigs Kitchen and Book and Borders Cafe let you do so
One of my favorite times of the day is lunchtime. On most weekdays, I leave my desk in the busy newsroom and take an hour to have some time alone. I take a walk, read a book, do an errand, and try to eat something in between.
Two places in the metro allow me to do just that—eat in peace. And lest you think this is depressing, it's not. Just take a look at these two cafés, and you might want to have some me-time there too one of these days.
Tucked in a low-rise building on Sct. Torillo Street in Brgy. Sacred Heart in Quezon City is a quiet, almost three-year-old café that endears itself immediately to everyone who steps in. This is Green Pigs Kitchen.
A café and gift shop in one, Green Pigs makes me feel like I'm about to join a tea party. It has shelves of cute teapots and teacups for sale, and serves coffee, tea, and dishes on fine china. Sunlight streams in from the window panes and the glass door, and the whimsical mural of a leafy tree on the wall brings nature in.
Hazel Hong, who co-owns Green Pigs with eating-and-travel buddy Elfil Lim, admitted that that is the concept behind their enterprise. “We serve afternoon tea and use fine china so people can really feel the English afternoon tea experience. I think we are the only restaurant who has this concept,” she told GMA News Online in an email interview.
“When we got the place, it was all white and the shelves were already there. It was perfect because what we wanted was a French country look. So I just changed the color of the wall and decorated it to make it prettier and cozier,” added Hazel.
The “green” in Green Pigs refers to their healthy dishes, while “pigs” was chosen because both Hazel and Elfil were born in the Year of the Pig.
“Before Green Pigs was conceptualized, my cholesterol was high and I planned my diet to keep my cholesterol down. My partner on the other hand was also creating a diet plan for her husband who is a diabetic. When we go to some restaurants, we'd ask for brown rice or look for healthier dishes and we get frustrated. So when we started planning the restaurant, we thought of offering some healthy foods and even low-fat dressing,” Hazel said.
Among the healthy dishes on the menu are Grilled Chicken Panini, Baked Caprese Dip (baked tomatoes, mozzarella and basil and French baguette), Rosemary Chicken (grilled chicken leg fillet with herbs and au jus gravy), and Baked Creamy Sole using low-fat cream. Although they serve pork dishes, such as Grilled Pork Belly, these use the leaner cuts. Their French fries are also baked, not fried.
The dishes are a mix of heirloom recipes and the owners' own creations. “We offer comfort food and no particular cuisine because we serve what we want to cook in our kitchen and serve to our families,” Hazel said.
On many a quiet afternoon, I have enjoyed my me-time here reading a book while having jasmine tea and munching on a caramelized onion burger sandwich or a grilled chicken panini—in peace.
Book and Borders in Taguig
It was another restaurant's “fault” that recently made me chance upon Book and Borders Café at Tuscany on Upper McKinley in Taguig City. At a little past 7 a.m. one weekday, the coffee maker of one of the neighboring establishments was out of order, and my panic-stricken face must have made the cashier immediately agree to let me go out and buy coffee elsewhere and bring it back to their dining table. A java crisis!
Rows of books begged to be touched at Book and Borders, and I promised to come back after dashing off with their freshly brewed Cafe Americano.
I indeed went back a week later for a solo lunch, and enjoyed the boneless bangus with garlic rice and the ginger raspberry iced tea. But what made my experience more enjoyable were the relaxing ambience, the friendly staff, the peace and quiet, and of course—the books.
There's a good selection of books which owner Kristine Simisim said is one reason bibliophiles of all ages visit them. “We also see customers who visit with their kids since we have a variety of children's books available,” said Kristine.
“Enter the café and you'll feel like you are in a coffee shop in New York. Combine that with a carefully selected list of books, food, drinks, and cakes that are totally unique,” Kristine explained when asked what she thinks makes Book and Borders Café different from others in the area.
Such a concept came to Kristine since she's into coffee and books. “I love to explore coffee shops from all over the world and also love to read. I thought of combining the two and the concept came about,” she said.
Kristine and her partner Dennis Apostol, a chef and a lawyer, opened the establishment in February this year, “to create a beautiful space for people to rekindle their love for reading books in a world where everything is digital, for students to study, and for families and friends to converse about life.”
Aside from rice dishes, there are also pasta, sandwiches, and cakes available for hungry bookworms.
Tip: If you want to hide from the world and bury yourself in a book, go to the mezzanine with your drink. Otherwise, take a corner table at the ground floor and look up from your book once in a while to watch the world go by. — BM, GMA News
