Cafes, Food, Restaurants

Bonheur Café

Bonheur Café Roast Beef Sandwich

The idea behind getting a tiny computer is to be able to post on the go, as soon as I’ve tried something. This isn’t quite the case right now, since I’ve been here before, but it’s as good a time as any to write about Bonheur Café, a little family-owned coffeeshop in Better Living that’s just a hop, step, and jump away from where I get my car fixed. (OK, I don’t actually hop, step, and jump to get here. But since I always have Hanzel with me when I deal with all matters car-related, you can just imagine him doing all the hopping and jumping instead.)

Bonheur Café in Better Living

Today is my second time here, though not my first time at the repair shop (the shop is called Serolf, and Hanz will write about it eventually… right, Hanz? *threatening look here*). Most of the time we go to the Sinangag Express along Doña Soledad, at the corner of Ethiopia, while waiting—I usually try to get the car in early, and nothing else is open yet. Bonheur Café is right across S.Ex, and I’ve long wanted to try it, but it opens a bit late (the sign on the door says they open at 10AM, but I’ve seen them before just starting to set things up around this time), so I’ve never had the chance. Finally, a couple of weeks ago, major repairs necessitated a few hours’ worth of waiting time, so Hanz and I trekked over to Bonheur for lunch.

Bonheur Café is a cozy little place to hang

 
Cookies!

The first impression you’ll get is a charming one—it looks just like a small, family-owned business should: cozy, unique, unpolished. The second impression is not quite as pleasant, but it disappears (or rather, you get used to it) quickly—it smells a bit musty inside, which makes you think that not very many people come here to stir up the air. Which made me just that bit apprehensive about ordering—though happily they surpassed my expectations.

Sandwiches, sandwiches

 
Bonheur Café Roast Beef Sandwich up close

They’ve got all sorts of stuff on the menu, it’s almost confusing: sandwiches, pasta, appetizers, rice meals, the works (they even have a Baked Oyster Platter for P185). I was hungry by this time, so I wanted to order the Tuna & Cheese Delight Sandwich (P135), the Lasagna (P155), and the Grilled Tanigue with Lemon Butter Sauce (P195), but I managed to restrain myself and just got the sandwich (I consoled myself with the thought of future orders during future car repairs—though that’s not really a consoling thought, upon further reflection). Hanz ordered their Roast Beef Sandwich (P145).

Bonheur Café Iced Latte and Iced Tea

We also got Iced Coffee (a Latte, P75 for 12oz; P85 for 16oz) and their Bonheur Iced Tea (P40 for 13 oz; P55 for 16oz).

Bonheur Café Tuna & Cheese Delight

The sandwiches surprised me—they looked very clubhouse-y, especially the fries. You know the kind of cooking, assembly, and plating you get in country clubs and more traditional restaurants? That was what they served us, an impressive thing for a small community café. The bread was whole wheat and grilled with a proper panini press, the properly-salted fries came in thick, wavy fingers (the serving was a mite too small for such excellent fries though), and the iced tea was brewed from black tea, with syrup and a fresh lemon slice. My tuna filling was good but so creamy it was spilling out (not necessarily a bad thing), and Hanz’ roast beef was also good (“Good! Sarap! Juicy!” In Hanz’ words).

Making the latte

The iced coffee was normal, though a bit on the milky side; I don’t bother adding sweetener or syrup on top of what they put in by default, so it wasn’t too sweet. It was fun to watch them make it though (“two weirdos taking pictures while the staff is working,” Hanz calls us).

Classic chocolate cake

 
Tita Paring’s Suman Latik

 
Bonheur Café Clubhouse Sandwich

Today we’re back—brake repair this time, and apparently I’m a few screws short of a set (haha, yeah like car like owner)—and we’ve spent even more time here. We started out with an order of Chocolate Cake (P70) and Tita Paring’s Suman Latik (“World’s Best Suman,” P50) because when we got here, the cook wasn’t in yet. The cake was classic, the suman was good (though I don’t know about that “best in the world” claim); it wasn’t exactly brunch fare, but it gave us something to nibble on while we worked (I wrote, and Hanz farmed, hehehe). Eventually our waiter (very friendly guy) told us the sandwiches were available and we ordered a Clubhouse (P155). Shortly after our sandwich arrived, he informed us that the cook had put in an appearance and rice meals were now available.

Finally… some lasagna… worth the wait, too

Right now Hanz is ordering Lasagna (P155). We’ve racked up a bill of around 600 or more; I need to remind myself that sitting around in a café waiting for hours on end is not exactly a cheap way to pass the time. You order things a little at a time (and here, you have to pay for plugging in; the wifi’s free, but electricity to power or charge your laptop is P30 an hour), and before you know it, you’ve spent a substantial amount, which you now must add to the cost of your car repairs. Oh well… it’s a pleasant afternoon anyway, and I’ve got my post up, so I’m not complaining. And would you look at that? My car’s just about ready. :)

Bonheur  Café
88 Doña Soledad Avenue corner Ethiopia Street, Barangay Don Bosco, Better Living, Parañaque
823-3469
Operating hours: 10AM - 6PM daily
Delivery available for P200 minimum order

Tags: better living, bonheur cafe, cafes, paranaque

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