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Cafes, Food, Restaurants
Serenitea
My idea of a light dinner: corn, chicken, and milk tea
It’s a happy night. :) I just had corn and chicken with lots of pepper, two of my favorite things to eat. It was all washed down by a large glass of bubble milk tea, which I am still drinking as I type. I’ve got free wifi access, I’m about to update Southbound with a feature for the first time in three weeks, and I have a bag of (free!) fried tofu that I can attack when I get home. Plus, I’m in BF, a place I love but have been away from for too long, and the reunion is a good one—I got to try a new restaurant, the month-old branch of a store I used to drive all the way to Greenhills for. Life is gooooood. :)
Love the poster on the wall. It says: “Serenitea. The absence of stress while drinking tea.”
The restaurant is actually a tea shop. It’s called Serenitea, and its first branch is located in the Wilson area (along Abad Santos, to be specific), a short drive from where my friend Lods lives. 7 out of 10 times, when I visit Lod’s house, we end up having a snack there. Her niece Steffi actually orders bubble tea from them everyday. Every. Day. I kid you not. The people there know her. I think Lods has their number on speed dial.
Profound quotes curl around the tables. They had the line from “Englishman in New York.” But of course.
Anyway, Lods had no idea where the BF branch was located, but since I’m used to driving around BF aimlessly (sorry, burning fossil fuels, I know), I decided to look for it myself. I entered through President’s Avenue, drove through Aguirre at a crawl all the way from Phase 1 to Phase 3 with my eyes on the road half the time and on the establishment signs the other half (sorry again… I am such a menace on the road sometimes). I had just texted Lods to get her to call the Greenhills branch and ask for the exact address when I finally saw it. They were still open! Happiness!
Peppery, crispy, yummy chicken strips
Dinner was their Chicken Chop (P65), small strips of deep-fried chicken liberally sprinkled with pepper, and Pepper Sweet Corn (P50), shredded so more surface area would be exposed and turn crunchy when fried, also dusted with pepper (that’s how most of the food is prepared here). I also ordered a large serving of Royal Milk Tea (P90), an earl grey-based milk tea with additional pearls (P5). It was just like being in Greenhills—except the shop was much bigger and I had it all to myself. I missed the deep fried basil though. I hope it’s not a permanent thing—some people may consider it mere garnish, but I actually eat the stuff.
Pepper sweet corn!
Pleasant memories and associations aside, this place is really worth a visit. They take their tea seriously here, with an extensive menu (hot tea, iced tea, milk tea, fruitea, tea latte, Yakult tea… you name it) and lots of fun add-ons (pearl, bricks, pudding, something called QQ (sorry, no idea what that is), crystals, and lime jelly). For the seriously healthy folks, there’s decaf tea and a range of syrup choices (from no sugar to full sugar). Then there are their snacks, pica-pica-sized portions of fish, tofu, and potato (in addition to my corn and chicken; I actually forgot that I like the fish better, but hey, there’s always a next time).
One of the many milk tea options at Serenitea. (Now I no longer have to mourn the fact that Quickly killed their milk tea.)
Prices are reasonable, the owners are friendly (they are, in fact, not chasing my kapal ass out of here; they closed a few minutes ago but I’m determined to get this post out so I’m still here—so OK, since my hide isn’t that thick, I’ll just finish writing the article and do the actual posting at home), and—the best thing now—they’re no longer an hour-and-a-half drive away!
A generous serving of pearls. They outlasted the tea, a rare occurrence.
And with that, I will gracefully bow out and head home so they can clean up and close shop. I don’t want them thinking of me as the overstaying wifi squatter. :) But yeah, I just have to say it again… it’s a happy night. It seems I’ve found Serenitea indeed.
Serenitea
268 Aguirre Avenue, Phase 3, BF Homes Parañaque (across Ton-Ton Thai Massage)
794-3288
(Main branch at G&L Building, J. Abad Santos corner V. Cruz, Little Baguio, San Juan; 379-4166)
Restaurant hours: 11AM – 9PM, Monday - Thursday; 11AM - 10PM, Friday - Saturday; 1PM - 9PM, Sunday
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About a month ago, we saw in their FB account that their BF branch is open. But when we went there, is was closed. We’ve been there THREE times already (first time at 6PM, second was at 8PM and the last was at 5PM), and they are still closed! Last time, we ended up buying from that Korean store beside them. Sana bukas na for real. Sayang ang gas!
Cool! Something I wanna try soon! :D I love pearl milk tea too.. :)
serenitea! royal milk tea is the best.
YUMMYYYYYYY!!!! Its the best bubble tea place of all. I have my light dinner there 2x a week. I just call from the office, and pick it up after 15 minutes. No wait! Yes, they know me and the know Steffi. We should be shareholders in this place!!!!
milk tea at its finest…i love SereniTea! :)
i love this place :) i visit serenitea at least once a week… to de-stress and just to relax… their milk teas and their chicken chop are a must try for everyone!
I live near the San Juan branch… (just a hop, skip, and a jump to milk tea heaven)…
I come home to the south during the weekends… Lo and behold, Serenitea opened a branch here! BRAVAAH!!
Love the fact that the San Juan area is similar to BF with all the food choices and little shops of convenience. BUT nothing sure beats the one and only ‘SOUTHERN COMFORT’.
if we can get around those super strict and pesky security guards along Concha Cruz, we’ll try out this place soon :)
i keep seeing this place every time i’m in bf, though i haven’t had a chance to try it. i’d definitely stop by next time. :)