FullCup

review by: the wandering storyteller


I don't like coffee -- in fact, except for that 90% ice slush, 10% caffeine concoction known as Nescafe Ice Freeze, I don't drink anything with coffee in it. I also abhor overpriced items. But what I really really hate is when these overpriced items become a status symbol.

It is not surprising, therefore, that I end up as a non-fan of overpriced cafe establishments spearheaded by Starbucks. P100 for a cup of vile sludge? Cofee instead of a book or a movie or a full meal? Are you kidding me?

Much as I abhor these establishments, even I cannot deny that they carry some tasty pastries. Dome cake and oreo cheesecake come to mind. Eclairs, Belgian Waffles... I may not agree with the stores stand for, but my palate has its own convictions.

Ida's generous present of multiple CoffeeBean gift certificates therefore came as a pleasant surprise. On my own, I would not have sampled CoffeeBean's treats, and Ida's gift was a fortuitous turn of events -- kinda like meeting your childhood crush just when you've shed your pimples and finally grew and filled out.

The name, of course, immediately drew my attention. Guiltless Chocolate Cake -- images of a tasteless, cardboard fake of a cake assaulted my mind. I wouldn't have chosen it, if not for the girlfriend who was with me while I was looking at CoffeeBean's counter. She was nagging me about my sugar levels - an altogether unreasonable concern given my age, but once that woman sets her mind that she's right about something, you might as well scream at a mountain to hurl itself into the ocean (wait -- isn't that exactly what i'm told i could do?).

I don't know the nutritional facts that back up the name 'guiltless' but I am ecstatic of the idea that some people get the fact that something this good isn't automatically sinful. The cake's like a magical liquid -- it's so soft you have no idea how it's standing on its own. It melts ever so easily in the tongue and lets its perfectly balanced flavor (not too sweet nor bland) simmer in the taste buds. The ample chocolate shavings at the top give it a nice aesthetic look, but once you dig in to this baby, all outside appearances become insignificant.

For my drink, I got the Mango Ice Blended - an altogether unremarkable name for an otherwise surprisingly kickass drink. Understand that I'm a fruit shake junkie -- everytime I'm in a restaurant, I sample their fruit shakes. From the fruit shakes sold on street corners to mid-upscale places like Cibo, there's a range of goodness I have come to expect.

CoffeeBean's Mango Ice Blended trumps all that. Remember the time before marketing managers of corporations in the Philippines adhered to the gospel of cheapness -- where they believed that people would actually pay extra if the quality of a product warrants it? This Mango Ice Blended comes from that bygone era. It's not something as pedestrian as a mango shake -- anyone can do that. It's more than a smoothie, more than a cream-based fruit drink -- I don't have a category for it yet, because I was rendered speechless while drinking it and I was left with only two words on my mouth: "da bomb".

So the drink and the cake were good. really, really good. The price, however, is a little high even for overpriced establishments. P130 for the cake and P150 for the drink.

Should you buy it? That depends, I suppose. If you only have P500 on your wallet and less than a week before the next payday, go eat somewhere else and nevermind that your friends are going out for a latte. There are far more worthy -- and responsible -- things you could do with your money.

Good financial stewardship, however, isn't solely about going for the cheap stuff. It's about handling the money that God blessed you with in a responsible, humble and loving manner. How about grabbing two forks and sharing this cake with your househelp? How about treating the guy in church who mops the floor with this kickass ice blended drink? How about bringing it home as pasalubong to your parents? I know we don't have that big a budget for luxury items like these, but you might be surprised how something so good can turn even better when we bless others with it.

Less for self. More for others. Enough for all. Gawad Kalinga hit the bullseye when they coined that phrase.



[images courtesy of the girlfriend. sorry, we don't have anything better -- our phone camera's not that good and there isn't any on the net]