4 Korean-Inspired Cafes in Manila and Ortigas, Philippines

My idea of the perfect lazy day is to spend it in a cute cafe. The coffee and the food don't have to be particularly spectacular - for a lazy day at a cafe, I find the ambiance to be of utmost importance instead: somewhere relaxing, with pretty interiors and good music (a cute barista wouldn't hurt either).

In spite of our hectic Seoul-all-you-can itinerary the last time we went to South Korea, we managed to find time to visit Jukjeon Cafe Street and Hongdae and explore a few quaint cafes, which I loved. I love Korean cafes. They're like Kpop idols - cute, sometimes quirky, and usually pretty. If it weren't impractical I would be happy to fly to Seoul for a long weekend and do nothing else but go cafe-hopping.

Seems I'm not the only one who's grown fond of Korean cafes, because currently there are four cafes in Manila that all have the cool Korean cafe vibe. Two are conveniently near my place which is perfect, and the other two are a bit of a drive but definitely worth it! Check them out under the cut, and maybe with some background music care of f(x) and EXO's D.O.? Enjoy!

Current favorite Kpop song. Squishy Do Kyungsoo FTW!

A Little Bit of Seoul in Manila: Subspace Coffee House, Ortigas Center, Philippines

I live in Ortigas Center, an urban jungle in all its grey and concrete glory: cold, emotionless office buildings, snooty high-rise condos, and a Starbucks in just about every corner. So I was immensely thankful when my Korean drama-loving friends Mabs, Ris, and Ica tipped me off about a one-of-a-kind, cozy and cute coffee shop just a few streets away from where I lived that served good food AND played KPop (a guilty pleasure of mine, and we are all allowed one, so you mustn't judge!).

So now Subspace Coffee House is a favorite hang-out. They had movie nights in February and will have them again in April. They also offer a free upgrade on your drink every Monday (that's today!) so head on over there to try their drinks - my favorite is the Dark Chocolate Mint, but they have some other unique blends too like the Purple Potato Latte and the Peanut Butter Latte.

Pictures, pictures, and more pictures! Plus a KPop video to close this out by KPop royalty Big Bang - Gawker says it's the perfect pop song, so they must be doing something right! (Is Gawker often sarcastic though? I don't know, but whatever - it's a really addicting song, I've had it on repeat on my iPod for weeks.)

Salmon & Egg Turnover + Dark Chocolate Mint

Subspace Coffee House
Unit 103, GF Grand Emerald Tower
F. Ortigas Jr. Road, Ortigas Center
1606 Pasig, Philippines

Facebook Page

http://www.subspacecoffee.tumblr.com

Snapshots: A Late Lunch, Subspace Coffeehouse, Ortigas

Salmon and Egg Turnover + Dark Chocolate Mint = Saturday Afternoon Treat. Plus, they're playing a SHINee playlist here at Subspace, and since they just came back with a new music video, here's some new KPop to match this post. Happy Saturday! :)