This blog post about Cafe Shibuya has been a long time coming. That is not to say that I got no interest blogging about it from the first time. As a matter of fact, being a person who has deep affinity for buttered bread - toast buttered bread with all things incredible on top of it for that matter, I was overwhelmed on my first visit. I just thought I need to revisit them couple of more times and try other items on their menu before penning my thoughts on it.
Yet, succeeding visits were still loaded with basically the same toasts which I fell in love with the first time. I would like the virtue of loyalty take credit for it, but in all honesty, my favorite toasts at Cafe Shibuya are all enticing I couldn't bend my desire for them quite enough to say pass. So, I am giving this a go.
With an endearing cafe interior and impressive line of savory and sweet toasts alongside equally impressive line of Ghirardelli chocolate drinks concoction, it is not surprising that Cafe Shibuya draw large followers when it opened its flagship store at U.P. Town Center. Not long after its opening, a second branch at Glorietta 2 follow suit.
Cafe Shibuya at Glorietta is more of a big size food kiosk with a decent number of chairs and table that can accommodate small group of diners. Although sporting an open space ambiance, the charming design known for Cafe Shibuya is still ever present.
I would not talk much about the ambiance despite its cute charm, because I want to dive straight to the things I enjoy at Cafe Shibuya.
Original Shibuya Honey Toast (Php145/Baby, Php175/Regular)
Simple but downright delicious and comforting, the Original Shibuya Honey Toast is essentially a thick slab of toasted white bread soaked in creamy butter topped with vanilla ice cream then drizzled with honey.
The creaminess of the butter and the ice cream on top are enough for me to enjoy this amazing toast, but if you must indulge, you should do it the right way. Cafe Shibuya knows that, hence, an extra scoop of vanilla ice cream and a generous whipped cream topped with nuts on side of the Shibuya toast is a possibility.
It may look like something anyone could create in their own kitchen. Yet, as simple as it looks, the intertwining flavors are incomparable.
Smoked Salmon Benedict (Php375.00)
I love Eggs Benedict and I adore salmon. So, I was not surprise that Cafe Shibuya's Smoked Salmon Benedict became an instant hit for me. The salty flavor of the salmon plus the creaminess of the egg and the hollandaise sauce was something I could deal with for the rest of my life. Not to mention, the aesthetic sense of this dish is just admirable, thanks to the arugula leaves that add color and flavor to it. The homemade potato chips is a thoughtful addition that made this dish all the more filling.
Shibuya Benedict (Php255.00)
The salmon version is impressive but one could never go wrong with the classic. Cafe Shibuya's Benedict comprised of thick slab of buttered toast white bread, topped with generous slices of ham, hollandaise sauce, poached egg, and mushroom. Also served with the homemade potato chips which I must say can be quite addicting.
Strawberry Matcha (Php195/Baby, Php245/Regular)
I adore Matcha so when deciding on what else to get from Cafe Shibuya's line of sweet Shibuya toasts, this Strawberry Matcha is always, always on the list. It is essentially the buttered toast topped with slices of strawberry and then a scoop of Matcha ice cream. I am not too crazy about strawberries but the matcha ice cream pulled this one off on a different level.
Ferrero Hazelnut Toast (Php225/Baby, Php275/Regular)
Toast bread smeared with Nutella then topped with vanilla ice cream, Ferrero Rocher chocolate, drizzled with choco syrup - if you don't find this amazing, I don't know what is. I do. I always do.
Bulgogi Beef (Php235)
Aside from their famous Shibuya Toasts, Cafe Shiuya also offers savory and sweet crepes, pasta, among many others. I also love crepe, although mostly the sweet variant. But for a change, the savory Bulgogi Beef at Cafe Shibuya was a good option. The tenderness of the beef plus its flavor made me crave for good old rice but it does not mean that the crepe was not any good. I will still opt for this anytime.
Truffle Cream with Prosciutto Pasta (Php265)
Give me a well executed trufled pasta and we will be friends forever. Cafe Shibuya's rendition of it is good although I've noticed that the one that they serve at their U.P. Town Center branch is more flavorful than the one in Glorietta. Nonetheless, it was something I wouldn't mind having when I am in Makati area and have a serious hankering for truffled pasta.
Frappes at Cafe Shibuya is made with premium Ghirardelli Chocolate so, it is almost a sin not to have it when dining there.
Below Zero Chocolate Frappe (Php155) is made with Ghirardeli Milk Chocolate. My nephew who is crazy about milk chocolate is crazy about this Cafe Shibuya's frappe and I could understand why. The Ghirardelli Tripple Dark Chocolate Frappe (Php165) on the other hand is my default frappe at Cafe Shibuya. It is made of Beligian chocolate ganache, Ghirardelli cocoa, and sweetened cocoa powder.
As mentioned, there are plenty more amazing items at Cafe Shibuya's menu but what I wrote here are just the ones I had during my first visit - basically my favorites at the cafe. I adore how this cute store celebrates the wonders that a simple toasted bread can do and share it with people. Most of their creations are nothing short of genius hence, I can see myself going back at Cafe Shibuya again and again and again.
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| Photo from my first Cafe Shibuya visit. With Chuckie Dreyfus, Hefty Foodie, Food Scout, and Tummy Traveler. |
Cafe Shibuya
3/F Glorietta 2,
Ayala Ave. cor Pasay Road,
Ayala Center, Makati City,
Metro Manila, Philippines
Facebook: /CafeShibuya
Twitter: @cafeshibuya
Instaram: @cafeshibuya
3/F Glorietta 2,
Ayala Ave. cor Pasay Road,
Ayala Center, Makati City,
Metro Manila, Philippines
Facebook: /CafeShibuya
Twitter: @cafeshibuya
Instaram: @cafeshibuya
