I Finally Tried Tamp Cafe! | Takeaway Review

I Finally Tried Tamp Cafe! | Takeaway Review

Friday, June 28, 2024

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I have been constantly seeing Tamp Cafe in my social media feed for a while now. I may be a little too late on this since it had a peak (I think) mid last year. I was a little scared of the possibility that it's just overhyped and the food may not be worth it—a feeling I usually get with "trending" restaurants.

So, is Tamp Cafe worth it? Or is it just simply overhyped?

Here's my take.

Packaging

I rarely ever talk about packaging when it comes to my takeaway orders because it is more important to me that my food arrives well and not spilt all over the place. My expectations are different for takeaway and dine-in presentations.

However, I do like to give credit where it's due and well-deserved. I am honestly surprised of how well the order is packed. The slice of cake came in this pretty box:

And the food is in a good size box and carefully wrapped in foil. 

This may be too nitpicky, but I was impressed how the foil was not all crumpled up. The Tamp Cafe branding is also present up to their wooden spoon which I think is good attention to detail and shows that they really thought it through even when it comes to their takeaway orders.

Packaging: ★★★★★

What I Ordered

Angus Beef Cheesesteak 

Tamp Cafe Angus Beef Cheesesteak, Php 410

Cutting to the chase: I really liked this sandwich. There's no overpowering flavour. The beef is very tender, and it was just right that I was still able to enjoy how delicious the mozzarella cheese was. The bread slices are also thick and buttery. It was not by any means "overly soaked," like what I observed in some sandwiches or burgers from other shops. 

Tamp Cafe Angus Beef Cheesesteak, Php 410

Another thing to note is the portion size of this sandwich. I have a fairly large appetite, but I got full halfway through this. 

This is a really good sandwich, and even at the Php 410 price point, it is still very worth it.

Angus Beef Cheesesteak Rating: ★★★★☆

Twin Chops

Tamp Cafe Twin Chops, Php 410

It may not look like it in the photo, but the chops are actually much larger. It's a very generous portion size. The chops are not too thin either, so it was really filling, and this might be good for two as well if you have a smaller appetite. I would actually need another cup of rice for how large the chops were.

Flavour-wise, it's good, but not the best. I felt it was a little bland. Other than the slightly tangy exterior (which was still delicious, btw), there was nothing much going on. It is really tender and not too dry. It's good for what it was, though nothing special.

Twin Chops Rating: ★★☆☆☆

Yema Cake

Even for someone with a sweet tooth like me, I found that yema cake is usually one to easily get overwhelmed with. I mean, imagine an already sweet dish like yema (a very sweet custard made out of condensed milk) in a cake—that's a very dangerous line to toy with, in my opinion. I am not a big fan of most of the yema cakes I tried in the past for that reason, so I have to admit I was kind of nervous for this one. And this is probably the most talked-about dessert from the cafe.  

The cake is half chocolate chiffon and half vanilla chiffon. The two flavours are tied together by a yema filling, then hugged by merengue frosting.

I was so surprised by how much I liked this. For a yema cake, there was not much yema. However, I think that's what makes this cake delightful. I was not overwhelmed by the sweetness since the chiffon layers were not too sweet and the cake itself was not all-coated with yema. It was good that the yema element was just a thin filling. The merengue frosting was also so good and perfectly wrapped up the experience.

If you're wondering if this is sweet, it's still is but not the usual sweetness you might expect or have tried with other yema cakes.

Yema Cake Rating: ★★★★☆

In conclusion...

I really liked everything I tried at Tamp Cafe. I can see why many people rave about it online. Everything was good and well thought out, even the packaging. I surely can see myself ordering from them again in the future.

Disclaimer: As you can tell by my not so poetic description of the food that I am not a food critic/expert nor have I ever claimed to be one. This is out of personal experience. Your experience and preferences may differ from mine. This review is not written with the intention to harm any individual, group or business. This review is not sponsored nor is it in any other type of x-deals.

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A Lazy Human's Fast Guide to Living Alone

A Lazy Human's Fast Guide to Living Alone

Friday, June 21, 2024

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One of the biggest challenges of living alone is the fact that you obviously have to do everything yourself. This is why it's important to really push ourselves to learn the basics of life while we can. However, as much as we try to be productive, laziness can strike even the most unlikely people. This can happen for so many reasons - it might be because of situational distress, mental health problems, the weather, or maybe even for no reason at all - or you could be chronically lazy and find solo living so much more difficult to navigate.  

Here are some baby steps you might want to take to help you get out of the lazy slump:

Clean as you go

What a way to start this, huh? I figured, let's get the heaviest task out of the way first. It is true that cleaning is for everybody, and most days, this does take a lot of physical and mental power to be joyful.  

One thing you have to know about cleaning a space is that it only gets worse if you let it pile up. Do you think that one plate is too much to wash right now? Well, wait until you have another meal and another one adds up to the pile. The same goes for almost everything else—laundry, mopping, vacuuming, etc.

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The trick of the trade in cleaning for lazy people is to do it a little at a time. Don't try to convince yourself that you'll do something all at once, because if you're too lazy to do one little bit, then you'll feel more lazy about it when it piles up. Spending less time in a more frequent manner will feel less like a task, and it is also a good way to practice a habit.  

One-pot meals

If you're one to spend quite a bit of time on TikTok or YouTube, how about making your way into the one-pot meal videos? They're really great if you can't be bothered to clean up more than a pot and a spoon. Yes, most of these one-pot meals or rice cooker cooking videos can be consumed straight out of the pot. 

It is a good idea to look for these videos if you find that you're always too lazy to cook so that the next time you hit the grocery store, you know what to stock up on.

Below are a couple of videos by @nutritionbykylie on Tiktok who is a registered dietitian. She has a series of quick, but healthy meals that can be cooked using just one rice cooker or using a microwave. 

@nutritionbykylie Episode 7 of realistic nutrition tips Rice cooker meals are some of my fave meals since they can be so delicious yet require minimal effort 😌 Recipe: - Rinse 1 cup of rice until it runs clear and add 1 cup of water - Add 1/2 cup diced carrots, 2 sliced baby bok choy, 1/2 cup frozen edamame, 1/2 block of diced firm tofu - Mix together 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp shaoxing wine, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 inch grated ginger, 1 minced garlic clove, and 1/2 tbsp sugar - Drizzle over food - Cover with lid and turn on rice cooker - Once cooked, mix everything together #ricecookermeal #easymeal #onepotmeal ♬ original sound - Kylie, MS, RD, LDN 

@nutritionbykylie Microwave Meals Part 2 this is basically my very, very low effort version of Chinese steamed fish! #easymeal #EasyRecipe #microwavemeals #asianfood ♬ original sound - Kylie, MS, RD, LDN

Meal prep

This trick will take a day or a couple hours when you have a good amount of energy and willpower because it involves doing one heavy task, so you can take it easy the rest of the week. 

In case you're unfamiliar with this concept, meal prep is cooking large batches of meals and then storing them in the fridge to consume the following day. There are freezer-meal recipes. If you do want to cook your regular meals or familiar dishes and store them in the freezer, be sure to refer to trusted sources or websites on how long you can keep them in the fridge or freezer and how to properly store them.

 

Keep a functional space

By now, you may have noticed the recurring theme, which is that getting things done the lazy way still depends on how you prepare for those days. It's like preparing a sandwich while you're sober so your future drunk self has something to eat when you get home later that night.

Another good way to still have some things done even on your lazy days is to keep a functional space. Don't let things just lie around unnecessarily. Even the most basic organisation of your things can go a long way. For example, if your clothes are sorted based on the frequency of how you use them, you will save yourself the time of going through your entire closet each time you get dressed for work. Another way is to keep your most worn footwear near the main door of your place. 

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This is very subjective and will highly depend on your routine. So, think about a systematic arrangement of your things based on how they're used or how they work together.

One step at a time

Sometimes laziness starts with the mere idea of thinking, "Oh, I have a lot of things to do" or "There's too many; I don't know where to get started." When overwhelming kicks off this early, it becomes a good breeding ground for the lazy strike.

Get one task done, take a rest, and decide on what you want to do next. You can also plan this out when you're just lying around doing nothing.

You don't always have to multitask. 

 

Take it one step at a time. Don't expect yourself to finish everything at once.

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Effortless Self-Care: 7 Quick Ideas for Busy Lifestyles Under 15 Minutes

Effortless Self-Care: 7 Quick Ideas for Busy Lifestyles Under 15 Minutes

Friday, June 14, 2024

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It has become too natural to get lost in the chaos of our lives, our wants and needs, or just simply chasing our goals. 

I understand that we're living in difficult times with the state of our economy. It is a privilege to even think of taking a break or going on a vacation when it sometimes seems impossible to get our chores done. However, I hope that we also remember that, despite all the chaos, we are also getting worn out by the demands of our everyday lives. 

Here are some quick and easy ways that each won't take more than 15 minutes of your time so you can still integrate self-care into a busy life. You may want to keep one or two at the back of your mind, so the next time you do get even the smallest bit of chance, you already have an idea on how to spend it.

1. On-The-Go Meditation

This is a great one to slip into your schedule when you commute to work, on your lunch break, or whenever you get the chance to use headphones or earphones for at least five minutes. A guided meditation is like going into a safe place mentally and take a minute to calm your system. It may only be a few minutes, but sometimes it's exactly what we need for a quick refresh from a heavy task or work day. 

2. Skincare Mask

While this is not a replacement for a regular skincare routine, a skincare mask, whether it's an eye mask, a sheet mask for the face, or maybe even a foot mask, is, in my opinion, a quick way to treat your skin. It would feel like a spa treatment at home and at your convenience. A lot of skincare masks would take no more than 15 minutes, though you can stretch out that time if you want. I would also recommend those wash-off and sheet masks since they don't take time for preparation or major clean up afterwards. 

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3. A Guilty Treat

Craving that sweet dessert? Take a quick detour on your way to work and treat yourself to a serving. If you've been having bad coffee for days now, go ahead and drop by a coffee shop that you love and indulge in. Check out your Amazon wishlist and pick one that you want to reward yourself with today. This can go south pretty quickly, so make sure you are still very aware of how much disposable income you can spend on your treat. We don't want to end up with more stress now, do we? No matter how small it is, it's the thought that you are giving back to yourself something you believe you deserve.

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4. Quick Fuss-Free Workout

Going the full nine yards on a regular workout will take more than 15 minutes, and if that does not fit in your schedule at all, why not try trying a very quick fuss-free routine that will only take 10 minutes of your time? You can do this before you go to sleep or if, by any chance, you wake up 15 minutes earlier than usual. I personally am not a fitness enthusiast myself, so I always appreciate routines like this. Exercise is probably one of the best forms of self-care you can do because it does so much to improve your mood and overall health. This can be as simple as going for a 10 minute walk if you have a safe and walkable area around you. You may also do a quick Youtube search of "10 minute workout without equipment" for tons of routines for this purpose, but here are two of my suggestions. These do not involve jumping that your downstairs neighbour will surely appreciate.

5. Prompted Journal Entry

Journaling can be for anybody, even if you do not enjoy writing at all. You can do an audio or video journal, which can be a lot quicker to do as well. There's also no need to be scared of written journals; no one else will read them, so the grammar or your writing skills are the least of your worries. Sometimes, when we're too caught up with everything in our lives, we forget to listen to our own thoughts and our emotions at the moment. It almost always does good to let those thoughts out in a simple way, such as by journaling. If you don't know what to write about, I highly suggest prompted journaling, where an app asks you a question and you can take it from there. Below are two apps you might want to try out (links are not affiliate):

Prompted Journal - Gratitude 

• App store: https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/prompted-journal-gratitude/id1208362996
• Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=co.plumstudio.promptedjournal&pcampaignid=web_share

Reflection Journal & Prompts

• App store: https://apps.apple.com/ph/app/reflection-journal-prompts/id1504547616
• Play store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=app.reflection.reflection&hl=en_US

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6. Send a thoughtful message to someone you appreciate - even to yourself.

This can be as simple as a "thank you for everything" or something as detailed as a letter. You may send it as a text, an email, or a thank-you card if you have the time. If you feel like it, you can also schedule an email to send to yourself. A simple act of gratitude is almost always a guarantee to shift your day into a more positive light. It does not take much effort, but I'm pretty sure it will bring a smile to whoever receives it.

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7. Unplugged

We do spend a lot of our waking hours on any mobile device, whether it's for work or for leisure. How about for the 15 minutes that you have to spare, turn off your wi-fi, put down your gadget, and do something else that does not involve technology? It may surprise you how, at times, it feels weird to be disconnected for maybe even 5 minutes. 

Unplugging from the digital world forces us to think of other things to do rather than get lost on the internet. Take a power nap, do other things that are on this list, or maybe even just staring at a wall could give you a much-needed mental break. 

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Minimalism: Living with Less for More Fulfillment or Just Another Trend?

Minimalism: Living with Less for More Fulfillment or Just Another Trend?

Friday, June 7, 2024

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It's a lifestyle choice gaining popularity as people seek simplicity, focus on what truly matters, and reduce clutter in their lives, both physically and mentally.

While the minimalism trend was born in the 1960s, it seemed to have been overshadowed by flashy trends throughout the decades. I didn't catch wind of it until the pandemic, when skincare took centre stage in the beauty industry, and in the lifestyle world, the Marie Kondo method was all the rage. I remember what made me hop into the trend: the dire need for a less anxious mind. I thought then, which I still believe now, that the more clutter I have, the more busy my mind constantly gets. The pandemic did help a lot and brought a real focus to the very necessities in my life.

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Just so you know, I am not a full-blown minimalist. My walls and furniture are not all the same colour. I also don't have less than 30 pieces of furniture in my life. In this post, I will tell you a bit about how I integrated this trend into my life and how it has changed it for the better.

More simple skincare routine

I was previously roped into the 10-step skincare routine many, many years ago. I would spend so much time and money on what influencers said were must-haves. My skin did not like it, but I pushed through because I thought it was just the purging or the "getting used to" stage. What I found was that not only was it very resource-consuming, it was, more importantly, irritating to my skin.

Things changed when I discovered Dr. Dray, who advocates for minimalistic skincare. She's a board-certified dermatologist who talks about ingredients in skincare products so her viewers can make a more informed decision on what to buy. Having a minimalist skincare routine allowed me to really think through what my skin needs and to address those needs using products that are scientifically proven to help with the issues. For six or seven years now, I have only added two essential steps to my routine.

Minimalistic clothing

Another trend to branch out of minimalism is minimalistic clothing, aka quiet luxury, old money, clean girl, or whatever name they came up with. In my younger (cries) days, I wore a lot of colours and patterns. As I transitioned to working from home, I got rid of most of my clothes. It was at this point that I realised I had outgrown that phase of my life. This trend couldn't come at a much better time.

I switched out my clothes for a more basic and comfortable style. What I discovered with this was that it was easier for me to pick out what to wear. I didn't have to think much because almost all of the pieces I have can be worn together. I also focused more on what fits me better, especially now that I am relatively fuller than I was years ago. 

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Mindful consumption

Probably the most important effect that minimalism has brought into my life is mindful consumption. Because I no longer wanted so much clutter, I became very thoughtful of the things I bought. I no longer collect things I do not have space for.

For example, I love to read, and books are something I want tons of. However, I don't have the space for it. I also found that I am able to read longer if the lighting condition is at its most comfortable. With those, I made the decision to switch back to the Kindle. It has allowed me to keep the hobby without adding clutter to my life. With hobbies, I have thought very carefully about what I am truly passionate about—those I know I'll be able to and want to keep going, so I will only purchase the things that I will keep around.

Minimalism has also helped cure my FOMO for material things. It has helped me constantly question myself about whether that specific trendy item is useful in my life or just another cool thing to have, but I'll stop using it in a matter of months. The things I have now are things I really highly value because they're actually things I use. 

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Just another trend?

Personally, this isn't just a trend I'd get tired of shortly. I believe that with most aspects of minimalism, I have found a core. It's something that is very beneficial in my day-to-day life, and it has given me more peace. I am now able to focus on other, more important things because I have less clutter overall.

Like with all trends, this is not for everybody. For others, they might find peace in having more colours or more objects. It is important to really have a good introspection on what your character and personality are like in order to know what lifestyle you're most likely going to stick with. Having a good, authentic life pattern that is truly heartfelt will radiate so much joy in your life.

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