J. CO opens at Manila's sunset avenue

It used to be that we had to go to nearby cities if we wanted to eat J.CO donuts - those colorful eye candies that are such a delight to the taste as they are to the sight and smell. Not anymore, as J.CO now has a store at the famous sunset avenue of Manila, the Roxas Boulevard, at its corner with UN Ave. (It's really called J.CO-UN Ave.) But while it was just last month that I learned of this branch, it was actually in October last year that it opened. Oh well, better late than never! 

Last Sunday, me and my two daughters happily hauled ourselves off to J,CO-Manila to enjoy an afternoon of donuts, coffee and frozen yogurt. The two girls lined up - for one hour! - while I sat at the terrace looking at the street below, particularly at those horse-drawn carriages locally known as calesa, passing by every now and then. You still can't see the sea from this point but you're close enough to be able to see the sky change its hues as the sun slowly goes down the horizon. What a very relaxing afternoon it was to be sitting there just enjoying the breeze as I took pictures. But once our food and drinks came and I finished taking pictures, we transferred inside where it's cozy and homey, with the dim lights and the soft and comfy chairs. 

And then we enjoyed:

J. Cool, P95 (1 topping)

Cafe Avocado, Uno size, P120.

Iced Coffee, P85. (Uno)

Americano, P85 (Uno)

Glazzy donuts. Free with every drink.

Assorted donuts

..and then some more. Yum, yum, yum!

The terrace as sun deck at this golden hour

Yes, indeed!

Lovely, cozy interiors of J. CO-UN Ave.

We bought two dozens of donuts but each of us ate just one and then took the rest home as "pasalubong" to the hubby, two other kids and a niece and nephew. By the way, J.CO Donuts and Coffee, which was founded in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005, now has nearly 20 branches in the country (one info site says it's 18, another says it's 19) since it arrived here in 2012. Two years already and the lines haven't gone shorter! That's what we've observed at the branches in Trinoma, SM North Edsa and here on UN Ave. That's how much Pinoys love this pastry brand - perhaps because it has many delicious flavors and all are just rightly sweet and don't overwhelm the taste buds. Also, their coffee concoctions come in many varieties, all yummy-looking you'll have a hard time choosing. And then, there's the healthy frozen yogurt (J. Cool) that you could order with your choice of fruit topping/s. Lately, they've added sandwiches to their menu too, named J. Club, which come in Katsu, Salami, Sausage and White Velvet varieties. I'm so looking forward to trying these. See you, guys at J.CO!

Ravenous? Eat a monster!

Last Saturday, hubby brought home a box full of monsters. I let out a squeak as I opened it, not out of fear, but of sheer delight! It was a box of Krispy Kreme donuts with faces of characters from the movie Monsters University (currently showing). How cute and colorful the donuts were! 

I haven't seen the movie and I don't plan to but the donut monsters sure were 

eye candy and so good to eat!   

Terry, Squishy and Randy (clockwise from left).

Mike

I didn't realize I was shooting this donut upside down so I flipped this picture.  Oh, well!

The Monsters University donuts are available at Krispy Kreme stores at P375. per box, 
until July 31, 2013.

A 'blockbuster' lunch!

            No, we didn't lunch on juicy steaks, nor prime ribs, nor the freshest seafood. We had..err..donuts. So, why do I say 'blockbuster'? Because the line to get our lunch lasted some 20 minutes, like we were queuing for tickets to a blockbuster movie. Truth was, we were still lucky that the line when we came was short (this was outside, but there's still a line inside!) because it was still lunchtime. Well, that was the strategy because not many people equate lunch with just donuts right? Hehe.. Lines at J. CO since it opened at Trinoma mall last year have been crazy especially on peak hours in the afternoon till evenings, so I thought we ought to buy and eat there around lunchtime. But alas! We didn't escape the queue though it was 
not very long, thankfully. 

J. CO Donuts is today's fastest growing donut and coffee chain in South-East Asia that traces its roots to Jakarta, Indonesia, where it began its operations in 2005. In March 2012, the first 
J. CO branch in the Philippines opened at SM Megamall. At present, other stores are found at Trinoma (which my kids and I visited for the first time last Friday), Mall of Asia, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Town Center and Eastwood City,

Before I got to taste a J. CO donut, I was wondering about and amused by the long lines. But when I tasted those melt-in-the-mouth donuts especially the J. Club donut sandwich, my question was answered. Now I know why people are crazy about them. They're unlike the donuts we grew up with. They're chewy-soft, come in new, delightful flavors (ex. tiramisu, lychee, avocado) and do not overwhelm you with sweetness. The donuts also come in cute names such as Why Nut, and some, with celebrity-sounding names like Avocado Dicaprio, Blueberry More and Berry Spears. These sweet munchies have become such a huge hit among Filipinos that often, you'd see people going out the store or on the streets carrying boxes, not just a few pieces of J. CO donuts. 
Anyway, these were what we had during last Friday's lunch out from the office:

J. Club Cheezy Rich (P45 each).  This donut sandwich is sooo yummy it'll make you forget your name!

Blueberry More

See that creamy filling oozing out? Delicious!

Alcapone. Some people swear this is the most delicious J. CO donut.

Berry Spears. We pulled this out of our take-home box, the reason it looks squished.

Complimentary Glazzy Donuts  :-)

My daughter's drink - Cappuccino Frappe (P130)

My little boy's drink - Iced Chocolate (P115)

My drink - Americano coffee (P85)

We bought 2-dozen donuts, most of them for my officemates (pabili. hehe..).

This whole box of 12 donuts was for my boss, who says she can finish 3 in one sitting. Hehe..

J. Pops baby donuts on display (P250/2 dozens). Aren't they real cuties?

The counters inside J. CO

The lines inside (not including the peeps queing outside). There's a separate line for dine in and take out.

J. CO donuts cost P42 apiece. When you buy a dozen, you'll pay less at P350, and even lesser at P550 when you buy 2 dozens.