Don’t you love being at moments when everything seems to click? Like fish and chips, macaroni and cheese, or peanut butter and jelly, teas and pastries are practically made to be paired with each other. Da.U.De (pronounced as Da-You-Deh) Tea Lounge is a definite supporter of this pairing. This cute and fancy establishment at the ground floor of Net Lima Building in BGC is best known as the “premiere full leaf tea company” that brings authentic tea and tea culture with pastries on the side as well as other exciting dishes in the Philippines.
After lunch with friends last Saturday at Casa Marcos Restobar, we walked into Da.U.De Tea Lounge (near Wildflour Cafe + Bakery) to continue our girl talk and get our tea fix. 😀 There was no way we could resist after it has been highly recommended by bloggers online.
Review of Da.U.De (Da-You-Deh) Tea Lounge (Bonifacio Global City)
Ambiance: ★★★★☆
Staying at this tea lounge is like sitting in someone’s cozy home but with the presence of other people who are also enjoying the nice ambiance. The vibe? Casual, relaxed and flexible. I thought that if squishy sofas were placed instead of these regular chairs, one might actually fall asleep and forget that he or she is in a public tea lounge. 🙂
I love all the light colors everywhere, as they are pleasing to the eyes. With non-obtrusive background music, customers can use their mobile devices and virtually reach out into the world. Free Wi-Fi was not available and that’s disappointing. Anyway, Da.U.De is very conducive for writing and working both alone and in groups. People-watching by the large windows is also an excellent activity that can be done without leaving the comfort of your seats.
There’s a section displaying an array of tea boxes and other products with tea as an ingredient. This makes Da.U.De not a typical restaurant where diners order food and drinks but also a store where they can purchase a variety of stuff they won’t find elsewhere. ♥
Service: ★★★★★
The service has been attentive and very kind from the time we strolled in to the time we left. The staff clearly explained the best-seller drinks and sweets and their ingredients to help us make up our minds on what to order out of the many great choices on the menu. Good service like this can totally hook a customer.
Food: ★★★★☆
Da.U.De Tea Lounge is a welcoming gateway to a wide world of food infused with teas, such as the following:
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Gravaix and Feta Salad (PHp 350) consisting of tea-cured salmon, salad greens, feta cheese, tea-infused vinaigrette and homemade focaccia bread
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Vongole (PHp 250) consisting of clams, cherry tomatoes, tea-infused aglio e olio and bavette pasta
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Beef Bolognese (PHp 225) consisting of ground beef, tea-infused tomatoes, cream, vodka, penne pasta
…and many more.
Our purpose of visiting this place was to try their signature drinks, so we’ll have to return next time to try these food.
In addition to teas, Da.U.De also serves beer, wine and cocktails. Then we learned that these beverages are also made of tea. For instance, the Island Beer (PHp 160) is made of lemonade tea and wheat beer; the Bubble Tea Wine (PHp 300) is made of Chardonnay, Fruit Nectar and Tapioca; and the Black or White Eyed Susan (PHp 160) is made of Kape Tea and Dark Rhum. Surprising! 😀
On the “safe” side, Da.U.De offers smoothies, all-natural soda, tea with infusions of vegetables and fruits, milk teas and special tea mixes aside from the regular teas on pots. Like when we were in TWG Tea Salon, reviewing of the menu took a while.
Ultimately, we gave up and just asked for recommendations that we followed without batting an eyelash. H got the Lemon Thirst Quencher (PHp 160), which we all agreed to be really a thirst quencher. This drink could have tasted better when served colder. Tiny bits of paper straw-suckable gelatinous pulps or pearls (sorry, could not identify) gave texture to each sip. I’m not a fan of citrus drinks so while it tasted good, it’s not a delightful way for me to end a day.
G got the Rose Pink White (PHp 180) made with Xaouen tea, guava, green apple and lime. The flavor is unique but it tasted somewhat bland.
While there’s an extensive list of drinks, I saw no reason to stray away from the most familiar. For myself, I chose the Coffee Almond Tea Macchiato (PHp 190) that’s made of coffee, almond tea, milk and caramel, and I didn’t regret getting it. It had all my favorite ingredients for a drink in one, and the combined flavors turned out to be natural, savory, smooth and not overly sweet.
We shared a piece of a White and Dark Chocolate Scone served with Uncutted Cream and Lemon Curd (PHp 140). Hearty and simple to the point, the scone was more akin to a biscuit than a traditional scone when it comes to texture. It had a sugary crust which was robust and substantial.
The scone might had been put out from the oven and displayed on the front counter far too long, so the moisture, gentleness and softness I was expecting were not met. I hope Da.U.De could also offer this homemade sweet to be warmed before serving.
Price for Value: ★★★☆☆
Da.U.De Tea Lounge is a great place to unwind. Everything seemed like a must-try! What turns me a bit off are the pretty high prices. In fact, when I think about it hard, I get those maniacal spinning dollar-sign eyes you see in cartoons. Well, it may be understandable given that the space is small and people usually linger here for hours. Point being: part of the charge may actually include not only the overheads but also the opportunity costs.
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Operating Hours:
Mon – Thu: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
Fri – Sat: 10:00 am – 12:00 am
Sun: 9:00 am – 4:00 pm
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