UCC 3rd Wave Clockwork is a cafe located in Bluebay Walk, Pasay (near Starbucks and McDonald’s) where brunch seems to be a never-ending affair and where people can just be themselves. I saw how relaxed and comfortable guests were as they reclined on sofa seats to the point of removing their shoes and retaining only their socks while reading a book. Needless to say, this place has also been striking a big chord with coffee lovers. As one who’s in love with coffee aroma myself, walking into its ground floor for the first time was like being high at the Apple Store. π
Review of UCC Clockwork (Blue Bay Walk, Libertad, Pasay City)
Ambiance: β β β β β
Everything was a sight to see. I loved the interior design to bits! With UCC Clockwork displaying clocks set in different times arranged vertically on a wall, the concept worked. It’s stimulating and I’m super into it. π
Promoting the convenience of diners, the theme was rustic and retro combined with a laid-back feel. At the center, a bar counter modestly sets the mood for visitors to gorge on delectable food displays with their eyes. Items stacked on shelves against the wall served as functional decors that served as excellent blend in the area.
We went up to the second floor and were quite impressed as well with the neat and organized space. The dining area has that typical look of a casual coffee shop with cushioned bar stools in shade of light beige lending a charm to the atmosphere. I also appreciate the minimum disarray and the soothing natural light from the windows.
For larger groups, functional rooms are available and they’re fitted with a cute clocks wallpaper and edgy light fixtures.
For a quality people-watching session, it’s great to grab a seat by the “balcony” overlooking the interaction between guests and baristas downstairs.
Service: β β β ββ
Service was a bit underwhelming and problematic since calling out to win the staffs’ attention was a bit of a challenge. Maybe the two-floor spacious dining area is to blame? I think not. The management should consider adding more headcount especially when more customers come at the peak of lunch and dinner hours.
Food: β β β β β
UCC 3rd Wave Clockwork has been in my radar since way back, but because I’ve decided to dine out with friends and family instead of alone, I put off tasting their dishes for months. π So you can just imagine how excited I felt upon setting foot here!
We began brunch with a great appetizer: the Black and White Truffle Fries (PhP 190). Seeing “truffle” on the menu, I was tempted to rush into the first bite. Seasoning was spot-on. These crispy fries were a bit salty, punctuated with glorious black truffle bits, white truffle oil, and Parmesan cheese. Full of fluffy starch, the potatoes were quite thicker than the regular fries from McDonald’s.
Mom told us to choose dishes that she doesn’t know how to make. The Crabby Fatty Omurice (PhP 350)Β was one of the perfect choices fitting that criterion. It was thus a golden opportunity for us to sample a unique version of omurice that’s basically rice with shredded crab meat, garlic, onions, kani, ebiko, parsley, aligue cream. All of these were wrapped with a crepe-like thinly fried soft and runny scrambled egg. The sauce formed around the omurice tasted delicate and light yet loaded with the crab flavor. Too good to be true! π
Also for a change, we ordered the Ouvo y Negra (PhP 280) which consisted of squid con tinta, ebiko, spaghetti, garlic, parsley, pepper, lemon, and garlic bread. With silky black hue, this pasta was neutral in flavor but what really gave a punch of seafood bliss was the bite-size cuts of squid with springy texture.
When in doubt, you will not go wrong with UCC Clockwork’s Rosemary Chicken Crisp (PhP 320). With a buttery elixir of chicken juices, the grilled herbed chicken was paired with chicken rind rice and balsamic reduction sauce that boosted a soul-satisfying umami taste. The chicken was perfectly moist with slightly crisp skin. I loved that the mixed greens on the side gave not only a luscious garnish but also a refreshing crunch to the main.
Their best-selling Garlic Tamadobo (PhP 300) also deserved a two-thumbs up from us. Composed of chicken and pork adobo, garlic rice, and ajitama and house salad, this entree relied on good technique in presentation and classic Filipino flavors. The sauce was rich and smooth with a mellow fragrance of Pinoy’s favorite adobo. The soft-boiled “ramen” eggs were awesome as they came with custard-like firm body.
My sister and I got the Tiramisu Latte (PhP 170), a cake-inspired drink. It was a sweet and appealing treat without anything more complicated than coffee with chocolate, liquor, milk and cream.Β The velvety richness translated well to the real deal.
For dessert, we had the Clockwork Cookie Cup Scream (PhP 190) composed of a dark chocolate chip cookie with melted white chocolate topped with pistachio ice cream. I thought it’s similar as the famous cookie shot but instead of milk, ice cream was placed to fill in the cookie cup. πΒ The ice cream tasted like joy and nothing less than pure pleasure. It was a thrill to finish everything before breaking the cookie to pieces for us to share. Yum!
Price for Value: β β β β β
The restaurant and cafe scene in Metro Manila shows no sign of slowing down. UCC 3rd Wave Clockwork in Bluebay Walk, Pasay presents itself as another sleek and roomy cafe with a full range of coffee drinks, liquors, and a full brunch and lunch menu. Prices are reasonable as they serve and welcome you with generous portions of food servings with good quality tastes. π
About Rochkirstin Santos-Sioco
Health and technology freak. Food and lifestyle blogger with a large appetite for food and travel.
That omurice and Clockwork Cookie Cup Stream looks HEAVENLY :3 OH MY GOODNESS I’M DROOLING XD
I’m glad that we ordered it! Their menu may not have pictures to tempt you but the descriptions are long and vivid enough to make you picture the dish. The name also sounded fancy.
Sign me up for a Tiramisu latte right away! I am a very big fan of coffee! Clockwork looks to be a fun sort of place that I would catch up with my friends! I really enjoyed reading your blog post and experiencing the foods through your unique eyes and camera lens!
Thanks, Joanne! I recently changed my camera from DSLR to this Samsung mirrorless cam. So far, it’s been producing great photos especially with the prime lens affixed. π
I love to sit in places like that and people watch. It sounds like a great place to grab a coffee, snack and hang out for a while.
This is the type of ambiance I would be willing to linger for a while. It’s very relaxing and the decors are a joy to look at! π
hehehe it’s a good thing that they have another branch in Capitol Commons/ Estancia.. Way closer to my place.
I liked their selections of coffee and also the chill vibe of the place π π π
see you on Sunday dear π
I’ve seen that branch in Estancia mall and also read your review. It’s just fortunate on my end naman that UCC Clockwork has a branch near MOA, my second home! Haha. I looove the food and drinks selections.
Oh, my goodness! That food looks so good! Sometimes it is worth the so so service to get food like that lol. I love the decor of the place too. So charming and cool at the same time.
Yeah, the service needs a boost especially when there are more customers going in. The place won’t get good commendations only for great-tasting food, in my opinion. They must have a balance of everything all positive.
That looks like a wonderful place to eat. I love the atmosphere, and the food looks fantastic.
Yup, there are more things on the menu that looked worth a try. Well, there’s always next time. π
I’m definitely into that aesthetic! The building is just as beautiful as the delicious-looking meals.
I’m so into it! π It’s hard not to make a second glance at all the wonderful stuff on both floors.
Those are some very interesting dishes. I would love to try some of these someday.
Sure! There wasn’t anything we had that particularly make us frown. These dishes were all delightful.
That Cookie Cup Scream is screaming my name! It looks sooo good! UCC has the best coffees I have ever tried. I love their iced coffee.
Some people even like their coffee variants over Starbucks. I hope they open more branches to receive more love. π
What a wonderful place! The ambiance and food both look terrific. I love the clock decor, and I would love to try the Clockwork Cookie Cup Scream and the Crabby Fatty Omurice.
Those two unique entrees are already enough to make you satisfied. π
Wow the place itself is really pretty. Looks like a great place to go chit chat and get your food on. The food also looks amazing, I would love to visit here for a bite!
Schedule a day with your girl friends and have a sweet conversation over delicious food at UCC Clockwork. π
I love the industrial look of the restaurant! Plus, everything looks scrumptious, especially the fries and milkshake.
Yeah, the fries had me at “truffle.” The tiramisu latte too was great but there’s plenty more blends to choose from. π
This looks like an incredibly awesome place to visit and I love the dΓ©cor! That ice cream cookie cup at the end of your post looks absolutely divine!
I just thought that the cookie would soften since ice cream was sitting on it far too long while we were having our talks. It’s surprising that it was still hard to cut into shareable pieces! π
This place looks cool. I love coffee shops. They always smell so good. I haven’t had philipino food but it looks good except for the black noodles. Those remind me of something weird.
If you haven’t tried the squid ink noodles, please try it here for the first time. Their version is a nice introduction to that weird dish you may be afraid to eat. Trust me, it’s good! π
What a cool place to get some great food and drinks. I love the cold brew area. Very cool.
Yup, this is one of those places that I would choose if ever I’d be asked when I want to stay for the whole day (doing practically nothing). π How dreamy.
That Rosemary Chicken Crisp would make my kiddos happy. That’s right up their alley (except the youngest who still likes chicken nuggets π ).
Definitely kids prefer to have nibbles of food that are easy to chew on. The Rosemary Chicken Crisp is one of the house best-selling dishes. You want it on your table. π
That’s my kind of place. You can relax and just be yourself. Well, that Tiramisu Latte is calling my name! I’ve never had one.
We clapped to our mouth when we saw that they have tiramisu latte on the menu. I was like craving for tiramisu for an entire month prior, and my sister liked to taste their latte. It was a nice combo that quenched both our thirsts!
I like the layout and dΓ©cor of this eatery (especially the clocks and the glass features). The photos of the food are so appetizing. You rarely see 2-story restaurants around here.
Right. Some have multiple floors but don’t have the advantage of allowing guests to look over the first story for some quiet entertainment. π
That looks like a really fun place to eat. I love the decor.
It’s really nice to hang out and dine in a place with great interior design that matches the quality/tastes of food. π
The food here looks surprisingly good since I’m so used to the terrible ones at UCC Cafe
Terrible? I think OK naman food sa UCC Cafe.