Jamba Juice Now Open at SM Megamall

Jamba Juice, an American restaurant retailer founded by Kirk Perron in 1990, has opened one of its newest stores in the Philippines just a few weeks ago at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. Jamba Juice, which primarily serves smoothies, puts much emphasis on healthy living through its healthy product line  which consists of smoothies, as well as snacks such as wraps, sandwiches, and flatbreads. Jamba Juice, by the way, was brought in to the country courtesy of the Max's Group of Companies.

One of the newest Jamba Juice stores, located at SM Megamall

I haven't really been able to get my Jamba Juice fix as much as I would want to, because Jamba Juice stores were located in places that I don't really get to go to often. Around August of 2012, I was happy to find out that Jamba Juice would be opening a store soon at SM Megamall, a mall I would always go to (at least once a week). Though originally scheduled to open by September, the SM Megamall branch finally opened last December, just before Christmas.

Jamba Juice "insiders" (employees) hard at work

Jamba Juice offers a wide range of smoothies to suit different tastes. Since Jamba Juice promotes healthy living, their smoothies have no trans fat, no high fructose corn syrup, and absolutely no artificial flavors and preservatives. As it says on their brochure, their smoothies are made with "whole fruits and juices blended with nonfat frozen yogurt and sherbet". I don't think we need to add "high fructose corn syrup" to make it sound more delicious, right?

A reminder of Jamba Juice's commitment to keeping their products safe and healthy for their customers

The Jamba Juice slogan

Customers get a complimentary "boost" for every smoothie they buy. Customers can choose from the following: Energy (which adds B vitamins and botanicals in your smoothie to help your physical and mental stamina), Immunity (vitamin C and zinc for the immune system), Daily Vitamin (22 essential vitamins for your daily needs), and Soy Protein (8 grams of soy protein to aid in building muscle tissue). Customers can also add "super boosts" (Antioxidant Power, Flax & Fiber and Whey Protein) to their smoothies. 

Jamba Juice menu/brochure

The photobooth (where you can have your photos taken and have them sent directly to your e-mail) and Jamba Juice merchandise for sale.

Inside the store

Being the peanut butter lover that I am, I ordered a Peanut Butter Moo'd creamy smoothie, which consists of chocolate, peanut butter, bananas, frozen yogurt, and soymilk. Doesn't this sound delicious? 

Jamba Juice smoothies aren't watered down unlike some other smoothies or shakes that are sold in other establishments. Every sip gives you what you actually paid for (and trust me, they aren't exactly very cheap). My smoothie even had tiny banana bits in them, and you could really taste the peanut butter. Everything really went well together. Amazing!

My Peanut Butter Moo'd creamy smoothie--absolutely delicious!

To complete the whole "healthy living" experience, they also have items such as Steel-cut Oatmeal, Fruit & Yogurt Parfaits, Hot Breakfast Wraps, and California Flatbread on their menu, all made with the freshest natural ingredients. I will definitely be back to sample these as well as their other smoothies on the menu--soon, hopefully. 

(Jamba Juice stores are located at SM Megamall, Bonifacio High Street Central, Alabang Town Center, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, and Robinsons Magnolia. For more info, please visit their website at jambajuice.ph. You may also like them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter.)

Sit Back and Take a Sip: Sip Milk Tea at Pearl Plaza, Ortigas Center

Let's be honest here: I am not really much of a milk tea fan. Despite the sudden milk tea craze last year with all those milk tea shops popping out of nowhere (like, literally), I never really did give milk tea much of a try--they all seemed to be the same to me. The ones I've tried never really impressed me much too--either they were too ridiculously sweet or the flavor was just too strong that I'd end up getting a headache after drinking.  After these negative experiences with milk tea I figured I'd just stay away from these milk tea shops and wait for the craze to die down altogether, and wait until the next food craze which would hopefully be more appealing for me.

The counter

An important meeting, however, led me back to another one of these milk tea places, this time at Sip Milk Tea, located at the ground floor of the Pearl Plaza Building along Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center. I ordered a large Caramel Milk Tea (which turned out to be one of their signature drinks), which, at P100, doesn't really stray much from the price range of other milk tea shops out there. 

One word to describe it though: AMAZING.

Unlike the other milk teas I've tried, the flavor wasn't too strong that I'd end up getting a headache after drinking (I don't really know why this happens, but, yeah--it does). The coffee jelly topping really went well with the caramel milk tea too, giving your drink that extra flavor that is neither too overpowering nor too bland. 

This store only had four tables

If you're hungry, you could buy food, too. On their menu, they have chicken chops, honeycomb waffles, and veggie spring roll. Based on the feedback that I got from one of the people I was in a meeting with, the waffles and rolls were actually quite good. Hmm, maybe I should try that next time. 

Large Caramel Milk Tea for P100

Would putting "Philippine-made" really make a difference (compared to other milk teas)? Maybe for some people it would.

On the wall

I actually liked the overall look and feel of the place. It had that calming effect on me, probably because of the white paint together with just the right amount of bright colors. Did I mention that the place has really good free internet connection, too? This is definitely a great alternative place for those who just want to study or work alone or when you just want to get lost in cyberworld. I just hope they'd get a better exhaust system though--whenever they'd cook, say, their Chicken Chops for example, smoke and the smell of fried food would easily fill the place.

I would definitely want to give this place another try soon--kudos to them!

(Sip Milk Tea has stores at the following locations: Pearl Plaza Building, Robinsons Galleria, Dr. Quintos Street Malate, SM Manila, SM Sucat, and E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue. For more information, please visit their website or like them on Facebook.)

A New Offering from Starbucks--The Salted Caramel Mocha

If you've been living under a rock lately, then I think you ought to know that Starbucks Philippines is offering a new drink--the Salted Caramel Mocha, available in three versions--hot, iced, and frappuccino. This interesting new beverage from the world's leading coffee shop chain is made with "blended mocha sauce and toffee nut flavored syrup. Topped with sweetened whipped cream, caramel sauce and a mixture of turbinado sugar and sea salt." 

Interesting, isn't it? Salt isn't exactly a commonly heard-of ingredient in any of Starbucks Coffee's beverages and this is certainly something new for everyone. I've been seeing tarps promoting this new beverage at the Starbucks stores I've been to lately and I was finally able to try one for myself (a free sample) at the Starbucks branch in Hanston Square Ortigas (also one of my favorite stores because of its friendly staff, cozy atmosphere, and free internet!). It has the right blend of saltiness and sweetness and they don't overpower each other. It's only available for a limited period so I suggest you try one for yourself before they run out! You could also get a chance to win a Salted Caramel Mocha party for 4 if you purchase a Starbucks Moon Festival tumbler from September 11 to November 2, 2012. 

Visit the Starbucks Philippines website now or like them on Facebook!