Afternoon at Bo's

I often find myself sitting at Bo's Coffee Club these days as this is where a good friend holds his "meetings".

Bo's Coffee Club is the pioneer of the coffee culture in Cebu. While Starbuck's was blooming in Manila, Cebuanos were still satisfied with their instant coffees, 3 in 1's and the occasional brewed that we can get in good restaurants and hotels.

When Bo's was opened in the Ayala Mall in the mid 90's, it immediately became the place to be, to meet, to be seen, inspite of the prices that everyone thought to be unbelievably unreasonable for just one cup of coffee. Their rate until now remains P55 for a cup of ordinary brewed.

Everyone thought:

a. Bo's would die when Starbuck's would hit Cebu;

b. Starbuck's would not flourish considering the Cebuano love for products made by Cebuanos, and the Cebuanos tight-fistedness;

c. Starbuck's will probably survive with one outlet in a posh location where the spending gadflies gravitate.

And how everyone was wrong. Bo's has flourished and so has Starbuck's. Cebuanos learned to embrace the coffee culture in a one easy step. In fact, Cebu became so enamored with Bo's that they could not wait for Starbuck's to step foot in the province. The word from the Manila frequenting crowd was that Bo's was so "Starbuck's kaayo!" (English: So Starbuck's!).

I am not a coffee drinker so i really cannot say whether the coffee in one place is better than the other. However, i am a tea drinker and i have to say that tea selections at the international chain is better. Hot chocolate from the international chain is also better, but maybe because i am not fond of sweet drinks that i prefer Starbuck's to Bo's.

Tea Selections at Bo's. Not very wide nor wild.

My Lemon Grass Tea

In terms of food items, bread and sandwiches from Starbuck's are way better than the Bo's array. Cakes and pastries are somewhat neck to neck as they are often sponge cakes disguised as other confections by clever tricks of shape, size and the application of ices and fillings.

A veritable flood of chocolate this and chocolate
that. I am not a chocolate cake fan obviously.
Although i would pay a LOT for a GOOD chocolate
croissant, if someone would kindly point me
towards the right direction.

The mandatory Mousse. Oh what would
a coffeshop be without the Mango Mousses
and Blueberry Cheesecakes?
Oh, give me something new please.

Oh what i would give for a REAL flaky croissant!
Aren't you tired of all these choco chip stuff: muffins,
bread, cookies, brownies, sigh, sigh, sigh

There was this one fantastic pastry though, that i would go back for again and again at Bo's, which was the Mocha Torte, but this item was discontinued sometime early this year for some strange reason. Maybe i was the only one who ordered it >:-p

As for the juices and flavored waters, none of them measure up. Too sweet i still say. Although the Esprit line from Starbuck's is ok because of the Passionfruit which i just love. I still keep on asking for the Lorina line (which is available in Starbuck's HK and Singapore, and which i bring home everytime i go) but no one at either stores seem to listen.