Patsitivity's Palate: Brunch is the language I speak

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I've recently celebrated my first anniversary in Hive but because I've been terribly busy ironing out personal and work-related stuff, I almost forgot my 1st Hive Birthday! Well, thanks to @hivebuzz for never failing to remind. 😁

I'm still thinking of crafting an anniversary post. Let's see how things go. For now, I'm sharing with you a cafe that I've been itching to visit since last year. What's so special about this cafe? I'm not sure there's one but I was convinced that it's worth my while.

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First off, the name

Bicester Café. Okay, let’s go back and read that again. Nope! Not by-ches-ter nor bys-ter. But bi·stuh. One more time: bi·stuh. Now we can proceed! 😁

Bicester is "a town and civil parish in the Cherwell district of northeastern Oxfordshire in Southern England" ^[1]. Maybe the owners had a fond memory of Bicester that they named it after the place. As for me and other Cebuanos, the name doesn't ring a bell. Maybe that's the reason why people mispronounce the Cafe's name almost every time. I know because the co-owner, who happened to be my schoolmate and Math 11 seatmate in College, had posted a video explaining how to correctly pronounce the Cafe's name! 😅

Why did it get on my must-visit cafes in Cebu? Blame mainstream social media. I've stopped using Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for two months and counting but before this hiatus, social media had subconsciously influenced me to try this laid-back Cafe perfect for a weekend brunch. I've seen countless ads about the place and the food they offer. I can remember seeing those fluffy pancakes with dripping maple syrup on the edges. It's not like I don't know how to make pancakes but ads have a way of capturing you that all you want to do next is buy whatever they're selling.

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On Saturdays, brunch is the language we speak

So that's it! One Saturday I decided I should finally pay a visit to the Cafe which was long overdue. My boyfriend who's always up for food adventures joined me for brunch. He picked me up at my place.

Another thing that I'm specifically pleased about the Cafe is its location. It's located in Mahogany Place Arcade along Pope John Paul II Avenue, Mabolo, Cebu City. It's in the middle of the city but it's hidden enough to offer peace and quiet that most mainstream cafes such as Starbucks, Bo's, Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf couldn't offer. On a Saturday the last thing you'd want is to end up in a noisy cafe with cool kids talking about their crushes and the recent heartbreaking BTS news.

Just like any other cafe, it has glass walls on two of its sides; the rest were cemented. I was a bit disappointed when I realized that friends and families have flocked to the Cafe before us. We were left with no other options but to take the middle round table and wing chairs which I found pretty uncomfortable, especially with an aching back. But that's not what we're here for!

I'd say the Cafe's interior has a classic hint of industrial interior design (but not as strong as other cafes and restaurants I've been to) with a rawness you could feel in every aspect of the space, from the polished cement finish of the floor, ceiling and walls, to the greyish marble counter, and the use of natural materials such as wood in the furniture and other decors. And oh, steel mostly in black added untamed glamour to this cozy space.

On one of its cemented walls, a huge painting consumed half of the wall. The painting (or sticker, I didn't mind checking) was black and white just the right color so as to not disturb the well-established balance in the space. Before I could even write every single word I've learned in my recent Interior Design classes, let's move to the exciting part! Food!

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Brunch favorites!

I've heard that must-tries in Bicester Cafe are Tapa Rice, Chicken and Waffle, and Pasta Carbonara. Prior to the visit, I was convinced that I'd order Chicken and Waffle but that day, I had a change of heart and ordered Beef Tapa Rice ($4.4) instead. Tapa is dried or cured beef perfect with a sunny side up and a hot cup of rice with sliced tomatoes on the side. My boyfriend got Bicester Breakfast ($6), a breakfast platter of sausage, homemade patties, bacon, spiced potatoes, and carrots with toasted bread. Sounds a lot, right? It was! Oh, there's sunny side up, too.

For the drinks, Iced Matcha, Matcha Latte, and Caramel Latte are their bestsellers, my boyfriend got Brewed Coffee and at $2 you'll get an unlimited refill. And my drink as usual is hot chocolate ($3).

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The verdict!

In a scale of 1 to 10, 10 as the highest, I'll give this place 7 points. The food and space were great but we had experienced unsatisfactory customer service. My boyfriend's coffee refill request took time, as well as other requests such as catsup, extra rice, and water. It felt like they need training in organizing their assigned tasks. But food-wise, I loved my Tapa Rice, it was perfect!

Here are few photos of us enjoying brunch at Bicester Cafe.

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If you're interested to check out the rest of their offerings, check their menu below:

And that's a wrap! It has been a fantastic gastronomic journey with all of you at Bicester Cafe! If you're from Cebu City and tired of the usual cafes, you might want to try something new next time. 😁

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