Battle of the Salads: Tom N' Toms Cebu

"How can one possibly make eating a salad exciting?"

That question marked the beginning of this whole series. Around half a month ago, we made our second attempt at a workaround of the notion that eating salads are boring. You can judge for yourself if the attempts were successful here - Battle of the Salads: SaladStop! & Battle of the Salads: Tasty Kreme.

The rationale is since salads don't have feelings, I'd pit each salad against each other and rate them. These ratings are just based on my experience and personal observations which can vary based on my feelings and level of hunger. Gotta place that disclaimer out there.

I am building my strength and I would like to know how far my physical limits will take me, that's why I eat salads. The fullness that I get after eating plant-based food is satisfying - the kind that doesn't make me feel bloated and sleepy right after. I still eat animal-based food but as much as possible, I want fruits and vegetables to take up a huge portion of my plate.

_{Part 3 😁}

We're going to rate food places in Cebu that offer salad on their menu. We're going to rate them according to their interior, their food choices and of course, their salad.

This time we're featuring Tom N' Toms - a spacious workspace cafe in 88th Avenue. I got to know this cafe through my workmate. We discussed buying and selling signals through technical analysis of stocks here. What I love about this cafe is, and perhaps everyone who keeps coming back here, is its huge space. It also has a place for every working working millennial - introverts, small groups and big groups. It's as if it's saying "Every hustler has a place here!" While I was browsing through their menu, I noticed that they offered salad as well. Here's a sneak peek of what they have to offer:

_{Tom N Toms' Chicken Salad}


I was supposed to catch up on my stocks studying on this day. Nothing like a healthy salad to power me through. This is still located at The 88th Avenue [//]:# (!pinmapple 10.328171 lat 123.909089 long d3scr), a couple of steps away from the Tasty Kreme. Without further ado, let's go inside...

_{Inside Tom N Toms Cebu}

_{The Interior⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5}

_{Cash Register View}


Tom N Toms' Cebu is perfect for those who have some work to catch up on. Though it's not a workspace cafe, it's certainly designed like it is. The cash register slash kitchen is situated at the center of the cafe, making the food and drink prep visible for everyone to see. This isn't the first Tom N Toms cafe that I've been to but the chain has been known for its modern and cozy feel. A quick search on the internet tells us that it is based in South Korea, this probably explains where it got its modern aesthetic.

I've been to this cafe for more than 5 times already and even if it's far from my place, I still find myself coming back here. I love the idea of their varied workspaces. I've studied accounting with my close friend here, I've met a client here, I've studied crypto and dated with my significant other here as well. I rate their interior a 5 because it's just a beautiful place to be in. And did I mention that their hand soaps are bubblegum-scented? Their bathrooms are clean too!

_{tables for two and a nook for small groups}

_{tables for introverts: each complete with a table and chair with a resting pillow to support your back}

_{small tables for doing individual work}

_{tables for catching up with friends}

_{chairs for waiting for your order}

_{Food Choices⭐️⭐️⭐️/5}

_{Sample Food Counter}

While I was a fan of their interior, I wasn't a fan of their food that much. They offered pastries, pizza, sandwiches, brunch meals, salad meals, burgers, coffee, tea, shakes, and frappes. They have a sample food for viewing beside the cash register and just above the counter, there is a huge display of their menu for drinks. To be fair, they are a cafe, so you can expect that their collection of drinks are much better than their food collection. Their drinks range from 120-200 PHP (2.50-4.17 USD). Their food range from 170-300 PHP (3.55-6.26 USD).

_{The Salad⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5}

Their salads were quite a hefty serving for the price which was 275 PHP (5.74 USD). You can choose between chicken, bacon and pasta salad. I chose the chicken for my protein source. The chicken was quite meaty, I think I was served the breast part. This was my unpacked salad.

I chose the chicken salad because I felt that bacon was too oily for me, and for the pasta, well... I needed more protein for the day. It also came with one serving of boiled egg and a dressing choice between honey mustard and Italian. I must say that this was the healthiest salad that I've had on this series.

_{my healthy salad}

It was a healthy bowl of lettuce romaine, cherry tomatoes, chickpeas, black olives and sweet corn. Based on nutritional value, I'd give this a 5, unfortunately, I didn't enjoy the taste that much. It was bitter for my liking. It could be the dressing, you know, the dressing gives the salad its flavor. Maybe it wasn't doing it for me.

_{a closer look at my healthy bowl}


But don't take my word for it, you can try it out for yourself. Again, my views varied with my level of hunger and feelings at the moment of eating. Strongly recommend you give the cafe a visit. It's a pretty good place! Look at me feeling happy after studying accounting with my study buddy @jsmalila.

_{me posing in front of their textured wall}

_{Final Rating}

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