Restaurant Review: K&L Cafe by Blushing Cupcakes

K&L Cafe by Blushing Cupcakes is one of the newest additions in the long strip of restaurants in White Plains along Katipunan Ave. in Quezon City. I first came to know about it one chilly day as I was dreaming of going to Baguio to spend my Christmas vacation. I was about to go to Google to check out the hotel rates when a notification from Gmail popped up. I got an unexpected email from Karen and Loren, the sisters behind this budding gastronomic haven, inviting me to try out K&L Café. Part of their email said, “We're bringing Baguio to Manila through our shop and food. ” That alone convinced me that it’s worth a shot. Destiny na ‘to! :p

Because I was so scared to brave the horrible Metro Manila traffic during the holidays, my visit to K&L had to be moved to January. But I have to say that it’s definitely worth the wait!


Karen and Loren have been spoiling all those with a sweet tooth through Blushing Cupcakes located in SM North Edsa. But because of their love for food and their desire to bring Baguio City closer to us, they decided to put up K&L Café.

K&L Café started its operation just a few months ago. Their current location used to be a boutique shop. But when the owner retired, she decided to put the place on lease. With the help of a friend, who surprisingly is not even an architect or an interior designer, Karen and Loren let their imaginations work in transforming a boutique shop into a cozy and homey café! The monochromatic theme of earthy colors is very pleasing to the eyes. It’s so inviting that it actually made me feel like I was just having lunch in a friend’s crib!


The place has a second floor with more seats. According to Karen, they are also open to hosting small functions. Believe me, it’s a good choice for baby shower, bridal shower or just for intimate gatherings of families and friends.

The minimalist interiors and quirky accent pieces definitely made the place more vibrant.

Growing up in Baguio and having parents who still live there, Karen and Loren have the access to various ingredients, not only from Baguio, but also from the nearby provinces in the North. That’s why when you look at their menu, you’ll see a wide array of food choices that will make you feel like you’re up North. Take this Famous Strawberry Calamansi as an example. Who goes to Baguio without trying out anything with strawberries anyway?

I was initially scared to try this out thinking that the acidity of the calamansi and the strawberries might be too overpowering. But I was wrong! I love that I could still taste the flavor of the calamansi without hurting my teeth. And the chunks of strawberries surely gave this drink a distinct kick. This is one helluva refreshing drink.

My husband is a big coffee drinker so it didn’t surprise me at all when he asked for a cup of Sagada coffee. It was our first time to try Sagada coffee so we didn’t exactly know what to expect. My husband usually just drives me to blogger events, and this was his first time to join me. When he asked me to taste the coffee, I got so nervous because I thought that he didn’t like it. It turns out he wanted to share his coffee with me! Grabe! Ang sarap kasi!

I just have to warn you, though, that this is not like any other typical coffee that you find in coffee shops. Picture this. People up North, especially those who work in the farms, need to wake up very early. They need something to wake up all their senses. I was planning to say that this cup of coffee has that strong kick, but that would be an understatement. May kick, punch with matching headbutt pa! Hahaha! But believe me, it’s soooooo good!

To warm our tummies, I requested to try their Creamy Pumpkin Soup. Served with croutons on the side, this soup did not only warm our tummies, it also brought our taste buds to an unforgettable adventure. I’m very much accustomed to the usual pumpkin soup that is on the sweet side, but this one is different. The flavors are so rich that my husband and I started guessing what was in it. Itching to confirm if the soup has curry, we asked Karen about it. She gave us a smile and nodded with agreement. But it is just one of the many layers of flavors. The curry was just a piece of the orchestra that played a magnificent symphony of flavors in my mouth. Believe it or not, as soon as we got home, my husband immediately told my mother how good this is. Just thinking about it while writing this post makes me drool! I hope Karen and Loren can come up with an “instant mix” of this pumpkin soup so I can just add water when I feel like having this on a rainy day or when I’m too sick to get out of bed! :p

Boyet and I made sure to try their bestsellers. One of which is Daddy’s Bourbon American Ribs. My first reaction when it was served to us was, “Ang laki!!!” Unfortunately, my photo can’t give justice to my claim, but believe me when I say that the serving is really huge. I have a very big appetite, but I failed to finish my meal. I asked the help of Boyet, but he also failed to wipe it off. I even had to say sorry to Karen because she might think that we didn’t like it. But we definitely did! My husband and I agreed that this is one of the tastiest, juiciest and most tender ribs we have ever tried. Aside from its sweet and savory taste, another thing that this dish can brag of is its fall-off-the-bones tenderness.


Karen told me that they are actually surprised that their sales spike up in the morning as their valued guests come to K&L Café for breakfast. I don’t know why this surprises them. I immediately solved the mystery behind this after we had their Longganisa Up North!

Served with fried eggs, K&L Café offers their diners two kinds of longganisa – one from Vigan and the other from Baguio. One has leaner texture while the other has more fats. One has garlicky flavor while the other has a more subtle one. One is bigger and chunkier than the other. But despite these differences, the two kinds are equally good!

Boyet and I were so intrigued with the kind of vinegar that they use. It’s very tasty, but it’s too subtle to be either paombong or pinakurat. Because my curiosity was piqued, I had to ask Karen about it. My jaw almost dropped on the floor when she told us that it’s just an ordinary cane vinegar which they seasoned. Pati ba naman suka nila masarap?! :p

Their rice meals are served with a mixture of red rice and white rice. According to Karen, they get their red rice from Sagada. It’s unrefined so it’s healthier. And because they noticed that a lot of Pinoys don’t like the taste of red rice, they decided to mix it with white rice to balance it out.

Karen and Loren decided to set K&L Café apart from Blushing Cupcakes. They made sure to offer an entirely different set of cupcake flavors for K&L Café. But because they have observed how Filipinos love red velvet cupcakes, they decided to retain this on their menu. Taking the usual red velvet cupcake a notch higher, they came up with Red Velvet Surprise Cheesecake. Can’t choose between red velvet cupcake and cheesecake? Then, have this! =)

I initially thought that they served us a deformed cupcake. But after looking at it for a few seconds, I finally realized that the cupcake takes the shape of a heart. How cute is that?! I love that the cupcake is not too sweet compared with the other red velvet cupcakes I have tried before. With graham crackers as its base, the filling and the frosting made this a perfect mashup between a red velvet cupcake and a cheesecake.



When we arrived, I saw a large group having lunch. There were also a couple of yuppies having coffee in some tables. There were families with small kids and even a group of lolas. That only proves that K&L Café is succeeding in its mission of bringing Baguio closer to more people!

Now here’s some good news! K&L Café is having a pre-Valentine promo for us to enjoy! Just print this coupon and present it to the cashier. It is valid for dine in and take out, except deliveries. And the better news is you can use this coupon as many times as you like! Offer is valid until February 10, 2015. You read how I raved about their Daddy’s Bourbon American Ribs so I think I don’t need to convince you more to use this coupon. Share this with your significant other, get this for your parents or just bring a friend with you! 500 petot for a date?! Lugi ka pa ba?! :p


Karen and Loren are such great hosts. Loren was busy attending to other guests so we talked to Karen most of the time. We chatted about food, blogging, our everyday lives and even the 1990 killer quake which paralyzed Baguio. I’m not raving about K&L Café just because they served me free lunch (haha :p) but because they truly deserve all these praises. We live in Manila, but we definitely didn’t mind driving all the way to Katipunan for K&L Café. =)

Thanks, Karen and Loren! =)


K&L Cafe by Blushing Cupcakes
138 Katipunan Ave. cor. St Ignatius
White Plains, Quezon City


* All photos were taken with a Nikon D60