Cupcakes by Sonja

It was back in 2006 that the Cupcake Craze have taken Manila by storm and the master initiator, Ms. Sonja Ocampo, the owner of Cupcakes by Sonja. 

Now the craze had already died down, but, I was able to visit the famous cupcake wonderland only summer this year. Well, for two reasons: first, I was too skeptical to try it out before because my benchmark for an oh-so-delicious cupcakes was of Pau's Cupcakes, owned by my college friend Paula Deuna. Second, the location of the cupcake shop, yet , it finally opened a branch at Ayala Fairview Terraces which saved me a lot of energy going down south. 

The shop offers three categories of dessert: The Non-Refrigerated Cupcakes, which are best eaten fresh upon purchase and at room temperature; Refrigerated Cupcakes, which are best enjoyed cold and can be stored for two days; and Other Goodies: Like Chocolate Chip Cookies, Crack Pies, Whoopie Pies, and Bars. Check out Cupcake by Sonja's delectable cupcake selections HERE *drools*

So, here's my experience and what I had:

Sinful delights waiting to be savored.

Red Velvet Vixen
Traditional Southern red velvet
made with Belgian cocoa and topped with cream cheese icing
(Php 85)\

The much rave about red velvet cupcake is far from the super sweet red velvet kind that I'm used to. The icing is thick and flavorfully cheesy with the right amount of sweetness.

Chocolate Surprise w/ Vanilla Buttercream
(Php 80)

Vanilla Sunshine
(Php 75)

The classic. Among the three, I like this more.

PROS:

• The chromatic interior of the pastry shop is such a pleasure to the senses.
• The way the cupcakes were presented are truly enticing and give you wonder how heavenly these pastries must be.
• The cupcakes' texture is smooth and nicely moist. It's rich in flavor.
• Their staffs are heartwarming and keep smiles on their faces.

CONS:

• None that I've observed.

THE VERDICT: ★ ★ ★ ★ 

It's a cupcake wonderland that made me fall in love with this sinful pastry. I'll definitely comeback here and find more joy on other cupcakes flavors. It's a happy place and a reflection of the owner's intense passion for serving great food. The variety of flavors is exceptional and the quality is impeccable. 

P.S. Already tried this restaurant? Feel free to share your experience and recommend a dish on the comment section! Thank you! xoxo

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Cupcakes by Sonja

Ayala Fairview Terraces

G/F Ayala Fairview Terraces

Quezon City

Operating Hrs: 

Mon to Sun - 10 am to 9pm

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H&M Philippines Opening Day!

October 17 the big day for all the fashionistas, shopaholics, H&Mholics or whatever kind of fashion addict you categorize yourself into. It's because H&M has finally opened it's first and flagship store in the Philippines located at SM Mega Fashion Hall.  

H&M (Hennes & Mauritz) is a Swedish multinational retail-clothing company known for its fast fashion clothing for men, women, teens, and children including athletic and lingerie. Plus, it's known for guest/designer collaborations! Some collections from the past were with Stella McCartney, Madonna, Comme des Garçons, Jimmy Choo, Versace, Beyoncé, etcetera. 

What awaited Filipinos is the three floor H&M store, covering 3,000 square meters, offering the hottest trends and timeless pieces at an affordable prices. Sounds awesome right? Another GOOD NEWS is... it will soon open stores in Robinson's Place Manila, Robinson's Magnolia, SM City North EDSA, and SM Makati. 

Not to mention the exclusive opening deals where the first customer in line got P6,000 worth of gift certificates while the next 200 got P200 - P5,000 worth of GCs among other 50% off discounts and giveaways. The result?

The heat battle and the CRAZY long line at 7:30 in the morning.
I can just say WOW to those eager shoppers who camped out since day before.

My post after arranging the lines to accommodate more people.
I'm so glad it's very organized.

Oh, water! How thoughtful.

At 9:30am finally the line is slowly moving. Umbrella revolution happening.

At last, I'm in! The calm before the storm. 

Giveaways before entering the store.

As much as I want to take photos, it's seriously a shopping war inside. Athirst shoppers were so high to get hold of the very few discounted pieces which were definitely gone in no time. 

People GONE WILD over discounted jeans which only cost P499.
Stocks vanished right before my eyes.  

Queue status by 12nn

LONGGGGG lines everywhere from fitting rooms to cashier. I've shopped for almost 4hrs and took me almost 1 1/2hrs before I got to pay in the counter. I was definitely exhausted beyond words. 

The fruit of my exhaustion aside were an aching empty tummy, shoulder pain and... my H&M clothing haul.

Denim Shirt
Php 999

Super Skinny Low Jeans
Php 1190

Fine-knit Cardigan
Only discounted piece I bought from P499 to P299

Minus all the tiresome adventure, I was satisfied with the pieces I bought and will DEFINITELY shop here more!!! The collections are very much the package I'm looking for, diverse, timeless but stylish at a very reasonable price.

QUICK FYI: This coming November 6, 2014, Alexander Wang X H&M line will also be released in the Philippines. The highly anticipated collab will be the first with an American designer. Does this means Filipinos need not to fly to another country for future collabs? Check out the short film and take a closer look on the Alexander Wang X H&M performance-wear collection.

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H&M Philippines

SM Mega Fashion Hall

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