Off the beaten path: Wandered and explored the not so common spots in one of the most visited countries in Asia . 

As a birthday gift to myself last January, I decided to join my friend and his group on a trip to Hong Kong. I feel contented when I’m going places; It gives me utmost happiness and immeasurable experience because I get to personally enjoy how it feels like to be in a different country. As they say, “When it comes to learning about life, there is nothing more enriching than traveling.

As a first-time tourist in Hong Kong, I definitely came prepared! I familiarized myself by reading a LOT of blogs, tips, and reviews (especially where to find those Instagram worthy spots) lol! Though not all, I’m ecstatic that we still managed to cover most on my list.

Warning: This is a bit of a photo-heavy post. I’ll be sharing with you guys the picture worthy places we’ve been, so you’ll also have an idea where to go to in case you’ve decided to visit. It ain’t much, but I hope this post will do justice to the beauty of what Hong Kong has to offer.

INNOVATION TOWER -  Located on Chatham Road South in Hung Hom district, the Innovation tower is designed by Pritzker-prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid.  Definitely one of the modern buildings to nab yourself an awesome Instagram shot.

JORDAN ROAD, KOWLOON - One of the most crowded streets in the “old” district of Hong Kong. Different shops and hostels can be found in the area. 

MONGKOK - Neon lights, neon bright. A whole street filled with different shops and restaurants. A true haven for both shoppers and food enthusiasts. The perfect place to buy affordable “pasalubongs”.

YICK CHEONG BUILDING - Behold, the Monster building! One of Hong Kong’s most Instragrammable sites for its conglomeration of five incredibly dense and stacked residential complexes. Became insanely famous because of the movie Transformers.

GRAHAM STREET -  Probably the most photographed fresco in the whole central district.

SHEK O BEACH -  Braved the strong winds and big waves just to have these shots. All for the love of blogging and Instagram. Situated in the southeastern side of Hong Kong, this place is famous for wind surfers. 

PO LIN MONASTERY -  The great oriental architecture. These stunning structures dominated East Asia over many centuries. Most of them remained largely unchanged up until today. 🏯

PO TOI ISLAND - If you’re looking for a good spot where you can enjoy a picturesque view of the blue sky and sea, then this island is for you! Located in the southern most part, Po Toi island is definitely a destination worth visiting.

Explored interesting places, met new friends, took a million shot of photos and gathered unforgettable memories. That sums up the different parts we’ve been during my 5 days of vacation. Will definitely go back to check out the others on my list. See you again soon Hong Kong! 

Rainy season is here. The perfect time to bring out those well kept sweaters and pullovers. 

It was almost 3 in the afternoon when we had these photos. The rain just stopped and the wind blew cold. A one of a kind weekend that was.

Model and styling: Chris | Photographed by: Alejandro Taag

Last October 8, 2016, Figaro Coffee invited us to attend the media launch of their new drinks. 

This Coffee chain never fails to bring out new ideas when it comes to their coffees and pastries. This time, they are introducing not two, not four, but six group of drinks!

Being one of the few to have a first sip, I must say that Figaro did really well in making different variations to their offered beverages. Mind you, this is something that not just coffee lovers will be going gaga about because out of the 6 sets, 2 are non coffee based!

Another thing that I like about Figaro Coffee is that they take pride in promoting their slogan. “All Natural. Handcrafted. Affordable”. It’s always good to know that what you’re eating and drinking are made of natural ingredients, made with passion, and most importantly, AFFORDABLE lol!

Out of all the 20 beverages, my personal picks would be the Flat White, Butterscotch Vanilla Frappe with Coffee Jelly, and the Banana Caramel Blast. 

Today (October 15, 2016) and moving forward, all these drinks will be available nationwide!  Make sure to try these out if ever you will visit the nearest Figaro in your area.

To further entice your palate, check out these photos:

For more information,You can go and check their Facebook page HERE

You can also follow @figarocoffee on Instagram and @figarocoffeehq on Twitter

First time to collaborate with this bud. Everything went well. Chill shoot as usual

Lorenz Kyle is the owner and founder of the Street Debonair blog. It is a personal style domain that is greatly inspired by street fashion. He illustrates his blog as a wardrobe of his ideas and thoughts about his style and personal life.

Model and Styling: Lorenz Kyle

Photographed by: Alejandro Taag

Another set of collaboration between me and The filo Dapper; AJ Dee

Model and Styling: AJ DEE

Photoghraphed by: ALEJANDRO TAAG

Visit his website at THEFILODAPPER.COM

AJ DEE x ALEJANDRO TAAG

“A Filipino actor who likes to be creative through art and fashion. The idea of creating a fashion blog came to me during my travels. I like to tell a story through my style. This is my story.” - AJ DEE 

Photographed by: ALEJANDRO TAAG

Check more of his style and Dapper looks at THEFILODAPPER.COM

Quick and fun shoot with my Photographer buddy from Italy. It’s always good to work with someone who shares the same interest and passion as you have. 

Model and styling: Ben Joseph Guevara

Photographed by: Alejandro Taag

The Beautiful and Gorgeous Verniece Enciso

BTS Shoot for GTW by SM

Photographed by: Alejandro Taag

Only a couple of days ahead and December is about to start. Well, it’s beginning to feel and look a lot like Christmas. From the songs being played in the mall up to the decors that we see in every house, we can really say that the Yuletide season is finally here.

Having said that, there’s another thing that I really look forward too during this time (and I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one lol!). All the mouthwatering foods and sweets are also present!! A perfect occasion to eat a lot.

Good thing my favorite coffee and pastry outlet formulated an interesting set of Holiday menu.Together with other bloggers, I was able to taste Figaro's scrumptious list of glorious treats, all available this Holiday season.

To start with, let’s focus first with the drinks:

According to Mr. Laurence Tandico, Commissary Manager of Figaro, Their main inspiration for both drinks is the spirit of Christmas itself; Giving Gifts and Love. He further stated: “I chose both flavors for our Yuletide Drinks because I want to be the First Coffee Shop to cater these exciting beverages. The unique "Biscuitty” flavor of Speculoos and the extravagance of praline greatly complements the Filipino Coffee.“

Basically, Figaro came up with two concoctions. But since each comes with a hot and cold version, customers can choose from four options on the menu. 

Each mug or cup comes with this cute little Christmas themed ginger cookie.

Speculoos Frost
(145 Php) 16 oz 
(165 Php) 20 oz

Speculoos Latte
(119 Php) 8 oz

Made from Figaro’s very own espresso blend, speculoos syrup, whipped cream and topped with vanilla ginger cookie. Figaro Coffee mingled with Speculoos, creating a creamy and Buttery sensation of sheer indulgence in every sip.

Praline Frost
(145 Php) 16 oz 
(165 Php) 20 oz

Praline Latte
(119 Php) 8 oz

Figaro espresso blend, praline syrup, whipped cream and topped with vanilla ginger cookie. Figaro Coffee combined with Praline, bringing a unique spice of pure treat in every sip.

Between the two, my personal pick would be the Speculoos Frost. I’m a huge fan of peanut butter,so imagine my delight when I found out they have it on their line up.

Now off we go to the cakes and pastries! :)

Hummingbird Cake (115 Php per slice)

Figaro’s take on the famous southern style cake. It is popular because of the combined taste of banana, cinnamon, coconut and pineapple. They complement each other very well. Definitely one of the most scrumptious cakes I’ve tasted. A must try!

Red Velvet Cake (119 Php per slice)

The classic Red Velvet Cake that everyone loves! It comes with a design of holiday Christmas wreath on top. By just plainly looking at it, you can already feel the spirit of Yuletide season, so what more if you taste it, right? I  know you want to! :)

Season Prune Cake (70 Php)

Loaf style cake w/ mashed prune & prune juice. Glazed with fruit to moist and to add a festive flavour as well. Unlike the usual fruit cake, this one is more of a child friendly pastry since it contains no alcohol. 

Sugar Iced Cookies (85 Php)

Classic ginger cookies shaped in 3 of the most prominent Christmas characters: Gingerman, Santa Claus, and Snowman. Perfect for the Holidays! 

Too adorable to eat! :)

Cranberry White Dream Bar (70 Php)

Blondies/ Butterscotch taste with a joyful taste of white chocolate and dried cranberries. Tastes even better when matched with a Speculoos Frost or Latte. 

There you have it! The complete line up of Figaro’s Yuletide treats.

You can also have this gigantic Gingerbread house for 4,500 Php. Just approach any of Figaro’s employees and inquire about it :)

So what are you waiting for? Head on to the nearest Figaro in your area and indulge yourself with these delish goodies.

With fellow food enthusiasts, bloggers, and the people behind Figaro Coffee Company. Thank you so much for having us. Till the next one! :)

MIKYLE QUIZON x ALEJANDRO TAAG