Big Mug Coffee Roaster

Big Mug Coffee Roaster, Santa Clara, CA

Iced Ethiopian Americano

Lobby

Finally a coffee shop that suits my taste and feel. A simple cafe that welcomes anybody to sit down comfortably while enjoying a nice cup OR glass I should say, of coffee. There is nothing really going on here; just a large space with rustic wooden seating, a book shelf, and your cup of coffee. This is all eye-catching to me though! I don’t care about the expensive decor and what a coffee shop has to go through in order to attract customers, no. I believe in sitting down peacefully and taking the time to analyze and carefully enjoying each sip with a friend or even solo. This is what you get in this coffee shop. Pure intimacy.

I ordered the Ethiopia dark blend which contains a blend of meyer lemon and peach. Their coffee is from Verve Coffee Roasters which is based in Santa Cruz, CA. This is also my fist time having their coffee beans. It’s great tasting; my blend had a sour taste from the start to a smooth and sweet finish in the end. I had it over ice, Americano style. A popular way of preparing their coffee here is a cold brew technique using a Siphon coffee technique. Coffee is dripped through this large glass tube and is heated carefully with water; it looks like something out of a chemistry lab. No other coffee shop has this setup around the Santa Clara area. This is a plus!

The experience here is amazing. The quiet vibe with low tone music in the background just makes everything right. The focus is on the coffee. I suggest coming here to have their cold brews, affogato’s, and mochas. This cafe is clean from the ground-up so make yourself at home!

Photo by: Allister de Vera

Big Mug Coffee Roaster, Santa Clara, CA.

Cafe Brasil

Cafe Brasil, Santa Cruz, CA

Eggs Benedict

Omellete Caipira

Churrasco Pressed Sandwich

Acai Bowl

Cafe Brasil is a fine establishment serving breakfast & lunch. They are widely known for their famous acai bowls along with great Brazilian-style dishes. Located in the heart of Santa Cruz, Ca, Cafe Brasil is not hard to miss. The vibrant colors representing the country of Brazil; blue, yellow, and green are painted on the house-like restaurant. The place literally looks like something out of the islands with large plants surrounding the place. 

The place is spacious inside with a capacity of almost 50 I’m guessing. There are large crowds that come in and out so I suggest coming extra early to beat the lunch traffic. Otherwise, there is a waiting list on the front desk. 

I ordered the Churrasco pressed sandwich which has melted mozzarella and tomatoes; this is almost like a panini. The meat is was bbq’d just right and didn’t have a chewy texture. It was moist and tender rather. As I bit through the sandwich, the juices from the melted mozzarella and tomatoes combined and dripped in between the bread. It was simply delicious!

Finally I ordered what I came for; The famous Acai Bowl. Their acai bowl is served in a large goblet with pureed acai berries which is almost thinner than smoothie-type texture. It’s mixed with apple juice and guarana syrup. The top layers consists of bananas, strawberries, fresh crispy oats, and a small flag! The texture of the acai puree is thin with an icy texture to it; it’s almost like a icee slurpee drink. It’s pretty tough to dig through especially since you'd want to get  everything form the top-down of the goblet. The Acai Bowl here is a must try and I also suggest trying the food from the menu such as the Pressed sandwiches, Feijoada Plate, and the Omelettes! 

Cafe Brasil is a great destination for all ages and for fresh & light meals! 

* FUN FACT: Guarana is a plant originating from the Maple family. It’s the size of a coffee bean and actually contains more caffeine than regular coffee itself (2-4.5% compared to 1-2% caffeine in coffee)!



Photo by: Allister de Vera
Cafe Brasil, Santa Cruz, CA.

Mahalo Bowl

Mahalo Bowl, Sunnyvale, CA

Small Mahalo Bowl; Maureen de Vera

It's been a couple months since I've been seeing this purple truck parked on El Camino, Sunnyvale. At first, the truck was drawing a few people at a time and now I see large crowds around the truck. I knew something had to be good here so I had to give it a shot. For weeks, my sisters kept telling me to try their acai bowls. I never had an acai bowl before and I never knew what exactly was in this stuff.

According to AcaiBowl.net the recipe is a dish of pureed acai berry. The typical ingredients are mainly granola, bananas, strawberries, honey for the sweetness, coconut, and soy/almond milk. The idea first originated from Brazil. The acai berry is from the Amazon of Brazil and they are filled with healthy antioxidants, amino acids, and fatty acids that are beneficial.

As of today, the acai bowl has become one of the hottest super foods out here in the streets. Sure it's been around for a long time but since people are tending to workout more and the fitness life has become such a big deal nowadays, the acai bowl is slowly beating out the typical smoothies/health shakes, etc. I have to say, I cannot go back to even having frozen yogurt with the fruits. This truck provides acai bowls that are given time to make and handled with care. What you get is this huge pint or cup with the mix all inside. This will def do the job after a good workout or even for a snack.

I feel so lucky to be living in a city where Mahalo Bowl is catering to. It's convenient for the people working out at 24 hr fitness and the locals grocery shopping. Even the color of the truck being purple just draws attention. I ordered the famous Lg. Mahalo Bowl which consisted of the pureed acai, honey, fresh and crunchy oats, coconut water and flakes, and guava juice. For $9 this pint did the job! It took some time to eat alone. From the first bite to the last, I couldn't stop admiring the taste of this. Everything was fresh and the textures were all there; you can taste the puree texture, the crunch of the oats, the stringy feel of the coconut flakes, and that sour-like bite from the guava and acai.

I definitely recommend people to stop by at this truck for some legit acai bowls and smoothies! You totally get what you pay for. I want to personally thank my two sisters and my good friend Natalya for giving me the idea to blog about this truck. Thanks!


Photo by: Allister de Vera
Mahalo Bowl, Sunnyvale, CA

A Short Interview: Mychael Haysbert

Video by: Allister de Vera

A Short Interview: Adrian Aujero

Video by: Allister de Vera

Fogo de Chão

Fogo de Chão, San Jose, CA

Fogo de Chão. It just sounds prestigious. Another review for a Brazilian steakhouse that caters to Churrascaria. Once again, my experience was tremendous. Right from the start, the host sits me and my sister down to this white linen table with shiny silver wear laying on the tables and the infamous “GO card”. 

As I sat down, our server gave us the run-down on what Fogo was all about and what they have to offer. This was a short introduction to welcome their guest. After that I made my way to the salad bar where I smelled the fresh cheeses, the cured cold-cut meats, olives & fruits, salads, etc. There were even buffet style platters that had rice and soup. The salad bar contained about 30+ items and were organized into sections.

THE GRAND FINALE came into place when I sat down. Servers came back & forth introducing the meats and asking us how we wanted it cooked. The meats were grilled and charred to perfection. Medium rare is the typical base of each meat served BUT they offer and cater to your liking. I personally loved the ribeye and lamb shank. Their lamb has so much flavor with the meat being tender at the same time. The ribeye cuts were chunky and thick but has a buttery texture as my knife ran down. Each type of meat had its own flavor and its own texture so I definitely recommend trying each one.

Fogo has its own style when taking care of their guest. They want you to feel at ease when dining and they provide complimentary polenta and fresh grilled plantains. The traditional Brazilian cheese bread (Pão de Queijo) are fluffy and fresh right off the oven. I recommend taking advantage of these!

My experience here at Fogo de Chão reached my expectations. From the interior design and structure of this restaurant, the professional service from each employee, to their main purpose which is food. The place was spotless and the salad bar as well as their actual bar was just clean and neat. The food was cooked to its perfection and the flavors and portions were all there. Bottom line, Fogo gave me another type of experience when dining. As you finish your meal, you are greeted with shiny red-squared dark chocolate pieces with hints of fresh mint. These are there to cleanse the palate so take a couple and enjoy! I cannot wait to come back for more! Obrigado!


Photo by: Allister de Vera
Fogo de Chão, San Jose, CA.