Barkin Blends | Dog Cafe in the Philippines

Coffee lover? Check. Dog lover? Check. Overwhelmingly curious with a Dog Cafe? Check and check.

Equipped with a couple of rave-views coming from other online bloggers, the boyfriend and I drove to faraway Katipunan/Katips to have our first-hand experience of being in a coffee shop that is not exactly one's typical cafe place. While I am a true blue coffee lover, I am not as insanely thrilled as the boyfriend when it comes to mingling with dogs. I have been fond of our four-legged animals as a kid (even aspiring to become a Veterinarian and setting up my own clinic) but my family went on without a dog for more than a decade and this dwindled my exposure to man's best friend. The catch is, I love Beagles - how they look and their playful demeanor.

Special thanks to Waze for bringing us to the exact address without difficulty. We turned right on the street between Shakey's and Mc Donald's Katipunan and saw J&R Concon Centre with Barkin' Blends signage. Barkin' Blends is located on the 2nd floor of the building.

 

We are fortunate to arrive early since they can only accommodate just a number of customers. They got our names, gave us our "call number" and asked us to wait. Customers may simply order food from the cafe and stay at the "Human Zone" or they can pay Php180 to serve as an entrance fee to the "Dog Zone". The Php180 fee entitles one to a free drink.

There are a number of "house rules" which their incoming customers need to follow. Just to shorten the set: 1.) Sanitize before entering the area by using the hand sanitizers / alcohol that they have before entering the area. This being said, avoid visiting the furry ones if you're sick to avoid contaminating them. 2.) Bags and shoes are left outside and kept inside the wooden lockers. Don't bring that much valuables. The lockers doesn't have any locks on it neither the doors "guarded" by the attendants. There is no way for them to identify if the stuff inside a particular cabinet belongs to whoever so it's better to be cautious. 3.) They have in-house slippers to use inside the Dog Zone. 4.) Be careful with handling the dogs. 

 

Colorful poster boards adorn the area. There are benches where guests can sit and pat the dogs. Drinks are served inside the Dog Zone area.

Tip#1: They do have a variety of furry family members and the visit will be extra special if one can memorize the names (and call them by their names of course) before going in.

 

Top Left-Right-Bottom: Skye (Siberian Husky), Coco (Poodle) and Ella (Chiweenie)

 

There goes my eye candy - Psyche the Beagle. I was surprised when she looked at me and went straight to sit on my lap. She slept for a couple of minutes after licking the cup that I was holding.

Tip#2: They love licking on the cold cups. Don't offer them human food/drinks though.

 

I'm not sure if it's Marley/Finn with the boo but they had a grand time together 

(sad side story: the boyfriend has been missing their family's own Golden Retriever Hachu after it died last December 2014 so it was definitely a momentous feeling for him to be approached by one). 

The other Golden Retriever wasn't in the mood and slept on rhe floor.

Tip#3: Don't (and I mean DON'T) wake them up if they started to snooze. 

There goes Smile the Pug. He doesn't look ecstatic - more like sleepy - but he is adorable in person.

Tip#4: Can't get enough? Repeat the whole experience by going for another visit and enjoy.

Visit them using the following links: 

Barkin' Blends (Official Website) | Facebook | Instagram: @barkinblends 

Store Hours: Monday-Sunday (except Tuesday) 12NN-9PM

Address: 2F - 91 Rosa Alvero St. Loyola Heights, Quezon City

Parking: Yes - Limited parking at the ground floor

In A World Like This Concert | My Take on Backstreet Boys' 2015 Manila Concert

Wasn't it like yesterday when I was a pimply awkward-looking pre-teen who spends her summer days in her grandmother's place with her (best) cousin in tow? Back then, all that we can do is try to find a way for summer to last without spending money on prepaid loads (there were limited mobile phones back then), affordable resorts and fattening fast food meals. Life was simpler so we busied ourselves with plain listening to new songs on the radio or checking out quick MTVs in non-cable channels. One new upbeat song resounded in the midst of our listening and cliche as it may sound, we both knew back then that our lives will never be the same.

Backstreet Boys' "Get Down" was out in the Philippine radio charts by year 1996. "We've Got It Going On" was another track from the self-titled album which also made it in the country's hit charts. More than the charm of the upbeat songs, we were enthralled with the boys themselves: Nick Carter, Kevin Richardson, AJ Mc Lean, Brian "B-rok" Littrell and Howie Dorough.

We fell in love (some of us swooned) when they serenaded their fans worldwide with hits like, "I'll Never Break Your Heart" and promised us with "Anywhere For You" (or alternately promised their Spanish fans with "Donde Quieras Yo Ire"). They got us hooked when they stood in the rain (yeah, while removing their drenched top) while daring us to "Quit Playing Games".

Just as when we thought that they'd drown with the birth of several other boybands and artists, they playfully avenged their fame with "Everybody (Backstreet's Back)" made us "10,000 Promises" that they'll give "All That (I)/(They) Have to Give" and that is "As Long as You Love Me".

Everyone in the group transitioned from being lanky yet adorable singers to dedicated artists. They launched pre- and post-turn-of-the-century albums like  "Millenium" (1999) and "Black and Blue" (2000). There was a lull right after but to date, they have released three other albums, "Unbreakable" (2007), "This is Us" (2009),  "In A World Like This" (2013).

 

When the announcement about Backstreet Boys' 2015 concert, In A World Like This came about, my cousin and I were both transported to our pre-Millenium days. Lucky for us, we're a bit richer now (nah) and were able to finally buy our concert ticket sans the heartbreak of drooling from a far because we can't watch our childhood heroes.

The concert happened on May 5, 2015 and started around 9:00PM Manila time. We were all settled in our seats when the lights went out, spotlights illuminated the stage and out came our heroes belting our The Call.

  

They performed hits like Incomplete, I'll Never Break Your Heart, (an acoustic version of) Drowning, 10,000 Promises, Madeleine, Quit Playing Games, Love Somebody, All I Have to Give, Shape of My Heart. 

They had three wardrobe changes with BSB interview clips in between performance cuts. From semi-formal to casual to laidback comfy attire. 

The audience sang in unison with known hits. And every fan used his/her mobile phone in lighting up the arena beautifully. 

The group honored Manila, the Philippines, our people, Sarah Geronimo (c/o Howie Dorough who sang a duet with her sometime in 2008) and Manny Pacquiao (hell yeah, they are rooting for the Filipino Pride). B-rok wore a Pacman top in their third wardrobe change. 

They sealed the two-hour concert with Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and Larger than Life -- very apt because this concert, the fame makes them larger than life. Thank you for making us party like it's the 90s.