Poison Coffee & Doughnut – A ‘deadly secret’ inside The Alley
I think I lost weight and I’m basing it on how my jawline is visible again. Since the Guimaras trip where I lamented the fact that I’m too fat for my swimsuit, I’m that my fitness efforts seem to be working. I limited my junk food intake, I do intermittent fasting, I don’t overeat, and I work out at least 3x a week. Slowly but surely, the weight has begun to shed off. So how do I celebrate the return of my jawline? By having a doughnut that’s how. Today, I googled a cafe I haven’t tried yet and found Poison Coffee & Doughnut.
“Poison is the result of the chemistry between Hydra Design Group and Tasteless Food Group. Schemed as a front for Hydra’s dirty work in their studios above, the shop is a dispensary for caffeine and creativity. Taken together, it’s a concoction that kills.”
@dangerouscoffee.deadlydoughnuts
And I was like, oh that’s why.
Angkas driver and I got lost a little bit trying to find it. It turns out it’s inside this place called Karrivin Plaza in Chino Roces extension. Within Karrivin Plaza is a compound called The Alley which houses art galleries, furniture shops, and a few dining options. Poison Coffee & Doughnut can be found at the end of this alley.

It’s a Sunday, most of the establishments are closed but Poison is opened, yay! I entered an empty, dimly lit space, with a neon sign above the counter. There go the doughnuts on display beside the coffee machine. The entire place is dark, tall ceiling, dark stained tables
The only way you can get decent photos is to use the flash or use the manual setting in your camera, which I did because you know, I was born ready hehe…
I asked for their bestseller doughnut, the barista mentioned three of them, glazed vanilla, egg custard brûlée, and salted dark chocolate. I almost selected the egg custard but it doesn’t have a hole, so I chose salted dark chocolate (₱60 – $1.11). Yes I know, not all doughnuts have holes, but it’s my first time there so I wanted to take a photo of a doughnut that actually looks like a regular doughnut; the one with the hole. I know, my reason is weird, but fudge logic.

The dough and the chocolate frosting are not overly sweet. The verdict, I liked it as I’m not a fan of diabetes-inducing doughnuts (yes I’m talking to you Krispy Kreme).
Then I ordered coffee. I looked at the menu, they just put them all under 4 categories; black, white, mocha, cold. Not sure if I mentioned this before but I usually take my coffee black. The only time I make an exemption is when I go to some fancy cafe that I haven’t tried before, in which case, I order flat white. Poison’s menu is pretty straightforward though, no fancy names like flat white or latte, it’s just all under their White category, comes in different cup sizes. I ordered the 7oz white coffee for ₱135 ($2.49).

Girl, the coffee is killing it! It wasn’t bitter at all, something I’ve gotten used to on specialty coffee. It was very creamy and 7 oz is not enough. I’d definitely order a bigger cup next time. Hell yes, there will be the next time, I still have to try that doughnut without a hole (egg custard brûlée) and I have to take my friends there too because that’s what I do when I like a place, I come back with an army of hungry people.
I brought a book that I’d been procrastinating on for months hoping to finish it. I thought I might just be able to get it done because I got all the cafe to myself. As soon as I said this in my head, groups of people came trooping in, some of them even had kids with them. I stared at them and I
Guesthouse Woody – My recommended Airbnb to escape the noise of Hongdae
I consider Guesthouse Woody a lucky find when I booked this accommodation 2 days shy of my flight to Seoul. I found it on the fifth-page results of Airbnb, most lodgings in the listing were either too expensive or no longer available on my desired dates. It had good reviews and for 5 days of stay, I only paid ₱3,554.00. Hotels in South Korea are bloody expensive, this was already a steal. I loved everything about it even when I got lost trying to find my way there.
Get ₱1,600 off on your first Airbnb booking here
Guesthouse Woody is owned by a guy in his 20s whose Korean name means “wood” in English, thus the name of his accommodation. Woody speaks excellent English making communication a breeze. He is quite responsive when you send him an inquiry or a message. In Airbnb, he is ranked as a “Superhost,” which in Airbnb world means an experienced host, highly rated by his previous guests.
The guesthouse sits in a posh and quiet neighborhood in Mapo-Gu, Seoul, about 10 minutes away from Hongik Univ Station. It’s located in a 3-story building with a rooftop; it has dorm rooms with shared bathrooms and toilets. The place has a clean, nice
I stayed in a room with 3 double-deck beds. There is no locker, guests just put their belongings either beside or below the beds. Towels and toiletries are provided for and there’s also free breakfast (instant coffee, toast, jam, and cereals).

The kitchen is so cute and probably my favorite place in this guesthouse. It has a red vintage looking fridge, washing machine and dryer, bread toaster, and a microwave oven.

When I checked in, there is another guest, a Chinese girl who seemed to have made herself quite comfortable in the room, and by that I mean her stuff is all over the room. She occupied the bed across from mine yet her bag is under my bed. Her notebooks, toiletries, clothes are strewn about that I thought, she should have gotten a private room.
A day after, a bespectacled French guy was billeted in the same room with us. Unlike the girl, I was able to talk with this guy and I even attempted to converse with him in French so I can practice. Unfortunately, he wasn’t too keen on the idea and still replied in English (bummer).
Here’s a little tour inside Guesthouse Woody.
Woody invited me as well as the other guests to his friend’s pub at Baekbeomno, Hyochange-dong. I was the only one who said yes as the others have already made plans on the same day. It was the night before I left Seoul, I thought, why not, might as well talk with a local.
It proved to be a good decision. Woody is fun to talk to, he has a sense of humor, and he is very smart. From this conversation, I learned so much about the Korean culture like the fact that when they are born, they are automatically 1 year old. He said that he is close with his mom who does the famous 10-step Korean skincare routine everyday. All South Korean men are mandated to do a military service for 2 years. I asked him if he has already gone to the military, he said yes.
I shared with him the popularity of South Korean dramas in the Philippines and that they were part of the reasons I wanted so much to visit their country. I mentioned a few titles but he doesn’t know any of them. He said that he is not that fond of TV shows and prefer movies. The movie industry and the TV industry are two different things in South Korea he said. They usually cast what they call “idols” (K-pop music artists) for the dramas.
I told him that Kdramas are so big in the Philippines many girls were excited when they found about a service wherein you can rent an
By the way, the food in this pub is good! Also, it’s the place where I found the best beer I have ever had in my life, a Belgian strawberry flavored beer called, Früli.
So if you ever decide to book your stay at his guesthouse and Woody invites you to his friend’s pub, don’t hesitate to go. The food there is great and Woody is such a good company.
During our walk back to his guesthouse, Woody was on the phone talking with someone. He later shared that a friend of his just broke up with her boyfriend and he was trying to console her. What a nice guy.
The only disadvantage that I could think of when it comes to staying at Guesthouse Woody is the fact that it’s a bit of a walk to the Hongik Univ Station. Personally, I didn’t mind the walk, the neighborhood is safe and I could use some exercise. I imagine though that it might become a challenge to people who hate walking.
Overall, Guesthouse Woody offers a decent and comfortable place to stay in Seoul. I give it
How a Christmas party raffle led me to the land of Oppas
That night, I received a lot of compliments for my red dress. It was some time in December, I was in the media event of AirAsia. Actor Chuckie Dreyfus, the night’s host was calling out the name of the winners for the raffle. I was sitting among the other bloggers in a long table and most people who were on that table had already won something. Beside me was my friend and fellow blogger, Karla whose excitement was so high it was almost palpable. She kept saying that she wanted to win in time for her birthday in January. I kept my cool; I was in between hopes of winning and keeping expectations to a minimum. The next prize was a roundtrip ticket to any direct international destination, all eyes were on Chuckie as he called out the winner. The first name, he mispronounced, but the last name was unmistakable. I waited for him to reread the name just to be sure, he got it right the second time, “Marjorie Gavan.”
I caught a buzz from all the wine that I had been drinking yet it wasn’t enough to abate my glee. But I maintained my composure, stood up from my seat, and started walking toward the host. Before I even got there, I had predetermined my destination. “This is it, Marge,” I told myself, “you are going to South Korea.“
The beginning of my South Korean dream
Following the rise of Asian Filipino-dubbed dramas in 2003, GMA 7, a local television network brought the first Korean series in the Philippines, Bright Girl. I came to watch this series in the middle of its airing because my cousins were so into it, curiosity got the better of me. I don’t recall much of the story’s details but I remember being instantly hooked the moment I started watching it. This is the first Korean series and the one that got me initiated to this whole Korean drama wave. Over the years I watched as many Kdramas as I could, preferring it over shows from other Asian countries. Among my personal favorites are Full House, Goblin, Scarlet Ryeo Moon Lovers, and Signal.
Before the Asian dramas became popular in the Philippines, Filipinos were served with shows that have overused plotlines [the kid who grew up poor turned out to be the missing daughter of a rich family; “kabit” (mistress) series; the climax always in a warehouse and somebody getting kidnapped] for so many years. If that’s not bad enough, these shows also took forever to finish.
Koreanovelas, as we call them locally are such a breath of fresh air. They usually last for only 16 episodes, they have unique plot lines, and most of the time, even when there’s an evil villain they don’t end up in an abandoned building for the penultimate shoot down. Koreans are also better at making romantic stories; they don’t go for cheesy lines and even when their kissing scenes are usually rigid or too wholesome for comfort, the employ techniques that are effective in inducing that

The interesting plot lines are just one of the things I love about these shows. They often film in the most beautiful locations in South Koreaworst incidents and that’s what got me dreaming of going there. Wouldn’t it be amazing to visit the dreamy setting of the popular series, Winter Sonata?
But what the hell is an “Oppa?”
To the uninitiated, Oppa is the term used by a woman to refer to her older brother or men who are senior to her. Younger men use another term to address their older brother and that is “Hyung.” To refer to older women, young girls use the word, “Unnie,” while men call them “Noona.”

Now going back to Oppa, I gathered that this term has another connotation. Some women call men with whom they have a romantic interest as Oppa. In the Philippines, due to the influx of Korean dramas, the word has taken a new meaning. If you hear this from Filipino girls, chances are they are using it to refer to a cute Korean guy. Yes, he must be cute as the leading men in Korea dramas that we binge on.
Visa Application
There is a new Korean visa application process for Filipinos starting July this year, which I didn’t experience because I processed my visa in March. The old application involved submitting the required documents yourself to the South Korean Embassy in Taguig. Back then I had to fall and wait in a long queue outside the embassy. I haven’t the mind to bring an umbrella so I don’t even know how I was able to withstand hours standing there with the sun bearing down on me.

With the new process, visa application must go through a travel agency, meaning you don’t have to go through the penance-like setting that I had the misfortune of experiencing. For more information on the visa application, I found a pretty detailed guide on How to get a Korean Visa here.
Flight Booking
I emailed the AirAsia representative written on the voucher that I won in the event to book my flight. It was all a little bit last minute, I have yet to book my accommodation, but my leave vacation has already been approved that I got so worried when it took her a while to get back to me. Finally, it got sorted out; my flight was booked on the 27th of April to the 2nd of May.
Sidenote: This is not the first time that I won an AirAsia flight. As a matter of fact, I scored a roundtrip trip to Iloilo at another AirAsia event in the early part of this year. I have yet to write that story.
To continue, I usually fly at night where I encountered some of the
And you’ve reached the end of the first part. In the next few days, I will share to you what went down