happy 2022 and a long-overdue Chingkeetea post: part 1of 2

Super late, long overdue happy 2022 greeting! Or I hope yours is a good and happy one, anyway.

Life updates: it's a mess like the rest of yours'. I'm no different from everyone, really. If you want hints of this and more, you can always follow me at kg_0917 on twitter even if the posts on there are...well...my twitter feed is as much as mess as everything else in my life usually is. Whose isn't?

Let's not get into that and get immediately into the topic at hand for this post. :)

Between late last year and earlier this year, Chingkeetea Tomas Saco Sts. in our own, dearest barangay here, Macasandig, had its soft opening. It is now fully opened. High school students, kids in the neighborhood I'm in, employees of offices here, and those just residing here like me frequent this place. My neighborhood has about 3 schools so that explains why young'ns troop this newest Chingkeetea branch here in droves. But we're not going to talk about this new branch of my favorite boba/milk tea shop/cafe/house yet on this post. I've had this post planned as a two-parter so you have something else to wait for, for later.

Okay, so I have posted about Chingkeetea since its inception sometime in 2012. And like most native, born and raised Kagay-anons of Cagayan de Oro City where I am, currently, I've grown up with it since then. I guess it's been 10 years since they opened up and hit it big here and eventually expanded to both neighboring Iligan City and Cebu City in the Visayas Islands some 10-12 hours away by overnight ferry/passenger ship away from here, Cagayan de Oro City.

I remember first making it to the Chingkeetea in its good ol' Marfori Compound branch back in 2012 with my bff, Michi (michisings on twitter) and I did make a post of it somewhere here: tea house. Oh wow. WE are really going back in time on this blog post and this blog in general. This is, however, the first I'm posting on something that isn't about fashion or maybe not the first but close. Anyway, I thought Chingkeetea just deserves its own post here at some point so here we are.

For this post, we're talking about the Velez-Gaerlan Sts. Chingkeetea branch. It's the one next to Home Radio here. I think Home Radio has since closed down so...I don't know about that one much today. I just know this has been around for a while. The Chingkeetea branch I am talking about here, however, is the one next to it. I am unable to get a good picture of it from a closer angle, the closest I can get, but you can see its simplistic logo, sign thing if you squint and look closer into these series of two photos:

The outdoor restaurant or casual dining hangout place across it is Kanto. They have a lot of street food there but I've never really been able to sit and eat there as in like...ever. I might have to correct that one day.

As mentioned earlier, I've posted about Chingkeetea way back so I probably don't have to go back to its history, where and when it all started. All that jazz. You can read about more of it in Chingkeetea's about page on their site instead. This tea house/boba shop has been a Cagayan de Oro City staple, a local favorite of boba (milk tea) lovers here since its inception sometime 2012. I briefly talked about this some paragraphs above. And in case you missed it earlier, my first post regarding this place is tea house that same year, 2012. It was that date to the Marfori compound Chingkeetea from so long ago in 2012 with Michi. 

My more recent post of the recently opened Velez-Gaerlan Sts. branch is with the cousin after a movie date to Anne Curtis' Sid and Aya (it's a really good movie for millennials, by the way...err...in my opinion, anyway). This was some few days after they'd opened their branch there where Gazebo Home Store used to be. And of course, a few references to my taking out stuff from there here on the 2020 review post. With all these throwback blog posts, you can clearly tell Chingkeetea has been with me as a born and raised, native Kagay-anon since 10 years ago, 2012. I've, like many others here in my city, grown up with it over time.

There are still probably about 2-3 or 4-5 branches of this Kagay-anon tea house I haven't posted about here like the Grand Central one and that one that recently closed in the same area to make way for the Velez-Gaerlan Sts. branch. I've been to the former a few times and the latter, just once or twice. Some branches like the uptown one I've never been to have closed down, too, among others but...I'm not that obsessed with going to all of Chingkeetea's branches even outside of Cagayan de Oro City because it's too much work so...yep. Lol. Just know that it is my favorite milk tea/boba house/shop/cafe and it's something I will definitely miss when I leave home one, this place, this city, one day.

Hmn...I do plan to visit the Chingkeetea branch in Cebu City eventually. So there's that, at least. It's one city I have in mind to move into one day for...things.

In this pandemic, I remember Chingkeetea announcing their open air dining/seating but I guess they've closed it since. The last time I went to the Velez-Gaerlan Sts. is just last Friday and everyone is inside. I'd thought in passing that this place won't have a lot of people because a lot of other milk tea/boba houses/cafes/shops, however you like to call these things, have opened up during the pandemic but...yep. Last Friday afternoon there was just as crowded as I remembered it to be. My pro tip to enjoy the quiet in this place: go there in the morning, preferably near lunch time. You get first dibs on whatever table you'd like to occupy inside the place. 

One thing that makes Chingkeetea my favorite place to be is its interiors. It's calming and the lighting is yellow (or orange), subtle and soft. Very chill. Very laidback. Very relaxing. Extremely calm, serene, and soothing. It's like you're in the nostalgic, good ol' sepia world...era or something. The decors are a mishmash of artsy, vintage, and rustic. Only very few milk tea/boba shops/houses are like this here. (Honestly, I think I'd like it more if it were shabby, beachy chic but I'll also take whatever I can get that calms, chills me down and all like Chingkeetea's trademark rustic, vintage, soft lighted interiors.)

If this description of Chingkeetea's interiors doesn't do it for you then here're some visuals of its insides I took in passing this year:

I took these photos right before Delta happened. Waaaayy before Omicron came in. This was when we all had to wear face shields outside and yeah, so you can easily tell so because there's a plexiglass in the photos dividing two-seaters. There are some bigger tables, six-seaters and they did have the plexiglass, too. I'm not entirely sure if Chingkeetea in Velez-Gaerlan Sts still have these things. I hope they don't have them anymore in my next visit which I think and hope will be the soonest. I'm DYING to go there again for a much needed alone time to do whatever. It would be nice to do some outdoor readings or review of my SpEd books and notes in their open air dining area I've never been to. Drinking my favorite strawberry fruit tea (with coffee jelly or without is also fine) while doodling on a notebook or so, maybe. Oh and yes! I seriously miss their deep fried mushrooms that I get with my strawberry or blueberry fruit tea when I'm there.

As for their food... It's grown, really. I remember it only having ramen or ramyun before. This is pre-pandemic. During pandemic, somewhere around the time Delta was starting to mess with us then, my favorite go-to on their growing menu is this one below. It's the deep fried mushrooms. It's the most vegetarian or vegan friendly offering in their menu so naturally, it's what I usually get with my strawberry or blueberry fruit tea when I'm there.  

They offer other snack foods that can also pass as lunch or dinner food in their menu, of course. There's the chicken pops and I think, now, they have the tteokbokki. I really like tteokbokki so I hope their version has something kind of vegan or vegetarian-y. I'm fine if it's pescetarian, too. 

They debut the new items that make it to their menu on their instagram. If you want to keep yourself updated with these new items, you can check or better, follow their instagram account.

I mentioned earlier I have very basic tastes when it comes to drinks (and even ice cream!). Yes, again, classic, classic thai and matcha milk teas minus the add-ons (bobba mostly) are my eternal favorites although I hardly get those now. I'm back to my pescetarian, but more vegetarian, vegan diet now so my go-tos in their drink or beverages menu have changed. I now get strawberry or blueberry fruit teas in 25-50% sweetness whenever I find myself in Chingkeetea Velez-Gaerlan Sts.

I'm not entirely fond of add-ons. I don't like bobba in milk tea should I get milk tea instead of fruit tea. I mentioned before that this was due to a trip with the family in Hongkong (HK) when I was in 6th grade. You know that went...haha. 

I'm usually fine with bits and pieces of homemade coffee jelly on the milk teas I make at home, though. I usually use non-dairy milk for those and either Earl Grey tea or English Breakfast tea. I tried making them with Oolong tea but Earl Grey and English Breakfast teas still had the strongest tea taste for me even when I add in too much milk and sugar in them so I stick with those two for homemade milk teas.  

I feel like all this blogpost has done is expose how basic my tastes are and how picky an eater and drinker I can be. Lol. But yes, I'm a very picky eater. I can't imagine eating with anyone random unless they were my closest friends because those people know me very well. This is also why I usually prefer to go out and eat alone. 

I also have this weird thing going on where I like some weird combinations in fruit teas... Like a lot of you, I can get really weird at times. So here's a funny story from one time I had my much needed alone time in Chingkeetea Velez-Gaerlan Sts. branch: so I was there at the counter and ordered a bowl of deepfried mushrooms... I also ordered strawberry fruit tea, of course. Then when asked by the lady in the counter what add-on I wanted in it, I answered 'coffee jelly'. The lady stared at me back as if I'd grown two heads. It seems it's a really weird combination for people to get. Well, I hardly really drink coffee these days. I only drink coffee around once a week or twice every two weeks or so. Most of the time, I just have water, juice and tea so I can really only get coffee now in either the ice cream form or the coffee jelly form. Haha. But yeah, to each our own, I guess. In hindsight, the lady shouldn't've really silently judged me like that back then. But eh...I don't really care anymore. I'm entitled to my weirdness at times so it's fine. Haha. I'm sure everyone has those moments or more like, these weird quirks, likes.

If you're too lazy to check out and follow Chingkeetea's instagram for their food and drink offerings, you can always check their website for their complete menu. I'm not entirely sure if this thing is up to date but you check their menu here. 

Today, Chingkeetea does more than sell drinks and food. They just introduced the teas and tisanes in cannisters they sell. If you're into those, most of them are Php 650 per blend in a cannister. I didn't have that much on me the last time these were on display in their Velez-Gaerlan Sts. branch so yeah, definitely get them if you can afford them. My part time writing gig doesn't pay as much yet so I don't think I can get any of them any time soon yet so yeah... I'll bide my time until I can get at least 1 or so this year. 

Anyway, here're more of the really pretty interiors of Chingkeetea Velez-Gaerlan Sts. branch:

I think the photos I took of the place this day is mostly of the bookshelf that was next to me. It's the closest of the fun interior decors they have to the table I chose to be in at that time. I did enjoy leafing through the pages of the herbal teas and health infusion book I picked off of the shelf back then, too, though. I took pages of the mixes or infusions in my phone so I could make them when I have the loose tea leaves, buds and all needed to make them at home. Who knows? I may end up selling some of those mixes I make. I'm into home remedies and all that so I really enjoyed looking into the contents of that coffee table book.

Here is what the counter looks like and how it is when you go in the main entry. 

This place definitely has a lot of old stuff like the piano. I do remember there is another piano by the entryway but I could be wrong. Hmn... I'll have to double check the next time I'm back in this branch some other time soon.

I also took a photo of the display in this area. 

All these photos are just in one part of this pretty massive, main branch of Chingkeetea here in Cagayan de Oro City.

Oh and obligatory selfies at the men's bathroom/toilet that one time early this year I mistook it for the women's/ladies' bathroom/toilet. In my defense, the men's toilet's mirrors are soooo much better than the one at the women's/ladies' in this Chingkeetea branch. I like the decor or interiors in their toilet in this branch, too.

You can tell these two selfies are old because I have a new haircut since a month or so ago. I cut my hair according to Ellebangs on youtube's tutorial here some weeks back: DIY: At Home Soft Long Layer Haircut. I haven't been to the hair salon in YEAAAARRSSS. And I think I'm due for another trip or soft long layering in a couple months just so I can probably add more layers to this thing? Maybe just 2-3 layers. I don't want too much layer in my hair anyway. Just 3-5 may be enough. Okay, so this was a quick move from the topic of this blog entry because...hair. Girl things, yep. Oh and a staff of the Chingkeetea's had to check on me there and tell me the ladies' toilet was still further ahead of this one when he caught me there. Lol.

This is currently how their buzzer looks like. When you order a drink from them at the counter, they give this to you instead of the usual number queue at most restaurants or cafes and it just buzzes some when your order is ready and waiting to be taken from the counter.

Other things... I have some random scenes at the adjacent room to this one from last Friday here:

This is the room next door to the one you get into from the main entrance. Aptly called the Soft Room, it was a place for creative people, young and old, to meet up and hold the Soft or We are Soft events annually. This was some two or three years before the pandemic lockdowns happened.

I've been to this annual event at Chingkeetea at least twice...thrice. It is the place and event to be if you want to check out the local art or creative scene here in Cagayan de Oro City. I know some people who are often here and some other locals/natives that are regulars, of course, so it's not such a bad place and event to be when it happens. Hopefully, they do bring this event back, soon. I miss it already.

If decent local (regional bisaya/cebuano and english!!) music, arts, and socializing with the artsy community of Cagayan de Oro City and beyond is something you want to do then do check out Soft or We are Soft. I have seen my 2 current favorite Cebu-based bands here: Sepia Times and Sansette; and a Kagay-anon band I like, KRNA in this annual Kagay-anon event in passing, right before the pandemic lockdowns and the first year of it (this one, virtually, streamed online on youtube).

Oh, Chingkeetea also sell their own teas and tisanes mixes or blends now. They're in attractive cannisters you can on their website. Afaik, they cost around 600+ Php (6-7 USD) a piece but they're pretty interesting tea and tisane mixes and/or blends so your 600+ Php will not have been spent in vain. In this Chingkeetea branch, they display it by the piano area across the counter where you give and claim your in-store orders.

I have yet to try these. Here are the teas and tisanes flavors available in their select branches (not just this one):

I have the State of Mind; Soft Revery; Sincerely, Yours; Simply Cruising; and Like Summer in mind, to try. But I also like the Golden Hour and Serratona Skies' blends somehow. Hmn...this'll be a tough one to decide on which to try first, indeed.

And that's it for this Chingkeetea branch that's a favorite of my rn...since this branch opened some years ago, anyway.

Definitely do check out this place when you're in the city for a visit, tour, whatever. It's one native, homegrown Kagay-anon place I'd take friends and family to just because...it's as Kagay-anon as everything Kagay-anon can get.

Oh and Chingkee Te-Motoomull, the owner of this place is pretty cool, too. I've met her a few times and have tried her self-brewed teas (she has a special menu and shop up at this branch during the Soft and/or We Are Soft annual events). I love that she knows her tea very well---from someone who prefers tea to coffee most days.  

*****

I have been going out more often lately but still, just sparingly. I hope life picks up for me much, much later in the year soonish. For now, I'm just sitting back, chilling while still looking for a more stable writing, editing gig or some other. I have a few other things up, too, like renewing my expiring teaching license and trying out for the public school here for next school year, as a Special Education teacher. I really may have really be studying and reading my Special Education books again, soon, to review things from undergrad college.

It's going to be a pretty busy end of the year for me. Yep.

*****

In other news, the threat of Covid 19 is not over yet. My grandparents caught it not too long ago. My brother did, too, in Cebu City, while he was doing something there for med school. My cousin got it not too recently, too, and got quarantined, isolated from us for 5 days. Cagayan de Oro City still has our quarantine/Covid 19 isolation establishments up so we're pretty good down here, somehow.

Let's continue with the protocols, SOPs put up since the pandemic lockdowns started because as much as possible, it's best not to get sick and catch it---to those who've never caught it like me...yet...anyway. 

Let's continue to stay safe, everyone! Let's also keep everyone around us safe by masking properly and more!

P.S.

I'll get back to some regular posts one day soon here. :) Stay tuned for those. I have some backlog on this one I should be working on this year...this month moving forward. I'll try my best to keep this space more active other than my fangirling and occasional real life stuff twitter (kg_0917) this time.