Meal in the City: Toast Box, TriNoMa, Quezon City

The Kaya Toast Set at Toast Box: two soft-boiled eggs, two pieces of white bread toast spread with kaya and butter, and a cup of teh tarik [black tea with condensed milk].

It's always fun to venture forth and choose another place to eat at for the first time. On the other hand, there are days when one just wants to eat something familiar and soothing - you know, comfort food. Food that makes one feel inherently better just for its mere existence.

One of the places where I can get food like that is Toast Box in TriNoMa, Quezon City. Part of the Singaporean BreadTalk group, this place serves traditional Southeast Asian food, drinks, and coffee in minimalist settings livened up by a dash of retro charm.

I've been a semi-regular at this branch for more than a year now and I have to say it's really become one of those places that I go to because it's so damn comforting to sit there and eat delicious food done right, washed down with an assortment of hometown drinks.

I often host meetings with friends here, as I did today, when I hosted a mini stitch 'n' bitch session-slash-super happy fangirl times. And it is still a favored go-to destination when my partner and I are doing our shopping and want a snack, a hot drink, or an actual full-blown meal. Try their Hainanese chicken rice and their nasi lemak; the kaya toast and thick toast sets are also magnificent.

And their drinks! Oh, wow. Try the house bestsellers like teh tarik and Nanyang coffee, or indulge in a delicious blast from the past like Horlicks. [I never had this when I was a kid - now that I'm an adult, I try to get as much of it as I can, as it is no longer being retailed locally.] Their cold drinks selection also features something that puts a smile on many diners' faces: a Milo Dinosaur. Fantastic.

The funny thing is, why did it take me so long to actually write up a Meal in the City post on this place? I guess I just keep forgetting to take my camera with me when I go here for a dose of homey good food.

Do try to eat here or at its other branches when you can.