Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one knows where to find the best cup of butterbeer. Unfortunately, a plane ticket to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and not to mention to either Japan or London is outright impossible at the moment, much to my chagrin of course. If only I could utter "accio moolah" and money will fall unto my lap. *Sigh* But because Harry loves me and Hermione tinkered with some spells, a Harry Potter themed cafe magically appeared along Quezon City's Maginhawa Street! Obviously, my sister Rhob, cousin David and I hopped onto our Firebolts (aka our grandma's walis ting-ting) and dashed to the Nook Cafe in a heartbeat.
The Nook cafe is a quaint little shop with little bits and bobs that would make any Harry Potter fan squeal with glee. The facade of the cafe is pleasing in itself with a doodled chalkboard, an "Undesirable No. 1" poster and a stray cat sitting atop the waiting area which perfectly reminds me of Professor Minerva McGonagall whose animagus was a Tabby cat. Magical eh?
Would you look at that! A cupboard under the stairs with no other than Dobby the house elf! We were lucky enough to be seated on the table nearest it so we got the chance to enjoy the space to our heart's desires. The inside was filled with pillows and Harry Potter goodies like the chocolate frog and Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans. I even got my very own Hogwarts acceptance letter. I cried, of course. Why wouldn't I? There were wands too and Hermione's time turner necklace but the other customers where playing with them so I didn't get a snap. *Sobs*
Spicy Spanish Sardines Pasta - ₱150.00
Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Honey - ₱ 160.00
Cake of the Day - ₱ 95.00
Goyazilla - ₱ 90.00
Butterbeer - ₱100.00 (Harry's Cup), ₱150.00 (Hagrid's Cup)
The food was pretty excellent. I was afraid that it wouldn't be because I've had experiences with pretty shops and their lackluster menu but I was happy the Nook cafe proved me wrong. The pasta was a delight because I love to pack a spicy punch on my food. The bacon wrapped chicken was a great mix of tasty and sweet thanks to the honey. The cake of the day which was a red velvet slice was moist and delicate enough but what sold me was the butterbeer. It was the bomb. It felt like the phoenix feather to my 11 inch holly or the Hermione to my Harry. Yes, I ship them. Don't judge.
The butterbeer is first served in this yellow translucent liquid akin to real beer but 'magically' turns into a milky chocolate brown after a few minutes. Oh, what sorcery is this? I know it's plain science and is something that my regular coke float may likewise undergo but oh well, I'll consider everything magic induced to feed my geeky needs. It pretty much lived up to the hype too and closely resembled what I imagined it to be as per J.K. Rowling's description. It was non-alcoholic, with a touch of butterscotch and caramel accompanied by a fizz or sizzle like a carbonated drink.
We also had the opportunity to check out the second floor and wear our very own house robes! Hoorah! The sorting hat at Pottermore and all the quizzes on the face of the internet sorts me under Ravenclaw house. My sister's a Hufflepuff while our cousin David was a fellow Ravenclaw. How about you? Which house have you been sorted to?
The wall was plastered with various publications apart from the Harry Potter books which seriously fed on my bookworm aesthetics. My sister picked a book by Jenny Han entitled "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" and handed it to our cousin David, who flipped it open and found this funny note tucked inside. I mean, how apt right? *Giggles* I had to blur out the last digits since I don't want to inconvenience someone and have people blasting them messages just in case this was a prank of some sort.
I was also impressed about the Nook's attention to details. Apart from the Hogsmeade mural, the hanging broomstick and tables that resembled owl eyes, their bathroom was on point too! Not only was it immaculately clean and smelling good but it was designed to have a faux brick wall on one side. Do you remember how Hagrid tapped bricks in the wall behind Leaky Cauldron (from the trash can, three up and two across) to access Diagon Alley? The bathroom reminded me of it.
(Menu items and prices are subject to change without prior notice.)
Our Nook Cafe and Harry Potter filled adventure was definitely one for the books. There were still many things we've wanted to explore and try but it was a Sunday, the place was jam-packed and we were beyond full. Are we going to come back? Abso-bloody-lutely! Not even Voldemort can stop us. For now, mischief managed!
The Nook Cafe is located at 164 A Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines. They are open from Tuesdays through Sundays from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm. You can contact them at hi.thenookcafe@gmail.com or through their Facebook page. I suggest you come early especially on the weekends because the queue can be really long. You need to have patience as only walk-ins are accepted. After all, muggles, half-bloods and purebloods are all wanting to get their Harry Potter fix.
The Nook Cafe is located at 164 A Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City, Philippines. They are open from Tuesdays through Sundays from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm. You can contact them at hi.thenookcafe@gmail.com or through their Facebook page. I suggest you come early especially on the weekends because the queue can be really long. You need to have patience as only walk-ins are accepted. After all, muggles, half-bloods and purebloods are all wanting to get their Harry Potter fix.
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