‘Lakwatsa’ ( meaning ‘to chill’) is a welcoming little cute place in Bleinheim Crescent W11.

Opened last December, I finally tried a Filipino bubble tea this afternoon. Made with green or black tea, flavored with fruits and/or milk and black tapioca pearls.

I sat down on one of their double swing seats with flashy cushions and have been greeted by a lovely young man, whom in addition to prepare drinks behind the bar, welcome people, take order, serve food, sell take away drinks… Managed to explain me the menu with a smile. For the time spent over there I was the only non-asian person, which is a good sign. School girls and Notting Hill fashonistas who seemed to be regulars were here for the famous afternoon snack the ‘merienda’.

Merienda is a light meal in Southern Europe (particularly Spain), Italy but also in Croatia, Latin America and the Philippines. Usually taken in the afternoon or for brunch, it fills in the meal gap between lunch and dinner, or between breakfast and lunch. In the Philippines, merienda (Filipino: meryenda or minandál) refers to the light meals as brunch and afternoon tea.

The merienda menu (ranges from £3 to £6) includes vegetable or pork and prawn lumpia (spring rolls served with sweet chilli sauce or vinegar) and adobo rice balls, which are marinated pieces of chicken wrapped in sticky rice served with adobo sauce, both based on traditional Filipino recipes. And to put water in your mouth : Halo-halo (from Tagalog word halò, “mix”), a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and evaporated milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served in a tall glass or bowl. Yummy !!!

A wide range of bubble teas, mango, kumquat, ube (this one deserves a post just for itself), popping boba (fruit juice balls) and a huge straw to suck up the tapioca. Healthy supplements including aloe vera jelly, aiyu jelly, Vietnamese coffee and herbal teas make this place a great one to hang around and ‘Lakwatsa’.

Lakwatsa

7 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE

07900 266 080

www.lakwatsa.co.uk