In colors our dreams live

To celebrate the much-awaited reunion of our amazing newsies trio last March, Jose took Jam and I for Saturday brunch to this homey, secluded cafe he has been raving about for months on end. As soon as we arrived and got a quick survey of the place, I already knew that it would be the perfect venue for our meaningful quality time, catching up on six-months worth of interesting travel, work, and school stories as well as sharing our life goals aka ambitious plans for the future. "Chillax" is the word that comes to mind when I look back on the wonderful experience.


14 Four is a gem of a quaint cafe tucked in a quiet neighborhood in hilly Taytay, Rizal. Its cozy ambiance easily won me over, with mismatched furniture pieces and adorable decors coming together almost seamlessly. Later I learned that some of the chairs and tables were designed by the cafe owner's father and the sweet resto doubles as a furniture shop with a showroom guests can check out by appointment.


The indoor, airconditioned dining area was rather packed and it was a nice, sunny day out so we decided to enjoy our meals al fresco. We settled in at our own corner in the terrace by the colorful hanging lanterns and got ready to order. As it turns out, the food was just as divine as this little patch of heaven! We feasted on some of their bestsellers, which to this day I still cannot get over: aligue and tuyo pasta, cinnamon swirled pancakes, sesame crusted dory, and french pressed coffee. This place is the ultimate pick-me-upper!


But it was our conversations that perked us up on that lazy weekend afternoon as we wandered about and got more charmed by the minute by this lovely site. While I've had my fair share of a grand adventure back in 2012, Jose and Jam recently closed theirs in the past year. Jose spent the summer before his last year as a econ major exploring Germany and taking sidetrips to Poland, Czech Republic, Netherlands, and Morocco. Jam, on the other hand, made the most of her momentary break from medschool, visiting countries in Africa as well as London and towns around it, immersing herself in their cultures. That, mixed with our everyday tales at home.


Listening to them recounting their remarkable experiences had me wide-eyed and looking forward to more of these adventures—in small artsy cafes such as this or anywhere abroad, either together or on our own. Meanwhile, with such a pleasant time then, 14 Four won't be seeing the last of me. Excited to bring my family and friends someday, and hopefully managing to not get lost while looking for it. Cheerio!