The Long Way to a Blueberry Brioche: From Uptown Mall to Zus Coffee

It started with a simple errand which is renewing my Caramia card. Nothing fancy, just one of those small, practical things I do because it makes sense. Gabbie and I go there often anyway and their cakes have somehow become part of every celebration in our family. These little discount cards have become my besties lately. They make expensive habits (like buying a cake for every birthday and random gelato treats) feel a little less guilt-inducing.

Do you also have that one card or membership that’s your go-to for saving a little extra?

I brought my DJI Osmo Pocket 3 with me. It wasn’t a trip worth filming but I wanted to experiment with the settings. Sometimes I just like seeing how ordinary days look through a lens.

After renewing the card, I started craving a blueberry brioche from Zus Coffee. It’s not that far from Uptown Mall, so we decided to walk there. It’s funny how cravings have a way of rewriting our itinerary.

Before heading out, we grabbed a quick snack from Potato Corner. The branch is on the top floor of Uptown Mall, which meant a long escalator ride down.

On our way down, we passed by All aBoard, a cozy little board game shop we once visited. I still remember how we lost track of time there. We even thought of inviting our other friends to play next time.

We also passed by Pho Hoa, the one with open seating and no glass walls. You can literally see people passing by while you eat. It’s such a unique setup.

Then, we turned right and saw the exit beside Fei Fei Resto. We could’ve taken that route and just gone down the escalator outside, but it was too hot. So we stayed inside the mall a bit longer. That’s our shortcut when we’re in a hurry though.

We took another escalator down and, as always, couldn’t help admiring Uptown Mall’s classy interior. The air smelled nice, the lights were soft, and the place wasn’t crowded at all even on a Sunday. That’s one of the reasons it’s one of my favorite malls. It’s peaceful, not overwhelming.

What do you usually notice first when you enter a mall or a public place?

After that, we turned right again to take another escalator down. When we saw the BLK pop-up store, we knew one more escalator and we’d be out of the mall. Before leaving, we made sure to check out the nearby stores like Editor’s Market and Anello. We’re always on the lookout for sales. That day, there was a pop-up featuring Jetour cars, so of course, we stopped to take a look.

Outside, people were waiting for their Grab rides, others standing by the valet area. We started crossing the road to reach Uptown Parade. From that point, we could already see the TESLA showroom. Yes, the Tesla showroom here in the Philippines. It’s right in front of Uptown Mall and has only been around for almost a year.

On the left side was the view of Uptown Mall. We kept walking straight until we reached Din Tai Fung, then turned right to walk through Uptown Parade.

I was using my DJI Pocket 3, trying to move the gimbal smoothly while admiring the tall buildings around us.

This part of Uptown Parade always looks nice, especially at night. The lights are warm, and there are buskers performing. It just has this lively, cozy vibe that makes you want to stay longer.

Do you prefer exploring places during the day or at night?

On the left side of Uptown Parade, you’ll find Uptown Palazzo. It's a high-rise condo where Landers BGC is located. That’s where we usually buy our groceries. Sometimes, we go to S&R instead, depending on what we need.

On the right side is The Palace, where all the big parties and events are held.

We walked straight ahead and saw the JPMorgan Chase Tower. That’s our sign to turn right. There isn’t much to see on that side since it leads to the parking area. When we bring the car, we usually park here or use the valet at Uptown Mall, depending on how crowded it is.

Once we reached the pedestrian lane near the parking lot, we crossed the road. Since it was a Sunday, cars were allowed to park along that area because it’s near the church. Just a few steps away is the St. Michael the Archangel Parish. We sometimes attend mass there.

After passing the church, we turned right near Porcelanosa and walked straight.

On the left side, we passed by a few banks, then kept walking until we spotted KFC. That’s the cue to turn left.

We noticed more cars parked along this street. It’s allowed on Sundays so people really take advantage of that. We walked a bit further. It's Masa Madre and right beside it is the Zus Coffee.

Finally.

We went inside and ordered my favorite: the blueberry brioche. I took the first bite and thought, this was really worth the walk!

I used the normal settings on my DJI Pocket 3 since I still haven’t tried filming in D-Log M for color grading, but honestly, I already love how the shots turned out. They looked clean and crisp, even without any tweaks. Sometimes, simple settings do the job perfectly.