Every year, Starbucks seems to get a bit busier with people collecting their stickers for the much coveted Starbucks planners. Along with this promotion, SB lovers are able to enjoy the annual release of the Christmas menu.

It’s a bit hard to make the drink look attractive when one opts not t have the pretty swirl of whipped cream, but here’s the newest addition to the holiday coffee based drinks, the Christmas Cookie Latte.

Contrary to the peppermint mocha and toffee nut latte (that in my opinion nicely embody the Christmas season in a cup,) the new Christmas Cookie Latte disappoints. To me it’s just a regular SB latte with a bit of cookie flavoring and cookie bits on top. Not to say that it doesn’t taste good but I just think that the old staples have more stand-out flavors that people would actually be excited about. I suppose this is why the two old flavors have been coming back every year since they were introduced.

While the Christmas Cookie Latte lacks luster, the Christmas Fajita boast of flavors that are anything but forgetable. The spicy chicken cuts through the saltiness of the cheese nicely. For those of you who don’t like spicy food, you might want to steer clear of this one. It’s a nice meal-on-the-go, and is surprisingly heavy.

While the Christmas Cookie Latte lacks luster, the Christmas Fajita boast of flavors that are anything but forgetable. The spicy chicken cuts through the saltiness of the cheese nicely. For those of you who don’t like spicy food, you might want to steer clear of this one. It’s a nice meal-on-the-go, and is surprisingly heavy.

The Toffee Nut Loaf is a returning favorite. Personally, this qas my first time trying it, but I wanted to see what all the hype was about. It’s a chocolate cake/bread base with candied pecans/walnuts on top of a chocolate ganache. If I had it my way, I would just have the portion with the toffee coated nuts. The bread portion resembles the texture of their banana loaf but on its own is forgettable as well. I would, however, purchase this snack just to have the nuts. ‘Nuff said.

Here’s a list of my favorite Starbucks brances and why:

1. My fave would be SBs Glorietta 5. There are many branches in the Ayala Center but this seems to be the only one that always has enough seating. Whether it be during the busy hours of the weekend or during the slow and lazy hours of a weekday afternoon.

++ the baristas are friendly and make an effort to remember your name and drink order. You can also ask them for recommendations on your next order.

2. SBs Alabang Town Center (Corte)– it simply feels like home. Gotta love that there’s a lot of indoor and outdoor seating and that allows for your long study sessions or kwentuhans with your barkada.

3. Starbucks in Fully Booked @ Highstreet. I know what you’re all thinking– there are hardly any seats and you’re surrounded by people who seem extremely busy moving about. I think that great coffee houses are ones that allow people to read books and SBxFully Booked allows that. I do think, however, that they should expand– make room for more coffee and book lovers!

Tell me, what’s your favorite Starbucks drink or branch? 🙂