When news about Puzzle Gourmet Store & Cafe circulated in social media, I’ve decided that our family should visit the place since my bunso has Autism.
Puzzle Cafe is a small cafe along Blue Ridge in Quezon City. It wasn’t that hard to spot since the logo is enormous; Just look for the puzzle piece – a symbol for Autism Spectrum Disorder [Awareness].
My first impression? The small cafe is eccentric yet charming. Each corner has a story to tell and there are tons of puzzle pieces – sticky notes, puzzle art displayed on walls, pillows in puzzle piece prints, and more. We should have worn our matching Autism t-shirts, but there’s always the next time. 🙂
Puzzle cafe: “In this place.. We Understand, We Respect, We Accept”
The wall art with quotes about Autism is probably my favorite piece of art in the cafe. My kid lines up stuff from time to time, he has various stims, he prefers his own routine.. but despite being strange, our family understands, respects, and accepts him. Having a child on the spectrum made me celebrate everything — including the little milestones that seem insignificant for kids growing up normally.
We settled at a table just beside the door. We were served with drinking water and I liked that even the coasters are in puzzle piece shapes. We were also handed the menu by none other than Jose Canoy, a friendly guy who’s on the spectrum. Jose’s family owns the cafe and they hire individuals with special needs to run the cafe.
The success of the cafe means nothing is really impossible. With society slowly accepting and understanding people with special needs, and companies opening its arms (and heart) to give job opportunities to PWDs, I think I have less to worry about my child’s future.
Medyo na-teary-eyed ako while writing this. :'( If you’re an autism mom, you know damn well how I feel.
Puzzle Cafe Menu
We weren’t expecting really great food since it was only a small cafe, but we loved what we had from the menu.
Sweet Potato Fries (PhP 70) Fries, only healthier and crunchier! It’s surprisingly tasty and fun to eat. Bitin ka nga lang sa isang order.
Carbonara (PhP 255) My default order in Italian restaurants! I love creamy pasta dishes but I’ve become a “dry pasta” convert with this one. It’s not saucy but it’s freaking delicious!
Crunchy Corned Beef Rice (PhP 250) My husband’s order. The corned beef is toasted to perfection.
Chicken and Rice (PhP 130) from the Kids Menu. A typical chicken nuggets meal for kids.
Choco Martin (PhP 110) A chocolatey drink served in a lightbulb flask. My kid loves it!
So from different angles, this is what the whole place looks like.
Each table is uniquely designed to inspire and inform diners about Autism. My favorite is the Autism Moms Rock table. 🙂
There’s a little corner wherein diners can get board games/card games to play with. Here’s my eldest enjoying his time playing Monopoly and card games with the kuyas.
When we dine in cafes and restaurants, my mind and body automatically go on full alert. N’s behavior is unpredictable, so I’m always prepared for his next tantrum, or worse, meltdown. In Puzzle Cafe, I loosened up a bit because he’s “finally” in a place where he’s fully accepted and nobody will throw weird stares at him.
There’s a shelf crammed with Autism Awareness merchandise and we took home a pen and a bracelet.
Published: 2018-08-07 22:33:05
No words, just WOW.
The place looks exciting, I bet even for children not on spectrum.
I have a friend in QC with an awesome child too. I will definitely tell her about this.
We have visited this place by chance on our way to Novotel. The place is cozy and they serve surprisingly good food. I didn’t at first that it employs special need individuals. The people behind Puzzle Cafe is really admirable. May God continue to bless their cause.
Bless the people behind this cafe! Even your son knows that he can do whatever he wants in this place. Perhaps he’s already felt that the moment you went inside. I hope there are more and more cafes like this so everyone is more aware of autism.
This place sounds and looks awesome! I love how they cater specifically for those with autism and at the same time raise awareness about it too. It’s also really heartwarming that they hire PWDs. This gives me hope for the future of the world. 🙂
Nice place, I’m glad they came up with this kind of cafe. I remember attending a talk for a group of parents with challenging situation like these. I can almost feel every weight, and most of us ended up crying in pain. I’m not an autism mom but can relate because of our eldest brother considered as pwd due to hearing impairment. The stories of unacceptance and sometimes humiliation from others is verrryyy real.
This place looks very child friendly, I think not only for kids who are autistic. Maybe they should have a branch at the South too, for those naman from the South. I love how they designed it & even if I am not an autism mom, I am teary-eyed reading this and seeing the pictures. Full-understanding and acceptance of the majority for PWDs is possible if knowledgable to what they are and how they are.
Looking forward to more posts from you. Hugs, sis! 🙂
Our society is not really kind to those born out of spectrum but that has change a lot since about a decade ago. It is also nice that there are now more information about it because “ignorant” people are usually quick to judge and discriminate.
I feel you because I also experienced some weird stares because of my psoriasis. It is a challenge to live a normal life so spreading awareness is really important. It is good to know that there is a cafe that hires PWD at least they can work too. 🙂
Some people can be so judgemental kasi 🙁 I’m happy that society is slowly gaining awareness of how to treat people with disabilities. Medyo nakakabawas ng worries regarding my son’s future 🙂