First Bite: St. Louis House of Fine Ice Cream & Dessert

Always save room for desserts. I've been using that line as an excuse to get my hands on some sweets even after indulging in a heavy meal. After all, there's a separate tummy space or compartment for cakes, ice cream and everything sweet right? 

Hello, St. Louis. 

This Australian cafe and ice cream parlor has been a favorite of many. I was told that this place offers not just great treats but superb service as well. 

Hunt for Tiramisu: UCC Café Terrace

It all started with a few reviews raving about this tiramisu from a  classy pizza restaurant. It sure made the rest of us curious and went to the said restaurant a few days after. And sadly, some of us went home disappointed as the tiramisu didn’t have the flavor or texture they were looking for. So what makes a tiramisu spectacular? Well, for one, it has to be chilled, soft and moist. The espresso and liquor should also not overpower the chocolate taste of the dessert. With these in mind, the looloo gang started a hunt for the best tiramisu. Our first stop: UCC.

Hello, UCC Café Terrace!

UCC was deemed as one of the top places to buy tiramisu. Our expectations were high as UCC in general is a good restaurant and serves delectable dishes. 

We ordered two orders of Tiramisu (PHP220 each) for sharing. J and R also ordered coffee to kickstart the day. 

While waiting for our desserts, R’s Kori Kohi was served first and it looked interesting. The coffee was frozen and turned into iced coffee cubes. In order to enjoy the drink, you have to pour some warm milk. And R loved the drink! I will definitely try to make some at home. 

New Dish Alert: Precynct Berry Brioche

NEW DISH ALERT! Precynct launched a new dessert!

After a tiring hour of jumping around and making ugly faces, R and I headed to The Grove by Rockwell to have dinner at his favorite tempura place. Yes, I'm referring to Asakusa.

While parking, I spotted R's good friends M and K having dinner at Burger Pub. We approached them and decided to have dessert together to catch up.

After a delectable dinner (this will be a different review), we went to Precycnt to try the mouthwatering Dulce de Leche brioche (PHP350). I wanted to try The Garden too but I wasn't sure if they have good desserts. Since I want to give the impression that I am a very reliable foodie, I went with a place I am sure to serve great drinks and food... Precynct.

Precynct was quite packed last night with only a few stools available. I was decided to order the dulce de leche brioche till the server suggested their newly launched Berry Brioche (PHP375). New? Strawberry? Brioche? And with ICE CREAM? Gimme one of that! So that ends my craving for dulce de leche.

I also got a cup of Bitter Burnt Better (PHP180) while R got a glass of Small Victory (PHP90). K and M shared a glass of Faux Cappuccino (PHP160).

The Berry Brioche was L-O-V-E! ️

Soft and fluffy brioche topped with slices of strawberries, strawberry puree (or jam?) and ice cream... what is not to love?

Love at First Sip: United Coffee

Now on our last stop, simply because the establishments in the area were getting ready to close, we decided to go for a nice and quiet place to chat. The coffee shop in the Nav compound made me curious and after our meal at Diner on 16^th, we opted to look for it. And thanks to the shop’s signage, finding it was a breeze. But the climb up wasn’t due to my aching knees. >.<

Hello, United Coffee.

There were only two other tables occupied when we arrived. The interiors reminded me of a humbler Yardstick—warm and cozy. We settled in one of the window seats.

The place is still on its soft opening, having opened its doors last December. Menu is not very extensive but since I was already full and slightly sleepy, none appealed to me. The friendly server suggested their bestseller, Espresso + Milk + Mocha (PHP160) and as a sucker for bestsellers, I gave it a try. I wanted to try the S’mores cake but I just do not have space for it anymore. T_T

First Bite: Farmacy Ice Cream and Soda Fountain

I have been planning to visit Farmacy Ice Cream and Soda Fountain for almost a year now! But for some reason, I always end up going somewhere else till one Monday night.

My long wait is finally over! Hello, Farmacy Ice Cream and Soda Fountain!

The store is quite charming with its slightly retro signage.

I also loved the “prescriptions” sign which is a play with the name of the store (Farmacy—Pharmacy).

But what I loved most about this place is the oh-so-patient staff who let us try as many flavors as we want till we decide which one to order. I think I sampled over 8 flavors.

After my sampling spree, I decided to get Pick Me Up sundae (PHP280) which comes with Hazelnut, Vanilla and Coffee Verve ice cream, toffee nuts, whipped cream and an espresso shot topped with thin chocolate waffle. Since I wasn’t too crazy with vanilla, I went with Milk, one of the flavors R sampled. Milk was just like vanilla, only creamier. I also swapped whipped cream with sliced almonds for more texture.

And after a bit, my sundae arrived.

Foodie Event Alert: BELLYSIMA! FOOD FESTIVAL 2015

Yipee! It’s a long weekend again this week and I can’t wait to discover more food finds! And just my luck, M emailed me this morning and shared with me an upcoming yummy event this Independence Day. Presenting…

BELLYSIMA! FOOD FESTIVAL 2015!

The foodies behind Mercato Centrale are at it again and will bring together new (and healthy) food concessionaires this June 12 to 13 at Glorietta 5 Activity Center. Some of the concessionaires to look out for are Milkman Dairy Bar, Jacob’s Peanut Praline Butter, Friggies, Healthy Shots Manila and Healthy Monsters PH. I’ve never tried any of these but they all seem interesting and promising.

My top picks (from the list M sent this morning):

Jacob's Peanut Praline Butter

Friggies

Milkman Dairy Bar

Be there early so that you get to sample the offerings of each concessionaire!

See you there!

-Gluttonshopper