Love at First Bite: Kumori's Ube Hanjuku Cheese

I always look forward to a Kumori branch opening as it always mean that a new product will launched. I went crazy over the apple cheese tarts which was released during the opening of Kumori's Robinson's Manila. The lovely crunch of the apple bits, creamy cheese tart filling and cinnamon on top made this an addicting snack. And when Kumori launched its Ube Hanjuku Cheese in celebration of its SM Mall of Asia store, I promised myself that I will swing by and try it asap. But given that SM MOA is in a faraway land, it took me a long time before I managed to drop by.

Hello, Kumori!

Unfamiliar with SM Mall of Asia, I asked several guards its exact location. And I was pointed to different areas. One of the guards said that it's on the second floor while another said it's on the ground floor. One said to turn left while another told me to go straight. In short, I ended up circling the main mall for two hours. (And I ended up spending a few thousands at Forever 21.)

First Bite: Frank & Dean Café x Kitchen

After a heavy brunch from Locavore, my favorite foodies and I craved for some sweets to cap the meal. We read mixed reviews about Frank & Dean so we were a bit hesitant to head there. But the bright sun made the decision easier for us. Since Locavore and Frank & Dean are within the same area, we opted to just give it a try and see if it is really a waste of tummy space as others say. 

Hello, Frank & Dean. 

The place was rather empty when we got there around 1 pm. Only two or three tables were occupied and they didn’t even seem like customers. Apparently, we were right. They were scheduled to showcase their talents during Frank & Dean’s Common Ground (which serves as a venue for local artists to be heard and discovered). We decided to stay for a while since we heard that they will be serving free coffee and pastries for the ones who will watch the show. (Hey, don’t judge. It was a tempting offer.)

As much as we like free treats, we also try our best to be loveable customers so we ordered Paprika Fries (PHP190) and Beignets (PHP60). 

These two dishes were served in less than 10 minutes and we ate it as slow as possible to give us a reason to stay a bit longer. 

The beignets are like bavarian munchkins without the filling and left inside the fridge to be forgotten for weeks. The doughnuts were quite hard and not worth its price. It says a lot when you only had to pay PHP60 yet feel that your order was still a rip off. It was a really sad dish. 

At least the paprika fries did not disappoint. It was just like the ones I get from Pablo’s Pub. (Trivia: Frank & Dean and Pablo’s Pub in Forum are under the same owner.)

First Bite: Estrel's Caramel Cakes

A classic. That is how foodies describe Estrel’s, a humble cake shop that was established in 1946. Known for its caramel cakes, it is a go to place when something is to be celebrated. I have tasted its caramel cake and true enough, it was delectable and a lot better than the other commercial cakes. But I have never tried its Food for the Gods till J introduced it to me a few weeks back.

Hello, Estrel’s Caramel Cakes!

I didn’t exactly get to visit the bakeshop but got to sample the famous shop’s Food for the Gods, one of J’s favorite sweets. 

A box (PHP300) has ten  individually packed Food for the Gods. One pack has about 2” x 3” of the sweet pastry. 

I opened a pack and it was quite oily. But its fragrant smell made me ignore my oily finger tips. 

I took a bite and it was love at first bite. It was moist and buttery. I loved the sweet flavor of the dates and the crunch of the walnuts. 

It is a perfect dessert to bring to potluck parties or to buy as a present. Since it’s not too sweet, it is also a good gift for dear grandparents.

I can’t wait to get my hands on more! I’ll also try the Sansrival next. 

Estrel's Caramel Cakes is located at 54 Scout Tobias corner Scout Limbaga Streets, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City, 1103.

Restaurant Discovery: Marmalade Kitchen

It has been a while since I last visited Marmalade Kitchen. The last time I went was August of last year and I just had a cup of coffee and caramel custard tart (because I was still full from my dinner at Tipple and Slaw). This time around, I visited famished and was ready to eat.

Hello again, Marmalade Kitchen.

When I arrived, it seemed as if I reserved the whole place for myself as the restaurant was empty. It actually made me feel a bit lonely. But I didn’t have the time to feel sad as I was really hungry.

This time, I ordered a bowl of Spinach Cappuccino (PHP180) and Smoked Salmon and Caviar Eggs Benedict (PHP290).

It took them quite a bit to prepare my meal as the chef was out on a break and was only able to prepare my meal after 7 minutes had passed.

Anyway, after about 15 to 20 minutes, my soup was served.

It was served really hot and I burnt my tongue because I was in a hurry. :(

The spinach soup was quite salty but delicious. I loved the creamy foam on top which reminded me of cappuccino.

First Bite: Marketplace by Rustan’s Supermarket

I love grocery shopping! It’s one of my happy places for it gives me extreme happiness whenever I see a new products or my favorite snack that I haven’t seen in ages (such as Tronky). My all-time favorite supermarkets are Pioneer Supermarket (with its highly impressive selection of imported goods) and S&R. A few months ago, I noticed Marketplace, the deli area of Rustan’s Supermarket in Rockwell. I used to ignore it but I see more and more diners in the area so I thought that it might be a good place to have a meal. And a few Sundays ago, I finally got to visit the place.

Hello, Marketplace!

The first thing I saw when I got in was the man who was enjoying a tray of salmon. I circled the place thrice but I couldn’t find it. Oh well.

After a few more minutes, I finally decided to get the following: Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad (PHP220), Bacon Cheddar and Tomato Sandwich (PHP199), Mozzarella and Chunky Tomato Sandwich (PHP165) and Quiche Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese (PHP99).

The Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad was more on the bland side. My mom and sister didn’t really like it as it was cold. But it was meant to be cold and it was actually refreshing.

Love at First Bite: Dolce Latte

I find it fascinating how Manila became such an interesting place for foodies. Gone are the days where we’re stuck with just Jollibee, McDonald’s, Max’s, or Goldilocks as choices for afternoon snacks. Today, some people hate being asked, “Where do we eat?” as the choices are endless! (And foodies like me get grumpy when you choose an establishment I have already visited.) I am so fortunate though to live near some foodie hotspots. And with the malls bringing in more and more restaurants and whatnot, I get to try more dishes without traveling too far. And last weekend, I spotted Dolce Latte.

Hello, Dolce Latte!

I’ve heard of this place during the peak of the Cronut™ craze. I heard that Dolce Latte offers the best Cronuts™ in Manila (though some say that Wildflour deserves the title). However, I never got the chance to visit the place because the store’s located in Quezon City. It’s not exactly my territory and the only places I visit when I’m around the area are Teachers Village, Katipunan, UP, or White Plains. But here we are, a year later and I finally get to visit Dolce Latte. <3

Okay, I was originally planning to visit St. Marc Café but after staring at the Chococho, I backed out. It looked too sinful. Plus the place was packed. Not a single chair was vacant when I visited. So I went up with the intent to look for something less fattening. But I ended up buying the following: Valrhona Crunch Cronut™ (PHP120), Raspberry Cronut™ (PHP120) and Hot Chocolate Double Doughnut (PHP60). (What diet?!)

Molito Food Stop: Le Petit Cheri

There are so many new restaurants here, there and just about everywhere! I went crazy when I spotted Molito, the new foodie haven in the south. I saw several new establishments I have never seen before and I am so excited to visit those places soon. Earlier, I posted about Ramen Yushoken. The place offer really flavorful ramen. Since we still had had 30 minutes to explore Molito before going home, my sister and I dashed to Le Petit Cheri.

Hello, Le Petit Cheri.

It had an eerie ambiance as we were the only ones there when we visited. And it didn’t seem to be a good sign. But it was recommended by a few friends so I had faith in this establishment.

Since we were not in the mood for anything savory, we went straight to desserts and stared at the display cooler. I got the White Chocolate Cheesecake (PHP148), Baked Polvoron (PHP78) and several macarons: Caramel, Salted Coffee, Purple Yam, Red Velvet, and Strawberry (PHP38 each).

I ordered the baked polvoron since it intrigued me. I love polvoron but I never really had a chance to try a baked version of it. The texture was similar to a rather hard cookie and it wasn’t as sweet as the well-loved Goldilocks polvoron. Actually, it tasted just like a slightly bland cookie. 

I ordered the White Chocolate Cheesecake since it was the most photogenic among the cakes available then. It was very dense and thick and it didn’t have the tart that I like from cheesecakes. It also made me remember why I don’t like white chocolate. In short, I will not order this again… ever. But white chocolate lovers might enjoy this.

The macarons were pretty decent though for its affordable price. My favorite was the salted coffee (which I cleared with the person who assisted us if it’s really coffee and not caramel). It tasted just like coffee but it wasn’t as sweet. The ganache was so thick though.

Restaurant Love: Poetry & Prose Patisserie

I have never been fond of partying, clubbing or bar hopping. Some people say that I’m missing a lot. Maybe. But I am a-okay with that. It is just not for me. I don’t dance to *tugs tugs tugs* nor do I like to scream just to be heard. I am happy with being in a coffee shop or tea place and munch on some pastries and have a nice chat with friends. Fine, I'm a cat lady without a cat.

It has been a while since I last met my good friends A and I. I really enjoy being a third wheel when I’m with them.

This time, we decided to hold our bible study at Poetry & Prose Patisserie as A has been curious with its food and I have always wanted to try the pastries.

After a quick look at the menu, A went with the Baba au Rhum (PHP105) and a cup of tea (PHP125) while I ordered the Bread Basket (PHP275).  I ordered a cup of Café Latte (PHP105), Financiers (PHP85) and Mango Mousse (PHP255).

First served were our drinks.

My café latte was slightly sweet and the coffee’s taste wasn’t that strong. Perhaps I should have ordered cappuccino instead. However, I always order cappuccino. I wanted it to be stronger to have a better contrast with the sweet pastries.

Now Serving Tea: TWG Tea Salon and Boutique, Shangri-La Plaza Mall

I am so fascinated with TWG. Call me a frustrated British wannabe but there is something so comforting dining at TWG. I feel so girly and classy.*blinks slowly* All those tea cans, charming golden tea pots, dainty pastries and even rock sugar (is that how you call it?), I feel like I’m back to my kiddie days playing tea party with friends.

TWG Shangri-La branch is now open! Yahoo!

The place was slightly packed when we arrived and it was already past 9 p.m. that time. Well, it was a Friday. But it was not a pay day weekend.

Since we all came from dinner c/o birthday girl L, we opted to just have tea and a few pastries.