Food Delivery Favorite: Gab's Just Desserts

My trip to Italy was one of the most memorable adventures I've had to date. From getting lost in Siena to walking on the cobblestones of Rome and feasting on Naples's iconic Neopolitan pizza, I have wonderful experiences at each stop. One of the highlights of our Italy trip was indulging in Italy's amazing desserts. We went crazy with panna cotta and gelato. But one thing we missed was cannoli. Thankfully, there's Gab's Just Desserts.

Hello, Gab's Just Desserts.

Gab's Just Desserts is one of the few online shops that specialize in Italian desserts. The owners, having been based in Italy for three years, are very familiar with its sweet treats. And they figured that the boom of e-commerce is the perfect time to launch their dessert concept.

All About Serenitea's Cookie Brûlée Series

I have been drinking too much milk tea these past weeks to the point of planning to do some serious boba detox. But just when I thought I could finally start, Serenitea launched its crème brûlée line.  

Hello, Serenitea. 

Serenitea has been one of my favorite milk tea brands ever since my first sip of its Hokkaido Milk tea back in 2011. And despite the influx of so many boba shops opening in Manila, Serenitea remains to be one of my top 3! 

First Bite: Maricar's Chocolate Cakes

Chocolate cakes served in tin cans became a crazy trend last year. We've seen the growth of several home bakers offering these sinfully rich cakes in different flavors with chocolate as its usual bestseller. But celebrity Maricar Reyes-Poon was way ahead when she launched her own line of chocolate liquor cakes back in 2015. And with it winning over so many hearts (and taste buds), it was not surprising that it got an award for one of the top desserts by Inquirer. 

Hello, Maricar's Chocolate Cakes!

I got a sweet message from Pat of Maricar's Chocolate Cakes one night asking if I'd be interested to try one of their cakes. I replied YES in a heartbeat as I couldn't say no to good dessert. 

Taiwan in Manila: 50 Lan (50嵐)

Taiwan is the place to be to indulge in milk tea but Manila is becoming a close second. With more and more brands coming in, it gets a bit tough to decide on which one to grab for my daily milk tea run. Sometimes, it boils down on which one doesn't have a queue. And thankfully, one of Taiwan's top boba joints is still yet to make buzz. 

Hello, 50 Lan (50嵐).

I was craving for milk tea while waiting for the screening of Avengers: Endgame and spotted 50 Lan (50嵐) at Rustan's Marketplace. I decided to go for its bestseller Boba Jasmine Milk Tea (PHP80, regular | PHP110 large). Note that the price for large is not published in the menu board so I'm not certain if this is its actual price or I got ripped off. It's still pretty affordable though. 

First Bite: Overdough's OD Cookies

Elait's sister Overdoughs made us rediscover how fun doughnuts can be especially as snack inside the cinema. And while its beignets, loukoumades and cookie dough continue to tickle us pink, Overdoughs has something fresh out of the oven which will be hard to resist. 

Hello, Overdoughs!

Cookie lovers would go crazy with Overdoughs' new offering... OD Cookies!

First Bite: Indulgence by Irene Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love all sorts of cookies--from the commercially produced ones to the gooey batches you get from home bakers. Lately, I've been obsessed with the latter and would often find myself grabbing a few at food fairs. And I was lucky to get my hands on some Indulgence by Irene cookies a few weeks back when I met the foodie couple Richard and Irene. 
 
Hello, Indulgence by Irene.

Indulgence by Irene has been baking and delighting foodies for years now. Known for its delightful cheesecakes, Irene can definitely bake addictive cookies too!

A Berry Yummy Cake: Cara Mia's Strawberry Shortcake

Cakes symbolize celebrations and all kinds of occasions. But we don't need to wait for something to celebrate to grab a slice. In fact, I wouldn't mind having it every day especially if it's Cara Mia's latest limited flavor!

Hello, Cara Mia.

If its Ube Cake was not enough to impress us all, Cara Mia launched another easy favorite with its Strawberry Shortcake.

New Treat: Cara Mia's Classic Ube Cake

I love ube even before it became a hype or a millennial thing. I love it as an ice cream flavor that I'd grab a gallon just for myself! I would also scurry around Baguio to get a few big jars of the famous Good Shepherd Ube Jam. On birthdays or special occasions, one of my top picks would be ube cake. And guess who now offers ube cake? The dessert haven Cara Mia!

Hello, Cara Mia Cakes & Gelato.

Now in Manila: New York's Magnolia Bakery (M Bakery)

Magnolia Bakery has been one of the well-loved iconic establishments in New York that stood the test of time. Established in 1996, it has delighted New Yorkers since and it has been one of the hottest must-visit brands when visiting the city. With long queues to greet you, one would wonder what made this bakery great. And to be honest, it was not exactly love at first bite for me. But having it the second time around sure won me over!

Hello, M Bakery. 

The world-famous Magnolia Bakery is finally in Manila as M Bakery. 

Chicken Love: Bonchon's Soy Garlic Chicken

I can't get enough of fried chicken. Who can resist its crispy skin and juicy meat anyway? And when I got a bite of the twice-fried chicken glazed with rich sweet soy garlic, there's no way I'd give it up. 

Hello, Bonchon. 

I was so famished after a shoot that I decided to head over to Bonchon for its no fail, famous chicken. 

First Bite: Cheesecake Stix

A meal is never complete without desserts. I've been used to having something sweet to cap my meal that despite being at the verge of bursting, I still find space for ice cream, cake or what-have-you. And last weekend, I had a mini food crawl with my sister which ended with feasting on cheesecake on a stick. Yes, on a stick!

Hello, Cheesecake Stix!

Cheesecake Stix became the talk of town when it launched its cheese cake on a stick.

Revisited: Sebastian's Ice Cream

A meal is never complete without desserts. I'd always look for something sweet to cap my meal and one of my go to desserts is ice cream. And I was giddy to stumble upon Sebastian's after my hearty meal at Kureji. 

Hello, Sebastian's Ice Cream. 

Sebastian's Ice Cream has been around for quite some time now. I still remember how it reinvented classic Pinoy treats such as Sapin-Sapin and Green Mango into ice cream. Not only did it catch attention from foodies around the metro, it also delivered superb and great tasting products. 

First Bite: Froozy

This year's summer is crazy! With the temperature hitting 40s, Manila has never been this hot! And I can't stop dreaming of swimming in ice cream. But I found something a little bit close to that. By stuffing myself with shaved ice from Froozy!

Hello, Froozy. 

Froozy is a local shaved ice concept inspired by the Korean dessert bingsu. Designed to be a sweet escape for the health conscious, the ingredients you can find here are made from scratch.

Revisited: Paper Moon Cake Boutique and Café

It's not every day that you get to a chance to meet a cake artisan who is known and respected in the culinary industry worldwide. And so, when I got an offer to get acquainted with one, I quickly said yes. Needless to say, it was one memorable afternoon.

Hello, Paper Moon Cake Boutique and Café. 

Paper Moon has been in Manila for quite some time now. It has been raved by many and became a staple treat to tea parties and all sorts of gatherings. Despite its steep price compared to other cake shops, people with discerning taste didn't mind as they know that they are paying for quality. 

Though I enjoyed its Mango Crepe Cake, I was quite unaware of the history of this brand and the wonderful person behind it till last Tuesday when I was fortunate to be a part of the intimate group to meet Madam Kazuko Emy Wada. 

Dumaguete’s famous Sans Rival is now in Manila!

Dumaguete’s famous silvanas is now in Manila and it is expanding at blazing speed! 

Hello, Sans Rival. 

I was mindlessly browsing my feed one night when I suddenly saw a photo of a familiar facade. It was a photo of Sans Rival in Glorietta. I had to read the captions a few times to make sure I was not mistaken. Sans Rival is finally in Manila!

When in Cebu: Sans Rival

I am a sucker for local sweet stuff. I always find myself hoarding various delicacies from my trips down to Visayas,  especially Bacolod. One of the first things R and I buy is silvanas from Sans Rival, not the one from Dumagete but from a local mart that resells it. I even fell for its charm when I was in Mactan airport only to find out that it is being sold more than twice expensive. But I didn't care and grabbed a box in an instant. But I discovered a new place to stock up on my favorite at a more reasonable price... at Sans Rival full service restaurant in Robinsons Galleria Cebu!  

Hello, Sans Rival!

I literally jumped and twirled like a little girl who saw her crush when I read an article mentioning that Sans Rival opened a branch in Robinsons Galleria. But my heart sank when I read the next word... Cebu. 

First Sip: CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice

My love for milk tea started when I was in my early years in the corporate world. An office mate would always shoot an email asking for our orders, if any. And of course, I'd reply with my favorite complete with sugar and ice level as well as my go to sinkers. Eventually, we all had that health is wealth phase where we all decided to lessen our milk tea runs and stick with healthier beverages. But there are still days when I find myself sipping a sweet drink just because I feel that I deserve one. And a few weeks back, I found a new favorite in CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice. 

Hello, CoCo Fresh Tea & Juice. 

I didn't really had plans to drop by this place after my burger run as I already had iced tea and sundae to cap my lunch. But I'm weak when it comes to peer pressure and soon, I found myself in front of CoCo. 

Saying I Love You Sweeter with Cadbury

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite occasions to celebrate. It is the day when I could be super cheesy and not be shy about it. But as I grow older, I learn that overly sharing one's relationship status online could be a bit too much. So I downplayed it this year and gave a simple yet heart-felt gift to R. 

Knowing that R is a big fan of anything sweet, I thought of giving him chocolates. And when I found out that Cadbury came up with a special Valentine's box where your message is creatively hidden, I didn't think twice and got one for R.

Be More Imaginative with Toblerone this Valentine's Day

I still remember those younger years when I dream of being pampered by my prince charming with flowers, balloons and all those grand gestures to show his affections. But as I grow older, I become more and more practical and I found myself telling R not to buy me anything inedible. Defining myself as a scrooge would be too harsh as I still enjoy other forms of gifts. And my favorite to date is when R prepared a lovely steak dinner for us in Tagaytay. But with us being so busy these past months, we could barely even celebrate each others birthdays. Thankfully, a thoughful brand came up with an easy yet thoughtful way for us to express our love.

Hello, Toblerone Valentine's Limited Edition Sleeves!

Holiday Treats: New McFlurry Flavors

I am a big fan of Oreo McFlurry and I always make sure to grab a cup or two whenever I visit McDonald's. And to my delight, dear ol' Ronald came up with new flavors to celebrate the festive season. 

Hello, McDonald's.

As I ordered my favorite set meals, I noticed that McDonald's is offering new McFlurry flavors. As green tea afficionado, I quickly ordered Oreo Matcha McFlurry. But it was out of stock on my first attempt last November.