Love at First Bite: Blissful Sweets by Eu

I simply cannot resist sweets! It’s the part of the meal that I look forward to the most. Though I love munching on the tried and tested desserts, I find so much joy too whenever I come across awesome home bakers who can whip up amazing products. And last month, I discovered Blissful Sweets by Eu. 

Hello, Blissful Sweets by Eu. 

I got an unexpected email from Eu a couple weeks back asking if I’m open to try her baked treats. And as a sucker for sweets, I said yes without even knowing what she’ll give me. 

Eu personally delivered the goodies to my apartment but I was too busy packing for my trip the next day and doing last minute errands that I was not able to meet her. 

Southern Chronicles: Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory opens in Molito, Alabang

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is no stranger to me. I've had it back in 2011 during one of my travels. Back then I wasn't too adventurous with food and didn't really like the idea of having my chocolate or caramel with a Granny Smith apple. Fast forward to 2017, I got acquainted with the chocolate wonderland again and discovered some treats that made me smile from ear to ear. 

Hello, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory.

Truffles the bear finally made it to the South. And it is the first thing you'll notice when you get inside Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory in Molito, Alabang. 

Love at First Bite: Zoey's Cakes and Pastries

I love receiving home baked goods. I always feel that it has been prepared with so much love and passion making it extra special. And a bite of Zoey's Cakes and Pastries would make you think the same. 

Hello, Zoey's Cakes and Pastries!

I randomly got a message from Mae, the person behind Zoey's Cakes and Pastries. She asked me if I would be interested to try some of her baked treats. Since I have a sweet tooth, I quickly said yes. 

First Bite: Cicada Tapas & Bar

It is always fun to visit Cebu as it is turning into a foodie destination with new concepts opening here and there. But there are a few classics that I missed out from my previous trips and I made sure that I’d drop by a few of them during my last Cebu visit. And for R’s late birthday celebration, we opted to have lunch at Circa 1900. 

Hello, Circa 1900!

We were greeted by beautiful two ancestral homes (turned dining halls) as soon as we entered the restaurant's huge compound. 

Unfortunately, Circa 1900 was closed when we visited and will be closed throughout our stay in Cebu. On the bright side, its tapas restaurant, Cicada was open and we could dine there instead. 

When In Hong Kong: Go Jelly Crazy!

I love jello, jelly, gelatin… whatever you call it. It used to be my staple afternoon snack and I remember that I used to get all the grape flavored ones to eat and the red ones to use as my pretend lipstick. I still get to have my jello fix from time to time these days but in the form of coffee jelly, grass jelly or sago’t gulaman. But when we discovered a jello place in Hong Kong, R and I dropped by the place as frequent as we could.

Hello… uhm… sorry, I can’t read Chinese. But this is the place near Canal Road, Causeway Bay. 

R and I headed to the small restaurant one time after dinner. We got curious with why a lot of locals frequent the place and we were greeted by a friendly elder who I assume is the owner of the restaurant.  We told him our order—one bowl of black jello (HK$7). 

Service was quick and we got our bowl in less than 5 minutes.

It was pretty bland as is so R added this orange powder we saw on the edge of the table. 

We sparingly sprinkled some of the said powder and it turned the jello sweet. We then figured that it was sugar. And that was when we went crazy with it. 

It was just your usual bland jello but it being served chilled and topped with sugar made it a refreshing dessert, perfect to cap any meal.

First Bite: Outré

I have been curious about Outré for the longest time. Photos of the ice cream store's vandalized walls and the overflowing scoops of liquid nitrogen gelato made me drool like a St. Bernard. But its two branches are a bit too far from me and just thinking about the traffic makes me cringe. And so I made sure to include Outré as one of our stops when we went to Aguirre for a food crawl.

Hello, Outré! 

The place was empty when we got there around 3:30 pm on a drizzling Sunday afternoon. 

I quickly ordered the Milo Dinosaur Gelato (PHP160) while K went with Dulce de Leche Gelato (PHP150). 

It was fun watching them prepare our gelato. The smoky/fog effect never fails to entertain me.

When In Hong Kong: Hanjuku Kobo

I’m always on the lookout for lines whenever I travel. I always think that long queues mean good food or deals. And I spotted a relatively long line when I passed by Hanjuku Kobo.

Hello, Hanjuku Kobo!

Okay, perhaps the line isn’t long all the time. We passed by its Tsim Sha Tsui branch (near Nathan Road) thrice and there was barely a line around lunch time. Then again, it was because the store just opened and foodies must be busy having lunch that time. But after an hour or two, the place was packed with locals waiting for their turn to get hold of Hanjuku Kobo’s pastries. 

The long line made me curious and I told R that I want to buy some of the shop's cheese tarts and cheesecakes. But R is allergic to lines and we stayed inside our hotel and napped instead after lunch. 

There was still a line when we headed out for dinner. My curiosity got the best of me and with my best puppy eyes, I asked R if we could line up and buy a few. And he finally agreed. We were fourth in line outside. (The staff control the number of people inside their small shop and I was part of the next batch.)

Hanjuku Kobo has a very limited product range. It only has cheesecakes, cheese tarts and a few other cakes. I went with a box of cheesecakes and two cheese tarts just so we get to try it. Our total was around HK$119 if I’m not mistaken. I recall that the box of 5 costs around HK$75 and the tarts were HK$22 each. 

The wait wasn’t that long as the ones in line sure know what they want. We got our treats in less than 20 minutes. 

And because these goodies could melt, the shop placed some ice packs inside to keep our cheesecakes and tarts cool. There was a problem though… the thin paper bag melted instead. We had to transfer the boxes to another paper bag and eventually get rid of the ice packs. 

I immediately opened the boxes as soon as we got to our hotel. 

The cheesecake had a light taste. it would have been perfect with tea. I loved that it was so moist and fluffy. 

The cheese tarts though were way better! It had a stronger taste and I loved its slight tangy taste! The crust was crunchy and it complemented the soft and smooth filling. It was divine! I would fly to Hong Kong just to get my hands on these tarts! 

Make sure that you include Hanjuku Kobo in your Hong Kong itinerary. 

Tip: Hanjuku Kobo's Causeway Bay branch has less crowd.

Instagram Wonderland: Teaspoon Café

One of our Pampanga Food Crawl stops was this adorable café that seemed to have been designed as an Instagrammers’ paradise. Every nook and cranny are screaming cute and with lifestyle bloggers with us during the food crawl, they sure went crazy with the place.

Hello, Teaspoon Café.

“I wish I dressed nicer” was the first thought that came to mind when I entered this charming place. One could score the perfect profile picture here. But aside from its picturesque space, Teaspoon Café offers savory dishes, decadent desserts and nostalgic milkshakes. 

Restaurant Love: Passion by Gérard Dubois

Passion (or Passioni as how I first read it) by Gérard Dubois is now one of my favorite dessert places in Fort Bonifacio. Its beautiful interiors and mouthwatering display of pastries never fail to lure me inside the store whenever I pass by it.

Hello again, Passion!

After dinner, I headed to this Instagram friendly store for some pastries to go. I was looking around when the server told me about their Buy 2, Get 1 Free (where the free item is the one with the lowest price) promo which starts at 9 p.m. daily. Woohoo! A deal!

I circled around and looked for pastries with the same prices and spotted some fruit tarts all priced at PHP108. I went for Strawberry Danish, Mixed Fruit Danish and Mixed Fruit Tunnel. 

I had the pastries to go but was worried that its beauty will be squished. I told the server my concern and he assured me that they pack it well. 

I headed home and hurriedly unpacked some of the pastries and… it was slightly squished but still quite good looking. 

First Bite: The Dessert Kitchen

It is undeniable that The Dessert Kitchen has really photogenic desserts. I have been eying to visit this Hong Kong dessert shop for the longest time but I never manage to do so because 1) I don’t have any other business in Rockwell and 2) Manila traffic is crazy. But I managed to pay this place a visit on Father’s Day weekend and it sure was packed!

Hello, The Dessert Kitchen!

The small and quaint dessert place was very busy on a Saturday afternoon. There were only four bar stools and a table vacant when we arrived. Luckily, the table that was vacated could accommodate four. 

It took us a while to order as the menu was quite extensive. Shaved ice, pudding, soft serve ice cream, eggette… name it, The Dessert Kitchen would most likely have it.

We went with the award winning and bestseller Purple in Love (PHP258), Tofu with Hokkaido Red Beans (PHP168), Matcha Red Bean Eggette with Strawberry Ice Cream(PHP288) and Sakura Warabi (PHP168). 

Service was quite fast considering that the place was busy. Purple in Love was served in less than 10 minutes. 

It looked pretty good and the serving size seemed generous as it was overflowing. Then again, it might be because the bowl used wasn’t that big. 

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.

Beat the Heat with Carousel Creamery Handcrafted Ice Cream 101 Flavors

Several reviews have been raving about Carousel Creamery's delightful customer service. They are also very active and interactive online and today was not an exemption.

Hello, Carousel Creamery! I NEED YOU! Save me from melting!!!

The crazy heat makes me picture the sun with a smirk on its face while looking down at us while we desperately look for ways to cool down. One of the quickest ways I could think of is to buy ice cream. 

After a great lunch at Dohtonbori, we decided to get some cold treats at the well loved ice cream parlor. And when we got there, the place was packed with other melting human beings. 

The order system seemed to have changed as we didn't have to pay first before sampling some flavors. There were also no tokens given. The cashier also told me to just approach any of the servers when I have decided on what I would like to order. 

I roamed around and squeezed my way from one display chest to another and sampled a few flavors namely--mango sorbet, green mango and a few more I could not remember the names but the tastes were a bit too sweet and heavy hence the reason why I didn't get those flavors. The mango sorbet was pretty good as it had a refreshing flavor. The green mango was a tangier version of mango sorbet but I was not in the mood for anything sour. I then asked for a flavor that has a nice light taste yet refreshing... and weird. He quickly recommended Olive and Basil. Weird enough. Game!

I sampled it and true enough, it had a nice light taste and it tasted weird at first. (It had a tinge of herby taste and it reminded K of pesto.) But I eventually grew fond of it. I found the one out of 101 flavors! 

Love at First Bite: Honey Creme

It's nice to share a good dessert with someone. But when I really want to try something new (or not so new) and could not drag anyone to get fat with me, I turn into the-heck-with-it-imma-try-it-by-myself-coz-I'm-independent. And that was what happened when I got to leave work early and went to SM Aura to do some grocery shopping. After months of waiting, I finally got (or decided) to try Honey Creme. 

Hello, Honey Creme!

I was planning to pay Honey Creme a visit with R but every time we plan to have dinner at SM Aura, we turn lazy and just eat whatever's available or nearby. But a few weeks back, I had some time to spare so I decided to drop by this ice cream place that has one of the most Instagrammed walls.

The place was quite empty when I passed by around 4 p.m. on a Tuesday. 

With 10 varieties to choose from, I went with Caramel Popcorn (PHP165) as I was in the mood for some popcorn. 

It was such a treat to see how they prepare my cup. The server was very generous with the toppings and even struggled to pack more popcorn in my cup. (Thank you!!!)

Now to do a mini pictorial with my delectable cup!

The place is very small and there are no tables available for diners. There is a bench though against the grass wall which was occupied by an elderly and her grandchild. Since I really want to have a nice backdrop for my ice cream, I asked them if I could hold my ice cream pictorial beside them. The old lady just smiled and moved her paper bag to the other side of the bench.

*Click.* *Adjust for better lighting.* *Click* (x10)

Now for a spoonful...

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.