Now Open: Bake Cheese Tart is now in Manila

Bake is finally in Manila! After over a year of waiting, the world's best cheese tart is now open in Podium. 

Hello, Bake Cheese Tart.

I haven't heard of Bake till I visited Japan last year. The long queue in front of its store near the subway caught my attention and made me curious. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to convince R to line up with me that time. But the enticing aroma of freshly baked tarts left a strong impression that I made sure to grab some when I visited Seoul, Korea and Taichung, Taiwan.

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. 

Love at First Bite: Passion by Gérard Dubois

I have been eying this restaurant beside Green Pastures ever since I pass by it on my way home from St. Luke’s Medical Center. I thought it was an Italian restaurant as I read it as Passioni. (I was not wearing my eye glasses then hence the added letter.) But while waiting for K and J, I decided to pass by the shop and buy a pastry I saw featured on a food blog. 

Hello, Passion by Gérard Dubois!

This brightly lit restaurant was packed when I visited. Luckily, there was still one available table inside. 

I quickly told the server that I want to get a Strawberry Danish (PHP108) as soon as I entered after seeing that there was only one left. 

Since it was self service, I got my order right after paying. 

I took the last available table and started to enjoy my beautiful dessert (or appetizer as I was going to Grind right after for dinner). I took a bite and it was simply delicious. I loved the flakiness of the base and the smooth and creamy custard. 

I also love the fact that Passion didn’t scrimp on the strawberries. They used huge and fresh ones. I immediately fell in love with it!

Love At First Bite: Paul

I find it really amusing how I get to reconnect with people this year. With food. Food truly brings (hungry) people together.

K bought some vouchers to this Chinese restaurant a few months back and realized that it will be expiring soon. Knowing that E and I are gluttons, K invited us to have lunch with him so that he could finally use the will-expire-in-two-weeks vouchers.

The lunch was filling but it did not satisfy us. So we decided to have coffee at Paul. (And I was so excited as I wanted to visit this place for months but the place is always packed!) That Sunday was not an exception as we had to wait for roughly 20 minutes to get a table.

Hello, Paul. *giddily smiles at the menu*

I forgot that I was full when I started to browse. I wanted to buy some savory dishes but K and E were focused on desserts so I pretended I was just looking at the sweets as well. I still got all hyper though with all the tarts, eclairs, cakes and macarons! Was I in heaven?

K and E settled for the Café surprise (PHP280) and I ordered the same but I also ordered Eclair aux fraises (PHP170) and Tartelette Chocolat (PHP210).

 

First to arrive was my eclair and it sure looked mouthwatering. I needed high EQ just so I could avoid attacking it right away. But I did get a bit of the cream while waiting for E and K's orders.

An English Lunch for Two: TWG Tea Salon and Boutique

When I was younger, I love to play “tea party” with my toys as my guests. (Go blame my sister who was born 6 years later!) I do recall though that I had fun and served real food and air as tea. I guess that pretty much explains why I was a ball when I was a toddler. I never liked real tea though growing up as I found it too Chinese and I hated Chinese food when I was young. (Note: past tense.) But as I transformed to become a foodie I am now, I got so addicted to tea that every time a tea place opens up or when I pass by TWG, my heart skips a beat. Yes, I have a weird attachment to food.

Summer is here and it’s sizzling hot outside! Yet, all I want last Saturday was hot tea. So off I go to TWG to try another brunch set.

When I arrived, no one was there so I was slightly lonesome. I took my time reading the menu and read the inclusions per set. I went for the Governor set (PHP900) which includes a pot of Tea (I got Private Hour simply because I was alone), a glass of orange or apple juice, Chicken en Brochette, scones or muffins, and a choice of TWG Tea patisserie from the trolley (I chose the strawberry tart).

My tea and main course arrived when A messaged me that she was near. She went for the NY Breakfast Tea, Garden Lasagna (PHP350) and a plate of steak that we both forgot its name.