My Favorite Pastries at Cafe Mary Grace

I love Cafe Mary Grace for its consistency and good service. You can check out my earlier posts here, here, and here. 

I first heard about the resto from my friend Teeny, who was raving about the ensayamada of the soft dough and the right medley of sweet and salty. You can request to have it grilled to intensify the flavors. 

Many of my friends were also mad about the mango bene, which reminds me of a very good tiramisu. The lightly sweetened cream tied all the elements together.

If you ask me I love the strawberry shortcake the most. It had just the right mix of sweet and tart and was generous with slivers of candied strawberry. The sponge was moist and the cream not too cloying. It was also Instagram-worthy: very pretty. I used to hate sponge cakes, but this is different from the sorry dry sponge cakes I had. 

'Til my next post. :)


Cafe Mary Grace
Robinson Place Manila
Midtown Ermita

Buffet Love at Marco Polo Ortigas' Cucina

Last December was a dizzying dervish of parties and get-togethers. Buffets are popular for these gatherings, and one resto I was keen on trying was Marco Polo Ortigas' Cucina. I've tried Marco Polo Cebu and Davao (click here and here) before, so I wanted to know how the Ortigas branch measure up against them. 

I took a page from my friend Rush and started with the soup station. I had a tasty, spicy soup with flavorful mussels, siomai, shrimps, and ham, freshened by calamansi. I dialed up the heat with chopped red-eye chilis or labuyo. Finished it off with a topping of sliced boiled eggs. This was yum--a fortuitous beginning.

Next I had tasty rib-eye steak in pepper steak sauce coupled with sweet cherry tomatoes--a nice pairing. 

The pork chops were moist and the pizza, which has been sitting on the counter for quite some time, was still flavorful. 

The pork and beans was just lovely and the seafood stew was divine.

Another winning platter: slipper lobster, mussels, and shrimp which I dipped in vinegar. 

Of the excellent gelato, I was partial to pistachio and vanilla which I topped with mango and blueberries.  

Of the pastries, I love the choco tart the best--rich dark silky balanced by tart strawberries--but Marco Polo Davao's version is more exquisite. 

Cucina
24F Marco Polo Ortigas Manila
Sapphire Street cor. Meralco Avenue
Pasig City
(+63) 02 7207777 local 6622

Legazpi City's Oriental Hotel for Ensaymada

This is my fifth post on ensaymadas. For a background on this pastry, click here. For what to me is a good ensaymada, click here.

Oriental Hotel's ensaymada is as hefty as Marco Polo Davao's ensayamda, but hews more closely to the Diamond Hotel variant. Indeed, this is one sinful ensayamda: high quality bread, well-balanced, not overly sweet, with the surprise texture of pili bits, and swimming in melted butter. This is one of the better ensaymadas I had.

The Oriental Legazpi 

Taysan Hill, Sto. Niño Village 

Legazpi City

(+63) 052 480

Negros Occidental's Mila's Royal Bibingka

I have to admit I did not go all the way to Negros Occidental to try this. It came in a box as pasalubong. This bibingka post is timely, since Christmas is mere weeks away, and the holidays is not complete without this treat. Mila's bibingka is spongy, so soft even after a few days of sitting in the ref, cheesy, and with  welcome bits of salted eggs. If you prefer your bibingka sweetish, this is for you.

For my other bibingka entries you can click here, here, and here. 

Mila's Restaurant
Rizal Street, Hinigaran
Negros Occidental
(+63) 34 391 7849

Cagayan de Oro's Missy Bon Bon for Durian Gelato and Nutty Nutella Cronut

Whenever I travel, I always seek out home-grown restaurants. Usually I'm pressed for time during my work-related trips, thus eating local is how I experience the culture pronto. At Cagayan de Oro, I made a beeline for Missy Bon Bon's dessert selections. From their frozen items, I ordered their excellent Durian Gelato. I love the real fruit goodness and the creamy, silky texture. It was also not too sweet. It was one of the better duran ice creams I had.

I must admit I'm not crazy about food fads, so it took me only now, in faraway Cagayan de Oro, to sample a cronut. Missy Bon Bon's Nutty Nutella is quite good, if a bit oily and tough from sitting too long. I love the mix of nuts and Nutella, and the pockets of cream and Nutella. This is more croissant than donut.


Missy Bon Bon
Centrio Ayala Mall
Corales Ave
Cagayan de Oro

Cupcakes by Sonja's Bunny Hugger Carrot Cupcake

One good thing about eating out with company is that I get to try more dishes, and this ups the chances of having something that is blog-worthy. Yes, I do get duds in the name of research. Lucky for me, my friend Teeny's choices are usually spot-on (go here), and so today's feature wouldn't have been possible without her help.

Cupcakes by Sonja's Bunny Hugger Carrot Cupcake (moist classic carrot cupcake, spiced with cinnamon and covered with cream cheese icing) reminds me of Purple Oven's Soft Cinnamon Rolls, but the cream cheese topping was not too cloyingly sweet--just right, and I love the generously sprinkling of cinnamon powder. Unlike your run-of-the-mill cupcake that is all show, the base is moist. This is one pretty and delicious cupcake. 

Cupcakes by Sonja

2F Bridgeway Glorietta 2

Ayala Center

San Lorenzo Makati
(+63) 02 625-4884

The Macarons of Paul Boulangerie Patisserie Restaurant Salon de The

these beauties (vanilla, chocolate, raspberry) are flown in from paris

I have a confession to make: my ultimate travel dream is a trip to Paris. Yes, I'm romantic that way. I've been plotting for years to Instagram my way through the City of Lights, and until that day comes I'll settle for  locally available French cuisine.

I've tasted my fair share of locally made macarons, but Paul's macarons are in a league of their own. Truly, the hype is well-deserved. Creamy, moist, and just the right sweetness--I died when I tasted the almond paste. I'll be sleeping with dreams of vanilla and the best-selling pistachio macarons

Paul Boulangerie Patisserie Restaurant Salon de The
SM Aura Premier
McKinley Parkway
McKinley Hill, Makati

Becky's Kitchen's Prune Walnut Cake

To keep up with what's happening on the restaurant scene, I bone up on my readings: mostly lifestyle blogs and the occasional travel magazine or the food section of the papers. This is where I get many ideas for my blog. Sometimes, though, I get inspiration from things more random.

Today I'm featuring Becky's Kitchen's prune and walnut cake: chunky and dense, moist, and not overly sweet. The extra calories were worth it, and I can always jog these off (smile). This slice was a gift from a lecturer in one of our events. I should visit Beck's Kitchen more. I live nearby, and I should stop complaining that Taguig and Quezon City are more happening than in my neck of the woods. 

Becky's Kitchen

1061 Pablo Ocampo cor. Bautista Street
Malate, Manila

(+63) 02 525-1648

Cake Club's Double Baked Cheesecake

If you're one of the few who frequent my blog, you'd know I love cheesecake, and I'm partial to the ones made by Cake Club. For my earlier entries on the restaurant, you can go here and here. The beauty pictured above is the best-selling double baked cheesecake--delicate, not too sweet, freshened with tangy orange rinds. This goes well with tea or brewed coffee. 

The Cake Club

Bonifacio High Street, 7th Avenue

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
(+63) 02 621 3176

Boracay: All Things Sweet, and the Best Mojito I Had

Last month I spent Christmas in the country's go-to island, Boracay, where what I did was eat and get soused, but not necessarily always at the same time (for more of my Bora trip, go here, here, and here). Unlike my Singapore trip where I made no plans, this time I made a list of where to eat. Halfway through my three-day trip I was wishing I grew another stomach, a problem I'm just happy to have. Instead of writing individual reviews I grouped what I ate into savory and sweet. Here's a list of things exemplary and sweet in Bora. 

1. Zuzuni's Mati Chocolate Sin 

I'm guessing the resto named this dessert after the Greek holiday resort. This is excellent choco lava with vanilla ice cream, perfect for cooling down under the tropical sun. It came well-recommended, and now I know why. This must try is not overly sweet, which is always good in my book. Bite into the mint for extra freshness. 

Zuzuni Restaurant

Station 1, Boracay

(+036) 288-4477

2. Lemoni Cafe's Mango Madness 

I've always been partial to cheesecake, and so Lemoni's best-selling mango madness is a no-brainer. It was so good--refreshing, creamy and light, the tartness playing well with the sweet crust. It was a well-balanced confection, the flavors melding nicely together. I came for the lemon muffins (they ran out), but this was a good substitute. 

Lemoni Cafe

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay

(+036) 288-6781

3. Jonah's Banana Choco Peanut and Banana Mango Shakes 

Jonah's Fruit Shake is an institution in Bora, just like Real Coffee. The avocado shake came up on many online recommendations, but in my three or so treks to the restaurant, it's either they ran out or the avocados were still in transit. In it's place I ordered the banana mango shake--refreshing, creamy, and tart, perfect for the sweltering heat-- and the banana choco peanut, which is is to die for. It's like Chocnut  in a shake, but done well. 

Jonah's Fruit Shake

Station 1, Boracay

Mojito Recommendation

Whenever I'm on vacation, my cocktail of choice is either margaritas or mojitos. I love the mojitos of Discovery Shores--it was sweet and tangy, with just the right mix of alcohol and mint. I went there during happy hour, and it was a miracle I was able to find my way back to the hotel. Order the classic mojito--the watermelon variant wasn't as good enough. 

Discovery Shores
Station 1, Boracay
(+036) 288 4500

If you have no sense of direction like me, you can start at D'Mall, centrally located along White Beach at Station 2, your left towards the beach, and hit the restos until you reach the other end at Station 1: Lemoni Cafe-Zuzuni-Jonah's-Discovery Shores. Happy eating!

Laguna's Purple Oven for Soft Cinnamon Rolls, Apple Crumble and Choco Banana Walnut Loaves

There are many ways to go to Tagaytay, and one of the faster ones allows you a stop at Soledad 2, where one branch of Purple Oven is located. A colleague mention that the bakeshop supplies pastries to a well-known coffee chain, and that got me hooked. In particular, the soft cinnamon rolls came well-recommended. Let's juts say it's one heavenly specimen of cinnamon. It was creamy, pillow-soft, and to die for. Some say it's a tad sweet, but it's just right with unsweetened tea or black coffee. I was sorry when I ate it all.

I also brought home two loaves--one was the apple crumble loaf. Again, it was just right, perfect with coffee. I love the cinnamony sweet apple crumble and the soft dough.

Naturally greedy, I also bought the choco banana walnut loaf. I let it sit in the ref for a week, yet it retained its moisture. Who could resist a slice of  banana bread filled with melt-in-your hands chocolate chips, perfect with tea?

For my next visit I have my eyes set on the crinkles.

The Purple Oven
Solenad 2
Tagaytay Road cor Nuvali Boulevard
Santa Rosa, Laguna

Bohol's Flushing Meadows Resort for Ensayamdas

One of the more interesting ensaymadas I came across with is this looker from Bohol. Ensaymadas are light and airy pastries that originate from Majorca, Spain. The Philippines was under Spanish rule for more than 300 years, thus the influence in the former's cuisine. Margarine has replaced the original reduced pork lard  as ingredient, and the pastry is topped with shaved Edam cheese, butter, and sugar. For another ensaymada story, go here.

A little background: I was on assignment in Bohol. Bohol is an island-province forming part of the Visayas, a group of islands sandwiched between Luzon in the north and Mindano in the South. It is known for the Chocolate Hills, tarsiers, and people of deep faith. 

Now back to the main story. At first I thought it was bibingka, cooked as it was in banana leaves, but no. Compare this with the bibingka I scored from Quezon City last year. It was heftier and less fluffy than the usual ensayamda, and it has slivers of ube or purple yam embedded in the flesh (Bohol, by the way, is also known for its ube, arguably the best in the country). I kept two other pieces for eating later--that was how much I enjoyed eating it.

Cagayan de Oro’s Ensaymada-Pastel Hybrid

Don’t let appearances fool you. This is not any ordinary ensaimada. This is a fusion of ensaimada and pastel. This was served as our afternoon snack in a seminar in Mallberry Suites Hotel, Cagayan de Oro City.

A quick backgrounder: Ensaymada is a light and airy pastry that originates from Majorca, Spain. Margarine has replaced the original reduced pork lard (saim) as ingredient, and is topped with shaved Edam cheese, butter and sugar. Pastel, on the other hand, is yema-filled buns. Yema is a sweet made from milk and egg yolks.

And so we have this hybrid—ensaimada filled with buttery yema. The saltiness of the grated cheese played nicely with the sweet filling. Apparently this was not made in-house. Any idea what establishment this came from?

Do a good deed. Share this post.

Boracay's Real Coffee and Tea Cafe for Calamansi Muffins

Eating certain food triggers fond scenes of things past. Strawberries remind me of the wild varieties we used to pick on our way to school during our brief stay in Irian Jaya (now West Papua), Indonesia. Yesterday my office-mate brought back from her travel what appeared to be ordinary muffins, but tasted unmistakably of calamansi (citrofortunella microcarpa, also known as calamondin or acid orange). That instant I was transported to Boracay's Real Coffee and Tea cafe, a small unpretentious dining spot tucked in a corner of Station 1, a few steps away from the madding crowd.

Calamansi muffin is the cafe's signature offering. It's quite tart, so I pair it with tea. The last time I was there, I chanced upon the owner, American Nadine Rosaia, who was quite the charmer--very warm, and she was wearing pink sparkly shoes. She said she has been serving coffee for 15 years, back in the day when Boracay was less harried. That day, December 27 of last year, marked the cafe's anniversary, and she still remembers pouring drinks to her first three customers. She let us (me and a couple who were engaged) in on the ingredients of her special coffee brew, saying she sources her ingredients from all over the world.

I can't wait to return.

Do a good deed. Share this post.