Feed This Blog

Pardon Our Absence.

2006-09-25T18:53:00.000+08:00

It has been quite a while since we last posted anything here. Chiara and I will try our best to bring this blog back to life no matter how busy were are. That's a promise! Now, onto the (delayed) pictures!

Dinner at Ramen Ichiban-Kan:

Gyoza

Chahan Set

Omurice is love.

I also made crabcakes a couple of weeks ago. The recipe is here so you may want to try it out!

Mmm, crabcakes.

-Ant

We're not dead. Just busy.

2006-07-25T17:44:00.000+08:00

Cupcakes by Chiara

Is it a cupcake or a pin-cushion? Delicious red-velvet cupcake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting created by my foodie partner, Chiara. All I did here was sprinkle those festive sprinkles on.

Lunch at Recipes

Chicharon Bulaklak. There's nothing like deep-fried pork intestines and chilli vinegar! Yum!

Crowd pleaser: Gising-gising which will definitely wake you up! Finely chopped string beans with green chilli, ground pork, and coconut milk.

-Ant

Long Overdue

2006-06-22T18:24:00.000+08:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, friends! Chiara and I have been terribly busy the past couple of weeks, but not to worry! I was able to snap a couple of photos of drool-worthy food right before my mouth gobbled them all up. First of all, I would like to say that I am no longer a bum and that means I'll ber earning my own money! I'm scared that I just might finish my salary on food so I definitely have to control myself! Next, the pictures are coming up so enjoy!

Delicious Salmon sushi and sashimi. Love the color

After shopping with some friends last Wednesday, we decided to stop by the East Cafe inside the Rustan's Deparment store in Makati. We initially planned on just having a light snack but all the walking got us hungry. We started by ordering salmon sushi and sashimi and when that was gone, we thought it was best to just continue and have an early dinner. Sadly, I was only able to take pictures of the salmon and the other food (prawn tempura, lamb rendang, pork belly, and steak) were devoured right away.

Panna Cotta Al Miele Tartufato from L'Opera

On Father's Day, we celebrated at L'Opera at the Fort and basked in the beauty of the restaurant's new location. For my main dish, I ordered penne with prawns and mascarpone cheese sauce and it was absolutely terrific. Again, my mouth was faster than my camera and it was gone by the time I remembered I brought one with me. If you're not a big eater, it would be best to share an order of pasta with someone else because the portions are so generous and the delicious bread basket they serve before every meal is going to fill you up if you can't control yourself.

The star of the night's meal (for me, because I am sure my brother would disagree) would have to be the Panna Cotta Al Miele Tartufato. The panna cotta was deliciously jiggly and creamy and it came with honeyed truffle sauce and sweet balsamic vinegar. The two sauces were drizzled over the delicious mountain of jiggly cream and every bite is an adventure. The sweet balsamic vinegar offers a very interesting taste which might not agree with a lot of tastebuds but it's something different I think everyone should try. The honeyed truffle sauce was also interesting since the distinct taste of the truffle (my brother thinks it tastes like gasoline) overpowers the honey. After smacking your lips for a while, the honey's taste finally comes to life and blends well with the panna cotta.

Profiteroles, still from L'Opera

The profiteroles were disappointing. Sure they look good and tempting, but their texture was not pleasant at all. It lacked that airy quality and it was very thick. My mom kept pointing out that these didn't compare to the ones they had in France. I guess that scoop of vanilla ice cream and generous drizzle of chocolate sauce saved the dessert from being ignored.

Tagaytay Highlands Steakhouse

2006-06-13T14:14:00.001+08:00

On a dark and stormy Sunday night, my parents and I made our way to Tagaytay to satisfy our unexpected steak craving. Being the voracious meat eater that I am, I was extremely excited since it's been a while since I last sank my teeth into a bloody piece of meat. Dinner came early at 6:30 and we knew we made the right decision. We entered the place with a surprise because the main dining hall was filled with families which caused my mom and I to sulk a little since we both thought we were going to settle for another restaurant. But after a few seconds, the server asked us to follow her and brought us to the restaurant's extension, conveniently located one floor below.

The restaurant extension below was a wonderful surprise. It was rather bare, but one side featured a huge glass window that offered diners a stunning view of Taal lake and the volcano. You could see the looming storm clouds outside and the deep blue of the sky was absolutely beautiful. As we got seated, we were immediately served with complimentary bread and butter.

Multi-grain Baguette

I personally thought the bread was okay. A little tough but enjoyable. My dad thought otherwise. He said it was rather tasteless and I could sense that it bothered him a bit. I'd have to say that it isn't the most flavorful bread but the grains added lots of texture and a distinct taste that would linger briefly in one's mouth. I limited myself to two small slices since I knew that if I kept eating, I wouldn't have room for my steak.

Caesar Salad

The steak dinner came with soup and salad. The soup, which was cream of...something (I forgot to ask) wasn't photographed because sometimes, my mouth is faster than my camera. From what I can remember, it was very good. Creamy, rich, and each spoonfull ensured you of a mouth full of vegetables. The salad came next and I asked for the regular caesar dressing since I wasn't really in the mood to try their other dressings. It was good except that it had corn kernels and slices of green and red bell peppers which I found annoying. They also didn't use Romaine Lettuce which is what I'm used to but aside from that, it was okay. Oh! Another thing, the salad only came with ONE crouton. It was obviously old and un-fresh and was strangely sweet. What gives?

Bloody-just the way I like it.

YAY STEAK! I was amazed at the size of this slab of delicious, mouth-watering beef. It was cooked medium rare, the fat marbling was almost perfect, and every bite was tender and juicy. The mashed potatoes that came with the steak was already being flavored by the juices oozing out of the steak and the steamed vegetables were crunchy and fresh. The wild mushroom gravy was a good partner for my rib eye but in the back of my mind, I knew I wasn't going to finish this. My stomach can only take so much but I think I ate more than half so that was money well spent.

-Ant

What you find in Taft when you're not looking, and keep those cupcakes a'comin

2006-06-08T22:25:00.000+08:00

Amidst all the smog, the trash and the traffic (and homicide), there is a place few even realize exists. Tucked behind Warzone on Leon Guinto St. hides The Old Spaghetti House. I wouldn't have seen this place if I wasn't brought there one magical afternoon. Whenever I walk in I feel like I'm somewhere else, somewhere away from all the car horns and the pollution, it's incredibly refreshing.

The three times I've eaten there, I've ordered the Chicken Piccata with Garlic Spaghetti twice. It's insanely delicious. Each boneless chicken breast is marinated in garlic, butter and spices and is cooked to perfection. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

I went with Pat who ordered Eggplant Parmegiana.

She didn't finish it, and said it was too filling. But she kept picking of my plate. Everyone must try the Chicken Picatta at that place.

Anyway, I made Vanilla Cupcakes today. I am a crazy cupcake machine.

- Chiara

Mackin' on some cupcakes

2006-06-03T18:55:00.000+08:00

I made cupcakes! Lemon cream cupcakes to be exact. I've been wanting to for a while now and since I had the time today, I did it. They turned out a lot better than I expected. I burnt the first batch a little though. It's a good thing I made enough batter for 3 batches.

Burnt, but still delicious.

Mmm batter, mmm frosting.

The second batch came out really well.

Mmm, diabetes.

- Chiara

Pineapple Danish from the Heritage Hotel

2006-06-02T00:21:00.000+08:00

My parents came home with a box of pineapple danishes from the Heritage Hotel earlier tonight. I got extremely excited because if there is one pastry out there that tickles my fancy, it would be the danish. Strawberry, kiwi, blueberry, mango, heck, even coconut and cream cheese danishes are good! As I took my first bite a few minutes ago, I was slightly disappointed by the texture. I'm not a pastry expert but isn't the texture supposed to be similar to that of a croissant? This one had a bread-y texture, glazed with a delicious sheen with custard and pinapple in the middle. I guess not everything is perfect so I just shoved that little fault aside and enjoyed it.

To our dear readers, you may now e-mail us at feedthisblog@gmail.com. We would love hearing from you. Thanks! :D

-Ant

A Day At Dayrit's

2006-06-01T01:04:00.000+08:00

Dayrit's has been around long enough to be a household name (in Manila at least). Time and time again, my dad has raved about the food they serve which means Dayrit's has definitely been around for quite a time. Maybe I never gave it enough attention when I was younger because I was still ignorant to the wonder that is food. Back then, food was something I would just shove in my mouth and swallow. How terribly sad.

Last Sunday, my family and I decided to have dinner at the new Dayrit's which is located at Magallanes. I was in the mood for a burger so I didn't really bother reading the menu since I spotted the Big D Burger right away. I didn't know what it was exactly but seeing the words "big" and "burger" in the same line was enough to convince me that that was my meal for the night.

The burger arrived after what seemed like forever because the restuarant was filled with people. It came with two burger patties, a generous amount of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, and two slices of cheese. The bread looked rather dry and it didn't look so appetizing because dry-looking bread isn't really...um...appetizing. I sliced the burger in half because I already knew that eating it whole would mean major spillage. What surprised me was the thin layer of gravy inside the sandwich and it added moisture to the otherwise icky dry bread. All in all, everything came together really well.

To wash it down, I shared the massive Sago't Gulaman (tapioca balls and gelatin) with my mom. The sweetness of the brown sugar syrup wasn't as sweet as I expected it to be so that was nice. The crushed ice didn't force its way up the straw and into your throat so that was nice too. Perhaps this has got to be one of the best Sago't Gulaman drink I've ever had. The next time I visit Dayrit's, I'll make sure that I order the roast beef with Hawaiian rice because I kept on picking off of my brother's plate. Hehehe.

Big D Burger

Sago't Gulaman

-Ant

So Good They Had To Name It Twice : Mori Mori & Seoul Seoul Mart

2006-05-24T16:35:00.000+08:00

Scream for Mori Mori! Get it? Uhh...

My birthday was yesterday so now I'm another year older. I'm not terribly excited about that but at least it's a good excuse to eat out. This year's restaurant of choice was Mori Mori at Casa Susana beside Alabang Town Center. Once you enter the smoke-filled restaurant, the aroma of various meats being grilled on tables immediately makes your mouth water. Slices of beef, chicken, and pork are glistening on table tops and Japanese businessmen are all around; laughing, eating, drinking, and having a good time.

We started by ordering the Tuna Sashimi and Futomaki. These two appetizers were excellent and so fresh. You could still see tuna guts on the sashimi (not a very appetizing description, I know) and the Futomaki was in the perfect size and the contents complemented each other harmoniously. It was a good starter and didn't make us feel bloated since the star of the night's meal was the mixed Yakiniku plate.

Mmm fresh. Can you see the guts?

Futomaki

The mixed Yakiniku plate comes with 4 kinds of meat. 2 slices of beef: one fatty and one lean, pork, and chicken. My favorites would have to be the beef and chicken because the pork tends to get a bit tough once it is cooked. After grilling the meat on the hot pit in the middle of your table, you dip it in a sweet sauce that you can customize by adding garlic paste and chilli paste. Be careful with the chilli past though. Put too much and mucus will be dripping down your nose in no time. But I guess that's fun too.

Rrraaawww.

"What kind of restaurant makes you cook your own food anyway?" -Bob from Lost In Translation

Another thing you must order when eating at Mori Mori is the prawn tempura. Unlike other restaurants, the prawns they use here are huge. I've had tempura at other restaurants that was more batter than prawn and that's just sad. Also, my dad keeps on raving about how the taste of Mori Mori's tempura is the same as the tempura he had in Japan.

Crispy & golden

To cleanse our palate, we ordered the Daikon Salad. A generous amount of thinly sliced radish topped with bonito flakes filled the salad bowl and was smothered with a tangy sauce. If you get sick of the taste of grilled meats (how is that possible though?), just have a mouthful of the Daikon Salad and you'll be as good as new, devouring meat like there was no tomorrow! Thank Jebus for Daikon Salad!

Daikon Salad

After our wonderful dinner, we passed by the Seoul Seoul Mart next door to pass the time and look for dessert. I bought the Almond Ice Cream (or Ice Milk) and was surprised to learn that it sort of tasted like coffee at first then the flavor mellowed down to that of creamy almonds. Every bite also ensures you of a mouthful of almond bits and rich, creamy goodness.

Almond Ice Milk

Korean and Japanese goodies line the shelves of Seoul Seoul Mart
-Ant

Explosion of Taste and Color at Hap Chan Tea House

2006-05-22T16:25:00.000+08:00

Reds, yellows, and oranges all around.

My family and I had dinner at the newly opened Hap Chan at Brittany Bay last night. Thank Jebus my mom forced us to go a bit early rather than the usual 7-7:30pm. We stepped out of the car and a whole bunch of people were waiting outside, waiting for tables. We got lucky since my mom's a bit pushy when it comes to waiting for tables and we were seated in less than 10 minutes.

Unlike China or Hong Kong where dimsum is served from 9am-3pm, Chinese restaurants in the Philippines serve dimsum the whole day. Hap Chan has one of the best dimsum menus in the country and the affordable prices and rich flavors makes people come back for more. The presentation, of course, is not as spectacular as one might imagine. Imagine 4 pieces of whatever dumplings plopped in the middle of a traditional steamer and thats it. But don't be turned off. Once you pick one up, dip it in soy sauce and chilli oil and pop it in your mouth, ahh heaven.

Steamed Pork Dumplings or "Siomai"

Steamed Shrimp Dumplings or "Ha Kaw"

Shark's Fin Dumplings

We also ordered the house specialty, steamed broccoli with garlic. This dish is so simple but so good. The broccoli is fresh and crunchy and the garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil are the holy trinity of flavor. Aside from that, we got the Tofu with Soy Sauce, Sweet and Sour Pork, Salted Fish Fried Rice, Camaron Rebusado (deep-fried battered shrimp), chicken feet, and the Hong Kong Style Iced Milk Tea to wash it all down.

Steamed Broccoli with Garlic

Tofu with Soy Sauce

Dig in!

Milk Tea

Just wave hello!

-Ant

The Java Man Etc.

2006-05-21T14:16:00.000+08:00

After a job interview at the Ayala Museum two days ago, I decided to have an early lunch at The Java Man inside PowerBooks Live! so that I could relax and read while waiting for Chiara. The cafe serves your traditional pastas and coffees along with panini's, wraps, and fresh fruit shakes while you admire the very green view outside the window. I decided to have a light lunch since my tummy wasn't feeling too well that day. Maybe it was hyper acidity or maybe it was the gravy from KFC I had the night before. I'll probably blame it on the gravy.

I ordered the Chicken Caesar Wrap and a bottle of water while reading Down and Dirty Pictures by Peter Biskind. The wrap came after a few minutes and sadly, the presentation was so boring. The wrap, sliced in half, was placed in the middle of a white plate with a slice of cucumber and tomato as a garnish. It would have been better if they used plates that were a little more festive but I don't own The Java Man so what do I care right? Heh.

The wrap, like its presentation, was boring too. It didn't wow me and the taste was as plain as plain can be. I saw that the chicken had rosemary leaves on it everytime it would make its way out of the poorly constructed, undercooked flour tortilla wrap. Sadly, the rosemary's strong flavor didn't do anything to help the taste of the wrap and left me unsatisfied and bored. Would it be wrong if I said that my bottle of water was more exciting? Probably not.

Since Chiara already beat me to it, let me just post my pictures from our Friday Juice Fest at M Cafe.

Peach Lychee Shake

Passion Fruit and Silken Tofu Lychee Shake

Vegetable sticks and Peanut-Curry Dip

-Ant

True tuna love, JUICE FEST, & keepin' up with the Cui's

2006-05-21T01:05:00.000+08:00

Every once in a while, my mom brings me home some treats. And when I say treats I mean TREATS! Yes, I am a dog. Last week she brought home a dozen tuna turnovers. The same tuna turnovers I'd tried at my aunts house. They were incredible. As soon as you bite into the the soft, flakey, crisp exterior, it's an explosion of buttery tuna goodness. Pure yum.

Great snacks aside, Ant and I went on a juice fest at M Cafe last Friday. When I got there he had just finished a Peach Lychee Shake, which he recommended to me. After that I decided to try the Passion Fruit Shake, while he tried the Silken Tofu Lychee Shake. They were both delicious, the Silken Tofu Lychee Shake moreso. The tofu really added something to the lychee, which was protein, really. It was really good.

We got free carrot, cucumber and some other vegetable in sticks to dip in a spicy peanut sauce.

At lunch today, since my dad's home, and every time he comes home is a reason to celebrate, Lita (our cook) brought out the big guns.

We had fried rice with peas, carrots, and some sausage.

And some crab. Yes, eat the crab.

Tomorrow: Sugi!

-Chiara

Hop on the tasty train to Pizza Land

2006-05-17T16:17:00.000+08:00

Yesterday, still reeling from my trip to Australia (yes, 2 weeks later I'm still hungover from that sweet seafood explosion), I decided to once again venture into the mysterious world of Vegemite. I toasted the bread, spread on some butter, a thin layer of the 'mite, and slapped on some square cheese, and presto, my sammich of questionable delight is born.

(with some Dalandan juice to wash it down)

That night I went over to Roman's house, since we've both been craving pizza for a while, we decided we'd order from Yellow Cab. This was an easy and obvious choice, Yellow Cab's never let me down when it comes to satisfying my pizza needs. We ordered a pepperoni and mushroom pizza.

Pizza, glorious pizza

What's that on the horizon? More pizza!

As if that weren't enough for us, Roman brought out some left over ribs they had. -_-

and the tasty train just keeps 'a-comin

The pizza was perfect. It's as if they strategically placed all pepperoni and mushroom so that in every bite you get an equal amount of both. It was "pan"-tastic. (Weak, I know.)

Pizza and ribs go bye-bye

-Chiara

Tasmanian Apple Blossom Tea

2006-05-17T13:05:00.000+08:00

What better way to warm up on a gloomy, grey day by sipping on a hot cup of Apple Blossom Tea.

By adding a teaspoon of Splenda or Equal, the fruity-floral taste of this tea comes alive.

This tea would also taste good iced. Perfect for hot summer days.

-Ant

Fruit tarts, Sandwiches, Crispy Oyster Mushrooms

2006-05-16T14:53:00.000+08:00

When I ride with my parents going to Makati, we usually have breakfast at Delifrance. Their breakfast menu is simple and offers a good selection of breads, omelettes, pastries, and sandwiches. Being a non-breakfast eater, my appetite in the morning is almost non-existent which causes me to just order a cup of coffee or a 1/4 baguette with jam and butter. I thought I'd try the Mixed Fruit Tart yesterday morning since I thought it was the perfect size. Not too small which was perfect for giving me energy and not too big that I'd want to purge the invisible contents of my morning stomach.

The mixed fruit tart is a combination of grapes, sliced peaches, and either a strawberry or a kiwi (depends on the season I guess). The pastry crust was a little disappointing. It was crumbly and had a dry texture in my mouth while chewing. But I'm not a pastry expert so that's probably how it's supposed to be. I don't know. It would have been a lot better if it wasn't as crumbly though. On the other hand, the custard where the glistening slices of fruit were sitting on was perfect. It was creamy and a bit firm and not too sweet. There have been instances where I've eaten custard that was a bit too sweet that it caused my throat to hurt. Has that ever happened to you? Maybe people who aren't too fond of sweets like me know what I'm talking about. The fruits were okay too. The peaches obviously came from a can but I'm not complaining. The grapes and the slice of kiwi were sweet unlike the slices of kiwi that came with my parents breakfast set a few weeks ago. It would be a lot better if they used seedless grapes for this tart because that surprising crunch you get from biting into a grape seed isn't really pleasant and the slight bitter taste, well...sucks.

Pho Hoa

Having lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant either means you're craving for some hot, delicious Pho or fresh vegetable spring rolls. Not me. I was in the mood for a Vietnamese sandwich because I love baguettes! And in case you didn't know, Vietnam was colonized by France so baguettes are an important part of the Vietnamese culinary world. (I'm sure most of you already knew that, but being a smart-ass is fun.)

Mmm so good.

The Vietnamese Sandwich consisted of generous slices of Vietnamese ham (light brown-ish in color compared to most hams that are usually on the pink side), pate, lettuce, shreded carrots and cucumbers, cilantro, and a thin spread of mayonnaise. So what can I say about the sandwich? IT WAS DELICIOUS. The baguette had the right texture; a semi-tough and crunchy exterior with a fluffy and chewy inside. The slices of ham and vegetables went great with each other but the two ingredients that made such a big difference were the pate and cilantro leaves. The pate lent a liver-y taste (duh) that wasn't overpowering at all. The taste lingered in my mouth in just the right amount of time and it made me look forward to taking another bite. The cilantro added a much needed kick to all the subtle flavors the sandwich had. The distinct taste of cilantro bursts in your mouth pleasantly and in a way, completes everything.

The sandwich came with a side of "fries". Notice the use of quotation marks when I mention "fries". They were made from sweet potatoes and I hate that. I want real potato fries that are oily, crispy, and salty. These "fries" were kind of sweet and had a starchy texture. I don't like that! No no no no no.

Deepfried Oyster Mushrooms

These crispy oyster mushrooms were delicious. Crunchy, tender, slightly salty. The dipping sauce was good too. Probably soy sauce with a little sugar mixed in. I tweaked it a bit by adding sliced red chilis and adding a drop or two of delicious Sriracha. Some of you might gasp saying "Isn't that too spicy?!" and yeah it was. Just the way I like it.

-Ant

Mother's Day Pt.2; Bad lighting=super saturated photos

2006-05-14T23:51:00.000+08:00

Mother's day was celebrated at our family's favorite Italian restaurant, Amoroma. Found along Alabang-Zapote Road, the hole-in-the-wall restaurant is at the basement of the Bank of Commerce building, sandwiched between a chapel and a pet clinic... ??? Yep, that's right. Amoroma is placed in such an odd location that one would never think an authentic Italian restaurant could possibly exist there. So until this day, Amoroma has been one of Manila's best kept secrets even if they have been in the business for 4-5 years already. The restaurant, run by husband and wife Nino and Pholie Mastropietro, take pride in their freshly made pastas, creamy home-made gelattos, and an impressive selection of wine.

We started our meal with the complimentary bread basket that came with little saucers filled with pesto sauce and tomatoes with olive oil (You may ask the server for olive oil and balsamic vinegar if that's your thang). After that, we ordered the Pizza Con Salsiccia. The crispy, thin crust pizza is smothered with fresh tomato sauce, a thin layer of mozzarella cheese, crumbled Salsiccia sausages, and red onion rings. Baked to a perfect crisp, the pizza is neither too light nor too heavy and one may help him or herself to more than two slices without feeling overstuffed. Personally, the pizza doesn't do anything for me anymore. Maybe I've been eating it too much that I sometimes think I'm eating a cracker. But don't listen to me! I've been eating there for 5 years straight that my tastebuds have probably gone on strike. First timers usually rave about how great the pizza is and I'm happy for them because they really are good pizzas! Another family favorite is the Margherita so if you ever find yourself in Amoroma, order it. I promise, they don't taste like crackers! That's just me. Okay? Okay.

For my main course, I ordered gnocchi with Contadina sauce which is a cream based sauce with italian bacon, gorgonzola cheese, sundried tomatoes, asparagus, and mushrooms. Hmm, how do I describe this? Well, it was perfect in every way. I've been dreaming of gnocchi for the past two days and decided I would have it for mother's day. Funny thing is, two years ago, we celebrated mother's day in San Francisco and I also ordered gnocchi! Hah! Anyway. While eating this wonderful plate of yumminess, I had to have everything on my fork for balance. The crunch of the asparagus was complimented by the chewiness of the gnocchi. The saltiness of the italian bacon was balanced out by the tanginess of the sundried tomatoes. In short, the ingredients of this dish was a match made in foodie-heaven. The only downside? It was too rich and heavy. Perhaps the best tip I can offer when eating gnocchi is to not have a Spam sandwich with butter and a side of macaroni salad before dinner and two slices of pizza! I'll try to keep that in mind myself next time.

-Ant

Mother's Day Pt. 1

2006-05-14T22:47:00.000+08:00

So this years Mother's Day was a little slow for our family. Being that my dad lives in China and my brother has his own family now, my mom and I took it upon ourselves to celebrate. For lunch we ate in Cafe Puccini at the Fort. We shared a Greek salad, creamy risotto with spinach and shrimp, and a beef tenderloin steak. My camera didn't charge in time for me to bring it, so I thought I'd make it up with dinner, which was equally delicious.

T-bone steak smothered in garlic
(not very pretty, I know, but insanely good, the meat was so tender)

Couscous with kani, cucumber and tomato

Eggplant parmigiana

Some Wolf Blass cabernet sauvignon to go with the steak

And for dessert, cream puffs we bought at a bazaar

-Chiara

Pastries from Bizu Patisserie

2006-05-14T18:34:00.000+08:00

Bizu Patisserie has been providing Manila's chi-chi crowd with beautifully decorated cakes, pastries, and the famous Macarons De Paris for a couple of years now. The place is usually packed during weekends with groups of friends blowing air kisses all around and families craving for something sweet. I am not someone who you would call a dessert lover because 1.) I am not a big fan of sweets and 2.) I am usually pretty full after every meal, but I do make exceptions whenever I'm in the mood.

This is the Babylon. The base is made from a soft, airy cake (probably sponge cake) and covered with a raspberry mousse and topped with a gelatinous, citrusy, bright-red glaze. Probably my favorite cake among the lot, the Babylon is a perfect mix of sweet and sour. The smooth, creamy sweetness of the mousse mixes well with the strong acidity of the raspberry glaze and fruit. In case you're wondering, I did not order the whole cake. In fact, I didn't order it that night. If and when I do order it, I make sure I get the personal version which is good for 1 or 2 people (depends on how hungry you are I guess).

Macarons De Paris, or cookies-that-are-too-colorful-they-look-fake, are made from "crushed almonds and luxurious creme ganache flavors" and have a surprisingly soft and chewy texture. Whenever I see these colorful pastries, I always imagine how they would taste like. These macaroons don't really come cheap and cost ₱30-35 a piece and that's too expensive for an unemployed university graduate like me. Luckily, my mom and her best friend decided to pop in to Bizu for coffee and dessert after dinner and I took advantage of the situation *insert evil laugh here*. I tried two flavors, caramel and orange, and both got mixed reviews. Lets start with the good review. The orange macaroon was splendid. It was delightfully sweet and reminded me, strangely enough, of orange popsicles? I secretly wished they made larger macaroons because the regular sized ones could be eaten in one bite. But I guess that's how it really is and I can't have everything my way. The caramel macaroon was so-so. It didn't really excite me that much and it hardly tasted of caramel. It was just...umm...sweet? Sadly, I didn't finish it and I left my half eaten macaroon on the plate and ignored it until it was time to go home.

With a variety of flavors to choose from, (mint, mango, rose, vanilla, and hazelnut to name a few) the perfectly flavored macaroon is waiting for each individual and might take a trial and error taste test in order to figure out which one of these plump, colorful discs is suited to your taste. I guess I was lucky the first time.

Mmm pretty cakes. Too bad I didn't order any of them. I'll probably order the Fresh Strawberry Chiboust next time.

-Ant