六十八：Merienda en Dulcinea

Due to the colonization of Spain in our country, us Filipinos have been accustomed to eating snacks during afternoon or what they call in Spanish, merienda.

The Spaniards also introduced us to tsokolate and desserts made of milk, flour, sugar and those that require baking or frying since our ancestors would have been eating only steamed rice cakes for merienda.

Now we have a lot of choices for our merienda not just rice cakes. Now we have pansit, banana cues, breads, even western snacks such as cakes, pasta, burgers etc.

Clockwise L-R: Sans Rival, Creme Brulee and Brownie.

One day my friend and I decided to eat merienda and we were craving for something sweet so we decided to go for some pastries from Dulcinea.

Dulcinea is a restaurant that serves Filipino-Spanish foods such as paella, tapa, adobo etc. They also serve other western foods like pasta and sandwiches. Besides savory foods, they are also known for their cakes and pastries especially their churros.

I've heard great reviews about their churros and since I haven't tasted it yet, we ordered a set of churros con chocolate.

We also ordered their dessert sampler which has 3 desserts in one plate.

Thick Chocolate

Churros is actually a deep fried dessert made of flour, eggs, milk and sugar and is very similar to a funnel cake.

My first taste of churros was when we were grocery shopping at S&R in Taguig. They sell bavarian cream filled churros for 35Php for a foot long and it was one of the best thing that I tasted. But it wasn't long before it all got wasted because I remember while I was slowly eating and enjoying my churros, someone bumped me and I accidentally dropped my churros on the floor and I was totally shocked and was thinking of the 5 second rule but of course, I know I should let go of my dear churros because it was already swarmed by bacteria the first nanosecond it touched the cement... so much for my first time.

Crispy Churros

Moving forward and back to the present time, an order of Dulcinea's churros con chocolate has 4 churros and 1 dipping chocolate sauce.

The churros are very crunchy and also oily but tastes good. The chocolate is really thick and smooth and matches the churros well.

What I didn't like with their churros is that it is very oily mainly because it is deep fried. It's not as if it's dripping in oil but it's like my taste buds and body can sense that the food is indeed rich in fat.

The rest of the desserts in the dessert platter which were the Sans Rival, Brownie and Creme Brulee were also good. The Creme Brulee is like our leche flan or pannacotta which is smooth, milky, creamy and sweet. The brownie was fudgy and the Sans Rival was full of cashew nuts, rich, crunchy, buttery and not overly sweet.

We enjoyed our merienda well and I would definitely try their other desserts and maybe their dishes next time.

Dulcinea has numerous branches especially in SM Malls such as MOA, Megamall and North Edsa. The one in Sta. Lucia Mall is at Phase 3 Ground floor near the escalator. Budget would be around 200-500 per person.

六十五：Fleur De Lys Patisserie and Cafe

My review is a late post as my friends and I ate at this restaurant last 2013.

When I was a kid, I used to watch Heny Sison's baking show, A Taste of Life which teaches viewers how to bake cakes and other pastries. Heny Sison is one of the famous pastry chefs in our country much like my relative Reggie Aspiras.

Heny Sison had a co host in her show, Jackie Ang Po, a Fil-Chi pastry chef and is the owner of the patisserie in Tomas Morato, Fleur De Lys.

Soda iced tea 48Php.

It was two of my friends' birthday that day and we decided to have dinner at Tomas Morato since one of them works at a hospital near the place. 

Usually, the two would celebrate at Pizza Hut but decided to go different that time so we can try other restaurants plus we were craving for sweets.

There were four of us and decided we order a dish and a cake for each of us and everyone decided to get the soda iced tea (48Php) for our drinks.

Cream Dory with almond Butter

One of us ordered Pan fried breaded cream dory. It came with rice and somewhat butter mixture on the side and slices of lime. The fish looked dry and a bit burnt on the sides but it tastes good and the butter was quite different. I forgot what kind of butter it was but it's not your ordinary butter. I think it's actually almond butter.

Beef Stroganoff

I ordered beef stroganoff (165Php). The sauce was a mixture of red and white pasta sauce with shreds of beef and topped with parmesan cheese. It also came with a bread with some herbs in it. I found the serving to be quite small and the pasta quite dry.

The two other dishes that we ordered were from their breakfast dishes list. I can't remember the names but one is the Tapa (145PhP) and the other one I cannot remember. Both came with garlic rice but the garlic is actually just sprinkled on top of the white rice. I was expecting it to be mixed in the rice and then fried.

In my opinion, the servings were all small and it didn't look appetizing at all. It wasn't bad but the food doesn't taste great also. Food was just okay.

As for the ambiance, the place isn't cozy. Chairs were silver painted and the tables were wood. The place doesn't look that clean either in my opinion. We were also the only customers during that time and it was 6:00PM on a weekday.

Moving on, since our main goal was to actually eat dessert, we went to check the cakes and the cakes and pastries actually look beautiful. They have unique names such as Fountain of Youth and Pocket Garden. Our attention were all taken by the Pavlova Picasso cake because of its colors but none of us ordered it because it was just meringue with cream and fruits and we wanted cake.

You have a lot to choose from. they have Several cheesecakes, chocolate cakes and pies.

Again they have unique names for their cakes and pies such as Nuts About You because its a pie filled with nuts and the Cheesecake by Request because you can choose the topping that you want for the basic cheesecake that you'll be ordering.

We've decided to order Venus, Autumn Leaves, Cheesecake by Request and The Majestic.

I ordered Autumn Leaves and it's a basic chocolate cake and you can choose strawberry or caramel for the sauce. I chose strawberry because caramel might be too sweet. The cake was okay, nothing special and the strawberry sauce was too tart for me. I didn't enjoy it nor did my friends.

Autumn Leaves Strawberry Sauce 98Php

One chose Cheesecake by Request with Blueberries on the side. The cake was dense and creamy and it was okay, not that delicious. Again, nothing special.

Cheesecake by Request Blueberry 108Php

The third was The Majestic which for me tastes good because it wasn't too sweet. It's layers of mousse, cake and fudge covered in chocolate ganache. It's like everything that is chocolate that you'd want in a cake.

The Majestic 108Php

The last one and the savior was Venus. It's a mini cake that tastes somewhat like a Tiramisu. It's sponge cake that is soaked in  coffee with chocolate mousse and cream then there is a thin sheet of dark chocolate around it. 

Venus 108Php

If it weren't for the Venus cake and The Majestic cake, I'd say we didn't enjoy a single food there.

The cakes

I'm not sure if it was just wrong timing but the whole experience eating there wasn't enjoyable but the servers were nice and the cakes were "just" okay. So everything was just an okay experience for me.

The facade.

I also would like to say that the lighting there is also not good especially when taking pictures as you can see on the pictures that I posted. I really had a hard time taking good picture of the food especially the cakes. I think the lights were too yellow or they weren't just placed right that I had to use flash which is what I hate when taking pictures with my camera.

For those interested, I think some people will still enjoy the cakes there. I really cannot recommend the food so just try the cakes and you might enjoy it.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fleur-De-Lys/

Address: 305 Tomas Morato Ave., 1103 Quezon City, Philippines

六十三：Secret Recipe Cakes

When I went for a vacation in Singapore and Malaysia, this particular restaurant caught my attention because it has numerous branches that I saw about six of their branches in both countries and I actually thought it was the Jollibee or McDonald's of Singapore and Malaysia. Turns out, it's actually a real restaurant with a bakeshop and not a fast food restaurant.

I also remembered that they have a branch in the Philippines in SM Megamall Atrium but I have never tried eating there until I went to Malaysia.

Mango Delight

Sponge layers with mango slices covered with cream and topped with mango puree and sesame seeds.

Their logo is no secret recipe (pun intended) because it's super simple, it's just the words Secret Recipe in Mistral font face and white font color on a red background. They have no other designs added to it, just the words.

Oddly enough, it's an effective logo because everywhere I go in Singapore and Malaysia, it catches my attention.

The first time I heard about Secret Recipe is when my friends working in Malaysia uploaded pictures of cakes. I asked them where they bought it and they said it's from Secret Recipe.

I then learned that Secret Recipe is actually famous there for their cakes. They have numerous cake flavors and they have stalls that sell only cakes.

Chocolate Fudge

Secret Recipe actually reminds me of our very own Red Ribbon because both are famous for their cakes and both have a red and white themed logo. the difference is that Red Ribbon is mostly cakes and their menu is limited to a few Filipino dishes while Secret Recipe's menu ranges from Singaporean, Malaysian, Indian and Western dishes.

thin layer of fudge and chocolate cream in layers of chocolate cake

I've only tried Secret Recipe's pasta and it was really good. I forgot what type of pasta it was but it's cream based and it was really cheesey with mushrooms and shrimps sort of like a seafood fettuccine carbonara.

The only thing I don't like about Secret Recipe is their prices and serving. A dish is around 200Php and their 9 inch cream cakes are 900Php to 1200Php. I find those prices very steep especially if compared to let's say Red Ribbon or Goldilock's bakeshops where you can buy a whole 9 inch cake for less than 500Php.

Coffee/Mocha cake

I was not able to try their cakes when I was in Singapore and Malaysia but when I came back to the Philippines, I was checking some group buying sites and I saw a promo for Secret Recipe's cakes.

The promos was 50% off for the 9 inch cream cakes but it's limited to only a few flavors. The original price for a cake is 900Php and so it's being sold for only 450Php. I bought 4 flavors so I can try a lot of flavors.

coffee infused cake with coffee flavored cream and chocolate chips

Buyers will have to choose which branch to pick up the cakes and I chose SM Megamall Atrium and I scheduled my pick ups 1 cake a week in 4 weeks since I bought 4 and since it was November that time, I started the pickup mid November and the last around December which is my birthday month so I treated it like a Birthday Cake month. ^_^

The 4 flavors that I bought were: Mango Delight, Chocolate Fudge, Mocha Cake, and Chocolate Indulgence.

By the way, they call their cakes Cream Cakes maybe because it's covered with cream. You'll understand later as you read my description of the cakes.

Chocolate Indulgence

chocolate and lots of chocolate!

I first picked up Mango Delight because I like mangoes and it's a chiffon cake covered with cream and layered with ripe mango slices and more cream. On top it has a mango puree and some black sesame seeds.

The cake is soft and not too sweet and the mangoes were sweet too.

The next cake that I picked up was the Chocolate Fudge because I bought 2 chocolate cakes and I thought the Chocolate Indulgence one is better so I saved it for the last. The Chocolate Fudge cake is again covered with cream but this time it's chocolate cream and then in between the layers it has a thin layer of fudge and then on its sides, some chocolate vermicelli.

The 3rd cake that I picked up was the Mocha cake. The cake was a chiffon cake that seemed like it was soaked in coffee, kind of reminded me of the Tiramisu dessert where you soak the lady fingers in espresso. Again it's covered and filled with coffee flavored cream and then topped with a few chocolate chips. It's the simplest cake among the four that I bought.

The last cake and the most delicious cake among the four is the Chocolate Indulgence cake. It's a chocolate chiffon cake with layers of plain and chocolate flavored cream and then covered with chocolate cream and then covered again with chocolate ganache. It was delicious, soft, moist and not too sweet and the cake didn't even last a day because me and my family liked it a lot.

Will I buy cakes from Secret Recipe again? Maybe if they have another promo. ^_^

I still like the cakes from Red Ribbon more and it's way cheaper.

For the Secret Recipe Cake Flavors:

http://www.secretrecipe.com.my/page-3552.html

六十二：Figaro Coffee Company, Frappes and Cakes

I became a regular of Figaro Cafe because my friend would usually stay there for hours for her reviews and most of the time I join her to just chat with her.

I heard it's Filipino owned and most probably explains why they have a lot of Filipino dishes on their menu.

We usually go at their branch in Brickroad beside Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall in Cainta, Rizal.

It's quite hard to find since they are located at the back of Brickroad but it still gets crowded especially at night because those who live near the place are already frequent customers like us.

Cozy interiors and comfy wooden chairs

The place is very cozy. The walls have wooden panels and rock patterns. Most of the interiors are actually made of wood and wall lamps lit the whole place.

Their chairs and tables are also wooden but comfy enough. The tables have marble top and they also have some couches available.

They also provide magazines and wi-fi for a minimum fee so staying for hours is no problem especially when you're waiting for someone.

The only thing I don't like at their Brickroad branch is the toilet because it doesn't look that clean and it's cramped, not enough lighting and they they usually run out of toilet paper.

Figaro got famous for their latte art where the foam is designed to look like a leaf or a flower etc.

Besides coffee they offer pasta, sandwiches, burgers, rice meals and of course lots of pastries and cakes.

Other drinks that they serve are Twining's tea, milk, hot chocolate and iced tea.

If you don't like warm drinks, they also serve iced coffee and recently milk teas.

They aren't like Starbucks who's famous for frappes but just a few months ago, they started adding it to their menu.

Devil's Mocha Cake

The following are the flavors and prices of their frappes:

Figaroccino Caramel Chips

White Chocolate Mocha

Choco Chips Java

Figaroccino Cookie Crumble

Php135 16oz

Php150 20oz

Rich dark chocolate cake with mocha buttercream and topped with chocolate ganache weave

Their frappes are delicious, very creamy and not too sweet. For the non coffee drinkers, the Oreo frappe has no coffee in it and you may also ask the barista to remove the coffee for the other flavors.

 I would also like to add that their frappes are cheaper compared to, let's say Starbucks or CBTL which ranges from 150 - 200Php, to think that the food at Figaro is quite expensive, e.g pasta dish for 200Php.

White chocolate mocha (front) and Figaroccino Cookie Crumble Oreo (foreground)

Besides coffee, I've tried some of their dishes like the pasta, salad and some rice meals especially at breakfast where they serve Tapsilog and other silog dishes.

Like what I've said, it's quite pricey. I think a dish starts at 150Php up to 300Php.

So if you plan on eating there prepare about 200-500Php for a full meal with coffee or any drinks.

Figaroccino Cookie Crumble Oreo and Caramel Chips

Though it's quite expensive, the food is good and of course, when I eat at a place that serve dessert, I make sure I try them.

Figaro serves an assortment of desserts from cakes, brownies, bars, muffins, cupcakes etc.

The cakes are around 100Php per slice and the pastries are around 50Php.

The desserts are good and I've tried some chocolate cakes from them and so far I liked them all.

I was told that their Red Velvet is their best seller and so one time I tried a slice.

Their Red Velvet, like any other red velvet cake is a but dry but still good. the cream cheese frosting helps in moistening the cake, still I'm yet to find the best red velvet cake.

Besides the Red Velvet, they also have a Blue Velvet which I think is made of blueberry.

Red Velvet Cake

For those looking for a coffee shop in Rizal, besides Starbucks, you may opt to try Figaro in Brickroad.

They also have a branch inside the Sta. Lucia mall just between Cinema 9 and 10 but the one in Brickroad is open until 11PM.

Make sure you try their cakes and enjoy their coffee.

五十七：Xocolat, The Ultimate Hot Chocolate

It's been a while since I last uploaded a blog post. I've been quite busy the past months mainly because of work, trying out new stuff and seeking adventures. :P

Like my last post about Rocci, I'm going to review another chocolate cafe which Xocolat. 

I was introduced to Xocolat by my ex-boyfriend who also likes chocolate a lot. He told me that they have these cold blended chocolate drinks that are really good. 

My first time trying their chocolate drinks were at their Katipunan branch in Quezon City. 

The place looks like a house turned into a cafe and so the ambiance is very cozy, it's like drinking hot chocolate at your own house.

The second time that we tried Xocolat was when it was still located inside Eastwood City in Libis, Quezon City. 

They had a small bar-like store at the Citywalk and the ambiance was still cozy. Unfortunately that store had to close and they moved outside Eastwood City.

This is Red, Red Velvet Cake, 115Php per slice.

Lucky for me, they were just a few minutes walk outside Eastwood City. It's quite hard to find because they are located inside one of the warehouses in Libis. There is a tarpaulin outside the gate but unless you're very keen you will definitely miss it.

I was really happy when I found out that Xocolat is still accessible at least from where I work

And so I had a friend accompany me there.

Xoco Lava 145Php

I ordered their Xoco Lava which is I think their signature drink. They call it Cold Caprichos. They actually name their dishes with some quirky names such as Tentaciones for their cakes which I assume means temptations.

Their Xoco Lava is like hot chocolate that is served blended with ice with lots of milk and topped with whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce. The drink is 145Php for the large size. Unfortunately, it tasted a bit bland compared to what I tasted in their Katipunan branch.

I also ordered their red velvet cake called This is Red. It's 115Php per slice. I also didn't quite liked it as it was too dry in my opinion. I wish I could have ordered a chocolate cake instead.

Assorted Cakes on display.

As the name implies, they serve a lot of chocolate products and most especially hot chocolate. They have chocolate cakes, chocolate drinks, chocolate pastries, even savory chocolate dishes.

Revel bars, Brownies etc. 50Php

Besides chocolate, they also serve real food like pasta and rice. They also have non-chocolate cakes such as cheesecakes and they also have other pastries like ensaymadas etc.

lamps?

I really like how this branch looks. From the outside it's like a small country house with trees and flowers and inside it's cozy with wooden tables and chairs, couches and they accentuated their walls with some small paintings and other wooden crafts.

Cute tiles.

Even their bathroom has some art in it. The tiles have flower designs and some wooden planks with paintings.

Overall, I still like Xocolat. I just noticed that the drinks aren't as good as I remembered it would be compared to my first time trying it in Katipunan but I will still go back there another time to try some of their products.

Website: Xocolat

Location: Casita Xocolat, Topy’s Compound, Economia cor Calle Industria Street, Bagumbayan (beside Eastwood City and Nuvo City)