Aristocrat

It is an ongoing tradition with my husband to buy a whole cake 2-3 times a week. I told him that I wouldn’t have dessert when we dine out if he’ll buy me a whole cake twice a week. I reasoned-out that by doing so we’ll (he’ll) be saving more. A dessert in restos usually cost P150 up, that’s just for a single person, unlike if we buy a whole cake that’ll cost around P500 that’ll last for 3-4 days (a day and a half in my case, and that is with a lot of control) and can be shared by us.


To digress, he was telling me to buy Polly’s Chocolate Cake (he loves it now =) ) for our cake of the week, but since I recently came across the Inquirer’s 20 Yummiest Commercially-Baked Cakes, I wanted to try them one at a time, so I started with Aristocrat’s Mucha Leche Cake P165 (mini).


I have also heard about it last year from a certain blogger but never got to try it until now.


A staff in Aristocrat told me to keep it frozen.

Back at home I inspected the cake.


Under the white chocolate shavings and rolls was a milk-soaked pound cake (they said that it’s a sponge cake but it doesn’t freeze well, so maybe, just maybe, they’re wrong) and buttercream.


Basically, the preparation of the cake was similar to that of a Tres Leches, but with only one kind of milk. The fact that it was frozen made it taste and looked like an ice cream cake.


I wasn’t able to get the “pastillas taste” though that was written on the column, just that they taste of milk. And I dittoed, when my husband said that it also resembled a bread pudding, with its crunchy top and sides that cut the creaminess of the cake.

I didn’t eat the cake with all its white chocolate (although they are my favourite), because doing so will make the cake cloying. At first I sampled the cake with all the works, then finished the entire milk-soaked pound cake with the almost melted cream. Left were a lot of white chocolate that I nibbled on later that day.

I like eating the cake a few minutes out of the freezer, by that time the cream’s (which tasted like a mantecado ice cream) already melted and a perfect pair to the milk-soaked pound cake.




Another from the “Yummy List” and also from Aristocrat is the Torta delos Reyes P85/slice.


Six layers of wafers, buttercream and nuts, sealed with chocolate ganache.


This was also served frozen.


I don’t like sansrival that much that I was hesitant on ordering it at first.


The wafers/meringue part of sansrival tend to deflate when bitten thru which I don’t fancy, but since it’s frozen it eliminated that fear.

It was also like an ice cream cake. The buttercream tasted like vanilla ice cream and the frozen chocolate ganache of chocolate ice cream. So together it was like eating a vanilla and chocolate ice cream. It also resembled/tasted like a frozen Kitkat bar, with the wafer, chocolate and all.

I enjoyed eating the cake but felt “bitin” with a slice, I want to have more.


Happy Eating!

ARISTOCRAT
Roxas Boulevard, Manila

Hizon's Toasted Yema

Confused on what sweets I can bring home I chanced upon Hizon’s Toasted Yema P45.


Toasted sponge cake coated with yema.


It was like a mamon tostado but softer.


I was a lot disappointed with the ratio of yema to the cake and also its price. P45 for such a simple and small cake. I felt shortchanged.

Happy Eating!

HIZON’S
Mall of Asia

Lord Stow's

Strolling around Mall of Asia, I came across one of their booths.


Still entranced by the egg tarts I had in Macau, I bought a piece to try at P36.


It has the puff pastry and the creamy and not eggy caramelized custard that I like.


But I still find those that I had in Macau and KFC-Hong Kong to be the best, anyways this can suffice until I get back and have the original.


Btw, I found out later on that they are a franchise of Lord Stow’s in Macau, hence the name (duh!).

Happy Eating!

LORD STOW’S
Mall of Asia

Goldilocks Cinnamon Rolls P21

This I would never ever buy myself.

I like the rolls of Cinnabon and Cinnzeo but not of Goldilocks.


I have eaten it before and never liked it.

So when my husband offered me a bite of his microwaved-cinnamon roll, I was close to refusing his offer but changed my mind.


I was surprised with what my tongue came in contact with. Soft and sweet, with just enough raisins and nuts to go around. Actually, I like it more than their ube ensaymada that I traded my extra piece of ensaymada for my husband’s last piece of cinnamon roll. He accepted, but later on regretted doing so.


We both agreed on buying more the next day.


Happy Eating!

Goldilocks Ube Ensaymada P25

This was introduced to me by my husband 2 days ago.

I never ever microwave my ensaymada or any bread or pastries for that matter, toaster maybe, but not the microwave.


He put the ube ensaymada in the micro at low for less than a minute. And what came out was an ensaymada that was sooo soft, with slightly-crunchy long strips of cheddar cheese, almost-caramelized sugar and melted butter cream.




I was just so engrossed with its taste that I didn’t care anymore if I can’t taste nor see more of the ube in it.


From now on, I wouldn’t eat an ensaymada any other way.


Happy Eating!

New from Starbucks

For desserts that same day, we had the White Chocolate Sansrival P120 and Chocolate
Toffee Loaf P55 of Starbucks.

I first had the Toffee Loaf last year and would have wanted to try the Hazelnut Loaf with Pralines but it was sold-out =(

Chocolate loaf with crunchy, cracked, caramelized toffee bits on top.


The loaf was moist but not that chocolatey. The chocolate taste was so subtle it took a while for me to finally taste it.


It was a good step that they added the toffee bits for crunch and sweetness.

The White Chocolate Sansrival is made up of layers of meringue with nuts, coated with white chocolate ganache, and topped with white chocolate curls.


My friend let me try hers.

I found most sansrivals to be buttery and rich, starbucks version has no trace of butter but of milk.


It will be easy for you to finish an entire slice without even feeling it, it was that light.


Happy Eating!

Bubba Gump

Out with a friend last weekend, we had our very late lunch /early dinner at Bubba Gump in Trinoma.

I wanted the I’m Stuffed Shrimp and she, the Grilled Dory Jambalaya.

I thought that the Stuffed Shrimp was big enough for us to share and the Jambalaya was just good for one. I based it on the pictures and menu descriptions.

In the end, we ordered both and the best part was ( may be out of exasperation, ‘coz it took me a long time to decide), my friend footed the bill =)

It was a long wait for our orders to arrive and my friend was right in saying that they should serve something complimentary to take our minds and stomachs off our orders.

After 20 minutes or so, the I’m Stuffed Shrimp P585 arrived.


8 pieces of shrimps stuffed with crab meat, baked in garlic butter and topped with Monterey jack cheese, served with jasmine rice and sides of coleslaw and mama’s best garlic bread.

It wasn’t as big as it looked on the menu. It was stuffed but not big. And even with the garlic butter and the Monterey jack cheese, it was still a little dry.


I like the crunchy, not too-saucy/creamy coleslaw that breaks the familiarity of the dishes combined. The garlic bread was buttery but not garlicky.

The Grilled Dory Jambalaya P430 is from their new menu offering.
Grilled cream dory over a spicy New Orleans’ style jambalaya with tender shrimp and andouille sausage.


This was soooo GOOD. What I thought to be a bland dish was indeed a kaleidoscope of taste.

The scoop of parsley butter on top of the grilled dory, melts on your every move and bite.

The jambalaya as a whole, was saucy, light in taste but rich in flavour.

I thank my friend for ordering this ‘coz I got to try something new and good.


Happy Eating!

Karen's Kitchen

A few minutes off my last bite of Polly’s Chocolate Cake and I’m dying to buy another. But sad to say, it’s the middle of the week and the Baker’s Dozen won’t start until Friday.

I was set on buying from Shell Pasong Tamo or Magallanes (although more expensive), when I read Karen’s Kitchen feature on Manila Standard.


I have tried their Chocolate Ganache (I still like Polly’s Chocolate Cake over this) and Xanadu ( I love this cake, just expensive). Since it was written there that Red Velvet P550 is their second best seller, that was what I ordered (although I was a little apprehensive based on a review of a certain blogger during the “start-up” (I can’t think of the exact term)process of the cake. I picked-it up later in the afternoon (I was told that for most of their cakes, an advance order is needed but since it was one of their best sellers they make extras).



Red-hued chocolate cake with raspberry-colored cream in between, coated with cream cheese icing and topped with white chocolate curls and a single rose.


It is one of the Inquirer’s Top 20 Cakes of the City.


What can I say about the cake? Well, there were the good parts and then the bad parts. Let’s start with the bad parts first: I can’t taste the chocolate, the layering of the cake was not prominent, the white chocolate used lacked creaminess and sweetness. And now with the good: It was moist, its texture resembled that of dessicated coconut (almost crumbly but firm), not too sweet nor rich, a light cake (surprised?), it was in between dense and airy.


You’ll never stop eating just to know what the cake is all about. Up to my last bite, its taste still puzzles me.


Although I have grown to like it, I still like dolcepastries take on this popular cake. Dense, with a prominent chocolate flavour and just the right sweetness. Bad thing is, her online bakeshop's closed down for almost a year now.


Happy Eating!

KAREN’S KITCHEN
428 Adalla Street, Palm Village
Makati City
Tel No: 898-2280

Karen's Kitchen BTS

Is it really better than sex? I don’t think so. Orgasmic? I still don’t think so.


Another week (make that 2 days after), another cake from Karen’s Kitchen.


BTS (Better Than Sex) has alternating layers of chocolate cake, cream and dulce de leche caramel.


It’s best eaten chilled for the cream to set.


How do I find the cake? It’s not too sweet even with the dulce de leche. The cake was moist, the cream not too rich and the dulce de leche not too sweet. I found it too plain-tasting, just your average chocolate cake with caramel sauce.


The BTS has a crumbly exterior which I also didn’t like in this case (cake).


I still favoured Polly’s Chocolate Cake and their Xanadu over this.

But wait, there’s a surprise inside the cake that made me smile but still didn’t change my impression of the cake. What is it? Well, it's for you to find out =)


Happy Eating!

Piadina

I have been ordering their Bologna Set P140 for many years now (around 8), but it’s only now that I blog about it.



A Bologna Set consists of a pasta, piadina of your choice (limited choices only), half grilled mozzarella and iced tea.




I always choose carbonara for my pasta and either Italian sausage or chicken for my piadina.



Piadina is a thin Italian flatbread, usually made with white flour, lard (or olive oil), salt and water. Filled with a variety of cheeses, cold cuts and vegetables & also of sweet fillings such as nutella and jams (Wikipedia).



Piadina’s version makes use of whole wheat flour for a healthier piadina.

It’s still as good as ever. Creamy and al dente carbonara with lots of ham, perfectly-grilled mozzarella, with just enough cheese, though much better with anchovies sauce. The only thing that didn’t impress me that day was the piadina. I ordered the Piadina con Salsiccia Italiana or piadina with Italian sausage and mozzarella.



Their piadina that day was slightly dry and their Italian sausage filling needed more sauce and a little more mozzarella cheese (you can never have enough mozzarella).

Still, I enjoyed eating everything and would definitely order the bologna set again. And with the P140 price, I definitely got more than I paid for.


Happy Eating!

PIADINA
Food Choices
Glorietta, Makati City