Mary Grace’s Experience @ SM City Manila

Yes, it is like my 4^th time writing about this café and who can blame me. I am simply a die hard fan who believes that we should share our joyful discoveries for others to try and enjoy them as well. However, unlike before, this entry will not merely be centered around cakes but the food experience in general that this wonderful café has to offer.

Ambiance: Cozy and Homely. While I have already eaten their cakes numerous times in the past, this is actually just my second or third time dining at this café. I would really want to go back as the place reminds me of a secret garden in the middle of bustling city as I take a break from the stresses and distractions from life and take a moment to reflect.

Food: At a glance, the menu seems to offer ordinary selections that you frequently see on the usual restaurants but wait until you taste it.

Seafood Pasta

I was craving for some olives so I went for this one. Yes I was expecting it to taste good for no one could go wrong with seafood pastas especially since seafood are very juicy and flavorful. What I was not expecting was to be surprised at how appetizing it would look when it was served in front of me. I knew at a glance that I would be eating a quality, healthy and flavorful lunch. 

Even the pasta is juicy! It is soft and almost almost melts in your mouth. Can pasta be this juicy? Yes, Mary Grace does it!  As for the seafood, the shrimp is big and juicy, the squid rings are easy to chew, and the clams are nothing but flavorful. The pesto is just an added bonus to the taste. While most seafood pastas would rely on the pesto half of the time for the flavor, I honestly believe that this one does not need pesto for it to be this tasty. It has the right ingredients and went the extra mile to really squeeze out the potential of each ingredient to make it the perfect embodiment of a seafood pasta.

                                             

I just cannot get over the experience that the next time I dine it at this café, I ordered the same. However, it took me quite some time choosing because I was torn between my principle of always try something new and the taste of my previous experience.

While I was under pressure reviewing their menu one by one, I read that a certain pasta uses Fusilli for its noodles and I suddenly had an idea. Good thing, the chef agreed to my request so here comes the seafood pasta that uses the Fusilli type instead of the classic one. Thank you Chef!

Seafood Fusilli Pasta

 We also ordered other flavors of their pastas, all with the same high quality flavorful ingredients accompanied by that melting ohh so juicy pasta. Ohh before I forget, the bread is of superb quality. It is not simply toasted with garlic butter on it. It is wheat bread which is crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside.

Dory and Saffron Pasta

Classic Carbonara

It was quite funny when for the first time, I was not able to determine what this pasta is due to the really good quality of the ingredients. While most carbonaras would just rely on the white sauce and bacon, making it look extremely creamy and unhealthy, this one has again, successfully, mind boggled me. For one, it is not white and drenched in that unhealthy sauce, second, the bacon is plenty when usually you only find one or two in the usual carbonara, three, the mushrooms are visible and four, it has TOMATOES. At first, I thought it was a mushroom truffle pasta but it looks lighter and ham and bacons do not usually enter the picture when one is making a mushroom pasta.

Thanks to Mary Grace’s, the art of making and tasting pastas have entered a whole new level.

Dessert Time: Cakes! As an avid lover of cakes, God only knows how extremely difficult it was for me to choose which cakes to try as I would have tried them all if only my body does not get fat and my wallet is bottomless. Sad to say with the limited choices, I have to make a really tough one and stick to three choices.

Mango Benne

Sansrival

Chocolate Mousse

The mango benne was the least of my choices at first but my colleague was really into it so we ordered that one. The sansrival was recommended and the chocolate mousse was to satisfy my chocolate craving that time.

Hands down, all are good and I cannot say which among the three is my favorite. Please don’t ask me to rank it for it would be torture. The mango benne does not have a single sour mango on it and the cream is of high quality and does not have an aftertaste which probably means that Mary Grace makes her own cream. From experience, creams with an aftertaste are the instant ones that are packaged and bought from groceries.

I adore the creativeness of the sansrival. The cashews really stood out, reminding us that ohh yeah, sansrivals are partially made of nuts. Ordinary sansrivals are just topped with cream with the nuts not visibly seen or hidden somewhere in the layers.

The chocolate mousse is not too sweet and not too heavy as your spoon easily slices through the layers. As per my encounter with most chocolate mousse, while most of them are good, is that they are quite thick, heavy and really sweet. This one, you can eat it even after eating a plateful of pasta;)

Have a Mary-ful Day and a Graceful Life! Feel free to share your thoughts and comments. If you have been to Mary Grace, please do share your experience as well. 

Also, feel free to visit the following links which focuses on Mary Grace's specialty cakes and pastries, making this place a heavenly treat for cake lovers like you and me. 

Cake Run 5: Mary Grace Café “Unboxing Black Velvet”, the White Twin

Cake Run 6: Mary Grace Café “Unboxing Chocolate Truffle”, the Black Twin

Pastry Run 1: Mary Grace Cafe: Ensaymadas and Cheese Rolls

Cake Run 24.5: Goldilocks Chocolate Rocky Road

Another cake that really worm its way into the heart of my palate is the chocolate rocky road.

Visual: It looks like a normal chocolate sponge cake that is just light to the taste given its nude creamy appearance
                                      

Taste: Appearances are deceiving. It is actually thick but not because of the cream or the bread but due to the layered cream which is made up of 3 different ingredients: marshmallows, chocolate chips and chocolate frosting. Wow, it is one of those rare moments wherein my expectation was exceeded and I just have to share this cake. The frosting which is usually overlooked is actually highlighted in this one given the presence of the chocolate chips. It presents the illusion that you are chewing onto the chocolate cream when it is the chips that are actually doing the trick. Couple it with the marshmallows; it gives off a feeling of smooth melting on your tongue.

Actually, if it were not for these three ingredients, I highly doubt that this cake would differentiate itself from an ordinary chocolate roll. It really spelled the difference. For more of Goldilocks' fantastic product features, simply click on this link: Cake Run 24. 

Cake Run 24: Unboxing Goldilocks Triple Delight

Welcome to the episode number of Cake Run. Naming the bakeshop after a famous fairy tale character is a brilliant move on the part of the creators as it elicits fond childhood memories. True enough, this was the intent of the 3 sisters who named the business making it easier for the brand to warm up to mothers and children alike. 

Why did it took me after 23 cake entries for me to start raving about this brand? As we all know, it takes more than just a dreamy name for a shop to be successful. For a bakeshop, taste and presentation of the cakes and its pastries play a huge role in generating loyalists. As a child, I am no stranger to Goldilocks' cakes; however, I was not really impressed with their selection even as a young adult with a more diversified taste. 

It was not only up to now that I was able to have a taste of Goldilocks through their Triple Delight which was given to one of my colleagues as a surprise for his birthday.

                           

Visual: As one would expect from a mocha cake --- creamy looking and filled with icing. I wonder why it is called triple then if it looks like a regular mocha cake? Perhaps let's start eating and take a look at its insides.

                           
Taste: Surprisingly good and the cream used is soft, smooth and tasty. The breading is composed of three different layers or "delights" as the makers call it, namely chocolate, vanilla and mocha chiffon. I was already happy with the cream and not expecting much from the chiffon layers but I was impressed that all three layers were able to successfully bring out the taste that they represent. Usually, one of the most common pitfalls in most chiffon cakes is that the bread lacks taste given the overpowering flavor of the icing. This, however, was able to overcome that pitfall and is actually a far cry from the cakes that they usually make. It makes one want to try on their other cake selections. 

After that surprisingly amazing experience, I decided to give their other pastries a shot namely the Choco Cake Slice and the Golden Butter Slice.

The Chocolate Cake Slice uses the similar texture and formula as the one used in their regular cakes, less the icing and the overly decorative designs which is indicative of a cake. So, if you are up for some chocolate cake but without all that jazz, then this is the perfect selection for you.

The Golden Butter Slice is a triple wow and garnered a triple star in my books. It is not just soft but it breaks under pressure of my teaspoon which is a high indication of it not being hard and dry. Don’t you just hate cakes that are dry enough to suck the moisture inside your mouth?

Moreover, it is very light until the last bite with the skin that simply melts in your mouth. I mean wow, for a bread slice, this is an absolute delight.

Have a Golden filled day with Luck! Your thoughts on birthday cakes? Feel free to share and suggest.

Cake Run 23: Conti's Ube Custard Cake

Welcome to another episode of Cake Run. Ever tried eating a violet cake before---one that is not accomplished through food coloring? Well you are in for a treat for today's cake run called the Ube Custard Cake. 

Ube is the local term for purple yam and is widely used across many different viands in Asia.
You can choose to eat it directly which is the usual practice in China as you can see different stalls along the street and restaurants selling hot purple yams for snacks. In my locality, it is popularly used as a flavoring for desserts like ice cream, pastries and cakes. So how does an ube or purple yam cake look and taste like?

Visual: Looks like one of those hand gloves with the crisscross patterns, worn by women during dance galas. The white pattern then terminates at the circular curve of the cake, like flowers or jewelries that adorn a woman's wrist. The violet frosting are like window drapes, hiding the ube and the custard that you just can't wait to slice it open.

Getting in, we are met with 8 layers including the violet frosting on top. It is a play mainly between violets and yellows refereed by thins strips of whites and browns. Yellow and violet really do make a good match---just a side thought when pairing dresses, shirts and skirts;)

Taste: Mmmph. It certainly did justice to its name. The custard is just the right amount of sweetness and is the only thing in the entire cake that is sweet. The white cream despite its trivial appearance plays a major role in enhancing the taste of the custard. And let's not forget the main highlight which is the ube. 

The ube or purple yam when eaten directly is not really sweet, so I was quite curious as to how it will make a good flavoring for a cake. Turns out, what the makers did was that they added purple yam bits within the breading so that its taste does not get lost when eaten together with the custard; otherwise, it will just be a custard cake. Every so often you would feel something solid, breaking the smoothness of the custard and the cream. It is like your "stopper" or "humps" along the highway.

Have a Yam-my Day! I'm excited to hear your thoughts on this one; especially those who are from outside of Asia wherein yams are not usually part of your regular cuisines.

Craving for more Conti's? I invite you to check out their Choco Almond Sansrival and Chocolate Tiramisu. 

Cake Run 22: Rodilla’s Yema Cake

Welcome to the 22nd episode of Cake Run. Thank you dear readers for accompanying me in my cake journey as I aim to try all the different cakes in the world. Good Luck to my weight then! For today’s feature presentation, we will go for another traditional unique dessert in my locality which is the “yema” cake. It is pronounced as it is spelled.

The yema cake is actually a recent invention based on a traditional local delicacy which is simply “yema”. It closely resembles custard with egg as the main ingredient. While your custard is made up of eggs, milk and cream, the yema is made of eggs, condensed milk and vanilla extracts making it extra sweeter and extra thicker than its custard counterpart, making it the perfect coating for a cake as opposed to custard. It is usually sold and branded as a soft and slightly sticky candy, shaped like a tall pyramid with a really sweet thick filling inside. The outside is made of solid yema while the inside is composed of a thick liquid yema filling. 

Visual: Traditionally, is a simple yellow round or rectangular cake composed of 3 components namely the chiffon, yema and grated cheese. No wonder the cake base is made of chiffon and topped with grated cheese to balance out the overwhelming sweetness of the yema. If not for the yema frosting on top, it can very well pass as bread rather than as a cake. 

Taste: You really definitely must try this! Both bread fanatics and cake lovers would absolutely delight in this little yellow bundle of sunshine. Sweet but not sweet because before the yema overpowers your taste buds, the chiffon counters it and before you feel the blandness of it, the cheese is there to save the day and end your experience with an oh-so-yummy feeling that keeps you wanting to dig in.

And yes, it is best to be eaten all at once rather than layer it. I mean there are only 2 layers, what more can you separate? The 2 layers which are mainly chiffon is sandwiched by a thin layer of yema to add flavor to the otherwise bland chiffon. I have nothing against chiffon because aside from being a cake lover, I am also a pastry and bread lover so there are times that I would opt for these two especially if I am not in the mood for sweets and cream.

It is just that yema cake is definitely one of those cakes that have successfully blurred the line between a highly decorative bread and your traditional cake. Even if I am not in the mood for sweets and opt for bread instead, I can still eat yema cake and satisfy my appetite for either cake or bread.

Have a Yee-Ma Day! What are your thoughts on simple cakes?

Cake Run 21: Tous Les Jours Rich Chocolate Cake

 Tous Les What? Don't fret for it is just a French term which literally means "Everyday" in English. Pronounced as "tu-le-juru", it is a bakery established in South Korea and is famous for its artisan breads and cakes that are soft, light and just plain adorable.

Visual: An absolute eye candy that you can't help but want to sink your sweet tooth on it. It has an exterior, toughened up by chocolate with syrup circling around its head, and topped with 3 adorable brown cream chairs, carrying a chocolate wafer that is concluded by a heart shaped biscuit that says "Tous Les Jours". I am perfectly satisfied with the way it looks but I just cannot help but squeal in delight when the brownish cream that resembles a pearl necklace was wrapped around the cake. It is perfection made even more perfect.
                                    

Taste: My TYPE of cake. I love cakes that are creamy, soft and light to the palate. It is my ultimate weakness and turns my senses to goo as soft as the cake's structure. Despite the cake’s seemingly tough chocolate exterior, it is actually quite thin and breaks easily under slight pressure from a teaspoon. Yes, I use teaspoons when eating cakes as this prolongs the pleasure rather than getting an ordinary sized spoon and gulping the cake in one go. But that is just me and different strokes for different people, right people?

As your teaspoon breaks the surface, it will slide down all the way to the middle since the layer after the surface is composed of creamy goodness. It is only in the upper middle portion wherein the chiffon bread becomes visible to halt the sliding of your teaspoon. Chiffon bread is thin, airy and bouncy making me feel less guilty for eating this kind of chocolate cake in the middle of the night. Oops, guilty as charged. I do eat cakes even at the dead of the night.

So what about the adorable toppings that I cannot help but romanticize in the visual portion of this post? Well, the chocolate wafer is just wafer, the heart biscuit is just biscuit, the brown cream seats are yeah, just cream but the chocolate syrup adorned with golden nuts, is the absolute X factor in the equation. The syrup has wine flavor on it or should I call it wine chocolate syrup to make it more appropriate.
                                 
Be Happy Every day, be Happy Tous Les Jours! What is the type you are looking for in a cake? Feel free to share and comment below.

Pastry Run 7: Mister Donut ミスタードーナツ Cafe

 This is long overdue. I mean who does not know Mister Donut and has not written a review about it in their blogs, journals or writings? I myself am feeling bold to venture writing about one of the amazing products of this cafe with the hopes that my experience would still be enticing even to the ones that have read so many articles and reviews about this cafe.

Yes I will be talking about their pastry and no, I won't be talking about their highly popular pon-de-rings or donuts for that matter, instead, I will be reviewing on their quality, price friendly croissant sandwiches.

I say quality because you definitely get your money's worth. Plus, how often do you encounter a shop that serves their food way bigger than what the picture tells. Usually, it is the other way around; especially from a shop that does not specialized in sandwiches. This matter alone I believe is already praiseworthy and worthy enough to be reviewed and shared to the world.

Visual: Humongous isn't it? Compare it with the photo plastered on the menu board...see what I mean? The only crime I see in this matter is it gave us an illusion that we will be eating something light for lunch hahaha. After all, when served with a huge croissant, the bread lover in me just cannot help but swoon.

Gosh, would you look at the inside. It is very filling already with the chicken chunks piled against each other sprayed with mayonnaise and peppered with pepper, I can already tell that I will be having a hearty lunch. The lettuce looks freshly green and does not have any sort of injury on it.

Taste: I cannot help but want more despite my stomach size having reached its limit. My palate cannot seem to forget the satisfying taste of mayo-ed chicken made even more satisfying with the insertion of the crunchy green lettuce. The top croissant bread, due to its formidable size has to be eaten separately, unless you would really want to exercise your mouth and stretch the skin around it just to gain the satisfaction of eating all the sandwich layers at the same time. Don't worry, I also have that urge sometimes;)

I was not expecting much from the croissant bread without its constituents but to my delight, it actually is good given its crunchy surface while having a soft and airy inside. I still drool and miss it as I write this blog. The mayo-ed chicken and fresh lettuce is already expected to have a tasty outcome but the croissant, as a sandwich is a delectable surprise.

Have a Mister-rific Day! Have a Mister Donut. Thoughts? Feel free to share them to me and to the world.

Sweet Run 2: Bing's Fong Cafe

Looking for refreshing alternatives? Then you will love bingsu for a change. Bingsu is a Korean style dessert made of shaved ice and sweet toppings ranging from fruits, red beans, and mocha (rice cake) balls.

With the onset of Kpop as an international phenomenon, it is no surprise that food and desserts will also follow. I cannot exactly say that bingsu is a one of a kind dessert since most oriental desserts coming from Taiwan, China and Hongkong just to name a few, also makes use of shaved ice with fruits as part of sweet selections. However, one still cannot help but try how bingsu differentiates itself from its eastern contemporaries.

Bingsu Number 1: Injealmee Bingsu / Snowflakes

Visual: Looks like a Grain Field with its brown color spreading across the entire expanse of white ice. Actually, it looks more like a Mountain of Grains as it is shaped in a slope with giant pebbles littering the surface.

Taste: Perfect blend of ice and milk which are the two main ingredients that define a good bingsu. Soft ice that is fine enough to absorb the flavors of the milk and the sweet toppings surrounding it. For Injealmee which translates to rice cake or mochi if you are more familiar with the Japanese term, gives it a sweet lingering impression that literally lasts in your mouth as you chew the sticky substance and savor it with the milk flavored shaved ice. The brown bean powder adds special value to the shaved ice coating it with a different texture that gives an illusion of sweetness when it is just actually flavorful. The almond strips while do not provide significant contribution to the overall taste, adds meaning to the visual appeal of the treat. Without these oval almond thins, I highly doubt that Injealmee Snowflakes would attract as much attention.

Bingsu Number 2: Milki Bingsu/ Snowflakes

Visual: Snow White at its best. Temptress to the touch---Soft, white, smooth and everything you can ask for in a perfect caress. 

Taste: Classic Bingsu. If it is your first time to try on a bingsu, then this is the recommended choice for you. It literally is flavored snow topped with red bean paste and mochi balls. It is just that---Plain and Classic.

While the taste is already perfect. It has all the qualities that one can expect from a bingsu. Bing's Fong should find a way to differentiate itself not just with other bingsu cafes but also with other oriental desserts with the same concept.

       

  

Bing! Drop Everything, it's time for Bingsu. Comments? Suggestions? Don't hesitate to share them in the comment box below.

Treat yourself to more of this sweet ice treat by visiting also Sweet Run 3, part 2 of the Bing's Fong series.