Remember Your First Chocolate Kiss?

College gave me my first taste of the real world- meeting people outside my usual circle; encountering challenges (both in school and in life) that tested my mettle; basically, I learned that the world could both be loving and cruel.  But aside from waking up to these harsh realities of life, it was during my university days that I got to really experiment with food. 

            There are many blissful food memories of my time in the Katipunan area, and quite a number of them had something to do with The Chocolate Kiss Café at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman.  I recall how excited I was to be able to enjoy generous portions of my favorite pastas, followed by huge slices of beautiful cakes.  To my young, unexposed palate, it was my haven of good food, away from the poorly ventilated grills and fast food joints that college runts like me used to frequent. 

            One weekend, Matt and I were in the QC area and I spotted the branch of Chocolate Kiss along Roces Avenue.  Excited, I decided to grab a quick snack just to see what has become of this old favorite. 

            I loved their Fettuccine Carbonara, but having since outgrown pastas with creamy white sauces, I ordered their Aligue and Prawn Pasta.  The linguine was nicely cooked (al dente), and the aligue (crab fat), although fundamentally rich, was not oily.  There were notably more than a handful of prawns in my bowl.  Most aligue pastas tend to be heavy on the garlic, but CK’s version seemed to have practiced restraint.  I think I like it more this way. 

Matt opted for the Salisbury Steak with Mashed Potato- his idea of comfort food.  I believe he enjoyed it, particularly the thickened, home-style gravy.

             

            For dessert, I had to have a slice of a classic- Devil’s Food Cake.  Stark white peaks of marshmallow-like frosting enveloped a rich, fudge-y chocolate cake- there’s a reason why it made an impact back then and was burned into my memory.  It’s still good.

            Matt also had to have his cheese fix- this time in the form of a Blueberry Cheesecake.  The blueberry topping was obviously canned, but the cake itself was good enough- thick and dense, but not cloying. 

            The service was a tad “too relaxed” for my taste- boisterous banter (and singing!) among the staff is a no-no in my book.  Save it for your yosi break, guys.  Still, it was a fun afternoon of reminiscing, especially having discovered that this old favorite has maintained the pleasantly homey quality of their food.



The Chocolate Kiss Cafe
G/F Korben Place
Roces Ave. cor, Sct. Tobias St., Q.C
Tel. no. (632) 412 7876 

The Good Stuff: Best Finds Going Into 2013

Better late than never, so they say, and these delectables are definitely some of the noteworthy dishes I have tried this year.  So good, in fact, that I could not allow the year to end without sharing them with all of you.

Hai Chix & Steaks’ US Angus Porterhouse

Think Mamou- even Peter Luger- but a fraction of the price you’ll pay for the same cut of meat in fancier steakhouses.  Prepared by Enderun-trained chefs, Hai Chix’s porterhouse is best cooked medium to medium rare, allowing the soft, flavorful meat to take center stage with minimal seasoning.  This is obviously borne from an understanding of and respect for good ingredients, a by-product of the chefs’ travels and training in Michelin-starred restaurants in Paris and the US.

The streamlined décor of the establishment evokes the same quiet confidence as the food coming out of the kitchen.  At P2,400.00 (inclusive of side dishes), this porterhouse is arguably the best you could possibly have in its price-range, if not better than others contained in much plusher surroundings.    

Hai Chix & Steaks

Ortigas Home Depot

Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig City

Tel. no. (632) 6617695

Rodillas Yema Cake

Yes, the local candy made from egg yolk and condensed milk- usually served as a calamansi-sized ball or formed into tiny pyramids- is being produced and served in the small provincial town of Tayabas, Quezon in cake form.  Technically, my mom was the one who discovered this- at a wake, of all places- and swears that no dessert has captured her attention for quite a while now like this one.  With this testimonial coming from the woman who squashed my obsession with everything chocolate at a young age, I knew it was definitely worth a try.

The cakes come in two sizes: half (8” x 6”) and whole (8” x 12”), reasonably priced at just P120 and P240, respectively.  One bite was all it took  to know what all the fuss was about- the yema was impressively gooey yet smooth, sweet yet ethereal with a hint of citrus and slightly-salty cheese; In contrast, the chiffon cake was decidedly light-footed in both density and flavor, allowing the luxurious egg-y yema to get top-billing (although, not necessarily all the attention).  A beautifully- balanced dessert with two simple components that is sure to satisfy, if not win you over completely.

Rodillas Restaurant

39-D Quezon Ave.

Tayabas, Quezon

La Cocina de Maria’s Fideua

                
This lovely Spanish lady from Alabang seems to enjoy stuffing me with food- not that I am complaining.  She is definitely one of my favorite home cooks in Metro Manila, and not only because of her penchant for spoiling me with free food.  Her passion for and knowledge of Spanish cuisine spills over into her dishes- you will know after your first bite that you are getting the real deal. 

The latest from her arsenal of great dishes that I got to try is her Fideua- a Valencian noodle dish typically topped with crustaceans and white fish.  Like paella, the noodles absorb the flavors of paprika and saffron (and Maria Pedrosa uses only the best kind) and these spices also season the shrimps and fish that are cooked with it.  The light vermicelli-like noodles make it all too easy to eat so much of this dish, made even more addicting by Mrs. Pedrosa’s light mayonnaise aioli.  It is a beautiful and elegant party dish which will surely impress. 

La Cocina de Maria

Tel. no. (632) 807 8808/8421367

Ramen Yushoken’s Miso Ramen

Barely a month into their soft opening and this ramen spot in Alabang is already topping everyone’s must-try lists.  Ramen Yushoken is a product of one of the owners’ obsession with bringing the same top-quality ramen experience he got from eating at the best ones in Japan.  After getting some of his equally food-obsessed friends on board, they embarked on years of research, negotiating, and training until they got everything perfect.  Every Yushoken fan has his/her favorite, but the Miso Ramen is truly the stuff of legend.

It is about finding the perfect balance between the pork bone broth and the mixture of seven kinds of miso.  As I write this, I know that the owners and cooks are still in the process of determining the proper blend of savory broth and rich, almost milky, miso- juxtaposed with their fresh, homemade noodles.  But, regardless of what the owners are trying to achieve, what they truly have going for them is the rich tradition of ramen cookery evident in every bowl.  And, even during this soft opening stage, you taste the profound richness of the broth which can only possibly be through technique perfected over centuries. 

Ramen Yushoken
Molito

Madrigal Ave.

Alabang, Muntinlupa

Tel. no. (632) 808 7424

This Lil Piggy Had Cake

It took a while for Red Velvet cake to make it to our shores, but I'm really just glad it did. This American classic is as decadent as it is visually spectacular- the deep, red-brown hue of chocolate-flavored cake, set against the stark contrast of white cream cheese or buttercream frosting is a standout with its classic features. The flavors are truly moan-inducing, and I have yet to meet a person who has not fallen for it's voluptuous charms.

Recently, Red Velvet cake (and it's equally beguiling cupcake incarnation) has developed a pretty impressive cult following locally. I myself have quite the sweet tooth (albeit a controlled one, thanks to diabetes in my genes), and once in a while the seductive mental image of moist, garnet-hued cake smothered in thick cream cheese icing proves to be far too irresistible.

Luckily, through the wonders of Facebook, I discover that my friend Chrissie Regaza- a highly-accomplished baker and fellow lush- of The Rolling Pig bakes, among other delectable goodies, a mean Red Velvet cake. Therefore, with my Dad's birthday coming up, I decide to order him a cake and, yes, eat it, too.

I must admit- and I say this without bias- that The Rolling Pig's Red Velvet cake is as good as they can possibly get- definitely moist, but not dense, the cake is light-footed until you get to the icing, which was sweet and decadent and all forms of wonderful. What is freakishly good about this cake is that it gets even better after a couple of days in the fridge, which is usually where cakes go to die. How many times have I kept a slice of cake in the fridge's cold crevices, only to resurface as a dry, ragged version of it's old self? No, not this one. TRP's Red Velvet stayed moist, and the flavors of it's frosting and filling just became more intense.

I was already a fan, but now, I'm a disciple.



The Rolling Pig
Tel. No. (632) 8209350

Life is Sweet

The Dallas Mavericks just won the Western Conference Finals so Matt felt like celebrating. And to the biggest Mavs fan in Manila, nothing enhances the sweet smell of victory more than pizza, beef ribs and ice cream. And I knew just where to take him.

Unfortunately, the pizza and beef ribs at the restaurant we ate at were quite forgettable. They were not bad, and Matt was happy to have found a place where he can eat decent beef ribs in a country ruled by pork, but not really worthy of a recommendation. So, immediately after settling the bill, and with the fervor of a woman on a mission, I take my husband by the hand and make the short walk to Bar Dolci.



A few days before, after a sumptuous seafood dinner at Seaside Macapagal, Sanj and Cutie introduced me to this dessert haven/café. The second you walk in you somehow feel ten times hipper- everything is shiny and bright and delightful. The orange acrylic walls covered with scribbled names of regulars, the brightly-lit glass cases housing freshly-baked scones and pizza bruschettas, the pricey-looking espresso machine behind the counter, and over a dozen flavors of gelato- these guys are not playing around. Having already had dessert before we went there, I did not purchase anything. But, right there and then, I vowed to return with Matt.

Fast forward to dinner with Matt- we walk into Bar Dolci, and I watch my husband’s eyes widen as he sees the cornucopia of gelato flavors. There’s something for everyone: Stracciatella, Pistachio and Chocolate for the classicist; Tiramisu, Salted Caramel and Mango Mumbai for the adventurous. I leave Matt to ponder over his sweet predicament, as I zero-in on the Salted Caramel. I grab my cup and head up to the comfortable couch area upstairs.



The gelato at Bar Dolci is rich and smooth, as it should be. This Italian-style ice cream has a higher sugar content than most ice creams which acts as an anti-freeze to prevent the gelato from freezing solid. That gives you a more velvety texture, as opposed to other ice creams that do end up developing ice crystals. Aside from the consistency, gelato was way ahead of the pack in developing exotic and avant-garde flavors. From the two visits I have made with Matt, some memorable flavors I have spotted are the Walnut Torte and White Chocolate Wasabi.





Baked goodies do not play second fiddle in Bar Dolci, as their scrumptious sweet and savory scones have proven. One glass case is dedicated solely to their brightly-colored Macarons (a sweet and airy French confection made of egg whites and sugar), which is innovatively used in one of their frozen delights as a sort of ice cream sandwich.



On our next visit, I will surely have to try one of their alco-popsicles, which are displayed like prized trophies in a custom-made glass freezer. I had a bite of Mark V.’s Strawberry Daiquiri from my first visit, and the texture is again unlike the commercial stuff- the microscopic ice granules are more creamy than frozen, almost like a good cocktail fresh out of an industrial blender. Amazing stuff.



Bar Dolci
Forbeswood Heights cor. Burgos Circle
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel. no. (632) 8468245

When Kate Baked

I needed a short pause before writing this entry, not because of the complexity of the topic at hand, but because I needed some time to regain my composure.

After having an excellent meal or a superb bottle of wine, maybe even a phenomenal evening all in all, I give myself some time to step back from my euphoria and look at the meal (or wine, or evening) from a more objective point-of-view. Nothing is more annoying than a gushy writer- an obvious fan (or friend) whose sole objective is to build up the chef or the restaurant and gives nothing by flawless and sparkly information, in turn misleading the reader and giving a false impression.

What makes this entry difficult to write is because I am indeed both fan and friend. Kate Baked Cookies is the handiwork of one of my best friends and fellow food fiend Kate Santos, a.k.a Cookie Goddess. Her home-baked cookies have been famous in our circle (and several others) for a few years now, their popularity continuing to grow, thanks mostly to the (very) satisfied customers who never fail to sing the big, chewy cookies praises.

Having lost my “sweet tooth” after my mom discouraged my chocolate addiction at a young age, very seldom do I have cravings for desserts. Once in a while, I would spot a box of truffles or a slice of cheesecake and, yes, I might get tempted and give in. But, I must admit, Kate Baked Cookies are one of those things that could be devastatingly addicting. Just ask the sexy restauranteur who polishes off a dozen in one sitting, or the French instructor who orders several boxes at a time for him and his wife.




I myself cannot point a finger at what makes these cookies so good. It must be the total sensory experience- from the pretty sky blue box, to the chocolate or butterscotch mounds atop huge discs the size of saucers, to the comforting scent that only freshly-baked cookies can conjure. The texture as you bite into it is undeniably chewy, you can feel its baked goodness almost melting in your mouth. The molten chips of chocolate (in this case, either dark, white or milk chocolate Toblerone) add a sweet creaminess to an already decadent dessert. Am I gushing? Darn it!

Go ahead and try them yourself, they are simply scrumptious. And I’m not just saying that because Kate is my friend.

Photography by Pearl Perlada for Big Bang Studios


Kate Baked Cookies
+639178369112
Katherine.santos@gmail.com
http://katebaked.multiply.com/