Desserts – Kain Pinoy

Gelato and More at Caffe’ Ti Amo

March is almost over and the days are getting hotter. Summer is definitely here! It’s during these times when I crave for something cold to help cool me down, like gelato. There’s a gelateria that I love going to where I get some really good gelato. It’s called Caffe’ Ti Amo.

Caffe’ Ti Amo is a gelateria cafe’ that offers Italian gelato and coffee in a fast casual dinig format. It was established in 2006 in Korea, where it has become quite succesful with stores numbering close to 270. Their first branch here in the Philippines is located at The Annex, SM City North Edsa, and they have since opened another one in Greenbelt.

Affogato and Gelato; Gelato Small Php 55.00; Regular Php95.00

I’ve tried out a lot of the flavors of their gelatos from chocolate to green tea. But out of everything I’ve tried, the dark chocolate, coffee, mocha, strawberry and yogurt are my top faves.

Honey Bread Php 120.00

But aside from the gelato, Caffe Ti Amo also has Gelato Creations like the Honey Bread, which is a big chunk of loaf bread drenched in honey and served with scoops of gelato. They also have different flavored waffles which are topped with gelato and slices of fruit.

Gelato Waffle Small Php 95.00; Regular Php 189.00

They also have Banana Split, Affogato, and 3 flavors of Mischiato: Yogurt, Green Tea, and Chocolate. Affogato is a combination of hot coffee and gelato.

Chocolate Mischiato

And what cafe wouldn’t be without coffee? Caffe Ti Amo not only serves gelato, but offers coffee and tea selections as well.

Caffe Ti Amo is definitely one of my favorite cafes to hang out in. The place is cozy and inviting, the gelato and food are delicious and truly mouth-watering.

Cocktales

Cocktales is the sister company of Fruitas, and seeing all the fruits displayed , one would be inclined to think that it is just a juice/ shake bar. But inspecting their menu proves otherwise. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that not only do they serve juices and shakes, but they serve sandwiches, meals and even dessert!

Part of their savory offerings is the Spanish dish callos. It’s something I am very familiar with as it’s somewhat of a staple in our household; once only cooked during holidays and celebrations by my mom, until eventually when ever we feel like having it. I even shared her recipe on my other blog (with her permission, of course) . Cocktales’ version has the requisite mix of ox tripe, garbanzos and chorizo, but unlike my mom’s recipe, is a bit sweet, maybe to adapt the taste to the Filipino palate. I liked how it tasted but found the serving rather small. But then again I am a big eater, hahahaha!

To wash it down, I ordered a fruit shake. The menu boasts of a varied selection of fruit based shakes. From simple mixtures to one of a kind concoctions. Deciding to stay simple, I choose the Peach Mango Smoothie- a combination of peaches and sweet ripe mangoes blended to a cool, smooth drink. A very refreshing drink served in a slim tall glass.

I guess the small serving of the callos was actually a good thing because if it here as hefty as I wanted it, there wouldn’t be room for dessert! What meal would be complete without it? Cocktales’ dessert menu consists of fruit shake based desserts served with fresh fruits and sweet creamy desserts like panna cottas and tiramisu.

To balance out the savory flavor of the callos, I chose something that looked light so I chose the Mango Cosmo. This stylishly-named dessert has a sweet mango shake base, topped with mango cubes, almond jelly and whole lychees. The sweetness of the mango is layered from top to bottom with the mango shake and the mango slices; and complimented by the light tart flavor of the lychee. The almond jelly finishes it off with it’s velvety -smooth texture.

The items on the menu are varied. Aside from what I’ve featured here, there are hot and cold drinks, more desserts and other dishes like pasta and sandwiches. The savory dishes also come as set meals. Included are drinks and a dessert. The prices vary depending on what you’d want to have. Drinks and shakes can ordered spiked with alcohol, for an additional fee.

Drinks and shakes start at Php 75.00. The Peach-Mango Smoothie is PHP 150.00 per order ; desserts like the panna cotta and tira misu are Php95.00 per order. The Mango Cosmo and other similar fruit bowls come in sizes: single and to share. Prices start at Php 120.00 for the single and Php180.00 for the to share bowl. The callos is Php 175.00 for the solo and Php 245.00.

Cocktales
3rd Level, TriNoma Mall
EDSA cor. North Avenue, Quezon City
Tel. No. (63 2) 290-5236
http://cocktales.multiply.com/

Selecta Gold Series Vanilla Almond

Selecta has come up with another flavor for it’s Gold Series– Vanilla Almond. In line with their previous Gold Series flavors, Vanilla Almond was also developed with a renowned chef. Chefs Sau Del Rosario, Rolando Laudico and J. Gamboa each helped develop the first 3 flavors. This time, Selecta tapped the culinary genius of Chef Ariel Manuel of Lolo Dad’s to come up with this new, decadent offering.

The new Selecta Gold Series flavor Vanilla Almond is a very rich and creamy blend of vanilla ice cream, caramel fudge and almonds. Continue reading “Selecta Gold Series Vanilla Almond”

Eat-All-You-Can at Haagen Dazs Megamall Atrium

The Häagen-Dazs Shop in the SM Megamall Atrium is celebrating its 1st year anniversary. To kick off its second year, it is offering an irresistible treat: the Häagen-Dazs Eat-All-You-Can Ice Cream Buffet. For just P 499.00 (excluding 10% service charge), customers could indulge in as many ice cream scoops as they want.

Continue reading “Eat-All-You-Can at Haagen Dazs Megamall Atrium”

Selecta Gold Series

Selecta came out with a new line of ice cream a few months ago. Dubbed the “Selecta Gold Series”, this new line adds 3 new flavors to Selecta’s already wide roster.

Selecta Gold Series
Continue reading “Selecta Gold Series”

Crepes & Cream

Crepes and cream is a modern and trendy cafe that serves a wide choice of savory and sweet crepe creations, ranging from Asian to Western flavors. There are over 30 types of crepe creations to choose from– all prepared fresh upon order.

The savory crepe menu includes the Pork floss Chessy Omellette, Smoked Salmon, the classic Mushroom ham with Mozarella, and the Japanese cuisine inspired Kani Mango. There’s also a BLT– bacon, lettuce and tomato- crepe, which is what I ordered since I’m a BLT sandwhich lover. This take on the classic sandwich is a rerfreshing and novel approach which I liked so much.

Kani Mango
Continue reading “Crepes & Cream”

Apple Cheesecake Doughnuts for Mom on Mother's Day

Krispy Kreme has a new donut, made specially for Mother’s Day. The Apple Cheesecake Doughnuts has tart, apple filling offset by a sugary drizzle of caramel, rich cream cheese icing and fresh slivers of red and green apples. It’s a perfect match for Krispy Kreme’s Signature Coffees.

Krispy Kreme Apple Cheesecake Doughnuts
Continue reading “Apple Cheesecake Doughnuts for Mom on Mother's Day”

Conquering the Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula

I’ve heard of this chocolate buffet before, and I remember I missed it because I was out of the country the whole time it was on going at the Manila Peninsula. Once I found out that it’s back again this year, I quickly made plans with friends to indulge in chocolate.

Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula Manila

Like warriors going into battle, we made preparation. We read and memorized Lori’s Guide to Gorging on the Peninsula Chocolate Buffet. We kept dinner light and rather salty, and admittedly, cheap (for the Chocolate buffet is rather pricey). With tummies partially filled with fast food goodness, we drove to the Peninsula.

We arrived a couple of minutes past nine, and already, some of the plates were already empty. We surveyed they scene, planning our attack on the buffet tables. There were rich and moist chocolate cakes and cheesecakes, creamy mousse, smooth chocolate drinks, chocolate buttons, exquisite truffles and pralines, bread sticks dipped in chocolate, ice creams made with or laced with chocolates, puddings, brownies and cookies, assortment of nuts, fruits and marshmallows to be slathered with three different kinds of fondue. It was mind boggling, but once we got over the shock at seeing so much chocolate, we made our choices and converged back at the table.

Argee, Anna and I hungrily dug into our picks and paused for a nanosecond, savoring each orgasmic bite of chocolate. Everything tastes as good as they looked. Some desserts have a richer and fuller taste than the others, so to cleanse the palate, we tucked into pieces that doesn’t have as much chocolate in them. Unfortunately, (I’m not one for l33t talk, but this is one occasion that calls for it) the chocolate pwned us. We managed 5 or 6 trips back to the buffet before admitting defeat. By the end of the night, I was nibbling on marshmallows, strawberries and ice cream cone — without the chocolate fondue nor the ice cream. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience, all these chocolates. I would not hesitate to go back to this buffet.

Chocolate Buffet at the Manila Peninsula Lobby
Adults: Php 550+
Children (12 yrs & below): Php 225++
For inquiries and table reservations please call The Peninsula Manila at 887-2888, extensions 6757
and 6759 (The Lobby) or 6694 (Restaurant Reservations).
Corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues
1226 Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Jollibee's Black Forest Sundae is pure bliss

The work week has just started. Do you feel stressed already? Take some time out, de-stress and give yourself a treat.

Jollibee is coming out with a new sundae variant that lets you indulge without having to spend a lot: the Black Forest Sundae. Our favorite vanilla soft serve ice cream is smothered in rich dark chocolate syrup, blended with a drizzle of cherry syrup, served with moist brownie chunks from Red Ribbon and dark chocolate bits, and a slice of cherry on top. The best part? It’s only Php 35 pesos.

This sumptuous treat will be available in Jollibee branches starting September 24, 2008.

The Freshest Picks At PICK Manila

Two weekends ago, I was invited to this weekend market out in Manila. I love going to the market, especially weekend markets because of the wide selection of products available. There’s cooked food, fresh meat and fish, poultry, produce, clothes, home ware, even pets on sale.

At the back of SM San Lazaro in Manila is Celadon Manila, a leisurely residential community by ALVEO Land Corp. Every Sunday for the month of September, Celadon Manila plays host to PICK Manila– the first lifestyle weekend market in city.

If you are a foodie like myself, you’ll be able to go on a food trip with the big mix of culinary delights they have to offer– form Filipino staples like embotido, relleno, aligue (crab fat)–which I had to stay away from (a bit hard, but I managed)- leche flan and other native delicacies to international fare like Japan’s sushi and Italian sodas.

They even sell organic products like organically-grown brown rice and herbs. Gourmet items, foreign and local, like honey and coffee are also sold by some stalls. Fresh fruits and baked products like breads and cakes are also available.

For the fashionistas and home make-over lovers, PICK Manila also offers a showcase of some of the most novel and exciting finds. Shoes, bags, tops and fashion jewelery for the stylish urbanite and intricate home decor made of glass, wood, and fabric inspired by different cultures for the interior-savvy. I spotted a little wooden decoupaged case and a nice big lamp, both of which were just screaming for me to take them home.

Though I wasn’t able to take home the box and lamp, I did manage to snag myself a bag of Kalinga coffee which everyone has been raving about. I also bought some fruit and baked goods.

If you’re not doing anything tomorrow, why not check out PICK Manila. Head on over to Celadon Manila and experience it yourself.

PICK Manila is open on Sundays from 7AM to 2PM.

CeladonManila is a development by ALVEO Land Corp. Please visit: www.celadonmanila.com.ph for more information.

* Promotional photographs were provided by the concessionaires through ALVEO Land Corp.