There are 23 on the list—culled from the choices of foodies and culinary experts. Some are traditional like the bibingka, others are relatively new such as carrot-cake cookies and gateau de crepe. All of them are undisputed pound-for-pound winners when it comes to taste and relish.
This is not the last of our lists, so don’t worry if your favorite isn’t on it. 1. BELGIAN CREAM PUFF
Teaser: Wickedly rich and lip-smacking cream puff drizzled with pure Belgian chocolate and oozing with vanilla cream custard that’s not too sweet.
Price: P295/box of 16; P200/box of 200
Where: The Cru Kitchen (Cory R. Untalan), No. 43 Barcelona St., Merville Park Subdivision, Parañaque City, tel. 8284474 and 09209278188; Baker’s Dozen Bazaar, Rockwell, Makati City. 2. BUTTER RUM CAKE
Teaser: Moist, delicate and extremely delicious, this heady butter rum cake has a secret rum glaze that makes it extra special. Another version is a tender dark chocolate cake with strong rum glaze that gives you a nice buzz.
Price: P320 for loaf pan with box; P350 for loaf pan with Christmas package; P750 for large bundt. Call a day in advance. For pick-up only.
Where: Joyce’s All Natural Homemade Food (Joyce Isaac Aragon), 11 Margarita St., Magallanes Village, Makati City, tels. 8530129 and 09175232913; Baker’s Dozen Bazaar, Rockwell, Makati City. 3. BIBINGKA MALAGKIT
Teaser: This perennial favorite is all about simple goodness of a real Pinoy food. It’s a very filling rice-based dessert that is almost like a pie version of suman with lots of latik on top. The mixture uses only muscovado sugar.
Price: P450 for small bilao, good for 10-12 persons; P750, big bilao. Call two days in advance
Where: The Cookie Jar (soon to be Q Kitchen, Fina Formoso Quimson), 15 Tampingco St., San Lorenzo Village, Makati, and Salcedo Community Market (every Saturday), tel. 8188077; Baker’s Dozen Bazaar, Rockwell, Makati City.
4. SIKRETO NI MARIA
Teaser: Warm flavors meld with a cold treat in this tempting creation of suman with fresh ripe mango drenched in melted macapuno ice cream and panocha.
Price: P165 per serving
Where: Fely J’s Restaurant, 2/level Greenbelt 5, Makati City; Bistro Remedios in Malate; and Abe, Serendra, The Fort, Taguig City.
5. FROZEN BRAZO DE MERCEDES
Teaser: Bite into this frozen treat with gusto. It’s a concoction of soft meringue, custard and French vanilla ice cream on a Graham Cracker crust. Yes, perfect for those who don’t need to count calories.
Price: P575 for 7x11-inch plastic container; P325 for 4x8 container. For pick up only. Call two weeks in advance.
Where: The Sweet Life by Ange (Ange de la Cruz) 09178238198, 8150188 and 4012609; Baker’s Dozen Bazaar, Rockwell, Makati City.
6. COFFEE PIE
Teaser: Savor this melt-in-your-mouth pie with a peanut brittle-like crust and a really creamy butter-based toffee flavor. It’s then slathered with cream and caramel to give it more texture and zest. A sure-fire hit every after meal.
Price: P185/slice
Where: Chatteau 1771, G/F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City, tel. 7299760 and 09178626467
7. FROZEN GOURMET MANGO TORTE
Teaser: There’s no resisting this tropical treat studded with golden mango balls crowned with sweetened whipped cream on a chewy cashew-based nougatine that’s really crunchy.
Price: P850/12”; P580/9”. Solo: P80. Available daily. For pick-up only.
Where: Dulcelin Gourmet Specialties (Linda Morelos), 36 Times St., West Triangle, QC, tel. 3742165 and 09175352592; Delicacies Village, Tiendesitas, Libis, QC; Food Choices, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Makati; 11 Garfield St., Greenhills West, San Juan, tel. 5842185; 158 Pili Drive, Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa, tel. 8509890; Pelican Fresh, Market! Market!, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, tel. 8896696; and Tea Republic, Pacific Star Bldg., Makati, tel. 8480270.
8. HOMEMADE ICE CREAMS
Teaser: The name of the business says it all: Homemade Ice Creams. These delicious cold desserts come in more than 30 refreshing flavors, including the best-selling Pastillas de Leche, Pastillas de Ube and Coffee Chips. They’re made from 100 percent carabao’s milk. Mind you, they don’t melt easily. All flavors are excellent.
Price: P375 to P395, depending on the flavor. For pick-up only. Order a day in day in advance. Bring your own cooler.
Where: Homemade Ice Cream (Ginny Gonzalez), 09296834350
9. ARABIAN HOLIDAY CAKE
Teaser: Generously laden with six types of nuts (pecans, walnuts, cashews, almonds, macadamias, and pili nuts) and six types of fruits (dates, prunes, persimmons, apricots, sultanas, and orange peel), and made even more interesting with secret spices, this pound cake is just pure indulgence. It’s decorated in a regal way with pecan halves, dates, and cherries. Take note: It’s made from a secret heirloom recipe handed by an enigmatic Arabian sheik.
Price: P 1,000 for eight-inch round cake; P650, six-inch round. For pick up only. Call a week in advance.
Where: Symphony Sweets Gourmet Desserts (Joey Prats), 7302 Cypress Street, Marcelo Green Village, Bicutan, Paranaque City, tels. 8235235 and 09228085639; and Salcedo Village Food Bazaar every Saturday.
10. UBE MACAPUNO CHEESECAKE
Teaser: The crunchy oatmeal crust is the perfect vehicle for this smooth, ube-infused cheesecake topped with macapuno. It is creamy, easy and not sticky on the taste buds, nor cheese-heavy.
Price: P900/whole; P255/slice. Call a day in advance. For pick up only.
Where: The French Corner (Chef Billy King), Commerce Avenue and Filinvest Avenue, Westgate Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa, tels. 7712345, 7712346 and 7710549
11. CARROT CAKE COOKIE
Teaser: A classic carrot cake made more chewy and moist with cream cheese frosting in between. It’s just like eating a real cake with icing in the middle. Also a perfect tea-time sweet snack.
Price: P170/canister of six. For pick up only. Call a day in advance.
Where: Saltine (Tippi Tambunting), tels. 8982541, 09175028088 and 09188118088.
12. BELGIAN CHOCOLATE CONFECTION
Teaser: This chocolate confection is just divine. Pure Belgian chocolates with various flavors and fillings, including almond hazelnut butter, almonds, caramel, choco malt, crumble, crunchies, macadamia, pecan, dulce de leche, peanut crunch, pili and rocky road.
Price: Available packages of two-piece chocolates to 96-piece assortment. Prices range from P72-P2,450. Prices may also vary depending on the choices of chocolate flavors. Boxes are printed on with your monogram. For pick-up. Delivery only within Makati area.
Where: Chocolate Confections (Maribeth Bailon-Santiago), 151 Tanawan St., Ayala Alabang Village, Muntinlupa, tels. 8509828, 09178519828
13. GATEAU DE CREPE
Teaser: Sink your teeth into these 20 layers of paper-thin French crepes filled with luscious vanilla crème. Best eaten with any fruit-flavored ice cream.
Price: P1,000 for 12"-round serves 12 to 14 persons; P1,100 for low sugar version. For pick-up only. Order two days in advance
Where: Dessert du Jour by Mara de la Rama, Unit 1913 Alpha Salcedo, 124 HV de la Costa, Salcedo Village, Makati City and Unit 51 Ecology Village, Makati City, tels. 09178116272 and 09275069664
14. PAMPANGA’S TIBOK-TIBOK
Teaser: A luxuriously rich delicacy made of pure carabao’s milk from the farm and coconut milk from the trees that abound in the province. It’s thick yet smooth and really creamy.
Price: P420/big bilao; P22/slice. Available every day. For pick-up only.
Where: Susie’s Cuisine, Rizal Extension and Sandra St., Angeles City, tel. (045) 8872479; No. 36 Hilda St., Nepo Mart, Angeles City, (045) 3224775; La Maja Rica, McArthur Highway Ligtasan, Tarlac City, (045) 6112150; McArthur Highway, Dau, (045) 8924919; and McArthur Highway, Dolores, San Fernando (045) 8612480.
15. SANS RIVAL
Teaser: Nine layers of crispy meringue blended with ground cashew nuts held together by the creamiest butter mousseline and generously peppered with chopped cashew nuts. Dumaguete’s ultimate sweet indulgence.
Price: Butter sansrival P22/; loaf/P275; big/P550; mango sansrival loaf/P305; chocolate sansrival loaf/P295; mocha sansrival loaf/P295. Sans rival is best stored in a freezer and served after it has slightly defrosted.
Where: Sansrival, No. 3 San Jose St. Dumaguete City (Trinidad “Chining” Bustamante), tel. (035) 2254393, (035) 2254440 and (035) 4229482
16. DURIAN PIE
Teaser: Prepared from fresh puree durian fruit blended with eggs, butter and sugar and covered with a yummy crust, this gloriously pungent durian pie is Davao’s way to cap a hearty meal. It’s light and not too sweet.
Price: P350/whole pie; P50/slice.
Where: Cecil’s Snack Inn and Bakeshoppe, Inc., F. Inigo Street (formerly Anda Street), Davao City, tels. 082 227.5305 and 2279865. Other outlets: Gaisano Mall, Victoria Plaza, NCCC Mall, South Mall and NCCC Centro, Damosa Gateway, G.M./4th Level and Malvar Street near Davao Doctor’s Hospital.
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17. GUAPPLE PIE
Teaser: A runaway best seller since it was introduced in the 1980s, this gorgeous pie is a winner in Silay. It is made from the guava-apple fruit, a guava-apple hybrid. It’s crunchy, not too sweet, and is given a healthy dash of cinnamon.
Price: P240/whole pie; P33/pielet
Where: El Ideal Bakery and Refreshment (Enrique and Ma. Teresa Sanchez) , 118 Rizal St., Silay City, Negros Occidental, tel. 034 4954430 and fax 034 4954144 18. NONO’S CHOCOLATE OBLIVION
Teaser: Two light layers of chocolate cake filled with whipped chocolate cream and walnut praline bits topped with chocolate powder. Made for serious chocolate lovers.
Price: P945 for 9 x 9 round cake; P175/petite cake. Delivery available for advanced orders to certain areas in Makati and Ortigas for a minimum of P2,000.
Where: Classic Confections (Baba Ibazeta), 2/F Greenbelt 5, Makati, tel. 7299243; 4/F 87 West Capitol Drive, Barrio Kapitolyo, Pasig, tel. 7462773 and 09175245892.
19. DIGMAN HALO-HALO
Teaser: This timeless favorite cold dessert never fails to excite with its mouth-watering combination of more than a dozen local ingredients, including ube, macapuno, nata de coco, kaong, garbanzos, gulaman, sago, pinipig, langka and mongo. These sweetened ingredients are made from scratch, gallons upon gallons every day.
Price: P50 special with ice cream; P40/regular
Where: BC2 Original Famous Digman halo-Halo (Bernard Cuevas Cuevas), 54 Gawaran St., Digman, Bacoor Cavite, tel. 046 4348135
20. BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE
Teaser: This baked oatmeal-crusted cheesecake is made with premium cream cheese that makes it very dense and fudgy. Sweet but unbelievably light.
Price: P650 whole; P65/slice. Cakes are conveniently packed in sturdy, attractive boxes if you wish to buy and fly them to Manila.
Where: Calea Pastries, Lourdes C bldg., 14th Street Lacson St., Bacolod City, tel. (034) 4333143; Robinsons Place, (034) 4413835; and East block (034) 4340288
21. MAZAPAN DE PILI
Teaser: An ideal sugar fix for those with sweet tooth. The freshly baked Bicol delicacy is made of ground, toasted pili, sugar, milk and egg. Yes, the candy is molded into bars.
Price: P23-P120/bar.
Where: Albay Pilinut (Rosemarie Diaz Battung), 873 Rizal Street, Old Albay District, Legazpi City, tel 052 8203529 and 052 4811161. 22. INIPIT
Teaser: Sweet, spongy and soft, all these textures come together satisfyingly in this confection where a yema-like filling is sandwiched between two fluffy cakes. Bulacan’s pride has been around since 1965 and is now run by second-generation children.
Price: P130/box
Where: Sevilla Sweets (Gemma Sevilla-Alcantara), San Miguel, Bulacan, tels. 044-7640250, 044 7640775; Shoppesville Greenhills, 7221002. Other outlets: Shangri-La Mall Edsa, QC; Market! Market!, Taguig City; Tiendesitas, Pasig. 23. CHOCOLATE DECADENCE
Teaser: A super moist flour-less chocolate torte made with dark Belgian chocolate and topped with whipped cream. Cebu’s quick sweet fix.
Price: P600/whole; P85/slice. Call a day in advance for whole cakes.
Where: Café Georg, BMLD Building, Banilad Road, Cebu City, tel. 032 234-0887; and Oh Georg!, Level 1 Ayala Center, Cebu, tel. 032 233-4735 |
