Cupcake Craze and Tantalizing Tarts: Frostings and Le coeur de france

To continue the cupcake craze, I spotted a fairly new cupcake stall. While my sister and I were shopping around Shangri-La (mall), we spotted a charming little stall in the middle of the children's section. We then wandered towards the stall and saw the huge "Frostings" sign. We were captured by the allure of their many cupcakes. I was captivated by so many wonderful flavors, I opted for the Brazo De Mercedes cupcake and the Apple pie.


A sweet crumbly concoction is what I'd describe the Apple pie (P35). The outer crust is somewhat tasteless, but the apple filling is really sweet and has a hint of cinnamon and spice. The streusel crumbled on top adds more texture to the cupcake and is incredibly sweet and chewy yet crumbly.



The Brazo De Mercedes (P35) is new flavor and is very appealing to the yes. It is a yellow cupcake filled with a yema like cream and topped with a heavenly amount of marshmallowy meringue. The cake itself was gain, kinda tasteless, but the yema cream was really sweet and balanced out the flavors. The meringue on top was super good. It was really sweet and sticky.

Frostings is a great alternative to other cupcake shops. The price isn't too high.

Frostings can be found in Rustan's in Shangri-La or Glorietta.


The other half of this post is the tantalizing tarts from Le Coeur De France.


Their tarts have always been one of the best for me. They come in numerous flavors like peach, mango and a mixed fruit. They are sweet, but not overly much. It satisfies my sweet craving. I got the peach tart. A flaky tart crust filled with a gelatinous, cakey sweet filling topped with the fruit offered and smothered in a sweet syrup is what makes this tart really tasty. My favorite part are the fruits and the filling. The filling is really hard to describe because it looks really different and indistinguishable, but all I can say is that it is really sticky and amazingly good. The fruits are just plain fruits, but when topped with the syrup, the flavors are really strong and brought out.

The tarts are kinds pricey, but they often have sales so you should definitely try some out.

Cupcake Craze: Cupcakes by Sonja

I love cupcakes. I love their sometimes cakey, sometimes pie-ish, or sometimes moussey cake topped with whipped cream, icing or frosting. Cupcakes can sometimes be really sweet or just sweet, but always delicious, at least for the ones I am gonna try. (except for the really bad ones) I always make it a point to try every cupcake I see. (as long as it looks good) So, I am gonna try as many cupcakes as I can until September and then select my top ten cupcakes.

The first stop is Cupcakes by Sonja at Serendra in Fort Bonifacio. It was assumed that Cupcakes by Sonja started the official cupcake craze about a year ago. Sonja Ocampo used to work at The Magnolia Bakery in New York, which sells their world famous cupcakes. About a year ago, Sonja Ocampo opened her American style cupcake store, which pops with its bright pink and white color and is very endearing, at Serendra. When you enter the store, your eyes are immediately drawn to the glass display featuring her mouthwatering cupcakes. She used to only sell basic flavors like Vanilla Sunshine and Red Velvet, but nowadays she has added a multitude of exotic flavors to her menu such as "The Elvis" and Choco Cream Pie. She has garn ered tons of success since opening her store, and it is rightfully deserved. Her cupcakes are if not the best, one of the best in the Philippines. Her prices may be a tad steep, but she even said that one must pay a high price for high quality cupcakes made from the highest of quality ingredients. If you think that her prices are high, trust me, one you have tasted one, you would pay almost any price for more. I visit Cupcakes almost every week that the workers even know me, so I got hooked. Since I am only one person and I can't eat too much cupcakes, I only ordered two. This week I ordered the Choco cream Pie (P100) and Mint Condition (P68).

The Choco Cream Pie is one of my favorite flavors. When you first see it, you can easily tell that it will taste great. A flaky Oreo pie crust filled with smooth and creamy chocolate mouse topped with a generous cloud of whipped cream. The whipped cream from Cupcakes by Sonjas is one of my favorites. Whenever I try homemade whipped cream, it tastes bland and the texture is either too watery or too stiff. Sonja manages to whip her cream perfectly. It has a slightly milky taste with somewhat of a vanilla essence to it. The mousse was surprisingly minty fresh. It felt like the feeling of having a tictac (my favorite candy) in your mouth. The mousse was not too sweet, but not lacking in flavor. The Oreo crust was just the typical Oreo crust, but when eaten with the mousse and whipped cream, it tastes like a light and creamy chocolate bomb exploded in your mouth.


Speaking of bombs, the Mint Condition has a special bomb. I wasn't too sure of ordering the Mint Condition. I usually order the Berries n' cream or the other flavors that need to be chilled, but it was particularly hot that day, and I needed something cool and minty. I personally don't like colored icing. I know that mint is green and that is why the icing is green, but I really find it unappetizing. On the outside, it looked like a chocolate cake topped with a thick layer of green icing (goo). I was tempted to just scrape the icing of and at the cake, but I was slightly curious about the taste of the icing. It was really minty (hence the Mint Condition). It was a little thick and not too waxy, unlike the icing on the Vanilla Sunshine. I immediately dug my fork into the chocolate cupcake until I realized the bomb, a mint bomb planted inside the chocolate cupcake. The cupcake itself tasted kinda minty. The whole thing tasted like mint chocolates found in some hotels before or somewhat like the Snackwells mint chocolate cookies.

Cupcakes by Sonja
1C03 Serendra Piazza, 1st Level
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

Brunching at Bizu

Since I am still a wee little (not really little anymore) student, I can't eat out everyday. I only have Saturdays and Sundays. So I thought that since I have to go to my dentist near Promenade (near Greenhills), why not have brunch at Bizu, since I've been craving for French onion soup.


Bizu, inspired by contemporary French patisseries, is a quaint and colorful cafe that is definitely easy on the eyes and on the taste buds. The appeal of Bizu is most prominent in the glass display of the delectable macaroons and beautifully crafted cakes and pastries.


The first item we ordered was the Banana and Almond Brioche French toast. The item was brioche French toast smothered on top with mashed bananas, chocolate hazelnut syrup and whipped cream. A ton of recipes for desserts or sandwiches call for brioche, but I just can't seem to find it anywhere in the Philippines except for Bizu. Why doesn't Bizu sell it in their bakery? (hint to Bizu, sell brioche) When I took my first bite of it, the toast was really soft and felt like it was going to melt in my mouth. It was sweet, but not too sweet, and the banana mash added texture to the dish while the hazelnut chocolate syrup gave it much more needed sweetness and stickiness. (P245)



The next item was the chef recommended Eggs Benedict. A muffin topped with smoked ham and two poached eggs, doused with Hollandaise sauce was what was brought to us next. The poached eggs, which most restaurants make too salty, was just perfectly cooked. In my family, it was dubbed it the "best Eggs Benedict in the Philippines." We're not sure yet, but as of now, it is. (P 275)



Next, we ordered the scrambles eggs with slices of slow-cooked Norwegian smoked salmon. The order came with a croissant. The scrambles eggs were not too runny and not too stiff. It was cooked just right. The salmon was warm and not hard or overcooked, but the croissant was kind hard and tasteless on the outside, but the inside was soft and warm. Th saltiness of the capers contrasted the light taste of the salmon, which made the dish have more flavor. (P295)


The last thing we ordered was the French Onion soup, which I have been craving for since I saw the BFC make it on her show. The soup was served with grated emmental cheese on a gruyere toast. The soup was incredibly sweet. The flavors were rich and thick, it was not lacking in flavor at all. The toast added a bit of crunch to it, until it softens up and adds a bit of chewiness to the soup. If you ever eat at Bizu, you should really order this. (P195)

All the breakfasts are served with either green tea, hot chocolate or coffee.


Before we left, I purchased three macaroons, mint, rose and cherry chocolate. The mint was really minty on the outside and had a smooth chocolate filling. The cherry chocolate had a sweet outside and chocolate filling. The rose macaroon had a sweet and slightly sourish outside and sweet filling. They were all really chewy and flaky, they all taste great. If you ever stop by, get some. (P35 each)

Bizu is definitely one of the best places to have brunch. It opens really early at around 7 or 8 a.m.
The breakfast also includes a Filipino menu, but I prefer the French items, since it is a French restaurant.

You can visit it at Greenhills, Promenade or Greenbelt 4.

Yay! My first post.