Lorenzo's Truffle Cream

By: The Moody Critic

Living in a house of pasta, I am seldom impressed of the pasta dishes cooked by various households and even by the most expensive of restaurants I've been to.

SIMPLE, yes, that's the word to describe it. Though it doesn't have any trace of that vibrant red of the everyday spaghetti nor the overflowing creamy sauce of the regular carbonara, it does have that unique richness and that perfect balance of flavors.

After indulging with this dish, it is expected that most people would try desperately to recreate it at home because the ingredients are seemingly simple and the dish itself looks easy to prepare. I, myself, was guilty of this act and believe me when I say that it is profoundly difficult to get that perfect balance of taste despite using the same ingredients. A simple discrepancy in the ratio of ingredients would result either to a totally different taste or a totally disastrous concept.

Though quite expensive for a pasta dish, I must say that its taste, quality, serving size, not to mention the warm customer service that Mamou provides would affirm its value.

Presentation: 7.5
Taste: 8.8
Texture and consistency: 8.4
Complexity: 8.2
Value for money: 7.9

Overall rating: 8.3/10
Mood: Euphoric

Resto: Mamou - A Home Kitchen
Address: G/F Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Full food name: Lorenzo's Truffle Cream
Price: P395.00
Serving: 1-2 person/s

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Classic Beef Wellington

By: The Moody Critic

At last, a restaurant that really knows how to cook steak!

I asked for a medium well steak and what did I get? A genuine medium well with a meat done throughout and with a slight hint of pink at the center and wrapped in a dura mater of puff pastry. With its glistening brown exterior, the sear was indisputably superb. You might forget your name as you take a bite of such tender and succulent meat. 

What is a steak without its sauce? The sauce, the dish's secret recipe for success plunged me into a state of euphoria. Among the variety of sauces, I believe that this one was born to marry this dish. Its diversity in flavor and spices complemented not only the well-seasoned steak but also the creamy mashed potato underneath.

I have searched far and wide for this extremely rare dish and I discovered that only a handful of restaurants serve this dish. A dish that represents tradition, art, and complexity should only be served by a competent restaurant -- a task LULU Restaurant was able to accomplish. 

Presentation: 8.5
Taste: 9.2
Texture and consistency: 8.4
Complexity: 8.5
Value for money: 7.9

Overall rating: 8.7/10
Mood: Euphoric

Resto: LULU Restaurant
Address: G/F V. Corp. Tower, L.P. Leviste Street, Salcedo Village 1200 Makati City, Philippines
Full food name: Classic Beef Wellington
Price: P980.00
Serving: 1-2 person/s

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Wildflour's Cronut

By: The Moody Critic

The "Croissant-Doughnut" or Cronut, is taking the world by storm; Thanks to the brilliant Chef Dominique Ansel of New York City who learned that not only geneticists or genetic engineers can hybridize things.

Within just a few months, several shops around the world have cracked the Cronut code and made imitations of this ingenious pastry. Wildflour Cafe + Bakery was one of the first shops to offer the Filipino people with a quality replica - a replica that can really stir one's curiosity due to its elusiveness.

By genetics, a cronut is dominantly a croissant added with some doughnut traits like the classical ring shape and the flavored frosting on top which the former lacks. Nevertheless, the golden brown shell, the flaky consistency, and the beautiful laminated structure remained.

Upon dissecting the cronut, you will appreciate the multiple thin layers and the sweet custard cream modestly embedded within the central transverse fissure. I believe it is not necessary to add sugar granules around the cronut because the custard cream's sweetness is just enough to match the slight blandness of the cronut itself. The flaky texture and consistency, the sugar granules, and the transverse fissure concept all lean towards one thing: making a mess. So be sure to have table napkins within reach.

Due to the very high demand for this pastry, Wildflour currently sells two Cronuts per person only. Moreover, they are selling it only at specific timeslots (9:30 AM, after lunch, and 3:30 PM) per day. No worries, sooner or later, I feel they are going to repeal this system when competition starts to kick in and the high demand has abated. There are around seven flavors to choose from: plain, chocolate, Vanilla, Strawberry, Dulce de leche, Mixed Berry, Hazelnut. Regardless of flavor, all of them contain a rich custard cream filling. If you're planning to buy Cronuts from Wildflour, I strongly suggest that you plan ahead to avoid disappointment and waste of time.

Cronut quality is inversely proportional to time. The longer the time it exists in the world, the more you'll appreciate its deterioration. It is best eaten as soon as you bought it. But if you're going to take it home, do not imprison it in a fridge because you wont be able to appreciate the remarkable croissant consistency. Do not leave it at room temperature for a very prolonged time either because the custard can easily turn rancid. But with its amazing taste and texture, I doubt a normal person would even save some for tomorrow.

Presentation: 7.5
Taste: 8.8
Texture and consistency: 9.0
Complexity: 8.3
Value for money: 6.6

Overall rating: 8.3/10
Mood: EUPHORIC

Resto: Wildflour Cafe + Bakery
Address: 4th ave. cor 26th st. Fort Bonifacio, Global City, Taguig
Full food name: Croissant-Doughnut
Price: P120.00

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