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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Cookie Dough Cheesecake

By: The Moody Critic

Who needs plating when the plating is the dessert itself?

One look and I know that I wouldn't be disappointed with this dessert. Superficially, it does have this solid and compact appeal. Those little cookie toppings simply couldn't hide the dessert's obvious theme and that appetizing property.

Matching its appearance, every succeeding mouthful could attest that this dessert followed the dogma of making the perfectly baked cheesecake. Compactness, check! Even consistency, check! Appropriate density, check! and the ideal cheesecake texture, check! The only element lacking from this dessert however, was its thickness. To the very least, it should have been made an inch higher for that chunkiness appeal to surface.

Ingenious base! As the name suggests, cookie dough, a becomingly popular component of desserts nowadays was used for its base. An ordinary or perhaps a traditional chef would use it as a ganache but not those at Chelsea Kitchen. Not only did it give that appropriate contrast in color, but it also rescued the moderately bland cheesecake matrix through its sweet and salty creaminess giving me the contrast in taste I was looking for. This is the first time I ever considered the base almost as significant as the matrix. Well done!

Presentation: 8.1
Taste: 8.0
Texture and consistency: 8.4
Complexity: 7.8
Value for money: 7.0

Overall rating: 8.0/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Chelsea Kitchen
Address: G/F SM Megamall, Mega Fashion Hall, EDSA cor. Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
Full food name: Cookie Dough Cheesecake
Price: P250.00

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Slice's Red Velvet Cheesecake

By: The Moody Critic

"Massively and enticingly made!"

While other desserts fail to show harmony with the color schematics, this one followed the correct theme with respect to the concept of red velvet desserts: a black base, a white frosting layer, on top and a sea of crimson that manifests a paradox of firmness and velvety consistency intertwined.

The cream cheese frosting layer, though having had a good ratio of thickness with its cheesecake matrix, lacked that penetrating saccharine property. This only made a partial synergism of tastes causing the marked bitterness of the Oreo crust to surface.

Without a shadow of a doubt, this dessert wins the serving size award. Having an approximately 4-inch thickness, you would really surrender consuming this dessert in one shot thus necessitating the helping hand of your friends. However, sharing this ecstasy with others suggests sharing the bill as well. You would be a little surprised that a slice of this dessert will cost you a fortune. Never again will you undermine the meaning of the word "slice".

Presentation: 8.2
Taste: 8.1
Texture and consistency: 8.5
Complexity: 7.8
Value for money: 7.0

Overall rating: 8.1/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Slice
Address: G/F Southeast block, Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Avenue corner 29th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Full food name: Red Velvet Cheesecake
Price: P290.00
Serving: 1-2 person/s

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Dark Cherry Truffle Cake

By: The Moody Critic

A newbie among Coffee Bean's arsenal of desserts.

There is no question about the cake's elegant and scrumptious presentation. However, having made a replica of a ruptured tumor cell covered in a chocolate ganache really discouraged me to put those so-called dark cherry truffles in my mouth.

The milk chocolate frosting sure was an excellent match for the cake because it gave that appetizing contrast of colors and that distinct saccharine taste. However, what was markedly lacking in this cake was the sharp sweetness that could have satisfied the sweet tooth for decades. It would have been better if it was 20% sweeter. While this sweetness factor ideally emanates from its frosting or filling, the cake's sweetness on the other hand should be left unaltered to be able to preserve the balance.

The conspicuous chocolate tile located at the back of the cake, believe it or not, had its own unique texture and taste. Given its thin frame, it was quite surprising how it was able to contain a significant number of crisped rice. Unfortunately, these tiles have the tendency to crack because aside from being thin, they don't completely adhere to the cake's convex exterior.

Having maintained the uniformity in this dessert was very commendable. The apparent congruent layering of the chocolate cake was made possible by the equidistant interceding milk chocolate fillings. Because the cake was made with just the right moisture and density, I guess forcefully flushing this dessert down into my stomach with copious amount of water won't be necessary.

Presentation: 8.4
Taste: 7.5
Texture and consistency: 8.2
Serving size: 7.8
Value for money: 7.7

Overall rating: 7.9/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
Address: Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Makati City
Full food name: Dark Cherry Truffle Cake
Price: P135.00

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New England Pot Roast Beef

By: The Moody Critic

The first time I got acquainted with the pot roast was during my childhood days when I used to play the popular old game- Castlevania: Symphony of the Night. After being dropped by the Flail Guard - a monster in this game, my mouth would usually drool over this item because it looked very tempting to eat. In those days, I promised myself that I would someday savor on this dish. Finally, I did; and I was not disappointed!

Seeing the gargantuan serving size of this dish, I was immediately shocked when it was finally served on our table. It can actually be shared by two persons. Surprisingly, it didn't look the same like how it was shown in the menu where it looked more of a typical beef stew. Nevertheless, the arrangement of the meat slices and the sprouts helped in giving that appetizing presentation.

The only way to deal with tough beef cuts like the ones used in this dish is through slow-cooking. So far, they were able to achieve this because the meat was very tender and succulent. However, what they failed to achieve was the Maillard reaction - the browning effect which the meat cuts evidently lacked. Lastly, the seemingly unrelated "ribs" was overcooked because some of its segments were already charred.

Excellent choice of flavors, well-cooked meat, generous amount of sauce, and more-than-enough serving size - sum them all up and you'll get a satisfied mouth and a happy stomach.

Presentation: 7.7
Taste: 8.0
Texture and consistency: 8.0
Complexity: 8.1
Value for money: 9.0

Overall rating: 8.0/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Uncle Cheffy
Address: 3rd Level Atrium, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Full food name: New England Pot Roast Beef
Price: P495.00

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Angus Au Jus

By: The Moody Critic

Every time I eat at Racks, Angus Au Jus never fails to be included in my eating program. One simply cannot deny or ignore the quality of a genuine Angus beef.

Without any sauce, any sidings, or any elaborate plating, the Angus beef can definitely stand alone on the plate. The way the meat was seasoned was very remarkable. It is delicious on its own and any sauce would just serve as a bonus. Even if I would asked for a well-done steak, the meat would still remain very tender and juicy.

This dish comes with two sidings of choice. I would almost always choose mashed potato and macaroni & cheese out of the variety of sidings because of their caloric value. But if you're on the heavier side, veggie siding is the way to go!

I found the mashed potato shockingly lumpy and watery. Moreover, it was made very bland given that it has no accompanying gravy. The macaroni & cheese was basically "okay" but the macaroni was slightly undercooked. I almost knocked the living daylights of the waiter because my mac & cheese still had the bacon bits after I specifically asked him not once, but twice to remove them.

With an average size of around 13 cm x 10 cm x 1.7 cm, this beef dish can surely say "shut up and eat!". Sometimes, I would even fast for a whole day just to allot space for this dish because I usually had problems in ambulating afterwards due to my overly distended stomach.

Choice of side dishes:

1. Baked Beans
2. Corn Bread
3. Potato Salad
4. Gravy Fries
5. Mac and Cheese
6. Corn on the Cob
7. Coleslaw
8. Garlic Mashed Potato
9. Buttered Vegetables
10. Pasta Salad

Choice of Sauce:

1. Au Jus (comes with the dish) - Red wine plus the Angus beef's own juice
2. Racks' original barbeque sauce regular (on the table)
3. Racks' original barbeque sauce extra hot (on the table)

Presentation: 6.5
Taste: 8.3
Texture and consistency: 7.5
Complexity: 7.2
Value for money: 8.1

Overall rating: 7.7/10
Mood: Satisfied

Resto: Racks
Address: Ground floor, Entertainment mall, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
Full food name: Angus Au Jus
Price: P680.00

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Milk Chocolate Cake

By: The Moody Critic

NOT BAD for a home-made desert! For such a small cake, it immediately earned it's title as one of the store's bestsellers.

The small grated chocolates which looked like pencil shavings matched the size of this cake. The milk chocolate frosting which served as the skin of the cake seemed like it underwent a lot of oxidative stress because its top surface was uneven. Furthermore, it needs 10% more sweetness because it lacked that penetrating chocolatey goodness. Lastly, the chocolate pillars, those vertical structures surrounding the milk chocolate frosting, should not have been there at all if they would look grotesque in the first place.

The cake was very moist and had the right level of sweetness. It was divided into a superior and inferior partition by an inconspicuous milk chocolate filling. However, you will need a magnifying lens to see this very thin layer of chocolate filling.

If it is such a drag to wash chocolate-smeared plates, then hire an indefatigable dishwasher rather than serve the cake on a disposable plastic plate. The dog bowl-like plate was such a nuisance because it prevented my fork from slicing the cake all the way down to the bottom. The menu brags that this cake is sinfully rich and moist, but I believe this plastic plate should be the genuine sin that they should talk about.

Presentation: 6.7
Taste: 8.0
Texture and consistency: 8.4
Serving size: 8.1
Value for money: 8.0

Overall rating: 7.8/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: The Parvati Store
Address: Mindanao Lobby, Trinoma Mall, Quezon City
Full food name: Milk Chocolate Cake
Price: P150.00 (mini), P595.00 (6-inch), P995.00 (8-inch)

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Mixed Ravioli

By: The Moody Critic

This dish features a duo of spinach and cheese ravioli and a mushroom ravioli. Though I'm not really a fan of vegetables, this dish surely proved me wrong even if meat was not involved at all.

The mushroom ravioli was a lot better because it's taste was complementary to the pomodoro sauce. On the other hand, the spinach and cheese ravioli was quite pungent and it didn't produce a synergistic effect with the sauce. The pasta was al dente and had a correct ratio with its filling.

The vibrant pomodoro sauce and the fresh basil chiffonade provided the effective contrast of colors making this dish very enticing to eat. However, I find the sauce very sour so I had to rely on the pasta to neutralize that acidity. If I had brought along a litmus paper, I'm sure the blue will turn red. The feta cheese should have been grated rather than placing them as large chunks.

What I most specifically didn't like about this dish was was the garlic bread foccacia. It was really hard and it lacked flavor.

Presentation: 8.3
Taste: 7.8
Texture and consistency: 8.8
Serving size: 7.4
Value for money: 6.9

Overall rating: 8.0/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Bizu Patisserie
Address: Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City
Full food name: Mixed Ravioli
Price: P395.00

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Two Nut Caramel Cheesecake

By: The Moody Critic

With its relatively cheap price, you can never go wrong with this dessert when you come to the shop to fill your empty stomach.

The cheesecake matrix was very compact but it slightly lacked the ideal texture that I was looking for.

Above the rich matrix comes the poverty-stricken caramel layer. If they managed to saturate this dessert with not just one, but two kinds of nuts, then they could have bathed it with lavish caramel sauce instead. I really struggled to find the caramel taste up to the very last bite and I tried to conserve what little caramel was available just to match the generous amount of the cheesecake matrix. Although disappointed, this layer was still the reason why I chose this particular dessert because the caramel was captivatingly arranged in a Medusa-like or devil's snare-like manner.

Surprisingly, I noticed that the base layer was quite softer compared to the other cheesecake bases I ate before from this restaurant so I managed to consume the dessert completely.

Presentation: 8.0
Taste: 7.4
Texture and consistency: 7.8
Serving size: 9.0
Value for money: 9.0

Overall rating: 7.9/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Banapple Pies & Cheesecakes
Address: Il Terrazo Mall, Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City
Full food name: Two Nut Caramel Cheesecake
Price: P105.00

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Yo-ho-Hope!

By: The Moody Critic

Though this cheesecake may look like it has underwent some melting, it didn't prevent it from kicking some butt. Originally made as a Christmas-season dessert, the hidden candied pecans under the custard layer gives you an explosion of a very distinct roasted nut effect; just perfect for the holidays!

This dessert has three layers: a top layer of custard cream, a middle layer of rich chocolate fudge, and a bittersweet base of chocolate cookies. The middle fudgy layer could have been made 20% sweeter while the base layer should be 10% sweeter so that they would potentiate the sharp sweetness of the top layer. Unfortunately, the posterior portion of the base layer was made very thick and it was also unyielding because it was as hard and compact as a bone. This gave me the impression that it was overcooked.

WARNING: This is a very very dense dessert which warrants small frequent feedings. It may actually be consumed by two people.

Presentation: 7.3
Taste: 8.8
Texture and consistency: 7.9
Serving size: 9.4
Value for money: 9.2

Overall rating: 8.4/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Banapple Pies & Cheesecakes
Address: Il Terrazo Mall, Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City
Full food name: Yo-ho-hope!
Price: P120.00

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