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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French Toast with Ice Cream

By: The Moody Critic

With dimensions of 5 x 5 x 4 inches almost representing a perfect cube, no one would ever complain about its gargantuan serving size. Given its apparent thickness, one would wonder how were they able to come up with the idea and how were they able cook it evenly from the cortex up to the very interior.

Its golden brown exterior and its crunchiness added significant points to its presentation and consistency respectively.

Although this one-of-a-kind french toast has been labeled "Yummy!" or one of the "best sellers" of the cafe, the taste of the toast itself was of course not surprisingly similar to your everyday french toast.

Furthermore, even with the help of another person, it was a struggle consuming the entire dessert not only because of enormous size but also for its marked oiliness. This time, the vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce really came in handy for having neutralized the overwhelmingly oily factor in this dessert. One's liver should be prepared for the coming storm.

Presentation: 8.1
Taste: 7.0
Texture and consistency: 6.5
Complexity: 7.6 
Value for money: 9.0

Overall rating: 7.4/10
Mood: SATISFIED

Resto: Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe Address: Ground Floor, North Wing, SM Mall of Asia, 1300 Pasay City Full food name: French Toast with Ice Cream Price: P105.00

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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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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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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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Uncle Cheffy Cheesecake

By: The Moody Critic

While waiting for our food, I decided to have a quick tour around the restaurant just to kill the time. The thing that first attracted me was their cake display case. As I look upon the variety of desserts they had on display, one cake stood out among the rest... in a bad way! One look and you'll say that this is one of those forsaken desserts because it seemed to have stood inside the case way past its expiration date to be able to develop such moldy appearance. I left hoping that our paths would never cross again.

I chose the Uncle Cheffy Cheesecake for dessert because it was the most probable flagship dessert of this restaurant as the title suggests. However, as soon as this dessert was served on my table, I was in fierce denial because the cake looked very familiar. It dawned to me that it was that grotesque moldy dessert! Questions came rushing in my mind. Was the concept and presentation of the cake intended? Were they thinking of culturing Aspergillus species on this cake? And how would I find the courage to eat it?

Because this dessert carried the esteemed "Uncle Cheffy" title, it is very much expected that it should be the restaurant's best-seller. I really tried to grasp the idea that there must be something special under that ill-looking masquerade. Unfortunately, there was nothing. It was no different from your average cheesecake in terms of taste. The cheesecake matrix had this marked humidity accompanied by an undercooked mushy consistency. The matrix-to-base ratio was obviously out of proportion. The base was made too thick and it was evidently uneven throughout the length of the cake slice. Lastly, I find the plating really pathetic because it lacked the accentuating contrast needed to give this dessert that appetizing appeal.

Presentation: 4.5
Taste: 5.5
Texture and consistency: 5.2
Serving size: 7.5
Value for money: 5.4

Overall rating: 5.4/10
Mood: DISGUSTED

Resto: Uncle Cheffy
Address: 3rd Level Atrium, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Full food name: Uncle Cheffy Cheesecake
Price: P150.00

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Chocolate Paradise Cake

By: The Moody Critic

The first thing that you would probably notice about this cake would be its posterior portion. Its milk chocolate crumbs might give you a scenario of this cake falling on a dirty, rocky terrain and was then picked up to be served on a plate. Nevertheless, it gave the cake a unique eye-catching appeal.

The cake had moderately moist consistency and quite a stable structure. With seven layers composed of chocolate cake, milk chocolate and cream fillings, who will ever doubt its title: chocolate paradise? However, I find this multiple layering scheme redundant and insignificant because the taste was very uniform regardless of layer. Moreover, layering was inconsistent because identical layers are not congruent.

I know they're trying to be different from other coffee shops out there but blue plates just don't work for me. This is a cafe; so it must express its warmth by adhering to classical plain theme of whites. Furthermore, plate abrasions are readily conspicuous in colored ones.

Presentation: 7.0
Taste: 6.0
Texture and consistency: 7.9
Serving size: 8.5
Value for money: 8.0

Overall rating: 7.0/10
Mood: AMBIVALENT

Resto: Baang Coffee
Address: 258 D Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Scout Fernandez St., Quezon City
Full food name: Chocolate Paradise Cake
Price: P90.00

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Philly Cheese Steak

By: The Moody Critic

I started with high hopes but ended up with broken dreams.

The culprit here was none other than the dry, hard, and coarse macrosomic bread. They used a bread which was either too big or too thick. In fact, just eating the sagittal half of the bread with all its filling will suffice. All I tasted in this sandwich was bread, bread, and more bread. The bread clearly overpowered the already limited cheese filling. Sadly, I didn't get that "dangerously cheesy" status by eating this sandwich.

After being served with a stone-cold bread, I therefore conclude that the bread could use some toasting. Applying the laws of thermodynamics, the coffee shop was not even that cold for the sandwich's heat to have easily dissipated.

Don't expect that you'll be using your bare hands with this food. You will need a lot of knife work in eating this sandwich because the bread was too crumbly and the meat and vegetables are all chopped or sliced into pieces. Everything in this sandwich has the the tendency to easily fall on your shirt. But on the positive side, at least the zucchini, tomato, and onion were not overwhelming in taste and quantity.

Lastly, after tasting those fries, I am sincerely hoping they didn't just use some take-out fries from a well-known fast-food chain which already served billions and billions.

Presentation: 7.4
Taste: 5.8
Texture and consistency: 4.2
Serving size: 9.3
Value for money: 7.3

Overall rating: 6.3/10
Mood: DISAPPOINTED

Resto: Baang Coffee
Address: 258 D Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Scout Fernandez St., Quezon City
Full food name: Philly Cheese Steak
Price: P160.00

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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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