Cafe France's French Donuts - Classic Chocolate and Lemon Custard

I have heard about the cronuts craze since August initially through Instagram and Twitter then on Facebook. So when I knew that Cafe France Opens a New Branch in Davao City at Hai Global in Pryce Business Park, I thought I have a closer place to go to when I want to try out one of the cronuts version available in the city.

For those who are not yet familiar, the cronut is a croissant-doughnut pastry created by a Chef Dominique Ansel for Dominique Ansel Bakery in New York City just this May 2013. When I first saw it, what comes to mind is our local "Otap". I dunno why but it just looks like it. *wink*

The half-croissant, half-donut pastry made a craze in our country a month after that in June this year. I have been hearing and seeing various cronuts from Chef Ansel's, Wildflour Café + Bakery's version which I think was the first in the country to make its own version. There is also Yamato Bakery Café's cronuts, Krispy Kreme's Krispy Krouissant, DolceLatte's croughnuts, Dunkin Donuts donut croissant, Chatime's Kronuts, The French Baker's croinuts, Go Nuts Donuts cronuts. The list could go on. Intercontinental Hotel Makati cro-nuts and Manila Hotel also made their own version of the pastry. Even Vikings Luxury Buffet Restaurant also has their own.

Then this Cafe France's French Donuts was the first one I heard to be available here in the city. It was launched in Manila last August 1. These are available in these flavors:

LEMON CUSTARD: Zesty lemon-sugar icing atop numerous layers of buttery, crisp puff pastry filled with creamy lemon custard paste.

SALTED CARAMEL: A luscious blend of sea salt and caramel icing atop numerous layers of buttery, crisp puff pastry filled with smooth salted caramel pasty.

CLASSIC CHOCOLATE: Silky semisweet chocolate icing with a choco espresso bean atop numerous layers of buttery, crisp puff pastry filled with rich chocolate paste.

The classic chocolate can be my fave for now among the three from Cafe France but I have yet to try the salted caramel which was not available that  time we were there with the foodie hubby having a light brekkie.

The cronuts craze goes on and our city is just catching up to what was started in NY to Manila to our city.

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Open House | Espresso Cream Ice Blended & Espresso Cream Iced Latte

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf has sent an invite to their upcoming OPEN HOUSE in their stores nationwaide on August 18, 2013 Sunday.

This foodie mommy and my foodie hubby and kid usually take our time to visit our barista friends at CBTL when they have an open house to try their new offering but as for this time it is said to be a returning favorite.

NOTE: This is open to everyone so bring your family, relatives, friends, officemates, neighbors and enjoy a free taste of their Espresso Cream. No need to print this invite. Just come to their participating stores at the given time next Sunday, August 18.

Check out their poster image and details below from the CBTL invite I got in my email. See you there at the CBTL store we will be going to next Sunday!

Treating Our Customers Is One Of Our Favorite Things To Do.

Join us as we bring back two Returning Favorites: The Espresso Cream Ice Blended® and The Espresso Cream Iced Latte!

Come for a visit on Sunday, August 18, 2013 from 10:00am to 11:30am at all The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® stores in Manila, Batangas, Olongapo, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, General Santos and Davao (except University Mall and CBTL™ Coffee Bars) for some Espresso Cream goodness like no other.

See you there! #tastematters

Source: The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Fresh Durian Arancillo Variety

Fresh Durian Arancillo Variety

August is the Kadayawan Festival month in Davao City. During this time, I seem like many people have an excuse of not a reason to forget doctor's orders and eat DURIAN, the king of fruits considered by many people in southeast Asia as the "King of Fruits" given its delicious taste (that's a yes for us who love eating Durian) with yet a strong smell that we like while some people who don't eat it simply don't like. The famous description for Durian is that "It smells like hell yet taste like heaven!" The smell is so enticing for us who love to eat the king of fruits.

Last Friday on our way home from attending the afternoon First Friday Mass at the nearest church, we passed by a durian vendor that parked his mobile stall or whatever more apt term there is for it. It is the first time we saw him there in front of the sari-sari store.

He was selling Fresh Durian Arancillo Variety that sells for P40 per kilo. Arancillo is said to be named after former BPI-PhilFruits Director Vicente Arancillo according to an article I found through Google.

While my first love among the durian varieties was the native which is more bitter and strong in taste yet creamy that is usually easily distinguished among people who are durian lovers, I have come to like the taste of the other durian varieties. I like the more sweet, delicious type which are creamy in taste and nice texture and I find that in the Arancillo Durian variety. How about you? What's your favorite durian variety?

Going back, the durian that manong durian vendor has last Friday were not that big and I just requested for one that is as close to a kilo. He easily found one and in as much as I try to avoid eating durian now for the effects it has on us, hubby and I just could not resist especially when you have the durian and Coca-Cola Coke softdrink combo.

The durian vendor let me taste it upon opening it. Most of the vendors here allow you to taste the durian which is nice so you would have an option of which taste of each variety you like to indulge yourself in.

Etcetera...

I am not a durian expert buy we have a suki durian vendor along F. Torres Street in Davao City. His name sounds like Lito (sorry I tend to confuse it with Tito) and he used to park his multicab full of durian along F. Torres Street corner Panganiban Street across Bistro Rosario or Cups and Lowercase or at that corner going to Ponce Suites. Sometimes it would cause a little traffic at that corner since some cars and taxis would stop by to buy durian expecially at night. NOW they moved a bit and they park their multicab nearer the entrance of Holiday Gym and Spa still along F. Torres Street. They have been our suki durian vendor there since we moved downtown and found them there. They have many suki. One group of guys selling near Victoria also in a multicab even said they belong to the same supplier. That's how known Lito is to his suki durian customers here in the city.

We used to have Nong Willy as our suki durian vendor in front of Magsaysay Park along the corner of Leon Garcia Street and R. Magsaysay Avenue (more known by its old name as Uyanguren). Near Magsaysay Park in Davao you will find the stalls of Magsaysay Fruit Vendors Association and many of them are Durian vendors of Davao City. We love Nong Willy in the office then because he would sometimes give us free extra durian when we buy many of it for our office boss to be brought to Manila. I actually learned to indulge in durian in that office because our big boss from Manila simply loves durian. Every time he would come here then or even if not, we would buy and send plenty of durian to Manila.

The price can vary also when it is peak season or not. The lean season when there is less supply of durian, expect the price to be higher. I remember those days when it used to even price as low as P20-P25 per kilo and those were the days when I could eat at least five serving/seed in one durian eating session. These days I had to control. In as much as many claim the  benefits of durian, it does have some effect to the not so healthy and young anymore. It is okay to indulge but just know how to control depending on one's appetite and tolerance.

Otherwise for the young and healthy foodies who can truly indulge in durian, enjoy! Hope this Kadayawan Festival 2013, we have an abundant and lower priced supply of delicious durian may it be the Arancillo Durian variety of others.

Nutella Ferrero Hazel Cocoa Spread

Photo by TheFoodieMommy

These Nutella Ferrero Hazel Cocoa Spread bottles seems to be calling to me... "Buy! Buy! Buy!" While I on the other hand is saying deep inside my foodie sweet tooth thoughts, "I want, I want, I want!" *wink*

My elder sister now living somewhere in Europe used to send us a big bottle of this when she used to send balikbayan box during Christmas season before. These Nutella though can now be found in almost any supermarket and even in the 24-hour convenience stores here in the city.

When I do my grocery time, I have this thing for looking into the imported goods section of the supermarket of GMall. Everytime we do get to do our grocery there, I would take some time to go around and look into products that I like, crave, interested in as a foodie or simply look at products that are not usually found in other supermarkets in the city. By the way, just a tip if you are in the city and looking for imported food items and stuff that you don't find in other supermarkets or stores in the city, try the GMall supermarket.

I have been thinking of buying Nutella again out of my own saved money since this is out of our weekly grocery budget already. So everytime I would pass by the peanut butter displayed on the shelf in any grocery, I would stop and think if I should give it a go for yes that Nutella craving craze we sometimes randomly have! *wink*

Nutella Bar from Coffee at Yellow Hauz

Photo ©The Foodie Mommy

Nutella Bar from Coffee at Yellow Hauz is a must try for nutella lovers out there. I instantly liked it and I honestly enjoyed eating it while it was served warm. There are some sweets and pastries that I love to eat while they are still freshly baked and warm.

Trivia: Did you know that there is such a day as World Nutella Day? Yes it was last February 5, 2013 when Nutella lovers worldwide unite for a day. Nutella is more than just a “chocolaty hazelnut spread” they say...it is a way of life for some people.

With the homey feel of the local coffee shop where this is available that is one of our fave hangouts in the city when we wait to fetch our little kid at school. Or when we feel like having milk tea with good free WIFI and cozy hangout, we go to CYH.

This nutella bar is not too sweet yet it is delicious. I wish I could eat two more slices of this! I like Nutella. I can say this is Nutella-licious!

Porky's Best Special Spicy Pork Skin Crackling or Chicharon

Photo by The Foodie Mommy

Porky's Best Special Spicy Pork Skin Crackling or Chicharon as it is locally called was our afternoon snacks after we came back home at my parent's place which we visited after we had done voting for the 2013 Mid Term Elections. My family shared the small two packs we bought. We should have bought more. I'll take note of that next time.

We bought this at NCCC Mall where we had our lunch since we missed breakfast before heading to my parent's place. I wanted to buy a cake that's why we went to NCCC but we ended up buying this instead since the Beloy's stall beside it had no stock of the boneless lechon belly.

Porky's Best cooks your order of chicharon fresh and right there while the customer waits for 2 to 3 minutes and it's done. Chicharon lovers delight in eating hot and freshly made pork chicharon that is really delicious. It is among their most popular products more than their processed meats which are among their first products that they make and sell.  It was a "hit" that they opened one store after another with frying stations in all the major malls in the  Davao City.

It has been awhile since we have eaten their chicharon. A few years ago, we would frequent the stall they have nearest our office and we would drop by often to buy freshly cooked chicharon. I even remember I craved for it for awhile when I was pregnant. I had to control of course. I promised myself then I'll give in back to that craving after I give birth. That was years ago.

They have many branches around the city and they even have one now near our parents' home making it more accessible to cater to their customers in that area.

Six years ago in 2007 they launched the Microwavable Chicharon which is to cater the world market since they had expanded outside Davao then to Kidapawan, Makilala, General Santos, Marbel, Tagum, Mati, Iloilo and Zamboanga even to Visayas and Luzon starting with Metro Manila. Goes to show how many of us Filipinos love their pork chicharon. Did you know that Porky's Best was among the first to be recognized as DAVAO QUALITY -  THE BEST NO LESS? Yes to this all time fave chicharon from Davao. 

Selecta Super Chocolate Ice Cream in a Cone

Selecta Super Chocolate Ice Cream in a Cone

One thing kids like our dear little boy wants in the heat of this summer 2013 is a scoop of their favorite delicious ice cream to cool themselves. He asked for his favorite chocolate ice cream when we went to the Selecta scooping station in front of the Robinson's Supermarket in Abreeza Mall Davao.

I sure got hungry and I wanted one for myself but this foodie mommy had to stop her craving. We still have a roll of brazo de mercedes from Tiny Kitchen to finish in our refrigerator at home. That will be my sweet treat for myself and hubby when we get home.

Spicy Spareribs at Yellow Fin Restaurant

Photo by The Foodie Mommy

Spicy Spareribs at Yellow Fin Restaurant can be really spicy and I have to say this is one of the spiciest I have ever eaten as far as I can remember. The cook took us seriously when we told them to make it spicy. *wink* We love it really spicy anyway. I actually don't like spicy food but it is my hubby's influence on me since he really likes spicy food.

For those who love the deep fried spicy spare ribs, one of our all time fave at Ahfat Seafood Restaurant here in Davao, can also try this and make this an option when they dine at any of the Yellow Fin branches in Davao City. An order costs P150 good for at least two persons already (depending on your appetite). Though I have to say that Ahfat's version still remains a fave of ours.

This spicy spareribs from Yellow Fin was also good on its own, delicious and very spicy! More spicy than the ones we've tried at ASR which though have spareribs cooked crispy.  If you get to try it, tell me if you like it.

Bon appetit!
~XOXO~

Bacon Wrapped Bagaybay from Bistro Selera

Photo by The Foodie Mommy

Bacon Wrapped Bagaybay from Bistro Selera is a must try when you visit the newly opened bistro at the second level of the Fountain Court area of SM Lanang Premier in Davao City.

We were invited to an exclusive lunch there a few days ago and this dish became one of my fave and now I know why it is one of their best seller dishes now. I prefer eating bagaybay rather than the bihod if I were to chose. When we go to a seafood restaurant, my husband and I would usually look for bagaybay other than fish.

The crisp bacon added more flavor and twist to this dish. This is the first time I have heard of bagaybay paired with bacon in a dish and topped with crispy bits garlic. My husband and I agree this is a must try dish when you get to dine at Bistro Selera. Hope they will serve it as great as this delicious dish they served us during that exclusive lunch.

Bagaybay is the local term for the gonads or testicles of the male tuna fish. They call it tuna milt or male gonads of the tuna fish. While the bihod is the roe or eggs of the female tuna.

Grand Emerald Seafood Restaurant in Victoria Plaza Davao City

Grand Emerald Seafood Restaurant Davao City

~March 2010~
Photos by The Foodie Mommy

Foodies in Davao City or tourists who would like to go on a food trip while visiting Davao may try this Chinese restaurant located at the Victoria Plaza Compound. We dined there last year and it has been quite a long time since we visited this restaurant. Service is okay. What I love in this place are the nuts that they serve customers while waiting for their food. The nuts with sesame seeds are served for free and it's delicious. My former officemates would even make a joke that they are already full eating the nuts alone before the meal.