More on sweet Serendra
A chocoholic’s haven
Serendra is definitely a place where one can enjoy la dolce vita. For one thing, there’s a shop called Cacao that’s solely dedicated to–what else–chocolates. I haven’t gone inside the store because surely I won’t be able to resist the urge to buy something, but knowing that such a place exists is already a source of comfort.
There’s this store named Tea & Therapy, owned and operated by the same group behind Haägen Dazs Café, Max Brenner, and Oliver’s Super Sandwiches–just three of my most favorite places in the metro. And because I’m a tea lover (I won’t last a day without a warm cup of my favorite tea), I checked the new place out and discovered that there’s a lot more on the menu than just tea. There are pasta dishes, bento lunch boxes and afternoon tea sets consisting of dimsum, among others. Since it was merienda time when I visited, I just had a slice of the chocolate cashew sansrival (P130++) and a tall glass of the German wild lover cold tea infusion (P95++). The sansrival presented a new twist on an old favorite, but it lacked the requisite crunch that gives this cake a truly unique character. Still, it was delicious, owing to the rich chocolate mousse and the chopped cashew nuts. The iced tea was very refreshing, like the one they have at Oliver’s. Infusing life with health and serenity is the restaurant’s concept. I hope Tea & Therapy thrives in the cut-throat restaurant business, because I find its concept really refreshing as well.
I hooked up with a few fellow chocoholics and we agreed on sampling the chocolate fondue at Serendra’s Café Xocolat. We ordered the Belgian Chocolate Bliss (P355) for sharing. I was a bit dismayed because of the limited choices for dipping–just four, actually. I remember that, for almost the same price (or even cheaper), Max Brenner’s had more stuff on the platter and not just one but two fondues (white and dark chocolate). Anyway, Xocolat’s version of the fondue is a pot of extremely rich, bittersweet melted chocolate that is, well, good enough. I liked the shop’s dulce de leche ensaymada more, though. It was my ‘yummy find’ that day.
Chelsea Market & Café is the newest restaurant on the block, and it promises to be a most interesting one. I really like the feel of this place–warm and cozy, and like a European delicatessen where you can buy cold cuts, spices, coffee, and other specialties from around the globe. So many items on the menu seem excellent choices like the pizza (served on a wooden chopping board) and the salads (served in a really huge bowl), but since I just had a cupcake at the nearby shop, I decided to have only the Toblerone torte (P160)–layers upon layers of mellow chocolate mousse speckled with bits of nougat alternate with soft, light meringue layers and topped with a block of Toblerone. The result is a scrumptious dessert that tickles the tastebuds. A glass of strawberry iced tea (P95) is a great thirst-quencher, with bits of fresh strawberries adding a fruity sweetness to the drink.
I don’t think I can get enough of Serendra just yet, not until I’ve ticked off all the establishments on my list of must-try, like Ilustrado, Abé, Hosseins, Polu Kai, and Brazil!, to name a few. And just across Serendra is another exciting development, Bonifacio High Street, which is absolutely amazing! It’s unbelievable what Ayala Land is doing to that area, but this much I can say: I LOVE IT!
