Pablo - cheese tart

I finally got to taste the much hyped cheese tart by Pablo. Pablo is a Japanese franchise that's only recently established a foothold in Metro Manila. Upon the opening of its stores, there were long queues of people curious about this specialty. I thought that the lines also reflected the word of mouth going around for people who had tasted the tarts abroad and specifically in Japan. And what seems to be an expensive delight (To be fair, I haven't checked the prices but people have told me the tarts were quite pricey.)

The big cheese tart

Here's a close-up of the tart showing the texture that to me is creamy yet firm enough that its really enjoyable 

I would say that Pablo's cheese tart was definitely good. I, however, am not exactly big on tarts although I enjoy the buko tarts of Rowena's in Tagaytay. The taste and texture for me were very familiar as I've enjoyed somethings like this when I was residing in Japan. The taste reminded me of the Japanese-style cheese cakes we enjoyed over coffee or tea. I even recall the nice neighborhood kind of coffee shops near the Tokyu Jiyugaoka Station where we had some really good cheese cakes that tasted like Pablo's tarts. I thought that Pablo's tarts were very good but I am not sure the steep price (~PHP 500 for the one pictured above) is value for money. 

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Paalam Tito Froi

Last Monday, another loved one was laid to rest. Froilan Laudit, or Tito Froi as my wife fondly called him, passed away almost two weeks ago after succumbing to organ failure due to complications brought about by a severe asthma attack. He was visiting his son's family in Auckland, New Zealand where the latter had immigrated. I could imagine it was a very joyful and exciting trip to Auckland as his first grandchild was born last year and only recently turned one. Who knew that only a few days after arriving there that he would have a fatal asthma attack.

The youngest sibling of my mother-in-law (the eldest), I have known him almost two decades now. The Clairvoyant also had told many stories about him. He spent a significant part of his life as an overseas worker in Tokyo, Japan. We could have been there at the same time when I was a student from 1996-1999. I'm just not sure our paths crossed at least one time because he resided and worked in the northern part of Tokyo while I spend most in Yokohama and the southern part of the capital.

Tito Froi was a doting uncle to his nieces and nephews. He was a good man, a kind person. He will be missed!

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Chocolate review: Funky Monkey by The Bakeshop, EDSA Shangri-La

Last December, we picked up some chocolate bars at the EDSA Shangri La hotel. We stayed there for a couple of nights as we had some pest control work on our home. The hotel made some really good chocolates that we had enjoyed in the past and we wanted to try out some of what they had. One of the bars is curiously named "Funky Monkey Marshmallow & Crispies".

Funky Monkey Marshmallow & Crispies Homemade Milk Chocolate Bar

Some details about EDSA Shangri La's in-house chocolate

Though we don't usually buy milk chocolates, we made an exception for this one because of the marshmallow and crispies. This was the chunky kind that you will enjoy because of the ingredients. The bar did not disappoint but of course, we found it too sweet for our taste buds. Still, I would recommend this chocolate for whoever loves milk chocolate and especially those loaded with ingredients that make you chew. I seem recall that the bar cost 250 or 300 Pesos and the price is fair for a very good chocolate in a 180g bar.

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