Wednesday, February 5, 2014

New Pastry Finds at Rome's Patisserie


It's a season to truly express how much you love you're other half, your friends, even your parents and kids.   But Valentine's Day always have that special touch to bring star-crossed lovers to swoon over each other and  smother each other with romance, and what could be one best way than to enjoy it with sweets.   

So timely that I was able to try a newbie pastry purveyor which happens to be located right smack where I used to make "tambay" during college days.  University Mall building at Taft  has changed a bit but when I got inside the building, I couldn't recognize the place anymore.  What used to be fashion and trinket boutiques are now restaurants, coffee shops and more food stalls.  


As I was saying, I was able to try out some heavenly treats from Rome's Pastries with their stall just in front of CBTL.  They take pride in the perennial bars which Chef Rome have given a few tweaks and a number of the chef's favorite cupcake varieties.



Romulus Miranda, known to be Chef Rome in the culinary scene, have decided to venture into baking business long after his experiences in hotels, food establishments and cruise ship.  He chose to have his first pick up stall near where he graduated college before he took up courses in cakes and pastry art, College of St Benilde.
He had been selling his baked goodies just last year and now he is more serious in offering new dessert and pastry to customers.  

 
 Would you agree that bars such as brownies, revel bars, food for the gods are never out of season and have been unceasing favorites in the market till today?

Aside from easy-to-prepare and hassle-free when eating, these rectangular sugar-laden sweets come in a variety of flavor as well.  The front-runner is Walnut Brownies (photo above).  Upon getting a slice, you instantly get a whiff of pure cocoa goodness, with both a crumbly and moist (but not too much) texture in every bite.   You will also notice the good quality of the ingredients use and that's what I like about home-baking - the priority given to the baked-goods freshness.  Because for me, deliciousness defined by freshness.
However, I like Rome's Cream Cheese Brownies better.  It's not that I don't like nuts on my pastries but I've always had something for cream cheese.  This is my perfect coffee or tea partner and which I like having specially when in times of much-needed inspirations.  It's comfortingly moist and fudgy and the cream cheese melded perfectly with the dark chocolate used in this recipe.

 Layered bars are also a challenge for me making at home and I mostly get disappointed when I buy from somewhere else.  Rome's Revel Bars are two layers of oatmeal cookie dough filled a rich chocolate walnut fudge in the center.   And hey, this one did not disappoint me.  Every bite elicits enough gooey choco and adorably crumbly mix of oatmeal and cookie dough.


Usually bought flat and ultra moist texture wrapped in foil, Food for the Gods is made out of dates and walnuts mixed in a fluffy buttery dough.  The texture is simply phenomenal, think of it as a cross between a moist butterscotch crossed with crumby cookie. It is popular during the Christmas season in the Philippines. Though not everyone likes the after-taste of dates, good that Chef Rome was able to recognize that but leaving the the redolence of butter and brown sugar.
This bar deviates from the norm of food for the Gods, instead it's served like the usual bars though cakey with a dry top and side, but the middle remains moist and with a lovely crunch of cashew and walnut bits here and there.  Making it more affordable, the fruity flavor missed from the dates are reconciled with raisins.

Last on the list under bars, are the Bookies.  Simply put is as cookie on top of a brownie.  Each bar sliced in 3 by 3-inch square is enough to melt one's blues away and will instantly send you to brownie (or cookie) heaven. I can compare it to heroin which gives out a burst  of good feelings when eaten.  (Note: it's just a metaphor OK!  I've never tried heroin or any drugs).


Presenting the model of Rome's Patisserie trying out their newest pastry, the Eclair.  Well, she's not actually an endorser, she was one of the bloggers trying out the eclair. 


Some say that an eclair is an oblong cream puff, which most people daunt trying out.  Let me describe it like a log (baked) doughnut filled with vanilla-hinted custard and covered with chocolate ganache.  I like that the choux pastry used when baked gave out a smooth and tender texture to it.  Also, the cream-custard filling that's not too sweet is very notable.


Rome's Patisserie's cupcake selection are promising and will easily draw you to ruining your diet.  A good motivation perhaps in attaining those perfect abs or the weight you'll be losing after weeks of training in the gym.  How about a few good reasons to spend more time walking or jogging?

Cupcakes:

Chocolate Kitkat: Chocolate cupckae with chocolate ganache icing topped with Kitkat chocolate. (P 65 each)

Red Velvet: Traditional Red Velvet cupcake topped with cream-cheese frosting and red heart fondant decor.  (P 55 each)
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Carrot: Moist Carrot Cupcake topped with cream-cheese frosting finished with a carrot sugar decor. (P 55 each)

Choco Banana:  Banana flavored cupcake topped with chocolate ganache icing finished with a yellow star fondant decor. (P 65 each)

Dulce de Leche: Vanilla cupcake frosted with a creamy caramel fudge icing. (P 65 each)

They also have Chocolate Reese Peanut Butter and Cookie Butter, both at P 65 each.


To make dessert-giving extra special, why not say it with cheesecakes...I find the NewYork style cheesecake here similar to the dense and creaminess of those serve in five-star hotels.   The Blueberry Cheesecake is available in 4-in round ( P 170) and 8-inch round cake (P 850).


I bet this would melt your lover's heart!  The Red Velvet Cheesecake (same price as the Bluberry cheesecake) inspired from the much-raved upon red velvet cupcakes.  It's a red cheesecake but utterly different in that it's chocolate-flavored and it sits on top of  Oreo crust, enough to be even raved more.

I hope you also give them a try.  I give them my two-thumbs up for providing more sweetness to that side of La Salle.  They will be coming out with more pastries particularly those that are healthier and hopefully sugar-free treats and vegan delights.




Rome's Patisserie
2nd Flr.  University Mall
Vito Cruz, Taft Ave., Manila
FACEBOOK: Rome's Patisserie






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