Night Out @ Lindt Cafe, Elizabeth Street

It's a Friday night out for me and sis. Well, I've actually been craving for chocolate...again. I remembered how happy I was when I first saw the Lindt Cafe at Darlington Harbour. I also remembered plaguing my friends why Melbourne does not have one??? When I found out that it opened last July, it was a trip I must make. I like the posh space at Lindt Cafe and, of course, chocolate treats included.

Tonight, my sister had the Wimbledon. It's sort of a strawberry shortcake with white chocolate. I can see the vanilla beans used to make the cake. It's a lighter option to your usual chocolate cake but I think there's definitely a better version of this cake elsewhere.

Meanwhile, I had the Chocolate Caramel Tart. I was totally unprepared for what it would look like so I gave a slight gasp when I saw my tart. There's a layer of milk chocolate on top of the caramel tart. It was kind of difficult to dig your fork into the chocolate, caramel then the tart. But the combination works well. I just hoped that the chocolate was melted and the caramel inside was warm and oozing.

I WANT CHOCOLATE @ Ganache, Toorak Rd

I haven't been blogging lately. It's not because that I've not been eating well. I think I've been eating too well in fact, that I forgot to bring my trusty camera (or leave it at home on purpose). I realized as I eat through Melbourne, there are some secrets you wouldn't want to share...all because it's just toooo devilishly good. Like Ganache.

I stumbled upon Ganache on one of my first days in Melbourne. I remembered it was a cold night and we were walking along Toorak Rd, taking the tram back to the city. We walked by Ganache and I begged my companions to come in with me. That, my friends, was my first dark chocolate covered orangette. I daresay that I was in heaven...gone to dark chocolate orangette heaven. From that day on, I never stopped thinking about it.

The next time I was back was with PG and DG, both, fortunately for me, chocolate lovers. I remembered so many afternoons when we would stop by Max Brenner or to that Belgian place at the Royal Arcade just for hot chocolate. But, nothing beats the hot chocolate at Ganache. Needless to say, we got addicted and would make up every possible excuse just to go.

Just this weekend, my sister and I went to Ganache. I've been raving this place to her for days when she first arrived and finally we got to go. I had the Cinnamon Hot Chocolate which reminded me of Christmas night outs. Sis had the Hazelnut Hot Chocolate, which I know, of course, was decadent and almost sinful.

We also had the Strawberry and Lime Mousse, which was sublime. The tanginess of the lime went well with hot chocolate, which was rich and intense. Aaaahhh....

Have a cup of hot chocolate at Ganache and you'll understand why it's a secret I wouldn't care sharing =)

Manila Food Post: C2 (Classic Cuisine)

While I was in Manila, I'm definitely craving for Filipino food. High up on my list of restaurants to visit is almost always C2. The first time I visited this restaurant, they have an open kitchen. There are only a handful of restaurants in Manila that have open kitchens and I can't take my eyes off them! I love seeing them work around frantically but still in order, in an orchestrated chaos. Up to this moment, the thought of having an open kitchen for a restaurant is amazing and also entertaining.

My cousins, sister and I went for a short stop at C2 after a few hours of walking around the mall. One of the dishes I simply must have: Laing (Taro Leaves Cooked in Coconut Milk). I'm not sure when I started to be addicted to this dish but I recalled requesting this dish from my Grandma and, sadly, she can't make it. It's because the taro leaves had to be washed and dried repeatedly or else eating the dish will make your tongue itch! This version from C2 is indeed a classic. I loved the green chillies with this dish. The green chillies had it's own tone of spiciness but will not blow your head off. Overall, it's creamy and not over salted. I noticed myself eating it on its own.Next dish is Sisig. I think there is no translation to this dish. It is made from different parts of the pork's face: ears, cheeks, snout plus innards, mainly pork liver. All the parts are boiled to soften them then combined together with different spices among which are onion, soy sauce and vinegar. It is served with toppings of chicharon (fried pork skin), some chillies and calamansi (small lime). The end result is an extremely tasty dish. Again, I think this is a textural thing and not for people with cholesterol levels that are bordering. I still believe that everyone should try this at least once.

Filipinos love fried rice. To complete our meal, of course, we had Bago-ong (Fish Paste) Fried Rice. This is the best Bago-ong Fried Rice that I've had for a while. Bago-ong is fermented fish paste actually and usually cooked with garlic, tomatoes, ground pork or sometimes tuna. This mixture is tossed with white rice. No salt needed.

For dessert, we had Pastillas (pronounced as pas-til-yas) Panna Cotta. Pastillas is a milk-based dessert. There are different flavors and versions of pastillas across the Philippines, depending on the region and produce that can be mixed with it. I liked the texture of the panna cotta here but can barely taste the milk-based flavor for the pastillas. Still, it's a good effort.