Death by Parvati Chocolate

Deprived of chocolate for what seemed like eternity, it was time to wave the white flag of fake fitness and resume the choco-haulic hoarders association.

As always Parvati (Trinoma) was the prime choice, on account of its location and hypnotic freezers—which aren’t entirely chilled—especially the cookie section. I tried to hide there once, so yes, I make a valid witness.

In no mood for cheesecake or the timidity of carrot cake, the orders were down to The Dome and The Decadent Cocosugar Chocolate Cake (Sugar Free). Competing in terms of cocoa intensity and swirly frosting, this mash-up should bash any depth of depression.

[caption id="attachment_2355" align="aligncenter" width="498"] Guess the name: That Orbit, Mega Eclair or Choco Chow[/caption]

The Dome, upon closer look, manages to bear strange similarities with a giant éclair and for the more imaginative, a bowl of dog food. The shimmering frosting and the chocolate chips that adorn the fringe can certainly torment the hungry, though in real life, I’d rather it be classified as a Baby Dome. Or how about The Orb?

Chocolate all over and with that nutella cream at the center, The Dome is what you eat when you are depressed, anorexic or dying of low blood sugar. The first few bites can certainly bring that chocolate bliss that can kill any sweet urge for decades. After the return of the common sense though, there are points to ponder as well: the chocolate cake relies on the cream for that moist effect and without it, remains as a boring block of chiffon.

The chocolate frosting is all right but could do with a bit more cocoa surge, while the chocolate chips are not as value-adding in terms of the taste factor. Thanks to that creamy center, The Dome justifies its compelling name, and with a less appealing core, would just be reduced to That Orb.

[caption id="attachment_2354" align="aligncenter" width="498"] The Chocolate Cake that brings a new meaning to the word Decadent.[/caption]

With a name so long, you’d probably expect an equally lengthy ode to The Decadent Cocosugar Chocolate Cake (Sugar Free), but I’ll spare you the burden of reading and summarize my usually wordy thoughts.

The chocolate cake is stiff, devoid of any form of “moist” or softness, and lacks any form of acceptable flavor despite christening itself as a decadent cake. The swirly icing is a tad too sweet but nothing gratifying. Whether the cake was old or kept in a bin of rice grains, its dehydrated form was certainly thes death of my taste buds.

While The Dome wasn’t exactly Willy Wonka variety, it at least had a shred of palatability to revive my pending death from the Sugar Free Chocolate Cake.

Still, I apologize to the cheesecake; I will never abandon you ever again

Red Velvety Goodness

I have never really figured out how Red Velvet came to be or why it was named as such. Why it's so strikingly red, when it can be brown or peach colored and renamed as Caramel Velvet? It does have a nice ring to it though, wouldn't you say?

How about Maroon Mayhem? Indulging!

However Red Velvet has become quite a universal madness, from cupcakes to ice cream to lipstick shades. While I've never been that fond of red food, having associated it the Neolithic medium rare steak, I did fancy the Red Velvet Cake from Christina's Kitchen.

Bought from Parvati (Trinoma), it was 100% red and with no hint of pink. For certain, Revlon would have a hard time replicating such a gorgeous and seamless shade of red. Muy rojo!

As for the "velvet" side of it, the cake was pure smooth and spongy goodness. While not bordering on the heavy cake consistency, it was greatly complemented by its cream cheese frosting. Not too buttery and by no means my-dentist-will-kill-me sweet, the light frosting and soft, light cake create that seamless Red Velvet cake, whose name or color I will never question again.

I've never described a cake as seamless, so I suppose this is one makes it to my books.

But I still think that someone ought to consider Maroon Mayhem. You do that, all right?

Mochiko = My Mochi

Whoever invented Mochiko named it perfectly. That fist-sized ice cream-filled mochi is great for a one-time snack, unfit for sharing and definitely meant to be finished single-handedly. Mochiko roughly translates to "my mochi" in Filipino. My Mochi, not ours, certainly not yours -  just mine.

Let us not lie to ourselves with that delusional thinking that we are selfless and giving. With the sight of this ball of mochi goodness, all those hopes of world peace and brotherhood are sure to dissipate, to be replaced by that inevitable gluttony that we've been harboring all this time.

Best to give in though, as it's rather cheap at about P70 per serving. With an assortment of flavors (chocolate, vanilla, red bean, cookie dough, etc.) you can have a different flavor each day, or until your blood sugar spikes - then you might have to take a break from these sinful balls. Mindless choice for me was, of course, green tea - an unfounded hope for a lower calorie serving.

Surrounded by a thin layer of mildly sweet mochi, the label strongly advises us to let the ball thaw for a few minutes before we get those incisors working. Ever devious, I forced a bite, failed and ended up leaving teeth marks on that still-hardened ball. At least I can't say I didn't try.

Upon reaching the desired thawed state, another attempt was made on this unyielding green fellow and finally, success! I was getting impatient from walking around Eastwood Mall with this plastic ball in my hand, and it didn't help that it was in this horrid shade of apple green.

The thin mochi layer uncovered the creamy goodness of still a perfect ball of green tea if cream. Each bite was a mixture of smooth ice cream with that slight tinge of sweetness and chewy bits from the mochi.

Best way to end any meal is by this ball of indulgence. Best way to burn the calories is to just walk it off as I did.

While I'm no follower of Mochiko, just in case someone asks, I've encountered these little balls of toothy mishap in Mercato Centrale, the Eastwood Weekend Market (at the Eastwood Mall) and Parvati (Trinoma, by the bulk).

Cheesecake Challenge @ Parvati

Armed with only P100, it was a challenge to seek out a single serving of cheesecake - not a Peso more - to address this inescapable dessert craving. I welcomed change (even a measly coin would make me feel rich), though considered this unlikely. Still, the hope for frugal satisfaction led me to the welcoming luminescence of Parvati, Trinoma.

I knew all too well that a slice of cheesecake in Parvati rarely went below the P120 level, but my penury painstakingly led me to scan through the chillers and yes - fantastic eyesight it was that was very supportive to my cause, I found my cheesecake a la pobre.

Mike's Baking White Chocolate Cheesecake Squares came in a box of 2's, priced at P95. For quite a long name, I still got P5 change for my hundred Peso bill. Good 'ol Mike, Baker and Supporter of the Broke.

[caption id="attachment_1460" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="White Chocolate Cheesecake Squares"][/caption]

The cheesecake squares weren't gigantic - what were you expecting, a block of cheese? -  but maintained the usual 3-level cheesecake standard. Omitting the traditional graham cracker crust, it went with the white chocolate crust which balanced the flavor of the cheesecake. The chocolate topping - fine yet barely sweet - was more ornamental, but I appreciated this bland rendition as the white chocolate crust became the sole provider of sweetness.

While the cheesecake was compact and seemed "little" by cheesecake slice standards, it still managed my cheesecake fix without that over indulgent, choking feeling we get from eating too much cheesecake. And it had that white chocolate crust - points for that!

The other bar (remember, there were 2), I left in our fridge. I expect someone to "break in" my stash later in the evening. It's that time of the month again when everyone's broke.

 So tomorrow, I'm slashing my budget to P50.

On second thought.. Maybe not.

 

Another Parvati Cheesecake

I never thought Cebu Pacific's delayed antics would ever get to me, but maybe it's the awful November heat so today, I wasn't very forgiving. Spiteful perhaps, having seen a shoeprint on my checked-in backpack. Come on, my backpack is probably the lightest item that ever rode the conveyor belt, what could possibly be the reason for kicking or stepping on it? It's pure black, so don't tell me it resembles a soccer ball, a weighing scale or even someone's face. Cebu Pacific, you owe me laundry!

Oh, and add the chirpy cabbie who just had to pretend to be a human taxi meter with an inaccurate sense of distance, and I wonder, "Since when did Wednesday the 9th become the new Friday the 13th?"

I needed cheesecake.

I ran to Parvati and bought whatever I saw first. It was a wee slice priced at P140, but the Triple Decker Chocolate Cheesecake by Kusina Torre seemed to calm the raging storm and I suppose that ought to do the trick.

The decks include: fudge brownie - cheesecake - butterscotch brownie.

The fudge brownie and cheesecake were all right - what you'd typically expect from their "traditional" flavor. The layers weren't extraordinarily spectacular but are great enough to be comfort food variety. The brownie though is compact but not dry, which makes a perfect partner for tea.

The bottom brownie seems like a repetition of the fudge brownie, but this one was topped with something nutty-butterscotch. At first glance, I thought it was oats (like revel bars) so I instantly shoved a giant mouthful, but had to cry out when I detected nuts. Not really a "nut" fan, the cheesecake could do without this nutty layer, but I suppose for those looking for a sweet crunchy center, this ought to do it. (I scraped out mine, sorry!)

This lengthy critiquing has got to end, since I did finish the cheesecake in one sitting. It's really filling, so good thing someone decided to invent caffeine-free green tea or I'll be up all night blogging about Cebu Pacific.

And I'm not even a travel blogger. Yet.  LazyBlackBackpackCat.wordpress - no way! Too lazy for that.

Revel Yell (Revel Bars at Parvati)

Entirely an accidental aftermath of eating a gigantic cheese omelet for lunch, I considered it imperative to pay another trip to Parvati at Trinoma to look for something randomly sweet.

Cheesecake was the first that came to mind but strangely enough, the ones I pointed to were all out of stock. Those available were puny and blueberry - not quite a match for my post work leviathan appetite.

Hence, I reverted to my original favorite: revel bars. Parvati's selection, baked by Sweet Beginnings Patisserie, made it impossible to ignore. Temptingly named Dark Chocolate Walnut Revel Bars (P90 for 4 bars), no further introductions are necessary to identify what these glistening bars are made of. Immediately captivated by the flowing silky carpet of brown, the revel bar is mostly dark chocolate - a welcoming improvement to other local competitors. Each bite is interspersed with chewy oats and walnuts, so despite its miniature size, it takes a while to finish the entire box. Chewy, semi sweet and erratically crunchy - there is no overwhelming sweetness or nuttiness that seeks to dominate the overall flavor. 

Small but sinfully blissful. This one's definitely worth a revel yell: More, please!