Babe for Food: cupcakes

Showing posts with label cupcakes. Show all posts

12/16/12

Torta Og Uban Pa: Torta of the North

I was so excited to have received an invite from one of my best friends from culinary school to the soft opening of her little pastry shop, Torta Og Uban Pa (translation: Torta and Others), at Catmon, north of Cebu! It's two hours from the city but I didn't care. I just wanted to support her and taste those cupcakes that I've been drooling over on Facebook! I also wanted to take this opportunity for an adventure up north of Cebu. I thought I'd be taking a bus alone for the first time but her friends who were also going brought a car and offered me to ride with them. So, I had to save that little adventure for next time.

   I savored the countryside scenery on our way to the destination whilst my tummy was squirming for those cupcakes and torta. We arrived to the hustle and bustle of crowding customers, calling out their orders like they were at a huge sale. Well, Kazoot (my friend, owner of Torta Og Uban Pa) did have a special raffle for every P50 purchase just for the day so the racket was understandable.

   Torta Og Uban Pa was originally a home-based pastry business specializing in torta (our local cupcakes) and made-to-order cakes and cupcakes. Pictures of the products have been starring in Facebook and orders grew quickly as word-of-mouth news of its existence spread like fire. Finally, the first outlet is ready to shine.

   Now, they have added to the "uban pa" of their menu -- leche flan and budbud kabog. These are must try's as well.

The funny thing was, most of the customers were male! And those supposedly masculine looking ones in sleeveless shirts and with mustaches. Imagine guys like these leaving the store with a box of cupcakes in hand. I guess cupcakes are the Delilah to these Samsons. :))

A buffet of their homemade dishes, a common sight for every special occasion with the Jurado-Caguitla's, was efficiently set up and refilled from time to time. With their family, it's always a scrumptious feast. They are such gifted cooks. :D

The dishes offered actually had superstitious fortune symbols behind them. Kazoot explained that biko attracts 'luck' because it's sweet and appealing while the jackfruit or nangka allures fortune because of it's fragrance.

biko

nangka (jackfruit), white slice bread, pancit canton, ube angel cake

macaroni pasta

The best part of the buffet was a free taste of their leche flan which was very close to tocino del cielo, the Spanish version of leche flan. It's rich, creamy and smooth; perfect with coffee. Kazoot said they bake this for two hours. No wonder it's perfect.

leche flan

We all definitely enjoyed the food and I guarantee you can't leave this place without buying anything. It's all too good to miss out on.

from left: Marian, Lovely, Kazoot, me

Kazootie and I!

The names of the cupcakes are adorable -- "Pooh-la-lah" for red velvet, "koohkiss" for cookies and cream, "barako" for mocha, "hubad" for cream cheese and chocolate, and "Lemon Lemon Sinta" for lemon. The latter is my favorite. All her cupcakes are extra special because they're mixed by hand. Kazoot said they taste better that way. And why not, with all that love and care. You'd also be surprised how affordable these are. They are just P20 each except for the red velvet which is P25.

Of course, let's not forget the TORTA. This is the cream of the crop in Torta Og Uban Pa. While Argao is known for their torta in the south, I think it's safe to say that Catmon is the new torta capital of the north.

This is not your typical torta. It has a lightly crisp exterior and is more dense than the usual torta's. It doesn't crumble with every bite but holds together like a compact mamon.

Oh, and here's a little secret. Torta Og Uban Pa accepts orders for bridal showers among other occasions. This was ordered by one of Kazoot's friends and Kazoot said she had to hide this from her dad. These cupcakes are literally sinful. :))

In case you don't know where it is in Catmon, it's right across this rural bank:

   Congratulations to Annelise "Kazoot" Caguitla for the successful opening of her business that has long been awaited by friends. I'm so proud of you! This is one girl who knows what she loves doing and doesn't have to feel like she's working a single day in her life. Cheers! :D

Torta - P14/pc
   P80 box of 6
   P150 box of 12
   P275 box of 24

Cupcakes - P20/pc (except for red velvet/pooh-la-la -P25)

Budbud Kabog - 2 for P15

Leche Flan - P120

Torta Og Uban Pa
679 National Road,
Catmon, Cebu

Contact:
Mobile - (+63) 917 620 6940
Landline - (032) 430 9021

*For Cebu City orders, you may contact the same contact numbers to be advised where to pick up your order in the city.

Facebook: facebook.com/TortaOgUbanPa

"To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D"

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

3/30/12

Blissful Bites

The 'babe' has just whipped up something in the kitchen! I have thought of selling some pastries to enjoy my summer because I will be going to Hong Kong Disneyland by the end of May. Of course, I need to save up for my food adventures there - a long-awaited fantasy to be fulfilled. So what's from the babe's kitchen?

Red Velvet Mini Cupcakes! With cream cheese frosting....

And topped with toasted cashew nuts!

box of 6 - P80

my little assistant: Joanna! :)

I'm giving some to a friend for her birthday. :)

Box of 6 - P80

A dozen - P160

At these affordable prices, they're perfect as gifts for special occasions or even as occasional indulgence. I intentionally made them at this size as a healthier serving compared to eating the regular size which you're forced to finish even when you've had enough. So if these are your guilty pleasures, just eat one everyday and your craving is satiated. :)

For orders (Cebu only), call or text +63 922 8822 655.

Orders should be made 3 days ahead.
Pick up is at Ayala, City Sports Club and IT Park.
Wholesale or party orders also accepted.

xoxo,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

1/3/12

Cebu Secret Chows: A Sweet Spot

Hey hey, BFF's! :)

It's been a while since I've written about food huh? Let's start the year right then. I miss writing about my food adventures anyway.

I have a lot of catching up to do because I've been caught up with school and the Christmas break so I'm sorry if I'm doing backlogs. But anyways, I hope you'd still enjoy them. I'll do my best to make it up to you. :)

The weekend before my last week of classes for 2011, I already felt the jest of the Christmas break even if I had exams to study for the final week. My culinary friend Pinky was leaving for Egypt to be with her husband by the end of the month (December) so she wanted to hang out with her close friends (me, JJ and Tanya).

This was the same night of the Best Cebu Blog Awards so I had already taken my dinner. They had theirs at the new branch of Taiwan Shabu Shabu located near Parklane Hotel at Escario. The resto was quite clean, spacious and sleek. I haven't been to their original branch at A.S Fortuna St. although they say the new branch looks cleaner and more inviting. Though I had taken my dinner, they still invited me to join them so I did just to taste the food. I liked the broth and I found out that their sets were actually affordable. They paid a total of around P 1,300 and I think the serving was good for 6 people! I'd love to go back for my take on that resto. Let's just save that for another post, shall we?

While we were having dinner, I noticed a tiny new cafe right outside the resto, beside the stairs of the building. I checked it out and found that it was a cafe that had just opened for 3 weeks (that was then so it's been open for almost 2 months now) and offered CBTL (Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf) coffee and their own homemade cupcakes as the only pastries to pair with. The name of this cute cafe is SLT (Sweet Little Things).

Chatting with the owners, a young couple, I learned that the wife started out as a homebaker and they just decided to open their own little outlet mainly for takeout. They claim that their cupcakes are unique because they don't scrimp on quality frosting ingredients. Their top selling flavor is their flourless mudpie.

We proceeded to this cafe after dinner. JJ treated us to 5 flavors. We all loved the flourless mudpie and the others were not far behind either. They definitely weren't lying about their quality frostings. I can say that that was the best red velvet cupcake I've tasted so far. Not too sweet, just the right richness and moist. Their cupcakes were only at P 50 each and P298 for a box of 6; definitely worth every penny! All the cupcakes were to die for. Satisfaction in every bite! :D