Chez Karine is Dessert Heaven

   

When in Manila, a sweet tooth can be a deadly thing. Left unsatisfied, one becomes grumpy and irritable until they get their sweet, sugary fix. I know I wasn’t at my best when I walked into Chez Karine that afternoon, but once my sweet tooth took over, it was all about the sunny skies. 

If you haven’t heard of Chez Karine yet, then clearly you have left your sweet tooth unattended for far too long. The mecca of macarons has been dominating the dessert scene with their army of sweet treats and drinks and it looks like they aren’t slowing down anytime soon. 

Cookie Butter Macarons, anyone? 

We start with their latest macaron offering, Speculoos. Quickly rising as their bestseller, this creamy, cookie-buttery filling merges perfectly with the chewy and crumbly macaron. Then it was off to unwrap the soft and subtle Mango Swiss Roll Cake with perfectly ripe mangoes and perfectly delicious vanilla custard.

For the chocolate junkies, the Chocolate Earl Grey Igloo boasts of a luxe dark chocolate mousse, which plays perfectly with the buttery, fragrant tastes of the Earl Grey filling. But our clear winner in the mini cake group is the Pistachio Surprise, with it’s strong, nutty taste, hazelnut filling and the perfect dacquois crust that just blows everything else out of the water. This is the dessert that makes even the non-pistachio folks fall. 

These pretty jars hold only the best pudding ever. 

In case your eyes fall to the adorable jars in the store’s display case, make sure you grab the Horlicks Pudding with its malted, subtle taste and the delicious Sable topping. Go ahead and also get your own little jar of Konnyaku Fruit Jelly for a new way to eat your usual jelly cups. For the diabetics or the health conscious, there’s the Coco Sugar Pudding, all natural and perfectly delicious. 

As the perfect compliment to the treats, the drinks you can’t miss are the Iced Malted Milk (“cereal in a cup!” as my sister proclaimed) and the Brulee Latte, sweet and strong. 

Dessert kings, the Mango Swiss Roll Cake and the Pistachio Surprise

If you haven’t fallen into a sugar coma yet, there are a lot more treats to bring home. Our favorite comes in the form of the Almond Cocoa Nibbles, a Japanese-inspired treat that is pleasantly not-so sweet, but makes you fall in love at the first bite. Then the Santol Jammers, a crumbly cookie topped with handmade Santol Jam is the perfect take-home treat. 

So When in Manila, make sure you make your sugar pilgrimage to Chez Karine. I promise, it’s worth it.