When In Manila, enjoy life and take an afternoon break. On a sleepy afternoon, we decided to try out one interesting Japanese-themed coffee joint called Akiba Cafe. My now consistent food review partner, my Mom, together with co-writer Jo Tan and her husband Mark Tan tapped our way around to the Second Floor of SM Megamall A to this quaint but lovely stand-alone stall.
Triple fun for coffee and tea with Akiba Café’s Trifle Drink
The Akiba Trifle Trio: Coffee, Cream and Tea
Everyone was expecting a full-sized café but since we are in the mood for desserts so this got work. We got curious with the Trifle Drinks that are being bannered around the café so everyone got a Trifle Drinks like Coffee, Cream and Tea. I seem to be out of place when I got a hot Kyoto Macchiato instead for the sore reason that I was sleepy. Coffee Trifle might have worked since Mom found the coffee strong which I would love. The coffee and cream is supposed to be unmixed but mixing them well would work for those who are not used to having their coffee black. Jo enjoyed her Tea Trifle, actually the signature drink.
Kwaiken Puppy Cake: Too Cute to be Eaten, Too Yummy to be Ignored
Akiba Cafe’s own Yogurt Softcake
Since we came here for desserts, we scoured Akiba Café cake displays for best eats. What got me curious is the Kwaiken Puppy Cake which was too cute to be eaten! For the curious side, I changed my mind, too yummy-looking to be ignored too. Yogurt Softcake – yogurt and a cake, cake yogurt? This is getting more interesting.
Instead of reeking our minds for the best choices, we just asked the friendly staff to get us the specialty cakes as well as that week’s new batch.
Akiba Café’s Sweet Potato Cake filipinized by me as “Camote Cake”
Kwaiken Puppy Cake aka. “Unfortunate Puppy’s Ears”
Your hungry food reviewers got our hands on two unique treats – Sweet Potato Cake and Kwaiken Puppy Cake. Camote as a cake is not a strange concept for me since I tasted a Potato Cake from my home province but this one approached this one in a totally different way. Instead of mixing mashed potato in the chiffon, it has a thick layer of mashed sweet potatoes instead and the ones used a not our usual market camote. It has a yummy combination with a thin chiffon layer too. As for the cake that was too yummy to consume, we got its “ears”. Kwaiken Puppy Cake is actually a vanilla cake. If you would taste this one, you would not have mercy for the “puppy” anymore for its too yummy to be ignored indeed especially with smothers of chocolate.
Casualty of the hungry reviewers: Akiba Cafe’s Yogurt Softcake
Notice the two pieces of cream puff from Akiba’s Cream Puff Cake
We got ourselves from cuteness to the more serious tastes with Yogurt Softcake and Cream Puff Cake. Yogurt is one healthy snack and have it with a cake makes for a healthier dessert. A bit of sourness from the yogurt balances well with sweetness and makes it less “umay” than your usual cakes. The Cream Puff Cake is actually a tandem of chocolate cake and cream puff. I got one ball of cream puff and it explodes with a tasty vanilla filling which complements the strong chocolate taste.
Green Tea Cheesecake: my personal favorite from Akiba Cafe
Every afternoon desserts deserve a grand finale and Akiba Cafe has one too – Green Tea Cheesecake. Every customer at Akiba agrees since it has been the cafe’s best seller. The taste of green tea goes with with the slightly sour and sweet taste of the regular cheesecake component. Actually, the balance of taste is a prevailing theme of Akiba Cafe‘s cakes that makes customers go back for treat. Lunch and dinners are usually the times where Akiba Cafe is busy for people going in for desserts. The interesting thing about Akiba Cafe is that they change cake varieties every week but you can order the previous week’s cake as a whole. Cakes like those above have been a constant order and has made it to the cafe’s permanent selection of cakes.
When In Manila, hop right in to SM Megamall A and savor unique Japanese desserts and drinks from Akiba Cafe. Like Akiba Cafe on Facebook since they will announce the opening of a new branch soon!
Akiba Cafe Megamall
2/F SM Megamall, Building A
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Phone: (63947) 344 1025
Email: akibacafe@yahoo.com
WhenInManila photos by JoTan23 with República Negrense.
