A quick search online on cheesecakes and pies in Manila often turn up the usual suspects: lists upon lists of home-based bakeries, or big-name mass-market ones. They aren’t all that bad, but everyone already knows how those are.  90% bread sugar-bombs, for the most part. What you’re looking for is that cheesecake and that pie that play around with your tastebuds, not shock them. I’m talking about the baked goodies by up-and-coming Heston the Happy Monster.

Snickers Pie from the Happy Monster: TAKE MY MONEY NOW!

 

Let’s get one thing straight off the bat: Heston isn’t the name of the brains behind this bakery. A brainchild of baker Innah Gan, Heston the Happy Monster has a lineup of cheesecakes and pies that should cover your craving or needs (what’s the difference between the two, anyway?) Based in Binondo, Manila, mouth-watering pictures of happy and satisfied customers are making rounds on social media; The Happy Monster already boasts a large Facebook community of over 20,000 alone! That has to say something about the skill and talent of Innah Gan. 

Oh, her cheesecakes and pies also have an average rating of 4.9 (out of 5.0). Incredible.

Order Here: Heston the Happy Monster

I had the belly-busting experience of going through not one, but six of The Happy Monster’s selections, and they were all some of the very few food items I allow to utterly destroy my diet commitments. Let’s go through some of my top favorites.

 I started off with a slice of this, and thinking back, maybe this should have been the last! It’s cream cheese with mashed bananas on top of a crust made with Graham crackers. The simplicity is reflected in the first bite: mildly sweet, soft enough that it melts in your mouth, while the crust adds a crunchy finish to every bite. About as delicate as cheesecakes go.

The blueberry yogurt pie is about as sinful as it gets, with no regrets. On their own, the primary ingredients of this pie sound like something only health nuts would eat, but a slice of this is to enjoy a clash of texture. I like how the pleasant softness of the yogurt/cream cheese filling was in stark contrast to the crumbly granola in every fork-full. The blueberry added a hint of zest that I appreciated, since I don’t always like overt flavors in my desserts. 

 This next cake told me that Innah Gan of Heston the Happy Monster really likes producing the cheesecake equivalent of Apple laptops. Basic, almost pure and sleek in appearance, the chocolate cheesecake isn’t the most eye-catching creation of her bakery but it is one for the purists. It’s what a chocolate-inspired cheesecake should be: mellow but distinct flavors, and eating it is as simple as pushing it with your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Yes, it’s that soft.

Ah, here it is. My personal favorite. The Happy Monster’s Elvis Pie is a behemoth of a dessert (believe me, it took me two sittings to go through this chunk). Innah Gan’s most complex creation in my opinion, it has everything in it that will make your mouth water. Layers of Graham crust and PEANUT BUTTER, with ganache and oh-so-tender fresh slices of bananas covered with a layer of whipped cream. Offsetting the incredible sweetness of all the bottom ingredients are shavings of bittersweet chocolate. This is why gym memberships exist, right?

 

I am assuming Innah rhetorically asked herself the question of, “What would happen if bars of Snickers were thrown in a pie?” This calorie-bomb is the answer. The Happy Monster’s trademark Graham crust forms the crunchy base of pie made with cream cheese and dulce de leche, with the top pretty much a minefield of chopped Snickers bars and cashew nuts. This was the most chewy among all the cheesecakes and pies, and had the most amount of texture. Solid dessert with a cup of black coffee, if I may suggest!

Hungry yet? Give Innah Gan of Heston the Happy Monster a call, or connect with her online community! Happy eating! By the way, you need to give her two days’ lead time for orders!

Heston the Happy Monster

• Mobile: +639178560121 | +639225361191
• Facebook Community: Heston the Happy Monster
• Instagram: @hestonthehappymonster
• Twitter: @heston_thm
• Email: innahdartheegan@gmail.com 

Heston the Happy Monster – Cheesecakes and Pies when in Manila

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