| Rating: | ★★★★ |
| Category: | Restaurants |
| Cuisine: | Desserts |
| Location: | Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati City, Philippines |
That is how I would probably justify visiting this again and again until I sample all their desserts.
I first heard about Banapple from my friend Marie, who loves all things with the tag of "dessert" and "sweet".
It strikes me as amazing how, even with problems with her blood sugar, she daringly still goes after all these sweets which any doctor worth his stethoscope would demand that she forget ever existed! I like her attitude, foolhardy it may be to medical folks and well-meaning friends of hers.
We were on one of our travels last year and she just mentioned it sleepily on the bus. Little did I know that less than 2 years later, a Banapple outlet would open within walking distance from my usual hangout and in December too!
As I had an unsatisfied tummy from a late brunch, I decided to placate it by going next door to Banapple, which was really my goal anyways from the start *grin*
Persistent text recommendations from Marie had me taking her advice. I did not hesitate to order a generous slice of this bakery cafe's Banoffee pie (Php 85) and a cuppa of bracing fragrant cinnamon tea (Php 55). I also bagged for home consumption two muffins - a Banana Nut Muffin and a Burst of Blueberry one. Each muffin costs Php 60.
Cat's verdict: Their banoffee pie is "sulit!".
Translation: it is worth the Php 85 you pay for it - not just for the flavor but the comfort you get from rolling it on your tongue and giving it a work-out. I personally prefer a less sweet pie, and mid-way through had difficulty in finishing it as I had licked the cream already. All that sugar rush courses through your bloodstream quickly.
I am of the opinion that slices of their pie should be shared with good friends and the Sisterhood-of-the-Foodie-Babes ...hahaha!
Banapple's muffins are more straight up my alley of preferences. A bit more expensive if I compare it to their pie...but filling enough for breakfast or a snack. I'd like to go back and try their orange poppy seed muffin..though the two I bought were the recommended ones from the cashier.
Speaking of their people - points to them for patience and smiling through it all. The tables were almost always full and people were queuing up like flies buzzing around sweet pies. Yet they kept the tables clean, the citronella candles lighted (not that it helped with the darn flies who seemed to have immunity to it) and were a good match to such comfort food inspite of it being only a soft opening stage yet.
Banapple has cheesecakes, cake loaves, cookies and savory pies.
Aside from those, their cafe menu offers salads, sandwiches and pasta for other folks who may be going for more than dessert.
This is one bakery cafe, that along with Conti's and Bizu's (two of my other favored eating places for different products) that I will keep coming back to in the future - until I taste all!
*licks cream off paw*
pies, pies, me oh my!
ReplyDeleteand if pies aren't your thing, how about these then?
ReplyDeleteI liked their medley of colors in their table and decor..but then its expected..after all their icon is of a banana within an apple, but it whimsically looks like a slice out of it...groovy eh?
ReplyDeletethe place is packed!
ReplyDeletethere's peppermint tea, lemon tea..but I liked the idea of smelling cinnamon when eating a banana
ReplyDeleteBanoffee pie, take a bow!
ReplyDeletedo check out their website and other outlets...
ReplyDeletein case you do pass by Ayala Triangle Gardens, do check their restaurants :-)
ReplyDeleteAm in sweet heaven..
ReplyDeleteto think - Conti's, Bizu, Sugarhouse, Banapple are all within 10 minutes walk from me....wehehehe!
Come on over and enjoy this season's sweetest offerings!
The banoffee pie cream topping is half the pie. For me that's more cream than I want.
ReplyDeletevery good observation BNK!
ReplyDeleteIt was indeed more cream than the usual for the pies I like.
Kaya nga siguro busog na busog na ang pusa and could hardly finish the pie kc napuno na ako ng cream..hehehe...(as per above, midway through medyo nahirapan na ako, I should have gone for the below first)...
between this and turtle pie at SugarHouse I prefer the turtle pie...though...points on this pie too as I hardly get to eat banana-related pies...back in Cebu more of egg pies and pineapple pies eh.
My favorite pie of all is the usual apple pie ala mode...aha..baka may apple pie sila..matingnan mamya...
For meals pick the Chicken with red pasta sauce. Nakalimutan ko yung proper title.
ReplyDeleteI also do something weird:
I order butterred carrots and an extra cup of sauce from the chicken disk with the brown sauce. Super sarap!
Haha sorry for not remembering the names
ah..Marie....you may have forgotten, I don't like chicken :-)
ReplyDeleteI only eat crispy chicken skin..but hey, I will take the gravy anytime *wink*
buttered carrots and that extra sauce sounds good..
huhu..ubos na shoofly pie tsaka mud pie when I went there earlier after eating pho and pudding...hay naku...maybe this will taper off by next year...
ReplyDeleteMine too. How can you lose with apple pie ala mode? And with a good cup of java, heavenly!
ReplyDeleteLeona's here have their own version of Banoffee Pie. Ok pud according to Pat and Maia. So you can try it when you get here.
ReplyDeletemakwentohan pala kita BNK, something to maybe amuse you...
ReplyDeletebefore may urban legend..o cge..let's call it rumors na lang..hahaha...
that the apple pie dito sa McDo .....ang ginamit daw ay yung chayote...hahaha!
but malay natin baka filler nga *wink*
thanks for the tip Mommy Loy...ma-try nga...
ReplyDeletelast night, I went back to try their pecan pie and I think may pattern na akong nakikita...
their pies and cakes are good naman, but I've found that all i've tasted are just a bit too sweet for me...try ko cguro ang cheesesakes nila to compare w/ the others I've tasted sa ibang restos..if its still a bit too sweet for me...then that means its back to Conti's for me muna..haha...
In Escario St, there's a small Japanese bakeshop near Parklane Hotel that sells Cheesecakes in three layers of different flavors.
ReplyDeletewow...drool...and the name of the bakeshop? I want to try it asap :-)
ReplyDeleteIba naman ang lasa ng chayote sa mansanas. Baka naman hilaw na papaya? hahaha
ReplyDeleteI don't think McDonald's will do that. Did you know that chayote is more expensive than apples here?
Why would you want to eat a cheesecake with three different flavors? You might end up tasting a weird sort of indescribable flavor. I want my cheesecake to taste like cheescake, the classic cheescake, plain and simple. It's like going to a buffet table and putting lechon, dinuguan, sinigang on your plate and all three favors mix. Yikes. If I want to enjoy my lechon, I don't want its flavor adulterated by another dish like dinuguan or sinigang. I suppose that's me. I know some Pinoys who will put every dish on their plate and savor it all. hahaha
ReplyDeletesiguro may nangsisira lang sa rep ng McDo or something...am sure even w/ franchising, may standards ang McDo :-)
ReplyDeletebut kc naman cheap ang sayote eh...naisip ko rin nga unripe papaya before..kc I remember eating it it in some soups, para ring crunchy na sayote would you believe...
well, the same way siguro other people want to eat banana-q na may ketchup...o di ba?
ReplyDeletebut then ako naman am very open minded when it comes to food combos...coz pano mo naman malaman nga and discover food if if for some items I limit myself...
for example, I like blueberry cheesecake, sure..pero I wouldnt' say not to a durian cheesecake..though stacking it all up in diff layers may pose a challenge even to my taste buds...
but I'm not worried, if Japanese to na authentic na bakery/cafe...am sure they can get away with it :-)