Meidoll's Cafe at Cainta

I've heard a lot of things about this place so I decided to see for myself what the fuss was about.  It was quite a long drive from my place (since I live near the north), although luckily I did not get lost.  It was a small place on the 2nd floor of Saunterfield Bldg. in Cainta.

The pics here are some of what my best friend and I ordered.  Here was what we ate:

Bread Rolls
My friend and I enjoyed this.  It was just simple, and you could not call the flavor outstanding, but it was the simplicity of it that made it quite good.  The dressing on top was mayo and mustard, and the bread roll was stuffed with hotdog.

Korokke
It was just your regular hash brown, Japanese style.  It was very crispy on the outside and quite soft in the inside, since the potatoes were mashed.  Quite bland, but I guess that's to be expected if someone really wanted to bring out the potato taste.  

Fried Sushi Rolls
Okay, I have to admit I didn't enjoy this dish very much.  It tasted a bit like fried suman (native rice cake) with crab sticks inside.  The yellow sauce seen in the pic is mayo + mustard, I think.  Why I didn't enjoy it?  I guess it was just all wrong for me.  It's an interesting dish, but I guess when you deep fry the whole thing, the oil just seeps into everything and in essence, it tasted like oil.

Meidoll Gyudon
I was kind of expecting something else when I bought this, since the presentation was different in the picture.  I can't compare it to other Gyudon, since I don't actually order it in other Japanese restaurants.  The taste?  It was just like beef stew.  I have no complaints though, it tasted okay.  The question is, is that really how gyudon tastes like?

Tempura Fried Ice Cream

This was my order so that we could all taste dessert.  The concept I think was fried ice cream, but they kind of made it into something like the bread roll.  It was satisfactory, although I wouldn't say the slices were really meant to be bite size since I had to half it before I could eat it.

I guess it's the novelty of the place which really draws patrons here.  The "Maids" here call you master, and they cook and serve you the food.  You can get them to sing a tune or dance for you, but of course, that all comes with a fee.  As for the meals, they could be improved, but that's not really the reason why you came there, right?

Mini Cakes at Gourmet Tart Co.

A late review.  Am already at the Philippines and yet I haven't posted quite a number of my tastings in Ireland.  I've been busy on other things as well, but I will try to post as much as I can before I forget about them.

We were in Galway City Centre when I saw these cute mini cakes.  Here's the pic:

Why did I pic four cakes?  It was only because my mom and I couldn't agree on the flavors :D 

I can't remember the exact names of the ones in the upper right and bottom left, but all I can say is that they were the fruity ones.  The mini cake with the strawberry was berry flavored, and the full flavor was quite intense.  It was a mix of tangy berry flavors and just a hint of sweetness.  As for the rectangular cake, it was also fruity, but as far as I can remember it had a milder taste than the berry cake.  It also was not that sweet, which accentuates the taste of fruit more.

Side note:  I checked the website, and I think the rectangular cake might have been Passion Fruit and Cassis Mousse and the  Strawberry cake might have been the Red Berry Mouss.  I'm not that certain though.

The one on the upper left is the Triple Chocolate mousse.  Everyone's verdict: utterly divine.  It was just the right amount for anyone wanting a bit of that decadent chocolate cake.  It was also quite soft that it melted in your mouth.  The amount of each layer was just fine, it blended well into that creamy chocolate taste in your mouth.  Phew!

The last cake is the Black forest.  Quite a surprise, isn't it?  I was also intrigued by this cake since it was all white, and not a hint of chocolate in it.  When I tasted it, viola!  It was the black forest taste I have always known.  The secret?  It was the bottom layer that housed all the nuances of the black forest cake.  It was a different take on the cake I thought I already knew.

Gourmet Tart Co., Co. Galway
http://www.gourmettartco.com/index.php

Brambles: Another Cake Affair

A week or so ago, I took home 2 pieces of cake from Brambles, a cafe (or so I think) in the ground floor of the Jervis shopping center in Dublin.  They had a lot of cakes to choose from, but these were my choices:

The cake with the strawberry is the Victoria Cake and the other is Fruit of the Season Cheesecake.  I hope I'm right about their names xD

For the Victoria Cake, it was a 3 layered sponge cake with cream and strawberries between each layer as well as on top.  Chocolate bits cover the side of the cake.  I think it's a fresh cream cake, but I'm not sure.  In any case, it was very good.  It was just the right amount of sweetness, and I know I could eat more than a slice of it.  The cream did not overpower the strawberry but they mixed with every bite.  The chocolate on the side was just an extra, you could hardly taste it except if you're just taking the side part.

The other cake was a cheesecake topped with a gelatine layer of a berry mix.  I found the top too sweet to eat with or without the cream.  The flavor totally overpowers the entire cake.  It was still good, you can taste a bit of strawberry and blueberries, and a hint of raspberry, perfect for someone who would like to try a berry cheesecake.

Recommended to Dubliners if you haven't tried it yet :3

Brambles @ Jervis Shopping Center
Dublin, Ireland

Edit: The Victoria Cake is a Strawberry Gateaux.  Here's a better pic of it: