Dulcelin Gourmet: Dulcelin’s First Ever Restaurant Proves that They’re Not Just About Desserts
by Katarina Antonio
The name Dulcelin is synonymous with great desserts.
Their Mango Torte, in particular, is so popular that it’s been known to
cause heavy traffic in Times Square, QC, during the peak season. It is a
well-loved institution that has loyal fans from all over the country.
These loyal fans, and everyone else in Metro Manila for that matter,
have cause for celebration because for the first time ever Dulcelin has
its very own restaurant.
Mango Torte: Dulcelin's definitive house specialty
Dulcelin Gourmet is situated in the U.P. Town Center.
As of our visit earlier in November, the place was still partially
unfinished, with an exterior that is plain and simple. Same could be
said of the interior; as of writing, there were no pictures hanging on
the walls. But do not let this keep you from going inside and eating
there, because the food at Dulcelin is truly phenomenal. It’s the kind
of restaurant where if you hold the menu, close your eyes, and point to
something at random, you can be sure that it’s good. So good, in fact,
that you might have a hard time deciding what to eat. Let me give you a
few ideas so that, when you visit Dulcelin Gourmet, you will be
prepared.
Dulcelin’s first restaurant located in UP Town Center's second floor
The Red Rice Shiso Duo (P240) is a good dish to
start with. Four shiso leaves are served with two different toppings.
The first two are topped with seared tuna and shrimp. The other two,
with SRF Wagyu skirt steak and pickled Radish. An aji tamago quail egg
and Japanese rice mixed with Korean spices sit on top of all four. The
dish comes with a delicious spicy mayo sauce. It was my first time to
try shiso leaves and I was pleasantly surprised to find that they taste
kind of minty. Pick the whole thing up, dip it in some sauce, eat it
whole, and get ready for an explosion of flavor.
Red Rice Shiso Duo
Dulcelin Gourmet has a wonderful selection of mains to choose from. One of them is the Scotch Egg (P200 single serving / P350 good for 2-3 pax).
This dish is so mind-bogglingly good that it had my photographer
sighing wistfully for days after our visit. A double yolked egg is
marinated, encased in Italian garlic sausage meat, breaded, and fried.
The yolk is perfectly gooey and creamy, the meat flavorful, and the
crunch from the breading makes for an extremely satisfying eating
experience. The Scotch Egg is served with miso corn rice and topped with
a yummy seaweed salad.
Scotch Egg
The Chili Oil Poached Halibut (P399) is a light but
flavorful meal. A nice and flaky piece of Halibut fillet is poached in
chili oil and topped with fried shallots and kaffir lime leaves.
Slightly spicy, a little tangy, and plenty delicious. It is served with
chorizo rice.
Chili Oil Poached Halibut
For chicken lovers out there, the Stuffed Chicken Breast (P299)
is a musty-try. Dulcelin Gourmet’s take on the Cordon Bleu is poached
chicken breast stuffed with a smooth and silky cream cheese & garlic
filling and U.S Smithfield ham. It’s served on a bed of bell pepper
sauce, with Chorizo rice, pickled corn relish and bacon sautéed French
beans. A piece of fried chicken skin sits proudly atop this delectable
dish.
Stuffed Chicken Breast
The owner of Dulcelin Gourmet, Ricky Morelos, is
known for his expertise on meat. It is no wonder that the meat dishes in
his restaurant are all top notch. Take the homemade Angus Corned Beef (P280),
for example. Thin slices of beef brisket interspersed with fat are
thinly sliced and marinated in 10 different spices. When I tried it, my
eyes may have rolled back in my head a little as an oh-so-tender slice
of corned beef practically melted in my mouth. I cannot stress enough
how good this is. Please, try it for yourself.
Angus Corned Beef
Another meat masterpiece is the Wagyu Tri-tip and Short Ribs Duo (P500).
The best kind of meat dishes take time to cook. This is no exception as
the short ribs take 2 days to prepare and the tri-tip, 6 hours. The
result is soft and juicy meaty goodness. Dip the short ribs in wine and
port sauce and the tri-tip in the Japanese style skid sauce. It’s served
with insanely good truffled mashed potatoes.
Wagyu Tri-tip and Short Ribs Duo
Another crazy-good dish is the Pork Inasal with Lechon Skins (P275).
Marvel at the pork skins that have been pressed flat for maximum
crispiness and the extremely tender lemongrass marinated pork that will
bring lechon lovers down on their knees. Dip the skins in the
accompanying lime-patis sauce for an added oomph.
Pork Inasal with Lechon Skins
In the short time that it’s been open, Dulcelin Gourmet has already established some crowd favorites. Two of those are the Dulcelin BBQ Rice (P195) and the Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese (P330).
The BBQ rice is filling and perfect for those who love sweet-style
barbecue. The Pulled Pork Mac and Cheese is filled with pulled pork
shoulder, caramelized onions, and topped with BBQ sauce. This
interesting take on the cheesy classic is a huge hit with kids and
adults alike.
Dulcelin BBQ Rice
Pulled Pork Mac & Cheese
Just in case I haven’t presented you with enough tempting meat options, here’s another one: Roast Beef Belly (P220 single serving / P499 good for 2-3 pax). Succulent slices of beef belly are served with a red wine and mushroom gravy, French beans, and white rice.
Roast Beef Belly
Another must-try dish is the Uni Pasta. As the time
of our visit, it wasn’t on the menu yet but if you see it there, don’t
hesitate to order it. The rich buttery smell will make your mouth water.
Al dente pasta, properly cooked shrimp and uni butter all make for a
truly extraordinary dish.
Uni Pasta
And of course, don’t pass up on dessert. This is Dulcelin, after all.
Their cakes are available whole or by the slice. Now, there’s the
famous Mango Torte and there’s no doubt that it’s delicious. But if you want to try something different, go for any of these three: Strawberry Cake (P140/slice), Callebaut Chocloate Ganache Cake (P165/slice), and my personal favorite the Irish Cream Flan Cake (P130/slice).
I’m told that the Strawberry Cake is their second best-selling cake.
When frozen, the cake’s pure dairy cream filling has the same
consistency as ice cream. The chocolate ganache cake, on the other hand
is perfect for chocoholics. Its premium Belgian chocolate icing,
chocolate icing, and almond bits make for a very chocolatey dessert.
What really caught my attention though, is the Irish Cream Flan Cake.
Its dense butter cake is studded with chocolate chips and walnuts,
soaked in a bit of rhum, and topped with a hefty flan made with real
cream. It’s the stuff that sweet dreams are made of.
Strawberry Cake
Callebaut Chocloate Ganache Cake
Irish Cream Flan Cake
Now that I’ve managed to make you hungry over these dishes, there’s
nothing left to do but drop by Dulcelin Gourmet. Whatever you decide to
order, you can’t go wrong. That’s just how good their food is!
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Photos by Albert Peradilla; additional images courtesy of Dulcelin Gourmet.
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