The Foodinista: Sweets

Silvanas by Sans Rival, Dumagete

Thursday, June 07, 2018

A trip to Dumaguete will never be complete without bringing home their sweetest and most popular pastry pasalubong ~ SILVANAS! I've never been to Dumaguete but when I have been introduced to this sweet delicacy, I couldn't help but wonder how many more good desserts could they have?

I'm not a sweet tooth so it's hard to please me with sweet treats. If I say it's good, BELIEVE ME!

When I took a bite of their Silvanas, the gates of the heaven opened and I saw the light coming. Haha! I think that was too much but I was really head over heels for it and wouldn't want to share my pack!

10 pieces a pack

Did you know that Sans Rival translates to something that means "No Rival". This dessert win the hearts of anyone who tries it whether you are a dessert person or not. Sans Rival has been proudly making pastries since 1977, they are turning 41 years this 2018 so explains the expansion. It's about time they say!

They have several branches in Cebu and Dumaguete and now a new branch just opened in Glorietta 4, Makati and soon in Robinsons Magnolia & Shangri-la Mall so no need to go all the way to Dumaguete to grab this heavenly dessert!

All pastries are made and flown from Dumaguete made with pure love & labor that's why it could be much more expensive when bought here. I'm willing to go all the way there to hoard boxes and stock up on it for life.

PRICE

P165 in Dumaguete (1 pack, 10 pieces)

P320 in Manila (1 pack, 10 pieces)

PRICE POINT

It is obviously far more expensive to get the silvanas here in Manila than in Dumaguete that's why a lot of tourists hoard these goodies in the provincial branch. I heard that they don't accept advance order reservations and only accommodate walk-ins so better go to their restaurant as early as you can to get a hold of these sweet delicacy!

This was given to me as pasalubong and when I heard that it is only P165 in Dumaguete I wish I had them buy more for me so I can stock them!

INGREDIENTS
Egg White, Sugar, Milk, Butter & Cashew Nuts

TASTE and QUALITY
What the F? Sorry for cursing.
It's the FREAKING BEST SILVANAS in the world.
It has the right amount of sweetness and creaminess. Some prefer eating it chilled giving it off a nougat-y texture. I prefer eating mine straight out from the freezer because the outer core produces a crunchy effect contrasting the soft milky buttercream filling inside. BEST EATEN WHEN FROZEN.

The buttercream is my favorite part of it all. The airiness of the filling and how its lightly sweetened makes it incomparable to all the other silvanas. It's so good that I had to eat only 1 per day for it to last for 10 days. I just can't live without it. There's no such thing as too much Silvanas!

Creamy Filling Inside

SIZE
The size is actually enough to fill in the room you left for dessert. 1 serving per dessert meal is already enough to satisfy your sweet cravings! Best paired with coffee according to many!

Crunchy Outer Core

Irresistible!

I am rating this dessert 11/10. IT SURELY IS THE BEST & A MUST TRY FILIPINO DESSERT!
DEFINITELY NOT FOR SHARING! :D

BGC Desserts

FARMACY: Ice Cream & Soda Fountain

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Farmacy

My boyfriend and I have been hunting for a good dessert place in BGC after dining from a Pizza Parlor in Uptown Mall. Upon searching, we saw a lot of good reviews about Farmacy and decided to pay a visit to satisfy our sweet cravings!

The sophisticated vibe welcomed me upon entering the store; kind of 50's diner nostalgia.

Neon lights, milk shakes in tall glass, bar stools and counters, muted tone & colors and warm light bulbs definitely sets the mood. I just love the whole idea of this ice cream parlor! It feels like I've been brought to a different time; a period in history.

Behind the bar is a medicine cabinet with random flasks and lab tools. Antique wooden cabinets and ceiling fans gave emphasis to the vintage look.

They say that soda fountains were originated from alcohol prohibition era when alcoholic beverages would be hidden in ice creams.

Farmacy Ice Cream Cones

Faramacy Interior

On the menu are composed of not just the things kids will love but adults will definitely also be delighted to have. Ice Cream, Waffle Cones, Sodas, Milkshakes, Floats, Banana Splits and everything you can probably see in dessert heaven is here! They offer free taste on the ice creams so you can pick the best ones you like and give it a try; Aside from that they also have few munchies on the menu like burgers and coffee that you can indulge in. According to other blogs - everything here is naturally made and the ingredients were really made from fresh fruits.

I love how their menu even blended on the whole concept. The prices of their desserts weren't as expensive as compared to other Concept Ice Cream Parlors. The quality is over the top: ice cream made from all natural ingredients, the huge variety of flavors, the ambiance, the quality of desserts - I felt like I was paying less than what I am actually getting.

I also have to point out that their customer service is very good. I remember their servers were constantly filling up our glasses with water every time it gets empty.

They were warm and always smile too; only comment was serving time was really slow.

The blue-ish and pink-ish hues surrounding the whole store was a pure dream and nostalgia.

Farmacy

Farmacy Menu

For starters, we ordered their classic Banana Split which was just simply good. I love how it tasted so sweet yet so fun to eat. Reminded me of good memories: childhood, fun days with my playmates, holidays, and everything that makes me flutter. The whipped cream has a subtle taste and the caramel syrup blended well with the ice cream. I'm not a sweet tooth but believe me when I say I was able to indulge all of it!

Banana Split P230.00

Their sodas were also amazing. It was my first time to try Fruit Sodas - a.k.a. Soda Juice and was surprised how it tasted. The Strawberry Soda was a little too sweet [kinda reminds me of powdered strawberry drinks] that's why I preferred the Soda Calamansi because of the sourness which added a little kick to the drink. I bet the kids would love the Strawberry Soda though, definitely for the sweet tooths!