Pastries made with love, creativity and talent

CEBU, Philippines - Aside from creativity and talent, much love and thought are poured into every delectable dessert made by Chef Angel and his staff of nine. On the day of this interview, the pastry chef pulled out all the stops and presented a lavish dessert buffet that was not only ambrosia to the palate but also a feast to the eyes.

There was the decadent chocolate cake with its smooth and rich chocolate icing. Unlike most conventionally decorated cakes, this was topped with dark chocolate spirals, a bunch of chocolate-covered grapes and finely chopped almonds. Surrounding its sides are edible lilac and white-colored triangles that just melts right into your mouth. Just a few bites of this delectable creation won’t do, you just have to treat yourself to more than one slice.

The tiramisu was also a sight to behold. Instead of being presented in the usual dessert glasses or as small round confections on a plate, it was served as a cake in the shape of a pentagon. It had dark chocolate rectangles sprinkled with white chocolate carefully laid out at the sides and topped with slices of peach, cherries and a white chocolate fan artfully placed together.With just one bite, you can already say that you are in dessert heaven.

Then, there was the piece de resistance for this writer whose eyes were all agog at the beautiful pastry creations she was seeing. It was the heart-shaped strawberry mousse topped with twin white and dark chocolate hearts, chocolate spirals, luscious strawberry Comstock and sprinkled with green-colored sugar at the edge. It was the perfect mouthwatering treat for strawberry aficionados and non-strawberry lovers alike.

Aside from these sumptuous cakes, there were other tasty treats that were thought up by Chef Angel and these included choco mousse, pineapple gazpacho, fruit tartlette, lemon mousse and mango layer cake. While all these looked so good to eat, the heart-shaped mango layer cake with its edible orchid petal décor will really catch your attention. The pastry chef said the orchid petals were made by hand and placed one by one into a mold.

“Everything here can be eaten, but they are also all for show because we need to compete with other hotels. If you won’t create, won’t use your own approach, then you will get nothing,” Chef Angel underscored.

“It is always important to use your imagination. You get some things that you think will work, put them on top of your cake, if it’s not good, then you take it out and start all over again.  Just remember to always put contrasting colors because if not, it will look very boring. Everything is in the details,” he added. (FREEMAN)