On The Table: Sonja Ocampo of Cupcakes by Sonja

On 21 September 2006, Sonja opened the doors of her new venture, Cupcakes by Sonja. In just over six months, she has singlehandedly (and oh-so-sweetly) raised the collective blood sugar levels of many Manilenos who are more than willing to pay to her for the privilege. For Sonja, the sweet smell of success comes in the form of her little cupcake temptations.

Who in your life has influenced your cooking/baking the most?

I don't think I would have pursued this career path without the full support and encouragement of my family. I think my biggest influences were the chefs I got to work during the 2 1/2 years I spent working at Bouley bakery/restaurant in New York. It was my hardest job but at the same time it was the most fulfilling one. It was there I was able to work closely with renewed chefs Bill Yosses, Marc Aumont, Galen Zamarra and David Bouley. It was difficult since the pay was so low and I was working for 14 or 15 hours a day, 6 sometimes 7 days a week. But I guess when you work closely with people with their level of passion, skill, discipline and knowledge, you can't help but be drawn to their work and be challenged by the tasks they present to you. I learned the most from them and then I adapted their style to my own.

Which book has had the biggest impact?

Lessons in Excellence from Charlie Trotter and any book written by Pierre Herme

What was your first job in the food business?

My first internship after taking up the Culinary Arts Program at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York was in a little, quaint restaurant in Gramercy Park called Verbena. They would make me peel potatoes for four straight hours or julienne carrots the whole day. Haha! I wasn't so happy doing that. They moved me to their Pastry Department after a couple of weeks and I just had so much fun. Right after that, I went back to school and took up their Baking and Pastry Arts Program.

But I guess the first paying job I had was at Bouley. I went in and pleaded the head Pastry Chef to make me work there even without pay. I guess he felt so sorry for me that he decided to sponsor me a working permit.

When did you decide you wanted to open Cupcakes by Sonja?

January 2005. We just had opened our third Good Earth Branch so I felt that it was the right time to take a break from operating restaurants and pursuing what I loved doing most which was Baking. I left for New York to get myself back in the environment where I fell in love with making desserts. I noticed the resurgence of cupcake places all over the city. I applied at Magnolia Bakery, which is famous for being the bakeshop that started the cupcake frenzy, and got the job. So when I came back, I revived my old kitchen at the back of our house and just started baking and experimenting on as many cupcake flavors as I can think of.

What is your favorite item on the your menu?

I love dark chocolate so I would go with the Melt-in-Your-Mouth Valrhona Flourless Chocolate Cupcake.

Which restaurant meal (foreign or local) do you remember the most?

The 12 course degustation menu at Bouley. We had a different wine per course. And canapes of Lobster, SeaBass, Salmon, Kobe Beef, Veal, Lamb and 3 courses of desserts. I do remember most the Phyllo Crusted Shrimp, Cape Cod Baby Squid, Sea Scallop and Sweet Maryland Crabmeat in an Ocean Herbal Broth that we had for our first course and their Panache of three salads with seared Foie Gras. Oh also their Granny Smith Apple Raisin Bread. Yum!

Besides your own place, what's your favorite restaurant in Manila?

There are so many.... On the top of my list would probably be El Cirkulo in Pasay Road. Everything I've tried just never disappoints. I always find it hard to decide which among their Beef Belly, Cochinillo Asado, or their Seabass wrapped in Jamon Serrano should I order as my main entree. Plus, their Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart is the perfect finale to any good meal.

Then there are certain places that I go to whenever I crave for a particular cuisine or dish. I am a big steak lover so for me, the best here in Manila is Gaudi's Chuleton de Villagodio(their Prime rib steak). For lamb, I love the braised lamb shanks of Je Suis Gourmand in Fort. For Chinese, Good Earth of course. I love Lily on the Pond, Tunaquitos and Popoy's Delight. For a fancy french meal, I would go to Tivoli Grill in Mandarin. And for a slightly cheaper French Meal, I would go to Le Souffle. And then for Japanese, its always a toss between Tsukiji and Sushi Tsumura.

What junk food do you love?

CHEETOS =)

Is there a food you just can't seem to enjoy?

Not actually food but more of a condiment -- I can't eat anything with ketchup!

Just between us, what are your future plans?

Haha! Hmmm.... I do get asked alot if expansion is in the near future. I honestly don't have an answer to that yet. I always feel something gets compromised when you start opening in every mall around the city. I really don't see myself doing that. Maybe its not the most business-wise decision, but I do care more about keeping our customers happy by maintaining the quality of the cupcakes we offer For now, I really want to concentrate still on the store and just make everything better--whether its service, quality, appearance of the store and the flavors we offer.

Cupcakes by Sonja
1C03 Serendra,
Bonifacio High Street
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City
Telephone Number: (632) 8560308
Email Address:cupcakesbysonja@gmail.com

A REVISIT TO THE PASTelleria

It was a (surprisingly) quiet Friday evening when D and I met up in La Nuova Pastelleria. It was the kind of evening where not all tables were filled up. The room had just the right quiet volume of murmuring, and the lighting set the mood for relaxation. It almost felt like being home on a cozy rainy evening sans the rain. Perfect for some hot, comforting, and delicious homecooked meal.

Which is what I have always loved about Pastelleria.

It’s been a good 8 years since I’ve been here and, at first glance, I was happy to see that not much has changed. The interiors look the same. The staff still friendly but not overwhelming (i.e. They’re there only when you need them. I did not have to stop my intimate conversations intermittently as the staff fusses over us.). The menu is still familiar with some new additions to the roster. And so we order.

D orders the parma ham with some cheese and grapes. Am not much of a fan of any kind of ham, but D seems to be satisfied. I eat just to fill my tummy that’s beginning to growl.

Then come our soups. Wow.

The Zuppa di Funghi (below Php200) lives up to its promise of being a fresh mushroom soup. I am happy to taste that the broth is flavored with the sweetness that can only come from fresh mushrooms (I count 3 fresh mushrooms used!), freshly chopped parsley, and enhanced by just a hint of sugar. None of the Knorr cube broths here. Thanks goodness.

Then I make a beeline for D’s order, the Zuppa Cipole (below Php200) or onion soup. If D didn’t like his soup so much, I would’ve offered to finish it for him. This is my first time to try an onion soup that is in cream form rather than the widely known clear soup. Its creaminess is just right, not too buttery nor milky nor floury. What grabs my palate’s attention is the linamnam (Tastiness is the closest English word I can come up with) that lingers long after the soup leaves my tongue. I realize this is because of the right amount of butter used and just the right caramelization of the minced white onions that makes this soup memorable at first taste. In synchronized, brief, but big bursts of flavor, you taste light cream, then butter, then sweetness, then meaty flavor, then you want more and more.

Then comes the main course.

There is nothing to complain about the pizza as it is made well, but it is not outstanding. It reminds me of a student who follows instructions to the letter and does not take the risk to put in his own mark of creativity nor passion. We ordered a basic pizza named Laloka (approximately Php300) which had that homemade Italian crust, but, with the smattering of homemade Italian pizzas around, I wouldn’t put my bet on this one.



Ah the Ravioli Verdi (below Php300). “A House Specialty” claimed in the menu. I have yet to like a dish that a restaurant claims to be its specialty. Pastelleria is not an exception.

Separately, the spinach ravioli and its tomato cream sauce are good. Very good. The ravioli has a good bite and I am delightfully surprised when I taste how fresh the spinach filling is! No overcooked spinach compensated by the strong cheese here.

The tomato cream sauce is addicting. I like my tomato cream sauce tangy with just a hint of cream, which is what I find in Pastelleria’s version.

But the ravioli and the tomato cream sauce just don’t jive together. The tomato cream sauce overpowers the ravioli, making one think that all you’re eating is merely spaghetti in tomato sauce. I am tempted to scrape off the tomato cream sauce and save it for later. And for the ravioli, I am sure that it will go well with the Zuppa Cipole as sauce.

I did no such thing, but I did my best to separately eat the ravioli and the tomato cream sauce to be just to both components.

Finally, dessert arrives! There are a number of interesting desserts that I wanted to try, but D insisted on trying their canonigo.

I was bowled over.


The Canonigo redeemed what, for me, would’ve been a plain Italian meal. Pastelleria’s Canonigo had the usual components of a soft “cake” made with eggwhite and the eggyolk tucked into the sauce, but that’s where the usual ends.

What I love about their Canonigo are 2 things: (1) The eggwhite “cake” is not the usual saccharine sweet cake and its crust is different. The usual way is to bake the “cake” until the top and side layers are toasted. The crust reminds me of those meringue kisses that I’d buy in bakeries as a kid. It so complemented the eggwhite “cake” and gave it that added crunch to the soft and easy-to-melt-in-the-mouth cake; (2) Instead of just using eggyolk as its sauce, Pastelleria uses fresh cream and mixes this with a bit of eggyolk. This results in a Canonigo that has the just right sweetness for dessert, finished with a refreshing taste of cream. Oh yumminess.

Then comes the bill.

I am shocked that the total bill is at Php1,600 (VAT inclusive). I am a believer that food should NOT be scrimped on, but the lukewarm satisfaction I got from my meal was definitely not commensurate to what I paid for.

I’d think twice about eating here again, but, heck, I’d go back for the Zuppa Cipole and Canonigo any time of the day.


La Nuova Pastelleria
San Antonio Plaza Arcade,
Forbes Park, Makati
Phone: (632) 817-8568 or (632) 867-2370

BMW Auto Centrum
Commerce Avenue
Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa
Phone: (632) 809-1729

Macho Ado About Not Much

The first thing I noticed about La Nuova Pastelleria was the two signs in front. I suppose it’s not remarkable to have two signs—except that the restaurant’s name is misspelled on one. Somehow these details (or lack thereof) add to the character of anyone’s Neighborhood Restaurant.

La Nuova Pastelleria does feel like a neighborhood trattoria—if your neighborhood is Forbes Park. I was trying to imagine the guests over the years. Young stallions named Franco impressing their dates? Ex-pat executives and happy kids eager to taste something familiar? Santuario ladies with Doña hair, post-parlor and post-Mass? All seemed to be present and sharing the same comfortable familiarity with the place—the kind you sink into in any old world restaurant.

The dining room was unassuming. Thirty seats and lots of wood. A hexagonal, empty cake display, two glass takeout refrigerators with colorful prepared salads, cured meats, and sliced cheeses, and a view into a bustling kitchen. A little stranger were the floor tiles on the wall, the tabletop paper tissue dispensers, and the SM rubber placemats.

Our server arrived promptly, handing us a bubble jet printed menu in a clear restaurant menu book that seems to be required in all Italian restaurants in Manila. Maybe they all have the same guy in the back printing the menus? The service was straightforward and efficient.

I inquired about wines. “What wine do you want…red or what,” was the answer from the slightly bewildered server. To my delight, the wine was the nicest surprise of the night. A glass of Terre Palladiane Valpolicella 2004 cost P180. My palate is unfamiliar with most Italian grapes but this blend from Veneto was slightly dry, soft and fruity, nicely balanced, and full enough to compete with the heavy sauces of the meal.

We sampled Spinacci Trifolate (P297) as the first course, a sloppy mélange of sautéed spinach with truffle cream in porcini mushroom sauce. While I’ve seen better plating at the Meralco canteen, the taste was decent. The viscous cream sauce with sliced porcini complemented the mildly astringent greens well. Light in texture with a delicate, earthy flavor, the dish was tasty but lacking complexity.

Spinacci Trifolate

Our second course of Cacciuco alla Livornese (P495) provided a pleasant herb-flavored contrast to the creamy first. Promoted as “fish and seafood sautéed in thick tomato sauce Livornese style,” the plate that arrived fulfilled its promise with a generous, steaming stew of large squid, scallops, prawns, mussels and filleted white fish. The boiled, buttered vegetable garnish was sort of like adding a naked fluorescent bulb to an otherwise shining dish. We started out with, “wow that looks great, wait…ay, ang pang…” I guess updated plating is not La Nuova Pastelleria’s forte.

Cacciuco alla Livornese

Every country seems to have a variation of the poor man’s seafood stew—Portugal’s Caldeirada da Marisco and France’s Bouillabaisse, for example. What I like about them is the opportunity to taste unusual, interesting, and exclusively indigenous fish (traditionally the odd fish of the catch that couldn’t be sold at market). While these fish are more difficult to work with and are less desirable commercially, I think they add proprietary uniqueness to any seafood stew. The bada bing in the cacciuco so to speak.

While La Nuova Pastelleria’s Cacciuco alla Livornese didn’t offer any of the unusual seafood I craved, for the most part we did enjoy the braised shellfish and tomato chunks in its light, almost broth-like herb-scented tomato base. The squid was a little chewy and the mussels almost beyond their time but the dish was agreeable overall. What you would expect in a simple, hearty tomato seafood stew.

Unfortunately, things went a little downhill when the third course arrived. Vongole al Vino Bianco (P374) was more like Vongole al Vino Blando with faint flavor, a lot of spaghetti and no kick. A basic spaghetti with baby clams, olive oil and white wine sauce, this dish reminded me of PAL economy class (no wait, maybe it was canton, I can’t believe PAL would have Vongole much less Vino Bianco). Nonetheless, the Vongole al Vino Bianco was disappointing in flavor and effort, especially for the price. Perhaps it’s only redeeming quality was it looked pretty good. I just wish it tasted as good.

Vongole al Vino Bianco

When I inquired about desserts the server apologized—I’m not sure for what—but pointed me in the right direction. I was surprised to see a small selection of pastries crammed into one corner of a glass takeout refrigerator. The assortment seemed accidental and uninspired. Perhaps the owner doesn’t place much emphasis on desserts? The assortment included Canonigo, Chocolate Gateau, Pineapple Tarts, Chocolate Cupcakes, Beehives, and some defiant-looking Ensaymadas wrapped in plastic. I couldn’t bring myself to order one and I have to say I can’t fairly judge a cake by its plastic cover. However, it made me wonder why the name of the restaurant is Pastelleria.

Thinking about our one experience at La Nuova Pastelleria, indistinguishable is the best word that comes to mind. There was nothing really wrong with it but I can’t pinpoint any real differences in taste from most other independent Italian restaurants in Metro Manila. The food doesn’t seem too many steps greater than what you could make yourself. While I understand restaurant expectations should be relative (the “good for what it is” argument), La Nuova Pastelleria’s higher prices create higher expectations. I think of Amici’s pastas at P150-180 and pizze at P225-250 and wonder, where would I be happier? I’m not sure I would make an effort to get over to La Nuova Pastelleria but I might stop by if I was in the neighborhood.

Appetizers P300-341
Soup P186-198
Pasta P297-440
Risotto P440
Secondi P495-606
Pizze P341-363

(prices include VAT)

La Nuova Pastelleria
San Antonio Plaza Arcade,
Forbes Park, Makati
Phone: (632) 817-8568 or (632) 867-2370

BMW Auto Centrum
Commerce Avenue
Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa
Phone: (632) 809-1729

Franco's Favorite: La Nuova Pastelleria

Open since 1978

After picking up A. from her morning knitting club, we decided to go to what I consider a culinary gem, La Nuova Pastelleria.

La Nuova Pastelleria is my favorite restaurant.

A small restaurant nestled in an upper class enclave just outside the Makati Business District that serves what I can only describe as Italian comfort food. The kind of Italian food that one craves for after a long day or to enjoy while having a casual sit down with family and friends.

Even before I knew my wife A, I had been coming to this place quite a bit.

Early on, I came like most customers for their amazing desserts. The Concorde and Canonigo were and still are to die for. Later, after a much needed renovation, I would return for their food, which I enjoyed with many friends and more than a couple of past girlfriends.

I have many good memories that involve this Pastelleria and their food.

When you walk into La Nuova Pastelleria, you feel like you have walked into a warm Italian dining room. A small room colored in yellows and browns greets you, with only a few tables seating as many as 30 maximum.

We arrived for the lunch service at around 1:45. A bit late but surprisingly, the place was three-fourths full and customers were still coming in.

Flatbread, relish and pate: Before

Once seated, the ever attentive service staff take your orders and immediately serve you a basket of warm flat bread with two small dishes: one with a tomato/basil relish and another of liver pate. A and I begin eating with relish...

Flatbread, relish and pate: After

Or maybe devouring would be a better word.

The Good: Maemmana Rustica (P341)

We started with a pizza, the Maemmana Rustica. A thin crust pizza topped with tomatoes, cheese, sautéed onions and Italian sausage. This pizza is sublime and uncomplicated. The crust is warm and has nice bite to it and the ingredients are well balanced. A great starter. Good.

The Better: Pesto Mare (P374)

I asked for the Pesto Mare. Tagliatelli mixed with clams, mussels, and squid in a pesto/cream sauce. Reading the menu, it sounded delicious and this generous serving of pasta did not disappoint. Unlike the pizza, there is nothing subtle about this dish.

The uber creamy pesto sauce simply assaults your senses. Usually, I would complain about a pasta swimming in its own sauce but to be honest, I'm enjoying being overwhelmed too much to care. More flat bread, please. Better.

The Best: Ravioli Verde (P396)

A. ordered the Ravioli Verde. Al dente pillows of green pasta stuffed with a ricotta cheese and spinach, resting in a velvet-like tomato sauce. This is the house specialty and probably the single reason why loyal customers, including myself, keep coming back.

I love stuffed pastas but I must say this ravioli is excellent. I have been back to La Nuova several times and this dish has consistently never disappointed. It takes quite a bit of EQ not reach over and grab a taste but somehow, I know that A. is not in the mood to share. Another basket of bread, please. The best.

Is La Nuova Pastelleria a perfect restaurant? Close but no.

The interiors are so tight sometimes that you can practically taste you neighbor’s meal, especially during a weekday lunch date.

The service staff although attentive and efficient tend to be a bit less than congenial.

I’ve heard complaints that the tomato and cream pasta sauces are so heavy that they plunge to bottom of your stomach, leaving you no space for anything else.

And yes, it can be a bit pricey.

Barring all these small negatives, La Nuova Pastelleria is the quintessential neighborhood restaurant. A restaurant where you can walk in and find comfort in its simplicity and consistency. A place you can go to and feel like you’ve come home.


La Nuova Pastelleria
San Antonio Plaza Arcade,
Forbes Park, Makati
Phone: (632) 817-8568 or (632) 867-2370

BMW Auto Centrum
Commerce Avenue
Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa
Phone: (632) 809-1729

In the Beginning

Frank Bruni, the restaurant critic of The New York Times and one of the contributors of the Diner's Journal, once wrote that to properly discuss a restaurant, a critic must visit an establishment at least three times to get a proper review.

Great for Frank.

Us normal people neither have the enlarged stomach nor the even larger wallet to afford such an endeavour.

And thus this blog, Table for Three, Please.

Three self-proclaimed foodies on a quest to find the holy grails of the gastronomical universe, here in Manila and everywhere else we can afford to go to.

Three very different points of view on topics that have anything and everything to do with food--from the dining experience to the pleasure of cooking at home and all points in between.

Enjoy.