You know that cozy and and sweet-smelling pastry stall you always find yourself running into in malls? Well, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory has gone beyond its well-loved cookies and cakes to venture into the full-service cafe business in the Philippines (the first in the world) with a full-blown hearty menu.
The first Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory cafes can be found in Ayala Malls Manila Bay and Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons. Both branches carry the homey yet sophisticated look of the Japanese brand with dominantly wooden, barn-like interiors while retaining a counter for its popular pastry offerings.
One of the main highlights is the Cow Cow Kitchen signature milk pie, a flaky pastry that’s a cross between a croissant and a cream puff filled with whipped Hokkaido milk—which can very much be mistaken for soft-serve ice-cream. This definite must-try sets the tone for the intriguing ‘sweet + savory’ menu.
Right off the bat, the sweet corn tempura served with truffle mayonnaise will tickle your taste buds as you munch through each bite-sized piece’s crisp golden outer shell into its soft center oozing with sweet corn kernels.
If you want to drop by and have a quick yet meaty bite, the 12-hour short rib sandwich is an interesting choice. The marinated meat along with a surprising pop of red pickled cabbage enveloped in sourdough bread is probably one of most explorative representation from the sweet and savory lineup.
While the cafe has Japanese roots, inspiration from the West is prevalent in some of the dishes like the pork mille-feuille furai. The deep-fried pork may seem like ordinary tonkatsu but inside are layers of ham and cheese that are reminiscent of the chicken cordon bleu. It’s perfectly accompanied with a dollop of salsa and mashed potatoes that deftly complements the fried meat.
But if you really want to get to the bottom of the cafe’s innovation, the salmon teriyaki gratin with all kinds of texture it introduces is worth every peso. For one, the salmon is not just soft but is almost airy as it melts in your mouth, which contrasts the grainy mashed potato on the side. Although, you might want to remove some of the teriyaki sauce enveloping the dish, the cheese gratin nonetheless pulls the whole thing together.
And of course, a Japanese cafe wouldn’t be complete without its own version of fluffy pancakes. You can customize your pancakes by adding maple syrup, whipped cream, your choice of fruit or you can order yet another crossover dish: the creme brulee pancakes.
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