I recently visited Dolcelatte along Quezon Ave. in Quezon City to check out their new lines of dishes tagged as #DolcelatteCheeseStories collectively. Dolcelatte believes in that the art of cheese pairing never gets old - a belief I also believes in. Hence, these new dishes added to their menu essentially have cheese as the main star.
To say no to an opportunity to feast on cheese-laden food is a capital sin in my book, much like winging a breakfast devoid of bacon. So I find my merry way to Dolcelatte one day and let myself be swayed by the awesomeness of the dining experience they offer.
It was my first time at Dolcelatte and by the time that I am finished with my meal, I almost punch myself in the face for letting years pass without even checking them out. Needless to say, they blew me way.
Casual fine dining experience is what can one expect at Dolcelatte. The ambiance coupled with good service is a dead giveaway, the quality of food - a declaration of such.
More like a legit restaurant than just merely a cafe, Dolcelatte at Quezon Ave. boasts of big private function rooms guests can booked for special occasions. The main dining area is located at the first floor of the cafe while the function rooms are located at the second floor. I was surprised at how big Dolcelatte really is.
Now on to the Cheese Stories, these new dishes are available both in Quezon Ave. and Megamall branches of Dolcelatte. Offered for a limited time only, I cannot see any reason why you shouldn't visit Dolcelatte right away to take advantage of the limited time dishes.
When Cheese Met The Bacon
Dolcelatte Cheese Board (Php450)
Blue cheese, homemade cheese, parmesan cheese, served with mini baguette, grapes, truffle honey, and bacon jam. Best enjoyed with white wine.
It is not as if the cheeses were not enough to make for an amazing pairings, Dolcelatte threw in the downright delicious bacon jam which perfectly goes with almost everything on the board. And they didn't stopped right there, no. The truffle was not just a luxurious thoughtful addition, but an utter delight to the heart and the palate.
The baguette, I must say was one of the best I have tried. All breads included in all of the dishes I have tried were great in general. They are Dolcelatte after all. Remember, they are the ones who dishes out one of the most celebrated cronuts croughnuts in Manila?
When Cheese Met Some Eggs
Baked Spinach and Eggs (Php385)
Baked eggs with white sauce, mixed cheese (mozzarella, melting cheese) and spinach garnished with parsley. Served with buttery brioche bread. Best paired with white wine.
I am sucker for dips with cheese on it and this Baked Spinach and Eggs at Dolcelatte immediately became my favorite. At a glance it may look like eggy than cheesy, but then again, it is Dolcelatte Cheese Stories that we are dealing with, so I am glad that it boasts of cheesy deliciousness I cannot forget to this day.
The buttery brioche was a feat in itself because it was so good I almost teared up in one bite. It can be eaten as it is and still it will make one a happy camper,but the addition of the Baked Spinach and Eggs makes the experience all the more splendid.
Tomato Baked Eggs (Php325)
Baked Eggs with green bell pepper, tomato fondue and mixed cheese (mozzarella, melting cheese) garnished with parsley. Served with bitteru brioche bread. Best enjoyed with red wine.
This one on the other hand makes for one good deconstructed pizza, only instead of the crust, you'll have the heavenly delicious buttery brioche which is way way better in my opinion. First bite interestingly gave off a subtle hint of Mediterranean flavor for some reason. But further bites into it, delightful flavor of tomato on a warm summer days tempered by the creaminess of the cheese ensued. It was lovely.
When Cheese Met The Tomato
Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup (Php300)
Grilled sandwich of fresh mozarella, truffle cheese, and brioche slices, served with a simple salad (red and green lettuce) with honey balsamic vinaigrette and tomato soup topped with parmesan. Best paired with red wine.
The key word here, in my opinion, is truffle cheese. I adore grilled cheese sandwich as much as I adore the teachings of the Dalai Lama, but making use of truffle cheese which Dolcelatte themselves concoct was a different level of enlightenment. It got me hooked.
Now the proverbial tomato soup is of course ever present since it's a grilled cheese sandwich we are talking about here. But this dish features a chunky version of the soup which is perfect. Dipping the sandwich to the chunky tomato soup is the way to go. If I could marry this dish, I definitely would.
When Cheese Met The Honey
Rigatoni with Blue Cheese (Php425)
Rigatoni pasta with blue cheese cream sauce, thick-sliced bacon, walnuts, arugula, and blue cheese chunks. Best paired with red wine.
I will say this from the get-go, Dolcelatte's Rigatoni with Blue Cheese is one of the best pasta dishes I have ever had. True story.
It could be because I adore blue cheese to the core - unpopular opinion, yes. It could also be because of the jumbo rigatoni pasta they made use for the dish. Or perhaps the addition of bacon and arugula? I do no want to dissect the reason because in my hearts of hearts, everything on this dish really works well together.
When Cheese Met The Onion
Three Cheese and Caramelized Onion Pizza (485)
Rectangle crust topped with white sauce, a mix of cheese-homemade cheese, mozzarella, and blue cheese - spinach, and caramelized onion. Best paired with white wine.
Caramelized onion-lover represent! Just how good caramelized onion is? right? I love it, really. I make it at home every chance I have. And a well executed caramelized onion can trick you into thinking it's a bacon jam, yes, sometimes it happens. This pizza gave me that experience.
Bonus thing is that it is accompanied with three kinds of cheese making it all the more delectable. Now, since not everyone is a fan of blue cheese like I am, the trick is to add a bit of the sweetened balsamic sauce to it and it will temper the blue cheese flavor and will give you a different level of sweet savory flavor instead.
There may not be desserts included on Dolcelatte Cheese Stories line of menu, but rest assured that since they are Dolcelatte, dessert time will be equally a splendid experience. They do have wide variety of delectable desserts to choose from.
Take for instance this Strawberry Shortcake with Tequilla Rose which may put all known strawberry shortcake in Manila to shame with its lovely flavor.
There is also the Chocolate Banana Mousse Torte which stole my heart away in one bite and made me fall for it even more after the succeeding bites. I love the fact that Dolcelatte believes in the enduring deliciousness of Valrhona chocolate which is used to make this dessert. It is a hotel quality dessert, I tell you.
Now, the much celebrated Dolcelatte Valrhona Crunch Cake should not be missed because it made me feel like a loser for having tasted it just recently. Considered as one of the best chocolate cake in Manila, this Dolcelatte Valrhona Crunch Cake is life changing.
This cake is a "break-my-heart-then-give-me-this-cake-as-a-peace-offering-and-I-will-forgive-you-in-a-heartbeat" kind of cake. Trust me on that.
Dolcelatte also offers wide variety of drinks. I got to try the Dolcelatte Frappe which made me think how good all of their other coffee must be. I also got a sip of their Iced Tea which was refreshing and not too sweet.
But then again, if one is so inclined with the Cheese Stories, might as well give these red and white wine a go because these are perfect pairings for the delicious cheesy dishes at Dolcelatte.
At this point in my log post, I think it is quite obvious that Dolcelatte made a fan out of me through the Cheese Stories experience. Everything, as in everything I have tried were nothing short of amazing. I could only imagine how good are the dishes on their regular menu must be if the new ones blew me away.
They also have a branch at SM Megamall which is way near my house in Mandaluyong, but there's no single strand of regret that I visited their flagship store in Quezon City first because it was worth it, especially that it introduces me to the beautiful #DolcelatteCheeseStories. Stories well worth re-telling here at YedyLicious.
Dolcelatte
1616 Quezon Ave.
Scout Triangle, Quezon City.
Website: dolcelatte.ph
Facebook: /Dolcelatte
Instagram: @dolelatteph
