Words by: Miko Insame
Photos by: Matthew Gan
We here at the WIM team really like our cheesecakes. Like, we really, REALLY do.
So we were ecstatic to receive an invitation from Cassalu to sample some of their offerings and also, lo and behold, 12 different slices of cheesecake that all looked ready to be devoured.
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Yes, those actually are 12 different slices of cheesecake!
Before we get to that though, here’s a little background on the quaint little café: Cassalu first emerged in the south, opening its flagship branch in Las Piñas at the tail end of 2017. Over the next year, they opened two more branches: one in Pasig’s Ayala Malls Feliz and one in Circuit Makati. They certainly give a bright, homely vibe with interiors decorated with wooden furniture and a good mix of earthy and lively hues adding to the dining experience.
It’s definitely a bright and chill place
Aside from the cheesecakes (which we’ll get to later), Cassalu offers a full dinner’s worth of food including starters, pasta, and mains. We recommend starting off with their version of buffalo wings and their nachos from their starters menu. Their wings are great on their own for those who like a wing that delivers a mild tingling of spice. The nachos, on the other hand, feature a great sauce with really flavorful meat to add to the crunch.
Wings to start off a lot of tasty things (Php218)
Cassalu mixed the meat and salsa well on this one. The cheese is just icing, really. (Php168)
Cassalu also features a nice set of main courses. Their Sausage Threesome pasta is a salty mix of three different sausages: native longganisa, breakfast sausage, and Hungarian sausage that gives a nice kick of flavor to a dish that already features a cream-based white sauce mixed with some tomato sauce.
An unusual mix of ingredients, but not unwelcome (Php258, for solo) / Php508, for sharing)
For those who really need to bite down into their meat, the Hickory Pork Belly and their Country Fried Chicken are for those who need to savor that big bite of juicy drumstick or pork belly.
This, right here, is food for the soul (Php348 for 3 pcs. / Php565 for 5 pcs.)
And now, for the reason why we’re all here.
That single plate contains 12 (count ’em!) different types of cheesecake. Its flavors are Blueberry, Tres Capas, Banoffee, Bibingka, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Calamansi Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Hazelnut, Brownie and Cookie Dough, Red Velvet and Chocolate S’mores. Cassalu really outdid themselves with giving us something to sink our sweet tooth into.
As for notable flavors from the plate, the biggest standout is the Calamansi Dulce de Leche with a kick of sweetness that is complemented with a slight tang of sour from the calamansi that ticked all of our boxes. Their Banoffee serves as a great alternative for those who prefer their cheesecakes not too sweet and their Bibingka and Ube Tres Capas are for the adventurous ones looking for native twists on cheesecake. Ultimately though, there’s a reason why Blueberry is one the classic cheesecake flavors and Cassalu proves why. This writer admits that if he could only choose one of the 12 to bring home, it’d be the Blueberry.
Check out Cassalu on Facebook and be sure to let us know what you guys would get from their crazy 12-cheesecake platter!
Cassalu Coffee & Kitchen
www.facebook.com/cassalucoffeeandkitchen/
Instagram: cassalu_ph
(02) 838 8227
Branches:
Fifth Floor, Ayala Mall Feliz, Dela Paz, Pasig City
South Park High Commercial Complex, 262 Alabang-Zapote Road, Talon, Las Piñas City
Second Floor, Circuit Lane, Ayala Malls Circuit, Olympia, Makati City
