Bringing The Goodness Of Home With Mary Grace

With traditional Filipino home as their theme for their interiors, Cafe Mary Grace became an eye-catching remarkable restaurant for me because of its cozy home-inspired ambiance. It’s so welcoming that we were frequently tempted to spend breakfast or lunch in the said cafe.

But apart from its comfortable atmosphere, the heart-warming meals, pastries and beverages of Cafe Mary Grace are the main reason why we are staying with them through the years. Even though we live far from the metro now, we make sure to always bring home boxes of their famous ensaymada, one of their specialties that made a name for Cafe Mary Grace.

The restaurant is more than just ensaymada and cheese rolls. Listed below are some of their dishes that exemplifies the goodness of home.

Ensaymada | Cheese Roll

We are all familiar with Cafe Mary Grace but we know the cafe by heart because of their artisan Ensaymada and Cheese Roll. For the ensaymada, I love that they have different varieties to offer. There’s an added texture for their grilled ensaymada, which works for me. But I like their Laguna Cheese Ensaymada the best. On the other hand, I’m not a fan of their cheese rolls. It has too much cheese for my liking. It only became delish because of the ample amount of sugar on top.

Eggs Benedict

There’s a lot of things going on here. I can feel the freshness of veggies like as if there’s a salad in here. The smokiness of the ham feels like an explosion in the mouth. The tomato cuts were thick, which is just alright but unnecessary. Although these added toppings are great, I feel that the essence of Eggs Benedict, which are the poached egg and the lemony hollondaise sauce, are almost missing because the others are dominating.

Pork Tocino 

Homemade breakfast that gives homey feels – this is how I describe Cafe Mary Grace’s Pork Tocino. It is a living proof that organic tocino can still be as appetizing as the processed ones. I must say that the recipe they used is one-of-a-kind. It’s mildly sweet and a little savory. The scrambled egg and the rice are cooked likably as well. Pair this meal with a brewed coffee or their signature  hot chocolate and you now have your dream breakfast.

Classic Carbonara

The linguine pasta is a good choice for this Carbonara as it made the dish truly enjoyable to eat. The creamy white sauce has this irresistible meaty flavor. The amount of sauce is just little yet it made the pasta flavorful. The essence of the bacon and mushroom is so intense that it lingers to the cream and into the pasta. Usually, I like adding grated parmesan to my pasta for an added flavor and texture but this is already salty even without it. 

Smoked Ham Salad

I had a good dining experience with Cafe Mary Grace’s smoked dishes so I know I’m not gonna regret ordering their Smoked Ham Salad. It’s luscious, as I’ve said. However, the smoky taste was toned down when dressed. The cider dressing amazingly suited the salad. Just don’t pour the whole serving because it’s really sour. I wish there are more cranberries because I couldn’t identify its flavor in this big pile unless you’ll eat it solo. The same goes for the sliced almonds.

Tiramisu Cake | Caramel Vanilla Cake

We had Cafe Mary Grace’s cakes for my 18th birthday and I could remember that we were kinda disappointed. They got a typical chiffon cake for their Caramel Vanilla Cake. The Tiramisu Cake is better. It’s spongy and creamy and it is filled with beautiful aroma of coffee. Well, they’re not bad. But there are better cakes with lower price than this. I guess we just had high expectations, especially when their Cheesecake is one of the best.

Caramel Latte | Mint Hot Chocolate | Mango Fruit Shake

Mango Fruit Shake is evidently made from natural mangoes since it has this hint of tangines balanced with milk’s creaminess. The latte is indeed comforting. The caramel flavor is there but does not overpower the coffee, which has a little acidity. My mom had Mint Hot Chocolate and she loved that it as it is not too bitter. I’m surprised that they offer a number of various styles of hot chocolate. What a great morning to have these!

Fili Beef & Tomato Sandwich

I tried Cafe Mary Grace’s Fili Beef & Tomato Sandwich for Grab delivery and surprisingly, the food was still warm although it was not well-presented because the fillings were hiding. Nevertheless, it is an awesome sandwich. The beef sirloin had incredible juicy flavors. The greens and tomatoes gave a burst of contrasting flavors. The Batard slices were nicely toasted. I could recognize the olive oil and some spices from the whole thing.