I’m convinced that I have an internal homing device when it comes to good food. Whenever I’m hungry, I find myself wandering to wherever there’s food in order to satisfy my hunger. To quote the poet Mary Oliver, “You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.” In this case, it’s a good bite to eat.

My wanderings that day took me to the Moonlit Bazaar in Rockwell for a little bit of pre-Christmas shopping. I chanced upon a lady surrounded by delicate little cakes that looked like they came fresh out of an oven from a Parisian patisserie. Turns out, my observation wasn’t too far from the truth.

Cinq

Angela Villoria started baking cakes in 2007. What started as a hobby became an obsession. Being an interior designer by profession, she likens it to making pastries. “I learned that the weight of the flour, sugar, water and other ingredients needed to be precise or the sponge will not rise.  The diameter of the chocolate disc to adorn my buttercream rosette needed to be balanced in relation with the scale of the entire cake composition.  I then realized that the cake production, presentation, the plating was very similar to the basic tenets that govern the practice of architecture and interior design.  Precision, balance, symmetry, scale, colour – these were the things I have been practicing for years!” she admits.

Having taken up further studies in France and the US, she is now set to take Manila foodies by storm with Cinq, which means “five” in French. When asked why her dessert boutique is called Cinq, Angela cites two reasons:  First, because her pastries “Are very much French-inspired, not only with how they look (modern and clean) but also in terms of formulation. The French are very technical and their methods very precise.  Second, because there are five major ingredients generally used in pastry - flour, sugar, eggs, milk/cream and butter.” Encouraged by her husband to share her desserts with the public, Angela joined the Moonlit Bazaar and the rest, as they say, is history.

I was fortunate enough to try the Pascale, which is a miniature chocolate orange mousse cake, which managed to perfectly marry the tartness of the orange with rich, dark chocolate. I temporarily lost whatever mastery of language I had the moment it hit my lips.

I also tried the Lexi, which is a cheesecake topped with fruit coulis which Angela makes herself, and a dollop of fresh fruits. The Exotique variant (mango and passion fruit) blew me away, the slightly tart cheesecake perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the cheerful, tropical fruit.

The Aurore is a tart made from golden caramel, macadamia and dark chocolate that felt like a light, fluffy dream. I apologize for the abstract description of this particular pastry because I have a soft spot for chocolate caramel and am unable to put to words a good enough description to do this baby justice. It was that good. As an added bonus, the caramel is freshly made by Angela herself.

The Louise is a simple pecan tart that was a bestseller at the bazaar. Although not a big fan of pecans, I can see how sweet tooths of all ages would come flocking to this light and flaky confection.

All in all, I’d say that my inner homing device for good food has led me in the right direction this time. If you are looking for pastries that are made with fresh ingredients and a whole lot of love this holiday season, Cinq is a sweet, chocolatey cut above the rest.

Order & contact details:  Orders need to be made 2-3 days before.  Pick up at 244 Amapola St. Palm Village, Makati.  0917-6252611 / 890-6858