The Mango Shakes at Chantilly Cake Haus

One of the many things I enjoy about living in Dumaguete, Philippines is the widespread availability of mango shakes. You can't swing a dead cat without it pointing to a cafe that sells them.

I decided some time ago that I would review the mango shakes served in our fair city. It's a difficult job, but somebody has to do it; it may has well be me.

While meeting friends at the Chantilly Cake Haus in Daro, I ordered the mango shake to add to my reviews. The photo of their shake is shown at the beginning of this post.

The waitress let me know that their mango shakes were not made with fresh fruit, but with mango flavored ice cream. Of course, that wasn't going to prevent me from trying one.

First off, the shakes at Chantilly Cake Haus are smaller than the shakes normally found in Dumaguete, and because this shake is made from flavored ice cream, and not fresh fruit, there is not a real mango flavor. To my taste buds, the prominent flavor in this shake is vanilla extract. I enjoyed the shake - but if you want one that tastes like mango, then try another cafe. As a drink, it was perfectly fine, but as a mango drink, it rates low on my list.

There are other items available there, and I don't want to give the place a bad review. I just won't order one of their shakes again.

The Chin Loong Mango Shake

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I was headed along the boulevard one afternoon in order to try a mango shake from a Chinese restaurant called Chin Loong, when I was sidetracked by a voice calling my name. As I wrote in that earlier post, the voice belonged to an American I knew, who had stopped at a place called Why Not? to get something to eat. While seated with him, I had a mango shake - which I reviewed in the earlier post.

Being a bit disappointed the shake from Why Not?, I continued my walk to Chin Loong in search of a better shake.

The mango shake from Chin Loong was pleasant enough; very different from the type served at Why Not? Although different, it could also be classified as average in taste. Nice enough I suppose, but nowhere near the best in Dumaguete. On the positive side, however, this shake was priced at only 50 pesos. It was certainly as good as some I've found for 65.

With all that said, if I were to find myself along the boulevard in need of another mango shake, I would choose Chin Loong over Why Not? or the Gabby's located nearby.

A Mango Shake? Why Not? (Here's Why)

Back in pre-covid days, (remember then?) when my son was attending on campus classes, rather than online studies, I would take my son to school and then pick him up when school ended in the late afternoon.

There's almost no parking on Silliman campus, so if I wanted a parking spot near the Jr. High, I'd have to park along Hibbard Ave. Unfortunately, these spots were also highly coveted and to get one you had to arrive at the school ridiculously early. I'd park near the school and find myself with lots of time on my hands.

One way for me to kill time was for me to make my way to a cafe and try out the mango shake.

A friend had told me of the shakes at Chin Loong Chinese restaurant located on Rizal boulevard. I was headed that way on foot, when I heard someone calling my name as I passed a place called Why Not? It was an American I knew. He was about to grab a bite to eat, and not wanting to appear rude, I decided to sit with him for a bit. I mentioned that I was on my way to get a mango shake, when he told me that Why Not? also had shakes.

I was already seated, so I thought I'd go ahead and try one.

As can be seen in the photo, the shakes at Why Not? come topped with a little Filipino flag, a cherry and another piece of fruit which I could not identify. I didn't view the decorations as a good sign. It's a pretty good indication that the shake will be over-priced.

I was right, of course.

The unnamed fruit was extremely sour - like a very tart, green apple. I didn't like it one bit. The shake was ok, but nothing to write home about, as we used to say.

This mango shake was priced at 120 pesos. It is the second highest priced mango shake I've come across in Dumaguete - the highest priced being the one I bought at the now defunct Chapters Cafe.

There is absolutely no way I'll ever get another mango shake at Why Not? The taste was about average - not the best in town, but not the worst either - the thought of paying almost twice as much as 90% of the shakes found elsewhere is ridiculous. I left feeling as if I had been robbed.

A Mango Shake from Alima Cafe

As I've mentioned on this blog in earlier posts, I meet with a small group of American expats on Thursday mornings. We've recently taken to trying a different cafe every week and this week we met at the Alima Cafe , not far from Silliman University Hospital.

While the other guys had breakfast, I decided - having had breakfast at home - to have just a mango shake. It's been quite a long time since I last did a proper review of a local mango shake.

As can be seen in the photo, the shakes at Alima look delicious - and the one I had was very nice. The mint sprig was a tasty addition. Sadly, I have to say the mango shakes there are over priced. As delicious as it was, at 128 pesos, it costs twice as much as shakes from other cafes that are just as delicious - if not more so.

But, over all, the cafe is nice enough, even if they do charge too much for a mango shake.

 

Panda's Mango Fruit Shake

As I mentioned in an earlier blog post , the Panda Ice Cream Haus serves both a mango fruit shake and a mango ice cream shake.

In that post, I mistakenly wrote that both shakes were priced at 65 pesos. When I stopped by later to try the mango fruit shake, I saw that the fruit shake is actually only 60 pesos.

Even though the mango ice cream shake I had was very delicious, I noted that there is very little mango flavor to the shake - it's mostly vanilla.

The mango fruit shake was different - it had a wonderful mango taste. No mistaking this for any other flavor. To add even more to the delight, this shake has to be the thickest mango shake I've had. This shake was even thicker than the ice cream shake. It would not surprise me to learn that ice cream was also an ingredient. The mango pieces didn't hurt either.

All in all, a wonderful mango shake.

 

While Driving Thru Tubtubon

While driving thru Brgy. Tubtubon, Sibulan I happened upon this gentleman and his snake. I gave him a few pesos to allow me to take his photograph. He told me that, for 100 pesos he would take photos of me holding the snake.

You'll notice there are no photos of me holding the snake.

 

An Ice Cream Mango Shake

Note: This post was originally published at sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken on Jan.13, 2019.

Although I've passed by Panda Ice Cream Haus several times, I had not stopped in until today when I thought I'd see if mango shakes were available. On the plus side, Panda Ice Cream Haus has both mango fruit shakes and mango ice cream shakes - each costing 65 pesos. I decided that today, I'd try the mango ice cream shake and the fruit shake next time.

Another plus for the store is their utilization of metal, reusable drinking straws. I'm one of those folks who try not to use plastic straws, and an old fashioned paper straw would not hold up with this thick, creamy shake.

The shake I had was quite delicious, but I have to deduct points due to the fact that the mango shake does not taste like mango. Yes, the shake was delicious, but it had a vanilla flavor instead of mango.

I'll return soon and see if the mango fruit shake is more to my liking.

Special Note:On Google Maps, the address for Panda Ice Cream Haus is given as #3 Silliman Ave..The map location is correct, but as far as the address given, the store is actually located on Ma. Christina St..

 

The Mango Shakes at Gabby's Bistro - Paseo Perdices Building

Note: This post was originally published on another of my blogs on Oct. 8, 2018. Obviously, this was well before COVID Days. Also, the exchange rate listed in the post has been updated to the current rate and not the rate at the time of the original post.

Finding myself downtown this morning, with time to kill, I thought I'd drive over to the Gabby's Bistro located on the 2nd floor of the Paseo Perdices building on Rizal blvd. While there, I could have a mango shake and continue on my quest to review the wide variety of mango shakes found in and around Dumaguete.

This was not my first visit to this particular Gabby's Bistro. Nor is it the first time I've tried the shakes here. However, I did want to have a photo of a Gabby's mango shake for this blog post. If that meant having one today, well so be it. No sacrifice is too great for this blog.

The mango shakes at this particular Gabby's Bistro are absolutely delicious. Very thick, very creamy, with a slightly tangy mango flavor. There's definitely fresh fruit it this shake. The mango shakes at Gabby's are the sine qua non of mango shakes; the mango shake by which all other mango shakes must be compared.

Well worth the 75 php charged - (about $1.57 at the current rate of exchange).

 

Mango Shake From Cafe Mamia

Note: This post was originally posted one year ago on my sorryalltheclevernamesaretaken blog. It is being posted just as it was, and the links will point back to that blog.

This morning, we had planned on having our American expat's brunch at the Gabby's Bistro inside the Paseo Perdices Building on Rizal Blvd.

The original plan was for 10:00 AM, but it developed into a regular cluster 4#ck very early. The school where the children of four of us attend is having exams this week. This means classes are only half days this week. Yesterday the children got out at 11:30......that would still give us time for our brunch from 10:00AM until 11:30, but at the last minute, my son tells me that they'll get out at 10:30 today instead of 11:30. At that point it became a scramble to contact everyone to see if we could gather at 9:00 AM instead.

Everyone was successfully notified about the change. When the first ones arrived at Gabby's, we learned that Gabby's was no longer serving breakfast at that location. The signs read that the cafe would open now at 9:00 AM, but we were told by employees that they really didn't open until 10:00. We decided to go to Cafe Mamia instead. We could stay parked where we were and walk the short distance to Mamia's.

The last two times we met at Cafe Mamia, I had had the bread pudding à la mode with brewed coffee, and I had enjoyed that on both occasions. I had every intention of ordering the same today, until my friend ordered the mango shake. I couldn't recall ever having had a mango shake there, and I'd need to try one for my reviews.

As it turned out, neither of us had tried them before today. Looking back at an old blog post, I read that once before two others had ordered the mango shake, but when I ordered that time the cafe was "out of stock, sir".

Today, finally getting our shakes, my friend and I were both disappointed. The mango shake is too thin for my tastes, and priced too high (105 pesos) to boot. I'm sure I'll stick with the bread pudding next time I return to Mamia.

Pigs

Retired or not, a 2nd (or 3rd) income is necessary when living in Philippines. Here we have photos taken in our piggery.

The six piglets are five or six weeks old.

The adult sow laying down is grandmother to the piglets and mother of the adult sow peeping over the wall of the piggery.

The older sow belongs to my wife's papa and is currently pregnant. The mother of the piglets will be bred again soon.

 

Brunch At Tinto

 I mentioned in an earlier blog post that circumstances had prevented me from attending the regular Thursday brunch with some fellow Americans last week. At one time we'd meet at pretty much the same location every week, but recently we've begun going to a new joint each week. Because I wasn't there last week, I had no say in where we'd meet this time. This week we met at Tinto on E J. Blanco Dr. in Dumaguete.

I arrived a little early and met the "first shift" expats who were leaving as we were to arrive.

As can be seen in the photos, the restaurant's decor is pleasant enough, but it's similar to choosing the proverbial book by the cover. It's the food that's important.

I made the mistake of ordering the fish and chips. I was hoping for something as good as the fish and chips at Thunder Road but I was sadly disappointed. The fries were not bad - pretty good, in fact, but the fish wasn't good at all, and the meal was way over priced at 330 pesos.


One friend had the chili con carne. It did not look at all appetizing and my friend said it tasted like left-overs (and not in a good way). Two of the guys had burger and onion rings. I didn't ask how the burgers were, but burgers are burgers in my book. The one good thing I can say about the place is that they are very generous with their onion rings. I thought one order was actually a double order.

All in all, I did not have a good dining experience at Tinto and it's unlikely that I'll return.

 

Los Mariachis

Note: This post was originally published on another of my blogs on January 05, 2020

My son had been invited to a late afternoon/early evening birthday party yesterday in Brgy. Buntis, Bacong and after dropping him off, my wife and I decided to get a little bite to eat. Not wanting to travel all the way back to Sibulan, I thought we'd try Los Mariachis, located only 5 or 10 minutes away.

Neither of us had eaten at this restaurant before. A number of my American friends had recommended Los Mariachis - our group had even unsuccessfully attempted to have our Thursday morning brunch there but found that it wasn't open that early.
There weren't a lot of customers there when we arrived around 4:30 - there was room for me to park my car in front.

My wife and I split an order of enchiladas (with corn tortillas) with Mexican rice and refried beans. I had a mango milk shake; my wife had halo-halo. The refried beans were not like the ones I've eaten in the U.S.. These were made with white beans. Tasty but a little unusual. The enchiladas were excellent.

It wouldn't be fair of me to compare the mango milkshake I had at Los Mariachis with the mango shakes from other places in Dumaguete. This one had a generous dollop of mango ice cream. Most mango shakes do not include ice cream - the exception being Panda Ice Cream shop in Dumaguete. You get what you pay for. The mango milkshake was more expensive that any regular mango shake in town, but it was very delicious. Los Mariachis also sells a regular mango shake which is comparable in price to most places, but as I haven't tried it, I can't review it.

All in all, I'd recommend Los Mariachis to lovers of Mexican food in and around Dumaguete.