A Sweet and Decadent Valentine

Heart-Shaped Cheesecake with Strawberries

Marriott’s take on high fashion with high heels made of pure Belgian chocolate

Year after year, whenever Valentine’s Day comes, friends, couples and partners get together to celebrate love in their own special ways. Girlfriends and wives get giddy while boyfriends and husbands scramble to come up with unique ways to pique their partners’ fancies.

Pretty flowers, romantic candle-lit dinners, the idea is to pull out all the stops to set the mood and get it right. Whatever the trick is, one thing that is sure to put a date over the top is having the right amount of sweets – chocolates - to be more precise, and lots of it.

There are plenty of places to go for good food and wonderful desserts. Few, however, have a good dose of both. Known for serving some of the meanest steaks in town, Cru Steakhouse at Marriot Hotel Manila sweetens things up and celebrates the season with a special treat.

Imagine pouring a hot cup of pure dark Swiss chocolate on top of a chocolate dome, watching as the structure melts away in thick dark goodness. Cut into it and inside the dome are layers of vanilla and raspberry ice cream on top of yet another level of chocolate, all melting into a mess of sweet and sinful glob of decadence. Definitely a pleasant end to a lovely meal, the Dessert Revelation is created by Marriott’s master pastry chef Fil Afable. 

Aside from this limited dessert offering, Chef Afable also made a line-up of sweet cakes and pastries for Marriott’s coffee corner Java+. Exploring the boundaries of pastry taste and flavor, Chef Afable didn’t limit himself to chocolates and made use of an array of fruits and sweets to create a fusion of interesting notes into his desserts.

“We focused not only on the chocolate aspect of cakes but a fusion composed of sweet and sour flavors,” Chef Afable explains. “Our customer’s cravings vary, so we also have to adjust. It’s not like before when chocolates are just chocolates. Now we combine it with ingredients like mango puree and strawberry jelly, so inside the cake, there are many flavors that all mesh together,” the master pastry chef adds.

The list of assorted sweets includes a Strawberry Mango Cake made of almond, coconut, and pistachio dacquoise with strawberry jelly in strawberry mango mousse. Another is the Happy Valentine Tart, a heartwarming treat made with layers of sponge cake and Breton short-crust pastry dough with vanilla mousseline. The cake is red all over and screams romance with its topping of fruits and sweet garnishes.

The Venus Cake, made of raspberry and strawberry compote with cheese and lime mousse and raspberry cream in almond meringue biscuits, is simple yet complex. Its plain design hides the complicated play of sweet and tangy flavors in each bite.  Another mouthwatering piece is the Heart-Shaped Cheesecake. A classically comforting choice, this sweet ending is topped with a delightful bed of strawberry slices that tickles the senses in so many ways.

Apart from the limited season offering of cakes and pastries, Marriott also made things more interesting for hopeless romantics. On display at the Great Room, located at the hotel’s lobby, are six one-of-a-kind chocolate sculptures that highlight the best of what the season offers.

Mounted on sealed pedestals, these delectable works of art are made by Marriot’s Chef Chris Balane. The artisan fashioned his medium, which are blocks of pure Belgian chocolate, into intricately carved edible shoes, handbags and Valentine’s most recognizable figure, Cupid. Chef Balane also created scale models of the statue of Aphrodite, "The Kiss" by French sculptor Auguste Rodin, and believe it or not, a fiery red Ducati superbike.

Going over-the-top for Valentine’s might sound a bit too much for average Juans. However, considering that this is the only time of the year when we can all be sweet and romantic, why not give it a shot? Make the most out of the tradition and let love take you wherever it goes. Either way, it’ll all lead to a sweet and delightful ending.

For inquiries and reservations, call Marriott Hotel Manila at 988-9999.