The Cake Club: Wining and Dining at BHS Central

While I'm usually not the type who'd go gaga for beer, it's totally a different story when it comes to wine. I may not be an aficionado, but I definitely appreciate a good glass or two paired with equally good food. And this, my friends, is what I got to experience (and more) at The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel in Bonifacio High Street Central last July.

I already got to visit The Cake Club late last year. And while what I've tried before were nothing short of great, I was in for my kind of sweet treat on this (not-so) recent visit as The Cake Club, in partnership with Sommelier Selection, brought us a unique and educational dessert and wine pairing experience with the Sommelier Wine Flights.

Now, let me disclose that I was super late on blogging about this. (Yes to self-shaming!) The Sommelier Wine Flights has already been over since the start of September. (Blame my poor time management and disorganized thoughts.) However, shoving my food blogging incompetence aside, I believe this post is still worth sharing as you can always pair wine with desserts from The Cake Club. The latter also carries different red and white wines which you can always order. You can also call up ahead and ask if they charge corkage fees should you be interested to bring your own wine. Or, you may want to take home a few of their signature cakes and pair them with your wine of choice.

DESSERT AND WINE PAIRING

Whichever track you'd want to take though, here are the recommended dessert and wine pairings by The Cake Club and Sommelier Selection.

Clos Des Verdots Moelleux with Danielle
Dolcetto D'Alba with Le Royale

The Clos Des Verdots Moelleux is a sweet, supple and fruity white wine from Southwest France. It's best paired with Danielle which compliments its slight sharpness. I find this pairing delicate and well-balanced; my personal favorite in the bunch. The wine also goes well with Guia, Baked Cheesecake and even with Diamond's Ensaymada.

The Dolcetto D'Alba on the other hand, is a fruity and low-acid dry red wine from Piedmont, Italy that pairs great with the rich and dark chocolatey goodness of Le Royale. I've never had red wine with my chocolate, but with this pairing, I'm hooked. This wine is said to compliment The Cake Club's Guia and Le Reve as well.

Lamadoro Primitivo with Baked Cheesecake
Lamadoro Bianco with Supermoist Chocolate Cake

Hailing from Puglia, Italy, the Lamadoro Primitivo is a semi-dry dark red wine with aromas of cherries, raspberries, blueberries and other forest fruits. With a moderately long finish, this pair well with a mouthful of Baked Cheesecake after each sip.

Also from Puglia, Italy, the Lamadoro Bianco is a refreshing and easy-drinking white wine with clean, ripe and crisp qualities that perfectly cuts through the richness of the Supermoist Chocolate Cake; another favorite pairing and something I want to have again. It also pairs well with other indulgent desserts like the Le Royale and Le Reve.

Colombelle Red with Vanessa
Vouvray: Vin Sec with Ispahan

We had the Colombelle Red from Southern France with Vanessa. However, we were told that this round and silky red wine with aroma of black currant, plum and hints of licorice goes well with any of the cakes at The Cake Club. And yup, I can see myself pairing this with Danielle and Ispahan, especially with its fresh and fruity finish.

Lastly, we got to pair Ispahan with the Vouvray: Vin Sec from Loire Valley, France. This glass of golden wine with aromas of lavender, grapes, honey and marzipan, has a slightly sweet finish that also goes well with any of the The Cake Club's cakes. Personally, I'd even pair this with cream-filled pastries and fruit parfaits.

We also had other wines that evening: Colombelle White which pairs well with almost any of the cakes, and Bourgogne Aligote which goes well with Guia, Le Royale, Vanessa or Ispahan. By the way, all these personal-sized cakes cost P250 each.

SAVORY DISHES AT THE CAKE CLUB

As much as I love the cakes and wine, of course, it would be a little upsetting to the stomach to dive in straight to the wine pairings. So before we started our Sommelier Wine Flights session, we first had a filling meal with The Cake Club's savory items.

French Onion Soup (P250) -- light yet hearty onion soup made from beef broth, with emmental cheese and croutons; ✓ Truffle Fries (P180) -- crispy fried sliced potatoes, truffle oil and sea salt flakes

✓ GM's Favorite Salad (P250)
Pan-roasted mushrooms, crispy parmesan basket and baby greens in shallot vinaigrette;
a truly addicting salad!

Porcini Mushroom Crepe (P420)
Porcini-stuffed crepes with parmesan and emmental cheese and light cream sauce

✓ Sato-San's Mentaiko Spaghetti (P370)
Al dente-cooked spaghetti with spicy cod roe and dried seaweeds in cream sauce

✓ Baked Salmon (P455)
Perfectly-cooked salmon with Mediterranean crust and saffron risotto

Roast Chicken (P415)
Half-chicken with haricot verts, mushroom and potatoes

✓ Slow-Roasted Beef Belly (P415)
Super tender beef belly with honey-roasted baby carrots, brown rice and horseradish cream

I didn't go into detail anymore, but rest assured, everything we had that night was good. By the way, some of the portions aren't the actual serving sizes, I believe. They were blown up into family sizes since we were a big group of foodies with hearty appetites.

WRAPPING IT UP

While I don't drink wine as often as I would've wanted, I definitely enjoyed this dessert and wine pairing experience courtesy of The Cake Club and Sommelier Selection. I grew an even more interest into learning the wine culture, and I can't deny that I've found even more appreciation for food and wine pairing. So although the Sommelier Wine Flights may be over, this definitely won't stop me from enjoying another dessert and wine pairing at The Cake Club. Next time, I'll try pairing some whites with the parfaits!

PS: The dessert and wine pairing above are only recommendations. At the end of the day, it all comes down to your own taste. Fruity and creamy desserts usually go well with whites, and the more indulgent chocolates suit reds. But of course, you can change things up according to your preference.


The Cake Club, Bonifacio High Street Central
UG/F Bonifacio High Street Central, East Superblock,
7th Ave. cor. 29th St.,
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
Metro Manila Philippines
(02) 621-3176
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