What's New in the Menu, Cafe Ceramique?

FOR THE CREATIVE and hungry alike, Cafe Ceramique could very well be your niche. But you have to answer the question, "Would you like to eat or paint first?"

The centerpiece of the table lets you determine the course of your stay. :)

In our case, we decided to eat first.

Cafe Ceramique is a one-of-a-kind restaurant in the sense that they offer ceramic-painting activities for all ages while you're dining in their restaurant. A very family-oriented place, it is nestled on the corner of the 3rd Floor of Sahara Mall, which caters an all-day breakfast menu, pizzas, pastas and sandwiches. We've featured them a couple of years back, but now they have a bigger and brighter menu for you to try out. 

The ladies and I (except Sundrenched, who was already vacationing in Manila at the time) went to taste their new items one December evening. Interestingly enough, S was also not with us in the first entry on this resto. :P 

We were treated to plates and plates of salads, sandwiches and pasta. We browsed through their new menu which they have recently launched and these piqued our interest.

One of their newest drinks, the "Catalina" for 22SR. 

Even though it was December, we tried out the summery drinks in the menu. The Catalina hits the spot if you're looking for the right combination of sweet and sour. It's a mix of orange juice, strawberries and honey. On the other hand, as you know, Mojitos are known for their refreshing taste, and this surely leaves a lasting, fresh impression (made up of lemon, mint and brown sugar). 

Mojito, 22SR

I am a big fan of rocket leaves (girgir) in salads so I immediately ordered the Casablanca Salad, which was made up of fresh rocket leaves in pomegranate dressing mixed with couscous and grilled halloumi cheese. R on the otherhand, ordered the Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad which had grilled chicken breast, romaine, tomatoes, corn, beans and BBQ ranch dressing topped with crispy onion rings. 

The Casablanca, 42SR.

Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad, 42SR

It may look like the price is too much for a single salad order but in fact, one order can actually feed two people. Interestingly enough, I enjoyed the Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad more than the Casablanca because I was hooked on the flavors of the latter. The Casablanca can be a good pair to a grilled dish or something, but the second salad can already qualify as a full meal (consider the chicken, beans, corn, greens and onion rings altogether!). And since they're both priced the same, I'd recommend the Southwest BBQ Chicken Salad for more value for your money and your tummy.

Trio CC Burgers, 36 SR

A pink bun! ;P

Now I don't know why someone invented teeny, tiny, burgers coz really, I don't get it. But the kids might find it amusing, especially since Cafe Ceramique is serving them in colorful, miniscule buns. In an order, you can find a cheeseburger (orange bun), a BBQ burger (pink bun) and a regular beef burger (yellow bun) plus some french fries. These lil' items can do a little mayo or something to moisten it up. But taste-wise, it was okay.

Now, if you're a sandwich person (I know several people who are, including my brother), hold on to your seats as the next couple of pictures will be an assault on your sandwich-loving taste buds. 

Beef Steak Sandwich, 45SR

This one is made of grilled beef fillet sauteed in onions, laid on top of a bed of arugula and topped with dried tomatoes which can easily be categorized a the hungry man's sandwich. You have to have an appetite (and belly) big enough to finish this as it can be fill you up easily (or you can share). The whole grain mayo in between ties up all the ingredients wonderfully in this tasty sandwich. 

Now the next three items are my personal recommendations as a must order. First up...

Chicken Quesadilla, 42SR

In third place is their Chicken Quesadilla. The chunky slices of chicken in melted cheese goes well with the salsa, cream and guacamole in this dish. But if I'm being honest, I'd say the guacamole is the piece de resistance in this one because while the chicken is smokey and the cheese...well, cheesy, the guacamole gives it a tangy twist that dipping the wrap in it makes me want to eat more and more of it (ergo, we ended up asking for another dollop).  

Mushroom Swiss Burger, 42SR

In second place is this flavorful piece of meat, with swiss brown mushrooms (which where this type of burgers get its name) and hot melted cheese. I particularly enjoyed having the Mushroom Swiss burger done medium-well as it left enough tenderness to every bite. I also liked the bun, which was fluffier than those of the mini-burger trio. If you like hot sauce, this is the perfect sandwich to douse it with.

Chicken Salad Bagel, 42SR

And as I save the best for last, I present to you the Champion of all the sandwiches we tasted that night...(drumroll please!) the Chicken Salad Bagel! It gets the top spot in my list because of all the sandwiches we tasted, I believe this one will sit very well on Filipino palates. Imagine our usual chicken salad na palaman, only 10x better! There must have been some magic mixed in to the dressing because man oh man, it was finger-lickin' good! A perfect 1-0. :)

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Fetuccine Alfredo, 42SR

You would  think that we would be SO FULL by now after having the salads and sandwiches, but no, we still indulged in tasting one of their pasta dishes (and dessert). For their Fetuccine Alfredo, it had aldente noodles, a creamy base and chunky chicken bits for texture...everything you expect in a basic white-sauce pasta is here. But I'm afraid at this point, we were too full to finish it. So we just packed it for take out. 

Why hello there Chocolate Fondant! 32SR

Now if you're just a recent reader of our blog, it would amuse you to know that I am a die-hard consumer of chocolate fondant. A spoonful of the best kind makes poems come of out of my mouth. Past readers have bore witness as to how I would describe an utterly delicious plate of chocolate fondant. Anyway, as for Cafe Ceramique's serving of this dessert, it still stands as one of my Top 5 chocolate fondants in town. It's cooked right, with enough gooey chocolate in the middle and it's one of those desserts that makes you hum 'm-m-m-m-m-m-m-M!' after a taste. Another must try if you haven't yet. :)

Their new menu is artsy and filled with many quotes about eating and painting (albeit there are some typo errors). And while I did say that we wanted to eat first then paint later, unfortunately, we didn't have time left to take some of the ceramics and exercise our creative prowess. I would suggest that if you'd like to undertake the painting activity, make sure that you have nothing else scheduled for the rest of the night (or day) so that you can spend some quality time painting and talking with your friends or family members after a hearty meal of course!



xoxo,
Eyecandy

#Foodie

Cafe Ceramique
3rd Flr, Sahara Mall
T: 01-452-0677