Sans Rival Bistro in Dumaguete

From Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort, we returned to Dumaguete to take a ferry that will bring us to Bohol. 

But first, we had lunch at Sans Rival Bistro which was not only conveniently situated near the port but is also home to the famous silvanas of Dumaguete. Sans Rival Bistro stands out from the rows of restaurants along Rizal Boulevard because of its modern look.

Facade

There's an al fresco dining area for those who want to enjoy the fresh breeze from the sea.

Al Fresco Area

Pre-cooked meals displayed carinderia style are available at San Rival Bistro but we preferred to order ala carte:

Sizzling Fries

Would have loved it better with cheese!

Bistro Signature Salad

Fresh crunchy vegetables

Pritchon Pockets

Enjoyable appetizer with authentic flavours

Seafood Paella

Moist with generous serving of fresh seafood

San Rival Bistro has a cake window with many inviting sweets but it's best to order the classic silvanas to avoid disappointment.

Cakes, Cakes, Cakes

Butter Sansrival

 At less than 30php a slice, it's no surprise that this was just ordinary. 

Chocolate Silvanas

I applaud the effort but the chocolate experiment didn't work.

Do not leave Sans Rival Bistro without buying a box of silvanas. It's buttery with just the right level of sweetness. Best pasalubong from Dumaguete.

Sans Rival Bistro is located at 3 San Jose Street, Dumaguete. For more information, call (035)4210338 or click here.

Cakes, Cakes, and More Cakes

It's time for another cake roundup! Here are some of the cakes I've consumed the past few months:

Estrel's Caramel Cake

Fluffy with a mamon consistency, the caramel icing is not as thick as Hizon's. A good alternative for those who prefer their caramel cake less rich.

Formosa's Taiwan Style Cake

Icing overload and sour fruits made this cake a disaster.

Lia's Cake in Season's Avocado Sansrival

The bitter avocado frosting ruined the experience for me.  

Cara Mia's Di Lusso

Loved the vanilla, chocolate, and pistachio combination of this ice cream cake.

Taza Platito's Yema Torte

Sweet! Not surprising since this cake is made mostly from condensed milk and sugar.

Aristocrat's Check It Out

Forgettable. Next!   

Peninsula Boutique's Blueberry Cheesecake

Pretty to look at but it didn't have the right balance of flavors. The sweetness of the cake made it impossible to taste anything else.   

Estrel's is located at 54 Scout Tobias cor. Fr. Martinez St. Quezon City. For more information, call 3722965 or click here.

Formosa Bakery is located at 518 Banawe St. Quezon City. For more information, call 5168319. It also has branches in San Juan and Binondo.

Lia's Cakes in Season is located at 25 A&B East Capitol Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City. For more information, call 3774808 or click here.

Cara Mia has 9 branches in Metro Manila. For more information, click here.

Taza Platito is located at 12-A Scout Tobias cor. Fr. Martinez St. Quezon City. For more information, call 3732732 or click here.

Aristocrat Bakeshop has 4 branches in Metro Manila. For more information, click here.

The Peninsula Boutique is located at The Peninsula Manila, corner of Ayala and Makati Avenue, Makati. For more information, call 8872888 or click here.

Chocolate Sansrival at Aristocrat

Excuse the melted frosting as I would like to share this cake from Aristocrat Bakeshop.

Torta de los Reyes (690php)

Torta de los Reyes is a chocolate covered sansrival that is surprisingly light.

Sansrival lovers would surely love this as the chocolate didn’t overwhelm the rich buttery flavors of the sansrival.

So good is this cake that I found myself eating a slice for three days straight. A plus is its ability to stay crispy even after a few days in the fridge.

No wonder Torta de los Reyes was part of Inquirer's 20 yummiest commercially baked cakes of  2008.

Aristocrat Bakeshop is located at the following branches: 432 San Andres, Malate, Manila, tel 5247671; 146 Jupiter corner Saturn Sts., Bel-Air Village, Makati, tel. 8995035; No. 70 Pinoy Shopper Mall Scout Gadica corner Tomas Morato and Scout De Guia Sts., QC, tel. 3711040; Level 4 Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, tel. 5233923; 2/F SM City, San Lazaro F. Huerta corner A.H. Lacson Sts., Sta. Cruz, Manila, tel. 7862664.

Crispy Gay Vasquez Sansrivals

It’s no secret that sansrival is my cake of choice. For my birthday this year, I had not one but two variations of Gay Vasquez’s much raved about sansrival.

We celebrated at home with a Macadamia Sansrival while my friends surprised me with a classic Cashew Sansrival.



Macadamia Sansrival (950php)



Cashew Sansrival

I proclaim Gay Vasquez’s sansrival as the crispiest sansrival I’ve eaten to date. It’s so crispy that one could feel and hear the crunch of the sansrival in every bite. The sansrival is also very rich with a creamy butter goodness going for it. After a while though, one will notice how sweet this filling is. Those who have a sweet tooth would surely not mind this.

I’ve got to say that the macadamia version is more decadent and sinful compared to the traditional cashew topping. The macadamia brought the cake to another level of richness for a more wicked dessert experience.

In the end, while Gay Vasquez’s creations impressed the sansrival lover in me, I still prefer a Delize sansrival. It’s simply hard to top a Jill Sandique masterpiece.

Gay Vasquez's sansrivals are available for pick up at 35 Firefly St. Valle Verde 6 Pasig City. Contact her at 6310125 or 09173010615 for cake availability.