May 23, 2016

Quim's Cake Bakeshop & Cafe- Beyond The 5M Cake Controversy in Tomas Morato by Executive Chef Jack Labang and Chef Jhollow Ignacio

I'm pretty sure most Filipinos have heard of the viral news about the 5M worth of free cake to be given away by Quim's Cake- a local bakeshop and cafe located in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.


For those who haven't, let me give you a quick recap: Late last year, during the time when Rodrigo Duterte decided to run for the presidential elections, chef/baker Jack Labang posted on his facebook page that he will be giving away 5M worth of free cakes should Duterte wins the presidential bid. Several months after, with Duterte winning the race by landslide, the people reminded that they did not forget.

People started sharing the post and eventually made it viral, with everyone asking for their free cakes.

According to Jack Labang, co-owner and executive chef/baker at Quim's Cake Bakeshop & Cafe, they will be staying true to their promise, and will be sampling the 5M worth of cakes in scheduled batches. The first batch of 50 registrants will be accommodated on July 1, 2016.
*Please note that the Facebook event page for a cake sampling on June 30 is not true. 

Last week, we visited Quim's Cake to try their dishes and have a taste of their much talked about cakes.


I set my expectations low for their dishes, since I understand that Quim's Cake, being a bakeshop, would naturally be known more for their cakes and pastries rather than their hot meals. Besides, Quim's Cake gained awareness and a loyal following for Chef Jack's Chocolate Cake.

I was quite surprised after trying their Roasted Pork Belly in Choco-Bagoong Sauce (P259).

I knew right then and there, that cakes are not only the cafe's main highlight.

The pork belly could be more tender, but the interesting part of this dish was the chocolate-bagoong sauce. The chocolate gave a nice sweet balance to the salty bagoong, and it went pretty well with plain rice too!


Another interesting dish was this Sashimi Mango Sinigang (P299)- a deconstructed version of the Pinoy favorite broth. You might be wondering why it is called such when there are no mangoes on it. Well, the secret of this dish is the use of green mangoes instead of the usual tamarind to make the broth naturally sour. Interesting? Taste was even better!



Quim's Cake also serves a selection of pasta at very affordable prices.

The Hondashi Pasta (P180) is a Japanese-inspired recipe of cream sauce pasta with hondashi, bonito flakes, and shrimp. This is a great choice for cream pasta lovers!


While I am a cream sauce lover myself, it seemed that this Heartbreaker Pasta (P180) got the best of me. The tomato-cream sauce is mixed with the heart-stopping aligue (crab paste) that would make you go sing "Don't go breaking my heart!"


For all-day breakfast options, Quim's Cake serves the classic Pinoy favorites with a twist! They have Longganisa Kebab, Breaded Tocino Fingers, Bangus Belly Salpicao, and this Pigar-Pigar Tapa called Pigtasilog (P179)

The dish highlights Pigar-Pigar, a popular dish in Pangasinan, where Chef Ruben "Jhollow" Ignacio, the man behind these interesting dishes, is from. The beef tapa is cooked in caramelized onions that gives that familiar taste of the local favorite "bistek".


Burgers at Quim's Cake are equally unique as their dishes. I must say that serving size is huge too!

The Pulled Pork Bbq Burger (P230) is a Hawaiian-style burger that features a sweet and savory barbecue pulled pork recipe, grilled pineapple, tomato, lettuce and cheese, in a an oatmeal bun.


The Red Hot Dory Burger (P250) on the other hand, is a crispy bacon-wrapped dory fillet topped with a special sriracha-mayo dressing. The use of the red sesame bun accentuates the spicy flavors of this mouthwatering burger.


This Green Tea Lychee (P70) was a refreshing drink to cool down and cleanse the palate for dessert!


We tried two cakes that afternoon- Quim's Signature Chunky Carrot Cake and Chocolate Moist Cake.


The chocolate cake was very moist and stayed true to its name. The carrot cake, although crumbly, was my favorite. I also love the addition of raisins that gave texture and enhanced the flavor of the cake.


Quim's Cake Menu:

Here are the chefs responsible for the delicious food and cakes at Quim's Cake Bakeshop & Cafe.

Executive chef and baker, Jack Labang, honed his skills from baking in various international and world-renowned schools namely, University of Illinois in Chicago, University of West London, Westminster Kingsway College and Le Cordon Bleu. He constantly develops cake creations while conducting baking workshops in his café and even in local TV shows.

Chef Jhollow Ignacio is from Lingayen, Pangasinan, and is a graduate of Senior Tesoro Culinary School. His cooking expertise focuses on Filipino and Asian-fusion dishes. He started his career at Hotel Consuelo and Manna Restaurant & Catering Services before becoming a partner at Quim’s Cake Bakeshop and Cafe. He is an active member of The Philippine Chefs’ Society and a guest chef in different TV shows.

 Chef "Jhollow" Ignacio and Chef Jack Labang of Quim's Cake. 

More than the 5M worth of free cakes, I think people should also visit Quim's Cake Bakeshop & Cafe for their unique and interesting dishes. I personally enjoyed every single dish we tried especially the Roasted Pork Belly in Choco Bagoong Sauce, Heartbreaker Pasta, and Red Hot Dory Burger. Putting the controversy aside, the cakes at Quim's Cake are also worthy of the attention. It may not be nice to say such strong statements, but at least they are keeping their promise and everyone gets a chance to taste Chef Jack Labang's cake creations.

For those who are interested in the cake sampling, you may reserve your slot by liking their facebook page: Quim's Cake Bakeshop & Cafe. Send in your name, age, address and contact number at quimscake@yahoo.com to register.

Sampling will be done in Quim's Cake Bakeshop & Cafe at 38 Tomas Morato Quezon City with the following schedules from 3-5pm only:
JULY 1 - First 50 pax to register 
JULY 15 - First 50 pax to register 
AUGUST 1 - First 50 pax to register 
AUGUST 15 - First 50 pax to register 
SEPTEMBER 1 - First 50 pax to register 
SEPTEMBER 15 - First 50 pax to register 
OCTOBER 1 - First 50 pax to register 
OCTOBER 15 - First 50 pax to register 
NOVEMBER 3 - First 50 pax to register 
NOVEMBER 15 - First 50 pax to register 
DECEMBER 1 - First 50 pax to register
Schedules to be continued in 2017...

Meanwhile, congratulations to presumptive president Rodrigo Duterte! 
You brought 5M worth of smiles to the Filipinos! :)  


Quim's Cake Bakeshop & Cafe
38 Tomas Morato Ave., Quezon City
Tel Number: 413-4018, (0906)360-9724
Quims Cake Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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