Anybody who is from Baguio has had one birthday cake from Tea House. Also, out of the 10 Christmas handaans a Baguio resident attends, there’s at least 3 appearances of the classic Tea House Pancit or Palabok, 1 appearance of their chicken lollipop and at least 2 appearances of one of their cakes. Tea House has become a Baguio institution. ” Handaan” has become synonymous to Tea House. So just imagine the size of the production- and the amount of cake trimmings everytime they make cakes! Well, I’m not really sure if these are cake trimmings – but they sure are yummy globs of cake in a plastic “jar”.
They’re not as pretty as this
Or theeese:
But they’re a real delight! Carlo’s Delight is the familiar caramel/ yema taste that Baguio folks are used to. It’s a pretty simple cake. Fluffy sponge cake bits + lots of creamy caramel stuffed in a jar- tadaaa! And no one ever goes wrong with caramel (or bacon. 🙂 ) Well, actually they’re not fluffy anymore because the cake is siksik inside.
If you’re looking for new and exciting textures and flavors- this ain’t it. I reckon the popularity of this Tea House delight is the Filipino’s love for anything that’s creamy caramel! Chona’s Delight had a nice hint of bitter on the first bite. It’s a great balance to the sweet chocolate cake and even sweeter filling.
They’re best eaten chilled- and inside the comforts of your room- alone- away from anyone who would attempt to sink a spoon into your sinful indulgence. Haha! I think they also make a great picnic dessert. You don’t have to worry about carefully transporting a pretty cake to your destination. All in all, it’s a great way to enjoy a Baguio favorite. They’re handy, they’re yummy and they’re okay priced at 120- 130 a jar – if you share and split the cost, that is. Considering what I think they’re made of (cake trimmings), 120 a jar might be a bit pricey. Nevertheless, cool concept and great tasting. But any kind of leftover cake, stuffed in a jar and added with some some sort of icing or filling, will probably do the same for your taste buds.
Tea House is located right in the heart of Baguio City- it’s along Session Road, a few steps away from Footstep. Hehe. Cant’ miss it.
I miss Chona’s! It used to be my comfort food back in college. I haven’t tried Carlo’s though so I’m planning to get some the next time I’m in Baguio. 🙂