Quiet Musing

at Chelsea

I know a lot of people who try to avoid (if they can) to eat by themselves. It seems their appetite is lost on them once they're aware of their "lonesomeness" even in a crowded room. Let's say in a fastfood chain. They would rather whip up something from their own respective pantries/dirty kitchens, even if the end product is not as satisfying as one could have at KFC (Oh! Who could just possibly resist their hot and crispy fried chicken?), as long as their state of being alone will not hit them in the face.

If you've been reading this online diary of mine for quite sometime now, you should at least have an inkling that I have no qualms on eating alone. Especially if the pangs of hunger is too much to ignore. But there are certain occasions wherein it's not just about getting your fill to alleviate hunger. Craving is just a part of it. I sometimes eat to aid me on my musing. Flavors that would propel me to think long and hard on what lies ahead of me.

inside Chelsea

inside Chelsea (1)

Reese's Peanut Butter Blast

cookie dough cheesecake

After lavishing myself with delicious deli food at a cafe in Marcos Highway and been regaled with chockfuls of talk and laughter with my friends and colleagues, I found myself still yearning for something sweet to eat. That didn't came to me as a surprise since the only sweet treat that I've gotten from this cafe was a very disheartening and diluted vanilla milkshake. Of course, I wouldn't settle just for that. As if I heard a siren song when I passed by Ortigas, my feet led me to this shabby chic Raintree owned restaurant, Chelsea Market & Cafe.

A cake slice and a frapp drink would do me just fine on this visit. So it's a slice of the Cookie Dough Cheesecake for me that proffers a creamy luxuriance interrupted by chunks of cookie dough scattered all over the surface. My frapp, the Reese's Peanut Butter Blast clearly eclipsed the dismal milkshake that I had earlier. Chocolate goodness interspersed with peanut butter. Yum! I took another long sip of the frapp as I watch the westering sun bid it's last night as I hope that this delicious nirvana never ends.

cheese risotto balls-it's more or less an appetizer than a full meal

complimentary foccacia squares and roasted garlic

white tiramisu martini and water in a seductive looking glass

On another time I was at Chelsea, I was in a brooding mood. However, I did found an elixir to salvage me from my pallid state. The White Tiramisu Martini glides the hatch smoothly though it trails with a bitter aftertaste, I didn't mind that at all. Maybe because of the brandy. But nevertheless, each sip helped me to somehow wave off the things that cloud my mind and cleared my murky thoughts washed down by this creamy cocktail drink.

The Molten Cheese Risotto Balls are something I couldn't get enough off. I dip the risotto balls to the jalapeno spiked cheese sauce and the implosion of flavors in my mouth were stunning. It instantly put me in delicious reverie.

lemon meringue pavlova

Dessert is always a paramount order for me and I'd refuse to leave without me getting one. The Lemon Meringue Pavlova fits the bill perfectly well. Creamy meringue and cushiony soft cake layers with a tartly finish. It's one of those lush dessert that one can so enjoy you could cast all of the things that troubles you momentarily and keep it at bay. I fork a piece of the cake ever so slowly and after I pop a piece of it in my mouth, I just have to relish it---each and every nuances of sweetness and flavor. Hoping this could prolong my enjoyment with this cake slice, even if my eyes proves me otherwise, wherein the cake is fastforwarding toward extinction.

I haven't had a full meal here yet. But when I do, I'm eyeing to try the Bacon Mushroom Truffle Carbonara which I read is quite a stunner of a pasta dish.

After I emptied the glass of my cocktail and scraped the crumbs on my plate, the "cloudiness" that I felt had already cleared somewhat, I prepared to leave. As I walk through the door, I welcome the cool breeze as twilight sets in. Vacillating emotions can sometimes sends me off kilter, but immersing myself to food that transports me to greater delicious heights could anchor me back on track. As I start to walk, the rumble of engines and honks of horns on the street are my soundtrack. The warm lights of the busy Ortigas district are my spotlight.

G/F, The Podium
ADB Avenue
Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong