Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen Opens in Ayala Feliz!

New Restaurant Alert! Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen Ayala Feliz

Just recently, we featured a Filipino Food Restaurant in Quezon City that wowed us with their dessert – Kesong Puti Cheesecake from Lola Cafe and Bar. And yet again, another cheesecake is vying to win our hearts over with its color and variety. Say hello to Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen! Recently opened in Ayala Malls Feliz, Cassalu is making quite a buzz with its Original Dozen Flavors of Cheesecake. Wait, what? Did you just say dozen? Yep, I kid you not. Alongside its delicious array of pastas, chickens, and meat viands, comes a full cheesecake made with 12 different flavors! Here’s what to eat at Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen.

 

Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen: Baked with Passion and Dreams

Behind Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen is a couple who started a pastry business back in 2007. Couple Noel and Loren started the business with only 5,000 pesos as initial capital. They then started offering their homemade pastries to their relatives, friends and colleagues. It was the perfect business partnership from the get-go! Loren bakes while Noel sells. And as they say, the rest is history.

As more orders poured in, Loren and Noel then started investing in kitchen tools and decided to join night markets and Christmas bazaars. The couple’s routine also includes coffee to get them through the busy days. And that’s when they discovered specialty coffee and its wonders. So now, they serve specialty or third-wave coffee with their cakes in Cassalu, no less!

And the name? Well, Cassalu, is actually named after their children Cassandra and Lucas. Which coincidentally also sounds like kasálo which means “a person with whom one shares meals” in Filipino. Up until today, their passion remains in their hearts, thus instilling it to the hearts of their employees – this is what Cassalu is all about.

 

Cassalu Appetizers: Fries Extreme, Nachos, Potato Wedges and Dip, Oriental Salad, Buffalo Chicken Wings

So what exactly can one expect when dining at Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen? Well, a whole lot, to be honest. Despite coffee and cakes being their highlight, Cassalu also offers an impressive array of dishes. For appetizers, we tried five different starters.

Out of the five, I must say I enjoyed the Nachos and Buffalo Wings the best. The Nachos (Php 168.00) had crunchy corn chips overloaded with a tasty sauce and savory beef toppings. While the Buffalo Chicken Wings (Php 218.00) had a sweet/chili flavor to it, perfect as is or with rice!

Sadly, I found both the Fries Extreme (Php 98.00) and Potato Wedges and Dip (Php 108.00) not as flavorful as they looked.

Lastly, while the Oriental Salad (Php 208.00) looked appetizing, it lacked the bite in the dressing. And could have used a more generous serving of crab sticks and nori for extra flavor.

 

Pastas by Cassalu Coffee & Kitchen: Bacon Alfredo, Sausage Threesome, Kaldereta Pasta

I love pasta and I love that Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen actually offers a good selection of ‘creative’ pastas. Starting with the Kaldereta Pasta (Php 268.00/Php 528.00), it’s an extraordinary twist on a classic Filipino delicacy. Perfect blending of deep flavors and spice.

Then there’s the HTD Favorite: the Sausage Threesome (Php 258.00/Php 508.00). A rich blend of garlic native longganisa, Hungarian sausage, and herbed breakfast sausage. Tossed in creamy white sauce with a bit of chunky tomato. Loved the pepper-y taste and the assortment of textures in this dish a lot!

Last but not the least was Cassalu’s Bacon Alfredo (Php 238.00/Php 468.00). Creamy, buttery, and cheesy sauce with bacon and mushroom. Normally, this would be a homerun winner for me. Not this time around though as I feel that the cheese and butter overpowered the delicateness of the white sauce. Making it a little salty for my already-salt-loving taste.

 

Cassalu Main Dishes: Hickory Pork Belly, Crispy Chicken Ala King, Basket of Country Fried Chicken

Now that our tastebuds were all fired up, we then moved on with the mains by Cassalu Coffee & Kitchen. Honestly, I loved all three dishes. But I must say, the Crispy Chicken Ala King (Php 308.00) takes the cake! Crispy chicken breast topped with cream sauce, mushrooms, corns, and bell peppers. I particularly enjoyed the combination of the tasty chicken with the light yet tasty flavor of the cream sauce.

I loved the crispy and tasty skin of the Basket of Country Fried Chicken (Php 348.00 for 3 pics/ Php 568.00 for 5 pcs). However, the hype did not fully live on to the actual meat. It was tender, yes, but lacked the flavor I was expecting.

The Hickory Pork Belly (Php 328.00) was quite good too with their Cassalu Rice.

 

Drinks at Cassalu: Coolers and Latte

Thirsty? Quench it with some specialty drinks at Cassalu Coffee & Kitchen. Choose from their Homemade Iced Tea (Php 95.00), Fresh Dalandan Juice (Php 95.00), or Strawberry Mint Cooler (Php 115.00/Php 278.00). You can also go for their milky Strawberry Milkshake at just Php 190.00.

Or better yet, pair that luscious cheesecake slice with either their Spanish Latte (Php 145.00/155.00) or Matcha Latte (Php 155.00/165.00).

 

Cassalu’s Original Dozen Flavors of Cheesecake (Php 1,350.00)

And now for the part we’ve all be waiting for: DESSERT! Love cheesecake but can’t exact choose which flavor to have? Why don’t you go all out and choose all 12. Thanks to Cassalu’s Original Dozen Flavors of Cheesecake! Sink your teeth into these mighty 12: Blueberry, Tres Capas, Banoffee, Bibingka, Chocolate Peanut Butter, Calamansi Dulce de Leche, Chocolate Hazelnut, Brownie and Cookie Dough, Red Velvet and Chocolate S’mores. Wow, just wow, right?

I candidly asked the restaurant manager of the top 3 bestsellers and he immediately said Blueberry, Red Velvet, and Calamansi Dulce de Leche. I’d normally choose blueberry but the sweet-tangy mix of the Calamansi Dulce de Leche just won me over! The blueberry was good too, taste-wise, but I didn’t like the semi-gelatinous texture to it.

Need more deets? Like Cassalu on Facebook for updates and reservations!

 

Where is Cassalu Coffee and Kitchen?

Cassalu Coffee & Kitchen is located at the 5th floor, Ayala Malls Feliz, Dela Paz, Pasig City. They’re also in Ayala Malls Circuit and South Park Commerical Park Alabang. They’re open from 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM everyday.

Overall HTD Rating: 4.5 Stars

Price: 4 Stars (Php 800-1000 for 2 people)

Taste: 4 Stars

Service: 4 stars

 

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