Lucky Citrine: Workshop Bespoke Bakery at SM Mega Fashion Hall

Located within the Le Petit Soufflé restaurant in the Mega Fashion Hall is Workshop Bespoke Bakery, the latest offering of Chefs Miko Aspiras and Kristine Lotilla. Their mission: To elevate the Filipino dessert experience.

The place is where rustic charm meets an industrial modern aesthetic. The Workshop is a space where the pastry chefs can create - it's their working shed where adventurous and even risky desserts come to life. It's where fancy meets fun and avant garde, and I have never seen a bakery that offers unusual finds - Matcha Canelé, the Guava Cheese Tart, artisanal Valrhona chocolate bars, decadent Entremets, and more!

Last week, I visited The Workshop for the very first time and I loved what I saw...

The most decadent dessert spread I've come across. We were so spoiled.

They introduced to us their new cakes and collaboration with Yardstick Coffee. Pairing coffee and desserts is tricky business, and whenever I go to any coffee shop, I ask the barista which cake goes well with my drink because I feel that they know best. Now, The Workshop takes the guesswork out of these pairings. They know for a fact that the flavors shouldn't overpower each other so they came up with complementary pairs. Take your pick!

17 Layer Cake with Dairy-free Mocha

It has 17 layers of alternating Valrhona Araguani 72% Ganache and moist chocolate cake, enrobed in 70% Guanaja chocolate glaze and glaçage, served with a dollop of whipped cream cheese. The 17 Layer Cake is the richest chocolate cake I've had - it's like biting into a block of thick and smooth dark chocolate with thin layers of soft cake. If you like dark chocolate, you will love this one. For me, a single slice is already good to share since it's so thick, dense, and rich.

Pistachio Roulade with Madagascar Vanilla Latte

The Pistachio Roulade has the simplest look, but it's not to be understimated. It takes a whole lot of effort to make, and it's made with 100% pureed pistachios sponge and filling. The taste is very light and perfect. I was able to finish my slice in just minutes. (I want more!)

Basque Burnt Cheesecake with Torched Butterscotch Iced Latte

THIS! This cheesecake is crazy good. I haven't had anything like it in my life. I'm used to normal cheesecakes, and I already love them as they are, but I am head over heels with the Basque Burnt Cheesecake!

This is their version of the famous Spanish cake, where it's baked at a higher temperature to get that caramelized almost burnt top with a custardy core. Speaking of the custary core, you can enjoy this cheesecake chilled, at room temperature, or warmed. My favorite version of this is when it's warm and freshly baked, because the custardy core reminds me of the freshly baked egg tarts from Macau. It has a different texture when it's freshly baked compared to when it's at room temperature, but ALL versions of this cheesecake are delicious. To make this light cheesecake even more decadent, they also made their own dulce de leche pecans as toppings. MUST TRY!