Featured as MEGA FASHION HALL: 10 BEST New Restaurants @SMMegaMall in 2014!
ST. MARC CAFÉ is a specialty Japanese dessert café best known for its signature chocolate croissant, the Choco Cro. Thanks to Ben Chan for bringing this popular Japanese franchise to the Philippines.
Here’s what to expect and what to order at ST. MARC CAFÉ Philippines…
ST. MARC CAFÉ PHILIPPINES
Upper Ground Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City
Facebook: Saint Marc Café Philippines
ST. MARC CAFÉ is a better alternative to Starbucks, with more focus on freshly baked pastries and Japanese desserts.
You can see how freshly prepared their pastries are. These are served directly to the containers after baking, where you can easily pick them up.
There are two versions: Strawberry and Chocolate. Each flavor has its own following.
For breakfast, make sure to wait for the freshly baked Egg Salsa.
It’s a good breakfast-on-the-go option, where you can enjoy your bread with salsa and egg.
The mock up of ice cream based desserts is a bit overwhelming. Go for the Classic Fuji, which is their signature dessert.
You can then order your premium coffee to go with your bread or dessert.
The coffees and teas range from P110-P150. You can also opt for their smoothies at P170.
I love the café’s stylish-casual ambiance, which is conducive for conversations with friends.
✮ Choco Cro (P55). The Choco Cro was good, with a good, firm bite and a generous helping of densely flavored chocolate in the middle.
I admittedly wasn’t too excited by it. I guess the Cronut Craze has made people a little tired of croissant-inspired food.
Strawberry Daifuku Choco Cro (P60) and Egg Salsa (P100).
The Strawberry version was stuffed with strawberry white chocolate, mochi, and red bean. It was interesting, but I didn’t like the fake taste of the strawberry and the complicated combination.
The Egg Salsa was good, but it offers nothing new except the compact form.
Dude for Food loves his Choco Cro: Grab Your Chococro at St. Marc Café, Now Open at Mega Fashion Hall.
✮ Classic Fuji (P230) with Matcha Latte (Small – P130). St. Marc Café‘s signature golden brown butter Danish topped with Azuki (red beans), Kuromitsu (black honey), premium Matcha powder, capped with soft-serve vanilla ice cream.
I love the Classic Fuji! It’s like our favorite Auntie Anne’s Almond Pretzel served a la mode, with red beans and matcha to give it a Japanese touch.
The Matcha Latte was too strong, though. Filipinos are just starting to get used to what good quality matcha tastes like. Order this to pair with the desserts.
Espresso Jelly (P200). Nothing exciting. It’s just ice cream served with coffee jelly.
Strawberry Heaven (P250). You have to order this if you’re a strawberry lover.
Overall, St. Marc Café is good choice if you’d like to try their signature Choco Cro, Classic Fuji, and Matcha Latte.
Go here for their Egg Salsa, which is a great breakfast option, and for their ice cream desserts, which are best shared with 2-3 people. Budget about P150/head.
Congrats to Ben Chan’s group for successfully bringing the St. Marc Café concept to Manila!
ST. MARC CAFÉ PHILIPPINES
Upper Ground Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, EDSA, Mandaluyong City
Facebook: Saint Marc Café Philippines
St. Marc Café is a specialty bakery and patisserie that offers freshly baked breads, pastries, desserts, coffees, and other specialty beverage on a variety that will make your visit very ideal any time of the day. The store is best known for its signature product: the Choco Cro. With more than twenty layers of buttery croissant dough wrapped around a dark chocolate center that is made from a blend of the finest Ghana and Ecuador cocoa beans, Choco Cro made its way to became very prominent way back in Japan.
St. Marc Café features a stylish, warm interior that encourage relaxation and friendly conversations. The store concept combines a well-loved quality “Japanese dessert place” with a premium coffee shop – a design that is ideal for those who enjoy artisanal alternatives and appreciate brand provenance.
Live an Awesome Life,
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Disclosure: Our meal was courtesy of St. Marc Café, during the grand launch of the Philippine store. I wrote this article with my own biases, opinions, and insights. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.
P.S. Can’t wait for Ben Chan’s group to open the Japanese Cheesesteak franchise in Manila. 🙂