#milkpie

You can find the new restaurant at the ground floor of Estancia Mall’s new East Wing. Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory owner Mr. Seigo Kawagoe led the ribbon-cutting ceremony together with Mr. Bryan Tiu, founder and CEO of I-Foods Group, Inc., the company that brought Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory to the Philippines.

The branch can comfortably accommodate around 60 to 70 guests with its casual and relaxing design. This is a great place for friendly get-togethers or to spend quality family time with the kids.

The concept of Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory is the “factory filled with creativity and innovation” to create sweets that no one has ever made, using carefully selected milk and high quality cheese, combined with ingredients from not only Japan, but also around the world. The cafe’s all-original dishes are created and prepared in Manila by their Japan-trained team of Filipino chefs and crew.

The signature Milk Pie (P100 per peice) from Cow Cow Kitchen is probably the most awaited item that Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory Cafe is finally bringing to Manila. This crispy and flaky pastry is filled with luscious Hokkaido milk cream and there is simply nothing else like it. Imagine the perfect flakiness of a croissant combined with a rich and creamy Hokkaido milk filling. It may be a bit expensive but the heavenly experience is really worth it.

My favorite item at Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory before is actually their Cow Cow Ice (P150-Milk / P170-Cheese). This is made with fresh milk from Jersey cows in Hokkaido, Japan to get that authentic creamy taste. These are also available here at the cafe for dine-in or at their takeout counter, together with other favorites like the pillowy Japanese Cheese Cake made with Hokkaido cream and Cookies made with various world-class cheeses.

For today’s preview, we were given the opportunity to try a selection of their delightful offerings which have evolved from just pastries, cookies, and cheese cakes to a full-sized menu serving lunch, merienda, and dinner options.

We started with some appetizers like the House Potato Chips (P180) which is served with nori aoili dip. There’s also the Sweet Corn Tempura (P260) that comes with truffle mayonnaise. Both of these are great nibblers to share around the table while waiting for your main courses to arrive.

The Crispy Kani Salad (P360) is a healthier starter with its shaved cabbage, kani fries, edemame, caramelized walnuts, and citrus dressing. If you like soups, you can order the Sweet Corn Potage (P230) with its roasted corn, garlic croutons, and parsley.

There are several pasta options on the menu that all look interesting. I got to try the Ebiko Carbonara (P345) which is a beautifully-plated spaghetti cooked with bacon, nama cream, and topped with a soft-boiled egg. Make sure to break the egg first and mix it together with the pasta to create a creamy consistency.

They also have a couple of sandwiches like the Molten Mozzarella Hamburg (P440). This three-piece slider set has brioche buns together with beef patties, hamburg sauce, romaine, tomatoes and a serving of house chips.

I suggest trying the signature 12-Hour Short Rib Sandwich (P485) which packs a meatier punch. This sourdough loaf is filled with tender pulled beef ribs plus parsley aioli and pickled red cabbage, then served with house potato chips. The beef is cooked for 12 hours until it reaches a perfect melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Filipinos love to eat everything with rice, so the Hayashi Beef Omurice (P395) is also a good option. This is a steaming Japanese omelet that is filled with tomato rice pilaf and served together with beef, onions, tomatoes, and egg.

The Pork Mille-fuille Furai (P390) also looks quite appetizing with its golden layers of crispy pork slices filled with mozzarella, fresh basil, tomato sauce, and truffled mash.

One dish I was surprised with was the Salmon Teriyaki Gratin (P485). I was expecting cooked salmon but this one actually comes with cured salmon slices, almost similar to salmon sashimi. It is topped with mozzarella cheese and sits on a bed of truffled mash and teriyaki sauce.

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory Cafe is also a great place to grab desserts, especially with its colorful Japanese pancakes. These fluffy pancakes come with your choice of toppings. Choose the Summer Berry Pancake (P315) which is topped with mixed berry compote and nama cream. Then there’s the Crème Brulle Pancake (P265) which comes with sweet salty Vanilla anglaise plus torched sugar to boot.

The Summer Berry Waffle (P265) is also a treat for kids and families alike with its mixed berry compote on top of warm waffles. This is also served with nama cream on the side. If you are looking for a fun and relaxing time with friends and family, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory Cafe is a great place to enjoy Japanese comfort food at its finest.

Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory Cafe

G/F Estancia Mall East Wing, Capital Commons, Pasig.

www.ifoodsgroup.com/tokyo-milk-cheese-factory