French Flair Made More Enticing at Sweet Bella Cafe

After is undeniable success and recognition, finally, one of the country's most love dessert place is at last venturing in to a fine dining spot happily sharing not only the best, but the best of best of their kinds. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to be enticed at the world-renowned French flair through Sweet Bella Cafe.

Owned and manged by accomplished pastry chef and loving mother, Mrs. Cristina Santiago-Rivera or Tintin, Sweet Bella in the Ground Floor of Greenbelt 5 started the big dream for the Sweet Bella franchise. From its warm and cozy atmosphere with French flair setup in Burgos Circle, BGC, which opened January of 2011, Sweet Bella Cafe opened its second store in the classy and sophisticated Greenbelt 5 just a few months ago offering not just their sumptuous and award-winning decadents but also their family's respected dishes.

For those who don't know yet, Sweet Bella came from the name of Miss Tintin's one and only daughter Isabella. While Miss Tintin's father is the man who pioneered the use of Angus and Wagyu steaks in the Philippines, the man behind Melo's Steakhouse, Mr. Carmelo Santiago.

Okay, on my first visit on this very girly-girly place, I was welcomed by not juts one but tons of boxes. There's no doubt that Sweet Bella's French Macaron is still the crowd's favorite even on this poshy side of town. Each piece is delicately prepared making sure that every bite is heavenly.

If you are doubting the words that I'm saying here, I bet you to try them too, because if you'll ask me now, they are so far the best of their kind that I have ever tasted. So fucking delicious!

Sweet Bella in Greenbelt 5's lift to the world of casual fine dining doesn't only speaks of the service that they are going to give, or the food that they are about to share to everyone, but  it also comes with some luscious and refreshing drinks that I find really great!

Grape and Lychee Mojito and Vodka Watermelon

On the table were two of their best cocktails that we can now have from Sweet Bella. On the left, the sweet and innocent flavor of lychee was joined by the sultry flavor of grapes then both swan into a pool of crushed ice, lemon juice, mint and rum. While on the right, a freshly juiced watermelon, mixed with ice and vodka. I honestly, never thought that these combinations can be that good. Among the two, I love the Vodka Watermelon more because of its sweetness and biting vodka flavor, but it was the mojito that really readied my appetite to the sumptuous feast that's waiting for us.

From sweet cakes, one will be excited when he/she learns that Sweet Bella offers these wonderful oyster dishes that I find so perfectly done! At first, I'm really afraid to try them, because I really find it a little weird, but when I start tasting the really fresh sea flavor or the fresh oysters that comes with that red sauce that added zest to the whole bite, I can't help it but to have more.

Fresh Oysters - Php395.00

The Baked Oyster with Champagne was surprisingly delicious, I must say. It was actually my most favorite that night because of its bechamel sauce that blends well with the champagne making it a little sweet and savory.

Baked Oyster with Champagne Sauce - Php395.00

The last oyster dish, and I know that it would be impossible if they don't have this kind, the Oyster Rockaffeler, was undoubtedly a crowd's favorite that night, and of course, by anyone at anytime and anywhere.

Oyster Rockafeller - Php395.00

A break from those oyster dishes, we were then served with Gambas Ajillo with Foccacia bread. I must say that the gambas were kinda below my expectation. It wasn't that spicy and the size of the gambas were small, though the sauce was good for the foccacia bread, which I somehow enjoyed.

Gambas Ajillo - Phph270.00

Foccacia

Sweet Bella Cafe here in Greenbelt 5 brought their delectable pasta dishes with them, and two of those that we got to try were Capellini Pomodoro e Salsa Verde and Shrimp Bisque Pasta.

Capellini Pomodoro e Salsa Verde - Php395.00

If you want something really festive, I suggest that you have the Capellini Pomodoro e Salsa Verde. A playful mix of angel hair pasta toppled in truffle sauce then topped with blending colors of  pesto and pomodoro sauces. On the sides are delicious crisp fried eggplant slices that gives this yellowish color to the whole canvass of flavors.

The truffle sauce alone was smackingly good, but the moment I had the truffle sauce with pesto, it made me love it even more, but when I combined all three flavors in one scoop, oh, this pasta dish is really for the win! I honestly think that I could finish the whole plate, or even ask for one more! Hahaha!

Gamberetto Pasta - Php395.00

But for those who doesn't have any heart problems, or just ready to die after having a plateful of this really flavorful Gamberetto Pasta, then go on, this is just the one you need. I bet you will die happy, fulfilled and really stuffed because this linguine pasta base tossed in this thick, creamy, downy bisque sauce is so rich in flavor that the taste of the sea will linger into your mouth for an hour our two. 

I honestly thought that I have no space for the main course anymore after I had those heavenly dishes, but the moment this Chilean Sea Bass took the center-stage of our table and started it dawdling its aroma to us, even without rice, we began feasting on it again.

Chilean Sea Bass - Php1,050.00

Chilean Sea Bass is I think one of the most expensive fish that you can find in the market now. Since this kind of fish is basically found in cold places, like the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans and Southern Ocean, having this on our Philippine dining table that night is basically like having a gold on our plate.

The texture of this fish is really smooth, just right to give you that light oomph to you digestive system. The roasted veggies on the side were good complements to the fish, so, yeah, please don't neglect them. Hehe.

And the king of the the dishes that were prepared to us that night, and there's no doubt why this one still holds the crown, Wagyu Ribeye Steak, a dish borrowed from Melo's Steakhouse, beats everything effortlessly. Do I really need to say more about this? I'm you tried Melo's then you already had one of the best ribeye steak in town, and now, it's also available here in Sweet Bella!

Wagyu Ribeye Steak - Php995.00

For those who are not fan of mashed potatoes, there's this another option, and as a Filipino, you will love it - Wagyu Rice - a rice cooked in that wagyu ribeye steak's own oil, now, who's drooling? Hehe.

Wagyu Rice

Any Sweet Bella Cafe visit wouldn't be complete without their priced and awarded dessert, and in line for us that night were only the best of the best.

And the sweet ending started with a cup of Hot Belgian Chocolate - a cup just enough to know how sweet this ending will be and how great the future will be.

Hot Belgian Chocolate

I must admit that by far, this is the best hot chocolate I've had in my life! It was really delicious, smooth, thick and just made my sweet tooth and chocolate craving satisfied.

Among the line of Sweet Bella cafe's adorable and diving cakes and pastries, here are the four that not only made a lot of people happy, but they also earned prestigious awards from the country's toughest food critiques making them really worth trying for.

Mi Camille - Php295.00

I suggest that if you are after some Belgian milk Chocolate Mousse, hazelnut praline, French biscuit and almond praline crust, a serving of this is just enough to end you night here in a crunchy sweet way.

Chocolata - Php220.00

But if you want something that straight and nothing more but chocolate, chocolate and chocolate, well, look no more, because this Chocolate wouldn't be Inquirer's one of the best dishes for nothing!

The Pearl - Php295.00

But if you are one of those sweet lovers that love surprises, be ready with The Pearl, because with its chiffon cake, filled flambeed mango and aromatic and refreshing guava mousse, you'll will be left astonished by the bite of its sweet and sour flavor. Kinda interesting, right? BUT NOW! Hahaha!

And the last but not the least, the one that stole everyone's heart that night, with its lovely color that is so hard to ignore, Strawberry Charlotte capped our night with nothing but strawberry sweetness and love!

Strawberry Charlotte - Php1700.00

One fun French festive, indeed! I will not be shock that by next year, there's be more Sweet Bella in and around town sharing it sweet goodness to everyone!

Thank you, Sweet Bella Cafe!

This is one menu set that will be hard to beat, and this dinner will be hard to forget because I'm sure that I'll see you very, very soon!

Happy eating, guys!