Savory, sweet surprises await customers at Icings

Story and photos by Alvin I. Dacanay

If there’s a word that best describes Icings Bakery and Café, it’s probably “surprising.” The surprises this cozy informal restaurant springs on its first-time customers—pleasant, by all means—are not the dazzling, flashy kind; it’s actually the opposite, which may partly explain why this low-key establishment is not as well-known as it should be.

The first surprising thing about Icings is its location: a stone’s throw away from the corner of Tomas Morato and Dr. Lazcano streets. A very good one, for sure, and the fact I was unfamiliar with the restaurant for so long, despite being a frequent visitor to busy Morato—one of Quezon City’s undisputed dining and drinking hubs—made me feel somewhat embarrassed.

Even more surprising is Icings’ age: the restaurant was established in May 1993 by Ceyli Tong, who started developing her culinary skills by learning—and perfecting—the recipes her mother’s family has treasured for generations. As she developed her skills, she also developed a cooking philosophy that champions the use of the finest natural ingredients and mixing them the way they should be—the old-fashioned way, with utmost care and precision.

This home-honed philosophy is shared by Tong’s daughter Candice, a Hotel, Restaurant and Institution Management degree-holder from De La Salle–College of Saint Benilde who oversees Icings’ operations, and is reflected in the menus attached to—surprise!—large chopping boards that feature timeless appetizers, soups and dishes, as well as modern interpretations of classic breads, cakes and other pastries.

In a restaurant that holds several surprises, none are, perhaps, more surprising than some of the items on those menus, of which I sampled four. The first is the Seafood Chowder, made with fresh dory fillet, shrimp, squid, seafood stock and several vegetables (carrots, onions, peppers, potatoes), and served with a chavata bread stick.

One problem with many chowders, at least in my experience, is that they’re either too creamy or not creamy enough. I’m glad to report that this particular Icings chowder doesn’t have that problem: its cream was thick, but not too thick, letting wave after wave of the terrific flavors yielded by the other ingredients land on the tongue. Imagine the sea surrendering a few of its treasures, which are then washed up on some fine, coral-pink shore—the experience is similar to that. It’s a nice surprise in my book.

The second is the deep-fried Chicken Pops—chicken lollipops that are marinated in olive oil, and in what Candice called a special blend of herbs and spices. The issue often raised with dishes of this kind is that the meat is not as moist or tender as it should be. Fortunately, the Chicken Pops generally avoided that: the lollipops were easy to bite into and chew, and you could savor the herbs and spices that had seeped into them. Children, in particular, would really like this.

Surprising as these two are, the last two items I sampled are even more so, and not because only Icings serves them. The first of these is one of three dishes using ostrich meat that was supplied by a farm in Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental province: the Down-Under, made up of a huge ground ostrich patty, lettuce, tomato and cucumber slices, and a special brown sauce; and served with crisp, lightly salted potato chips that were made for the restaurant.

Of the hamburgers I’ve tasted so far, the Down-Under has got to be the most stomach-filling. Regarding the moist and tender ostrich patty, its deep taste and texture—marvelous, I should add—are more similar to beef than chicken. According to Candice, the ostrich meat’s health benefits are similar to chicken meat’s. (A word of advice: this sandwich should be consumed carefully. Otherwise, it could get very messy.)

The final item is what Candice described as Icings’ signature dessert: the Ube Ensaymada. For the first-time Icings customer, the dessert may not look very attractive—small mounds of ube dot the ensaymada’s sugar-sprinkled surface like discolored moles on slightly sun-toasted skin (the result of the ube being mixed into the batter, Candice said)—but that fact would soon be forgotten once it is tasted: soft on the lips and tongue, buttered well. This is one ensaymada that goes very well with brewed coffee.

In a time when a number of dining establishments are compromising themselves, be it in the ingredients they use or in the way they prepare their dishes, in an effort to keep up with their competitors, it is good to know that Icings—and others like it—are refusing to follow that route and remain faithful to the traditions and standards they’ve kept since opening to the public, despite the competition. That Icings has managed to stay the course, so to speak, despite people not knowing much about the restaurant, is, perhaps, the most surprising thing about it. Hopefully, that’s about to change soon.

Icings Bakery and Café is at 101 Dr. Lazcano Street, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City. For more information, call (632) 372-0351, or visit www.icings.com.ph or www.facebook.com/icingscakesbreadsandcafe.