Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory: The Milk Buns That Make the World A Better Place
I’ve always been a fan of Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory’s sweet treats; from its indulgent cheesecake, to its insanely addicting soft-serve ice cream and signature milk cookies. From pop up stores in Uptown BGC and Powerplant Mall, the company has successfully expanded its presence in the Metro’s popular malls.
EBI AGLIO OLIO (P360)
That’s why I was really excited when I heard that it was opening up its own restaurant in Estancia’s new wing! The new concept's opening was definitely warmly received as evident in the busy queues that it attracted earlier this year. It also coincided with the fervor brought about by fluffy souffle pancakes that everyone seemed to be onboard with, from popular recently-opened foreign franchises like am.pm and Gram to comfort food favorite joint, Pancake House (those were simpler pre-Covid days).
MOLTEN HAMBURG (P380)
Even if it were just a few minutes from its opening time, the restaurant’s initial seating was already full! Fortunately, we were first in line so the wait didn’t take that long. The Molten Hamburg promises value-for-money. Its juicy hamburg is generously stuffed with mozzarella cheese and topped with Hayashi sauce. It’s also paired with a fragrant rice pilaf and a side salad. The Ebi Aglio Olio was also tasty but I can’t get over how much it was swimming in oil. If they placed more restraint on their oil usage, it would have been a nice homage to Japanese-style spaghettis that I’m usually fond of!
CRÈME BRULEE PANCAKE (P265)
Compared to Gram’s fixed number of servings per table seating, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory accommodates as much orders of their souffle pancakes as possible. Constant updates on the souffle ETAs are given to diners and those on queue for reference. Ours ended up being served after 45 long minutes. We opted for the Crème Brulee variant which made use of frothy vanilla anglaise, caramelized on top and smothered across two large fluffy pancakes. What I imagined to be a fluffy cloud turned out to be dense, stuffed and heavy. It honestly reminded me of McDo hotcakes stacked up in a pile, taste-wise and texture-wise. Don’t get me wrong, I love McDonald’s hotcakes, but it’s something that I won’t wait forty five minutes for!
MILK PIE (P100)
Fortunately, the Milk Pie was there to salvage that experience. It’s a delightful puff pastry that’s stuffed with Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory’s signature Hokkaido Milk. A sprinkle of confectioners’ sugar atop the pastry lends it just the right amount of sweetness to make it perfect. I’m not a big fan of bread, nor of desserts but I definitely can eat more than one piece in one sitting!
Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory
East Wing, Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Meralco Ave, Pasig
Date of Visit: February 29, 2020 with Lily Chua
