Lachis Classic Sans Rival - Delightful Davao (Part 5)

It seemed fitting to end the Delightful Davao series by recounting our afternoon at Lachi's, the place that EVERYONE recommended. This bakery-cum-restaurant seems to have gained a huge following and has won the favor of even the most critical Manileños.

Lachi's Classic Sans Rival (p50+/-)

As soon as friends found out about the trip to Davao, a lot of them told us not to leave without trying the bakeshop's famous sans rival. We asked our tourguide Kuya K about it and he gladly obliged (our want to fatten ourselves up some more). So one rainy afternoon in Davao, we drove over to Ruby street and shortly found ourselves settled inside the small cafe. Nomming, of course.

Actually, the cafe was full to bursting when we arrived (surprising because it was raining like kitties and puppies) and there weren't enough tables and chairs to fit our semi-large group. So we checked out the pretty cakes on display while waiting (salivating the entire time). Cake slices were fairly priced at a range of 50-100 pesos and we were excited to stuff our faces with the sweet stuff.

Cream Custard Cake (p48) and Cashew Mocha Torte (p52)

We had to try the sans rival of course, everyone seems to be all agog over it. They have a durian variant that was sadly not available (Bim was happy) so the first orders were a couple slices of the very famous Lachi's Classic Sans Rival. What I liked about it is that the wafery cake was sweet but not sickeningly so and the layers were crunchy but soft (is that weird?).

 Regal Chocolate Torte (p60) and Carrot Walnut Cake (p48)

Being in Lachi's where all the cakes were on display, we couldn't just try one cake. We had to order a few more (diabetes, here we come). 

My favorite would have to be the Cream Custard Cake which was a chiffon cake with light cream in the middle and sweet custard on top. The Cashew Mocha Torte and Regal Chocolate Torte were both delicious (similar to chocolate mousse) while  the Carrot Walnut Cake is a classic that's a steal for its price.

Click for a larger image

They're more than just a cake shop and have a full menu of breakfast, lunch and dinner nomz. Since we didn't get to try them, I thought to post the menu, just in case you wanted to see what's available. When you're in Davao, you have to go and visit Lachi's, it's definitely worth it.

(Click here to read the rest of the Delightful Davao posts.)

Lachi's Sans Rival, Atbp.
Location: Ruby Street, Marfori Heights, Davao City
Contact info: 6382-2245552; 0916-9841183
Other info: Lachi's Facebook Page
Map:

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Northern Sweets – Tita’s Special Silvanas

My maternal ancestry originates from Pampanga. And although my mother and her brothers and sisters were born and raised in Manila, we still have relatives who live on that side of the country. In fact, on family reunions and gatherings, I often find myself lost in a babble of Kapampangan, barely understanding the gist of everyone's stories. I only know a handful Kapampangan words like matudtud (sleep), me keni (come here), mangan (eat), and most of the lines from the song Atin Ko Pung Singsing (I Have A Ring). What? That was the first piano piece I learned to play.

Anyway, it is because of this that we find ourselves spending time up north once in a while. For as long as I can remember, no matter how late, we would always stop by the delicacy store called Tita's before heading home from Pampanga. And it would always be a treat. The shop is designed like a mini grocery, with sections for meat products, pastries, candy, preserves and you push a trolley around to haul your loot. They would have fatless tocino, skinless longganisa, turones de kasoy, sansrival, taba ng talangka among others. All lovely. But of all their specialties, my absolute favorite would be Tita's Special Silvanas.

My mom recently went to visit some relatives and brought me this as pasalubong. Silvanas, for me, are best eaten cold and crunchy with a tall glass of milk on a rainy day. Tita's Silvanas are the best silvanas on the face of this earth! No contest. I say they're the best, because they simply are. These bite-sized silvanas are light to eat and not as sweet as the ones that can be bought commercially in the city.

What's unusual about them is that they're kept refrigerated, but they're crunchy, but also creamy inside, and melts in your mouth. It's weird, but it works. I can't even begin to guess how to make them, but maybe it's because I'm such a kitchen noob. Tried searching for recipes and how-to's online too, but no such luck. My friend said something about blowtorching but she can't be serious, can she?

Tita's oh-so-yummy silvanas!