HUMBLE AS PIE (a review of Banapple)

“When you order the same dish twice in the same place, you know you’re on to something” – Guy Fieri

          On this feast tour, I ventured into Banapple in SM The Block. A fairly new branch that just opened a few months ago, and just like all the others before it, it took no time at all to develop a queue as though you were getting your NBI Clearance.

     

    Banapple has its humble beginnings in a small and quaint store, that has a homey vibe to it but at the same time it provides that vibrant atmosphere with all the playful colors, from their walls to their decor and we can’t forget their tables and chairs.  At that time they had less chairs and tables than their cake variations. Their first store was located along Katipunan Ave., White Plains-bound in Quezon City.

     Now, if you are not familiar with this little cake shop, its either you've been curled up under a rock for the past several years or you have no social life at all, because the news of their cakes and pastries spread like wildfire across the metro, so much so that they opened a second café, literally, just across their original cake shop.  To date they have several cafés set up all over Metro Manila. Personally, I have been to practically all of their branches more than twice!

     But this isn’t a history lesson nor is it a history blog, because that would be boring. So let’s move on to, what I will make often reference to in the future to describe something I would truly recommend, the “GOOD STUFF”.

     Let me start off with an appetizer. I am a soup-person and there is something to be said about a hot bowl of bold flavors! Sadly though Banapple’s GRANDMA’S CORN CHOWDER was slightly disappointing. The sweetness of the corn and carrots really complements the flavors of the soup itself and while it certainly has good flavor it is nothing to really rave about. Its consistency is too watery and not as thick I would like.

     If there was anything on their menu I would never, and I mean never, hesitate to order, either for dining in or taking home with me, it would have to be their CREAMY CHICKEN PIE.

    

Lest you be fooled, this culinary treat is nothing but a pie. It doesn’t look like a pie and it doesn’t have the usual flavor profiles of a pie. Why? Well this is because it is a savory pie that is in a golden-brown, empanada-shaped pastry casing filled, and I do mean filled, with a mix and mash of potatoes, cream sauce, and shredded chicken.

The filling in most pastries is anything but that, filling, but you can’t go wrong this one. The pastry itself is roughly a millimeter or two, which is apart from the crimped crust that is just shy of half an inch. Other than that, all you have is a hefty heap of stuffing made from potatoes and shredded chicken that is bound by a creamy sauce that is consistent enough to hold the mold together.

While this is certainly good eats, it does tend to be too savory and quite heavy with all the potatoes, cream and chicken and the pastry itself. The pie tends to get dry and monotonous. Don’t get me wrong the flavors are there but it lacks a certain “umf” to really end it in a good note, so to speak.

The pie may need a little acidity to cut through all that creamy goodness of the pie, maybe some chopped up tomatoes, or splash of citrus just to lighten it up. A few herbs and spices would also definitely add a little color to it as well.

To be honest I can barely finish a whole pie myself but you can also order this as a set that comes with potato salad, which to me is just overkill to serve this pie with a side of more potatoes.

Furthermore, the potato salad is just isn’t good. It is the total opposite of the pie, practically bland and tasteless not to mention they tend to undercook those potatoes. I know it’s a potato salad but it does not mean you should serve the potatoes like green veggies. I think the pie itself has a substantial amount of potato and then some. Maybe a citrus salad would have been a better accompaniment. So take my advice, don’t order it as a set the extra 30+ pesos is not worth it. Having said all that, For Php 85.00, on its own, it is practically a meal and in terms of flavor it certainly delivers that in spades. It does sound expensive for something that does not even resemble a proper pie but believe me it is “worth the price of admission”, at its enormity you’ll be more than satisfied, unless of course you are into competitive eating.

I am not much of dessert person. My version of a dessert is a good cookie or brownie with maybe a cup of coffee. Having said that, it is a rare moment, and I do mean rare that a proper dessert really catches my attention and after trying their DARK CHOCOLATE TIRAMISU CHEESECAKE, this is one of those desserts and one of those rare moments.

It is really quite ingenious, the way they made it into a cheesecake and at the same time like a deconstructed tiramisu. I have tried some of their other cheesecakes but that’s for another time. Presentation alone, it will leave you wanting to dive in with your fork. The colors are really well put together and since we eat with our eyes as well, kudos to them for that. As to flavor well I was surprised that the cheese in this cake was airy and light miles apart from their other cheesecakes. The mild and inherent bitterness of the dark chocolate lightens the creaminess of the cheesecake and offsets the sweet tones to the dish.

My only qualm about it was that unlike a true tiramisu, it  severely lacks the acidity of the coffee which is an integral component to tiramisu, which is conventionally found soaked into the lady fingers and to name it as such, I think they should have added a touch of coffee or maybe espresso to the crumbled bread atop the cheesecake to be able to send that acidic flavor across, instead those “lady fingers” were just superfluous. Like I said a little acidity really counterbalances the richness of any dish.

Despite those quirks, I would have to say that this cheesecake is one of those I could easily finish on my own! And definitely worth a second trip around or a third even.

I have to say, this is comfort food at its best. Banapple is one of your best “go-to” places for comfort food that not only takes it to a whole new level but also provides a vibrant and homey atmosphere that will surely make you come back again..and again.  

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