Cravings returns

QUEZON CITY residents (and well, fans of Cravings from wherever they live) can get their cake fixes again. Cravings in Katipunan, a casualty of the pandemic, is returning, albeit in a new space in Maginhawa St.

Cravings is reopening in Maginhawa as The House of Cravings, pegged as a dessert bar and events place. While the Aug. 1 launch featured the brand’s signature lasagna and roast beef, the new House of Cravings is pulling out all the stops with a monthly Unlimited Cake and Coffee Buffet showcasing Cravings’ signature offerings. Selections will include their Chocolate Caramel, Devil’s Food Cake, Carrot Cake, Cherry Walnut Cheesecake, Mango Cashew Torte, and Strawberry Shortcake. To make the selection more exciting, seasonal favorites such as the unique Polvoron Cake and Dayap Cake will also be featured. Outside of the cake buffet, these will be offered on sale.

The selection extends to Fudge Walnut Bars, Mango Butterscotch, and Red Velvet Brownies. Freshly baked croissants and Pain Au Chocolat add a touch of classic elegance, while Gelato Manila flavors and Homemade Chocolate Sauce with Bread-and-Butter Pudding offer delightful pairings.

House of Cravings will also offer savory items such as the aforementioned Classic Lasagna, Monte Cristo Sandwich, Beef and Mushroom Pie, and Chicken Pot Pie.

A retail area will focus on artisanal goods such as root chips and organic vinegar. Since they occupy the space once held by chef Waya Araos-Wijangco’s former restaurant, Gourmet Gypsy, she’ll have some representation from her Baguio base: Strawberry Balsamic Jam, Mango Kaffir Lime Jam, Rhubarb Ginger Jam, and Sugar-Free Chia Seed Jam.

This won’t be the brand’s only opening this year: next month, Cravings is opening Cravings Signatures, a take-out counter in White Plains, Quezon City. There customers can enjoy the Chocolate Caramel Cake a la mode, topped with the founder’s secret chocolate sauce, or savor the premium Baked Lasagna with five kinds of cheeses.

Cravings has been around for 36 years, established by Annie Guerrero in 1988. The family’s other business, the school Center for Culinary Arts (CCA)-Manila, followed in 1996. The family has had a hand in changing the country’s culinary landscape, if only by their graduates and the restaurants they founded.

Bea Trinidad, of the family’s third generation (interestingly just a couple of years younger than Cravings), talked to ����ý about how Cravings as an entity, separate from CCA, contributed to the culinary scene.

“A couple of things that really stood out were the pastries,” she said. “You always see these things now,” she said, but before Cravings, one couldn’t just get a chicken pot pie or blueberry cheesecake in a snap.

“I would say that Cravings is very humble. They don’t really like to brag, but somehow, a lot of the dishes they have — people copy it, and it always starts with what is comforting at home, but then it’s different.”

Ms. Trinidad, the PR and Communications director at CCA, talked about the recent trimming down they’ve had to do (such as the closure of the flagship Cravings branch in Katipunan, Quezon City, as well as CCA’s move to BGC in Taguig). “Nowadays, traffic is a killer. We’ve been very intentional on where to really open,” she said.

“After the pandemic, a lot of restaurants really struggled. I think that was a big change. When we saw that people were ordering online, and the sales were better during the pandemic, we realized you don’t actually have to rush and be pressured to open.”

They plan to open another Cravings in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), at the site of their BGC facilities in the University of the Philippines – BGC campus. That place will serve the surrounding community. “Be intentional,” she emphasized.

The family had the option to go on operating just CCA and let Cravings become a memory. We asked Ms. Trinidad why the name, and everything that came along with it, had to be saved. “A lot of people were looking for it… there’s a nostalgic sense here. Let’s just bring back that word,” she said.

“I think ‘cravings’ is a word that people can resonate with. The things that you do for cravings — some people would call at 5 p.m, ‘I’m craving cake,’ and then we’ll get it delivered.” She told a story about an old woman alighting from her car at the new House of Cravings to say, “Matagal ko nang hinahanap ito (I’ve been looking for this for a long time).”

“You just realize that people have such a strong pull from it: a strong memory towards it.”

The House of Cravings is located at 28 Maginhawa St., Quezon City. — JL Garcia