A Pinoy in Manila: Bae Yong-Joon Visits Cafe Mary Grace!

He is the king of dramas in South Korea; she is the queen of ensaimadas in the Philippines.


Bae Yong-Joon is probably the first Korean international superstar, who single-handedly drove Japanese women of 'a certain age' (you know what I mean, Ha-ha-ha!) crazy and into Seoul (specifically, Myeong-dong!), creating what everyone now calls the Korean Wave. I haven't watched his Winter Sonata drama but that earned him the superstardom (and gazillions!) he's now enjoying.


On the other hand, Mary Grace Dimacali is the brains (and baker!) behind Mary Grace ensaimadas, a very tasty bun, whose recipe was brought by the Spanish colonizers to the Philippines centuries ago. The sweet bun is made of flour, eggs, butter and other ingredients, and is topped with grated Edam cheese and sugar. And during Christmas time, families in the Philippines continue the Spanish tradition of enjoying breakfast with ensaimadas served with a hot cup of tablea tsokolate. And whenever I'm home, I am one of those who enjoy this treat! (Thanks to my mom who impatiently grinds in her copper pot the tablea tsokolate in hot milk using her batidor or wooden stirrer.)


And when it comes to ensaimadas, Mary Grace is the preferred choice! And her cafes and baked products are very popular all over Metro Manila.


And how did Bae Yong-Joon (BYJ) end up at Cafe Mary Grace?

Well, it's a pretty simple story: Two fans met in Facebook. The first is a fan of BYJ, and the other is a fan of Mary Grace ensaimadas. The first fan wanted a BYJ 2011 calendar, while the other wants the delicious bun. And so, they traded goodies....at Cafe Mary Grace! 


And so, the second fan brought BYJ to the cafe, all 12 of him! Ha-ha-ha! And the first fan treated the second fan to a hearty dinner of salad with fried white cheese in calamansi vinaigrette, chorizo and green olive pasta and Valencia chocolate with cinnamon apple ensaimada!

                                    

And for dessert...cakes!

I'm sure Bae Yong-Joon would have had enjoyed the dinner, the chat and the fun the two fans had at Cafe Mary Grace that night.  


But thanks to Cielo (the first fan!) and to her sister, Mary Grace, this second fan had an amazing dinner full of fun, Korean stories and of course, food! Burp!


In case you drop by Cafe Mary Grace at Serendra, you may not see Bae Yong-Joon hanging out there. Because he and his 2011 calendar are hanging (on a wall) somewhere. Ha-ha-ha!


Instead, you can always enjoy the delicious ensaimadas the second fan is still enjoying while writing this blog.


If BJY flew all the way from Seoul to Serendra, maraming salamat to Cielo and Mary Grace, the boxful of ensaimadas you gave this second fan flew from Serendra all the way....to Bacolod!