The best chefs always come up with something fresh and new for their regular customers to try. And two of the best young chefs in the metro today, chefs Edward David Mateo and Kris Edison Tan, do not fall short of this expectation. They constantly rise to the occasion and recently did so again with their newest offerings: mango butterscotch for chef Edward and pastel de nata for chef Kris.

Variation on a classic

Mateo made a variation on the classic butterscotch (butter and brown sugar based chewy bar cookies that are so delicious and addicting that Iloilo, among others, have made it one of their favorite pasalubong items). He creates a distinctive and delightful taste experience by combining the tropical taste of mango and the deep sweetness of butterscotch with La Royale Patisserie’s mango butterscotch.

After all, the Philippines has the sweetest and best tasting mangoes in the world, and so chef Edward thought, why not incorporate this special ingredient into a chewy bar that everyone will definitely love? His patriotic nature has also convinced him to love local and use local produce in his baked items.

La Royale Patisserie thus recently launched this new product, packing the chewy snack bars individually and then packaging them in boxes of 15 bars per box. It is now available in all S&R Membership Shopping Stores nationwide for P260 per box.

Creamy custard on crisp crust

Tan, the bread genius behind Masa Madre Bakehouse, has once again come up with something new and exciting that at the same time fits the Filipino palate perfectly — pastel de nata. Now, there’s no need to go to Hong Kong to get a taste of authentic Portuguese pastel de nata or Portuguese egg tarts. They are right here at Masa Madre Bakehouse, an online viennoiserie established in 2021 and specializing in naturally fermented breads and pastries. It recently opened a physical store at Cocolight Building, 11th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

Pastel de nata is Masa Madre’s latest offering, and people are flocking to the store in BGC especially for it. As early as 9:30 a.m. sometimes, it is already sold out, so chef Kris has to adjust his supply to meet the big — and still growing — demand for it.

It is no surprise, considering how silky smooth and creamy the egg custard is, and how crispy the crust you bite into is. Together, they make a perfect combination and the flavor and texture just plays harmoniously in the mouth with every bite. Not too sweet, just right; crispy and flaky; baked into golden perfection with a few burnt areas on the custard top lending caramelized goodness to the tarts…

Masa Madre’s pastel de nata is available per piece and in boxes of six. It’s a taste of one of Hong Kong’s specialties without having to go to Hong Kong.