Financier Patisserie has got to be the source of the best tasting cakes I’ve ever tried in my entire life! Thanks to our friend Sri who indulged our sweet tooth!

As the Financier website proudly proclaims, “The bakery, part of Peter Poulakakos’ ever expanding restaurant empire, which includes Bayard’s, Ulysses’, Adrienne’s Pizza Bar, Harry’s Café and Harry’s Steak, has garnered a following of New Yorkers in the know since the opening of the flagship location in 2002.”

This charming pastry shop specializes in traditional and signature French Pastries. “Its name not only refers to the district in which its flagship store is located but also to a unique French pastry of the same name. The financier is a rich almond cake which is traditionally baked in the shape of a gold bar.”

And I have to say, theirs is the gold standard in pastries, thanks to Executive Pastry Chef and co-owner Eric Bedoucha.

We tried this Sacher Torte (Layers of chocolate hazelnut cake alternating with thin layers of raspberry preserve) and it was just so moist and delicious, but not cloyingly sweet. I had two slices of this! So temptingly good, we didn’t even have time to take a “before” shot!

Now the Chocolate Mousse Cake (Moist almond macaron, chocolate mousse, chocolate ganache and chocolate biscuit with chocolate glaze) is simply divine! So light and it feels like having a bite of heaven! This picture doesn’t even do this confection any justice! Had two slices of this too! Heehee!

Sigh, so good, I just get dreamy thinking about these! In fact, I just called Dear Hubby at work to tell him I want a chocolate mousse cake from Financier! Heehee!

Financier Patisserie Locations:
62 Stone Street
(Bet Mill Lane and Hanover Sq)
New York, NY 10004
Telephone: (212) 344-5600
Fax: (212) 344-5602

3-4 World Financial Center
(Battery Park City)
New York, NY 10281
Telephone: (212) 786-3220
Fax: (212) 786-3226

35 Cedar Street @ 10 Liberty Plaza
(Bet Pearl and William)
New York, NY 10005
Telephone: (212) 952-3838
Fax: (212) 742-7016

Still here in Mitsuwa! I know, there’s just so much good stuff in one place huh?

I tried this green tea flavored bubble tea and it was yum!

But between bubble tea and soft serve ice cream, I think I will still go for soft serve ice cream! Hmmm, I feel like eating one now, ok gotta go! Bye! Hahahaha!

Nothing caps off a hearty meal than dessert! And in our case, it was Black Sesame for Sarj and Green Tea soft serve ice cream for me!!!

So creamy and not too sweet! Such a treat! It’s $3 per cone, but I later found out, that it’s better to get a larger size in a cup for $4, because you get a whole lot more! At least double than what you get from a cone. Good thing our friends Cathy and Jon decided to get a large black sesame ice cream when Dear Hubby and I brought them there, fantastic discovery! I’m always up for a great deal! Next time! Next time! Hahaha!

Still at Mitsuwa!

This is my friend Sarj’s lunch…

Which she happily shared with me! If you think having California rolls for lunch will be enough for me, no way! That’s why I couldn’t help but pick on her plate and helped myself to some Gyoza, fried rice and a taste of her hamburger steak! Heehee!

This dish is about $11 if I’m not mistaken. But super duper worth it!

Because I’m pregnant, I’m not supposed to eat anything raw. So what to do when I am craving for sushi? I settle with a California Maki! Only from Mitsuwa of course, because this is the most authentic Japanese place in the East Coast ever!!! Super fresh too! Japanese supermarket hello!!!

Here it is uncovered…

Tadaa!!! This just hits the spot! Delish!!!

If like me, you enjoy watching The City you’ll understand why I took a photo of this while Dear Hubby and I were driving to downtown…

Because this is where Whitney and Olivia work! Yes, it’s the DVF office in the Meatpacking District! Hmmm, maybe I should do a The City tour!!!

When I was on my first trimester, I was craving for food from back home. I wanted green mangoes and bagoong, Polly’s chocolate cake, Cuerva Mango Torte, tuyo with steaming hot rice, my mom’s adobo with a siding of her homemade coleslaw, sizzling steak from Pepper Lunch and Jollibee spaghetti.

While there are Jollibees in the West Coast to satisfy my craving, I was miles and miles away here in the East Coast, so no such luck for me. So when Jollibee finally came a couple of months later in New York, just last month in fact, the first thing I asked friends who have gone to Jollibee was - Is the Jollibee spaghetti here the same as back home?

I just had to know. Because while my cravings had waned, hey, I still miss the taste of Jollibee! So when our Radar editor Cecile Van Straten asked me and my friend/fellow Radar writer Sarj to write about the first Jollibee in the East Coast, we got all giddy with excitement! Never mind that it was raining that day we were scheduled to visit, and that we had to travel all the way to Queens to get there!

So in the interest of “research”, this is what I ordered…Spaghetti and Chicken Joy meal, Yumburger with cheese, fries, Peach Mango Pie and a regular soda (I know, I can’t resist! a Jollibee meal has to be paired with soda!) Sarj had a similar “set” menu. We had to try everything (well almost everything) to come out with an objective review right?

Yes, I ate all of that on that tray all by myself! If you think that’s shocking, just imagine, I paid almost $15 for this meal! That’s almost Php750! Kind of insane, I know! Haha!

Almost everything was true to the taste of Jollibee, except the spaghetti looked and tasted bland (well, not as sweet as what I’ve had back home!)

There’s one thing I realized about Jollibee, never mind if my mom tells us not to eat there because she says fast food is junk food, and my husband thinks it’s not “real food”.

You don’t know what you got till it’s gone!

So to my fellow Pinoys back home, enjoy and savor your Jollibee meal. You got it good! Taste, location and price wise!

Oh, and this Sunday, watch out for our Jollibee New York story On The Radar ok?

It’s a commemorative magazine that details the history of Chanel Mobile Art, with profiles of the artists and descriptions of their work! Something to definitely treasure and a great keepsake for both Chanel and art enthusiasts!

Trust Kaiser Karl (that’s Karl Lagerfeld, hehe) to think through the teeniest details! The Chanel Mobile Art staff’s outfits!

Wearing Chanel nylon jackets and caps - in head to toe black…

Here’s an outfit, with matching Chanel umbrella up close!

I want to steal that umbrella! Haha!

The ticket booth!

The Zaha Hadid designed structure that houses all the art installations!

The entrance up close…

Party place, seriously! This is where they held private events for New York’s movers and shakers…