Hanjuku Cheese and More: Kumori in Festival Mall

Overall Experience: 7 out of 10

Bakery chains had been growing for the past years - Breadtalk, Tour Le Jour, and finally the Japanese bakery Kumori.

 

My first encounter with Kumori happened in 2015 in their Landmark Makati branch, in the food court on the ground floor. Just a small kiosk, I had good impressions of their products, but back then I only started to work and cannot afford their specials - hanjuku cheese and krone. 5 years later I had a tryst with Knmori again, but this time with their branch in Festival Mall.

Going to their Alabang branch went like going to a different world. The Kumori branch lit up like a Christmas tree amidst the dim-lighted area of the mall. Its bright lights with brightly colored walls made it stand out and recognizable, especially in a huge sprawling mall, like Festival. The branch, small in size, nevertheless accommodated few customers for dine-in. The place felt happy and fun with its homey decor and colors, while their selections of bread displayed beside the store blended well with the interior. In their display case, their specialties like the Hanjulku cheese, krone, and cheese soufflé cups found.

I ordered 2 Krones and an original hanjuku cheese with a cup of chamomile tea.

Despite a commercialized teabag of Twining’s, they beautifully serve it in a clean and elegant teacup. On the other hand, their krone perfectly blended cold custard with a nice crispy and neat shell. I expected the shell to be messy for its flakiness, but it surprised me for being otherwise. The custard tasted mildly sweet and milky and its coldness made it refreshing. Its Php 55 price tag made it a big bargain for a premium product, so much so I enjoyed 2.

Their hanjuku cheese, a mildly baked cheesecake, also fared well with its cloudy soft bite and an excellent sour cheesy and milky taste. A small-sized finger food, it meant to be eaten with few bite as the soft texture of the snack quickly collapses and becomes messy. Eat with caution for the mess.

In addition to their specialties, I also gave try their variety of bread and I picked the Melon bread - thanks to Yakitate Japan. It had a nice fluffy bread with a crumby top. Mildly sweet despite having a sprinkle of sugar. Its texture made it interesting and remarkable.

With many selections of bread to choose from plus specialties like chocolate hanjuku cheese and cheese soufflé cups, as well as drinks like the Roasted Brown Rice Hanjuku Series Milk Tea, there are plenty of reasons to go back to Kumori.