SWEET HAVEN IN CEBU
YOU COULD SAY THAT MARISSE ALVAREZ-SY WAS BORN WITH A wooden spoon in her hand and smears of sugary confections on her mouth. “My siblings and I grew up licking the sticky bowls and spatulas as our mom Merceditas baked away dessert after dessert, creatin
Now married to Francis Sy and a mother of three, Marisse was raised with a definite sweet tooth, with choices of desserts – without fail – after every meal. “Now I almost even plan my food spreads of the day highlighted by the delights we’ll enjoy after the main courses. And whenever we dine out, I quickly take a peep at what’s on the dessert menu before I decide on what else to order,” she laughs.
Fortunately, her family shares the same passion. “Whenever we travel together – all three generations, down to grandchildren – everyone carefully chooses restaurants from friends’ re- ferrals, based on gourmet publications and our own research, reviews, recommendations from the hotel concierge and media. You can certainly say that we’re all foodies,” she admits.
For their family, the cherry on top of each meal is the dessert. If the pioneer hotelier Conrad Hilton’s battlecry was “Location, location, location,” Marisse’s mantra is “Dessert, dessert, dessert.”
And it’s clearly evident, for she is now the proprietor and manager of Marisse Pattiserie, a stylishly adorable cafe within the premises of The Rockwell Cebu, a charming green development that embodies the relaxed lifestyle of Cebuanos.
The café can seat about 25, plus 35 in the lush outdoor garden, where the floor tiles which look like finely aged, polished wooden may completely fool you, and walls lined with window shutters from the old Aboitiz family pool house.
“My Mom relished – more like cherished – her time in the kitchen. It was pure joy to see her in her own element. I savored moments spent with her. My Pappy, in his own way, was also an inspiration. We would always watch him prepare his signature apple pie, which he taught us as well. I can still clearly picture him seated as he directed everyone – like a conductor in a sym-
phony. His procedures were unlike any other, in his own unique, original.”
With neither a culinary degree nor formal study save for short courses and workshops, Marisse finally succumbed to the nagging requests of family, friends and even from unknown patrons who she had baked for previously from home, and opened her stand-alone establishment in June 2016.
“Though I’m a believer and would do everything according to traditional recipes from old sources, I would likewise never stop experimenting, innovating. But this is all without losing the touch of authenticity of taste, among many other factors,” she says.
“My family are my worst critics, but bursting with good intentions. If my cakes and breads get their seal of approval, then it must be good enough to sell to the general public. My wellmeaning friends also give comments – both good and otherwise – while I listen, read and most importantly react and resolve to improve my culinary prowess.”
However, with a strong and solid cast, she has built up a reputation with her sweets. In her own words, “Everyone has their distinct heartwarming story to share.”
A self-confessed perfectionist, her creations go through rigorous taste tests, countless revisions, several redecorations and the final quality control before they can be served and shared.
Armed with her favorite ingredient, chocolate – “I have never met anyone who does not love chocolate in any form,” she quips – and her trusty tools of the trade – Silpat non-stick products – she is always ready to charm loyal and new customers alike with the wonders of sweets. This has led to a wide yet finely-curated menu.
Some forget-your-calorie-counting examples are the divinely rich “sin” on a plate of cashewinfused Pecado Mortal, or the caramel-walnut combination in Prohibido. Their Fruity Medley won’t go down without a fight, as homemade jam and cheese buttercream are overflowing in the Mango Pistachio Cake. “My daughter Reesha, now 12 – for her brother Chef Izzy – pioneered the Berry Cutie Cake, and an homage to my Pappy in the form of Pappy’s Banana Guava Cake.”
Go nuts on their Something Nutty collection, with standouts like the classic ube sans rival, the unique – who would have thought! – matcha green tea sans rival and the tamer pistacio and
casuy sans rival. The almond and hazelnut meringue of chocolate dacquiose and mango dacquiose are both not to be scoffed at, either.
A comprehensive stack of bars and cookies can be seen at the display counter of the café, with the tried and tested brownies and more experimental ones such as the Cranberry White Chocolate.
Little mason jars are filled with confections such as the luxuriant Chocolate Truffle Mousse, Chocolate Marshmallow and her own version of Tres Leches – a combination of evaporated and condensed milk, further enriched by heavy cream.
There is no clear best seller, simply because all her bars, cookies, mason jar desserts, cakes, rolls, twists, buns, Danish pastries, ensaimadas and loaves all sell well. But when pressed on her personal favorite, she names the oatmeal guava cheesecake.
Torta Mestiza (which uses French butter instead of pork lard), japaleño cheese rolls, sticky pecan buns, chorizo and egg buns, pork floss, almond marzipan danish, apple crostata, ham and egg turnover and an extensive array of ensaimadas are likewise baked fresh every day for the discerning customers.
As far as giants in the industry she reveres, she reveals that acclaimed pastry chef and chocolatier Pierre Herme, the heir to four generations of an Alsatian pastry shop known for macarons, is a figure she looks up to. He has been branded by
Vogue as the “Picasso of Pastry.” Her most-treasured recipe is Brazo de Mercedes from his husband’s side of the family. “It was graciously shared by my mother-in-law Natividad, and I enhanced it by giving it a twist: Frozen Brazo de Mercedes,” she shares.
Though she does not consider herself a trend setter, she is particularly pleased with how she utilizes halaya ube in her concoctions. “In bars, breads and cakes, ube is mostly present!”
When she’s not in the kitchen whisking away and continuously baking several batches of cakes and cookies, travel is, without a doubt, her go-to activity.
Spain is her favorite country, where she finds more of what she looks for – shopping for choice furniture and rare finds for their homes and utilitarian, forward-looking gadgets for her businesses. And of course, tasting the local fare – for each new dish enjoyed, a bright fresh idea is born.
One of her frustrations is that she can never please everyone, no matter how hard she tries. “I tell myself to accept reality, but hopefully sooner or later, I aim to convert them.”
Marisse encourages everyone to give the café a shot. “You can’t go wrong. Anywhere you go, you can’t get any better than this. Trust me, it’s worth all the calories.”