I WOULD frequently pass by Obrero when traveling to or from work whenever I ride the Obrero jeep. Hence, I am quite familiar with the establishments along the route. However, I noticed this nice looking cafe-bakery along the route near Red Corner-Obrero.
Streusels Bakehouse & Cafe-Restaurant caught my attention for their rustic look. From outside the shop, I noticed displays of pastries and cakes. I also noticed that it was quite packed considering that it is a very new cafe in town.
During one of my rest days, I decided to have dinner at this cafe.
The cafe has a rustic and homey design. Based on how they have arranged their tables and chairs, the cafe looks great for groups of people looking for some place to eat. Near the entrance, there are sofa seats that would also be good for a group of friends.
I came to the restaurant at around 5 p.m. Luckily, there was no customer yet and I was able to comfortably seat myself in one of the sofa seats.
Being the only customer at the restaurant that time also allowed me to experience a very efficient and seamless service. I also liked how friendly the staff were.
For my dinner here, I ordered the Pesto Pasta (P180), Sizzling Beef ala Pobre (P230), Belgian chocolate cookie (P35), Ensaymada (P45), and Oversized Chocolate Chip Cookie (P80).
The highlight of my meal was the Sizzling Beef ala Pobre. For a sizzling dish, I liked that the beef was not overcooked. The beef I had was quite tender too. The best part was the gravy, which was garlicky and peppery. The dish was also served with mashed potato, which was good.
The Pesto Pasta was just okay. I wish it had more pesto.
For the pastries that I ordered, the Belgian Chocolate Cookie was really good. It was bittersweet and I loved it.
I had high expectations for the Oversized Chocolate Chip Cookie but unfortunately, it not meet those expectations. It was not that bad though but it was not good either. I think it would have been better if the chocolate chip were bigger.
The ensaymada was quite good. It was soft, buttery, and cheesy. However, I find it to be quite heavy for an ensaymada.
Aside from the food I ordered, they also served complimentary bread that I could munch on while waiting for my meal. I think they serve this for all those who are dining here. The bread was served hot and was good. However, as time passed, it hardened for some reason. I was told that they used a toaster to heat it but it looked like it was heated using a microwave. Anyway, the bread was really good though while it was still hot.
They also gave me complimentary Food for the Gods. This was amazing! It was moist and chewy. This would make a great pasalubong.
Overall, my first visit here was pretty good. The service was great. The food was also good. However, not all the pastries I had hit the mark. I hope to be back here soon to do a full review. I want to try some of their other dishes and their cinnamon rolls, which looked interesting based on the menu. They also have this mango cake that the staff told me is a must-try.
Streusels is located along Palma Gil, Obrero. It is just a few doors away from Red Corner-Obrero.