Every now and then my girlfriends and I plan an afternoon to catch up. It usually consists of a foot massage in our favorite place where we can giggle and share funny stories that may have taken place since the last time we were all together, but since it’s summer vacation our usual group of four was only myself and another friend, Ivy.
We started out our day after lunch making sure that we took care of all of our children’s needs before we left our homes and met up at Rufiyang. You can see Manila Touch’s review of Ruyifang here. We love going there because we can request a private room for all of us to have our relaxing treatments and not worry about disturbing anyone with our kuwentos.
We had both passed Larcy’s on the way to Ruyifang and since great minds think alike, when we were discussing where we should have merienda after, we both thought that Larcy’s would be a nice stop en route to our friend Glenna’s house.

The exterior to Larcy’s Cupcakerycafe eyecatching when you pass it. All the windows and doors are covered with chocolate brown awnings.
We weren’t much into a savory snack despite the fact that Larcy’s does serve pastas because we were all about the cupcakes. We chose Red Velvet Cheesecake, Pineapple Carrot, and Ivy said her favorite from the last time she visited was the Chocolate Salted Caramel. I noticed a woman behind the counter that I thought might be the owner so I introduced myself and asked if it was ok that I take some pictures of the interior and of course of her goodies. She was super accommodating, even let me snap a picture of her and I, thought I felt she wasn’t so keen on having her picture taken at that particular moment. She graciously sent over some other cupcakes for us to taste. So we added the Toblerone Cheesecake, Banana Nutella, the signature Pink Velvet and a slice of her Choco Obsession Cake to our already full table of sweets. (And I’m now OBSESSED with that cake. Truly.)

Our Cupcake Flight Top-Bottom Left to Right: Red Velvet Cheesecake, Pineapple Carrot, Chocolate Salted Caramel, Banana Nutella, Pink Velvet, and Toblerone Cheesecake
I really enjoyed the fact that Larcy’s cupcakes weren’t TOO sweet. I tried each one keeping in mind that I wanted to describe them in detail as best I could for you, so I took notes but because I have so much more to do today I will just write about my favorites.

The chocolate cake for this cupcake was moist, but not heavy. The caramel was chewy ooey gooey, and as my friend Ivy puts it this cupcake is the right balance of sweet, salty, rich and deep chocolate. The sea salt pops out at you at just the right time leaving you wanting for another bite of perfection.

Toblerone Cheesecake has an oreo cookie crumb crust and a layer of milk chocolate Toblerone bits. The cheesecake is light and creamy without being too sweet. It’s topped with whipped cream and a milk chocolate Tobelerone chunk. It’s just slightly different from the Red Velvet counterpart. Red Velvet Cheesecake Cup has an oreo crumb crust but a layer of WHITE chocolate Toblerone bits, and the cheesecake has a hint of chocolate. Even the shaved red chocolate scattered atop the whipped cream is a detail not to be overlooked.

Choco Obsession does not disappoint. True to it’s name I will be thinking about this cake for long time. Served on a bed of cream it is reminiscent of a rich chocolate fudge flourless cake. I asked Larcy if it was flourless, and she said it does in fact have flour but deceives you into thinking that it might just be a luxurious chocolate bar made to look like a piece of chocolate cake. I will definitely come back for this one again and again.
After we were all sugared up, Ivy and I had one more stop to make. Our friend Glenna invited us to the trunk show of her niece. Mia Arcenas is a Cebu based designer and we learned that this was only her second trunk show here in Manila. Her first show was last month and she was so well received that she came back, only a month later.
Mia was showcasing her Resort Wear Collection which included accessories, clutch bags, kaftans, pant suits, and beach cover ups. The beauty in what she designs is that you can wear these beautiful creations anywhere because they are so versatile. You’re not limited to just covering up your suit at the beach.
I chose a green pantsuit which Glenna said looked fabulous on me, I kinda thought so too-which meant it had to come home with me. The jersey fabric just fell so perfectly, I really couldn’t find any reason not to buy it for myself. Mia explained that it was because she double layers the fabric that it falls so flawlessly. I won’t post a pic now-I’ll save it for another time when I’m actually dressed up and ready for a little excursion…it’s THAT cute.

There were so many things I wanted to take home, including this dress and that sea snake clutch. I will have to wait until Mia’s back in Manila for another trunk show.
Ivy mentioned that she saw some of Mia’s accessories in Metro and Mia did say that some of her collection is available in other stores, but I can’t remember for the life of me right now where. Chalk that up to the four epidurals that I had?
If you want to know more about Mia’s collection you can visit her site here.
Since we were only two of our normal group of four, we took a pic at Kuisine for our friend Vangie who is in Paris, and we greeted our friend Reng who is visiting with her family in the States. Happy Birthday Reng! We had lotsa cupcakes for you!
Mish, your article makes me homesick. Will definitely want to have that maasage at Ruyifang when I get back . I am also now so obsessed to try Choco Obsession. You know how I am forever in search for a good chocolate cake.
See you in two weeks!