Check out all these beautiful eats at new French bakery Passion by Gerard Dubois

MANILA, Philippines – There’s a new French bakery on Philippine shores, brought over from Hong Kong.

Passion by Swiss-born pastry chef Gerard Dubois first opened in Hong Kong in 2012, and now you can find the boulangerie and its flower-adorned fences in Bonifacio Global City.

Inside, you’ll find rows upon rows of beautifully crafted pastries and other sweets, along with their famous bread, made with French butter and flour. Many of Passion’s ingredients are taken from Gerard’s La Rose Noire factory in Clark Freeport, where they make products wholesale.

We visited Passion on April 4, a few days before it officially opened in the 6th, and the place was busy with people enjoying everything the cafe had to offer.

After talking to Gerard himself and co-owner Pamela Flores, we learned that the pastry chef is a stickler for details, from the way each pastry is served to the bows tied around the mocktails at the event.

With Gerard’s meticulous attention to detail, each dish should taste exactly like what you’d try at the cafe in Hong Kong.

There was an overwhelming amount of choices available at Passion, so we suggest having a look around before you order, or asking their staff for their suggestions.

Here’s what caught our eye during the April 4 event:

AOP French butter croissant with dark chocolate and almond (P98)

“If the croissant is not perfect, the bakery cannot be perfect,” said Gerard Dubois during a quick interview on April 4. The one we tried that day was a croissant with a twist – covered in chocolate and sprinked with almonds for added crunch – but it was crisp and fresh nonetheless.

Pan au chocolat (P82)

A more traditional option that’s similar to a croissant, Passion’s pain au chocolat held up to the same quality and paired well with the cup of coffee we had to wash it all down.

Capuccino (P115)

Passion serves coffee by the Italian roasting company Illy, but puts their own touch on each of the drinks too. When my cappuccino was served, Gerard himself sent it back to the kitchen to have it changed – the drink had to have the stylized “P” spinkled on top, rather than the random design that was initially served.

“Passion” Baguette Traditionelle (P108)

Another thing Gerard likes to try when he visits is the baguette. According to him, it isn’t a good bakery without a good baguette. “The baguette will not be very popular, but the baguette is the key to the success of a bakery,” he said.

Tarte au pommes (P108)

Another recommendation by the Passion staff, this pastry was topped with tart apples to complement its sweetness.

We’ll definitely try the tarte au citron (P118) next time too, as Gerard said that it’s one of the pastries he loves getting when he visits his cafes.

Chocolate mille feuille Valrhona (P198)

Another of Gerard’s favorites is the mille feuille, and we can see why. You can get this in other flavors, like caramel & vanilla (P118), but the one we tried had crisp pastry layered with melt-in-your-mouth chocolate.

Strawberry danish (P108)

This was too pretty not to try, and it was just as good as it looked. This danish had the usual crisp pastry, topped sweet strawberries and creamy custard.

Mango mont blanc (P128)

We weren’t able to try this at the event, but couldn’t help but snap a picture when our seatmate did. This creamy dessert is topped with chocolate, and served with Passion’s customary “P” sprinkled on the plate if you have it at the cafe.

Chicken tikka sandwich (P268)

Gerard may be a pastry chef by trade, but Passion isn’t just all French pastries and croissants. The cafe serves salads, French casseroles, and sandwiches too.

The chicken tikka sandwhich was recommended by their staff at the April 4 event, and added a nice kick to the traditional chicken sandwhich.

Smoked salmon and rucola “Passion” dark sour dough pizza (P348)

Another savory favorite at the event were Passion’s sour dough pizzas. The regular sour dough flavors are four seasons (P348), chicken tikka (P318), and salami and ruccola.

The dark sour dough pizzas (rye), which is what we tried on April 4, are available in smooked salmon and rucola, speck ham (P328), and three cheese (P328). No matter which flavor you get, each pizza is topped with greens.

Gelato (P98 in a cup, P110 in a tulip waffle)

There are 18 flavors of gelato available at Passion, so you can ask their server for a taste before making a decision. The bottom of your cup will be layered with a piece of homemade almond sponge too, to mop up all your melted ice cream – nothing goes to waste!

Macarons (P52 per piece)

Passion has a whole array of macaron flavors to choose from too. Order a couple for yourself, or buy them in boxes of 9 (P468), 12 (P624), or 18 (P936) as gifts for loved ones.

If you want to try more of what Passion has to offer, they’re located at Shop C2 of the NetPark, 5th Avenue, E-Square, Crescent Park West, BGC, Taguig. – Rappler.com