MANILA, Philippines – Surprising the number one woman in your life for Mother’s Day can always be a challenge – to the woman who deserves the world, what else could make her happy this year? But there’s no reason to panic or think over-the-top – we don’t always need to go extra or big; thoughtful gifts from the heart are more than enough. That could come in the form of flower bouquets, a beautiful cake, your mom’s favorite pastries, or a delicious feast at home with the family.

Even though simple is best, that doesn’t mean you should scrimp on quality for your superwoman! Here are some gift ideas from local businesses that your foodie mom and sweet tooth mama may enjoy – from cakes and sweets, to group meals of different cuisines!

Loving you is a piece of cake

A special occasion is hardly complete without a beautiful cake at the center of it all, and Butternut MNL’s new, limited edition Pandan Mango Swoon Cake is a light, refreshing, and picture-perfect dessert your mom will appreciate.

The summer-ready cake features two well-loved Pinoy flavors in a subtle way – it has pillowy, soft layers of pandan sponge cake with homemade pandan custard and sweet mango bits in between. Atop is a creamy pandan frosting, topped with sweet-sour fresh mango swirls meticulously laid on top, plus a sprinkle of glamorous 24k gold flakes.

Another worthy cake option for Mother’s Day is Honeybon’s new Pistachio Nougat Cake, which is a pleasant hybrid between a pistachio sponge cake and crunchy sans rival.

You get layers of classic vanilla chiffon cake that’s soft and airy, layered with crisp-chewy sweet meringue with nougat and crushed pistachios. The cake is covered with a light vanilla whipped cream and more pistachios for crunch. It’s a light, fluffy, and creamy cake that’s balanced in terms of sweetness, and highlights the sweet meringue-nougat at the center and the nutty, subtle flavor of pistachio. 

If you want something more traditional and close to home, Everything Nice Cake Shop’s best-selling Cassava Cake is a good, affordable option fit for six to nine people. It hails from Baguio, but they also have a Manila commissary.

The freshly-baked cassava cake is from a secret family recipe passed down three generations that specifically makes use of a silky, sweet coconut cream for its topping, with a generous serving of savory grated cheese on top. Everything is baked together until gooey and creamy, resulting in a cassava cake base that is chewy yet soft, complemented by the the addictive cream-cheese topping that’s the literal icing on the cake. It can be enjoyed either chilled and firm, or gooey after being microwaved for three minutes for melt-in-your-mouth goodness.

If your mom likes burnt basque cheesecakes, another form of the trendy dessert is available from Dessert Depot with their Basque Burnt Cheesecake Loaf – it’s meant to be eaten by the “bread slice,” and is served with two spreads of your choice.

The dense, firm, and creamy 8×3 cheesecake loaf can be enjoyed with either salted caramel, chocolate ganache, and/or strawberry compote spreads. Aside from a dessert, this could also be perfect as a breakfast-in-bed option for mom, served with fresh fruit slices on top!

If you like cake ice cream, Dessert Depot also has ice cream cake tubs in Chocolate-Strawberry Cheesecake and Red Velvet flavors, in partnership with Sol’s Ice Cream. They use Sol’s Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and Vanilla Ice Cream, combined with their own cakes to make a filling, dense, cold dessert in a tub, perfect for mom’s midnight binges or late-night sweet tooth cravings.

Sweets for your sweetie

What mother wouldn’t appreciate an excuse to cheat on her no-carb diet via a box of her favorite pastries? Gift her the “joys of Pinoy breakfast,” but Wildflour-style, with Wildflour’s new Nutella Bread Box, in collaboration with the popular hazelnut spread.

In one box you get a curated assortment of premium, freshly-baked Wildflour pastries – there are six pieces of Nutella Coppetta, one spreader, one Nutella cremadette, hazelnut bomboloni, Nutella kouign amann, cannelle, plain croissant, two celebration cookies, three pan de baton, and five pandesalitos.

How about some ice cream? It’s a Strawberry Summer for Mom with Sebastian’s new Strawberry Summer Collection, which is both pretty in pink and a treat for fans of strawberry-flavored anything.

You can get these variants: Chocolate-Covered Strawberries (strawberry ice cream with chocolate fudge, mini chocolate truffles, strawberry compote); the light and refreshing Strawberry Sorbet; and Strawberry Supreme (strawberry ice cream with a strawberry sorbet ribbon). 

Sebastian’s also has a Strawberry Chilly Burger sandwiched with white chocolate chip strawberry cookies; Strawberry Dive Bar (strawberry ice cream dipped in white chocolate with freeze-dried strawberries); and Strawberry Ice Cream Cake with dried strawberries, strawberry ice cream, strawberry sorbet, strawberry compote, and freeze-dried strawberries.

Food is a love language

You can never go wrong with surprising your mom with a good, hearty meal, so if you’re looking to enjoy a feast at home together, local cloud kitchens like Makati City’s Made in Bangkok‘s gotchu.

The modern Thai concept offers a Mother’s Day Special Set good for five to seven people, which includes their best-selling, tender Wagyu Thai Steak tray, Salmon Curry tray, Prawn Cakes, and Sweet Chili Prawns.

Each dish is filling and big on flavors, like the Salmon Curry, which is an umami-filled, powerhouse of savory-spicy flavors from the creamy red curry, mixed in with cherry tomato, pomelo, and slabs of moist, hefty salmon fillets. The Sweet Chili Tiger Prawns are also great enjoyed with Made in BKK’s coconut steamed rice, and the Crispy Prawn Cakes, cooked in tom yum paste, are a good appetizer to start off your home Thai feast with.

If you want Filipino fusion cuisine that still tastes like comfort food made at home, family-run home biz Made by Peñafiel has a diverse line of hearty, flavorful offerings that’ll please a variety of tastebuds at home.

If your mom likes Mexican cuisine, get her the Trio Birria Queso Pares, a mix between the Mexican delicacy and our traditional beef pares. Inside a soft taco is tender, stewed beef brisket with melted cheese, caramelized onion, spring onion, and red onion fried in beef fat for more flavor, best dipped in the beef pares broth.

They also have a Trio Taco Sampler, which feature soft, buttery tacos in three familiar, well-loved flavors: Beef Tapa, Pork Sisig, and Chicken Adobo. Each taco is served with calamansi, salsa, aioli, and atchara.

If your mom is into good ‘ol classic chicken wings, Made by Peñafiel has them too in three tasty flavors: a slightly spicy BBQ Rhum, Garlic Butter, and Patis Mansi.

If your mom is vegetarian, they also have special dishes made upon request that even meat-eaters will enjoy: the Pad Thai and Mushroom Tacos, which is the meat-free version of their soft tacos that’s still tasty, thanks to the umami richness of mushrooms and the consommé they’re cooked in.

For more pescatarian and vegetarian fast food-like options, BGC resto Mimi & Bros recently launched their first Big Fish Sandwich, a worthy take on the classic crispy fish sandwich. A hefty fish fillet is breaded and fried until perfectly crisp and golden-brown, served with a special tangy tartar sauce that doesn’t scrimp on the chunky dill pickles, and in between buttery brioche buns. Don’t forget the side of hand-cut fries!

Mimi & Bros also offers a Plant-Based Chicken Sandwich that doesn’t drastically veer away from its meaty counterpart – the crispy meat-free chicken slab is fried until golden-brown, and is topped with a secret sauce, American cheese, lettuce, and house-made pickles for the whole experience. If you want it with a plant-based “beef” patty, Mimi & Bros also has a Plant-Based Burger, just with the addition of white onions and tomatoes.

If Mom likes Japanese rice bowls, you can also check out Ohachi, the newest Japanese concept from The Relish Group, the restaurant arm behind brands like Kumori, Wee Nam Kee, and Birdhouse.

The SM Megamall stall serves Japanese rice bowls (“ohachi”) that are tasty and filling. A stand-out option is the Mios Salmon Belly Donburi, which features hefty cubes of juicy, premium salmon belly, coated in a sweet-savory-tangy miso teriyaki glaze that’ll help you wipe your bowl of steamed Japanese rice clean. Ohachi also has Truffle Gyoza and crunchy Soy Garlic Karaage that’s worth a try, as well as the crowd-fave Special California Maki.

If you’d rather gift Mom with the gift of convenience, local brand Kookit is here to make mothers’ lives easier with ready-to-cook kits! It’s a food kit that offers a new menu weekly, and delivers a box of portioned, insulated fresh ingredients and original recipes straight to your home.

You can choose from a variety of beginner-friendly recipes for the day or week on their website. They offer different cuisines and meats, including appetizing and hearty vegetarian recipes like Japanese ramen, Spanish chickpeas with rice, and mushroom stroganoff. 

Each dish can either serve up to two people or up to four, depending on the meal plan you purchase. Kookit makes cooking for yourself (or your mother) easier, more affordable, and more enjoyable too – each kit comes with easy-to-understand instructions that don’t intimidate, and the ingredients delivered are packed really well and of good quality. Get ready to impress Mom with your sudden Masterchef skills! – Rappler.com

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