“Good eats, big smiles” is Chelsea Market Cafe‘s tagline. If this is also their objective, then they have succeeded.

I first visited Chelsea during a trip to Manila in 2009 and fell in love with their duck confit and chorizo pizza. As sinful as it sounds, as a first-time balikbayan then it was a mix of New York and Manila. So I had it twice!

Roasted Portobello Mushroom Pizza

Unfortunately they were out of both chorizo and duck confit during my recent visit, but I still visited Chelsea three times this past trip. Another Raintree innovation, this joint that’s reportedly patterned after the American cafe bakery chain Le Pain Quotidien is the first in the Philippines to adopt an infamous tradition in New York of combining a cafe within a food market, as is done in Dean & Deluca or at Balthazar, or my neighborhood favorite Brooklyn Larder. Chelsea is more like a full restaurant with a few food items on the side for the ambience. The color scheme definitely reminds of Le Pain and other small French cafes in New York. Chelsea’s Serendra branch does a good job in providing a bright and airy atmosphere conducive to long meals and good laughs. Continue reading →