Review: Kandle Cafe

I have heard about Kandle Cafe a few months ago, and I've wanted to give it a try. This month, we were actually able to eat there twice.

The first time was when the weather was just too hot and wifi at home was acting up, so that's where we went.

The cafe looks cozy, as it is tucked away from the busy avenue that is Mo. Ignacia, and surrounded by some greens. I like that its facade is just a brick wall with bold letters spelling out KANDLE. Upon entering the space, we were greeted with a signage that says "strictly no smoking/vaping inside". What a huge come-on for us! A pathway led to the air-conditioned main area on the left side, and an open area on the right. Being that it was too hot that day, and Munchkin was with us, we opted to stay in the cool main area.

The interior had an industrial, hipster, yet still cozy, vibe to it. Brick wall, modern pendant lamps, "pipe" shelves that feature bric-a-bracs, and mismatched chairs complete the look of Kandle Cafe.

V took Munchkin so I could order at the counter. V wasn't really hungry, so he had the Pumpkin Soup with Chopped Malunggay (PHP 125), while I ordered their best-selling Kandle Burger (PHP 250), as well as a glass of their Cheezy Hot Choco (PHP 150). I don't know why we ordered hot items despite the extreme heat, but I'm glad we did, anyway.

The soup was flavorful and smooth, and had a pretty substantial size of bacon topping (which we removed, since pork is a no-no for us). I enjoyed the soup quite a lot.

The Kandle Burger was also a nice dish, and though I initially thought that it looked rather small for its price, the Kandle Burger filled me up. The burger-to-bun ratio was spot on, and the addition of the sunny-side up egg inside the top bun was a welcome surprise. The patty was flavorsome and of good quality, although I would have liked the patty to be a little less done (this was my fault, since I failed to ask them about it). The Kandle Burger was served with a side of potato fries, which was lightly seasoned.

The Cheezy Hot Choco was likeable, too. I think it's supposed to be like Happy Lemon's Chocolate Cheese drink. I liked the salty-sweet combination of the hot chocolate and the whipped cream (cheese?).

I wanted to order some pastries, but didn't go for it anymore, as I already felt full from what I had. V and Munchkin, on the other hand, felt more sleepy than anything. Hehe.



Our first time at Kandle was great, so the other night, we had dinner there. We were actually supposed to dine somewhere else, but the parking was full at the other restaurant, that we just decided to drive to Kandle instead. And again, I'm glad that we did. When we arrived, Kandle had their Grill Night, so aside from their regular items, they had a list of "grill items". This included lamb and tuna, which were reasonably priced, as well as some local beers.

I was eyeing their Pampano Pasta (PHP 310) last time, so I went ahead and ordered that. I also ordered the tuna steak (PHP 150) from their grill menu. V got the Lentil Soup (PHP 150), and Salmon (PHP 370). For dessert, which we just took to-go, I got a slice of their Chocolate Fudge (PHP 130).

The first to arrive was the soup. It tasted really good, and it had some chunks of chicken in it. The texture was a bit grainy and starchy, but perhaps it was because of the lentils and the potatoes? I liked that they added some crispy potato  slices to the soup, because it added a nice sontrast to the soup.

The Pampano Pasta was next to arrive. I think that was my favorite dish. The pasta was very flavorful and quite peppery, there was a good amount of pampano fillet, and the tomato concasse added a fresh taste. The only tiny issue I had with this dish was the skin of the pampano. While the fillet itself was tender and delicious, the pampano skin's texture was like a stretchy wetsuit. It felt weird in the mouth. I don't know if crisping it up is possible, but if it is, I think that would be a nice addition to the pasta. If not, maybe it would be better if they just removed the skin altogether. But still, it was a great dish, and I would definitely order it again.



I didn't really taste a lot of the salmon, but V didn't really enjoy it. He thought that the dip that it came with (a sort of togarashi mayo, I think?) didn't go well with the salmon. I have to say that V's salmon was portioned well. The chips and greens that it came with were okay, but nothing special.

The last to arrive was the tuna steak, which came with some slices of red and green bell peppers, and eggplant. It also came with some soy dipping sauce. There were two rather big "slices" of tuna steak on the plate, so V and I shared. It was a bit overdone, but still edible.

Now, on to the dessert. I forgot to take a photo of this item, yikes. The Chocolate Fudge cake was, I think, my least favorite of all the items I've tried at Kandle. It was extremely sweet, and for me, lacked chocolate flavor. The frosting tasted like condensed milk was used. The cake seemed to have come out of the oven dry, then just soaked in simple syrup to keep it moist. Makes me wish that I just ordered the Praline Cake slice instead.

Overall, I enjoyed the offerings of Kandle Cafe, as well as its comfy interiors and good wifi. I'd be happy to go back. :)


Kandle Cafe is located along Mother Ignacia Avenue, right beside PureGold Panay.