Senorita's Mango Shake

Originally located on the Dumaguete-Bacong Rd., Senorita's Mexican Grill is now a part of The Finish Line Cafe at the Dumaguete airport.

Much can be said for their excellent Mexican food, but that can be left for another time. Today is the day to review their mango shakes.

One need only look at the photo of the shake I got there to know it has to be absolutely delicious. It is. Of all the mango shakes I've found in Dumaguete, Senorita's tops the list. It is naturally thick and creamy, and I didn't have to ask for extra sugar for it to be perfectly sweet. It can honestly be argued if this shake is better than - or tied for first with the mango shake at Don Roberto's. The only negative thing I have to say about the shake from Senorita's is the 90 peso price tag. I loved the shake, but for every 2 shakes you buy at Senorita's, you can have 3 from Don Roberto's. It's like getting a free shake.

If I'm already dining at Senorita's, I could very well order a mango shake. But, if I wanted a shake just for shake's sake, I'd choose Don Roberto's because of the difference in price.

My Own Mango Shake

Some may ask, who am I to review the mango shakes sold in the local cafes and eateries. My only response to that would be to post a photo of my own homemade mango shake.

Modesty prevents me from ranking my shake against others in Dumaguete, but since I make them to suit my own taste, one can assume I think mine are quite good.

I won't include a recipe here, but I will list the ingredients:




mango
sugar
powdered milk
ice water

Unlike the posts on the other shakes found in the area, this post won't feature a map to the location. After all, I'm drinking them, not selling them.

The Mango Shake from Wah Crepe

Wah Crepe is one of a number of kiosks found inside the mini-food court at Ever Mall Shopping Center on Perdices St. in Dumaguete. As the name implies, the specialties of the business are their crepes and waffles. The business also has a wide variety of fruit shakes.

Any other time, I might have ordered an avocado shake, or a banana/mango shake, but this time I picked strictly mango to be in line with my past reviews of the mango shakes found in the Dumaguete area.

The shakes at Wah Crepe are priced at 65 pesos - that's better than the 80 pesos charged at some cafes. The shake I got there was thick and creamy, with a tangy mango taste, much like the shakes at Gabby's Bistro. The shakes at Wah Crepe do not normally have added sugar, so this one was not quite as sweet as I like. For the review, I wanted a shake as it's usually made. Next time, I'll have them add just a tiny bit of sugar.

Or, better yet, I'll just have the banana/mango shake which is naturally sweeter and thicker.

As an aside, I have to apologize for the slightly out of focus photo of Wah Crepe. The lighting inside Ever Mall isn't conducive to good photography, particularly the back lighting behind Wah Crepe.

The Chapters Cafe Mango Shake

I find the Carrolesque themed decor of Chapters Cafe, with the upside down tea set and playing cards on the ceiling, a bit too "busy". Add the loud music playing over the loud speakers, and you have a uniquely unpleasant dining experience.

The addition of Halloween decorations this month doesn't help.

But, this isn't a review of the Chapters Cafe experience; this is a review of the Chapters Cafe mango shake.

Like the decor of the cafe, the appearance of the mango shakes at Chapters stand out. None of the mango shakes I've had in Dumaguete can compare visually. The sight of the whipped cream and sprinkles is a delight. There is a touch of chocolate syrup in the whipped cream, making the Chapters cafe mango shake absolutely delicious. The mango portion (sans the topping) is as good or better as any other found in Dumaguete. The whipped cream only adds to the treat.

Now, for the critical portion of the review - the cost. The owners of Chapters Cafe are really very proud of their mango shakes, charging 135 pesos. Assuming that the shakes at Neva's and The Rollin' Pin are worth 80 pesos - and that the mango shakes at Don Robertos are a steal at 60 pesos, there is no way Chapters can be justified charging 135 for their shake. Are we to believe that the addition of whipped cream and sprinkles is worth the price of an additional Don Robertos shake? I'll admit, the mango shake at Chapters is unbelievably delicious. However, as I told the cashier, I love the shake, but I'd love it a lot more if the price was 100 pesos. 135 pesos is too much for this mango shake.

Mango Shake from the Rollin' Pin

The Rollin' Pin on Katada St. in Dumaguete gets high marks in my book for their being ahead of the curve in the fight against plastic, disposable drinking straws. The mango shake I had there yesterday was served with a metallic, reusable straw. I know some folks may call the war against plastic straws overkill, but Philippines is one of the highest producers of the plastic waste polluting the Pacific ocean, and I applaud The Rollin' Pin for taking this step.

Now, on to my review of their shakes.

Their mango shake is similar to the shake I had at Neva's - although not quite as sweet as I like. I give The Rollin' Pin the benefit of doubt here. I blame a miscommunication between myself and the woman taking my order for the small amount of sugar in the shake I had.

There were pieces of mango in my shake; one piece nearly the size of my thumb. I don't know if this is due to the cafe's intentionally wanting pieces of fruit in the final shake, or the incompetence of the man making the shake. At any rate, I didn't care for the pieces. It's difficult getting a large piece of mango through a straw.

Like the shake I had at Neva's, the mango shakes at The Rollin' Pin are priced at 80 pesos. Sorry, but the shakes can't compare to the much lower priced ones at Don Roberto's so it's unlikely that I'll have another.