I could not get enough of this place during my more than two-week stay in Ubud. I’m such a dessert lover and discovering this tiny shop made my stay even lovelier.
Nowhere have I met owners so candid, friendly, and fun. The young couple, George and Jessica are originally from Jakarta where they worked in the Mandarin Oriental. George is a sous chef while Jessica is a pastry chef having taken a course at the Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney. Moving to Ubud to escape Jakarta’s frenzied city life, the worked at the famous Mozaic then finally set-up Caramel.
They’re never too busy to engage in conversation with any of their numerous customers. This is a place that actually makes you want to stay. They’ll even give you the scoop on the best places to eat. Nope, I’m not telling you. You gotta go there and get it from them yourself. Hehehe.
I’m flying back home tomorrow morning and their closed today. But since they both know how much I love their French macaroons, they gave me their number so I can just give them a call and they’ll drop by the store so I can pick-up the box I already pre-ordered. Now THAT is unbeatable service.
I even got to meet Jessica’s mom and sister who were visiting from Jakarta!
Dropping by Caramel is always a surprise because aside from the regular offerings, you wouldn’t know what’s on offer. One time there was a delightful lemon cake called Citrus. It was a very light cream-like cake on a buttery crust. I like citrus-based desserts and this one was so refreshing.
Red velvet is very popular nowadays and Jessica’s version in a cake has none of the over-sweetness and too-red coloring you see often. The cakes are actually very mild in their sweetness so it doesn’t leave you in a sugary daze. The Ubud Cheesecake is unusual because of its hint of caramel. The texture was very smooth and just had the right density.
If you’re looking for something more traditional, there’s Indonesian kek lapis that divine cake made of thousands of layers. Kek lapis is an art and culinary form that is most associated with Sarawak but it originated in Indonesia and was brought there by Indonesian housewives. It’s a simple cake (but not simple to make) and delicious. The cupcake made from tapeh or cassava was most unusual. I thought it would be made with cassava flour but it was actually made of raw cassava. It was buttery and yummy.
Everything I tasted was delicious!!! I’m not very partial to chocolate-based desserts so I didn’t try them but they looked very tempting especially the Choco Nut which I’m sure my sister would love as it’s made if 56% pure chocolate. The same goes with the chocolate drink of pure milk and cacao. Absolutely undiluted with water.
But the piece-de-resistance for me are the French macaroons. They may not be as round and shiny as the others but that’s because of the correct balance of almond milk and sugar. Those shiny round ones actually have more sugar than milk. Caramel’s French macaroons have just the right amount of sweetness and chewiness.
The flavors are varied: Java Tea, Chili Chocolate, Rosella, Passion Fruit, Lemon, Pandan, and Vanilla. My favorites are Black Sesame, Red Velvet, and Salted Caramel. The latter is especially good. Perfect perfect combination of saltiness and sweetness. I’ll say it again. Perfect.
Almost everyday of dropping by I’ve grown really fond of the patisserie. More so because of Harry and Jessica’s friendliness. They run the place themselves. At Caramel, you don’t simply buy. You partake of an experience that makes life sweeter.
P.s. If you’re wondering why I don’t have much pics of the goodies it’s because I mostly take it out so I can savor them at my front porch.
Check them out at http://www.caramel-ubud.com
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