When in search of a café and dessert place in the heart of Dumaguete, Café Mamia could be the one for you. Located along San Jose Street on the same block as the famed Sans Rival Cakes and Pastries, this place is known to serve delectable cheesecakes, drinks and dishes. Locals frequent Cafe Mamia, which looks like a beautiful house on the outside, for breakfast and snacks.
One major challenge you may face when visiting Café Mamia is parking. Parallel parking is permitted by the roadside near the café, but slots are limited. Another issue, at least during the time of my visit, is the air conditioning. It was very hot inside on that day, probably because the cooling unit wasn’t working very well. They also only have a small staff so a little bit of extra patience can go a long way for you as a customer.
The good news is, that the food is satisfying enough to make up for the downs, which is why Café Mamia remains on my Dumaguete must-try list. I ordered two items off their main course menu – Roast Chicken Iberico and Crispy Kare Kare. Both meals were served with rice.
The chicken serving was large, almost half of a chicken from what I could see, and covered in a special Iberico sauce. The Spanish-style roast tasted to me like a more sophisticated chicken adobo with a thicker sauce. At PHP195, it was worth it as far as serving size goes. Though, to be honest, I expected a bit more as far as uniqueness in flavor is concerned.
The Crispy Kare Kare, on the other hand, was completely beyond my expectations. I was never a fan of this dish, which is a Filipino stew with a thick peanut sauce. A friend of mine told me, however, that their version is extremely good, especially with the crunchy, crispy pata-like meat. Despite my inhibitions, I had to try it, and I’m pleasantly surprised that I liked it. At PHP195 for a large bowl, it was super worth it, too. I can now, finally, say that there is one Kare Kare dish that I actually enjoy.
Café Mamia’s all-day breakfast menu is one of the things that it is known for, so I made sure to try something from there, too. I chose the Spanish Chorizo, which was served with garlic rice and a sunny side up egg. If you ask, you could probably have your egg cooked a different way. The dish tasted good despite being on the oily side, and certainly worth it at PHP110.
And then it was on to my favorite part of any meal – Dessert! I chose to try the Nutella Cheesecake and the Classic Blueberry Cheesecake. The Nutella cheesecake was served frozen in a cup, and topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings. It presented a nice balance of sweet and salty, but as I continued to eat the dessert started to feel a little too sweet. This is likely because the serving size was pretty generous, maybe even good enough to share, at only PHP105.
There is also a frozen version of the blueberry cheesecake, but I chose to try the classic type. It was love at first bite for me with this baked dessert. I would gladly pay PHP135 again to have it one more time. To balance out the sweet, indulgent desserts, I ordered a Café Latte for PHP75. I also ordered an Iced Caramel Macchiato, which proved to be refreshingly good, for only PHP95.
I’d recommend Café Mamia as a place to go for a meal any time of the day. You can get in touch with them for any inquiries at +63917-707-9848.
Want to read up on more delicious eats in Dumaguete? Then check out my post here.
Always remember, travel enriches life. It teaches us to enjoy moments, to say goodbye to stress and embrace joy instead. Experience has taught me this, and I’m happy that I get to share my journeys with you now, too. Anytime you need help and tips finding worry-free, budget-friendly places to see, I’m here to help!
