“There is only one difference between a long life & good dinner: that, in the dinner, the sweets come last.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Festivals bring joy in everyone’s life and sharing Mithai or sweets during special occasions multiplies happiness. Thus, no festival can be celebrated in true sense without sharing the treat of special sweets.
However, in the modern times, people tend to avoid sweets for healthy reasons. Alternatively, they grab some ready made sweets like chocolates, cupcakes, etc for their convenience.
But special festivals and their celebrations still call for the traditional Indian sweets. Nevertheless, if you stay abroad, you face an added struggle of where to buy these tasty treats.
We have a huge Indian community here in the Philippines. We celebrate our festivals with the same fervor and enthusiasm as back home. Moreover, we are lucky to have some skilled people who satisfy our cravings for traditional sweets and help us enjoy our festivals to the fullest.
Best Indian Sweets in Manila:
Quality:
The Legend of India: The Legend of India, although very popular for its main course Indian recipes, is more popular for tasty sweet treats or mithais.
They also have freshly made farsans that complement the sweets on festivals. Motichoor ladoos, Jalebis, sweet boondi, Gulabjamuns, Rasgullas are few examples of their best selling Indian sweets.
Address: 114B Jupiter St, Bel-Air 2, Makati.
Phone number: +63 2 8364232.
Sweetness:
The Queens Tajmahal and Queens at Bollywood: Not only are the sister ventures popular for their ambiance and sumptuous Indian food, they also cater to a number of authentic Indian sweets. In addition to the best flavors they also offer the delicacies in beautiful packaging.
Gift giving or exchanging sweets is a tradition in Diwali. Hence, the shudh ghee sweets made by the Queens Tajmahal and Queens at Bollywood call for a good gift idea for Diwali too. The confectioner or the ‘Halwai’ particularly vouches for the shudh ghee ladoos and Kaju katli.
They accommodate both pick up at both their restaurants and delivery service in Makati only. They can cater to bigger quantities if the order is placed a day in advance.
“Dessert is to a meal what a dress is to a woman.”
– Beatrice Peltre
Queens Tajmahal:
Address: 146-B Jupiter Street, Makati City.
Phone number: 895 1316, 0922 870 8482
Queens at Bollywood:
Address: 3/F Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati.
Phone number: 757 3536, 0922 870 8483
Tradition:
Miss Nitasha Gupta: Ms Nitasha is a home based entrepreneur who specializes in Indian street food and desserts.
The not so common but many people’s favorite desserts like Jalebis, Daal halwa, Shrikhand (Mango, Kesar pista, and plain), Gajar Halwa and Shahi Tukda are some of her specialities.
All her items are of high quality and reasonably priced. She totally vouches for her Gajar halwa, claiming it to be her best seller.
To get in touch with Miss Nitasha and to savor her tasty treats, pls pm her at her personal facebook account @Nitasha Gupta. She is based in BGC, taguig and accommodates both pick up and home delivery.
Festivity:
Green Dot Catering: The Vegetarian Caterer apart from providing tiffin and party catering, also offers a wide range of sweets.
The menu of sweets is so elaborate from gulab jamun to pista and walnut barfi to the delicious sev barfi, rasmalai and kalakand. The owner often vouches for her Gulab jamun being the best seller too.
Address: 9037 Hormiga St. J.P. Rizal, 1208 Makati
Phone number: 0920-905 6535
Freshness:
Miss Pashmina Phabiani: Miss Phabiani is a home based entrepreneur. She specializes in Indian snacks and delicious desserts. She has an exclusive menu with exotic sweets. Her best seller item is kalakand.
She can accommodate deliveries in Magallanes, J.P.Rizal and Paco. Likewise you can have the delicaces picked up as well. To avail the sweet treats you can call her or send a message on Whatsapp or Viber on her cell phone.
Phone number: 0927 912 7493, 505 8913
| Mithai | Price/piece | Price/Kg |
| Kalakand | Php 750 | |
| Green Mithai | Php 850 | |
| Ras Malai | Php 50 | |
| Sesame seeds waro | Php 200 | |
| Seasons seeds with dry fruits | Php 300 | |
| Pista waro | Php 400 | |
| Almond waro | Php 300 |
Variety:
Pushpa’s Cuisine: Ms Pushpa Motwani offers yet another variety of sweet treats. Her Cuisine has a touch of Northern Valleys as she hails from Pakistan. She caters to a variety of traditional sweets like Gulab Jamun, Coconut Pak, green barfi and vermicelli barfi. Vermicelli barfi still stands out as her unique preparation.
Desserts are the fairy tales of the kitchen, a happily-ever-after.
She welcomes bigger orders and can accommodate home deliveries for a minimum order of 1,500 pesos.
To avail her tasty treats, you can call her on her landline number or pm at her facebook page @ Pushpa’sCuisine
Phone number: 750-4393
Taste:
Assad Mini Mart: This leading Indian grocery store in Paco caters to many Indian sweets like Gulab jamun, both Haldiram’s can and freshly made and Rasgulla, also the common sweets like the milk cake (Mawa) and burfi, Jalebi and milk pedas.
“Life is short. Eat dessert first.” ― Ernestine Ulmer
Paco Branch: Assad Mini Mart, UN Ave, UN Avenue LRT Station.
Phone number: 02-526-1349 or 02-526-5034.
Makati Branch: 1-A, Eurocrest Bldg, 126 Jupiter Street, Makati, 1209 Metro Manila, Philippines.
Phone number: 02-897 2543
Marikina Branch: Door # 5, Thaddeus Arcade, Gil Fernando Avenue, San Roque, Marikina City.
Quezon City Branch: Unit 6, ITC Commercial Center, Timog Ave. cor Panay St,
Quezon City.
Phone number: 02-372-3146
Authentic:
Anmol Grocery store: The Anmol grocery store in Paco has a separate shelf for freshly made Indian sweets. In addition to this, they also sell Haldiram’s packed sweets like gulab jamun, Rasgullas and Soanpapdi.
Address: Anmol Grocery store, 1007, Paco, Manila.
Phone number: 025622377
Favorite:
Talwar Grocery Store: It is an Indian grocery store in the vicinity of the Gurudwara.Talwar grocery store is complete with a big selection of Indian sweets freshly made as well as those packed and canned from Haldiram’s and Ghasitaram’s.
Address: 268-H midtown Executive Homes United Nations Avenue Manila, 1007 Metro Manila.
Phone number: 02-5265031
There are many more restaurants and catering services that specialize in Indian desserts specially during the festivals and we welcome suggestions and updates about many home based entrepreneurs who sell sweet treats to make our festivals more joyful.
Have a happy festive season 🙂
