On May 22nd, we were invited, along with a couple of fellow bloggers, to join Ayala Westgrove Heights Mango Festival in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. We were told there’ll be chefs preparing a couple of desserts for us, with Lori of Dessert Comes First hosting the demo. Oh, they already had us at mangoes!

After a not-so-long trip to Laguna, we arrived at Ayala Westgrove Heights. It’s a 400-hectare (yeah, the place is huge!) orchard environment at the heart of the Calabarzon region.

While driving by the houses, we were raving about how most of them were constructed, plus the pretty unique designs, too. And with the foliage everywhere, you can only expect fresh air. Even when the sun was up, the warmth of the air around us was not as scorching as we were expecting. The environment is simply serene.

When we arrived at the sports center of Ayala Westgrove Heights, we were informed that the open house there isn’t like the usual, which is why they called it Mango Festival.

Because they pride on how much they nurture nature, especially the mango trees at the orchard in their neighborhood, they made sure they highlight that through the said event, which is part of their year-long 12th anniversary celebration.

You can even buy fresh mangoes right there. They were grown at their orchard. We were supposed to buy before we went home, but completely forgot. My mom would’ve loved to have a taste of those big, juicy mangoes!

Ken and I were with Ning and Eihdra who are both foodies, too. We were so lucky to be there since, as part of the Mango Festival, they invited two renowned dessert chefs – Buddy Trinidad and Sau del Rosario – for dessert preparation demos. Everyone, including the prospective residents, were welcome to watch and join in.

First up was Chef Buddy Trinidad who prepared Mango Crunch. Lori walked us through what’s happening, asking questions here and there for our benefit.

The whole preparation was easy to follow. The main ingredients were crushed corn flakes, cream, tapioca (sago) and, of course, fresh mangoes.

We all got to taste this lovely dessert. I was surprised that it was only mildly sweet, much to my delight. Chef Buddy mentioned that it’s best served chilled or frozen enough for you to get that ice creaminess.

Afterwards, Chef Sau del Rosario showed us how to prepare Mango Panna Cotta. I really thought it’s a li’l complicated to prepare this delectable dessert. But, Sau proved me wrong. It’s just like how my nanay prepares gelatin at home.

During the demos, the chefs actually allowed some of us to join in and help as they prepare more servings for everyone in the room. It sure was a fun activity for the kids who were there.

I super loved the Mango Panna Cotta! I had to trick Ken into finishing the whole cup all by myself. 😀

During our short stay at Ayala Westgrove Heights, we felt how warm and relaxing it is to live there. No wonder they get multiple reservations from prospective residents during their open house events.

It’s truly my dream to live there. The living experience, the sense of place, at an Ayala Land community sure is something worth dreaming and aiming for.

For the Love of Mangoes…

More photos are available at Certified Foodies on Facebook.