A carrot cake to brighten up the ‘Noche Buena’ feast
If one made a list of the delicacies of the Ilocos region, some of the food items would include bagnet, longganisa, and dinakdakan—pork dishes dipped in spiked vinegar and eaten with mounds of steaming rice. One can find all these and more at La Preciosa, a restaurant in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte that has been a favorite of locals and tourists since it first opened in 1994.
For almost 10 years, the restaurant was known mainly for its savory items, but in 2003, owner Pamela Palma Aragoza—Preciosa Ventura Palma’s daughter—came across a recipe for carrot cake in a food magazine and decided to try it out. It tasted delicious, but she still made a few tweaks to it, adjusting it to her taste and specifications.
Upon the suggestion of a friend, she opted to skip the tiny decorative sugar icing carrots and instead covered the cake’s surface with finely grated carrots. It was unlike any carrot cake being sold at the time, and it clicked with La Preciosa’s customers.
Tourists who wanted something fresh and relatively light after a heavy meal of bagnet, dinardaraan (blood stew), and poqui-poqui (eggplant fritters) would order a slice of the carrot cake and were instantly hooked.
Fast forward to 2018, when the owners decided to offer a selection of cakes and frozen cooked food in Quezon City that clients could order online. Pamela’s son, doctor Carlos Aragoza, was the one in charge until the pandemic forced them to temporarily cease operations.
Milestone
Three months ago, they opened a physical store, Carrotcake Manila by La Preciosa in Quezon City, that sells the cakes and frozen items to go. There are a couple of tables and chairs that can seat six for those who want to enjoy a slice of cake and a cup of brewed coffee, which is the only thing on the a la carte menu.
“We really wanted to open an actual store in Manila this year since we’re marking our 30th anniversary,” Carlos told Lifestyle. Although they opened with very little fanfare, they already have a following. “We just got an order from a lawyer for 140 of our small carrot cakes that we were told would be given out as gifts this Christmas.”
The carrot cakes come in a number of shapes (small/big round, heart, rectangle) and sizes. Their store may be tiny but it isn’t a problem, since all of their cakes come straight from Laoag City via sleeper bus daily.
Isn’t there a danger of the cakes shifting while in transit during the trip which can take eight to 10 hours? “They’re packed and stacked like books. We assemble the cakes here—all the frosting, decorating and grating. Even our frozen items like the dinardaraan, igado, and longganisa come from Laoag,” Carlos said. The ensaymada, brioche loaf and macarons, however, are baked onsite.
The tangle of bright orange carrot shreds on a cream cheese-frosted carrot cake is an option for guests who want something fresh for dessert or to pair with their morning cup of coffee on Christmas Day.
Carrotcake Manila by La Preciosa is at 131 V. Luna Extension, Sikatuna Village, Quezon City. They’re open daily, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call tel. 0967-2343425, 0992-4060818.
