A Moment of Peace in 10 Dove Street Confectionery

Alone doesn’t always mean lonely.

Yesterday afternoon, I had the pleasure of finding myself the only customer  in 10 Dove Street Confectionery. This is a newly opened cafe in Oakridge Business Park, AS Fortuna. It is sort of a specialty branch of 10 Dove Street restaurant, which has been around since 2002. The cafe opened, I think, July or August this year. It was such a lovely place that it’s not really hard to fall in love with it.

Since I just resigned from work, I have so much free time these days, which is exactly what I needed. Yesterday afternoon, certain circumstances brought me to Oakridge again. The first time I was there, I had the opportunity to enjoy a delicious breakfast at Pancake House. I saw this really cute cafe there as well, but it was too early in the morning for them to be open.

This time around, I got there at 2:30 PM. It was a Monday and so everyone else was inside their offices working and I happen to be the only customer there that time. Excuse me while I take a moment to relish the fact that I was out for leisure on a Monday afternoon. Wonderful!

First Impressions

Okay where were we? Oh yeah, a few steps before entering 10 D.C., one of their staff opened the door for me. Ah, how welcoming.

Scents of baked goodies assaulted and made giddy my senses.

The cafe was a visual treat as well, just my kind of interior design. Hints of shabby chic and French cottage were readily apparent. Love the white brick walls, the wicker baskets left around the room in stylish abandon, the curvy details of the furniture, the glass walls highlighting the greenery outside, and the overall cleanliness of the place.

The Staff

One great way to know if an establishment is quality is through their staff. Gossipy, careless, and inattentive employees spell bad news. 10 D.C.’s staff were great, however. True, I was the only customer there, but aside from being courteous and welcoming, it was also obvious they know their stuff. They are familiar with their menu, communicate well, and quick on their toes. I had no problem whatsoever.

The Food

I can only speak for what I ordered – Strawberry Mini Cheesecake and Iced Mocha. They were sweet. Confectionery, duh!

Kidding aside, the cheesecake was delicious and had real strawberries on top. It was moist enough to give you that pleasant ‘melt in the mouth’ sensation. As for the coffee, on the fence with that one. I think I shouldn’t have ordered that because in combination with the pastry, everything became too sweet for me. I think I would have done better if I ordered tea or black coffee.

Wasn’t quite peckish that time and had to go somewhere else, so didn’t try anything else on the menu. They have a good selection of cakes, cupcakes and beverages though. Prices range from Php 75-250. Overall, I enjoyed my order.

Lovely Place Perfect for Some Alone Time

I like going out alone. I have no problem eating at a restaurant by myself or going to the cinemas solo. I find such outings therapeutic and quite fun. While I do enjoy hanging out with my friends, I also treasure all those times when I can just go with my own flow and have some time for introspection and conversation with the voices in my head.

So yeah, I was very happy being the only customer there. I chatted with the staff for a bit, asking questions about the place. But for the most part, I just enjoyed the quiet and the lovely atmosphere. The only thing missing that time was a book. Couldn’t read my ebooks too because was conserving phone battery.

But seriously, I can see myself going back there on a quiet afternoon, preferably weekdays, and just read or enjoy some alone time for an hour or two.

Note that evenings and weekends are not a great time to go if you want to avoid the crowd as the place does get busy during those times. However, if you are looking for some tasty desserts and a cosy place to indulge your sweet tooth no matter if it’s afternoon or evening, 10 D.C. Confectionery is a highly viable option. Do give it a try.

Pertinent Details

Cafe Name: 10 Dove Street Confectionery (or 10 D.C.)

Location: Oakridge Business Park, 880 A.S. Fortuna Street, Mandaue City, Cebu

Contact: (032) 318-3674 | 0917-625-7013

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ten.dove.street

P.S. This is a review for the 10 D.C. cafe/pastry place. They have a restaurant in the same area, on the same side as Pancake House.

P.P.S. This is my personal opinion. I am not a representative of the company and I wasn’t paid to do this.

Cheers!