Have you ever asked yourself:
“Whatchu gonn’, whatchu gonn’ do with that dessert?”
Either you’re thinking “I should Instagram that before I even breathe on it” or you’re probably singing Dawin’s Dessert song right now. Have no fear, the Booky team’s here to help you with that…the Instagram part, we mean.
You’re probably not reading this part anyway so let’s just begin with the list of these desserts!
Cafe SeolHwa Bingsu – BF Homes
Cafe Seolhwa is a Korean dessert cafe serving snowflake ‘bingsu’ or shave iced dessert topped with chopped fruits, condensed milk, fruit syrup and beans.
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: Food pictures are not always about top view shots. Semi-top view pictures work, too, as long as you’re close enough to see every bit of the dish. Leave a bit of space on the sides and make sure the whole of it is captured in your frame. A blurred background usually does the trick and makes the picture look like it was taken with a professional camera.
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Forum South Global, Federacion Drive 7th Ave., Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
+63 917 891-2758
Churreria La Lola – SM Megamall
This is probably a dessert shop that needs no introduction. La Lola Churerria enters the Manila market with a bang – bringing long lines to all their branches. Aside from their classic churros with the to-die-for dip, they also offer Nutella infused churros which is worth every calorie.
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: The most instagrammed item is usually the classic churros. It presents multiple pieces of churros presented nicely in a cute holder that comes with a pop-out for the chocolate dip. Since the logo and the design of the holder are seen on the side, the usual top-view shot wouldn’t be as effective. This photo was nicely done by focusing on the churro itself and having the store slightly blurred in the background.
No reservations accepted
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
Mega Atrium, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong
+63 2 808-0469
Rita’s Italian Ice – Greenhills
Who would have thought that shaved ice and custard would taste so perfect together? Thanks to Rita’s, we now know that it’s possible for two different things to work out. If this dessert can do it, why can’t you? *wink*
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: With this Instagram shot, the photographer deviated away from the usual ‘raise your hand and show the cup’ routine. We don’t usually see people zooming in on the custard to show the texture of the creamy goodness. A different perspective on these shots can separate you from the rest and make your photo more noticeable. On your phone camera, try to point it close enough and have the focus on something that people don’t usually look at. Giving them something different to see will earn you that double tap.
No reservations accepted
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
G/F V-Mall, Greenhills, San Juan
+63 2 650-5859
The Lost Bread – Maginhawa
We found The Lost Bread! …so did a lot of Instagram users after it opened its doors to the public. They feature shakes that you can top with different delights that include smores, cotton candy, and even pop corn! Obviously, this is best consumed without a straw because it may require biting and munching. Also best enjoyed with friends or maybe a simple and cute date with someone you want to give a hint to. (Just keep the biting to the drink.)
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: This Instagrammer used the poster approach that made the photo look like it’s part of the promos of The Lost Bread. You can achieve this kind of effect by having your friends pose for you instead of taking a selfie with the drink. Because really, you might want to be a James Reid or a Channing Tatum to pull off a “yummy-looking” selfie that would go well with that “yummy-looking” drink. Also, take advantage of the already existing art/logo/signs that you will encounter in the place. This gives the photo its authenticity feel aside from the fact that it will also tell people where to go to try what you’ve tried.
*Extra tip: if you have street color (gray brick walls, pavements, etc), it would be nice to apply the HB2 filter that can be found on VSCO.
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StrEat Food Park, 91 Maginhawa St., UP Village, Quezon City
+63 917 821-2111
Farmacy Ice Cream & Soda Fountain – The Fort
After having dinner at Wildflour BGC, you can easily take a few steps to your right and end up having some dessert at The Farmacy. Or if you’re too lazy to get up, you can actually order desserts from The Farmacy from your table at Wildflour and vice versa. They serve a lot of creamy classics that has an extra kick with their toppings. Definitely a nice date place just like those ice cream parlor dates back in the day.
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: Following the topping rule, it’s always nice to get an eye level view of ice cream with high add-ons. It’s also nice to emphasize color when the dessert presents with a lot of colorful bits and pieces (which is usually the case). You can adjust the color intensity by editing the saturation (but not too much!). There are also presets like C1 on VSCO or Ludwig on Instagram to give the photo colors an extra push.
Book now and get P100 off!
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
G/F Net Lima Bldg, 4th Ave cor 26th St, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
+63 2 887-3622
Kissako Uji Matcha Cafe – Pioneer Center
One of the well-known Matcha places is Kissako Uji Matcha Cafe located at the Pioneer Center in Pasig. It’s definitely a MUST-TRY if you love that Green Tea/Matcha flavor on everything!
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: This shot works because of the color combination of Green and Brown. Nature dictates this harmonious combination as we see it in trees and other natural resources. With the restaurant’s brown tables, it’s easy to pose their desserts (because it’s mostly composed of Green). This is sort of the opposite of our topping rule because the toppings are seen at the bottom. (So are they still called toppings?) If you’re dealing with scoops of ice cream on top, look for the seemingly biggest scoop and use that as the focus of the composition. It gives your audience one thing to focus on and that one thing will happen to be the yummiest part of the dessert.
No reservations accepted
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
Pioneer Center, 8006 Pioneer St. cor. United and Brixton St., Kapitolyo,Pasig
+63 2 730-3356
The Bunny Baker – New Manila
See how moist that middle layer looks like? Yup, that’s exactly how it is when it touches your mouth. A literal explosion of feelings once you take a scoop of the Ooey Gooey from The Bunny Baker. First you’ll feel how hot the chocolate is then the gelato perfectly compliments that feeling by wrapping your tongue in cold salted caramel. Overall, it’s a confusing feeling but it feels AH. MAZE. ZING.
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: Whenever there are sprinkles on your dessert, make sure you capture those to give an extra accent to the whole composition. Again, do a close up photo and tap on the screen (if you’re using a smart phone) to focus on the smallest details. This also gives the blurred background effect if you go close enough to the dish.
Book now and get up to P200 off!
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
3/F Hemady Square, 86 Dona Hemady St., New Manila, Quezon City
+63 2 650-4153
Mrs. Grahams Macaron Cafe – Sct. Rallos St.
There’s an extra kick to Mrs. Graham’s macarons by way of their liquor-inspired flavors like Tequila Rose and Bailey’s. Also make room on your plate for their Cookie Dough and Pancake flavored macarons.
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: You won’t usually get your dessert served on a plate. Sometimes, you get them in boxes for takeout. This is a great opportunity to test your creativity! Get them out of the box and plate them yourself. Don’t limit yourself to any socially accepted look. Just play around with it – spread it apart, clump them together, or ever split one into two to see what’s inside! This is just like asking someone to smile for the camera. Actually, try to ask the macaron to say cheese before you snap that photo. Let us know what happens!
Book now and get up to P250 off!
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
51C Scout Rallos St., Quezon City
+63 2 351-5115
Scout’s Honor – Century City Mall
This one deserves an honourable mention just by looking at it. Located at the Hole in the Wall, Century Mall, Scout’s Honor serves a variety of specially made desserts to cater to your daily craving. Aside from these afternoon delights, you can also find their signature coffee and craft milk to go with these offerings.
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: Take advantage of dishes with a lot of texture. This specific dessert is perfect if you want to go for that texturized approached. It has both curved and fluffy surfaces with complimenting rough and jagged edges. Just be playful with these things. Experiment on which angle you want to use because all angles would look good with symmetric food. It also helps to have repeating patterns as your background to give more spotlight on the dessert.
No reservations accepted
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
4/F Hole in the Wall, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Ave., Makati
+63 2 887-2698
Honey Creme – SM Aura
Will you be the Honey to my Creme? Get your Taiwanese fix of organic soft-serve ice cream with the prettiest toppings that would make a great Instagram post. This is probably one of the easiest desserts to photograph because of the nice combination of colors that the toppings put on the ice cream. Depending on your mood, you can choose from Caramel Popcorn, Organic Cotton Candy, Rock Salt Dark Chocolate, or even Raw Honey.
TIP FOR INSTALIKES: Another macro shot approach was done here to emphasize a foreground and a slightly blurred background. Again, we get to notice the extra details that we don’t usually see (mainly because we end up eating it right away). Putting the dessert at eye level while zoomed in is perfect for desserts with a lot of toppings.
No reservations accepted
View the full menu
View their Instagram account
4/F SM Aura Premier, 26th St., BGC, Taguig
Generally, it’s good to get up close when taking food shots. It becomes more appetizing for your audience when they see the dish right away as compared to seeing it from afar with a lot of other distractions. Having the top view with hands and utensils seen in the photo may work aesthetically, but a close up shot is recommended (just make sure you get the right focus).
Talking about photography altogether will take you months to master. It’s not as easy as pointing and shooting away. There are concepts like the rule of thirds, finding the light, etc. that make pictures more pleasant. You also need to find the purpose of the shot and get a message across as compared to just pouting your lips and applying all the filters on your face. If getting the right photo stresses you out, just enjoy the moment and savour the taste of that mouth-watering dessert.
At the end of the day, just ask yourself: “Whatchu gonn’, whatchu gonn’ do with that dessert?”
Kim Kardashian is not to be trusted.
