Kape't Torta

If you asked me what my merienda of choice would be, I’d answer with what this Queens restaurant specializes in. Kape’t Torta, or coffee and cakes, serves, well, the name kinda says it all. In this case, the cake is a soft, spongy one also known as mamon in certain regions of the Philippines and while I like plain best for maximum airiness and dunkability, you can also get an ube version that has a bit of ube jam inside or yema. This goes with the other half of the equation: a bold cup of kapeng barako, a coffee native to the Philippines that’s strong enough to get you through the afternoon (barako means “stud” or “wild boar”) and can only be found in the few cafes that import it. If you prefer denser cakes, try their take on the pan de regla. Attempting to translate “regla” for you would probably violate rules against vulgarity so I’ll let you just Google how this pie filled with scarlet bread pudding got its name.