La Valeriana
Naked Unicorn Cake
Toffee Walnut Brownie
Tres Leches Cake
In need of a recharge after an early morning flight and hours wandering the streets of Cusco it was at La Valeriana that two guests stopped on Monday afternoon, the space popular with tourists from around the world proving well-suited in its role as a place to relax and linger over Coffee and Dessert.
One of at least two locations in the city that frequently acts as a base for travelers en route to Machu Picchu, the economy a mix of the poor and the privileged with visible disparity, it is at a distance that most will realize that La Valeriana makes no attempt to distinguish itself as a place offering local cuisine, the Pastries all stylish while white and wood décor is similar to what one might see in an advertisement for Pottery Barn.
Laid out left to right, counters and cases full of Pastries backed by bilingual service directing traffic towards a seating area where guests wait for their orders, it was after lengthy perusal that three items were requested in addition to an Americano and Double Espresso, the total of just over 40 Sol a veritable bargain when taking into consideration the size and presentation.
Using locally roasted Beans to their benefit for a Caramel-accented cup of Coffee, the smoothness making for easy drinking without any added Sweetener, it was at the request of the lady at the table that a “Naked” Unicorn Cake was first tasted and found to be moist yet not too heavy, the Buttercream Frosting lightly fruity and in good proportion while both the Brownie and Tres Leches took a less-subtle path to success, the former thick and rich with Toffee balanced by toasted Walnuts while the latter was wet but not soaked and layer-for-layer highlighted by Meringue on top and Manjar Blanco in between.
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