Lorna is known throughout Metro Manila as the “Queen of Banquets.” When she caters, guests are guaranteed to be wowed. That’s why the feared food critic Sir Donatello hired her for his 10th wedding anniversary at a five-star hotel in BGC. There was no budget limit. The only condition was that the centerpiece of the evening could not be made to go wrong: the six-tier, edible gold-leafed French dark chocolate truffle cake worth half a million.

Everyone was busy in the kitchen. The chefs were rushing to plate the wagyu beef, while Lorna was like a general giving orders. In the midst of the chaos, there was Pipo, her nephew’s new assistant. Pipo was kind, hardworking, but always adrift. His only job was to guard the chiller where the truffle cake was hidden and make sure it was safely brought out when the host gave the signal in the grand ballroom.

The program was perfect. The famous guests were full of dishes. When the string quartet played, it was the signal for the cake cutting. Lorna took out her earpiece.

“Pipo, standby the cake at the entrance. On my mark, bring it out,” Lorna ordered firmly.

“Yes, Tita!”

The lights went out and a dazzling spotlight focused on the large double doors of the ballroom. The door opened and Pipo emerged pushing an elegant silver cart covered in thick velvet cloth. As she walked the red carpet, all the cameras were on. Every guest was ready to take a picture of the most expensive cake in the Philippines. Lorna stood near the stage, a big smile on her lips, feeling the approaching success of her career in the food service industry.

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“Ladies and gentlemen, we present… the masterpiece!” the host shouted.

Pipo pulled at the cloth at the same time.

In an instant, Lorna’s smile disappeared. Instead of a towering chocolate truffle cake wrapped in gold, what sat on the cart was a slightly burnt, slightly askew, and very simple cassava cake still inside a crumpled aluminum foil tray! There was a deafening silence throughout the ballroom. Not a single breath was heard from the guests.

Sir Donatello looked at the cake. Pipo was pale and his hands were shaking as he held the cart. Lorna ran towards the stage, ready to kneel, cry, and hand over her resignation letter.

“Sir Donatello, I… I can explain…” Lorna stammered.

But Donatello raised his hand to stop her. He took a fork, slowly took a slice of cassava cake, and carefully took a bite.

The billionaire closed his eyes. When he opened his eyes, tears were streaming down his cheeks.

“How did you know?” Donatello whispered, his voice trembling. “I’ve been looking for the perfect blend of my late mother’s cassava cake in the countryside for twenty years. The burnt crust, the sweetness of the macapuno… this is it. This was my favorite when I was a kid before we got rich. Thank you so much for this wonderful gift for my anniversary.”

The entire ballroom applauded. The people cheered, amazed by the extreme ‘artistic contrast’ Lorna had created—reminding a powerful man of his humble origins instead of showing off with gold. Donatello immediately declared that he would give the entire catering team a large cash bonus.

After the event, inside the kitchen, Lorna immediately rushed to the trembling Pipo.

“Pipo, tell me right now! What happened to the truffle cake we worked so hard for?! And where did you actually get that cassava cake?!” Lorna asked in a panic while panting.

Pipo scratched his head, fear evident on his face.

“Auntie, I slipped in the loading bay earlier, the truffle cake fell and was completely ruined. I was so panicked, I ran outside to look for something to buy. But there were no open stores! I just saw an old man on the corner selling leftover cassava cake so I immediately bought one hundred pesos so I could take something out.”

Lorna’s eyes widened at what she heard.

The next morning, Donatello made a downpayment of two million for another event in exchange for one strict condition: he wanted cassava cake again.

Lorna’s big problem was that Pipo never saw the mysterious old man on the sidewalk again even though they had been looking for him every day.

Lorna hasn’t slept well since that night. The kitchen, which used to smell of expensive saffron and truffle oil, has become like a food factory. There are piles of grated cassava, gallons of coconut milk, and sacks of sugar. They’ve tried everything—different brands of coconut milk, different types of sugar, even the oven temperature, they’ve played around just to get the “burning” perfection that Sir Donatello is looking for. But no matter what they do, nothing works.
“This isn’t it! It’s too soft!” Lorna shouted as she threw their fiftieth trial into the trash. “Pipo! Have you found the old man yet?”
Pipo came closer, trembling, obviously exhausted from wandering around BGC and Makati. “Auntie, I’ve been going back and forth to the loading bay, to the corner, to the Market for three days! Market! I’ve walked. There’s nothing. The old man disappeared like a bubble.”
Lorna turned pale. The two million down payment is sitting in her bank account, but it’s like a curse hanging around her neck. If they can’t deliver the right flavor for Sir Donatello’s upcoming “Founders Gala” next week, it’s not just money that will be lost. Her reputation as the Queen of Banquets will be ruined. She’ll look like a “one-hit wonder” who can’t stand up to her own “masterpiece.”
With every bite of the cassava cake they’re making, Lorna’s despair grows. Something is missing. An ingredient that can’t be bought at the supermarket. A mixture that only the mysterious old man knows.
Page: SAY – Story Around You | Original Story
The night of the Founders Gala arrives. The most powerful people in the country are there. Lorna is wearing her best chef’s jacket, but underneath it is a fast-paced heartbeat that feels like it’s about to explode. They still can’t find any old man. The cassava cake prepared backstage was the “best version” they had made in a week, but Lorna knew it wasn’t the original.
“Lorna, where’s the star of the night?” Sir Donatello began as he approached the catering area. With him were his business partners who seemed to be waiting for a miracle. “I’m telling you, this cassava cake will change your perspective on Filipino food.”
“It’s on standby, Sir,” Lorna forced a smile.
Her eyes searched for Pipo. He hadn’t been by her side for a while. “Pipo!” she whispered into the earpiece. “Where are you? Let’s serve!”
“Auntie, just a moment! I’m on my way! I just got something ready!” Pipo breathlessly replied on the other line.
The dessert service had begun. Small plates of cassava cake were brought out one by one. As the waiter approached Sir Donatello, Lorna’s world seemed to stop. Donatello looked at the cake. He looked at the color. He smelled the aroma.
He took a bite.
Everyone was watching. Everyone was waiting. Donatello chewed slowly. Suddenly his forehead furrowed. “Lorna,” he called seriously.
“Sir?” Lorna approached, ready to admit everything and apologize.
“This… this is the exact flavor. But… something is different,” Donatello said. “Why does it seem to have a note of… cheese that I didn’t taste before? But it tastes even better! How did you find that old one?”
Pipo suddenly entered the ballroom, sweating profusely, and carrying another tray. But instead of being scared, he was smiling now. After the event, as they were cleaning up, Lorna couldn’t hold it in any longer. She grabbed Pipo by the arm.
“Pipo, tell the truth. Did you find the old one? Or did you come up with a new recipe?”
Pipo took a deep breath and looked around to make sure no one was listening. “Auntie, there really isn’t a mysterious old man.”
“What?! What are you talking about last year’s anniversary that you just bought on the corner?!”
“Auntie, that’s true… the night I ruined the truffle cake, I was so scared. But I remembered, I had some baon that Mom made with me. She sent it to me before I went in because she knew I liked cassava. That’s what I put on the tray just so I could get something out. I’m just ashamed to admit that we only fed the billionaire the assistant’s ‘baon’, so I made up a story about the old man on the corner.”

Lorna was stunned. “You mean… my sister did this? Lita?”
“Yes, Auntie. That’s why I disappeared earlier, I picked up Mom from the province. She cooked it in our kitchen while you were busy panicking. She also added a little cheese because that was Papa’s request when he was still alive.”
Lorna sat down on a chair, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. The secret they were looking for was not in BGC, but in the simple kitchen of her own sister who she hadn’t visited in a long time because she was too busy with her career. What she thought the end of her career had become a bridge for their family to open their doors again.
“Auntie,” Pipo whispered. “Mom said, if you want, she can supply you. But you have to increase my allowance.”
Lorna laughed out loud, a laugh full of relief. “Tell your mom, it’s not just supply. I’ll make her Head of Pastry for all our local desserts. And you, Pipo…”
“Po?”
“Don’t ever make truffle cake again. Just focus on bringing the baon.”