The cafe name says it all, F for Fabulous! This cafe is housed at the newly opened F1 Hotel at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. The hotel is a franchise from world renowned hotelier, Best Western International.

Best Western hotels are known for modern and edgy interiors and at the same time tasteful. F1 Hotel did quite well on this.

F, located at the hotel’s 5th level is also a sight to see. It will certainly not fall short in your expectations as it has almost 300 courses and desserts in a spread to satisfy your palate. F restaurant sports a light and relaxed atmosphere with tables positioned with the glorious view of the pool deck.

The cafe serves buffet breakfast, lunch and dinner and like any other buffet, the courses change daily.

Gorgeous Furniture pieces at F1 Hotel

Dining in a buffet could be tricky because you easily get overwhelmed with all the food you see and end up full at your 2nd course.

With F, the concept is simple and well sectioned, most of the dishes are separated per type and helpful chefs are stationed to serve you.

My best tip on buffet dining is to eat less rice or pasta and go though each dish section by section, that way you make sure you tried everything the cafe offers.

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The Oakroom International Restaurant is located at the 6th level of Oakwood Premier Joy Nostalg Center in Ortigas and it’s a haven for culinary cravings spearheaded by Chef Jerome Cartailler.

From November 7-27, 2011 Oakroom together with the US Department of Agriculture and Robert Mondavi Wines will hold the Great American Taste Festival where in you will be able to taste the richness of good old American cuisine paired with the right wine from no less than the winery of Napa Valley’s finest, Robert Mondavi.

For most Filipinos, wine is reserved for special occasions and pairing it with food is a rare indulgence but as culinary experts start to ease us to the goodness of proper wine pairing, many Filipinos embrace wine as part of their meal. Did you know that a glass or two of red wine a day will do your body wonders? Of course, moderation is still key to a healthy lifestyle.

Let’s learn a few tips on how to taste wine:

How to Taste Wine

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Simply Thai Restaurant

Indulge your Thai cravings at the new restaurant at Greenbelt 5 called Simply Thai. Owned by the same group of the successful Thai at Silk in Serendra, Executive Chef Cecile Chang-Ysmael yet again left no stone unturned for this newest endeavor, giving the classic Thai cuisine a modern-contemporary approach.

Her passion for Thai dishes is infallible, constantly in search for the best ingredients and supplies in her second home, Bangkok, to bring authenticity to Filipino diners and weary travelers who craves for a hearty Thai meal that only she can serve best.

Your Thai cravings will surely be satisfied with wide ranges of soup, salad, stir-fried dishes and many more. To name some of their bestsellers are the appetizing Yam Som O or the Pomelo Salad, North Thai Steak in jim-jaew sauce, Lamb Shank Mussaman Curry, Pork Stew in Coconut Juice, Choo chee Roti, Sriracha buffalo wings, and the famous air-flown Dungeness Crab in three sauces. The spiciness level can be adjusted to your liking.

Bar, Simply Thai

Complete the flavors of Thai with a brewed Thai Green Milk Tea, Thai Milk Tea, Lemongrass and Pandan Juices. Relax and take a sip of some cocktails which are the first in Manila such as Lemongrass Martinis, Thai Choco Dream and Melodious Mangorita! The quaint restaurant comes with a circular bar for diners who prefer to lounge outdoors.

Let Simply Thai give you the whole Bangkok experience in one amazing night with your family and friends.

Simply Thai accepts booking for events, private parties and the like, with a choice of main or garden al fresco dining in Greenbelt 5. Call 7290860 or 7296860 for reservations.

*Written by resident NomNomClub writer Renz Alcantara.

OpenRice Philippines has made the art of dining a breeze. They have been operating for less than a year but they have gotten an overwhelming response from Filipinos nationwide.

OpenRice Philippines

OpenRice Philippines is an online dining guide which provides reviews and ratings from registered Openricers. Openrice was first founded in Hong Kong in 1999 and late last year, the Philippines launched Openrice.com.ph.

OpenRice Philippines provides a convenient platform to search for restaurant options complete with the restaurant profile, reviews from registered Openricers, photos, etc.  It is also a venue for foodies like us to share our views and opinions on restaurants that we’ve visited.

All reviews submitted at the Openrice Philippines website are moderated and approved by the staff. This is to ensure that no spammy or malicious reviews will be posted.  On a restaurateurs’ point of view, Openrice provides demographics of their customers and thus they can further improve their services. Also, it is an opportunity for them to promote their businesses and to interact with their customers.

Last May 18, 2011, OpenRice Philippines held its first mini eyeball with their top OpenRicers. We were treated to a burpilicious lunch at Chelsea restaurant at The Poduim. It was an intimate but fun luncheon meet up where the staff finally touch based with their star viewers and raters.

They also hold contests and promos from time to time to keep Openricers interested and inspired to submit restaurant reviews.

Chelsea Restaurant at The Podium

Some of the OpenRicers present were awarded with gadgets such as Blackberry, Flip, etc. for being the top raters and for winning OpenRice contests.

I invite everyone to register at www.openrice.com.ph and win awesome prizes when you SHOOT, EAT & WRITE at OpenRice!

This is your resident NomNomClub writer, Renz Alcantara saying, FOOD is an important part of a balanced diet so EAT MORE and BE MERRY.

iParty maybe new to your ears but truth is, you’ve been throwing iParties for ages! iParty is a term coined by the Ginebra San Miguel peeps which pertains to the gathering you shared with your friends and relatives – be it a celebration of life, a graduation party or just a Friday night jamming at your favourite tambayan.

A few nights ago, I joined fellow party-ready bloggers in an iParty, celebrating the creation of new Ginebra  Flavors.

Ginebra Apple Flavors

The Ginebra Flavor Mixes are sinfully sweet and surprisingly light. But mind your intake because the gin could jump right at you after a few drinks.  I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t savor the initial taste as I thought it would be similar to many of the less-premium gin brands out there. Boy, was I wrong!

The burn going down was minimal or none at all and there was no need to chase the shot with a lime or a chaser. I caught the hint of green apple and lychee too!

Ginebra Lychee Flavors

There are 2 main flavours- Ginebra Apple Flavor and Ginebra Lychee Flavor.  We have tried the following Ginebra Flavors mixes and went home happy!

Ginebra Lychee Kiss and Applerita

Ginebra San Miguel Flavors

Ginebra Flavors is affordable, a  700mL bottle will only cost you P60! It’s currently available at Puregold, Ministop, 7-11, Andoks , South Supermarket and some areas on Ortigas. However, Ginebra Flavors will not be sold on bars. It’s supposed to be enjoyed on the comforts of your own tambayan with family and friends.

Being an inexpensive drink,  Ginebra Flavor is also one of the most refreshing, vibrant, and enjoyable drink I have ever come across. I bet it goes well with many different pulutans as it helps to clean the palate. I am getting all of my friends ‘hooked‘ on it and you  and your friends could try it too!

*Author: Renz Alcantara

** Drink Moderately

Italian inspired table design

Hello there, I’m Renz of Pinay Mommy ADreamer, and I was given a huge, huge, huge privilege to be Nomnom’s guest writer. Let me share with you an Italian inspired tasting experience that I had a few days ago. So, prepare your appetite to be stirred and read on…

Would you agree that the best thing to start your weekend is to spend Friday nights with a great crowd, sharing good food and wine?  Of course, I do. It might be my first and last conversation with the people I met on that night but I’m sure glad I met and shared a lot of fun experience with them.

Perfect Italiano Chef

Food bloggers were escorted to a place where tables and chairs were decorated with masks and Italian inspired plates.

To start the night and to whet our appetite, we were given Bruschetta topped with Romano cheese, Mozzarella cheese (both from Perfect Italiano), honey and olive oil.  Also served was wine that went perfectly great with the appetizer. After a few pleasantries, the hosts asked us to be seated and be comfortable as the tasting experience began. It was an 8-course Italian-inspired fine dining prepared by Chefs JJ Yulo and Namee Jorolan of Pinoy Eats World.

Salad with Perfect Italiano

All dishes served were made a notched yummier by Perfect Italiano cheese. And boy was I a happier gal after that hearty meal.

First on the menu was a simple salad made unique with strawberries, Romano cheese, arugula, romaine lettuce drizzled with delicate vinaigrette.

The saltiness of the Romano cheese went well with the tanginess of the vinaigrette and the strawberries.

Pizza plus with Perfect Italiano

The “Pizza Plus” was topped with mozzarella cheese, red bell pepper wrapped in a crust topped with freshly picked vegetables with melted cheese on top. It’s so perfect for a meatless treat for everyone!

Chiz Soup

Creamy Soup made even creamier with cheese (by Perfect Italiano). A new comfort food if only I’ve asked Chef JJ Yulo the recipe. But I tell you, it was so pleasant it made me think of the days when we stayed home and kept warm during stormy weathers.

Red Bell Pepper with Cheeses of Perfect Italiano

I didn’t know that a simple red bell pepper baked with all kinds of cheeses in it tastes so good. Or maybe it’s because of Perfect Italiano? It was sweet and salty at the same time creamy. I usually don’t like red bell pepper but I enjoyed the dish so much I finished all of it in a wink of an eye.

The biggest hit for the night was the Clam Soup. It was clam with Tuguegarao longganisa bits in cheesy soup mixture. It was a surprise for everyone how well the cheese blended with the taste of the longganisa and the clam.  Hold on to your seats because we’re just half way through this delectable experience. Of course at this point I was high in energy and happiness with my glass of sparkling wine.

Clam Soup with cheese

Italian-inspired dinner is not complete without pasta, so pasta was also served. It’s not your regular pesto or alfredo pasta because the sauce was creamier and tastier by combinations of melted cheese mixed with olive oil and some herb.

The pasta was lethal because it could easily make you feel full and heavy. No wonder serving was small.

Cheesy Pasta

The main course was Lamb with Potatoes (Top Photo).

The lamb was so tender that it kind of melted in your mouth and I didn’t taste the usual after taste of lamb meat either. There was also no excessive nasty smell from the lamb which I am very particular of.

For dessert we were served Bananas with Nutella sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.

Okay, you must wonder where’s Italy on that….I wondered the same thing but I was so happy with it that it didn’t matter anymore 

Banana in Nutella and Cheese

That ends my Italian-inspired food experience with Perfect Italiano and Pinoy Eats World! I must say that each individual dish was a crowd pleaser and everyone went home with a happy stomach and a smile on their faces. I know because I sure did.