Entries Tagged 'Nomnom Loves' ↓

Kapitolyo Food Trip: A Stone’s Throw Away from Avida

I had lived within the vicinity of Kapitolyo in Pasig for a year or two sometime between 2001 to 2004. It was already a foodie haven back then. Home-based food establishments can be found left and right and I used to have a simple dinner in a street corner restaurant called Cafe Juanita.

Spam Sandwich Waflle from Milky & Sunny

Spam Sandwich Waflle

Ten years later, surrounding towns have  developed such as the nearby community of Avida Towers Centera along Reliance Street. A stone’s throw away from the Kapitolyo food streets, Avida Towers Centera is a residential condominium located at the corner of EDSA, Reliance, and Mayflower Streets.

Kapitolyo Food Tour

Last weekend, a day before the recent typhoon Maring devastated parts of Metro Manila, we had a day of food tripping around Kapitolyo together with some guys from Avida Land. I immediately noticed that there were a lot of new food establishments, with some replacing even formerly non-food establishments.

Milky & Sunny

First stop was Milky & Sunny for our breakfast. With interiors in the theme of baby-blue and white, it really sets you in the mood for the morning sunshine. Milky & Sunny had just opened in October of 2011 and I’m loving their fluffy soft waffles and tasty-toasty french toast.

Milky & Sunny in Kapitolyo Pasig

Milky & Sunny in Kapitolyo Pasig

I ordered the Choco Hazelnut French Toast (P150) and Spam Sandwich Specials (P150). The others ordered the famous Breakfast Platters which is a big plate consisting of a choice of three from bacon, hotdog, sausage, spam, and corned beef. Then add a choice of bagel, toast, waffle, or pancake. And finally, take a choice of scrambled egg or sunny side up. The big plate also includes hash potatoes.

Although I found the combination of their Spam and egg in the ‘Spam Sandwich‘ a bit too salty together, the Choco Hazelnut french toast was a good one and is worth coming back to.

Chocolate Hazelnut French Toast

Chocolate Hazelnut French Toast

Since it would be crazy to immediately jump to Poco Deli for lunch, we found it a perfect time to check out the model units of the nearby Avida Towers Centera. Check out my photos of Avida Centera here.

Poco Deli Kapitolyo

Poco Deli Kapitolyo

Poco Deli

Giant sausages, bacon rice, and bacon slabs were the celebrities for lunch.

It was raining different kinds of sausages in our table inside Poco Deli. It gave me flashbacks of the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” which I watched recently through ClickPlay app.

Anyhow, our group made sure we ordered different entrees so we can try out as much. I ordered Mom’s Pot Roast (P320) while the rest had a German Sausage Platter/sampler, Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice, and Beef Stew, among others.

Although my order didn’t came through, I told the waiter that it was ok since I had enough from tasting all the entrees around me and was satisfied.

Blackout Chocolate Cake (lower left); Italian Sausage with Cheese (right), White Mountain Cake (upper left)

Blackout Chocolate Cake (lower left); Italian Sausage with Cheese (right), White Mountain Cake (upper left), Citrus Delight (upper right)

The German sausage platter is a good idea to share in a group of 3 to have some guide on what to order next. Bacon lovers should try the Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice (P320) [TOP PHOTO]. For a change, have your bacon in chunks. I had high expectation from the bacon rice. But it turned out to be a simple cup of rice with generous sprinkles of bacon bits on top. I think it’s ok, I just expected a lot.

Although that was a  let down, you should not miss the Citrus Delight (120). A bit citrus-y and sweet, it was ultimately refreshing. Make sure to press on the orange slices and stir well so you get maximum pulp bits with every sip.  Pizza, pasta, cold cuts, cheeses, and gourmet sandwiches are the other options.

The desserts were also a killer. The Blackout Chocolate Cake(P155) is aptly named and will get all praises from chocolate lovers, most probabaly. If you are not, the other cake behind is tamer – the White Mountain Cake (P150).

Poco Deli has another branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens, or so their poster says. Checking that out is something I look forward to.

Charlie's Grind & Grill

Charlie’s Grind & Grill

Charlie’s Grind and Grill

Natural-Cut French Fries

Natural-Cut French Fries

Straight from lunch, we headed to the next for merienda [snacks] (yes you read that right). That’s what we did all day – eat; this is a food tour after all.

Store design wise, don’t expect much from Charlie’s. It is beside a car wash station which I think also belongs to the owner. That says it all. But believe it or not, their menu board consists of Black Angus Burgers, Wagyu CheeseBurgers, natural-cut french fries, and related burger variants with a commanding price of P200 up for each burger.

But what caught my fancy most was something I saw for the first time in all the burger joints I’ve been to – the San Miguel Beer Burger. I knew at that moment that I’m not going to leave this place without trying that Beer Burger.

And so I did.

San Miguel Beer Burger

San Miguel Beer Burger

 

Wagyu Cheeseburger with Mushroom

Wagyu Cheeseburger with Mushroom

10 minutes later, it came as served by a rowdy-looking but courteous waiter. Even before you take a bite, you can smell the hint of beer right from the aroma. I uncovered the top bun first and a slew of seemingly sauteed onion and mushroom greeted me. This was followed by the bacon, the meat patty resting on a huge fresh onion and the usual burger conspirators.

I had a bite, turned my tongue upside down and back. Aside from the burger patty, I can taste a hint of beer even with the onion and mushrooms. This was confirmed by the server. It had griddle mushrooms, bacon baked onions, cheddar cheese, mayo,  SMB BBQ Sauce , and the toasted beer bun.

At P350, it is not cheap but worth the experience and having the right to say “I have tried a San Miguel Beer Burger“. It tasted good too! 🙂

Needless to say, I didn’t have to eat dinner that night.

Avida Towers Center 2-Bedroom Model Unit

Avida Towers Center 2-Bedroom Model Unit

Avida Towers Centera

In a similar way, the lifestyle being offered by the Avida Towers Centera to its future residents are filled with dynamic activities and food scene such as the Core @ Centera for the fitness and sports buff, the Hub @ Centera for the techie, the Peak @ Centera for a magnificent views of the cityscape; the Serenity Park @ Centera for the peace seeker, and the Shops @ Centera for the city dweller. Know more about Avida condominiums via www.avidaland.com and www.facebook.com/AvidaLandCorp, or call (+632) 848 5200 (within Metro Manila) and 1-800-10 848 5200 (outside Metro Manila).

And that was my fattening Kapitolyo Food Trip last weekend. The following days of being stuck at home, care of typhoon Maring, didn’t help in burning all the calories I gained. 🙂

Milky & Sunny Pancakes

Milky & Sunny Pancakes

Kidding aside, it was great to discover these new foodie spots in nearby the residential area of Avida Towers Centera and the Kapitolyo food scene.

This. is. life.

Kopiko L.A. Coffee: Low Acid Coffee for Hyperacidity

Kopiko L.A. Coffee Nutrition Facts

Kopiko L.A. Coffee Nutrition Facts

I have a new discovery on instant coffee.

I’m a moderate coffee drinker who usually just have it for the morning breakfast at home and occasionally in the afternoon at coffee shops like Starbucks and Figaro while blogging.

It’s my wife who’s more into coffee. She can have as much as 4 cups in a day on average. However, since she developed a medical case of hyperacidity, she had to consciously moderate her coffee intake to about half from her usual capacity.

The Kopiko L.A. Coffee Discovery

Kopiko LA Instant Coffee

Kopiko LA Instant Coffee

So we are glad to know about the new Kopiko L.A. Coffee, short for low acid coffee mix, with a special low acid formula using selected grade one coffee beans and utilizing a controlled roasting process. I guess it’s somehow like the special process used by Mr. Bean Philippines in making their soya uric-acid-free.

The label says that this gastric-friendly instant coffee is ideal for people with medical conditions related to the digestive system, sensitive stomachs, and high-stress jobs.

My wife and I have been drinking it daily during breakfasts for almost a week now and we liked it as the coffee taste does not linger on the sides of the mouth even after drinking it. So far, it hasn’t triggered her hyper acidity either.  Each sachet of the instant coffee contain non dairy creamer and sugar.

Kopiko Low Acid Coffee

Kopiko Low Acid Coffee

Moreover, we split one sachet into two cups every morning, one for her, one for me. Perhaps if you want a stronger flavor, you can mix one whole sachet in a single cup. SRP is at P6. I’m not sure if it’s available in other packages, but we got the pack with 10 25g sachets. Kopiko L.A. coffee is distributed by TriDharma Marketing Corporation and manufactured by PT Mayora.

Try the Kopiko LA Coffee yourselves and share with us your thoughts in the comments section below. 🙂

Happy Birthday Mr. Bean!

No, it’s not your favorite British comedy television program that continues to make you laugh even if you’ve watched it for 10x already. 🙂 It’s the Philippine franchise of Mr. Bean from Singapore!

Mr. Bean Eastwood

Mr. Bean Eastwood Mall

Mr. Bean is a famous soya chain brand in Singapore serving healthy and fresh soya milk, creative ice blended soya drinks, chilled taho, and more.

In the Philippines, Mr. Bean has been here since last year and they’re celebrating the 1st anniversary of their first branch in Alabang Town Center today. They have since expanded with three more branches in Eastwood Mall in Quezon City, Lucky Chiantown Mall in Manila, JP Morgan Net Plaza Building, and in McKinley Venice Piazza in Taguig by June 2013.

Mr. Bean Eastwood

Yesterday, me and my wife were able to try for the first time the best of what Mr. Bean has to offer in their Eastwood Mall branch.  They invited us over in advance for their anniversary promos we will discuss in a while.

Classic Soya (Cold)

We were able to try the cold classic soya milk as a refreshing treat from walking inside the mall. The regular size costs P55 while the large one is P65. I suggest you get the regular one, unless you decide to share it with someone, since I find the regular cup already filling enough.

If you’re a bit more adventurous and wants some flavor with your soya, then you’ve got a myriad of choices among watermelon, papaya, melon, honeydew, and mango from the Fresh Fruity Soya category. (P75-85 for Regular; P85-90 Large)

If you’re not into fruits and want it more icy, you’ve got the classic, strawberry, chocolate, mocha, and lychee variants from the Icy Soya category. (P75-90 for Regular; P85-100 Large)

(Left) Watermelon Fresh Fruity Soya, Classic Milk Soya (cold), Soya Beans (Right) Mr. Bean Pancakes

(Left) Watermelon Fresh Fruity Soya, Classic Milk Soya (cold), Soya Beans (Right) Mr. Bean Pancakes

Lychee Ice Soya (P90 R) with Lychee Pop Add-on (P20)

Lychee Ice Soya (P90 R) with Lychee Pop Add-on (P20)

Lychee Icy Soya + Lychee Pop

Just like the add-ons in milk tea shops, they have pearls, chocolate fudge, caramel fudge, and lychee pop which you can have together with your drinks or any of their products for that matter. It all costs P20 per add-on serving except for the pearls which is P10.

So we tried adding the intriguing Lychee pop which was said to give a light burst of lychee flavor in your mouth since the pearl-like sago ‘pops‘ in your mouth. We added it to the Lychee Icy Soya and the result is pretty interesting.

It reminded me of Figaro’s popping boba which they offer with their milk tea offerings as well. I’m sure the Lychee Pops will click with the kids.

Watermelon Soya

My wife got the watermelon fresh fruity soya (P75 regular). I guess what’s particularly special with Mr. Bean’s soya drinks is that they don’t use syrup. They use fresh fruits and blended it with your soya drink. You’ve got to understand though that the soya have the tendency to dilute the fruit flavors so don’t expect a strong fruit taste. Just like with the watermelon, the soya taste was still the dominant flavor, just with a hint of watermelon; hence the pink color.

Among the three, the Classic Soya Milk is still my most recommended Mr. Bean drink.

The Food – Pancakes!

Cheese Pancake

Cheese Pancake (P60)

If you’re a fan of Japanese pancakes like I do, then Mr. Bean pancakes are for you too!

We got to try the cheese and kaya pancake variants and the latter was a clear winner for me. The cheese pancake actually contains cream cheese which is also good. It’s just that the kaya filling is the traditional Kaya Singaporeans usually have for breakfast. Something like the equivalent  of Filipino’s love for coconut jam.

In fact, I have tried the same kaya pancake from a Mr. Bean store in Singapore when I first visited the country back in August 2008. It was a memorable one because it was my first international trip and the kiosk immediately caught my attention then.

The pancakes also come in peanut butter and chocolate flavors. All costs P60 each.

Kaya Pancakes

Kaya Pancakes (P60)

Lastly, it would be interesting to note that the flour they use for the pancakes is also infused with the same high-quality soya from North America and used in all Mr. Bean branches in Singapore and other countries including the Philippines.

Soy Ice Cream

Soy Ice Cream (P80/cup)

Soy Ice Cream

One of the  surprises for me yesterday was the soy ice cream! Yes, a soft-serve ice cream made out of soya. I was informed that it is the first and so far the only soya based soft-served ice cream in the Philippines. It costs P80 per cup.

It has so great a concept-potential that franchisers are even considering franchising the soya ice cream concept alone! 😛

I was initially skeptical on how it would taste like. I also felt a bit of a rougher texture than the usual soft-serve ice cream we have in the Philippines but the taste grew on me as I took more scoops and finally learned to love it. I guess you have to try it for yourself as well to fully appreciate what I mean. 🙂

Chilled Taho

I thought it was just an ordinary chilled taho in a plastic container. Well, it is, except for the fact that it tasted awesomely great! I mean how much can a plain taho taste like? My concept of the usual taho we got used to in our youth was challenged after tasting Mr. Bean chilled taho (P45 regular, P55 large).

As plain as it looks, it instantly and unexpectedly became my favorite product from Mr. Bean. I later on learned from one of the owners that they use coco sugar infused with the soya. I also suggested that they could easily and interestingly add flavored variants.

Chilled Taho (P45)

Chilled Taho (P45; Also available as hot / classic (P45 R; P55 L)

Mr. Bean 1st Anniversary

Mr. Bean 1st Anniversary

Uric Acid Free

After having said all these, if you are old or have gout, you would certainly run away from anything soya-based. Interestingly,  Mr. Bean follows a special de-shelling process to remove ‘purine‘ which is the culprit in producing uric acid. So it is a comfort to know that we can actually bring our old folks over and have them enjoy soya as well.

Happy Birthday Treat

As a treat to its loyal customers and soya lovers on their anniversary, Mr. Bean Philippines is having a price rollback to it’s old menu prices today!

Moreover, the first 40 customers today and tomorrow (May 1 & 2, 2013) who visit any Mr. Bean branches can get to win a free gift of either a puzzle kit or Mr. Bean pin strap.

MrBean Special (P75)

MrBean Special (P75)

Mr. Bean
Ground Floor (near Activity area)
Eastwood Mall

I’m certainly going back to Mr. Bean. Maybe my wife and I will try the one in JP Morgan Net Plaza Building since we frequent BGC more.

Hot Soya Milk

Hot Soya Milk

You would notice that the price range is not cheap for a cup of soya drink or the Japanese pancakes which are similarly available in other shops. But don’t forget either that you are paying for the high-quality ingredients, processes, and good tasting products that Mr. Bean have to offer. As they say, you get what you pay for. 🙂

Aside from the ones we tried from the above menu, I am particularly interested to also try  the Mr. Bean Special (black sesame & peanut rice ball) and the hot version of the Classic Soya Milk in our next visit.

Happy Anniversary to Mr. Bean Philippines!

Kinilaw in a Chinese Restaurant: Only in RK Garden

If you think that Jupiter street in Makati is already packed and has almost all kinds of restaurants from the mainstream food industry, think again. A Chinese restaurant called RK Garden along Jupiter corner Antares streets has just opened a few months ago.

Baked Crab

Baked Crab

Brief History

Originally from Tagum in Davao, the owners saw the restaurant’s potential in the busy streets of the metro so they brought it here in Manila. Although I initially felt that the brand name is quite off for a Chinese restaurant, I cannot argue with its historical roots. R stands for one of the owner’s name “Rose“. “Garden” was added by way of habit care of the Davao customers, and moving to Manila somehow persisted the “Restaurant” part.

RK Special Chopsuey (P278)

RK Special Chopsuey (P278)

What Makes Them Unique

What makes RK Garden Restaurant unique are their “kinilaw” dishes. Yes you read that right – kinilaw. I cannot overemphasize the presence of kinilaw in a Chinese restaurant. And specially for a tsinoy like me who is used to Chinese cuisine, it somehow violated my 34-year notion of what dishes should be found in a Chinese restaurant. 🙂

Nonetheless, the presence of kinilaw in this Chinese restaurant has a good explanation  Kinilaw is Rose‘s specialty back in Davao and what they are known for all around town. They are so famous for it that it is also the reason why I will be visiting RK Garden Restaurant again very soon.

Kinilaw Dishes to Order

Having mentioned all that above, I was only able to try two kinilaw dishes; of which I was extremely satisfied. And this is coming from a non-fan of kinilaw, to say the least.

For the uninitiated, knilaw ingredients are usually composed of ginger, onion, lemon/kalamansi juice, and red/green chili, marinated in vinegar and seasoned with salt. Most of the time, kinilaw is served as an appetizer in the Philippines but in this case, the serving is big enough to be one of the main dish.

Kinilaw Malasugi S-P198; L-P396

Kinilaw Malasugi S-P198; L-P396

Kinilaw Malasugi

We had Kinilaw Malasugi (Swordfish Ceviche) /Marlin / Blue Marlin that night. I think what did the trick was the right mix of vinegar and spices; and of course, the fish should be fresh and of good quality to start with.

A small serving of Kinilaw Malasugi costs P 198 ; the large one is P 396. Not too expensive, but definitely not cheap. Nonetheless, it’s worth the price.

Kinilaw Suahe (Top Photo)

They saved the best one for last. I thought Kinilaw Malasugi was already a surprise but  Kinilaw Suahe was even better. If you love shrimps or suahe and kinilaw, this one is truly worth the visit even if you’re from far-off Quezon City like me (former Makati resident).

The price tag of this dish is not indicated because of seasonality, but you can estimate it at about P200/100 grams on a good season.

Other Chinese Dishes

Here are the other ‘Chinese’ dishes (not yet posted above) you would usually expect from a Chinese restaurant. They are good orders as well, specially the crabs although they are expectedly quite expensive.

Century Egg with Seaweed (P180); background: Yang Chow Friend Rice (Large - P276)

Century Egg with Seaweed (P180); background: Yang Chow Friend Rice (Large – P276)

Left - RK Marshmallow Shake (P150); Right - RK Avocado Shake (P150)

Left – RK Marshmallow Shake (P150); Right – RK Avocado Shake (P150)

RK Green Seafood Soup (Small- P298, Large- P596); Background: RK Special Red Iced Tea (P95 Refillable)

RK Green Seafood Soup (Small- P298, Large- P596); Background: RK Special Red Iced Tea (P95 Refillable)

Patatim (P598)

Patatim (P598)

Lapu-Lapu Steamed with Soy Sauce (seasonal price)

Lapu-Lapu Steamed with Soy Sauce (seasonal price)

Fried Spareribs with Salt & Pepper (P298)

Fried Spareribs with Salt & Pepper (P298)

Steamed Crab with Garlic (seasonal price)

Steamed Crab with Garlic (seasonal price)

On a last note (for the owners), the interiors of the restaurant, which unfortunately I forgot to take photos of, has a lot of room for improvement. But we’re letting that pass since their kinilaw is superb! 😛

RK Garden Restaurant
Jupiter corner Antares Streets, Makati City, Philippines
(02) 519 9434 Operations 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RK-Garden-Chinese-Seafood-Restaurant/580510921961852

 

Jollibee Ultimate Burger Steak Meal: “The Champ” meets “The Burger Steak”

This is for the hardworking men and women of today. Regardless from which industry you come from, you deserve to reward yourself from time. This Friday and  weekend is a good start as the salary also just came in. 🙂 Reward yourself with Jollibee’s new Ultimate Burger Steak!

Jollibee Chicken Joy, et al.

Jollibee Chicken Joy, et al.

The Ultimate Burger Steak Meal

From the same food chain who gave you the Chicken Joy, Breakfast Joys, the 39ers, and the more recent Grilled Pork Tenders, Jollibee offers something new for the hefty foodies – the Ultimate Burger Steak Meal.

Without having to wait for 5 to 10 minutes anymore, Jollibee supersized their burger steak meal into a pan-grilled 1/3 lb. CHAMP patty, smothered with mushroom gravy, mushroom slices, and a dash of toasted garlic on top. A bed of crunchy french fries supports the ultimate patty from below while a  a sunny-side-up egg rests on a serving of rice on the side.

For the Ultimate Appetite!

For the Ultimate Appetite! #TheUltimateMeal

Priced at P109 for solo and P119 with drink, I say this is one power-filling meal for the demanding appetite.

NomNom Verdict

Together with a group of foodie bloggers, we got to take first dibs of this new offering in an intimate gathering at their Research and Development Center in Ortigas.

It was a filling treat of 100% Pure beef but it didn’t stop me from being among those who finished the whole serving in just a few minutes (including photo-taking, instagraming, twitting with #TheUltimateMeal, and Facebook-ing; have you seen the photos of Jollibee Singapore circulating around Facebook yesterday? They said it’s located at the 4F of the Lucky Plaza. 🙂 ).

Back to the ultimate story, it’s “The Champ” meets “The Burger Steak” kind of thing and consuming them altogether. 🙂 I was quite hungry then but I held half the rice; the rest disappeared in an instant, nonetheless.

I would also like to share the same sentiment of another food blogger last night – Melo from Pinoy Cravings, that the combination of the french fries and the mushroom gravy (which spills over to the fries) made an interesting combination you might also want to try.

Jollibee Ultimate Burger Steak

Jollibee Ultimate Burger Steak: 1/3 lb. CHAMP patty + mushroom gravy + mushroom slices + toasted garlic+ french fries + egg.

Available all day, come and celebrate with Jollibee the ultimate 35th year anniversary with the Ultimate Burger Steak Meal to satisfy your ultimate cravings! 🙂

 

 

Knorr Sinigang for Christmas Noche Buena

Knorr Sinigang na Tilapia for Noche Buena

Knorr Sinigang na Tilapia for Noche Buena

In a recent interview with the contestants of the MasterChef Pinoy edition, most of the participants agree that spaghetti is the number 1 food choice of Filipinos for Christmas. and I think it is true to my observation.

However, it doesn’t mean we will just settle with comfort food. We can always up the ante of our meals specially during Noche Buena (Christmas Eve feast) which is a special occasion for us Filipinos. One suggestion is the well-loved Filipino dish called Sinigang (Tamarind Soup).

Sinigang

Sinigang

In fact, we just had Sinigang na Tilapia for lunch earlier which my mom prepared using Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix. She prepared a lot so I know we’ll be seeing it again later for Noche Buena. 🙂

A steaming serving of the tamarind-base soup is enough to warm the heart and tummy especially during the cool evenings. Mom put in the traditional mix of tomatoes, kangkong, onion, pepper, and radish. The play of flavors found in a warm pot of Sinigang brings back fond memories with the family.

Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix

Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix

And to make the preparation less taxing, Knorr Sinigang is on hand to bring out the rich sinigang flavor in a convenient way. It is made from real sampalok and available in convenient sachet packs. It can also be mixed with pork or seafood together with gabi and other vegetables.

Holiday Season with Chef Marvin Agustin

Chef Marvin Agustin

Chef Marvin Agustin

Similarly, Chef Marvin Agustin makes sure that he goes the extra mile to offer something different yet definitely familiar to the Filipino palate. He uses leftover lechon as the main ingredient in making his classic sinigang.

“Everyone loves sinigang. We all grew up with it, and with a little creativity and a little help from Knorr Sinigang, you can have a winning dish for the holiday season,” Marvin concludes.

Knorr Sinigang Mix

Knorr Sinigang Mix

So don’t hesitate to have some Sinigang in your Noche Buena! 🙂

City Delivery: My Very Happy Cream Puff Mango Nama Choux

City Delivery Boy

City Delivery Boy

I surprised my fiance two weeks ago with a City Delivery package just before our trip to Batangas to meet more relatives from my side of the family. So instead of the usual meals I order from City Delivery, I tried something for merienda that we can bring on the road – cream puffs from Happy Cream Puffs. It’s one of the brands/vendors under the City Delivery wing.

Happy Cream Puff

It was October 31 and I was just glad that City Delivery was open for delivery that time even when it was the start of a long weekend holiday in the Philippines. I also came to know that they do deliver even at November 1 & 2.

Anyhow, so the surprise went all well as intended.

Happy Cream Puff Delivery

Happy Cream Puff Delivery

Generally, cream puffs are loved by all, being on the sweet side. The caramelized top ones were better, though  more sinful, than that of the plain cream puffs.

I tried different variants that the Happy Cream Puff menu offered but what caught my taste fancy best was the Mango Nama Choux. It was a burst of lovely sweet cream from the inside balanced by the mango fruit slices. Of course, my fiance and I shared ’em and we almost didn’t have enough. 🙂 The bite-size ones were also good for sharing as a box and offered more variations. But then again, the Mango Nama Choux cream puff is NomNom‘s highly recommended order.

Assorted Happy Cream Puffs - Small

Assorted Happy Cream Puffs – Small

Caramelized-top Happy Cream Puffs!

Caramelized-top Happy Cream Puffs!

CityDelivery.ph Online

CityDelivery.ph Online

Online City Delivery Order

I usually order through the phone. This was my first time to try ordering through City Delivery online. After registration where they captured my contact details and delivery address, I was ready to order.

Aside from the usual cash payment option, customers can also use their credit cards. I hope time will come when they would also recognize Paypal as a valid avenue; only a handful of local commercial websites who cater to retail customers accept Paypal payments. For bloggers and netizens like me, Paypal is the easiest, hassle free way to pay online, while keeping the security of my purchases. I believe that day will eventually come.

I’m sharing with you some screen shots which I had to go through ordering as well.

Order Online

Order Online

Online Food Cart

Online Food Cart

Checkout

Checkout

City Delivery Check Out

City Delivery Check Out

City Delivery Hotline

City Delivery Hotline

City Delivery Hotline

The City Delivery number is simply 87878! Or order online through http://www.citydelivery.ph/

Aside from Happy Cream Puff, my other foodie favorites Sumosam, Bon Appetea, Empanada Mas, Crave Burger, Little Asia, Pepper Lunch, Yoshinoya, and Zong, are with City Delivery too. Try ordering from City Delivery hotline today and share your experience as well, good or bad reviews, in the comment section below.

 

Magnolia Cookie Monster New Flavors Revealed

Magnolia Cookie Monster was first released in the market a few months ago together with the Magnolia Ice Cream Best of the Philippines collection. It is endorsed by Philippine teen celebrity Elmo Magalona, son of the late Filipino celebrity rapper and music icon Francis Magalona.

A few months after and with an aggressive marketing, Magnolia, through a media event held at Magnolia Flavor House in the new Robinsons Magnolia mall, announced two new flavors or variants of the Magnolia Cookie Monster in addition to the Choco Classic. The two new flavors are Choco Caramel and Choco Hazelnut. A grand fans day for the  followers of Elmo Magalona was also held afterwards.

Magnolia Cookie Monster,Choco Classic

Magnolia Cookie Monster,Choco Classic

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Caramel and Choco Hazelnut

Yours truly was invited as a blogger to the launch and was able to try the new products.

The packaging design is generally the same as that of the Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Classic but in yellow and red colors for the caramel and hazelnut flavors, respectively.

It’s main thrust is its over-indulgence with chocolate having been made with four different kinds of chocolate from coating to filling. The coating would remind you of the classic Pinipig Crunch because of the rice balls in the coating. I’m not sure if they are also rice crispies (pinipig) and they just changed the name for marketing reasons. You may also be briefly reminded of the Magnum craze, only more conservative (thinner coating).

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Hazelnut

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Hazelnut

Moreover, Magnolia Cookie Monster is filled with a fudgy center filling on the inside, surrounded by chocolate ice cream.

As per the taste, I found the caramel variant too sweet and was not even able to finish the whole choco-stick. For an ice cream lover such as I, my friends would be surprised of this rare occurrence.  🙂

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Caramel

Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Caramel

On the other hand, the Choco Hazelnut (Top Photo) gets the thumbs up for it’s interesting twist on the flavor. It’s not common to find a hazelnut flavor in a choco ice cream bar which retails for only P20. However, the Choco Classic retains it’s top spot on my favorites.

Magnolia Cookie Monster TVC

Tomorrow – October 28, 2012 – the Magnolia Cookie Monster television commercial will be released in major television networks (watch the TVC video in advance here).

Elmo Magalona is still it’s endorser effectively catering to the young market, specially the ladies who usually succumbs to the impulse of buying one of the best comfort food known to man – ice cream. 🙂 And also, the play of words with ‘Elmo‘ and ‘Cookie Monster‘…Sesame Street, anyone?

If you haven’t tried the Magnolia Cookie Monster ice cream bars, you can find them in major supermarkets nationwide specially in Rustans Supermarket, Robinsons Supermarket, and Ministop outlets. Try their new flavors too – the Magnolia Cookie Monster Choco Hazelnut and Choco Caramel and see if my verdicts are right. But of course, don’t miss the Choco Classic which is a NomNomClub.com recommendation for a price-busting P20. Follow Magnolia Ice Cream on Facebook at Best of the Philippines & Magnolia Cookie Monster and Twitter as well at @MagIceCream & @MagCMonster.