Entries Tagged 'Appetizer' ↓

A bonfire is not only found at the beach front encircled by a group of people for an activity, it is also a new restaurant where people can gather for a simple get-together or a  celebration.

Bonfire Restaurant

Replacing Sumosam at the Greenhills Town Center, Bonfire Restaurant opened just a few months ago offering straightforward comfort-food. Although they are slowly getting known for their steaks and baby back ribs, I love them for their pizza more.

Here is a straightforward list of Bonfire dishes you shouldn’t miss: at Bonfire Restaurant

1. Shrimp, Mango, and Alfalfa Salad

Start your meal right with the Shrimp, Mango, and Alfalfa Salad (P185) as appetizer. It’s a handful toss of fresh shrimp, mango, and alfalfa salad combination good for 2 persons. It will clean your palette ready for the main dishes.

Shrimp, Mango, Alfalfa Salad

2. All-in-One Pizza

The All-in-One Pizza is similar to the super supreme pizza which you are familiar with, only better. Topped with ground beef, olives, button mushrooms, bell pepper, and more, It’s a really tasty treat priced at P340 per serving.

All-in-One Pizza

3. Bonfire Grilled Chicken Pizza

And when you thought you already had All-in-One Pizza above, it just gets better with the Bonfire Grilled Chicken Pizza (P295). The chicken strips complemented well with the cheese on thin crust highlighted by the brown sauce you can see from the photo. I wasn’t able to confirm though if this was some kind of barbecue-related sauce.

Moreover, it was odd to find grapes slices on a pizza but they’re not bad at all. This is actually the flagship dish in this list; at least for me. It was not named after the restaurant for nothing.

Bonfire Grilled Chicken Pizza

4. Pan Seared Creamy Dory and Spinach Fillet

And now for the first main dish – the Pan Seared Creamy Dory and Spinach Fillet. Seemingly shy and covered with crispy spinach leaves, the soft dory came with a rich cream sauce and mashed potatoes on the side.

Although a bit expensive at P305 for its size, the taste and symphony of flavors made it all worthwhile.

Pan Seared Creamy Dory and Spinach Fillet

5. Baby Back Ribs

And now for the big boys, you should not leave Bonfire without having a serving of their Baby Back Ribs. The pork ribs are delightfully tender smothered in rich hickory barbecue sauce. It will remind you of your mother’s home-cooked recipe.

It is also served with mashed potato, sweet corn, and some veggies on the side.This one goes for P385 per serving.

Bonfire Baby Back Ribs

Bonfire Smores

Desserts

A meal is not complete for NomNom Club with out desserts. So we tried Bonfire Smores and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake.

The former had chucks of roasted marshmallows in between graham crackers topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzles of chocolate syrup. P125 per serving.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

I prefer the latter however. Although it is almost doubly expensive at P210, the cheesecake-and-cream melody was almost perfect and light. It was a seemingly suitable ending for the heavy pizza and ribs.

Bonfire
Greenhills Town Center (near Gilmore corner Aurora Blvd)
#2 Granada St., Barangay Valencia, Quezon City

Chef Tristan Encarnacion

Cheers to head chef Tristan Encarnacion of Bonfire restaurant. I’m certainly going back even just for the pizza!

With the opening of the new Bonifacio High Street Central last year, new restaurants found a home. One of which is the first Village Tavern branch outside of the United States.

Crispy Clams (P375)

Brought by the Bistro Group to the Philippines with interiors that greet customers with a mix of old tavern yore and hunting lodge, Village Tavern has been one of the most visited restaurants in the area.

And in celebration of one year of serving salads, chicken, pork, and steaks, Village Tavern is has updated its menu recently and gave you another reason to come back for more.

Let’s start with the appetizers:

Fully Loaded Romaine Heart

This serving of salad consists mainly of romaine lettuce and generous blue cheese dressing topped with crispy bacon, red onions, and tomatoes. I think the blue cheese is responsible for the P425 price tag. 🙂

Fully Loaded Romaine Heart (P425)

Crispy Clams

The Crispy Clams is a handful of crunchy niblets of baby clams. The lazy need not worry as they come without shells, ready for consumption. Spice it up a bit with the spicy lemon dip.

Afterwhich you can cleanse your palate with some salad on the side. A serving costs P375.

Roasted Bone Marrow (P295)

Roasted Bone Marrow (Top Photo)

Hold your horses as you are greeted with a huge ‘Roasted Bone Marrow‘. Not a usual appetizer in our common restaurant table, the bone marrow lovers are in for a treat as the half opened bone marrow is ready for scooping – something not recommended to those literally ‘faint of heart‘.

But if you are a bit more cautious or just want to try it out, you could always minimize its health impact by having it with the sourdough bread and apple cider vinegar dip on the side.

Health issues aside, the roasted bone marrow (P295) gets the double thumbs up!

Other small plate offerings you could try are the Spicy Garlic Chicken Wings, and Shrimp Balls with Cilantro Lime.

Main Dishes

And for the stars of the night – the main dishes – Village Tavern offers an exotic Ox Cheek with Truffle Mash and Poached Onions, Kansas Ribs, Lapu Lapu with Pico de Gallo, Cod Fish, Lamb Rack, and the 35-ounce Tomahawk.

We were able to try the latter three and here’s how it went:

Cod Fish

Cod Fish (P525)

Lamb Rack (side view)

The Atlantic cod fish was pan-seared with Spanish chorizo and garlic, and served on a bed of salt roasted potato.

Although I think the fish meat turned out a little tough on our table, it still tasted good and complemented well with the chorizo and garlic.

Don’t forget to squeeze the lime. The serving size is good for two people and costs P525.

Lamb Rack

The Lamb Rack (P675) is the first of my two favorites of the night. With enhanced aroma care of the infused Rosaemary, the lamb was tender and juicy and served with green peas and mint.

Lamb Rack (P675)

Tomahawk 35oz

Tomahawk 35 oz. (P2895)

At P2,895, it should be good, no, very good. And it did not disappoint.

My second favorite of the night was aged, hand-cut, and grilled. Although the Tomahawk beef rib eye steak can be a bit more juicier, the prime cut meat was fork-tender.

The whole 35-ounce steak had a good browning on the outside as well.

Dessert: Frozen Lime Souffle

Frozen Lime Souffle (P295)

We ended the night with a dessert called “Frozen Lime Souffle” which was a layer of light and airy lime infused with frozen souffle.

It was topped with candied lime and walnut powder.

The dessert is ideal for those looking for desserts that are not too sweet. It was a good break from my usual desserts. Price tag: P295.

Chef Josh Boutwood of The Bistro Group & NomNom

The price point of Village Tavern is definitely upscale, nonetheless commensurate to the quality of the food and restaurant service.

Taste the love of these dishes by Chef Josh Boutwood, corporate chef of The Bistro Group. Give the Village Tavern a visit at the 2nd floor of Bonifacio High Street Central.

Crystal Jade Dining-in

If you’ve been to Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao in Greenhills, then you might already have an idea what to expect from the newly opened Crystal Jade Dining-In Chinese restaurant in Bonifacio High Street Central, Bonifacio Global City.

But you are not entirely right. Although almost similar in name, Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao focuses in dimsum while Crystal Jade Dining-In offers authentic Cantonese cuisine.

Starting w/ the appetizer

Having started in Singapore before expanding to foreign lands, Crystal Jade restaurant has already been known for years for its authentic Chinese cuisines with a twist and exquisite food.

For the unfamiliar, here are some dishes we tried from their menu a week ago:

Baked Bo Lo BBQ Pork Bun

The Baked Bo Lo BBQ Pork Bun (180/3pcs) is good appetizer that is a bit on the ‘heavy’ side. But you wouldn’t mind it with the tasty oriental style BBQ pork in a  soft bun baked in Hong Kong style bo lo crust.

Baked Bo Lo BBQ Pork Bun

Crispy Duck Sandwich  & Shredded Duck Fruit Salad

Appetizers are most flavorful in Chinese restaurants so much so you can mistake it for a main dish. And the Crispy Duck Sandwich (P680) is one example.

It has eight slices of bite-size duck meat with crispy skin on top. Although not indicated in the menu, it is actually a Peking Duck.

It is also served with a generous and creamy shredded duck fruit salad on the side which complements the crunchy duck sandwich.

Crispy Duck Sandwich

Sauteed Prawn & Scallop with Chicken and Assorted Mushroom Served in Pumpkin

The pumpkin is certainly a looker with a mixture of prawns, scallops, chicken, and assorted mushroom filling.

As complicated as it looks, it is actually a simple sauteed dish. What makes it good are the necessary fresh ingredients (such as the prawns and scallops) and the interesting variety of mushrooms. A perfect dish for mushroom lovers.

I’m not sure though if the pumpkin can be requested to be sliced and served. I didn’t dare ask at that time. 🙂 A small serving costs P680.

Sautéed Scallop & Prawn with Chicken & Assorted Mushroom served in Pumpkin

Braised Pork with Special Sauce + Bun

If you’re Chinese, you’ve certainly had this dish one time or the other.

Their braised pork (P350) looks similar with most Chinese restaurants but certainly tastes among the best. Served with toasted or steamed bun (also known as kua pao), you can put the sweet pork in between. Don’t forget to put a lot of sauce in it.

Surely, one kua pao will not be enough for this dish. Feel free to order another with only a few bucks.

Braised Pork with Special Sauce (served with bun)

Double Boiled Crab Claw Soup with Superior Mushroom in Fresh Coconut

This is the highlight of the day. I haven’t had a dish like this in any Chinese restaurant I’ve been to for the past 34 years.

The Double Boiled Crab Claw Soup with Superior Mushroom in Fresh Coconut (P480) is exactly as its name describes. Served in a half-open young coconut shell, the light-tasting broth was boiled once before it is put in the ‘buko‘, and boiled again while “in” the ‘buko‘ shell.

The crab claw is gigantic and meaty while the mushrooms are perfect with the broth. You can actually put this towards the end of the meal as a great pallete cleanser as well. :p

Double-boiled Crab Claw Soup with Superior Mushroom in Fresh Coconut

Chilled Avocado Pudding & Pomelo

The Chilled Avocado Pudding (P180) is a refreshing break from the flavorful dishes we just had above. The soft pudding will be loved by everyone from kids to adults. The pomelo bits give an interesting texture as well. It’s a bit overpriced for me though.

Chilled Avocado Pudding & Pomelo

Dessert Time!

Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Taro

For a buchi lover like me, the Glutinous Rice Dumpling (P160/3pcs) is a welcome dessert. Although without the external sesame seeds, it is covered with coconut shreds whose texture complements the taro filling.

Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Taro

Crystal Jade Dining In
Bonifacio High Street Central,  Taguig City
Contact Nos. (+632)808-5233; (+632)519-8191
11 am to 11 pm

Crystal Jade Dining-In

For someone who is used to eating Chinese food for most of his life, Crystal Jade Dining-In offers both Chinese and non-Chinese palettes an interesting take on most of our usual Chinese menu. It has your regular favorites, new dishes, and at the same time offers new ones with interesting twists as well. Albeit at a higher price point than your regular Chinese restaurant, a trip to Crystal Jade Dining-In will be worth your while…and bill.

Starbucks Asian Dolce Latte in clear glass (not served in clearglass in actual Starbucks branch; for visual purposes only)

06 March 2012, Philippines - ‘What is Asian coffee?‘, you may ask. That actually kept me thinking. If Europe has their espresso and the Americas got the cafe Americano, Asia seems to drink from the sweeter side of the cup, albeit retaining the strong coffee flavor.

With that in mind, Starbucks highlights the unique flavor of Asia this new month of March with the introduction of the locally inspired Asian Dolce Latte since yesterday.  Add to that a revelation of the new food items, and finger sandwiches:

Asian Dolce Latte

Asian Dolce Latte (T/G/V- ₱115,₱130, ₱140 )

Starbucks puts an Asian twist to their line with the smooth textured latte with sweet dolce sauce combined with freshly steamed milk, topped with velvety foam.

Don’t forget a double-shot of the premium, dark-roasted Starbucks® Espresso Roast.

The uniquely flavored dolce sauce is a blend of different milk that gives the coffee a smooth and rich velvety texture.

Iced Asian Dolce Latte

Iced Asian Dolce Latte (T/G/V- ₱125,₱140, ₱150 )

The Asian Dolce Latte also has a cold counterpart known as Iced Asian Dolce Latte.

It is made with fresh milk, ice layered with roasty shots of espresso and topped with espresso whipped cream plus a dash of espresso dusting.

– – –

New Starbucks Food Items

Dark Chocolate Turtle Cake (slice-₱120, whole-₱1350)

This is a moist and dense chocolate buttermilk sponge cake layered with caramel pecan fudge on a chocolate cookie pecan crust, covered with dark chocolate icing. Highly recommended by NomNom for its chocolate factor!

Dark Chocolate Turtle Cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Éclair (₱85)

It’s a delicious and decadent pastry filled with creamy and velvety chocolate hazelnut cream custard. Make sure to pair it with a hot  tea or coffee!

Chocolate Hazelnut Éclair

Crab Stick Salad On French Butter Croissant (₱120) [Top Photo]

Flaky and crisp, this croissant is filled with a creamy crab stick salad, chopped crunchy celery and hard-boiled egg with hints of wasabi. Filling and good!

Kung Pao Chicken Wrap (₱155)

Chicken breast cubes, fresh asparagus strips, carrots, tomatoes, ginger, onions and garlic sautéed in a sweet soy sauce then sprinkled with roasted chopped peanut go hand-in-hand as a package wrapped in pita bread. East meets west.

Kung Pao Chicken Wrap

– – –

New Finger Sandwiches

Forest Ham And Monterey Jack Cheese On Brioche Loaf Bread (₱110)

Simplicity is the keyword. This sandwich holds a Forest ham and Monterey Jack cheese on a soft sweet bread loaf.  A great light snack for those who want a quick bite.

Forest Ham And Monterey Jack Cheese On Brioche Loaf Bread

Salmon And Capers On Parmesan Bread (₱110)

Salmon spread meets tart chopped capers with lemon juice, cucumber and parmesan cheese. This sandwich is loaded with heart-healthy omega 3 fatty-acid.

Salmon And Capers On Parmesan Bread

Cheesy Egg And Bacon Salad On Simple Bread (₱110)

There’s always room for the classics! The egg salad is made cheesier with a twist of bacon in bits sandwiched in between a simple soft pair of bread.

Cheesy Egg And Bacon Salad On Simple Bread

Make sure to drop by at a Starbucks Philippines branch soon as the new Asian Dolce Latte will only be around until May 14, 2013!

Jalapenos and more!

No, this is not an advance Valentine’s Day post. It has nothing to do with Valentine’s Day, actually. 🙂 The Bistro Group of restaurants, known for their international and casual dining brands, has just launched their latest campaign called “Taste the Love.”

Taste the Love

Taste the Love is not a promo per se, it’s about inviting diners to taste the love behind their every restaurant concept launched. The campaign celebrates a series of milestones for The Bistro Group including:

• the opening of 50 restaurants spread across the 12 resto concepts
• the appointment of Corporate Chef Josh Boutwood
• the launch of its Premiere Card.

BBQ Pork Slider from Village Tavern

The Bistro Group of Restaurants

12 Restaurant Concepts

Modern Shanghai is one of the four freshest name in the group which brings authentic recipes in a homey environment. Village Tavern, Watami, and Ma Maison, completes the group having come from the US and Japan ( for the latter two).

The Bistro Group of restaurants is composed of TGI Friday’s, Italianni’s, Fish & Co., Flapjacks, Pig Out!, Krazy Garlik, The Stock Market, Bulgogi Brothers , and the previously mentioned restaurants.

But within the 1st quarter if 2013, expect the US-based Chuck E. Cheese’s to be the 13th as it opens at the New Glorietta soon.

Village Tavern Bonifacio High Street, Philippines

Apple-Carrot Juice

Chef Josh Boutwood

Chef Josh Boutwood

Together with the arrival of Chef Boutwood is the launch of new dishes as well. Among the favorites in the list are Sesame Teriyaki Chicken Wings, the Fully Loaded Sweet Potato Skins (Village Tavern), and the a la carte Katsu Menu (Ma Maison). NomNom Club‘s favorite is the Black Pizza (black due to the squid ink mixed with the dough), also from Village Tavern.

Penne with Pesto from Italianni’s

The Premiere Card

The Bistro Group Premiere Card will offer multiple discounts up to 40% off the total bill; complimentary appetizers, coffee, and tea; as well as birthday treats for the cardholder.

In addition, for February, The Bistro Group is offering an exclusive deal for Citibank cardholders. From February 4-7, cardholders will receive 50% off food and beverage orders worth at least P2,500, with a discount up to P5,000.

Ms. Lisa Ronquillo

“Taste the Love is not just about food. It’s about the heart and the passion that goes into everything we do, from our concepts to our locations to our service to of course, our food… we allow our customers to taste the love from the moment they get hungry and think about our restaurants to the time they have polished off every bite,” says Lisa Ronquillo, AVP Marketing of The Bistro Group.

‘Taste the Love‘ from all the Bistro Group of Restaurants starting this 2013! I wonder what other upcoming deals, menu items, and treats they will dish out soon?

Top Food Blogger Anton Diaz at the Cucina Andare Opening

We often visualize trucks as big nasty vehicles on the road. The nearest I could associate it with food are the fruit-delivery trucks from the provinces or the ones used by caterers and big restaurants.

But the Philippine foodie scene just got better as the group behind Mercato Centrale night market, led by Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet and author/celebrity RJ Ledsema, brings the US concept of food trucks to the Philippines. Hence, Cucina Andare was born two nights ago.

Cucina Andare Food Truck Finds: (L-R, T-B) Brother’s Burger, Bundaberg Apple Ale, Chicken Waffle, Beef Shawarma Plare

Mexicombi (Van)

Just in time for the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, the Cucina Andare food truck market is located at the Glorietta Park in front of Greenbelt 3, Landmark, and Makati Shangri-La Hotel. It will be open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 4pm– 3am for the whole of December which started Last December 14, 2012.

It brings together specialty and gourmet food trucks, new and innovative food, drink and pastry vendors from home-based food businesses from around Makati plus some live acoustic performances.

“The food truck is a staple in the American foodie scene…There are now popular gourmet food trucks in San Francisco, New York and Australia, and people follow them wherever they go. We believe it’s about time that food trucks make their debut in the Philippine foodie scene,” shares top food blogger Anton Diaz.

Upper Left: Hungry Rover’s UD Beef Kofta Sliders (Mini Burgers) made of grilled patties, veggies, choice of sauce, and cheese in baked buns with chips on the side. P110

They also launched the Food Truck Association of the Philippines during the opening of the market to encourage more food trucks vendors and related innovative ideas. I think this is the start of a new niche in the Philippine food retail industry.

And what did NomNom Club do there? What else but to eat! And here are our TOP FINDS from the first Philippine food truck market :

1. Gab Sobrepena’s Shawarma Bros Shawarma Truck
   

   Shawarma Bros

2. Hungry Rover truck by Romeo, Joseph, and Voltaire
   

   Hungry Rover: Check out their US Beef Tapa Grilled Wraps for P120

3. QKebab Shawarma Truck by Chef RJ Ungco
   

   QKebab Shawarma Truck by Chef RJ Ungco

4. Brothers Burger Gourmet Burger Truck
   

   Brothers Burger Gourmet Burger Truck

5. Bundaberg Ginger Beer
   

   Bundaberg Ginger Beer & Other Variants

6. GuacTruck Taco Truck – a partnership with the Big Chill
   

   GuacTruck Taco Truck – a partnership with the Big Chill (lower right)

7. MioGelati Gelato Truck
   

   MioGelati Gelato Truck

Best Food Truck

Since the new food truck market is so eye-catching, we can’t help but compare and judge them.  The best-tasting food for the night came from Shawarma Bros courtesy of the Beef Shawarma plate while the Best Food Truck Design goes to QKebab Shawarma & Shawarma  Bros.

QKebab Shawarma Truck

Beef Shawarma Plate by Shawarma Bros

On the other hand, the Best Food Truck Experience belongs to the Hungry Rover truck which even have a dining area inside the truck (good for about 8 people.) for the complete food truck experience.

Hungry Rover Truck

Other food establishments who participated in the food truck market include Mexicombi, Chicken Waffle Haus, Taclings,  Top Dog  Best Hotdogs on the World, Cakes by K, Carlo’s Kitchen, Petra & Pilar, the Spanish Club, and Chef Resty’s Roast Beef Carving Station, among others.

B. Wings creates a unique mix of buffalo wing variants

Taclings’ small malunggay tacos for about P120 a dozen

Cucina Andare Food Truck Market

Know more about Cucina Andare Food Truck Market via www.facebook.com /CucinaAndare and @CucinaAndare on Twitter. Contact them at admin@CucinaAndare.com or 09178401152. See you there again next Friday!

XinWang Hong Kong Cafe

XinWang Hong Kong Cafe in SM Mall of Asia is turning a year old in the Philippines next month. I’ve always seen and passed by this restaurant beside IMAX but it was only last week when I first dined-in.

It was upon the prodding of Marj and her friend from XinWang that I was finally able to try the place. We’ve seen this as well in Singapore last July.

It was a late lunch for us on a week day so we almost had the whole XinWang restaurant to ourselves. The interior was cozy and well-lighted, it was easy to the eyes.

New Menu (same as in SIngapore)

It also came to our knowledge that the restaurant refreshed its menu last October while retaining most of its best sellers. This development was in-sync with it’s international franchise from Singapore. Yes, I thought about that too – a Hong Kong cafe from Singapore which we are trying in the Philippines. To make it more trivially interesting, there’s not one branch in Hong Kong, but they have several in Singapore. 🙂

Iced HongKong Milk Tea (P75)

Back to the menu. For the unfamiliar with Hong Kong cuisine, one would find the new menu a bit overwhelming as it was a combination of Chinese specialties, pasta, western food including burgers, a number of sweet desserts, and a gamut of beverages including milk teas, as expected.

But giving it a second thought, this is how Hong Kong food is – a mixed bowl of different culture dominated by Chinese tastebuds with a huge influence from the West. XinWang Hong Kong Cafe‘s new menu certainly reflects that.

So instead of getting overwhelmed, just enjoy the variety and take it one step at a time. You don’t have to try everything in one sitting.

Mango & Prawns Roll (P100)

And this is what we did. We tried a bit from the different pages of the menu.

Chicken Chop Cream Sauce Spaghetti (P245)

For the appetizers, we dared the oriental combination of prawn and mango in a soft roll. At P100, we got three – not bad considering the prawn content. The taste was ok but it could be enhanced. It has great potential, nonetheless.

This was followed by the Chicken Chop Cream Sauce Spaghetti. Basically, your good Carbonara pasta with a quarter of a chicken on the side. The cream sauce spaghetti was good but the chicken tastes better, I would order it again because of the chicken. At P245, you’re getting a fair deal.

With an effort to go healthy, we ordered the stir fried minced Kai-Lan with Silver Fish. At P220, it was a good try as the dish was not a common fare in regular restaurants and it tasted fine as well.

Stir Fried Minced Kai-Lan with Silver Fish (P220)

XinWang Stir Fried Noodle (P235)

Recommended Dishes

The stars of the day came in at the latter part. The XinWang Stir Fried Noodle is recommended at P235 for its ‘sahog‘ which consisted of seafood and veggies.

HK Braised Beef Brisket with Bamboo Rice (P215)

The HK Braised Beef Brisket with Bamboo Rice comes highly recommended. This was the best fare for the day for it’s authentic-tasting beef brisket. At P215, it was a good deal.

The desserts were also not a disappointment. I think we were lucky enough to get the good ones in such a series. 🙂

The Mango Pudding with ice cream on top is a treat for the sweet lovers. Highly similar to ice kachang, the price of P85 is at par and competitive with Lugang‘s. I’d suggest though that you order this for a group of 3 or 4.

Mango Pudding with ice cream (P85)

The French toast should be relabeled as ‘Big French Toast‘. The huge serving was like a three/four slices loaf packed into one. Covered with beaten egg yolk and fried, the butter melt atop was a sinful delight; best shared in a group.

French Toast (P95)

Coconut Cream with Sago  (P145)

Finally, you should not miss the Coconut Cream with Sago. The price tag of P145 might seem a bit steep but the tastes makes up for it. It is also good for two servings.

It’s a hot serving of rich and thick coconut cream with small tapiocas to merit. It may be too sweet for some but this is just how coconut creams are. Best paired with your favorite buchi covered with toasted sesame seeds. 🙂

It was a good and filling lunch at XinWang Hong Kong Cafe. Check it out beside SM Mall of Asia IMAX. You’ll surely not miss its banner lights and brightly-lit advertisements.

XinWang Hong Kong Restaurant

Although our editor-in-chief has been to previous UTT, Clasrissa and I were first-timers and excited to be “food critics” for a day in the recent Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test 2.

The Fruit Garden

Knowing that there would be 40 different food stalls to try at the Rockwell Tent, we had to craft a plan so we can try everything just like how our EIC made it in last year’s Ultimate Taste Test. I couldn’t imagine how to go through each and every booth so I told Clariss that we should start with main dishes such as pork, chicken, and other meat down to the desserts and beverages.

Frisch Liquor Ice Cream

We were given a set of food tray, a pen, and a map with a grading sheet with the names of the participating vendors. It’s actually our passport to every food stall. We don’t have to finish all the stalls but it would be an awesome experience if we do!

The Scoring System:

• 1 – Thanks, but it could be better
• 2 – It’s Okay
• 3 – We had a good time!
• 4 – I love it!
• 5 – Awesome! I would recommend!

Bayani Brew

The UTT management has made it very comfortable for the “food critics”, there’s enough space, drinking water dispenser and disposable plastic cups.

On my list, I actually had 12 different food stalls with a grade of 5, but will shorten it the Top 10. Let me share our great food finds with a grade of 5 at UTT2.

1. Hillside Ranch
o This is one of the most scrumptious meat entrée in UTT2. To be honest, I’m a little picky when it comes to meat. I always want it juicy, moist, flavorful but definitely not salty, and most of all tender! Available in two variants, the corned beef brisket an my favorite  slow roast beef belly. Unfortunately, they are not available in major supermarkets but you can buy them at Trellis in QC and Essel Supermarket in San Fernando, Pampanga (the province where they came from – a place famous for good food).

Hillside Ranch

2. Carlo’s Kitchen
o The crispy, crunchy goodness of Carlos Kitchen pork belly goes very well with a bottle of San Miguel Beer! I got to try it when I visited Mercato Centrale about few months ago. The flavour, which is not too salty, and the crispiness remain the same. Crunchy belly is good for “pulutan” (finger food or appetizer). I almost forgot my favourite Bulacan chicharon!

Carlo’s Kitchen

3. Baked by Anita
o Known for their delicious cupcakes, Baked by Anita surprised us with their newest offering – a flavourful savory pie called the “Wild Mushroom Gruyere & Truffle Oil”. The truffle oil made it more appealing to the palate.

Baked by Anita

UTT would not be complete without dessert such as creamy and irresistible ice cream, cakes, pastries and smoothies. Here’s my take on their dessert & beverage section.

4. Blue Togue
o When it comes to desserts, I highly recommend Blue Togue! Initially, I was hesitant to try the cakes and pastries since I had some cheesecake overload the past few days. As of this writing I still have two boxes of Conti’s cakes in my fridge. Nonetheless, their Nutella Mouse Cake looks so divine I can’t resist! And yes, I was bewitched with its moist and creamy chiffon. I highly recommend Blue Togue!

Blue Togue’s Nutella Mouse Cake

5. Matasami Flavoured Shave Ice
o This one is definitely different from other flavoured shave ice I tried in the past. I never thought it would be so smooth, so luscious, so creamy and so delicious! I tried two flavors – the Swiss Cheese and Langka, in favor of the former. The owner was very generous offering us to try other variants but I had to refuse. Perhaps on my next visit, I will try the Hawaiian Shave Ice and their liquor syrups.

o Matasami can be found in: SM Mall of Asia, Robinsons Galleria, Glorietta 4 Cinema Level and soon at Robinsons Magnolia.

Matasami

6. Villa Del Conte
o I’m already familiar with Villa del Conte as boyfie once gave me a box of these luscious, rich, premium chocolates.

Villa Del Conte

7. Saint Alps
o They served us their refreshing Blueberry Double Chocolate which was outstanding!

Saint Alps

8. Bayani Brew
o Bayani brew offers interesting and healthy beverages. I tried their Lemongrass Pandan Iced tea and Purple leaf tea Iced tea. Guess what is a purple leaf tea? It’s actually “talbos ng kamote” (kamote tops)! Interestingly, it doesn’t taste like kamote tops. However, the lemongrass pandan is just like a regular brewed iced tea but I liked it nonetheless! Each bottle costs P35.

Bayani Brew

9. Pinkberry – They served us Coconut Pinkberry and made us choose 3 toppings. It had a good balance of tanginess and sweetness to crave for.  Check out my separate post on Pinkberry.

10. Mochi Sweets

o A soft and not-too-sweet mocha dessert goes well with a cup of hot tea. Since we’re already full, I paired it with Nescafe Dolce Gusto Cappuccino.

Mochi Sweets

With a wide variety of food, I never thought I would be spending almost four hours at UTT2.

Other interesting food items are the Hokey Pokey Ice Cream from New Zealand Natural, Frisch Liquor Ice Cream, Maria’s Ilocos Empanada, Chef Anton, Lulu Belle, & the Plaza.

Bake Buddy

The Plaza

Nutella Rocks

On the other hand, there were two food stalls that I had to visit twice because they run out of food – Chief Wings and Chow Fun. The latter offered us their interesting chocolate butchi.

* Story and photos by Marjorie Pineda of www.livingmarjorney.com

New Zealand Natural

Maria’s Ilocos Empanada

Nescafe Dolce Gusto

Those are my Top 10 food items from Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test 2! I was so full I had to skip dinner that night.