Entries Tagged 'French' ↓

We Filipinos are very familiar of festivals. With more than 7000 islands here in the Philippines, just imagine the number of festivals we celebrate in a year. Do we think that’s enough? Apparently, one cannot have too many festivals. On the 13th of October 2011, Appetite, together with Shangri-la Mall presented the Appetite Restaurant Festival to food writers, food photographers, food bloggers, and every kind of food enthusiasts.

Pages' Deli Meat Platter

Before going to the Appetite Restaurant Festival, I have prepared myself for a night of feasting so I did some chores which required walking from one mall to another. Finally, hungry from all that walking I headed to Shangri-la Mall for the upcoming festivities at the Appetite Restaurant Festival. Oh boy, did I have plenty to feast my eyes and mouth!

Cravings' Chicken A La Pobre

By now you might be thinking “what kind of festival is cooking at Shangri-la Mall”?

That was also my question when I arrived at Shangri-la Mall so I first stopped by at C2 Cuisine which I later learned is also one of the participating restaurants in the Appetite Restaurant Festival. The friendly C2 Cuisine staff instructed me to go to the ground floor where the Appetite Restaurant Festival will be held. I was thirty minutes early which is a good thing because I had all the pleasure of taking pictures of the different food selections at my pace.

I also had time to think about what to eat and try. There are lots (and I mean lots to choose from) and one can easily feel prey to gluttonous indulgences. After reaching the end of the station for pictures, the beginning of the festivities started.

Appetite Restaurant Festival Passport

Airplane Flight Theme

Apparently the theme is an airplane flight and that the guests are the passengers. Each passenger is given a passport which they have to show to each restaurant station for them to partake what the restaurant is offering. After the passenger receives his or her food, the passport is stamped which means that you have visited that station already. Apparently return visits were discouraged that time to accommodate other passengers.

Appetite Restaurant Festival filled the Shangri-La Mall Activity Area

By the way, the head flight crew is Sam O who donned a sexy flight attendant outfit. She introduced the representatives from Appetite Magazine and Shangri-la Mall who welcomed all the guests to try this one stop shop at the Appetite Restaurant Festival. The idea for the Appetite Restaurant Festival is to enjoy different cuisines coming from different locations: Asian, Mediterranean, American and European in just one stop which is Shangri-la Mall.

The Best from Classic Cuisine - C2

Lemongrass

What do I think of the concept? I love the idea! This is simply because it gives me choices on what to eat. I have a few favorite restaurants from the participating restaurants like Cravings and C2 Cuisine but I can’t go there every time. At the Appetite Restaurant Festivals I can still get something from the restaurants I frequent to and at the same time try also something new from other restaurants in just one stop. You have the elements of convenience and variety going on in just one location. I can imagine Sunday lunches with family or birthday celebrations being spent in the Appetite Restaurant Festivals.

Dessert Time!

It gives you that Sunday feeling of a laid-back eat-all-you can one-stop shop like the one in San Lorenzo’s place or the Sunday Market at the Lung Center (now moved somewhere!) but inside the mall. So for people who want to enjoy the comfort of an air-conditioned room with the feel of Sunday market menu, I highly recommend trying the Appetite Festival Restaurant.

Other participating restaurants include Lemongrass Asian Bistro, Cafe Provencal, Crustasia, Cyma, Pages, Pepper Lunch, Clawdaddy, Green Tomato, Secret Recipe, Pho Hoa, and Sing Hainanese Chicken House.

Appetite Magazine Dinner Event

Good food from Clawdaddy

I haven’t been back to the Appetite Restaurant Festival but I told the boys we ought to try it out after we get back from our diving trips. So far I want to know who has tried it too. Have you?

What was your experience during the Appetite Restaurant Festival? Drop me a link, a comment, or anything! I am really interested to know what you think of the Appetite Restaurant Festival.

If you’re looking for a new chill-out place without the pretensions of being cool-and-all-that, Big Bad Wolf is the place to be at.

Big Bad Wolf in Fort Bonifacio

Effortlessly, the relaxed and homey setup of Big Bad Wolf just makes you feel at home and in the company of your favorite friends with good food. This is what I felt the first time I went there and got to meet 2 of the three owners, Neil Paras and Ponch del Rosario. 

I wasn’t really expecting to meet them since my meeting there was supposed to be with the people of Brieo Deals. Anyhow, it was a good chat. I came to know  that all three were high school buds who had a common goal of establishing a restaurant just like how they envisioned Big Bad Wolf now – cozy, good ambiance, and great food.

Speaking of great food, they serve different preparations of steak, grilled meat, pasta, light meals, and appetizers they call little plates.

Best of all, they also serve the not-so-usual preparations of dishes we know. I’m can be a little adventurous when it comes to food so I do appreciate restaurants who creatively comes up with new fares to gear away from the usual stuff which can become boring in time.

Let the photos and names sell themselves (Top photo is Santol-smoked Pork Belly with Dirty Rice). 🙂

Potato Skins with Boursin Dip (P120)- highly recommended

Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup (P230)

Fresh Tuna Wrap with Wasabi Mayo (P220)

Honey-Soy Glazed Chicken Wings (P170) - I call this the Big Bad BonChon Chicken Wolf. 🙂

Poached Egg Carbonara Pasta - very good while it's hot

Goat Cheese & Chorizo Rolls (P240)

Bacon Wrapped Middle Eastern Dates (P280) - I loved this specially if you prefer it sweet

Peppered Chuck Steak (P490)

Dorado Fillet Wrapped in Bacon (P350) - for bacon lovers

They just had a promotions deal with Brieo Deals last month, but you can get updates form their Facebook page as well.

Big Bad Wolf
G/F Fairways Tower, 5th Ave. Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
+632.822.5833

Big Bad Wolf Restaurant Interiors

Tell your closest friends of this new hideaway called Big Bad Wolf, tucked quietly at the back of Fairways Tower at the corner of 5th Avenue and McKinley in Fort Bonifacio, share some wine or beer, and enjoy the night.

NomNom got an invitation from DOLE for a cook-off challenge last month. Although I wasn’t one of the challengers as much as I wanted to be, tasting the Dole tomato sauce-inspired dishes prepared by Chef Jeremiah de Belen Favia from then QTV11‘s Healthy Cravings and Ka-Toque Lutong Barkada, was a delight.

First in the recipe set was the Cherry Tomato and Eggplant Ragu Penne. It was a simple penne pasta dish but made special with the lycopene-rich thick sauce of Dole tomato sauce. This was the same dish prepared on the spot for demo by Chef Jeremy.

Cherry Tomato and Eggplant Ragu Penne

This was followed by the Chili Con Mushroom Over Herbed Baked Potato.

Chili Con Mushroom Over Herbed Baked Potato

But what I liked best was the Dory Braised in Dole Tomato Sauce. I usually like saucy dishes such as these. The fish meat got the right texture and the flavor was enhanced further by the sauce.

Dory Braised in Dole Tomato Sauce

“Dole advocated healthy living through our products and activities. For this event, we like to highlight that being healthy should be part of our love for food, and this event highlights that it is easy to be healthy,” adds Poch Zenarosa – Dole Philippines’ Packaged Foods Division Product Manager.

Chef Jeremy in the Dole Cook-Off

The Challengers in the MIHCA Kitchen

MICAH Waltermart Makati

The Dole Cook-Off Challenge was held at the Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) in Waltermart Makati.