Entries Tagged 'Indonesian' ↓

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

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

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

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

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), 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 and Grill

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

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 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

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.

Gino Quillamor hosted the event last Jan.31 at the new J.CO branch in Eastwood City

Finally, J.CO Donuts in Eastwood City had its much awaited grand opening last week with the prestige of being the largest branch and soon-to-be the first 24/7 store.

(Center) Trina Lim, VP for Operations, Lesley Chan and Alvene Ngo, Marketing Assistants – J.CO CFI Philippines

Sadly, me and my fiance had to miss the opening as it coincides with our pre-nup shoot at Pico De Loro in Nasugbu, Batangas. Nonetheless, J.CO donuts lovers will have another reason not to miss their delectable donuts paired with freshly brewed Italian coffee or healthy J.COOL frozen yogurt treats anytime.

The special media event was also graced by J.CO Donuts and Coffee founder Johnny Andrean who flew in from Jakarta to witness firsthand the growing appreciation J.CO in the Philippines.

The 7th and largest J.CO branch in the Philippines also welcomed JCO executives Mr. Oszen Chan – President, CFI; Mr. Carlos Chan – Chairman, CFI; Mr. Edgar Sia – Vice Chairman, CFI; Mr. Kevin Tan – First Vice President and Division Head, Megaworld Commercial Division, Megaworld;. Trina Lim, VP for Operations – J.CO CFI Philippines, Alvene Ngo and Lesley Chan, Marketing Assistants – J.CO CFI Philippines.

The brains behind the success of J.CO donuts -Mr.Carlos Chan – Chairman, CFI, Mr. Johnny Andrean – Founder of J.CO Donuts, Mr. Edgar Sia – Vice Chairman, CFI and Mr. Oszen Chan – President, CFI

J.CO Eastwood

Moreover, guests were treated to a hands-on making of J.CO’s bestselling donuts – Green Tease, Oreology and Al Capone. In a friendly competition, each guest was tasked to pick a donut of his or her choice then pair it with a beverage to come up with the best “Pair Me Up” donut and coffee combination. Guess what, JM Bueno of Kumagcow.com won that activity which entitled him to free donuts for the entire year.

The first J.CO Philippines branch opened in SM Megamall last year and is now also found SM Mall of Asia, J.CO Greenbelt 2, Alabang Town Center, SM Fairview, Trinoma Mall, and now J.CO Eastwood City.

NomNom with Anton Diaz (right) in UTT

In Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test 2011, NomNom was able to conquer 51 food stalls. How many would this year’s count be? On September 15 and 16, test your appetite and set your own records at Rockwell’s 2nd Ultimate Taste Test happening at Rockwell Tent as brought to us by Anton Diaz‘ Our Awesome Planet together with San Miguel Lifestyle Brews and more.

This two-day food tasting event happens from 11 in the morning up until 9 in the evening of both days. Get to taste samplings from over 40 home-based food businesses, concessionaires, and Power Plant mall establishments as they set up shop to have food lovers, connoisseurs, and foodies, become ” food critics for a day.“

Food Rating Activity

Rockwell’s ltimate Taste Test traditional ratings of the food by the visitors within the scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest, will be one of the event’s highlights. The top performing food stalls with the average rating of 3.8 and above, will be specially features in Anton Daiz’s Our Awesome Planet blog in October 2012.

Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test 2011 Score Sheet

Purchase Tickets

The ticket rates for the tenth (10th) edition of the Ultimate Taste Test  (UTT) is at P585/person/day or P1,000/person for 2 days. This covers the food taste portions and a bottle of San Miguel Super Dry, Premium All-Malt or Cerveza Negra (age 18 and above).

Buy the tickets from Creative Juice Office (Tel. # 5707827) during office hours or Rockwell Customer Care (Tel. # 8981702) during mall hours . You may also email admin@ultimatetastetest.com for questions and inquiries.

Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test 2012

For Interested Food Suppliers

Interested in becoming one of the food suppliers? Email the organizers at admin@ultimatetastetest.com. 

Buy your tickets now as only 1,000 tickets to be sold are allocated per day. See you at Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test 2 in 10 days! 🙂

J.CO Philippines Twitter

If you frequent Greenbelt in Makati, specially the one near the the Cinemas in Greenbelt 3, then you surely have seen the markers “J.CO Greenbelt Opening Soon!” It came true yesterday as J.Co Donuts and Coffee Philippines–Greenbelt  opened with more than 500 free donuts for its customers ‘shared the JCO way.’

J.Co Greenbelt Grand Opening

The grand opening started with a blessing of the branch followed by the traditional throwing of coins. Four members of the improv group ‘SPIT‘ (Silly People’s Improv Theater) were also there to jumpstart the crowd. Celebrities Karylle and Anton Del Rosario of the Azkals were some of the celebrities who dropped by to get some J.Co dounts and coffee.

Celebrities Karylle and Anton Del Rosario of Azkals Dropped by J.CO

Did you know that Karylle’s favorite is the J.Co Green Tease?

Karyll’s Favorite J.Co Donut is the Green Tease

Located just beside Figaro Greenbelt, enroute the entrance of Greenbelt 3 Cinemas, the 3rd branch of J.Co Donuts and Coffee in the Philippines is now giving you another foodie option to take with in the cinemas or simply something to munch on while hanging-out with your friends in the posh gimmick spot.

J.CO Orange Yogurt Frappe

They are specifically located at

J.Co Donuts and Coffee
3/F Greenbelt 3, Makati City

J.Coffee

When you do visit, NomNom recommends his favorite J.Coffee Cappuccino Avocado at Php 120/135 (12oz/16oz). I tried their new citrus-y Orange Yogurt Frappe and Mix Berries Frappe (Php 130/150 [12oz/16oz]) yesterday and it was a refreshing treat. I recommend you get the Mix Berries Frappe.

J.CO Mix Berries Frappe (foreground) Orange Yogurt (background), Tiramisu (donut)

J.Cool

You may also try their J.Cool fat-free frozen yogurt. I got the ‘single’ serve (Php 95) but the best worth-for-money to order is either the ‘couple‘ (Php 140) or the ‘sharing‘ (Php 190) which comes with 3 and 4 toppings, respectively.  I’m not much into the J.Cool Twist, however.

J.Cool Yogurt

J.Co Donuts Recommendations

For the filling doughnuts, get J.Co Philippines‘ signature J.Club Cheezy Rich at Php 45/piece. Pair it up with coffee of the day for Php 110, a cappuccion for Php 135, or an iced chocolate for Php 140.

And of course my favorites almond-topped ‘Alcapone‘ and Avocado Dicaprio (pair this with my favorite J.Coffee Favorite Cappuccino Avocado) should be in your list too.

J.CO Alcapone (left); Tiramisu Donut (right)

J.Co Greenbelt 3

But since yesterday, I got 2 new variants which I just added in my list of favorites- the Tiramisu and Choconuttzy. The latter is ultra yummy!

J.CO Choconuttzy

More J.CO Donuts

J.CO is a popular lifestyle café chain in Indonesia and some parts of Southeast Asia. It first opened in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005 with the thrust to fuse the popular donuts of the West with … touches of the East. Other countries in the Asian region soon got into the J.CO craze, including Malaysia, Singapore and, more recently, Shanghai in China.

JCO Donuts & SPIT

J.CO Greenbelt 3 Grand Opening

J.CO Donuts & Coffee

For J.Co Donuts Philippines, they also have branches in SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia. See you more often at J.Co Donuts Greenbelt! 🙂

Bon Chon, Chicken Charlie, and now – Chicken Delish! I made sure to check out this humble stall at the recently concluded Best Food Forward food fair held at NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City over the weekend.

Chicken Delish

The foremost reason is because Chicken Delish owner Annalyn Jusay-Zoglmann pimped it out to me. 🙂 She is fellow blogger as well so I was curious on what she came up with since her sole (so far) and actual branch in Paranaque is beyond my reach.

Chicken Delish Sauces

It’s one of those home-style fried chicken made more special with its tasty sauces such as the sweet and spicy sauce, Pinoy barbecue, sriracha (Thai hot sauce mixed with butter and honey), Pinoy buffalo, and the good old salt and pepper. While still being improved, her bestsellers are the sweet and spicy sauce which was not surprising with Filipino customers.

For my part, I tried it with the sweet sauce last Saturday and was satisfied. The meat was still tender and juicy even if it was late in the afternoon already. The chapchae side dish I chose was also good even by itself. Hopefully I can try it with the Pinoy barbecue sauce soon.

Annalyn says that she was serving her gourmet-style fried chicken to her family even before the bonchon craze hit the metro. ” Chicken is something every member of my family loves and experimenting on the many ways to cook it was a natural progression of our passion for all things poultry-related.”

Chicken Delish @ Best Food Forward 2012

“It came to a point that I wasn’t just happy serving my chicken at home as I was also pondering my retirement from the corporate jungle and embarking on a business… I went ahead to test my business idea in the Soderno Sunday market last year and after its initial success with the weekend crowd, an opportunity came for me to open a stand-alone store at the Caltex Gas station in Better Living, Paranaque City. I’ve also been joining bazaars like the Midnight Mercato in the Fort to gain further exposure for my product,” adds Annalyn or AJ for short.

Chicken Delish Menu / Sidedish

Chicken Delish Price

Chicken Delish‘s four-piece chicken wings afford-ably cost P90 while the two-piece drumsticks are at P120. Feel free to share your experience with Chicken Delish in the comment section below specially if you’re from the south. 🙂

Best Food Forward Photos

Next, here are the other Best Food Forward photos I got from the food fair. Thanks to Nuffnang Philippines for the blogger tickets.

Picket Fence Ice Cream Cart

SkewU Skewers

Pink Wasabi

Mochiko Ice Cream and Ponzarotti

Pinoy Eats World

Best Food Forward Seminars and Cooking Demos

Med Chef

Chorizo Burger and a popcorn concessionaire

Crunchy Belly

Wagyu Burger and Special Chocolate booth

Moderne Culinaire Academy

JT's Manukan and Malabon Delicacies

Thai Cha Yen

Cuisiniers (left); Milk Chocolate booth (right)

88DB.com

Our Kitchen and OpenRice.com booth (I'm an OpenRicer myself!)

Yummy Magazine

Did you go to the Best Food Forward last weekend? How was it? Which were your favorite food concessionaire? NomNom’s choice from those I have tried are Crunchy Belly of Carlo’s Kitchen, SkewU, Pint Homemade Ice Cream, ButterBeer, and well, Chicken Delish.

🙂

16 student chefs, 16 delicious dishes and desserts, 5 celebrity chef judges, and 1 brand to remember that is Moulinex – that is how you would describe the afternoon of January 14 last Saturday – having been the Moulinex You Cook Video Recipe Challenge semi-finals!

Cream Pie with Malunggay

16 student chefs and HRM students from 9 reputable cooking schools cooked-out each other as they competed for the coveted nods of 5 celebrity chef judges in the recent Moulinex You Cook contest.

Held at Hotel Intercon in Makati, the 1.5 hour cooking challenge decided the top 8 finalists from among the contestants who submitted their video recipes. The Top 8  moves on to the final round on January 28, 2012 (venue TBA).

Kitchen Ingredients

Batch 1 Moulinex You Cook Challenge Participants

Batch 2 Moulinex You Cook Challenge Participatns

They were judges on the following criteria:

• Taste 30%
• Ease of Preparation 20%
• Creativity/Originality 15%
• Visual Appeal 15%
• Optimization of Moulinex Products 15%
• Personality 5%

Moulinex YouCook Judges

The celebrity chef judges were: Chef Bruce Lim, Chef Niño Laus, Nina Daza-Puyat, Rory Subida, and Laurent Casteret.

Celebrity Chefs in Action

Chef Masters

Almost all the dishes looked great, while a few was challenged by the limited time. Nonetheless the judges were encouraging enough giving a pat-in-the-back advise that they can still do better the next time.

Food Photos:

Budding Chefs

Participant Photos:

Tempting Dishes

The Top 8 Finalists

After the scores were tallied and counted with a DTI representative, the Top 8 Finalists were named. They are (in no particular order):

• Halson Lapuz (First Gourmet Academy)
• Romeo Apostol Jr.
• Juno Pocholo Sedigo (First Gourmet Academy)
• James Andrian Bacaldo (Center for Culinary Arts Manila)
• Nino Carlo Rosali (Asian Institute of Culinary Arts)
• Rosana Ramel (Maligaya Institute for Culinary Arts and Residential Services)
• Karen Grace Santiago (La Consolacion College – Manila)
• Leonelia De Castro (MOST Institute)

Moulinex Products

Moulinex is exclusively distributed by Collins International Trading Corporation. Moulinex appliances are available at all leading department stores and appliance stores nationwide. Their kitchen appliances include a Food Preparation Line such as food processors, meat mincer, chopper, electric knife, immersion blender, hand mixer, and stand mixer. They also have a Beverage, Cooking, Breakfast, and Home Care Line.

Moulinex Products

Grand Finals Prizes

Grand Prize Winner:
Contestant: P40, 000 cash, Stay and Learn Program inclusive of an overnight stay of Intercontinental Hotel, Moulinex Master Chef Tour, gift packs from sponsors and a Certificate of Recognition.
Mentor: P5, 000 cash, P5, 000 worth of Moulinex products and gift packs from sponsors.
School: P25, 000 worth of Moulinex products and an F & B/Cooking Seminar for selected students courtesy of Intercontinental Hotel.

Second Prize:
Contestant: P20, 000 cash, gift vouchers from Intercontinental Hotel, gift packs from sponsors and a Certificate of Recognition.
Mentor: P4, 000 cash, P3, 000 worth of Moulinex products and gift packs from sponsors.
School: P15, 000 worth of Moulinex products.

Consolation Prizes:
6 Consolation prizes of P5,000 cash each for the other 6 finalists and Certificate of Participation.

For more details and information, visit their website www.moulinexyoucook.com or email moulinexyoucook@gmail.com Contact Mr. Marvin Mancera, Brand Marketing Assistant-Moulinex at 681-6161 or 681-6163.

In the grand finals 8 days from now, the student chefs will go head to head in their last showdown to know whose dishes will rise above the rest. Certainly, there’s no place for mediocrity and we will anticipate on that day whose creation will emerge as the 2011 Moulinex You Cook Video Recipe Challenge Grand Winner!

Having started the other day, the week-long “Indonesian Food Festival” hosted by Oakroom Restaurant (Oakwood Hotel in Ortigas) will run until the 21st of September.

Sata Ayam (Appetizer)

Delight in the diversity of Indonesian cuisine and the combined influence from its neighboring countries. Discover authentic Indonesian food from the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali as prepared by Executive Chef Deden Suherman and Chef de Partie Sulistyo who both came from Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta for this festivity.

This is my first time to have a full authentic Indonesian meal prepared by an Indonesian chef and it was a good experience. I also found some similarly equivalent dishes from our own like the Sop Buntut which I can compare with how ‘bulalo’ is cooked in the Philippines since Indonesia is a fellow South East Asian country.

For starters, we had “The Temptation” appetizer set which consists of:

• Tahu Asi (stuffed tofu inside crisp breading-P295++);
• Asinan Sayuran (refreshing serving of sliced fresh vegetables with cold sweet and sour soup – P295++)
• Sate Ayam  (flavorful chicken skewers with thick peanut sauce – P395++)

Indonesian Appetizers: Tahu Isi, Asisnan Sayuran, Sate Ayam (left-right)

For the main dishes, we first had Gado Gado (P350++), a plateful of mixed boiled vegetables with peanut sauce at the center. It can pass as an appetizer as well, actually. 🙂 (Top Photo)

Oxtail Soup (Sop Buntut)

This was immediately followed by the warm oxtail soup called Sop Buntut (P425++).

Things heated up again with the serving of spicy beef stew called Rendang Daging (P525++).

Spicy Beef Stew (Rendang Daging )

It was then concluded by Ikan Asam Pedas (P495++), a Western Sumatra spicy-sour fish dish.

Ikan Asam Pedas (Spicy Sour Fish)

The dessert set was: Sweet Es Cendol (rice flour  with coconut milk and brown sugar sauce – P225++) and Pisang Goren (fried banana topped with brown sugar – P225++). The Es Cendol is their version of our Halo-Halo.

Es Condol - Pisang Goren - Wedang Jahe

Bajigur (Warm Ginger-based Drink)

I had both hot and cold ginger-based drinks called Bajigur (P175++) and Wedang Jahe (P175++), respectively. The former is a combination of coffee, coconut milk, brown sugar, and ginger, while the latter has boiled grilled ginger, lemon grass, clove, cinnamon, and brown sugar as well.

Other available dishes you could try in the Indonesian Food Festival include Bakwan Udang (vegetable fritters with shrimp P395), Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noddles P375), Opor Ayam (Chicken cooked with coconut milk P325).

For other desserts and drinks, they also have  Ketan Sikayo (boiled sticky rice with pandan custard P225), and Sekoteng (boiled ginger, lemon grass, clove, white sugar,carnation milk, with fresh bread cubes, peanuts, mung beans and tapioca pearls P175).

Chef Deden Suherman and Chef de Partie Sulistyo

Available for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is open for breakfast too. For reservations and inquiries, you may call 637 7888 or 910 8888 extensions 8603/8604

Oakroom Restaurant
Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Tel. No. 637-7888
Open from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight

Oakroom Restaurant

Oakroom Restaurant Indonesian Food Festival

Hurry, Oakwood Restaurant’s Indonesian Food Festival is only upto September 21, 2011!