Entries Tagged 'Western' ↓

Are you one of those who collects a lot of discount cards from different shops and brands? From the SM Advantage card to Jollibee’s Happy Plus Card, to Mercury’s Suki Card, down to the 0.1111% discount coupon of your favorite sari-sari store? Well, I’ve got good news for you to add to your collection of discount cards – the Greenwich Ultimate Greencard!

Greenwich Ultimate Greencard

Benefits of Greenwich Ultimate Greencard

Further supporting its tagline of being “better than any other,” Greenwich recently launched its new Ultimate Greencard and they were kind enough to share one with us. I will surely try it soon!

How to Get Your Greenwich Ultimate Greencard:

You can avail one Greenwich Ultimate Greencard in any of the three ways:

• Greenwich Delivery – calling 5-55-55 Greenwich delivery
• Over the Counter – starting August 2012
• Order Online – through www.greenwichdelivery.com

In all three, simply add P199 for the Ultimate Green Card.

To check out the latest deals you may visit http://greenwichdelivery.com/greencard.

Benefits of the Greenwich Ultimate Greencard:

• Buy 1 Take 1 Pizza** (delivery only)
• 10% Discount (dine-in and take-out)
• Save as much as P1000 (delivery only)

** When you order a 12″ Barkada size or 15″ Party size pizza with 1L Coke

The Greenwich Ultimate Greencard also comes with FREE discount coupons!

This is the greencard you have always wanted to have; just don’t mistake it for  your US Green Card. Get your own Greenwich Ultimate Greencard soon!

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! 🙂

We’ve just recently concluded the Starbucks Tumblers and Gift Certificate Giveaway whose winners will be announced this week. And now, we have a new giveaway starting today – July 1, 2012 – the Jamba Juice Vouchers Giveaway!

Jamba Juice has recently opened in SM Mall of Asia and have introduced 4 new Guimaras Mango – inspired juices. They are the ‘Mango-a-go-go‘, ‘Mega Mango‘, ‘Peach Perfection’, and ‘Five Fruit Frenzy’. NomNom’s favorite is the ‘Mega Mango‘!

Contest Mechanics

Now, Jamba Juice and NomNom Club are giving away 3 pairs of Jamba Juice Vouchers so you and a friend can try the new Jamba Juice Guimaras Mango inspired beverages!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Jamba Juice Beverage

Just join the rafflecopter-run contest tool above from July 1 to 15. Winners will be announced on the 3rd week of July. The Jamba Juice gift certificates will be delivered for FREE within Metro Manila.

If you are looking for more contests, there’s another Starbucks Gift Certificate Giveaway here.

Enjoy NomNom’s Jamba Juice contest!

Jamba Juice Philippines‘ first branch opened at Bonifacio High Street November of last year.  Four months after, it was followed by Jamba Juice Alabang Town Center. And over the weekend, it just opened its third store at SM Mall of Asia.

Jamba Juice SM MOA

It is not a surprise that Jamba Juice have chosen SM Mall of Asia to be it’s third branch since it is considered the country’s largest integrated leisure destination and has high foot traffic.

“Choosing strategic locations, that are convenient to consumers, has always been one of the integral facets that we consider, when choosing the best locations for expansion,” says Sharon T. Fuentabella, Managing Director of Jamba Juice Philippines Master Franchisee.

I also saw two new mango-based Jamba Juice beverages namely the ‘Mango-a-go-go‘ and ‘Mega Mango‘. I tried the former and was expectedly satisfied. I hope to try the latter in my next visit possibly including ‘Peach Perfection’ and ‘Five Fruit Frenzy’.

New Jamba Juice Mango-a-go-go Beverage

Gimme 5! For Guimaras Promo

Moreover, they have this Gimme 5! For Guimaras promo for a limited time where for every cup sold, Php 5 will be donated to the Provincial Government of Guimaras for the research and development of Philippine mangoes.

Jamba Juice Blender Bike

Gimme’ Me Five Exercise

Jamba Juice also recently launched the Gimme’ Me Five Campaign where customers are encouraged to ride an in-store Blender Bike for five minutes. Upon doing so, they get to donate one mango seedling to be planted at no less than the province where the best mangoes in the world come from – Guimaras province’ Guimaras Mango Park. This is also done  in partnership with the Bureau of Plant Industry-Guimaras National Mango Research and Development Center (BPI-GNMRDC).

That’s free exercise and a good deed in one! 🙂

Jamba Juice ‘Gimme 5’

Jamba Juice Gift Certificate / Voucher Giveaway!

Want more Jamba Juice? Get a chance to try their new Mango-a-go-go, Mega Mango, Peach Perfection, and Five Fruit Frenzy beverages for FREE!, Watch out next week for NomNom’s Jamba Juice Voucher Giveaway contest starting July 1! Subscribe through email (on the side bar) so you’ll not miss it! 🙂

Jamba Juice Gift Certificate Giveaway!

Check out Jamba Juice in SM Mall of Asia and choose a healthy beverage for a healthier lifestyle.

Black Canyon Coffee Philippines

Black Canyon Coffee opened its first branch in the Philippines just this morning at the Food Street wing of SM Southmall in Las Pinas. The grand launch was graced by no less than the honorable Las Pinas Congressman Mark Villar. He was joined by Mr. Pravit Chitnarapong (CEO, Black Canyon Thailand), Mr. James Dy (Chairman, Royal Thai Food Philippines Inc.), and Mrs. Wilma Dy (President, Royal Thai Food Philippines Inc).

A big brand in Thailand that started in 1993 and now has 220 stores and 40 more internationally, Black Canyon Coffee is known for their unique concept of a coffee shop that ‘is’ also a full restaurant. While they offer a wide range of coffee drinks and beverages from espresso to cappuccino (and ‘Blackpuccino‘), they also serve Thai cuisines such as Tom Yum soup and Som Tam salads. On the other hand, their brand ‘Black Canyon Coffee‘ can be easily misconstrued as a western brand whereas their specialties are Thai food.

Black Canyon Coffee Manila

Black Canyon Coffee SM Southmall

Black Canyon Coffee South Entrance

Iced Drinks

I personally tried the BC Thai Iced Tea w/ milk, BC Iced Coffee, and BC Iced Lemon Tea, in that order of preference. I loved the authentic mix of the Thai Iced Tea just like in Thailand and the Black Canyon Iced Coffee which is a blend of arabica coffee with two kinds of milk and plenty of ice.  However, I found the iced lemon tea just ordinary.

Black Canyon Coffee: BCC Iced Coffee, Thai Iced Tea w/ milk, Iced Lemon Tea (left to right cups then back)

Black Canyon Coffee Menu Board

I then ordered one of their signature beverages – the Black Canyon Frappe. It was a refreshing drink in a visually appealing presentation with a fat glass, similar to the Black Canyon Iced Coffee. For a cost of Php 120, it was well worth the price given that they source the coffee beans from Columbia. The other raw coffee beans are from Northern Thailand while the Matcha Green Tea are from Japan.

Black Canyon Coffee Frappe

Thai Restaurant

More than just a coffee shop, Black Canyon  is actually a 160 sqm. full-restaurant that can accommodate upto 90 customers and offers Thai cuisine ala carte from soups, sandwiches, to pasta, and steaks.

Four of which I have tried are the Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong, Tuna Green Curry Fried Rice Wrapped in Egg Sheet, and the Spicy Glass Noodles and Grilled Salmon Salad.

The Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Prawn Soup  – Php 192) had the right level of spiciness for an authentic Tom Yum Goong. Although the Tuna Green Curry Fried Rice is not really my type of food, curry lovers may want to try this one out at a good price of Php 156.

Tuna Green Curry Fried Rice Wrapped in Egg Sheet Php 156

The Spicy Glass Noodles with Grilled Salmon was something new to my taste bud, and it turned out well. The spicy and lightly grilled salmon complemented the glass noodles. They could have oiled the noodles a little-bit more, however. Called Yum Wun Sen Salmon in Thailand, this Thai delicacy is priced at Php 188.

Spicy Glass Noodles and Grilled Salmon Salad (Yum Wun Sen Salmon) Php 188

And finally, you should not miss Black Canyon Coffee Philippines‘ authentic and award-winning Pad Thai which is at par with other Thai restaurants I have dined-in here in the Philippines. The shrimps were fresh and larger than I expected for a Pad Thai complemented with bean sprouts, garlic chives, and eggs.

Black Canyon Executive Chef Rasri Athaboh

They also have desserts and bakery products. I was able to try the Fruit Salad Sundae (Php 68) and a slice of Oreo Chessecake (Php 95). The former was just ok and nothing special but the cakes were good. Priced at less than a hundred, this is a very good deal.

Chef Rasri Athaboh

It was also great to have met with Black Canyon Executive Chef Rasri Athaboh who came from Thailand. He will be staying in the Philippine for a while to oversea the kitchen and knowledge transfer. Black Canyon cooks and crew were also initially sent to Thailand for over a month of training.

Very Competitive Pricing

If you browse through their menu, you would notice that the drinks are almost always below Php 100. The Thai dishes also range only from Php 150 to Php 200; with some a little above Php 200. I hope they do maintain, more or less, these affordable introductory prices within the year.

Black Canyon Coffee Branches

Black Canyon Coffee Philippine Team

Black Canyon Coffee (BlackCanyonCoffee.com) also has presence in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, UAE, Cambodia, and Laos. In the Philippines, they are looking at 2 more new Black Canyon Coffee branches within 2012; watch out for BCC in SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall.

Have you tried the two new Starbucks Philippines‘ new featured beverages? Starting today, June 12, 2012, Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino and Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino are now available in all Starbucks branches in the Philippines.

Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino

Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino

I have tried them both recently and the Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino easily became my favorite.  I love the refreshing taste of the roasted Japanese tea, also called Hojicha, combined with the herbal aftertaste of the Earl Grey Tea Jelly. The texture of Starbucks’ own Tazo Earl Grey tea-infused jelly is something Starbucks aficionados might find refreshing.

Among the tea variants of Starbucks, I’m fond of both the Green Tea and Chai Tea Latte and I’m glad with the coming of the Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino. Although it will be staying until the end of July only, I hope it would eventually stay longer with the market’s demand. The tall cup is priced at Php 155, Grande – Php 165, and Venti – Php 175.

Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino

The second featured beverage is the Red Bean Green Tea Frappuccino. It’s basically your usual Green Tea Frappuccino with added whole kernels of Red Azuki Beans on top.

It is quite an interesting twist if you wanted to perk up your usual Green Tea ‘matcha‘ frapp but the Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino still made more impact with me. The price range is also the same with Hojicha frapp.

Asian Frappuccino Blended Beverages

They also classify the two beverages as Asian Frappuccino blended beverages since they were only released in Asia. The ingredients themselves were sourced from Asia as well.

New Starbucks Food Items

Together with the two new beverages are new Starbucks food items which were offered starting today as well. They are:

Beef And Mushroom Pie

Chicken Parmigiana Wrap

Beef And Mushroom Pie

Baked to golden brown, this flaky pastry consists of beef strips, sliced mushrooms, carrots and mashed potatoes. At Php 95, it can be one filling meal.

Chicken Parmigiana Wrap

It’s a chicken breast fillet in a pita bread wrap with sliced eggplant, Italian tomato sauce, and grated cheese. At Php 150, you can have it sliced and is good for two.

Bacon And Cheese On Italian Country Bread

Crusty on the outside, soft and luscious on the inside – this one’s my favorite new Starbucks food item!

Bacon And Cheese On Italian Country Bread

This grilled cheese sandwich is coupled with six types of cheeses (Gruyere, Emmenthal, Provolone, Mozzarella, Feta and Cheddar). The flavor is further enhanced by the crispy bacon strips, pesto sauce, and Italian herbed butter on bread. Can you already smell and taste it based from the description? 🙂 . Best served warm, it costs Php 150.

Want to win some free Starbucks Beverage gift certificates or free Starbucks Tumblers from NomNom Club? Leave a comment below and stay tuned as we’ll announce this soon! LIKE us as well on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NomNomClub!

New Starbucks Food Items

Try the new Starbucks food items specially the Bacon And Cheese Bread and don’t forget to pair it with my favorite Hojicha Tea Jelly Frappuccino. 🙂

When it comes to fried chicken, there’s no doubt that one of the tastiest around is KFC’s Original Recipe chicken. For 45 so good years, Filipinos have been thoroughly enjoying a secret recipe that has been passed on from generations to generations which we owe to the iconic Colonel Sanders who is actually the original celebrity chef.

On May 30, 2012, bloggers and people from the media gathered at Diamond Hotel for an important announcement. In Louisville, Kentucky, a secret manuscript written by the Colonel himself was discovered. It contains not only pages of his life story, but also a collection of 35 of his most treasured recipes.

KFC Launches Colonel Sanders’ So Good, So Real Recipes at Diamond Hotel

Secret Manuscript Revealed

Celebrity Chef Sharwin Tee’s Double-Cheese Hush Puppies with Peach and Basic Ketchup

To give back to its patrons, KFC earlier revealed the Colonel’s secret manuscript which became available last June 5, 2012 for everyone to enjoy by visiting KFC’s official Facebook Philippines page —www.facebook.com/kfcphilippines.

With this wonderful announcement, KFC put up another surprise as they invited-in Filipino Celebrity Chef Sharwin Tee from the cooking show Curiosity Got the Chef, to create his rendition of the Colonel’s Hush Puppies – one of the never-before-seen recipes from the prized manuscript.

KFC Original Recipe Bites

Before we got to enjoy a delectable feast of Hush Puppies and Hush Puppies, event hosts and radio DJs Chico and Delamar introduced another surprise. With the growing market for finger foods, KFC launches Original Recipe Bites – 5 bite-sized pieces of 100% real chicken which uses the same 11 secret herbs and spices that make up the world-famous KFC Original Recipe. With these handy babies, anyone can easily enjoy the all-time favorite Original Recipe anytime and anywhere.

Fully Loaded Meal Treat Promo Extension

And to make the 45th celebration of KFC’s so good food even better, loyal customers also get to enjoy a Fully Loaded Meal Treat promo extension. Feast on KFC’s Original Recipe chicken plus soup, mashed potato, brownie, and a drink for just Php 111 until June 25, 2012, and enjoy P72 discount from ala carte prices. And seriously, I kid you not when I say that this is one of the biggest discounts given by KFC so far.

Colonel Sanders Autobiography

*Story and photos by Sumi Go of The Purple Doll

So KFC fans, let’s all rejoice and take part as KFC Philippines celebrates its 45th year. Enjoy discounted meal dining with the Fully Loaded Meal Treat, munch on bite-sized but equally so good Original Recipe Bites, and visit KFC on Facebook to take a peek on Colonel Sanders’ So Good, So Real Recipes.

Robotosan

It’s almost 12 noon, my girlfriend and I were discussing which place to try next with the number of new restaurants in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and we ended at the quirkily-named Japanese Grill Buffet restaurant – Robotosan.

The big Robotosan logo is not new to me as I frequently pass by it’s brightly lit name-sign at night when I go to Starbucks BGC at the 32nd street.

The name alone is enough to pique your interest and try dining here at least once. It turned out that Robotosan was brought to life by the same people behind Sumosam, John and Yoko, Marciano’s, and Mr.Kurosawa. That explains the Japanese theme and the strikingly similar chairs from the other restaurants. 🙂

Aside from the children’s robot prints at the back of the chairs, the visual impact it would make on its customers would be its jagged interiors dominated by a web of intersecting columns solemnized by thick purple posts while tamed by the elegant grey cushion seats. A refreshing and interesting interior, I should say.

Robotosan Japanese Grill Buffet

Dimsum & Chicken Feet

The Grill & Plate #1

Ready Buffet

Now, it’s a Japanese grill buffet and not an anime convention hall, so we have to try the food. Marge and I decided to try the ready buffet first and do the grilling a bit later.

I got a decent serving of a hot miso soup bowl and some dimsum for appetizers. They have a good salad bar but I decided to go straight for my tummy-fillers.

This was followed by the in-demand ebi tempura and some pizza (see plate #1).

My second plate was defined by some California maki and its relatives, plus some of the main dishes.

Hot Dishes

Short Ribs / Korean BBQ

Fresh Buffet

Grilling

Their grills are of course, electronic. The socket under the table also served as my Wi-Fi charger before we actually used it for the electric grill. 🙂

About half of the long buffet table was comprised of different raw meat including Short Ribs for Korean BBQ and the likes.

For dessert, we had sweet mini cakes and sans rival. There was an option to create your own halo-halo and a selection of ice cream flavors plus some fruits.

Robotosan Plate #2

Verdict

If you are looking at a quick Japanese buffet with the option to grill in Bonifacio Global City, Robotosan is worth visiting.

But as a new buffet place, I believe their selection size still has room for additional variants. I actually enjoyed their desserts, albeit limited.

As much as I love their sans rival slices, maybe some Japanese inspired desserts would be a good complement since they are a Japanese buffet restaurant.

The buffet price of P529 to P669 would have been alright considering the location, but as mentioned above, they need to beef up their line some more. Or maybe they intentionally made it like that – simple and not too complicated. On the other hand, the grill table, ambiance, and service are all ok.

Robotosan Desserts

BigScoop Ice Cream

NomNom Tip:

I eventually got to try Robotosan during dinner time and it turns out that more variants are available at night which explains the nocturnal pricier rates. I was also able to catch some very good sylvanas at night which were missing during lunch. 🙂

It was generally a good experience and the crew/staff were friendly and accommodating from the ground floor until you are done and exit their door.

Robotosan

Japanese Grill Buffet

2F 32nd St., Crossroads, Bonifacio Global City

Tel number: (632)823-6988

Schedule:

Lunch: 11am-2:30pm

Dinner: 5:30pm-10:30pm

Price:

Monday-Thursday

Lunch – P529; Dinner – P629

Friday-Sunday

Lunch – P669; Dinner – P669

Children Below 4ft – P379

Left Over Price per head P789

Robotosan Crew / Satff

Robotosan @ Crossroads, Bonifacio Global City

Robotosan in BGC also offers ‘drink all you can‘ with soda/iced tea/lemonade at P79.