Entries Tagged 'Sweet Shops' ↓

KFC Cheezy Bacon Fest

No flowery words needed, cheezified and baconized blogs will do. Or better yet, have some cheezified fries and baconized burgers!

Well, you can even have ’em both with the new KFC Cheezified & Baconized offerings!

Cheezy Bacon Pasta Bowl (P80)

Drizzle cheese and sprinkle bacon to literally anything and it automatically becomes a crowd favorite!

Pessimist? Then try KFC Philippines‘ Cheezy Bacon Fest and give in to your insatiable craving as the KFC Rice Bowl (top photo) and KFC Pasta Bowl are indulged with creamy cheese sauce and helpings of smoky bacon.

It turns into the Cheezy Bacon Rice Bowl (P90) and Cheezy Bacon Pasta Bowl (P80), respectively. Have your KFC’s Original Recipe Chicken Fillet covered with Cheese Sauce and Bacon bits on top.

Moreover, KFC snacks such as the Twister (P85), Chik’n Fillet, Bucket of Fries and the Zinger were also delightfully cheezified and baconized.

Cheezy Bacon Zinger (P105) – KFC’s Original Zinger with Sliced Cheese and Bacon Strips

Cheezy Bacon Chik’n Fillet (P50) – Original Recipe Chicken Fillet sandwich with Cheese Sauce and Bacon Bits

Cheezy Bacon Bucket of Fries (P75)

NomNom Club‘s favorite though is the Cheezy Bacon Bucket of Fries where the signature KFC Fries is loaded with Cheese Sauce and Bacon Bits for P75. I bet you’ll surely enjoy this.

My second favorite is how the classic mashed potato was made more enjoyable with cheese sauce and bacon bits as toppings. The Cheezy Bacon Mashed Potato costs P29 for the regular size and P49 for the large one.

Cheezy Bacon Mashed Potato

Cheezify & Baconize Anything

You can actually go beyond the above-mentioned KFC meals and snacks and go about cheezifying and baconizing anything on the KFC menu according to your fancy for an additional P30.

As you can see, I tried adding some cheese and bacon bits to my favorite blueberry krushers (I called it Blue Bacon)! It wasn’t actually my best idea but hey, I am adventurous enough to try something wild! YOLO! 😛

Cheezified & Baconized Blueberry Krushers

You can come up with your own crazy combinations as well! Check KFC on Twitter/Facebook @KFCPhilippines / www.facebook.com/kfcphilippines for some crafty ideas.

Which KFC snack or meal, do you think would be possible to cheezify or baconize? 🙂

26th Bistro CBT

More commonly known as ‘CBTL’, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf turns 50 this 2013 with an extraordinary celebration. Going beyond being the pioneer of the original ice blended drinks and the first to offer tea lattes, CBTL recently unveiled its latest unique dining concept by the name “26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf”.

Dipping its fingers into the full-service restaurant industry, CBTL intends to deliver ‘#everydayextraordinary’ dining experiences to its customers through its everyday meals that are of high quality while maintaining affordable prices.

Salmon Fishcake

The #EverydayExtraordinary Dinner

This is exactly what we experienced last week when NomNom Club was invited together with a long table full of food writers and bloggers. We got to try taste-sized servings of some of the best of what their menu has to offer, from soup to dessert.

Salmon Fishcakes with Greens

We started with a medium-sized salad plate of Salmon Fishcakes with Greens (P345). The basic mixed greens was complemented well with the balsamic vinaigrette while the pan-fried Norwegian salmon cakes with smoked paprika aioli beside it was cooked just right.

I started the meal right as it turned out later on that this was my favorite dish of the night.

Salmon Fishcakes with Greens

Wild Mushroom Soup

The appetizer was followed by a good serving of Wild Mushroom soup (P225). I’m not so much a fan of mushroom soups but this one was good. It’s flavorful concoction was due to the fact that it was a combination of button, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms. The latter dominated the taste.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine

The entrees was started by the Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine (P395) which is a white sauce-based linguine pasta served with seared tiger prawns and shiitake mushrooms. I love prawns and needless to say, the dish was gone in a dash.

Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala

From light to heavy, the second dish – Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala (P475) – will fill your craving for meat as the pan-roasted steak was fork-tender. Completing the dish was potato gratin and marsala sauce on the side.

Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala

Chocolate Lava a la Mode

Chocolate Lava a la Mode

With the series of good food, my expectations for my well-anticipated dessert/s was high. Sadly, similar to another food blogger across the table, it fell short as we expected the Chocolate Lava a la Mode (P235) to be more moist with some actual ‘chocolate lava’ at the center.

Nonetheless, the chocolate cake was generally ‘ok,’ The others had the apple crumble a la mode.

Breakfast. Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks

The 26th St. Bistro by The CBTL caters to the whole day foodie from breakfast to lunch and dinner, including in between snacks and coffee. The restaurant is brimming with yuppies and executives from surrounding buildings and offices around Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

Pepper being added to the Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine

For breakfast, I’d like to try the following soon: Toblerone Pancakes with Salted Caramel and Peach Stuffed French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs and Smoked Salmon Florentine, and the Tapsilog-inspired Filipino breakfast served with U.S. Angus Beef Tapa and Baked Pesto Tomato.

The lunch and dinner menu has a selection of light and heavy salads, soups, pastas and entrees including Spinach and Blue Cheese Farfalle, Slow Roasted Braised Beef Short Ribs, and Lamb Chops with Ratatouille and Rosemary Marble Potatoes.

They also have an expanded range of sandwiches including the vegetarian option Portobello Mushroom Ciabatta.

For desserts, I look forward to trying the Pannacotta Sampler paired with a cup of hot African Sunrise tea, the decadent Turtle Pie, Apple Crumble ala mode, and any of the Chicago–Blueberry–Toblerone–Triple Decker family of cheesecakes in my next visit.

Of course they also serve the signature CBTL coffee and tea beverages plus imported wines and beers.

The 26th St. Bistro distinguishes itself from the usual Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branches with its larger and more comfortable dining area, as expected from a full-service restaurant. The ambiance is also upscale while maintaining the relaxed atmosphere.

#EverydayExtraordinary @ 26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
26th St. corner 5th Avenue
Bonifacio Global City
Twitter/Instagram: @CBTLph

Everyday Extraordinary Colors of the CBTL

Join their tagline and share your #everydayextraordinary experience in Facebook, Twitter or Instagram whenever you visit the 26th Street Bistro. They also have a branch for those in the Ortigas business district at the East Wing, 5th Level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

For those who haven’t heard it yet, there is an ongoing foodie craze which originated from Dominique Ansel in New York a few months ago and has now hit Philippine shores – Cronuts, a wordplay of ‘croissant‘ and ‘doughtnuts‘.

Krispy Kreme Baked Creations

Krispy Kreme seemingly gave in to peer pressure as the cravings for cronuts has reached hyped levels. We first heard about it from WildFlour Cafe in BGC. Dunkin’ Donuts, Chatime, InterContinental Manila, and Dolcelatte, among others, immediately followed.

The Hot Light Girl came up with their own Krispy Kroissant released as their newest Baked Creations member. The Krispy Kroissant joins the sweetness of croissant and the fancy flavors of doughnuts / donuts.

They started serving it just today – August 15, 2013 – in all Luzon-based Krispy Kreme branches. Similar to other restaurants offering cronuts, it is available only within a limited time frame of 10am to 2pm.

4 Variants of the Krispy Kroissants: Apple Cinnamon (lower left), Chocolate (middle), Vanilla Cream (lower right), and Strawberry (the red one).

Krispy Kreme Cronut Craze!

Krispy Kreme Cronut Flavors

The Baked Creation Krispy Kroissant comes in 4 flavorful variants including the Apple Cinnamon with caramelized cinnamon sugar.

The second one is the Chocolate variant. It is topped with Belgian Chocolate ganache which would surely tickle the fancy of chocolate lovers.

The other two cronut flavors are Strawberry and my favorite – the Vanilla Cream.

I surmise that the Vanilla Cream is somehow the equivalent of the Original Glaze as it is also dipped in sugar glaze.

Furthermore,  it is complemented by the sumptuous vanilla cream in the middle in character of the famous cronuts.

Krispy Kreme Krispy Kroissant Price

Are Cronuts Just Fads? What do you think? Share with us your thoughts in the comments section!

Vanilla Cream Krispy Kreme Kroissant

So if you think you’ve tried all the cronuts around, then the Krispy Kreme Krispy Kroissant should also be on your list. It is affordable compared to other cronuts at only P55 each.

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!

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.

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?

It was a quick trip from SM Megamall to Julia Vargas corner Meralco Avenue going to Renaissance Condominium. After parking, we found ourselves at its 2nd floor inside Citrus Restaurant & Deli upon invitation of the owner through common friend.

The interiors of Citrus Restaurant was classical-posh but laid back. If you value your privacy,  a quaint location as such is great.

Citrus Restaurant and Deli

Interestingly, they also have an exclusive second floor with a mock-up fireplace that also serves a wine cellar for expensive wines ranging in the hundreds of thousands.

Citrus House Specialties

Now for the food. More than the usual tapas, I highly recommend their house specialties Jaunita’s Callos and Lengua with mashed potatoes which is surprisingly affordable at P259 and P200++ only, respectively.

Juanita’s Callos

Lengua with mashed potatoes

The callos was flavorful and cooked just right as if it was done by a lovely chef mom at home. The lengua was tender and exceeded my expectations.

The food was served without unnecessary fancy decorations either but I noticed the elegant and irregularly shaped white plates fit for the 2-person serving dish.

Wine Room on the second floor with mock-up fireplace

Citrus Main Dishes

From their main dishes, we got to try the Pan-Fried Fish ala Vera Cruz. Quite a long name, but it was no disappointment either at only P199.

This was followed by the Spaghetti Bolognese (P199) and a double-sized thin-crust pizza. I also shared a Vanilla milkshake with my fiance who loves anything sweet. 😛

Pan Fried Fish ala Vera Cruz

Spaghetti Bolognese

Desserts and More

Finally, some baked potato chips and a delectable Panna Cotta (top photo) concluded our dinner affair. I thought I was already used to the low prices but the P59 panna cotta was simply unexpected.

Promos

Citrus Promos

They also have a P999 promo offering 1 bottle of wine + all you can eat tapas-tapas. Or the Drink All You Can Jack Daniel’s for P949. Night chillers can also get free tapas-tapas for every 10 bottles of beer.

If you’re looking for an eclectic flair that would match your tapas, they have live bands playing with a different concept every night of the week.

They open up as early as 7am and offers breakfast, salad, and a wide range of pizza collection. Beverage range include soda and juices starting at P40 and P60, respectively. Beer starts at P50.

Pizza

Aside from great food, I highly recommend Citrus Restaurant as a very ideal place for dating with its intimate and sophisticated ambiance; not to mention the friendly prices for guys on a tight budget. 🙂

Citrus Restaurant & Deli
2F, Renaissance 3000, Meralco Ave. Ortigas Center , Pasig
7am- 12am daily
Lounge (9pm-12am and extended on Fridays and Saturdays)
Call them for reservations at: 667-3458, 667-3465, 631-0335

Citrus Restaurant as Bar

I definitely have to be back at Citrus Restaurant soon and try more of their new world cuisines on the menu; perhaps at the wine cellar on the 2nd level next.

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!