It was a rainy day in Manila last weekend when my girlfriend and I purposely went to Max’s Greenbelt 3 upon Max’s invitation for the online media launch of their Php 95 Max’s Merienda Mix. It was a challenge but we knew it would be worthwhile and fun-filled. We were not mistaken.

Max’s Restaurant Team with WIlma Doesnt

Celebrity and program host Wilma Doesnt was already pumping-up the food blogger crowd when we arrived and the event just started. If you still remember, Lynn Ching alsoo guested for the Max’s Mother’s Day promo last May.

Blogger event niceties aside, Max’s Restaurant presented the main star of the rainy day – Max’s Merienda Mix at only Php 95 in three simple steps: Choose, Add, and Complete.

Choose

Start creating your set by selecting from any of the following Max’s Corner Bakery products: Cheese Roll, Ensaimada, or 1/4 Cake slice which can come in any of the following flavors: ube, mocha, mango, chocolate, and jelly.

Add

For the next step, choose a Filipino-inspired main Max’s Classic Merienda dish which would complement well with your Max’s Corner Bakery product. Go Filipino with a small serving of the traditional Max’s Pancit Canton or the rich taste of Pancit Luglog plain. But since it was a stormy day, I choose the third option – the petite champorado (chocolate porridge) with milk

Complete

Finally, add the beverage of your choice from regular Pepsi in glass , brewed coffee, or the Filipino-sweet-fancy drink Sago’t Gulaman. I had to pass-up all three however and opted for a glass of hot water because I was feeling a bit under the weather. :p

Max’s Classic Merienda’s Pancit Canton with 1/4 Sliced Ube Cake

Fly to the US Promo

Max’s also announced their generous promo where they are giving away 5 pairs of US airfare tickets to 5 lucky raffle winners to all customers availing of the P95 Max’s Merienda Mix promotion.

Surprisingly, it includes accommodations for two and pocket money to go along with it; plus a surprise concert! What more can you ask for?

Lastly, if you’ll add up the bakery product, a main dish, and a beverage, it can sum up to as much as P194 which means the P95 Max’s Merienda Meal Mix promo can save you up as much as P99.

Max’s Pancit Luglog with Cheese Roll

Our Max’s Corner Bakery Reached Singapore

Max’s Corner Bakery Goodies

Immediately the next day, my girlfriend and I were on board a plane bound for Singapore and decided to give Max’s Bakery Corner goodies as pasalubong (traveler’s gift) to the honorable Philippine Ambassador to Singapore Minda Calaguian-Cruz whom we will visit at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore. We have been thinking about something Filipino to give her this past few days and something from a known reputable Filipino brand such as Max’s was a good choice.

By the time you are reading this, the Max’s Corner Bakery goods might have well been consumed. So anyway, back in the Philippines, try the new Max’s Merienda Mix every 2pm-4pm until September 16, 2012. :p

Partnering with global cosmetics and beauty brand Body Shop, Max’s Restaurant is making Mother’s Day more special for Filipino moms this coming weekend!

Family members who will be celebrating Mother’s Day at Max’s Restaurant with a minimum spend of PhP 1,300 will be receiving a luxurious bottle of Body Shop’s Shower Gel – soap-free, lather-rich and fruit-infused as a gift to pamper MOM on her special day.

Max's Fried Chicken

Think of the iconic dishes sinigang, kare-kare, and crispy pata, and you’ll definitely think of Max’s “sarap to the bones” fried chicken, Add to that the bottle of Body Shop Shower Gel special treat and that complete’s you family celebration this Mother’s Day!

“In the Philippines where mothers are respected for being the “light of the household,” people take the time to dine together as a family on Mother’s Day. One of the most nostalgic places to re-unite and celebrate with family has always been Max’s Restaurant,” said Edgar Allan Caper, Marketing Director for Max’s Restaurant.

Catch Max’s lush treat starting today – May 7, until May 13 at any Max’s branch nationwide. Treat Mom at Max’s Restaurant this Mother’s Day!

It’s the season of Lent once again. For Catholics like myself, it is the time of prayer and fasting. And by fasting, this means we should not indulge on meat. Max’s Restaurant, the House that Fried Chicken Built, recently brought its classic Filipino flavors into new and lighter dishes for the Lenten Season. Launched last February 29, I was lucky to be part of the first group to try these sumptuous healthy meals.

Bobby Simborio, Corporate Communications Officer for Max’s Group of Companies

“At Max’s we understand that Lent is a special time for Filipinos. This has inspired us to create our lightest and the most scrumptious fare for lent. These dishes are bursting with flavors, married with the homegrown classic taste that Filipinos love – its a certified gustatory experience for everyone,” says Mr. Bobby Simborio, Max’s Corporate Communications Officer for Max’s Group of Companies as he introduced their latest offering for the lenten season.

As we were the “certified” to first try out these dishes, I was already excited just seeing their posters. My taste buds were ready to check them out. I was intrigued and they didn’t fail me.

Adobong Kangkong Stuffed Tofu

Max’s Adobong Kangkong Stuffed Tofu

They served the Max’s Adobong Kangkong Stuffed Tofu (Php150) first. As a tofu lover, it is given that I would love this dish but its fresh Kangkong leaves did all the trick in making it a lot better. The shiitake and button mushrooms completed the fare while drizzled in sweet adobo sauce. This would be appreciated by both vegetable or non-vegetable eaters. It’s also a sweet alternative to the sizzling tofu in Max’s menu.

Max’s Cauliflower Puffs

The next one is quite deceiving for the picky young eaters and meat lovers. Max’s Cauliflower Puffs (Php160) may look like a simple puff with crispy stuff inside, but there is a cauliflower dipped in special batter. The vegetable is not immediately visible because it is deep fried and comes up with a special sauce.

The kids who were present during the event didn’t even notice the taste of the cauliflower. I enjoyed this dish because I absolutely love eating veggies. It’s crunchiness was also enjoyable.

Cauliflower Puffs

Max’s Sizzling Seafood in Honey Bagoong Sauce

The last dish was so intriguing that it already got me thinking about its taste before they served it. Max’s Sizzling Seafood in Honey Bagoong Sauce (Php265) is so delicious, I stuffed my plate just as much I could consume. It’s made of breaded cream dory, shrimp and deep fried squid rings served with a special sweet sauce, honey and piquant bagoong. It’s a must try for seafood aficionados. I was actually looking for the bagoong taste, but the honey overpowers its saltiness.

Sizzling Seafood in Honey Bagoong Sauce

Max's Fried Chicken

And of course, we were served with the famous Max’s Chicken.

* Story and photos by Contributor Ria Hazel C. Lumandog of http://sugarsmile.blogspot.com

Try out these heartwarming dishes for lent that are truly divine. 🙂 You may also check out www.maxschicken.com. The Lenten Dishes are now available in all Max’s Restaurants nationwide since yesterday, March 1, 2012.

Max's Fried Chicken P299

Max’s Restaurant, the brand that has given you the ‘sarap-to-the-bones‘ fried chicken, is offering their biggest chicken takeout promo so far!

Starting today, February 20, 2012, customers can bring home their favorite regular Max’s Fried Chicken for a good take-out deal of PhP299, down from the original P375 price.

“Filipinos have an endearing habit of ‘taking out’ food after they dine at their favorite restaurant. It’s part of our generous and inherent family-oriented nature,” says Bobby Simborio, Corporate Communications Officer for Max’s Group of Companies. “With Max’s Chicken Take-out Promo, we want our customers to bring home the most scrumptious surprise to their families – Max’s “sarap-to-the-bones” Fried Chicken,” Simborio added.

Max's Chicken Take Out Promo

Max’s Restaurant “Chicken Take Out Treat P299” will be available in all 123 branches nationwide from February 20 up to March 31, 2012 only.

Mom says that as much as girls like flowers, giving something edible as a gift on Valentine’s Day is more practical. I think this is what Max’s Restaurant – Max’s Corner Bakery had in mind for this Valentine’s. 🙂

Max;s Cupcakes

It start early this month and until February 29, 2012, Max’s Corner Bakery cakes and pastries offers the following to complement you Valentine gift ideas:

• Valentine’s Pastry Bites  – it’s a box chocolate bites with choices of dark or milky chocolate,  some are covered with almond slivers and filled with caramels. (P199 – box of 15)
• Valentine Cupcakes  – cupcakes of 3 in one gift box (P135 for a box of 3 or P50 a piece)

– Black Forest Cupcake  – combination of rich and smooth chocolate flavors with ganache swirls without missing the cherry on top and a chocolate base.
– Blueberry Cupcake – your favorite cupcake with real blueberries.
– Choco Banana Cupcake  – a moist banana cupcake with choco cookies topped with cream and a big heart-shaped black and white chocolate flat.

• Valentine Chocolate Moist Cake -  a medium-sized heart-shaped chocolate cake, coated with a layer of chocolate ganache and garnished with chocolate curls, topped with cherry and sprinkled with powdered sugar (Php 199).
• Sugar Cookies – fancy sugar cookies with a choice of either the Valentine Heart or the Valentine Bear.  (P25 – pack of 2)

Max’s Pastry Bites

Max's Cupcakes for Valentine's Day: Blueberry Cupcake, Black Forest Cupcake, & Choco Banana Cupcake (left- right))

Sugar Cookies (Valentine Bear and the Valentine Heart)

Highly Recommended

Among the above, It’s the Valentine Chocolate Moist Cake which NomNom recommends best. It lives up to its name and would surely be loved by most. It’s visually appealing and can easily be consumed by a couple because of it’s size.

Chocolate Moist Cake (P199 - medium size; one size)

Max's Restaurant Cake

Valentine’s Promo from Max’s Restaurant

Starting today, until February 14, 2012, a minimum purchase of Php 1,500 on your favorite meals in Max’s Restaurant such as Max’s sarap-to-the-bones Fried Chicken, Sinigang, Crispy Pata or Kare-Kare, entitles a customer a free box of Pastry Bites from Max’s Corner Bakery worth P199.

All Cakes in Heart Shape

Chocolate Cake

Highlighting the mood of the season even further, all Max’s Corner Bakery’s  cakes will be heart-shaped from February 10-14! Talk about Valentine cakes! 🙂

Check out more of Max’s Corner Bakery Cakes and Pastries at Max’s Corner Bakery’s FB Page, Max’s Restaurant FB Page, and http://www.maxschicken.com.

Valentine Cake

I already got three of the heart-shaped cakes from Max’s branch in Gateway Mall this morning for my love. How about you?

And do you know why I got THREE heart-shaped cakes as a gift for Valentine’s? You guessed it right. 🙂

Yes, it’s back! Max’s Restaurant Chicken All You Can will again fulfill its clients’ long-time wish to have the unlimited Chicken Offering “Chicken All You Can” promo again in all of its Max’s restaurant branches nationwide.

Max's Fried Chicken

Duration

Starting June 10, 2011, an unlimited home-cooked style Max’s fried chicken will be served from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm daily until July 10, 2011.

Max’s Chicken lovers should work up their biggest appetite starting today.

Package and Price

Packaged with a glass of Pepsi soda this time, Max’s Restaurant customers can bite into their favorite Max’s fried chicken for P199. You can also upgrade to a bottomless drink for an additional P28.

More to Expect

As part of drumming up its marketing, diners can also watch out for a performance by Max’s employees every 6:00 pm daily to signal the start of the promo.

Max's Chicken All You Can

Bonus Coupons

Max’s is also giving away free P 20 money coupons for every P200 spent during the Chicken-All-You-Can promotion. A maximum of three accumulated coupons per transaction may be used to “purchase” any Max’s products within a year after issuance. You can use this coupons after July 10, 2011.

First Dibs

Food bloggers were invited last night in the Max’s Restaurant Chicken All You Can launch. I was able to consume 4 quarter chicken, or basically a whole chicken. Gulp, that’s out little secret, ok. Here’s the proof from my three other tablemates. 😛

Max's Restaurant Chicken All You Can bone leftovers

Check out more details at their website http://www.maxschicken.com/ and Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant .

Currently holding the record for the biggest eat-all-you-can promotion ever launched by a single fast-casual dining restaurant in the Philippines, you can expect a beeline at all Max’s Restaurant for this Max’s Chicken All You Can promo this coming Friday.

Being a predominantly Catholic country, one would immediately observe if the lent season is approaching in the Philippines. One of the give-away signs is that restaurants offer their non-meat alternative to their customers. One of the early movers this year is Max’s restaurant which has started offering their Max’s Seafood Fest since yesterday.

Fish Fillet for the Lent

Fish & Seafood Fest

Max’s has started its Seafood Selections Promo and offers non-meat dishes familiar to the Filipino taste.

The seafood spread include Filipino cuisines like Camaron Rebosado and one of my favorites Sinigang na Hipon.

A wide selection of fish dishes are also part of the option such as Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet, Spicy Laing Tilapia, Fish Fillet in Black Bean Sauce, Sinigang na Tiyan ng Bangus, and Steamed Fish Fillet in light soy.

Max's Seafood Fest Promo

“…the timeless flavors of Filipino cuisine and warm memories of sharing these meals with their friends and family. ..this is what Max’s brings to the table with its Seafood Selections Promo… a taste of home with every hefty serving of these traditional recipes,” says Bobby Simborio, Corporate Communications Officer for Max’s Group of Companies.

Seafood Fest Frequency Card

Seafood Selections Frequency Card Promo + Chicken-All-You-Can GCs

Max’s also launched a special seafood fest frequency card where each purchase of a qualified seafood selection dish with a glass of Pepsi gets a sticker for a card slot.

From March 8 to April 30, 2011, diners who can complete the six sticker slots will get a free Max’s Chicken-All-You-Can gift certificate.

Frequency Card Promotion Mechanics

Max's Offering for the Lenten Season

Have a non-pork meat diet with Max’s Seafood Fest and enjoy a meatless Lenten season. 🙂

Bloggers take role as Cupcake Bakers

I attended a pre-Valentine blogger event courtesy of Max’s Corner Bakery last night. Max’s highlighted their Valentine edition cupcakes and other bakery products.

The main activity of the event was a demonstration of how to make cupcakes. The bloggers were then encouraged to participate in crafting their own cupcake creations with Max’s own cupcake-making ingredients such as icings and multi-colored sprinkles

Max's Event Hosts

I believe everyone enjoyed the activities and prizes; blogger Glenn was later on awarded as the one with the best Cupcake Design and Dedication. 🙂

It is also sweet to note that husband and wife blogger Jeff & Jen were celebrating their 14th-year anniversary as a couple on the same day. <3

Cupcakes received by NomNom

On Max’s Corner Bakery Cupcakes

Formerly known as ‘Max’s Bakeshop‘ of Max’s Restaurant, Max’s Corner Bakery is proud to say that their cupcakes are made with the same ingredients they use for their cakes.

And indeed, after tasting their chocolate variant and vanilla cupcakes, it was undeniably good.

The cupcakes come in six variants namely Cream Cheese, Choco Espresso, Choco Caramel, Double Chocolate, Choco Strawberry, and Troubador (Custard Cake).

I love the Double Chocolate best among all. Nomnomonom.

Blogger-Designed Cupcakes 🙂

Perhaps most of us are only familiar with Max’s Caramel bar. There are also other products in the bakeshop which include Max’s Ensaymada, chocolate chiffon cake w/ chocolate fudge icing, banana cakes, food for the gods, caramel cream cakes, and colorful rolls.

Other Bakery / Bakeshop Products like Max's Caramel Bar & Ensaymada

When it comes to rolls, I purchase from the usual leading bakeshops so I haven’t tried theirs. Maybe soon. I’m curious as to how it is at par with the other leading bakeshops. 🙂

Valentine Promotions

In recognition of the Valentine season, Max’s Corner Bakery has recently launched specially garnished valentine-cupcakes with eye-candy layers of sweet confections for the sweet-toothed customers.

Max's Corner Bakery Valentine's Day Promotions

Max's Corner Bakery

They ares also having a promo where for a minimum purchase of P1,500 from February 12 to February 14, Max’s diners will receive a box of chocolates for free to make you feel the ‘sarap kapiling‘ tagline. This is valid for dine-in, take-out or delivery.

Check out http://www.maxschicken.com/ or http://www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant for more details on thier cupcakes and Max’s Corner Bakery.