You are invited to the biggest food tasting event in the country – the Ultimate Taste Test 2015!

This much-anticipated annual food trip is happening this Saturday – September 12, 2015 (11am-9pm) at the Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City. The Ultimate Taste Test enables food lovers to be food-critics-for-a-day by sampling mouth-watering unique flavors in Manila from over 40+ home-based food businesses.

Organized by the Our Awesome Planet team led by Anton Diaz, its mission is to provide food lovers with remarkable activities meant to excite their palates with the latest and greatest dishes from the most talked about food concessionaires including home bakers, caterers, and food product retailers in Metro Manila.

Get you tickets here: http://www.ourawesomeplanet.com/awesome/2015/08/ultimate-taste-test-2015-tickets.html

Ultimate Taste Test 2015

UTT Summary:

• What: Ultimate Taste Test 2015
• When: September 12, Saturday, come anytime between 11am-9pm
• Where: Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City

Be in the loop about the newest foodie finds with NomNom Club by subscribing to our blog through email and liking the NomNomClub Facebook Page. Follow our Twitter and Instagram accounts too!

Moreover, you can also be a food critic for a day by scoring the food booths! See you at the Ultimate Taste Test 2015!

It was a foodie’s haven as SM Megamall once again hosts its second Mega Food Tour aptly called Mega Food Tour 2.

Continue reading →

There are four numbers to remember from this ‘Awesome Secret Foodies Tour‘ – they are 8, 20, 3, & 1000. The numerals represent 8 restaurants, a 20-course degustation, 3 Hours, and 1000 pesos.

Foodies Anton Diaz, RJ Ledesma, wifey Marjorie Uy & NomNom!

The Tuscany Food Tour at McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio presents a 20-course degustation spread among 8 restaurants that intends to continually fill your tummies for 3 hours. All these for a measly P1,000 from you pocket. Moreover, 2 of the metro’s iconic foodies – RJ Ledesma and Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet – will join the group of 30 to make the experience more engaging.

Participating Restaurants in the Food Tour:

• Sauceria
• Planet Grapes
• L.E.S. Bagels
• Main Street
• Sophie’s Mom
• B&T Mexican Kitchen
• Marciano’s
• Trattoria Poggio Antico

Not to keep you wanting for too long, let’s take a peek on what the 8 restos  have to offer:

Planet Grapes

Wine pairing at Planet Grapes plus choice of one red wine and one white wine:

Planet Grapes

Wines include Folie a Deux Merlot 2010, Joel Gott Riesling 2011, and Kunde Family Chardonnay 2011, among others

RJ Ledesma joins Our Awesome Planet in hosting the Tuscany Food Tour

Trattoria Poggio Antico

4-in-1: Prosciutto con Melon (ham and melon on pizza crust), Crespella del Poggio Antico (crepe stuffed with ham and cheese, and mushrooms in truffle oil), Pomodoro e Mozzarella Crostini and assorted pizzetas, and Oyster Sur Pate di Fegato (oyster on liver pate)

This Foodie Tour come in a Group of 30

….or simply your small group of friends

B&T Mexican Chicken

B&T Mexican Kitchen

Chipotle Chicken Pizza, Mango Glazed Habanero Chicken, Taquitos Espesyal with Barbacoa, & Nachos with Assorted Dips [+ Awesome “Rice” drink on the left]

Chicken Mole

L.E.S. Bagels

L.E.S. Bagels with assorted Cream Cheese Filling (NomNom Tip: :I love the one with black sesame seeds)

Marciano’s

West Side Four Season Pizza; (not in photo: Woody Allen Linguine)

Dow Jones – US T-bone with prawns, potato wedges, sausages, and roasted vegetables

Sauceria

Feta Cilantro Tomato Cocas – Spanish style pizza

Artisanal All-Beef Burger with tuyo blue cheese spread in a Furikaki bun

Tuna Tataki – Zaru Soba with homemade wasabi sour cream dip

Main Street

Poutine – thick-cut fries served with beef gravy and cheese curds (best with San Miguel Beer)

Wagyu Burger – Kitayama beef in sesame buns served with tomato relish, cheddar cheese and their very own house sauce

BEST DESSERT in this tour: Organic Maple and Candied Bacon Artisan Ice Cream (using vanilla maple base)

Sophie’s Mom

The place is dainty and cute fit for the little princess. However,  I’m not sure if the Red Velvet shown below will be offered because the tour menu only indicated Oreo Cheesecake Cookies and Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes (fyi). Any which way, you could always order it independently. 🙂

Red Velvet Cupcake (display only)

The “An Awesome Secret Foodies Tour” is presented by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls for you to discover Tuscany’s best kept secrets starting today (November 30) and for the next three more Saturdays (December 7, 14 and 21) from 2pm to 5pm.

The experience will enable you to taste a little bit of everything and get a feel of the place before splurging out on an entire meal. Only a limited set of 30 tickets will be available per date tour so hurry up and get your tickets at designated booths near the Tuscany Grand Villas Gate from 11:00am to 6:00pm (between Ukkokei Ramen Ron and Marciano’s).

An Awesome Secret Foodies Tour @ Tuscany

For more information, you may call 709-0888, 709-9888 or 0917-838-0111.

Food Tour Tip: Eat slowly and enjoy the company as much as you would the food. Each participant will be given a tour kit including the tour ticket, tour pin, degustation menu and the McKinley Hill Gourmet Guide.

NomNom Top Picks are:

• Main Strreet’s Organic Maple and Candied Bacon Artisan Ice Cream
• Sauceria’s Tuna Tataki
• Sauceria’s Feta Cilantro Tomato Cocas
• Marciano’s West Side Four Season Pizza
• L.E.S. Bagels with black sesame seed (I forgot the name; it was long 🙂
• B&T Mexican Kitchen’s “Rice” drink
• Planet Grapes’ Torrontes wine.

Join this mouthwatering degustation at Tuscany in McKinley Hill with your friends and family and I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as we did during the media tour. This Tuscany Food Tour is a secret no more, but remains awesome for the next 4 Saturdays.

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!

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! 🙂

ManilaQ's Corned Beef Pansigang

The Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 was concluded a  few hours ago – May 14 – at the NBC Tent in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig.

I’m usually slow in publishing my stories taking a few days or more. So, I’m first releasing some of the photos I took earlier in the Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 foodie event organized by Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet and hosted by foodies Ivan Man Dy and Spanky Enriquez.

Marty's Baconette Strips Snack (chichirya)

A lot happened and so much food consumed within the three solid hours of food tasting by more than 1000 foodies being served by about 50 food suppliers.

There’s even a voting / ranking system of the best tasting food in the UTT.

For now, feel free to feast on some photos of the Ultimate Lamon, este, Tasting event:

Main Courses / Entrees

Denim Kitchen

Ultimate taste Test Lechon

The Fruit Garden (leftmost top), Happy Green (Right bottom)

Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 - ManilaQ

Empanada Avenue

Roast DucK Siopao

Desserts:

Chocolate Moist Cake

Purple Dough Desserts

Frozen Meringue by Tina Raines

Divinr Drsserts (Leftmost Top ); Dulceline Gourmets (Leftmost Bottom); Monterey (Upper Right)

Kraze Kitch Bakeshop

Ultimate Taste Test Desserts (I forgot the dessert place name) 🙂

More Brands

ManilaQ, Crave Burger, Muscovy, Swirls

The People / Crowd

Mombloggers (upper left); Performers (lower left); Bobby Yan (lower right)

Arpee Lazaro of Aqua Health Alkaline Water

Ella Ganda's Liempo (upper left); college orgmates (upper center); Crave Burger (upper right)

Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks (night's host with Spanky Enriquez)

Ultimate Taste Test 4.0

The stories behind the photos and my recommendations of the Ultimate Taste Test 4 will follow in a few days so visit this blog again to check out which servings made it to NomNom‘s top list. 🙂

After the successful Ultimate Taste Tests in the previous years, Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet, with the participation of about 50 food suppliers invite you to the Biggest Ultimate Taste Test in the Philippines!

To be held on May 14, 2010, 7 to 10pm at  1,000 foodies are expected to troop to the NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. The foodies-turned-food critics will taste-test some of the upcoming food concoctions of tomorrow and newest young brands.

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May 13 5pm Update
The 1000 foodie slots are all filled up; even for walk-ins on the day itself
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Not to be dismissed as a simple buffet, it’s like taking a peek inside a foodie’s kitchen and getting a taste of their food. Moreover, participants can rate them and provide feedback.

The event will be hosted by Old Manila Walks food-culture guide and foodie Manila Boy Blogger Ivan Man Dy and Spanky Enriquez, respectively. The Comedy Cartel will also be there a s a special guest.

A contribution fee of P230/head includes a P200 contribution to MASED (Macario Arnold for Socio-Economic Development) Foundation’s Out-of-School Youth Program and P30 for one bottle of any of the San Miguel Lifestyle Brews: San Miguel Super Dry, Premium All-Malt and Cerveza Negra(on ly for 18 yrs old & above) . For children who are 3-6 years old, the contribution fee is only P100.

Participation mechanics through registration as one of the 1,000 foodies in the event is not included in the article anymore since it is two days away. You are encouraged to try coming early as walk-ins. For more details, you may email Rache at rache@diaz.ph

Note: Parking is available at The Fort Strip or around the NBC Tent.

Food Suppliers as of last week

Appetizers / Starters (9)

1. Brazo by Ces Lopez
St. Francis Quiche (with Portobello and Asparagus)
Chicken Pork Adobo Quiche
Classic Quiche Lorraine in Gruyere Cheese

2. Denim Kitchen
Bangus Sardines in Canola Oil
Smoked Mackerel in Olive Oil, Crunchy Garlic, Mango Chutney

3. Chile Vitas
Chile Cheese, Chile Vinegar, Chile Mustard & Chile Pepper sauce

4. Maison de Valere‘s chicken liver pate on toasts.

5. The Fruit Garden Assorted Fruit Jam

6. Joax Ingredients & Food Development Corporation‘s Fried cured meat and Dimsum

7. Emapanada Avenue‘s Empanadas

8. Oishi Smart C+ lemon variant and Marty’s Baconnette Strips

9. Anla’s Congee

Main Course / Meat (13)

10. Lattize’s Lengua Sulipena and Corned Beef

11. Pepita’s Kitchen Lechon

12. Sunrise Bucket Chicken Wings

13. Dulcelin main course + 1 dessert

14. Sakae Sushi Spider Roll Sushi

15. Pepetons Grill
Kapalmuks – deep-fried pig face, it’s like crispy pata
Sinuman na tyan ng Bangus – Bangus belly wrapped in banana leaves
Binalay – Ibanag’s kakanin
Bundok rice – Pinoy version of Thai bagoong rice

16. Goodles Pasta

17. Crave Burger

18. JAM Foods‘ Angus Beef Tapa

19. True Santos Duck Farm’s Muscovy Duck Ham (with special ham sauce)

20. Jay’s Caldereta

21. The Classic Roast Whole Roast Duck and Roast Duck Siopao

22. Qasa 61‘s Marikina Cuisine

Desserts (16)

23. Kraze Kitch Bakeshop
Lengua de Gato – original, almonds, oatmeal raisin, ube
Flourless Chocolate Cake

24. Adee’s Caramel Bars

25. Savoury Pies
Frozen Lemon and Herb Pie plus Frozen Strawberry Pie

26. Marveron Enterprises
Macaroons, apple pie, food for the gods and fresh lumpiang ubod

27. Purple Dough
Chocolate Chip Cookies/Peanut Butter Cookies

28. Heidi’s Taiwan Snowflakes Ice

29. Craveman Food Ventures Inc.
Shaved Snow with toppings/flavors: Strawberry, Mango,
Chocolate, Banana-choco, Ube-Munggo, Sweet Corn, Peanut

30. Better Sweet Spot’s Cakes & Cupcakes – Dark Chocolate Cheese,
Red Velvet, Chocolate Lava, Chewy Chocolate

31. Crepes & Cream Fiesta Halo Crepe

32. The Bandana Baker Mango Bars, Mega Chocolate Cookies, Cranberry & White Chocolate cookies

33. Anne Hilario‘s Chocolate praline ganache cake

34. Benzi‘s Cheese Brownies, Apple Bavarian Torte Cheesecake Lollipop or Cheesecake Truffle

35. Divine Desserts

36. Jeren‘s Kefir for Vegan from Coconut Kefir Dressing

37. Boracay’s Frozen Swirl Kefir

38. Fruits in Ice Cream Summer Cafe (FIC) Sansrival

Drinks (6)

39. San Miguel Lifestyle Brew’s San Mig Dry, Cerveza Negra, Premium All-Malt

(Tasting Portions for FREE, P50/bottle during the event)

Note: Beer will only be served to Foodies 18 years old and above

40. SodaStream by Max.Ideas Marketing Corporation

41. Conlins Coffee by Conlins Coffee World Inc.

42. El Kapitan Coffee

43. Arpee Lazaro’s Aqua Health alkaline ionized water

44. Paco Magsaysay‘s Holly’s Milk

See you at the Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 on May 14 and let’s take on the food critic’s hat. Everybody’s input will be essential. 🙂

Last night’s dinner was made of Yummy, figuratively and literally. Yummy foodie magazine invited a group of foodies, including Nomnom, for an intimate dinner at Tosco in Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City.

Tosco, Dusit Thani Hotel

And who would say no to an intimate dinner invite by a food magazine? It’s almost sure, the food would be great. And I was not mistaken.

Potato Sour Creme Soup

Potato-Sour Creme Soup

For soup appetizer, we had potato-sour creme soup.

It was good and creamy. The lemon grilled shrimp slices even made it better.

I found the initally served bread complimentary to its rich taste and I cleaned up my bowl to the last drop.

I think the leaves on top is tarragon – an aromatic Eurasian herb for seasoning.

Tosco Bread

Stuffed Chicken Breast

Chicken Breast with a Surprise

The main entree looked like a simple chicken breast but I found a surprise marinated apricot and orange cinnamon couscous at its center. The serving of rice is also worth mentioning with its citrus-like aftertaste and scent. It was something new to my taste buds and I found it pleasing. Stems of green asparagus lined the plate.

Couscous is a north African dish usually characterized by steamed semolina and meat; in this case chicken meat.

Chicken breast with Orange Cinnamon and Apricot

Trilogie

Yes, you read it right – it ended with ‘gie.’ The dinner was concluded with a trilogie of vanilla, red wine creme, and caramelized mango. It was the goodness of dessert times three.

Tosco Trilogie: Vanilla, Red Wine Creme, & Caramelized Mango

The vanilla was prepared light and covered with shreds of crispy barquillos. Lovely.

It was my first time to taste a red wine creme and I loved its softness with hint of strawberry. Although I think I’m alone with this conclusion since the plates of those around me left the red wine creme half-consumed.

The caramelized mango was, well, caramelized mango.

Although a combination of three desserts sound overwhelming, I surprisingly found it wanting. The three were all sweet but it was not overdone. Simply said, I cleaned the plate.

Tosco's Caffe Latte

And just like after any sweets, a good cup of coffee is always appreciated after.

Yummy Planner 2010

Yummy Magazine - December Issue

It was a good way of celebrating the holidays and the blessed year of 2009 for Yummy Magazine as they release the Yummy 2010 Planner and 3 new cookbooks namely YUMMY Meals in Minutes, YUMMY So-easy Sweets, and YUMMY Weekend Cooking.

The Yummy Planner 2010 is now sold in major bookstores at P250 while the cookbooks are at an affordable price of P100 each.

Their December issue is also now out with cooking tips for Christmas like how to have a delicious and inexpensive Noche Buena. They are also adding new sections to the magazine and website Yummy.ph. Something to look forward to in 2010. Check it out here.

Tosco Wine Bar, Dusit Thani Hotel, Makati City

More photos of Yummy Christmas Dinner.

We also shared a good chat over dinner with fellow foodies Fran, Az, and new friends Oggie & Ferdz of HappyFoodies.com, among others. It was also nice to see Anton of Our Awesome Planet again and Joey of Table for Three Please, for the first time. It was a Yummy dinner indeed!