Garlic Shrimp Pizza

Lent is just a week away! Aside from the fact that Filipinos are again anticipating a long vacation courtesy of the Philippine holidays 2013, the religious are also observing certain traditions including veering away from eating meat.

And Angel’s Pizza has prepared something interesting for their clientele for this season - Garlic Shrimp Pizza and Margherita Pizza!

The new Garlic Shrimp Pizza is oozing with mozzarella cheese with a spread of real shrimp. The combination might not be the usual but its surely worth a try specially for seafood pizza lovers.

The medium size pizza is P329; the family size is P470 and big family is P556.

Shrimp on a bed of mozarella cheese

Angel’s Pizza – Garlic Shrimp

The second one got the better of the health-conscious me – the Margherita Pizza! Perhaps due to the basil leaves, this classic Italian pizza was customized the Angel’s Pizza way. It’s cheaper than the Garlic Shrimp pizza as well. 😛

Be sure to have it hot out-of-the-oven for your ultimate enjoyment of the crispy crust. The medium size Margarita pizza is P297; the family size is P416 and big family is P491.

Angel’s Margherita Pizza

Moreover, you might as well check out the new variants of the calzone and the soon-to-be-released Angel’s Pizza Club Card.

Angel’s Pizza Club Card and a New Calzone Variant

 Try these new two pizza flavors and more and have them delivered this Lenten season by calling the Angel’s Pizza delivery hotline 922-2222.

Greenwich Better Than Any Other Christmas Party

Filipinos continue to be innovative in their Christmas celebrations with or without a big budget as long a they have fun during the Christmas party. Just like Greenwich, the country’s leading pizza chain, they recently threw a fun-filled bash for those who contributed to the brand’s success.

Anne Curtis & Kelly Misa

The Greenwich Barkada, composed of officers from Greenwich and celebrity endorsers filled up the stage of a Makati Shangri-La ballroom in front of the media and their friends. Joining in the fun were the Pizza Gang composed of Vince Canizares, Mika Lagdameo, and Lloyd Zaragoza. The Greenwich pasta girls Anne Curtis, Solenn Heussaff and Kelly Misa also brought Christmas cheers through a song.

Cookie Cabrera of Greenwich (right)

The Greenwich Barkada entertained the guests with their rendition of popular Christmas tunes. They also shared their fun moments with their Greenwich family and gamely answered questions from the members of the media. Rockeoke session with the guests kept the night alive.

“This Christmas get-together is our way of showing our heartfelt gratitude to our friends from the press. They play an important role in helping us get our messages and stories across our market and in making the Filipinos aware of our latest offerings,” said Cookie Cabrera, Greenwich PR and Corporate Affairs Manager.

The Greenwich Barkada & The Pasta Girls

@ Makati Shang-ri La

Greenwich Special Overload Pizza – 15in Party Pizza

The star of the night though is Greenwich’s latest Christmas offering- Greenwich Special Overload Pizza 15in Party Pizza fit for Christmas parties. The highlighted flavour Greenwich Special Overload Pizza has 13 premium toppings. The party pizza has 16 square cut slices and more of the overloaded toppings making Greenwich truly the Favorite ng barkada.

Greenwich 15-inch Party Pizza (Greenwich Special Overload Pizza)

I think the new Greenwich 15-inch Party Pizza is a good additional idea for our upcoming Christmas parties. Of course, I’m ordering my favorite Greenwich Special Overload Pizza flavor.

"Better Pizza starts in the Kitchen"

Pizza stores are on a roll in the Philippines, I think. In the last six months, I was invited to press launches and gatherings in relation to almost all the following developments:

• Pizza Hut added Venus Raj in the list of its celebrity endorsers.
• Pizza Palace opened in Makati Avenue.
• Domino’s Pizza came back in the Philippines and the 2nd branch just opened in Pasig.
• Greenwich has combined it’s two top endorsers John Lloyd Cruz and Anne Curtis into one commercial.
• Angel’s Pizza is beefing up its marketing

Dining at Papa John's

Moreover, I also heard about Papa John’s Pizza having also entered the Philippine market. However, it was only last March when I got to try the pizza brand in their Robinsons Galleria Veranda branch.

The Veranda is one of the newest foodie hangout in the Ortigas area as part of Robinsons Galleria‘s answer to the market’s increasing demand. It was also my first time in the Veranda and they have an intresting mix of restaurants and food spots. More about the Veranda restaurants this month of April.

Back to Papa John’s, I was able to try a bite of their Chicken BBQ and Fisherman’s Catch flavors in both large, hand-tossed, and thin crust servings.

The Chicken BBQ pizza consists of grilled chicken, bacon bits, and onions. I love the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce lining the top layer.

Large 14" Chicken BBQ Pizza by Papa John's

The Fisherman’s Catch is a combination of shrimps, calamari, green peppers, onions, and signature garlic sauce. Ideal for the upcoming lent, the Fisherman’s Catch is a good one. Other lenten specials options include Garden Special, Simply Cheese, and Margherita Special).

Large 14" Fisherman's Catch Pizza by Papa John's

Papa John's Pizza Box

After tasting them, I knew then that founder “Papa” John Schnatter got it right. I believe they will be able to capture the Filipino palate and go a long way.

Both 14″ large pizzas are priced P530 ( 12″Medium – P430 ; 9″Small – P300 ; Jr. Papa – P150 ).

But the star of our meal was the Super Papa.

As its name suggests, Super Papa seem to have it all with the combination of pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, green peppers & black olives.

At P550, this is NomNom’s recommendation among the three (although all three were superb, promise).

Large 14" Super Papa Pizza by Papa John's

Papa John's @ the Veranda, Robinson's Galleria

Although their pricing levels are a little above the average ones we have in the market, the taste and quailty of their hand-tossed pizzas seem to match it. Better ingredients, better pizza, indeed.

Check out Papa John’s at the Veranda in Robinson’s Galleria. I sure am going back, Mama!

😛

Pizza Hut just got a new major major endorser for their new Stuffed Crust Pizza in the person of the charming and world class beauty titlist Maria Venus Raj.

You should be seeing the new TV commercials today introducing Venus Raj as Pizza Hut’s newest celebrity endorser in addition to Diether Ocampo.

Last night, in an intimate dinner with bloggers, we were introduced to Pizza Hut’s new TVC which exuded class and sophistication with Venus Raj clad in the evening gown she actually wore during the Miss Universe pageant where she won 4th Runner-Up.

Venus Raj & Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza

You would see more of this TVC tonight at the Bb. Pilipinas Beauty Pageant Grand Coronation Night on ABS-CBN.

Pizza Hut’s Stuffed Crust pizza

A product of creativity preferred to be eaten backwards by some, Pizza Hut has long introduced the Stuffed Crust Pizza – cheese baked right into the crust. This time around, Pizza Hut is treating its customers with 25% more cheese as a thanksgiving of sorts.

“We noted the Filipinos love for cheese, and this is evident in every dish we do at home thus, we made our New Stuffed Crust Pizza even cheesier with 25% more major, major cheese; for Filipinos to enjoy. As we are the only Pizza Restaurant that serves Stuffed Crust, we made sure that this re-launch will hit it big to our consumers by adding more cheese as a way of thanking them in loving our Stuffed Crust Pizza through the years” says Edgar Allan L. Caper, Advertising and Promotions Manager of Pizza Hut Philippines.

Interestingly, the 25% more cheese is not stuffed to the crust, but as a layer topping.

For the budget conscious, take advantage of their P499 promo which already includes 2 family stuffed crust pizza or the P699 promo which includes more.

Major Major Stuffed Crust Feast - Valid for take out and delivery from April 8 to May 23,2011

Pizza Hut
Website www.pizzahut.com.ph
Facebook facebook.com/pizzahutphilippines
Pizza Hut Delivery 911-11-11

But wait, there’s more! How about some free Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza for you and your family from NomNom Club, Venus Raj, and Pizza Hut? Then watch out for that special announcement on April 15, 2011 here at NomNomClub.com

Buon Giorno is the brainchild of Mark Floro and his wife, Linda Floro, both of them are food enthusiasts. The couple decided to share their passion with their friends through a quaint Italian restaurant, Buon Giorno.

It was first established at Cliffhouse, Tagaytay City where it has been hailed as one of the most romantic destinations in Tagaytay. The Cliffhouse Buon Giorno branch is very famous for its Opium bed because of the countless marriage proposals that has happened there (the Opium bed is the most reserved spot at the Cliffhouse branch- so better call them early if you’re planning special for your lovey dovey).

With the success of the first branch at Tagaytay, the Floros decided it’s  high time to bring Buon Giorno back to the Metro once again (they opened at Shaw Blvd a few years back but it was closed down).  Buon Giorno is currently located at Rockwell Business District in Ortigas.

I had the privilege to join fellow food bloggers as Buon Giorno introduced their palatial menu.

Antipasti/Antipasto (Appetizer) *this is not a complete menu list

Trio of Crostini P218

A thin of lightly-toasted bread served with pesto, chicken liver pate and  mushroom dip

Bruschetta P180

Tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on olive-toasted toast

Antipasto Platter P335

Marinates olives, pearl onions, roasted peppers, cheese cubes and Italian meats

Insalata (Salad)

B’uon Giorno’s Special

B’uon Giorno’s Special P218

Crema de Brocolli

A mixed of Buon Giorno’s best salad greenies and fruits drizzled with their delectable house dressing

Zuppe (Soup)

Crema de Brocolli P140
An awesome blend of cream and broccoli

Pizza

Mare Pesto P265

Mixed seafood brought together with lots of basil, pesto and cheese. The pizza is super thin crust which gives a crunchy feel with each bite.

Buon-Giorno-Pizza

New York Pizza

New York Pizza P295

It’s composed of assorted meat, bell peppers, and cheese topping on crisp, crusty dough.

This is truly a great break from the pizza that we usually order. Though it’s still far from the original Italian pizza, it’s as good. The chef needed to tailor the pizza according to the Filipino taste 

Other pizza flavours are: Vegetarian, Peperroni, Hawaiian, Salsiccia, Prosciutto A Funghi, and Al Margherita.

Pasta

Canneloni Spinaci P294

Tender bits of chicken & mortadella ham rolled in sheets of spinach pasta smothered with tomato sauce and cheese

Pescattore Alla Puttanesca P308 (Top Photo)
Assortment of seafood in spicy and peppery tomato sauce

Canneloni Spinaci

Risotto (Italian Rice Dishes)

Pollo E Funghi P302

It’s basically chicken in rice dish. It’s by itself a complete meal and will immediately fill your hungry tummy.

Piato Principale

San Prieto Con Basilico John Dory P470

Perfectly cooked cream dory fillet with creamy sauce and spinach

Beef Wagyu in Mushroom Gravy Sauce was also served that night and it’s available by request (in case you are dining in the future).

Chocolate-Pistachio Sans Rival

Dolci (dessert)

Chocolate- Pistachio Sans Rival P207

Layers of wafers covered in chocolate icing and drizzled with pistachio.

This may not be my favourite version of sans rival but if you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll dig it.

Buon Giorno Cheesecake

Cheesecake P170

It’s creamy and fairly yummy but I tasted better cheesecakes (but then I’m biased because I am not a cake person, I’d rather have cold desserts than sweets and pastries).

Bevande (beverages)

Fresh Fruit Shakes P120-P144

Watermelon shake, Grape shake, and Mango shake

Buon Giorno Watermelon, Grape, Mango Shake

Few facts on Italian dining:

Olive oil is a staple in any Italian pantry. There are many varieties of Olive oil and usually, different kinds are used for salads, entrees and cooking.

Italian Dining

For those wondering how to use olive oil with food and cooking, these could help you:

•    Use quality olive oil. Never use an olive oil if you can’t eat it as it is.

•    The most widely used olive oil on restaurants are the extra virgin oil and cold pressed olive oil. It’s also the highest in quality though it’s pricey as compared to the other varieties. Extra virgin olive oil is the best variety used over salads or for dipping bread.

•    If you do not want too much aroma from the olive oil, you may opt for virgin olive oil. It contains fairly less flavour and aroma that’s why it’s best used for frying, grilling and oven roasting. But ordinary or pure virgin olive oil contains even less flavour and aroma than virgin olive oil and is best used in recipes that flavour from olive oil is not desired.

•    Italians can easily determine the variety of olive oil. I was told that they can also tell if the olive oil was from Italy or from other parts of the world.

This has been your resident NomNomClub writer, Renz of Pinay Mommy Adreamer, saying Hanno un Grande Giorno!

Buon Giorno
Grnd Flr, Tower 1 Rockwell Business Center
Ortigas Avenue
Pasig City
Tel number- 5719092

From years of hiatus in the Philippines as a brand, Domino’s Pizza is back!

Domino's Store

Now with Goldilocks as one of its business partners, Domino’s intend to leverage on the partnership’s strength.

President and CEO of Domino’s Pizza Philippines, Mr. Tong Hong shared that with Goldilocks’ expertise in the fast food and franchised business, he believes the alliance will work.

Domino's Pizza

In fact, some of the ingredients/raw materials are sourced from Goldilocks’ commissary as well. Moreover, expect tie-ups and promotions with the two brands in the near future.

Domino’s Branches

Currently with 2 branches, Domino’s targets to open six to eight more stores in Metro Manila within the year.

The two branches as of press time are in:

• Marvin Plaza Building, Pasong Tamo (Chino Roces) , Makati City and

Domino's Makati

• Silver City, [along Frontera Drive (Tiendesitas)] Pasig City

Domino's Silver City, Pasig

The Pizzas

There are currently nine flavors which are a mix from different sides of the world. While the Pepperoni Pizza is the best-seller in the United States, Korea craves for the Potato Pizza. Extravaganza is an all-time favoritte.

Other flavors include Domino’s Deluxe, Shrimpus, and Hola Spain. They also have Buffalo Chicken Wings and pasta offerings. My favorite for the night was the Domino’s Shrimpus. I highly recommend it.

Domino's Shrimpus

Delivery

Having pioneered the 30-minute guarantee delivery in the pizza industry, Domino’s Pizza brings it back as well serving nearby areas. To check on your area, call the following:

Domino’s Pizza Delivery
Makati 745-3030
Pasig – 576-3030

Check Domino’s Pizza online at www.dominospizza.ph.

End Note

Potato Pizza

The Potato Pizza really got me curious. Considering that the bread dough is already heavy on the stomach, having potato slices for toppings makes it doubly filling. It should really taste good to justify its slot in the menu board. I hope to try that one when I go back at Domino’s Pizza. 🙂

Italian inspired table design

Hello there, I’m Renz of Pinay Mommy ADreamer, and I was given a huge, huge, huge privilege to be Nomnom’s guest writer. Let me share with you an Italian inspired tasting experience that I had a few days ago. So, prepare your appetite to be stirred and read on…

Would you agree that the best thing to start your weekend is to spend Friday nights with a great crowd, sharing good food and wine?  Of course, I do. It might be my first and last conversation with the people I met on that night but I’m sure glad I met and shared a lot of fun experience with them.

Perfect Italiano Chef

Food bloggers were escorted to a place where tables and chairs were decorated with masks and Italian inspired plates.

To start the night and to whet our appetite, we were given Bruschetta topped with Romano cheese, Mozzarella cheese (both from Perfect Italiano), honey and olive oil.  Also served was wine that went perfectly great with the appetizer. After a few pleasantries, the hosts asked us to be seated and be comfortable as the tasting experience began. It was an 8-course Italian-inspired fine dining prepared by Chefs JJ Yulo and Namee Jorolan of Pinoy Eats World.

Salad with Perfect Italiano

All dishes served were made a notched yummier by Perfect Italiano cheese. And boy was I a happier gal after that hearty meal.

First on the menu was a simple salad made unique with strawberries, Romano cheese, arugula, romaine lettuce drizzled with delicate vinaigrette.

The saltiness of the Romano cheese went well with the tanginess of the vinaigrette and the strawberries.

Pizza plus with Perfect Italiano

The “Pizza Plus” was topped with mozzarella cheese, red bell pepper wrapped in a crust topped with freshly picked vegetables with melted cheese on top. It’s so perfect for a meatless treat for everyone!

Chiz Soup

Creamy Soup made even creamier with cheese (by Perfect Italiano). A new comfort food if only I’ve asked Chef JJ Yulo the recipe. But I tell you, it was so pleasant it made me think of the days when we stayed home and kept warm during stormy weathers.

Red Bell Pepper with Cheeses of Perfect Italiano

I didn’t know that a simple red bell pepper baked with all kinds of cheeses in it tastes so good. Or maybe it’s because of Perfect Italiano? It was sweet and salty at the same time creamy. I usually don’t like red bell pepper but I enjoyed the dish so much I finished all of it in a wink of an eye.

The biggest hit for the night was the Clam Soup. It was clam with Tuguegarao longganisa bits in cheesy soup mixture. It was a surprise for everyone how well the cheese blended with the taste of the longganisa and the clam.  Hold on to your seats because we’re just half way through this delectable experience. Of course at this point I was high in energy and happiness with my glass of sparkling wine.

Clam Soup with cheese

Italian-inspired dinner is not complete without pasta, so pasta was also served. It’s not your regular pesto or alfredo pasta because the sauce was creamier and tastier by combinations of melted cheese mixed with olive oil and some herb.

The pasta was lethal because it could easily make you feel full and heavy. No wonder serving was small.

Cheesy Pasta

The main course was Lamb with Potatoes (Top Photo).

The lamb was so tender that it kind of melted in your mouth and I didn’t taste the usual after taste of lamb meat either. There was also no excessive nasty smell from the lamb which I am very particular of.

For dessert we were served Bananas with Nutella sprinkled with mozzarella cheese.

Okay, you must wonder where’s Italy on that….I wondered the same thing but I was so happy with it that it didn’t matter anymore 

Banana in Nutella and Cheese

That ends my Italian-inspired food experience with Perfect Italiano and Pinoy Eats World! I must say that each individual dish was a crowd pleaser and everyone went home with a happy stomach and a smile on their faces. I know because I sure did.

“Pwede na akong mamatay” is a local euphemism which literally  means “I can die now.” Indeed, after you have tasted Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza, you could say that without hesitation, especially if you know you are going to Heaven. And well, because your cholesterol shoots up double time. 🙂

Pizza consumption by itself is one  the West’s strongest influence in modern Filipino food culture. The number of competing brands alone speaks for its itself.

The varieties also testify the market’s complex taste and preference of their own pizza. You have the thick, the thin, the stuffed, the pop-ups, and the top thats.

On the other hand, the “Lechon” (roasted suckling pig) is a major food centerpiece for big gatherings, fiestas and celebrations here in the Philippines.

I never thought the day that the lechon and the pizza would meet can actually happen. But Pizza Hut did it. Pizza Hut dared and successfully combined the goodness and crispiness of lechon and the quality of their pizza.

Lechon Pizza Slice

Think of Pizza Hut layered with generous cheese with chunks of lechon meat and slices of the sought-after crispy lechon skin and you have your deadly but delicious Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza.

The skin is not the traditional shiny lechon skin but more of the fried and crunchy. Good thing I liked it more this way. Pizza Hut intentionally air dried the skin separately and adds it as topping on top of the pizza only as it is served. This allows the lechon skin to maintain its crispiness.

Your initial temptation is to pick the crispy lechon skin atop the pizza slice and eat it by itself. But that might  leave your pizza lacking as a whole. I prefer to hold my guns and consume it altogether and experience the crispy lechon skin as I take one bite at a time of the lechon pizza. 🙂

You could also request for the sauce to be held and not immediately spread on top of the pizza as served. Although the lechon pizza sauce is still on the sweet side, it is not as much as your retail favorite Mang Tomas lechon sauce. This can either be good or bad on a person-to-person basis. 🙂

Hold that saliva from dropping. The Pizza Hut’s Lechon Pizza comes in two sizes – medium and large.  The Lechon Pizza price starts at Php 329 for the former with 10 inches and Php 499 for the latter of 14 inches.

You can also have it as part of a special package under the Manila Signature Dishes where it is paired with  other servings and wine for the price of P799.

“Inspired by the popular local favorite, this new flavor celebrates the Filipino creativity and ingenuity.“

Manila Sugnature Dishes 2010:
Pizza Hut Bistro New Lechon Pizza Set P799 (Price still subject to service charge and local tax)

• Medium Lechon Pizza
• Seafood Supremo
• Olive Garden Salad
• 2 Glasses Casillero del Diablo Merlot

It has the rustic burnt lechon aroma you can smell from afar as it comes nearer your table. It is an ultimate dream come true for pizza and lechon lovers. Have the best of both in a single serve. You should not let this ultimate foodie comfort food pass this Christmas holiday season as it is only available until about the end of January next year.

Pizza Hut Lechon Pizza

I recommend the Pizza Hut Lechon Pizza with a thumbs up for those who love pizza and lechon. Be sure to bring family and friends to share it with as  I myself was only able to consume 3 slices. Try one before you die, it’s Pizza Hut Lechon Pizza or forever hold your peace. 🙂