Long-time NomNom Club readers would know that we are a loyal follower of the SM StreetFood Festival hosted by SM Hypermarket.

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According to my travel blogger friends, April is the best time to go to Japan as cherry blossoms are in full bloom during the Spring season. And in case it’s not possible for you to go there right now, then you can have BAKE cheese tarts, instead. A bite of it can feel like being in Japan anyway. 🙂

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It was a day of fun and happiness for Cream-O-holics and the whole family as Flix Fest 2 gathered children and adults from all walks of like for a unique outdoor movie experience at the Central Park, SM By The Bay in Pasay City!

Cream-O Flix Fest: Unlock the Irresistible

Jack ‘n Jill Cream-O‘s memorable outdoor cinema experience held yesterday was concluded as a fun and a colourful arcade-themed entertainment park event with the second year of “Cream-O Flix Fest: Unlock the Irresistible“.

Cream-O Flix Fest 2

Flix Fest @ SM By The Bay

Among all the fun activities, the hihglight of the event was the outdoor entertaining screening of Hollywood movies!

Creamoholics of all ages enjoyed the action-packed animation of Lego Batman Movie. They also watched futuristic quests in X-Men Days of Future Past, and revelled in the amazing adventure of young Peter Parker in Spider-Man Homecoming.

The day wasn’t just about movies as special activities were created for everyone to enjoy; Creamoholics had a blast showcasing their creativity at the Cream–Ofied Creations booth where they decorated their favorite Cream-O Vanilla, Choco Fudge, Deluxe, Crinkles, Chocolate Chip, Cookies ‘n Cream and Choco ‘n Berries cookies in four easy steps: choose, dip, sprinkle, and drizzle.

“Passport Stub” in doing a lot of “Creamoholic” activities!

Cream-O Warp Pipes

Cream-O Flatlay Station

Cream-O Flavors!

We Love Cream-O

Cream-O Redemption Booth

Cream-O Claw The Cream-O

Cream-O Movie Marathon Booth

Happiness of Cream-O-Holics!

This create-your-own-Cream-O activity was well received by guests. Consumers also took photos of their cookie creations and shared it online at the Cream-O Flatlay booth.

Happiness of Cream-O-Holics

The crowd was also treated to engaging game booths where they brought out their playful sides and won prizes. Cream-O Warp Pipes and Claw the Cream-O challenged their competitive skills on getting treats using claw mechanism; while Cream-O Movie Combo Trivia Game tested their knowledge on popular movies.

Cream-O made the event more memorable as guests were serenaded with live music performances in between screenings. Lucky Creamoholics also took home Instax Mini Cameras and Kidzania Tickets from the raffle draws.

Night time @ Cream-O Flix Fest

Flix Fest 2 Performances

Outdoor Movie Marathon with Cream-O!

It was a FUN Cream-Oholic Weekend! 🙂

Did you miss the fun? Check out the event details and more photos at Jack ‘n Jill Cream-O on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at “/creamoholicsph” for surprises and updates!

So satisfy your hunger and 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!

Indeed, the second Cream-O Flix Fest truly satisfied everyone’s sweet cravings and created an unforgettable experience for all Creamoholics! We hope to see you next year for the 3rd Cream-O Flix Fest!

It all started in August of 2017 when SM Hypermarket launched the Street Food Festival a few months ago in SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

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They came, they left for a while, and now they’re back!

The “Make Your Own Magnum” craze returns in a new location. From the former SM Aura Premier mall in Taguig, their new location since Dec 19, 2015 is at the 2nd floor of the Mall Atirum in SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City. Located at the center of the air-conditioned mall, the new Magnum Manila Pop-up Store can be found in front of Uniqlo MOA and across the Zara boutique.

Magnum Manila, SM Mall of Asia

Magnum Manila MOA

Pleasure Seekers alert! Your favorite Belgian chocolate indulgence returns as Magnum‘s signature ice cream bars makes a come-back with the latest White Almond which was launched a few months ago.

Keeping true to the pop-up concept of every café, Magnum Manila now focuses on the Magnum-My-Way concept and lets go of the restaurant concept like it had in the previous SM Aura flagship store. Moreover, it will be open for a limited time only, maybe a year or so, give or take a few months. But I believe it will stay, at the very least, until the next holiday season of Dec 2016 or until Philippine Summer 2017.

How to Make Your Own Magnum

Each Make Your Own Magnum experience costs P120 including the signature Magnum bar dipped in Belgian chocolate plus three of your choice toppings from a wife array of 18 options.

• Step 1: At the counter, Pleasure Seekers select a “naked” Magnum bar of silky Vanilla or rich Chocolate ice cream, as well as a chocolate coat amongst white, milk, or dark chocolate.
  

  Selecting 3 Toppings for my Make Your Own Magnum

  

  18 Topping Variants to choose from!

• Step 2: Next, sprinkle your now-coated Magnum bar with toppings that range from classic toppings that you’d expect to compliment any ice cream like marshmallows or crunch balls, special toppings that are a little more luxurious like freeze dried raspberries or pistachios, or experimental toppings that are more adventurous like chili flakes or sea salt flakes. You should not miss our very own “Pastillas” this season!
  

  Dip Your Magnum Bar in White Chocolate, Dark Chocolate, or Milk Chocolate

• Step 3: Finally, you drizzle your creation with a choice of white, milk, or dark chocolate, and the store’s Pleasure Maker will top off your creation with an “M” coin. The finished product, a cold Belgian chocolate masterpiece of your own dreaming, is yours to enjoy.
  

  Drizzle

  

  Placing the final “M”

Magnum Manila MOA is a joint project with Selecta and FoodAsia Corp who will be handling the operations and management of the store.

Here is the result of my “Make Your Own Magnum”

Magnum Manila Promotions

Aside from the changing 18 dynamic and continually evolving choices of toppings, Magnum Manila MOA will be hosting its first ever #MagnumPleasureHour where consumers have the chance to indulge in a free Make Your Own Magnum bar.

This is set for the next three Fridays and Saturdays – January 22 & 23, January 29 & 30, and February 5 & 6!

What will be you Magnum Creation?

Magnum Manila now in SM Mall of Asia

All they need to do is come to the Magnum Manila MOA store between 6 to 7 PM and share the promo photo found on @Magnum_PH twitter and Instagram to claim their prize. On top of all these, pleasure seekers can look forward to seeing their favorite Magnum Ambassadors drop by the store.

Visit Magnum Manila in MOA now!

Welcome back Magnum Manila

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!

Get updates and promotions from the Magnum Manila website and indulge in the ultimate pleasure of making your own Magnum with rich Belgian chocolate at Magnum Manila in Mall of Asia, for a limited time only.

Watami Salad

Watami is now in the Philippines and I missed their opening day blow out at SM Mall of Asia (MOA)  last November 16, 2012 where customers enjoyed half-off their total bill (50% off)! So I did not let this chance pass when blogger-friend Spanky invited us over for lunch.

New Watami Teas

Watami is a famous Japanese casual restaurant in Japan with 700 branches in their country alone. They are also in Hongkong, China, Taiwan, Singapore, and Malaysia, among others.

It was a good and filling Japanese lunch and here are the 4 Top Watami dishes NomNom Club highly recommends among those we have tried:

1. Beef and Kimchi Rice in Stone Pot  
   

   Beef and Kimchi Rice in Stone Pot (P245)

2. Sapporo Seafood Ramen Salad (Top Photo – P375)
3. Salmon & Vegetable in Rice Paper 
   

   Salmon & Vegetable in Rice Paper (P185)

4. Beef Rice Bowl with Hot Spring Egg in Tokyo Style 
   

   Beef Rice Bowl with Hot Spring Egg in Tokyo Style (P195)

All four were great-tasting and not too heavy on the budget. I must admit there are some items on the Watami menu which is priced above-average for a ‘casual’ restaurant. On the other hand, the premium pricing is reflected in the quality of service the customer can get. The taste is also authentic Japanese.

We also had the Self-Grilled Short Ribs (P295) and Assorted Sashimi (5 kinds). For beverage, I tried Kiwi Tea with Agar.

Self-Grilled Short Ribs (P295)

Assorted Sashimi (5 kinds) P425

Kiwi Tea with Agar (P145)

I also look forward to ordering the Clams cooked in stone pot with Japanese style sauce (P285) and the Watami Salad is my next visit.

Aside from SM Mall of Asia, Watami is also opening soon at the new Glorietta – also known as the new Glorietta Vibe.

XinWang Hong Kong Cafe

XinWang Hong Kong Cafe in SM Mall of Asia is turning a year old in the Philippines next month. I’ve always seen and passed by this restaurant beside IMAX but it was only last week when I first dined-in.

It was upon the prodding of Marj and her friend from XinWang that I was finally able to try the place. We’ve seen this as well in Singapore last July.

It was a late lunch for us on a week day so we almost had the whole XinWang restaurant to ourselves. The interior was cozy and well-lighted, it was easy to the eyes.

New Menu (same as in SIngapore)

It also came to our knowledge that the restaurant refreshed its menu last October while retaining most of its best sellers. This development was in-sync with it’s international franchise from Singapore. Yes, I thought about that too – a Hong Kong cafe from Singapore which we are trying in the Philippines. To make it more trivially interesting, there’s not one branch in Hong Kong, but they have several in Singapore. 🙂

Iced HongKong Milk Tea (P75)

Back to the menu. For the unfamiliar with Hong Kong cuisine, one would find the new menu a bit overwhelming as it was a combination of Chinese specialties, pasta, western food including burgers, a number of sweet desserts, and a gamut of beverages including milk teas, as expected.

But giving it a second thought, this is how Hong Kong food is – a mixed bowl of different culture dominated by Chinese tastebuds with a huge influence from the West. XinWang Hong Kong Cafe‘s new menu certainly reflects that.

So instead of getting overwhelmed, just enjoy the variety and take it one step at a time. You don’t have to try everything in one sitting.

Mango & Prawns Roll (P100)

And this is what we did. We tried a bit from the different pages of the menu.

Chicken Chop Cream Sauce Spaghetti (P245)

For the appetizers, we dared the oriental combination of prawn and mango in a soft roll. At P100, we got three – not bad considering the prawn content. The taste was ok but it could be enhanced. It has great potential, nonetheless.

This was followed by the Chicken Chop Cream Sauce Spaghetti. Basically, your good Carbonara pasta with a quarter of a chicken on the side. The cream sauce spaghetti was good but the chicken tastes better, I would order it again because of the chicken. At P245, you’re getting a fair deal.

With an effort to go healthy, we ordered the stir fried minced Kai-Lan with Silver Fish. At P220, it was a good try as the dish was not a common fare in regular restaurants and it tasted fine as well.

Stir Fried Minced Kai-Lan with Silver Fish (P220)

XinWang Stir Fried Noodle (P235)

Recommended Dishes

The stars of the day came in at the latter part. The XinWang Stir Fried Noodle is recommended at P235 for its ‘sahog‘ which consisted of seafood and veggies.

HK Braised Beef Brisket with Bamboo Rice (P215)

The HK Braised Beef Brisket with Bamboo Rice comes highly recommended. This was the best fare for the day for it’s authentic-tasting beef brisket. At P215, it was a good deal.

The desserts were also not a disappointment. I think we were lucky enough to get the good ones in such a series. 🙂

The Mango Pudding with ice cream on top is a treat for the sweet lovers. Highly similar to ice kachang, the price of P85 is at par and competitive with Lugang‘s. I’d suggest though that you order this for a group of 3 or 4.

Mango Pudding with ice cream (P85)

The French toast should be relabeled as ‘Big French Toast‘. The huge serving was like a three/four slices loaf packed into one. Covered with beaten egg yolk and fried, the butter melt atop was a sinful delight; best shared in a group.

French Toast (P95)

Coconut Cream with Sago  (P145)

Finally, you should not miss the Coconut Cream with Sago. The price tag of P145 might seem a bit steep but the tastes makes up for it. It is also good for two servings.

It’s a hot serving of rich and thick coconut cream with small tapiocas to merit. It may be too sweet for some but this is just how coconut creams are. Best paired with your favorite buchi covered with toasted sesame seeds. 🙂

It was a good and filling lunch at XinWang Hong Kong Cafe. Check it out beside SM Mall of Asia IMAX. You’ll surely not miss its banner lights and brightly-lit advertisements.

XinWang Hong Kong Restaurant

Croquetas are basically croquettes which are famous in European countries like Spain and Netherlands, hence the ‘Dutch croquetas‘. The Dutch word means a ‘little, round ball‘. In the Philippines, mashed potatoes has replaced the bechamel-filled ones like those from Spain. It is then rolled, breadcrumbed, fried and branded as Kroketten.

Kroketten SM MOA

From Croquetas to Kroketten

Slowly being pushed in to the mainstream Filipino snack diet, Maribel Bosch of Kroketten has played with the ‘Croquetas‘ word and made it more Filipino with the “K” and adding the last syllable – “ten“. They further brought it within the common Filipinos’ reach with their chain of stalls, mall kiosks, and transport terminal branches.

Banking on Filipinos’ love for carb, they hope that the new potato snack would ‘click‘. Further innovating on more flavors that makes it more yummy, appealing, and extra healthy, they introduced three varieties: Original Kroket, Kroketballen, and the Miniballen.

Kroketten Terminal Transport Kiosk

Kroketten Miniballen

Kroketten Menu

The Original Kroket (Php 35) is the oblong-shaped croquettes with ground beef, chicken, and cheese. On the other hand, a Kroketballen (Php 35 for 3pcs) is a set of three crunchy potato balls that come with dips.

Lastly, the Miniballen bite-sized potato balls is considered best for sharing and are the best sellers, perhaps due to its variant offerings with five pieces mini ballen for Php 20, four pieces mini ballen with the 6.5 oz revitalize 10 or Nutri 10 fresh fruit drink for Php 35. It is further made interesting with the assorted flavors including cheese, chicken, beef, bacon, hotdog, longganisa, pork adobo, mango, and tuyo flakes.

Kroketten Menu

Kroketten with Tuyo Flakes breadcrumb

Kroketten Fresh Fruit Drink, I Like!

I tried several dips and they were surprisingly good! Honestly, since the one we tried was at the terminal of SM Mall of Asia, I initially have somehow managed to lower my expexctations. 🙂 Moreover, as much as I liked the potato balls and the dips, I loved the drinks even more! They were the Nutri 10 fresh fruit drink served in 6.5 oz cups. They tasted like simplified Jamba Juice concoctions at street prices!

I later got to learn that they’re made of the natural fruit juice minus the white sugar and has no preservatives, branded exclusively by Vers En Snel for Kroketten.

Their two signature thirst quenchers are the Nutri 10 (mango and guyabano) and Revita 10 (strawberry and passion fruit) for a vitamin boost and revitalization, respectively. They’re so good Kroketten is working on having them sold in bottles in the near future. On the other hand, when I tired it in SM MOA, they only had two drink dispensers and only the Nutri 10 Mango and Revita 10 strawberry were available.

4pc. Kroketten Miniballen + 6.5oz Drink = Php 35

Kroketten Branch

Kroketten: Fried and Healthy?

I asked one of their managers with regards to their tagline “Fun and Healthy Potato Dutch Snacks.” I inquired how it can be healthy if it’s fried. And he said that they use corn oil instead of the regular oil, that even if corn oil was bit more expensive, they wanted to ‘walk the talk‘ when they claim that thier krokettens are healthier.

Fried Kroketten

Croquetas For Filipinos and Franchise

Frequently touring other countries with her husband and kids, Ms. Maribel Bosch discovered that croquettes deserve to be in the Philippines for its simple and delicious taste which she thought will appeal to all levels of people.

Confident about the potential of the product, the company is also open for franchise for a total investment of P195,000 (vat exclusive). For inquiries on franchising, please call (632) 822-5711 or 09178596623.

Cross Section of Original Kroket

Minballen with Dip

Kroketten Take-Out

There are currently thirteen branches / outlets including SM Mall of Asia (transport terminal) in Pasay City. The others are in Festival Mall Alabang, Albang Town Center, GT Tower Makati, Market! Market!, Starmall Edsa Shaw, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Metro East, SM North Edsa (Foodcourt), SM Lipa Batangas, and soon at SM Megamall.

I also bought a handful of take-out packs to bring home and share with the household. Let’s see how Kroketten, the first healthy Dutch potato snack in the Philippines, will further expand in the country. I will surely be back specially to get the Nutri 10 natural fruit juices. 🙂