A Tale of Smoothies and Smooches

Mondo Juice Megamall

Mondo Juice Megamall

So called ‘fruit juice bars‘ and ‘smoothie stands‘ have sprouted around the metro in the recent years, trying to ride on the “healthy lifestyle” bandwagon. But only very few can claim to serve an all-natural, real fruit smoothie without added sugar, syrup or sweeteners – that’s Mondo Juice.

Being a ‘Megamall guy,’ I’ve been passing by Mondo Juice in SM Megamall for so long as I can remember. But it was only recently that I actually tried it upon the prodding of my fiance who have tried and blogged about Mondo Juice way back in mid-2011.

Mondo Juice Fruit Smoothie

Mondo Juice Fruit Smoothie

And so I tried, and regretted it. I regret why it was only now that I gave-in to my fiance’s recommendation to try Mondo Juice. 🙂

We came from a full-house Starbucks shop so I eventually agreed to her suggestion of trying Mondo Juice as I always welcome the thought of trying restaurants I have never been to.

Mondo Juice branch interior

Mondo Juice branch interior

Mondo Juice High-Powered Blenders

Mondo Juice High-Powered Blenders

My Order #1: Blushing Mango & Turkey Pesto

Mango has always been one of my favorite fruits so I decided to go ‘safe‘ and chose the “Blushing Mango” from the Premium Fruit Smoothie category. It costs P135 for the solo size and P180 for the ‘Mondo‘ (big) size.

The other smoothie categories were ‘Homegrown, ‘Buzz Smoothies‘, and ‘Exotic‘, among others.

I was also offered add-on options such as yogurt, oatmeal, soy milk, and honey whose prices ranged from Php 15 to Php 35. As much as I would like to have those healthy add-ons, I decided to have the smoothie as it is. I wanted to know how it fares without the extras.

Blushing Mango Smoothie

Blushing Mango Smoothie

Hungry as I was, I ordered a Turkey Pesto sandwich to match my smoothie. The smoked turkey breast slices were calling out to me complete with the green peppers and rustic pesto in between two Italian herb Focaccia breads. 🙂

As so it was served.

My Blushing Mango smoothie came in a transparent cup where you can see all the goodness of the fruit and pulp (no rinds/roots), and an informative sticker at the back. Mine turned-out to be a blend of mangoes, respberries, and nectar amounting to 3.5 big servings of fruit hitting upto 140% of my vitamin C need.

I had my first ‘sip‘ and I can almost feel the toxins flushed down. 🙂

Turkey Pesto Sandwich

Grilled Turkey Pesto Sandwich

Her Order #1: Mango Magic with Ham & Cheese

Not to be outdone, my Mondo Juice advocate and fiance named Marjorie ordered her all-time favorite ‘homegrown‘ fruit smoochie smoothie called Mango Magic (P125 Solo). She partnered it with the traditional – Ham & Egg sandwich.

Based on the back sticker label, the magic in her Mango Magic is a mix of mangoes, nectar, and orange juice with a whooping 161% of vitamin C! It goes further saying “the only thing fresher grows on a tree.” 🙂 With the 1/3 pound of fruit in each Mondo Jucie cup, the recommended five servings of fruit daily has just been met!

And without hesitation, she made her ‘sip‘ and said “ahhh.”

Mango Magic

Mango Magic with Ham & Cheese Sandwich

My Order #2: Blueberry Bonanza + Kiwi Fruit & Jello

An hour after, needless to say, we wanted more. Round 2 was imminent.

I then consulted the sales crews and asked which one is their bestseller. The unanimous answer was the “Blueberry Bonanza“! Again from the premium fruit smoothie category, it had the same price as my first one at P135 per ‘solo size‘ order and P180 for the Mondo.

BBlueberry Bonanza Smoothie

Blueberry Bonanza Smoothie

Mondo Juice Jello

Mondo Juice Jello

Adventurous as I am, a group of jello encased in interestingly hard plastic containers on the left side of the display piqued my curiosity. I browsed through and selected the Kiwi Fruit & Jello over the Lychee and Mandarin Orange-infused ones.

Kiwi Fruit & Jello

Kiwi Fruit & Jello

On first sip, I already knew why the Blueberry Bonanza is the bestseller. The natural blend of blueberries, mangoes, bananas, and cranberry juice was harmonious. You have to try it for yourself.

The Kiwi fruit & jello was fine with good kiwis and jello fruit juice. It’s something different for a change. I think the kids will love it too. For something healthy, parents out there should seriously consider this as a snack for their kids.

Her Order #2: Proteinzone Super Smoochie Smoothie

From the start, I never doubted she would take seconds for Mondo Juice.

My Mondo Marjorie scanned through the menu board for quite a while similar to how she scans through dresses, gowns, shoes, and bags while shopping in department stores.

I was afraid.

Three mondo minutes after, she finally exclaimed: “I think I will try something different this time!

I was even more afraid.

Ready to face my fears, I gathered enough courage and asked her straight to the point: “What’s your order as the cashier is waiting?”

She looked at me intensely into the eye and finally said … that she wanted to try the Proteinzone Super Smoothie booster (P145/solo;185 /Mondo). In the same category are the ‘Detox‘ & ‘Power-Up‘ smoothies.

My Mondo Model: Marjorie (with her Proteinzine Smoothie)

My Mondo Model: Marjorie (with her Proteinzine Smoothie)

Proteinzone Back Sticker Label

Proteinzone Back Sticker Label

Surprisingly, on the other hand, she’s passing up the sandwich and hinted to share with my Kiwi jello instead; which is not a problem of course. 😛

The smoochie smoothie finally came and it turned out to be a concoction of raspberries, bananas, nectar, cranberry juice, a shot of soy protein at 4g and fiber of 2.35g per serving! (I don’t know what’s the standard, but it impressed upon me that it’s much!) 🙂

Sip‘!

Completing the menu board of Mondo Juice are fresh pressed juice, hot drinks such as coffee, tea, and chocolate. Other cold drinks include iced coffee, brewed ice tea, and lemonade.

There are even honeyed nuts and mango cashew nuts available by the counter.

Her Proteinzone and Mango Magic!

Her Proteinzone and Mango Magic!

The Mondo Juice Advocate & NomNom

The Mondo Juice Advocate & NomNom

Undoubtedly, it was a no-fuss afternoon of all-natural fruit smooches smoothies with my fiance at Mondo Juice Megamall where we can drink it straight, without the sugar and syrup bait.

So where were the ‘smooches‘ in the story? It went in-between ‘sips‘. 🙂

Black Canyon Coffee Opens First Branch in the Philippines

Black Canyon Coffee Philippines

Black Canyon Coffee Philippines

Black Canyon Coffee opened its first branch in the Philippines just this morning at the Food Street wing of SM Southmall in Las Pinas. The grand launch was graced by no less than the honorable Las Pinas Congressman Mark Villar. He was joined by Mr. Pravit Chitnarapong (CEO, Black Canyon Thailand), Mr. James Dy (Chairman, Royal Thai Food Philippines Inc.), and Mrs. Wilma Dy (President, Royal Thai Food Philippines Inc).

A big brand in Thailand that started in 1993 and now has 220 stores and 40 more internationally, Black Canyon Coffee is known for their unique concept of a coffee shop that ‘is’ also a full restaurant. While they offer a wide range of coffee drinks and beverages from espresso to cappuccino (and ‘Blackpuccino‘), they also serve Thai cuisines such as Tom Yum soup and Som Tam salads. On the other hand, their brand ‘Black Canyon Coffee‘ can be easily misconstrued as a western brand whereas their specialties are Thai food.

Black Canyon Coffee Manila

Black Canyon Coffee Manila

Black Canyon Coffee Southmall

Black Canyon Coffee SM Southmall

Black Canyon Coffee South Entrance

Black Canyon Coffee South Entrance

Iced Drinks

I personally tried the BC Thai Iced Tea w/ milk, BC Iced Coffee, and BC Iced Lemon Tea, in that order of preference. I loved the authentic mix of the Thai Iced Tea just like in Thailand and the Black Canyon Iced Coffee which is a blend of arabica coffee with two kinds of milk and plenty of ice.  However, I found the iced lemon tea just ordinary.

Black Canyon Coffee SM Southmall

Black Canyon Coffee: BCC Iced Coffee, Thai Iced Tea w/ milk, Iced Lemon Tea (left to right cups then back)

Black Canyon Coffee Menu Board

Black Canyon Coffee Menu Board

I then ordered one of their signature beverages – the Black Canyon Frappe. It was a refreshing drink in a visually appealing presentation with a fat glass, similar to the Black Canyon Iced Coffee. For a cost of Php 120, it was well worth the price given that they source the coffee beans from Columbia. The other raw coffee beans are from Northern Thailand while the Matcha Green Tea are from Japan.

Black Canyon Coffee Frappe

Black Canyon Coffee Frappe

Thai Restaurant

More than just a coffee shop, Black Canyon  is actually a 160 sqm. full-restaurant that can accommodate upto 90 customers and offers Thai cuisine ala carte from soups, sandwiches, to pasta, and steaks.

Four of which I have tried are the Pad Thai, Tom Yum Goong, Tuna Green Curry Fried Rice Wrapped in Egg Sheet, and the Spicy Glass Noodles and Grilled Salmon Salad.

The Tom Yum Goong (Spicy Prawn Soup  – Php 192) had the right level of spiciness for an authentic Tom Yum Goong. Although the Tuna Green Curry Fried Rice is not really my type of food, curry lovers may want to try this one out at a good price of Php 156.

Tuna Green Curry Fried Rice

Tuna Green Curry Fried Rice Wrapped in Egg Sheet Php 156

The Spicy Glass Noodles with Grilled Salmon was something new to my taste bud, and it turned out well. The spicy and lightly grilled salmon complemented the glass noodles. They could have oiled the noodles a little-bit more, however. Called Yum Wun Sen Salmon in Thailand, this Thai delicacy is priced at Php 188.

Spicy Glass Noodles and Grilled Salmon Salad (Yum Wun Sen Salmon) P188

Spicy Glass Noodles and Grilled Salmon Salad (Yum Wun Sen Salmon) Php 188

And finally, you should not miss Black Canyon Coffee Philippines‘ authentic and award-winning Pad Thai which is at par with other Thai restaurants I have dined-in here in the Philippines. The shrimps were fresh and larger than I expected for a Pad Thai complemented with bean sprouts, garlic chives, and eggs.

Black Canyon Executive Chef Rasri Athaboh

Black Canyon Executive Chef Rasri Athaboh

They also have desserts and bakery products. I was able to try the Fruit Salad Sundae (Php 68) and a slice of Oreo Chessecake (Php 95). The former was just ok and nothing special but the cakes were good. Priced at less than a hundred, this is a very good deal.

Chef Rasri Athaboh

It was also great to have met with Black Canyon Executive Chef Rasri Athaboh who came from Thailand. He will be staying in the Philippine for a while to oversea the kitchen and knowledge transfer. Black Canyon cooks and crew were also initially sent to Thailand for over a month of training.

Very Competitive Pricing

If you browse through their menu, you would notice that the drinks are almost always below Php 100. The Thai dishes also range only from Php 150 to Php 200; with some a little above Php 200. I hope they do maintain, more or less, these affordable introductory prices within the year.

Black Canyon Coffee Branches

Black Canyon Coffee Philippine Team

Black Canyon Coffee Philippine Team

Black Canyon Coffee (BlackCanyonCoffee.com) also has presence in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Myanmar, UAE, Cambodia, and Laos. In the Philippines, they are looking at 2 more new Black Canyon Coffee branches within 2012; watch out for BCC in SM Mall of Asia and SM Megamall.

Know Your J.CO Donuts (Manila, Philippines)

J.CO Chocolate Caviar Donut

J.CO Chocolate Caviar Donut

You might have heard the foodie news – J.CO coffee and donuts have landed in the Philippines! Their first stop was SM Megamall in Manila which just opened last March 15, 2012 while I was in South Korea. This will be followed soon with branches in Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, and SM Mall of Asia.

By the end of the year, the Philippine’s master franchiser is opening up 10 branches, with a target of 20 by the end of 2013 and 30 by 2014.

J.CO is a popular lifestyle café chain in Indonesia and some parts of  Southeast Asia. It first opened in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005 with the thrust to fuse the popular donuts of the West with the exotic touches of the East. Other countries in the Asian region soon got into the J.CO craze, including Malaysia, Singapore and, more recently, Shanghai in China.

J.CO SM Megamall Branch

J.CO SM Megamall Branch

J.CO Donuts

J.CO Hazle Dazzle

J.CO Hazle Dazzle

It is just right then to follow through this news with an inspection of what this Indonesian-grown donut and coffee brand has to offer.

On focus in this write-up is their main product – the J.CO donuts.

They use a wide array of ingredients sourced from around the world like Belgian chocolates, Californian almonds, American honey, New Zealand cheese, and Japanese Matcha green tea.

Let us look at some of them and their best-sellers.

Moreover, the makers of J.CO donuts seem to have a penchant for Hollywood celebrity names as well…from Jacky Chan’s to Leonardo Di Caprio’s. 🙂 Check these out:

Strawbeery Caviar Choco and Oreology (L-R)

Strawbeery Caviar Choco and Oreology (L-R)

Hazel Dazzle
Donut topped with rich milk chocolate sprinkled with chopped peanuts and filled with a hazelnut surprise

Strawbeery Caviar Choco
Light and fruity donut with strawberry choco topping with crisp chocolate bits

Oreology
One of the worl’d favorite chcoolate treat with white chocolate topping fully covered with ground bits of dark Oreo

JCO Jacky Chunk (leftmost)

JCO Jacky Chunk (leftmost); Meisisipi (middle)

J.CO Avocado Dicaprio (rightmost)

J.CO Avocado Dicaprio (rightmost)

Jacky Chunk
Dark-Chocolate and Peanut combo kick on glazed donut

Meisisipi
Donut laid with rich choco toppingand crunchy choco sprinkles

Avocado Dicaprio
An avocado delight with creany fruit flavors and a teasing chocolate granish on the sides

Tiramisu & Blue Berrymore

Tiramisu & Blue Berrymore

Tiramisu
An espresso dessert-inspired creation with Tiramisu-flavoured filling topped with sprinkled cocoa powder.

Blue Berrymore
Filled with cream cheese and blueberry sauce, the white chocolate topping puts the exclamation mark. making it Charlie’s favorite angel.

J.CO 'Glazzy' Glazed Donut

J.CO 'Glazzy' Glazed Donut (right); Heaven Berry (left)

Glazzy
J.CO‘s classic honey-glazed soft-bite donut

Heaven Berry
Strawberry cream donut topped with swirly white chocolate garnish

JCO Forest Glam (right)

JCO Forest Glam (right)

Forest Glam
Black Forest topping composed of cherries, dark chocolate, and confectioner’s sugar

Crunchy Crunchy
Chocoltae covered donut with crunchy chocolate rice crispies on top.

3 NomNom Favorites

Alcapone
J.CO’s signature donut with Belgian White Chocolate sprinkled with roasted almond slices.

JCO Alcapone and Green Tease

JCO Alcapone(left) and Green Tease (right)

J. Club Cheesy Rich

J. Club Cheesy Rich with a bite

Green Tease
Green tea cream on top!

J. Club Cheesy Rich (top photo)
This cheesy donut is rich with cheddar and cream cheese, among others.

Price

All the J.Co donuts are at a uniform price of P42 (except J.Club Cheesy Rich which is P45) to enable the customers to try all of them without being too concious of the price. A not-so-common pricing strategy if you ask me. 🙂

J.CO Donuts

J.CO Donuts

J.CO Chocolate Caviar  (Crunchy Crunchy in the background)

J.CO Chocolate Caviar (Crunchy Crunchy in the background)

All the J.CO donuts also has a mini-doughnuts counterpart called J.Pops. It’s a good way of being able to taste-test a variety of donuts before actually making your choice of with the big ones!

SM Supermarket in Megamall A Opens Anew

SM Supermarket Invitation

SM Supermarket Invitation

I was surprised when I got the SM Supermarket Megamall-A grand opening invitation a few days ago.

SM Supermarket in Megamall A first opened last year replacing the huge Powerbooks store, but closed down for reasons I was not aware of…until yesterday, May 26, when it re-opened. I came to know that they temporarily closed for renovation to make it bigger and better. Now with a floor area of 4,900 square meters, it’s now as wide and long as our neighborhood street (lol).

SM Supermarket Megamall A Opened May 26

SM Supermarket Megamall A Opened May 26

Although public access was slated at 4pm, some suppliers, partners, media, and guests were able to take a first look at the store as early as 11am preceded by a 10am mass.

The program started with the traditional ribbon cutting and coin-toss by SM and SM Supermarket executives.

Upon entry, all the guests immediately spread around like new homeowners eagerly surveying a household. I did the same checking out the different products and brands on shelf.

Isabel Daza with SM Executives

Isabel Daza with SM Executives

SM executives, and celebrity guests including Gloria Diaz’s daughter – Isabel Daza – went straight to the Fresh Seafood section.

Cashiers & Crews Getting Ready

Cashiers & Crews Getting Ready

Believe it or not, there was a few years not too long ago, when I took care of our household monthly grocery and SM Megamall and SM North Edsa were my two favorite grocery spots for its wide variety  of products and options available. Here are some shots of our well-loved products and brands I found in my quick tour:

Cheeses and Fresh Fruits

Cheeses and Fresh Fruits

Sm Bonus value packs and Procter & Gamble's Pampers

SM Value Packs with FREE SM Bonus item and Procter & Gamble’s Pampers

Oishi Snacks and Tang Powdered Juice

Oishi Snacks and Tang Powdered Juice

Magnolia Ice Cream in SM Supermarket (they gave away Pinipig Crunch sweet corn flavor)

Magnolia Ice Cream in SM Supermarket (they gave away Pinipig Crunch sweet corn flavor)

Fresh Meats

Fresh Meats

Cold Cuts and Century Tuna Hotdog

Cold Cuts and the new Century Tuna Hotdog

Bounty Fresh (right) and canned goods such as Hunt's (left)

Bounty Fresh (right) and canned goods such as Hunt’s (left)

Unilab medicines conveniently located inside the grocery

Unilab medicines conveniently located inside the grocery

And there's also Watsons!

And there’s also Watsons (left photo) !

Home of Your Favorite Brands

Home of Your Favorite Brands

Here are photos of some SM executives, guests, partners, and suppliers in the celebration :

Ms. Annie Garcia - SM Supermall President

Ms. Annie Garcia (2nd from right) – SM Supermalls President; Ms. Mitch So (in red dress)

Chef Tristan (left photo)

(Left photo) Chef Tristan  who did a cooking demo. (Right photo) From left: Ms. Ana May Jamet; Ms. Christy Schneck, SM Advantage-Marketing Convergence, Inc.;  Mr. Hendrik Sy; Ms. Isabel Daza.

Center: Millie Dizon (VP for Marketing-SM Retail); Left: Leia Lee - AVP Fresh Merchandising - SM SUpermarket

Center: Ms. Millie Dizon (VP for Marketing-SM Retail); Left: Ms. Leah Lee – AVP Fresh Merchandising – SM Supermarket; Ms. Louie Roque, VP Marketing – SM Supermarket.

SM Officers and Partners

SM Officers and Partners with Mr. Herbert T. Sy, president of SM Food Group (third from right).

So Why another SM Supermarket in Addition to the one in Megamall B?

I had the same question which the brand manager readily answered: “Ortigas is a good market and we saw the opportunity to serve more people in the area.

SM Supermarket Team ( + Leia Lee - AVP Fresh Merchandising not in the photo)

SM Supermarket Team ( + Ms. Leia Lee – not in photo)

Being a regular customer in Megamall B, I would estimate the place to be almost of the same size. Almost all that can be found from Megamall B can also be found here. I observed however that SM Supermarket Megamall A has a prominent positioning for fresh products which are located at the central isle including fruits, salads, and vegetables.

SM Supermarket Megamall A presents a new gourmet concept offering a wide selection of fresh gourmet products and deli such as cheese, sausages. mushrooms, greens, and wine. This is in addition to the usual fruits, vegetables , and steaks we regularly find in groceries and supermarkets. So I guess its a ‘fresh‘ haven for the health buffs, deli lovers, and chefs / cooks who are always on a sprawl for hard- to-find recipe ingredients.

On a side note, if you’re looking for prestigious security brands that are used to protect leading corporations, governments, retailers, and leisure & education facilities, click here.

Some interesting sections of SM Megamall A grocery include:

SM Supermarket International Products

SM Supermarket International Products

Giant Shopping Cart with Unilever's Caler Shampoo (I think this is in preparation for Piolo Pascual's arrival 4pm that day)

Giant Shopping Cart with Unilever’s Clear Shampoo (I think this was in preparation for Piolo Pascual’s arrival 4pm that day)

Giant Fish Catch

Giant Fish Catch (Tanigue Steak P440/kg)

A New Cleaner Look for SM Supermarket Food Stalls

A New Cleaner Look for SM Supermarket Food Stalls

Maki and Sushi Section (Mariano Cua on left, owner of Cold Storage Seafood)

Maki and Sushi Section (Mariano Cua on left, owner of Cold Storage Seafood)

Appliance Section in SM Supermarket (Hypermarket, is that you?) :)

Appliance Section in SM Supermarket (Hypermarket, is that you?) 🙂

There’s also a Lotto outlet beside the Package Counter. 🙂 I also chanced upon for the first time on a mist supply system set up for the vegetables.

Mist for Vegetables (Do you see the blurry lights? It's not smoke, it's mist being sprayed from atop)

Mist for Vegetables (Do you see the blurry lights? It’s not smoke, it’s mist being sprayed from atop)

Proximity For All: Three Entrances

As mentioned above, the new supermarket space was extended further. It now spans up to the old spot of Toy Kingdom in front of Gonuts Donuts.  This is also its main entrance which serves the customers coming from the Ortigas-Pasig business district side. Having worked along ADB Avenue in the early 2000s, I know that this is a great convenience. One does not have to cross Julia Vargas Rd and walk all the way to SM Supermarket at the other end of Megamall B.

Main Entrance (Old Toy Kingdom Entrance fromting Gonuts Donuts)

Main Entrance (Old Toy Kingdom Entrance fronting Gonuts Donuts)

The second entrance is from the old Powerbooks store beside Yoshinoya. This serves in-mall customer access into the supermarket.

Mall Entrance (Yoshinoya-Powerbooks)

Mall Entrance (Yoshinoya-Powerbooks)

The third entrance would be from outside of the mall – Edsa. This is another convenience, this time for those coming from the MRT train system.

From MRT Side Entrance

From MRT Side Entrance

Looking around further, I just hoped there would be more CR (comfort rooms/toilet) in their future developments as I only found one unisex comfort room (at the opposite end, far from the Powerbooks-Yoshinoya entrance). Alternative  CRs would be the one on the second floor right above Yoshinoya or at the lower ground floor inside the bowling station,

SM Mini Cupcakes

SM Mini Cupcakes 🙂

In my personal view, the Megamall A corner has a good business vantage point for SM Supermarket specially for the after-office working class who’s on their way home from the Ortigas business center going to the MRT. Moreover, a transport terminal connecting various Metro Manila cities is located right behind Building A as well.

Congratulations SM Supermarket on your SM Megamall-A branch opening!

NomNom Joins Yoshinoya Beef Bowl Eating Contest Tomorrow!

If you have seen my physical stature or know me personally, you wouldn’t guess that I do join food eating contests.

Burger Avenue Hamburgers

Burger Avenue Hamburgers

With my average body built, you would be surprised that I have joined a Hamburger-eating challenge and a Hotdog-Eating contest before.

Yoshinoya SM Megamall

Yoshinoya SM Megamall

I was off by 30 seconds from Burger Avenue‘s 5-minute Hamburger-eating challenge. It was a big 3-patty 1 pounder burger of pure beef. I also had the eating dare on video.

On the other hand, I somehow fared painstakingly well enough with 7-Eleven’s Hotdog-Eating contest. Although it was not good enough for the semi-finals, I was able to finish 5 jumbo hotdogs with 5 big buns and a large cup of iced tea in 5 minutes and 33 seconds..

And now, we’re upto a new challenge – Yoshinoya‘s Blogger’s Beef Gyudon Eating Contest.

The mechanics for registered participants from Boy-Kuripot blog states that…..

Yoshinoya Beef Gyudon

Yoshinoya Beef Gyudon

  • The bloggers should be at Yoshinoya Megamall on May 5, 2010 6PM to participate in The Beef Gyudon Eating Contest (Late comers will not be allowed to participate)
  • At the event, bloggers will be asked to eat as much Beef Gyudon Bowls they can within two (2) minutes
  • Bloggers will race to finish the most number of Beef Gyudon Bowls in two (2) minutes using a pair of chopsticks
  • Each time a bowl is finished, the blogger has to turn the bowl upside down. After two (2) minutes has elapsed, all bloggers will stop eating and stick out their tongue.
  • The blogger who ate the most number of Beef Gyudon Bowls will be declared the winner
  • In case of a tie, there will be tie breaking round. Bloggers will race to finish one regular beef bowl and the fastest will be declared as the winner
  • Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)

    Yoshinoya Beef Bowl (Gyudon)

    So if you happen to be in SM Megamall building A tomorrow, do pass by Yoshinoya at around 6pm and take a peek on NomNom‘s quest to be the king of Yoshinoya Beef Gyudon Bowls. And yes, I’d be starving myself off lunch in preparation for the Yoshinoya Blogger’s Beef Bowl Eating Contest tomorrow night 🙂

    California Berry’s Free Yogurt on March 5

    California Berry is teasing its customers this summer season with its one-day offering of a Free Yogurt serving of their newest seasonal yogurt on March 5, 2010.

    The flavor remains to be a secret as this is probably part of the word-of-mouth marketing campaign. So far, it seems to be working and news have reached NomNom Club. 🙂

    Known for it’s low calorie fat-free frozen yogurt (“Fro-Yo“), regular price starts at Php60 ($1.30) for the small cup.

    Can you guess what the mystery flavor is? The only clue we have is that the new fruit flavor is rich in antioxidant content and health benefits.

    You have to note however that the free yogurts are good only for the first 50 customers starting from 2pm to 4pm of each branch on a first-come, first-serve basis (one cup per customer). So if you didn’t make the cut, rush to try the next branch. (LOL) 🙂

    * Photo & info source: California Berry Facebook Profile

    You can find California Berry outlets at Silver City Ortigas, Greenhills, Robinson’s Galleria, The Fort Strip, Tomas Morato, Paseo Center Makati, SM Megamall, SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, and SM Manila.

    Yoshinoya in Food Foto Fiesta

    Following the successful first Food Foto Fiesta in NomNom Club featuring Serye, Yoshinoya now follows it up with its yummy servings.

    From the well-loved Beef Bowls to Yoshinoya’s Jumbo Plates, these photos will satisfy your eyes and make your stomachs grumble. 🙂 The three side dishes and 3 Jumbo Plates will make you drivel the Japanese style. 🙂

    3 Side Dishes

    Yoshinoya Mixed Tempura

    Yoshinoya Mixed Tempura

    Yoshinoya Gyoza

    Yoshinoya Gyoza

    Kani Shu Mai

    Kani Shu Mai

    3 Jumbo Plates

    Gyudon Chicken Teriyaki

    Gyudon Chicken Teriyaki

    Gyudon Beef Yakiniku

    Gyudon Beef Yakiniku

    Gyudon Ebi Tempura

    Gyudon Ebi Tempura

    3 Yoshinoya Jumbo Plates

    3 Yoshinoya Jumbo Plates all together now. 🙂

    Yoshinoya has branches in Parksquare 1, SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria, SM North EDSA, Greenhills, SM Mall of Asia, and Sta. Lucia.

    Where-To Food Spots This Valentines?

    With the Valentine season just around the corner,  Valentine’s Day promo are everywhere. And this article will serve to confuse you all the more – haha!  (just kidding).

    Valetine's Day Food Spots

    Valetine's Day Food Spots

    I actually posted a little survey a few weeks ago through a NomNom Club social networking thread and one of the resulting recommendation was Chateau 1771.

    The Chateau 1771’s Lunch Box is available even on weekdays for lunch. The price is about 500+ according to the suggestion. This is actually a good deal given that it’s Chateau 1771 and it already includes appetizer and dessert.

    Jozu Kin, Burgis Circle in Fort Bonifacio

    Jozu Kin, Burgis Circle in Fort Bonifacio

    Melo’s along Jupiter street in Makati and Florabel in The Podium were also mentioned. The Podium is a small upscale mall located at  the back of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong.

    Jozu Kin along Burgos Circle at Fort Bonifacio is another. They serve Japanese dishes with a contemporary twist. The tranquil ambiance is also suitable for a private Valentine’s date. 🙂

    Lolo Dad's Brasserie Valentine Music

    Lolo Dad's Brasserie Valentine Music

    Another alternative for those in Makati would be the Lolo Dad’s Brasserie at 6750 Ayala Ave. near Shangri-La Makati Hotel.

    Although the price range is above average, food quality and ambiance matches it. Lolo Dad’s will also host live string music on the 12th, 13th, and 14th entitled “Strings Attached on Valentines.”

    Check out Lolo Dad’s Australian Lamb dish as well where upon ordering two, you get a limited edition “All You Need is Lamb Planner“.

    Lolo Dad's Australian Lamb

    Lolo Dad's Australian Lamb

    Reserve now in your favorite romantic restaurants! With the Valentine’s colliding with the Chinese New Year, I hope there are still slots/spaces for your dates. 🙂