Bigby’s Cafe restaurant in Manila is always in my shortlist when dining at the Atrium of SM Megamall. And I’m just glad to be back for dinner the other day before watching a movie premiere care of Viva Films.

Two friends in company choose to be conservative with their tried and tested orders Rack-A-Bye-baby ribs (~P400; $8) and Mojo Chicken Q (P299; $6.5) while the adventurous me choose to try something new (something I haven’t ordered before).

Bigby's Cafe 7 Restaurant Rack-A-Bye Baby Ribs (Photo by Azrael Coladilla)

Mojo Chicken Q (Copyright NomNomClub.com)

Tuscan Fish Melt

I decided to go fishing and got the Tuscan Fish Melt. It’s a fried Dory fish topped with pesto paste laid over pasta in tomato sauce. Although I wished the Dory was bigger, the dark pesto paste was a new experience.

The farthest I got with pesto is with pesto pasta and nothing else. In this case, the pesto paste was fuller in taste (since it’s in paste). The pasta in tomato sauce was good too.

By the way, my two companions enjoyed the Rack-A-Bye-baby ribs and the chicken barbecue-like Mojo Chicken Q. I should point out the large serving of Bigby’s Mojo Chicken Q, by the way.

A total of twenty-five entries were submitted for the Starbucks USB contest where a blogger should create a Christmas Wishlist based on the following mechanics.

It was great how the participants shared their personal wants and desires and how some seriously made selfless wishes. It was awesome to discover how creative some of the entries were. There were also unconventional wishes which made me create a list of the Top 6 ‘Kakaibang‘ wish from among the entries. 🙂

1. Bra holder – http://ruthilicious.blogspot.com/2009/12/wish-list.html
2. Stickers – http://vvaguilar.multiply.com/journal/item/17/My_Christmas_Wishlist
3. Businesses and Investment Opportunities – http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-wish-list-2009.html
4. 1st Birthday Party for her son – http://kasai-mysimplelife.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-christmas-wishlist-for-this-year-are.html
5. Pictures with Starbucks items – http://crazylawrenz.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-wish-list.html
6. For a different set of wishlists as a whole – http://www.polyvore.com/christmas_wishlist/set?id=14354899

I didn’t know there’s such a case for bras. We’ll, I think because I’m a guy. 🙂 The ‘business opportunities’ came in as a surprise since it was an uncommon one and very serious at that.  While the mom who wishes for a birthday party for her son’s first birthday was quite touching. The last two were eccentric as a collection.

There were also heartwarming messages for NomNom like the one from FunHuntress.blogspot.com that says (http://funhuntress.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-grownup-christmas-list.html)

I’m really happy that bloggers come up with these kinds of contests that can change their readers’ lives.

…or somehow affect it at the very least, even if not ‘change.’ 🙂

There was also an entry where she wished to be linked from NomNomClub.com. She is StalwartsKryptonite. 🙂

So, who won the Starbucks USB flash drive?

There were a number of very good entries so I decided to select the Top 6 first and invite a co-judge who is a professional writer to help me in expertly selecting the grand winner. We’ll add our scores and average them.

Allow me to announce the top winner taking home the Starbucks USB next Sunday January 17, 2010. I would also reveal my co-judge at the same post. And because of that, I would add more prizes. The 2nd and 3rd place winners will not go empty handed. They would win a Starbucks gift certificate each.

Top 6 Entries for the Starbucks Coffee Philippines USB Falsh Drive

Here are the Top 6 Finalists (in no particular order):

1. My Christmas Wishlist 2009
2. My Grown Up Christmas List
3. Pangarap Kong Jackpot
4. My Christmas 2009 Wishlist
5. My Shrubbish Nomnomlicious Wishlist
6. If I ever meet Santa…

Whew! These are all good in their own different ways. I just hope my co-judge would not be as torn as I am 🙂 It was a good 2009 and cheers to 2010!

In conclusion to the recent Yummy 2010 Planner giveaway, Yummy Magazine Associate Publisher Ms. Fran Haw has sent her winning choice comment-entry earlier.

She was initially torn between three entries including Stonibert Lim‘s and Don‘s. However, there should only be one winner, and that is — Ms. Iris Pulga with her winning comment-entry as early as the first day of the contest:

Yummy 2010 Planner Contest Winner

Congratulations Iris! You will be contacted via your comment & subscription  email (which means you will also be receiving this email post  🙂 ).

Thank you all for participating, subscribing and being Facebook Fanpage and Facebook group members! You will be updated with the latest nomnom adventures, contests, and tips for the whole of 2010!

Happy New Year 2010!

Ok, it’s nowehere near physical birthpains, but NomNom Club freshly started September 09, 2009 (09/09/09). And just like giving birth, starting a new blog has it’s own share of quirks and smirks. But thanks to your support, we have managed.

And as we start the new year of 2010, I foresee a bigger and better NomNom Club. 🙂 With more than 70 blog subscribers and more than 100 fans in Facebook and our  Facebook group in barely four months, we are thankful for your appreciation.

We plan to give more servings of your favorite restaurant features in the metro. Sharing recipes is also on our wishlist. Expect more contests as well to make things more exciting for you guys. 🙂

Nomnomnom....food

And hopefully, a food tour for our first anniversary on September 2010.

Please do continue to support NomNom and I as we dine and share with you our nomnoms.

If you are not yet a NomNomClub.com subscriber, submit your email below.

You may also want to become a NomNom Club Facebook Fanpage member here =>

or NomNom Club Facebook Group here =>
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=254169613265

Bigaten sa 2010!

That is NomNom Club’s slogan for this year – ‘Bigaten’ sa 2010! 🙂

‘Bigaten,’ a conundrum or play of words from ‘bigatin,’ can literally mean ‘to get Big.’

I think this is an apt slogan for the year as it imbibes a positive outlook, plus the fact that this is a food blog where getting physically big is not a far-fetched result. But we’ll make sure to keep watch of our weights to stay healthy. 🙂

Happy New Year!

Mini Stop's Ube Halaya Sundae

While walking along the streets of Makati the other night, I passed-by Mini-Stop along Pasong Tamo to satisfy my usual craving for cheap soft serve ice cream.

The last one I had was when it was still the Hershey’s Chocolate sundae flavor (which is yummy by the way).

To my surprise, I saw an ube colored poster and asked details about it. It turned out that it’s a new flavor which just started last Dec 28 in all of their branches – it’s Ube Halaya Sundae!

However, it’s on a Limited offer basis and most probably would only last for a week or two. So hurry up!

It seems that Mini-Stop is just testing the market for the flavor. It may come back later on if it does well.

Ube Halaya or Halaya Ube is a rich dark lavender purple color of sweet yam-jams usually stored in bottles found in local grocery shelves. It is  made from a variety of sweet potato called purple yam (ube)

almost done 🙂

more Ube Halaya Sundae

It almost tastes like its real ice cream counterpart.

At P15 (USD 0.33), Mini-Stop‘s Ube Halaya Sundae is love. 🙂

Just have it in moderation though; powder-based soft serve ice-cream/sundae are not exactly healthy food. One Ube Halaya Sundae per day would do. 🙂 (kidding!) Nomnomnom….

As we greet the new year of 2010 in a few days, Yummy Magazine and Nomnom will be giving away a Yummy 2010 Planner to a Nomnom email subscriber participant!

You must have been seen a Yummy Planner 2010 in most bookstore magazine stands recently together with their new released cookbooks Yummy Meals in Minutes, So-easy Sweets, and Weekend Cooking!

Yummy 2009 Cookbooks

Simply answer “What’s your favorite Yummy magazine issue for 2009 and why?” 🙂

Leave your reply in the comment section below from today until 11:59pm of January 2, 2010. Make sure to put your subscribed email address in the comment form so we can check your email addy if you are indeed a NomNomClub.com subscriber as part of the requirement.

If you are not yet a NomNomClub.com subscriber, submit your email below.

You may also want to become a NomNom Club Facebook Fanpage member here =>

or NomNom Club Facebook Group here =>
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=254169613265

Yummy Magazine Associate Publisher Fran Haw herself will be selecting the winning comment/answer on January 3! Winner will be announced in this blog as a new post on the evening of January 3, 2009.

Or how about a Starbucks Limited Edition USB or Starbucks Planner 2010

Have a happy new year with a new Yummy 2010 Planner! 🙂

Ok, this post is quite late, but nonetheless still made it. 🙂

Red Ribbon introduces Santa's Wish Cake

Last month, almost at the same time as the launch of the Choco Walnut Fudge, Red Ribbon Cakes by Design introduced a cake made for your Christmas festivities, the Santa’s Wish cake. It really looks appealing and in season.

Santa Wish Cake

Inspired by the beloved icons of Christmas, Santa Claus, with his cherry-red hat, twinkling eyes and fluffy white beard, Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish cake enhances the joy of the Christmas spirit, not withstanding the true meaning of Christmas which is Christ Jesus. :).

It’s made with moist and dense rhumbutter cake and a layer of creamy caramel filling. The outermost layer is covered with icing and decorative green and red pine tree cuts.

Santa's Wish Cake Slices with the Green & Red Pine Trees

Merry Christmas!

Embarrassingly, I tried to take a bite off the green pine tree on the first time I tried it thinking it was made of sugar. It actually is, however, it was thick and not made with the purpose of being eaten. 🙂

What’s special about this cake is that the Santa’s Wish cake will be available on a pre-order basis only at any Red Ribbon store from November 27 – December 15.

But don”t worry, Red Ribbon’s Santa’s Wish cake will be available off-the-shelf in all Red Ribbon stores from December 22 – 24 at P550 – so you still have like…uhm… 2 days. :)  Merry Chirstmas to all! NomNom will be back after Christmas! 🙂

In this season of giving and sharing, it is most apt for Universal Robina Corp (URC) to introduce the bigger C2 Cool and Clean Green Tea 1.5L – fit for sharing!

With the familiar refreshing taste of C2, you can now share with family and friends the health-giving goodness of green tea. With the number of parties and dinner celebrations this Christmas, running out of C2 is not a problem anymore.  A single C2 Green Tea 1.5L can serve upto 7 glasses and is priced at  P31.50 (SRP) per bottle.

C2 is brewed from 100% natural green tea leaves and packed with health benefits. It’s also bottled on the same day to lock-in the freshness. C2 flavor variants are Apple, Lemon, Orange, Classic and Sugar-free Apple variants.