January 19th, 2014 — Bar/Grills, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Fusion, Mandaluyong, Mexican, New Brews, Restaurants, SM Megamall, Sweet Shops, Western, Where To Eat
Bottomless Tostada Chips with Skillet Queso (P390)
NomNom Club recently visited Chili’s at The Atrium of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City for the first time.
Here’s a short photoblog, aka ‘photo-chips‘, of what we had in the filling dinner a few days ago.
Chili’s SM Megamall
- Triple Dipper (P495) – a combo of three well-loved appetizers in Chili’s: Chicken Cripsers, Wings Over Buffalo, and Southwestern Eggrolls. The latter is a crispy flour tortilla filled with smoked chicken, black beans, corn, jalapeno jack cheese, red peppers and spinach. Triple Dipper also comes with avocado ranch dressing, among other sauces.
Chili’s Triple Dipper (P495)
- Bottomless Tostada Chips with Skillet Queso (P390) – never tire with your unlimited crispy tostada chips with flavorful house-made salsa and skillet queso which is a combination of chesse dip and soft beef.
- Classic Nachos (P435) – It certainly looks like pizza, but they are nachos! These nachos has melted cheese on top, jalapenos, and beans served with house-made pico de gallo and sour cream. You have the option to add grilled beef for (P195), grilled chicken for (P95), and guacamole for (P55).
Classic Nachos (P435)
- High and Mighty Pie (P380) – Definitely a dessert to share (although I can finish this all by myself)! 🙂  It’s indeed high for a pie and mighty for a cake! It has Heath candy pieces in rich vanilla ice cream piled high on a crushed Oreo cookie crust and drizzled with caramel and hot fudge.
High and Mighty Pie (P380)
Big Mouth Burger Bites
Lastly, we had the Big Mouth Burger Bites. We also had smoothies which are as good as desserts by the name of  Fresh Strawberry (P195) and Molten Chocolate (P195).
Molten Chocolate (left) & Fresh Strawberry (right); both Php 195
The former is a generous serving of vanilla ice cream blended with chunks of strawberries at the bottom. The latter is special chocolate coating blended with vanilla ice cream and milk. It’s creamier than the first.
Chili’s chilisphilippines.com 2F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Makati (729.3022) Northeast Greenhills, San Juan (727.2959) Tomas Morato corner Scout Fernandez, QC (372.5017) Power Plant Rockwell, Makati City (659.65627) SM Megamall (631.0380) Twitter/Instagram:Â @Chilis_PH
Chili’s SM Megamall
We used to go to Chili’s in Greenhills and the one at the Timog / Tomas Morato Area. Chili’s SM Megamall is surely a welcome addition to their list of branches which is more accessible.
January 12th, 2014 — Affairs, Appetizer, Beverage, Cravings, New Brews, Promos / Events
Tik-Tok Food Cart
New year, new opportunities. This is what the food industry leaders behind a number of well-loved brands such as Mister Donut had in mind when they developed their newest foray into the food stall franchising business called Stallmart.
Siomai Central Food Cart
Stallmart Inc.
Stallmart, Inc. aims to become the strongest in the stall and kiosk industry. Having started way back in 2012, Stallmart already offers affordable packages for aspiring businessmen and provides support to franchisees such as site evaluation assistance, staff training, and operations and marketing support.
“There are always new and innovative ideas waiting to be materialized…Franchising allows brands to have multiple branches in strategic locations opening simultaneously, dominating the market even before competitors develop their own businesses,†says Terry Yap, Business Development and Franchising Director of Mister Donut Philippines.
Tik-Tok Offerings
Franchising in the Philippines
On the concept of franchising, it has been more than a trend in the local entrepreneurship scene of the Philippines. It started to boom about a decade ago but the busniess model continous to prosper. This is apparent with the influx of different franchise brands in the Philippines.
And one of the strongest factor in the success of franchise businesses in the Philippines is name recognition. In cases wherein numerous players in the market offer generally the same products, consumers tend to gravitate towards brands that are familiar to them.
Stallmart Franchise Business Products
ThirTea
More about Stallmart
In our meeting a few months ago, we came to know that Stallmart’s particular action point is the low-investment, high-profit businesses in the Philippine franchising sector. Hence, they recently launched three new food cart brands—ThirTea, Fold N’ Roll, and Little Mexico.
Fold ‘n Roll
ThirTea aims to provide the best milk tea experience especially for consumers on-the-go, offering pocket-friendly milk variants. Stallmart is optimistic that the milk tea boom is beyond trend but is more because of a concious market choice leaning toward a healthier lifestyle. Second is the Fold N’ Roll which aims to highlight the company’s version of New York-style folded pizza. Lastly, Little Mexico brings a taste of Mexico through bite-sized tacos, nachos, and burritos.
Little Mexico Food Cart
Today, Stallmart has over 90 franchised stores all around the country and more are expected soon considering the brands ThirTea, Fold N’ Roll, Little Mexico, Siomai Central, and Tik-Tok.
NomNom Club was able to try a variety of products from the above-mentioned brands. As per taste, the products of Fold N’ Roll piqued out interest. If it is able to maintain a consistent quality, Fold N’ Roll will go far.
ThirTea Food Cart
Fold N’ Roll Food Cart
If you are interested with the franchsiing opportunities offered by Stallmart among the brands of ThirTea, Fold N’ Roll, Little Mexico, Siomai Central, and Tik-Tok, you may contact them at the following channels:
Stallmart Inc,
Wesbite http://www.stallmart.com.ph/
Telephone: +632.370-1236
Email: foodcartfranchising@foodventures.ph
Stallmart Franchise Business
Stallmart Food Carts
NomNom Tip: If you are new in business, starting up using the franchise business model will really help a lot in ensuring the success of your first venture. And one of the most important aspect of that is a reliable franchise supplier. In the case of foodcarts, with the years of experience of the owners of Stallmart with Mister Donut and other brands such as KFC, I believe you will be in good hands with them.
January 9th, 2014 — Beverage, Coffee Shops, Cravings, Quick Service, Restaurants, Sweet Shops
Before indulging yourself, try smelling the new Starbucks Chestnut Macchiato as it debuts in all Starbucks Philippine stores today – January 9, 2014. Take a sniff from the hot lid and you will discover the sweet-scented aroma I am talking about. Continue reading →
January 4th, 2014 — Affairs, Promos / Events
Meat Section
I was initially surprised to know that SM Hypermarket was opening at the FTI area in Taguig which is predominantly surrounded by huge factories and warehouses.
Continue reading →
December 29th, 2013 — Affairs, Beverage, Cravings, Promos / Events
C2 Sarap Ng Christmas Winners
C2 Christmas Tree Entry
The National College of Business and Arts Fairview‘s Hotel and Restaurant Management Society emerged victorious among the top 10 finalists in last night’s C2 Cool and Clean “Sarap Ng Christmas” Tree-Making Contest awarding ceremony at Market-Market in Taguig City.
C2 Cool and Clean, the country’s pioneering and leading ready-to-drink green tea beverage launched the C2 Sarap Ng Christmas Tree-Making Contest with the aim of bringing relevant and memorable Christmas experience to the youth and young-at-heart.
The top 10 finalist C2 Christmas Trees with an average height of 13 feet are currently on display near the main entrance of the Market Market mall in Taguig.
At Market!Market!, Taguig City
Some of the Top 10 Finalists
“C2 Sarap Ng Christmas” Christmas Tree Making Contest
C2 “Sarap Ng Christmas” Tree-Making Contest Winners
NCBA Fairview, the grand prize winner, received the Php 75,000 cash prize on stage with teary-eyed student representatives who expressed gratitude to the judges for appreciating their craft. Moreover, a Php 30,000 endowment went to the school. A key highlight to their entry was the presentation of a complete table set-up as to be expected from HRM students.
The winning group, composed of 24 students, used 1,211 bottles to decorate their 12-ft Christmas tree .
The National College of Business and Arts Fairview Hotel and Restaurant Management Society bags the top prize
NCBA’s Winning Christmas Tree (foreground) complete with dinner setup
The 2nd prize went to 1st runner-up winner – Philippine Women’s University Student Choir Group – for their brightly-lit rendition of the Christmas Tree with a dominant “C2” at the center. They received Php 50,000 in cash prize and an endowment of Php25,000 for the school. 12 students from the PWU group used 1,200 C2 bottles to build the 12-ft Christmas tree.
Philippine Women’s University Student Choir Group got the 2nd Prize
PWU’s brightly-lit C2 Christmas Tree
The 2nd runner-up winning the 3rd prize of Php 25,000 went to Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Supreme Student Council (Finalist #3) for their tall entry hhighlighted by a “C2 Star” at the top. The school also received an endowment of Php 15,000. The 12-ft tree used-up  a total of 2000 C2 bottles assembled by about 100 students.
Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Supreme Student Council got the third prize
PLM’s proud C2 Christmas Tree at night
Criteria
The finalists were narrowed down to the top 10 in the duration of the search where different schools from Metro Manila were invited to build thematic Christmas trees using hundreds of C2 bottles in less than a month.
The C2 Christms Tress from University of the Philippines Artist’s Circle Sorority
The entries were judged based on the following criteria:
- C2 Sarap ng Christmas Theme: 40%
- Creative Execution: 30%
- Technical Execution: 30%
Ms. Viveca Singson, Corporate Communications Manager of JG Summit,  Ms. Cat Velayo, Account Director of PC&V,  Mr. Mark Acosta, Manager of URC Corporate Marketing Services Group, and Ms.Carla Chaves, Marketing Manager of URC Beverages – Tea Category, were among the judges of the said competition.
One of the crowd’s favorite – the creative entry from the University of the Philippines UP Artist Cricle Sorority – unfortunately was not able to get a place in the top 3 probably due to missing the first criteria where the judges were looking for a traditional Christmas tree. Nonetheless, it won the hearts from most of the crowd who got themselves some “selfies” with the attractive pinkish-red tree.
Top 10 Finalists: C2 “Sarap Ng Christmas” Tree-Making Contest
- Philippine Women’s University University Student Choir
- University of the East College of Engineering and Recognized Organizations
- Jose Rizal University Central Student Council
- University of Makati College of Allied Health Studies
- University of the Philippines Artist’s Circle Sorority
- United Architects of the Philippines Graduate Auxiliary
- Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Supreme Student Council
- NCBA Cubao Future Educators Club
- NCBA Fairview Junior Philippines Institute of Accountants
- NCBA Fairview Hotel and Restaurant Management Society
The other Top 10 Finalist Christmas Trees
Over all, C2 Cool and Green gave away over Php 200,000 worth of prizes. The other finalists also received Christmas gift packs as consolation prizes.
“C2 has always been at the forefront of supporting the youth and encouraging them to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Through the C2 Christmas Tree Making Contest, we hope to showcase the artistic talent of these young students ..this Holiday Season” says Mr. Edwin Totanes, VP and General Manager for URC Beverage Division.
The winners of the C2 Sarap Ng Christmas Tree-Making Contest
C2 Colors of Christmas
Celebrate Christmas with C2
With the success of C2 Sarap Ng Christmas Tree-Making Contest this 2013, we are sure to anticipate its 2014 run next year. Keep yourselves updated at C2 Cool and Clean Facebook page : http://www.facebook.com/C2CoolandClean.
As the year 2013 closes and we anticipate the upcoming new year of 2014, let us celebrate a healthier and more delicious new year with C2’s latest flavors – C2 Red Tea and C2 Iced Tea – which best fits the holiday season to make us exclaim with more vigor: “Sarap ng Christmas!“
December 18th, 2013 — Affairs, Promos / Events
Starbucks Partners Christmas Cup Design Contest 2012
Starbucks Red Cups
It is customary for Starbucks Philippines to unveil new food items, beverages, and of course, the Starbucks Planner every Christmas season. But last year was extra special with the Starbucks Partners Christmas Cup Design Contest which was part of the Christmas Kick-Off Party held at Bonifacio High Street.
Moreover, NomNom Club was offered the opportunity to be one of the three judges in that competition.
Here is a photo blog from the Starbucks Partners Christmas Cup Design Contest 2012:
Starbucks Partners “Baristas” Design the Cups
The venue was outdoor fronting Starbucks Bonifacio High Street
It was held in conjunction with the Starbucks Cheers Party Launch
Starbucks Philippines Team in full support of the Christmas-themed event
My Favorite Starbucks Christmas Cup Design
More amazing entries from Starbucks Philippines Partner “Baristas”
The Top 3 Starbucks Partners Christmas Cup Design Contest 2012 Winners took home cashprizes and Starbucks merchanidise including Starbucks Planners and GCs
Furthermore, the contest had an open category for interested participants from the public called “Turn it Red” where they should turn a white Starbucks cup into red by drawing on it using red pens (no other materials are allowed on the cup). Three winners were chosen and announced at the Starbucks Philippines Facebook Page. The winners got Starbucks Planners, Starbucks mousepads, Starbucks keychains, Starbucks Stainless Steel cups, Starbucks Gift Certificates and more!
Starbucks Red Cup Design Contest open to the public
“Turn It Red”!
The “Turn It Red” winners were subsequently announced in the Starbucks Philippines Facebook page
Top entries from the Starbucks Christmas Cup Design Contest 2012
Albeit ‘very’ belatedly, congratulations to the winners!
The seasonal Starbucks Red Cup has been symbolic for the iconic franchised coffee brand every Christmas season and creative activities such as these reinforces its tradition.
December 7th, 2013 — Affairs, Promos / Events
SM Supermarket BF Paranaque
No less than top celebrity Kris Aquino led the opening of SM Supermarket BF Parañaque as it opened at the new SM City BF at Dr. A Santos Road cor. President Ave., Sucat Parañaque, south of Metro Manila a week ago. Continue reading →
December 5th, 2013 — Affairs, Promos / Events
Have you seen the latest Jollibee TVC? Obviously themed for the Christmas season tapping on theme of the Filipino OFW, the TVC was entitled “Noel“.
The Gift of “Noel“
With the Taxi Cab Driver
It starts with an OFW father who just came back to the Philippines and is eager to see his family whom he missed for two Christmases. On his way home via a taxi cab, the elderly driver happens to miss his own son who is similarly an OFW. Instantly a connection was made. The OFW father surprised their children by meeting up with his wife in a Jollibee branch and at the same time serve as a welcome-back home celebration. Knowing the driver’s predicament, the OFW father invited the taxi cab driver over to join their celebration with the encouraging words “Tara ‘tang, kami ngayon ang pamilya mo.“
Merry “Noel”
On first impressions, this is something to be expected from Jollibee, a Filipino food brand. They know that the Filipino viewers will relate to the TV ad since they are avid dramatic family-themed teleserye (tv series) viewers. They love watching tear-jerker movies and stories which ends with a “happily ever-after” conclusion.
“Tara ‘tang, kami ngayon ang pamilya mo.”
But to be honest, I was watching the video with tears being held in my eyes. I didn’t exactly have an ideal family set up decades ago so I know how much a complete family can mean for those who are lacking. In addition, Christmas, which starts as early as September in the Philippines, is the most important holiday season in this native country. Moreover, the OFW theme is considered among the most divine and noble. It is a family-oriented sacrifice too much to bear, but nonetheless necessary due to circumstance. This is the reason you would find a large number of OFWs coming back home for Christmas – it shows how they value their family.
“Dito ang sarap ng Pasko”
Indeed, Christmas is merrier in the Philippines specially with the whole family.
I can relate to the Jollibee Christmas TVC “Noel” as it touches Filipino hearts with an OFW theme. How about you, what is your Jollibee Christmas story?
