Filipinos greet the new year with new hope and a fresh perspective. As they say, ‘out‘ with the old, and ‘in‘ with the new. As per Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) , it’s “shred the usual, try out the new.” KFC introduces something new, exactly today – January 11, 2013, a not-the-usual chicken sandwich they call KFC BBQ Shredder Sandwich.

KFC BBQ Shredder Sandwich

I mentioned that it’s unusual (in a good way) because, as the title suggests, the KFC BBQ Shredder Sandwich has chicken shreds instead or your regular chicken burger.

KFC BBQ Shredder Sandwich

I found it bizarre at first, but I immediately approved of it at first bite. Tucked in between the soft Kaiser buns are tender chicken shreds with smoky barbecue sauce and some lettuce. Open the top bun and a little surprise would be two tortilla chips laid on top, perhaps to provide a contrasting crispy texture to the soft chicken flakes (just make sure you get ’em hot-served).

Tortilla on Chicken Shreds

Price

At P55 solo, I say it’s a good price; add fries and drink for P85.

“The BBQ Shredder Sandwich is a fun and unusual take on the chicken sandwich. With it, KFC hopes to inspire people to make changes in their daily lives – no matter how small. It could be as easy as shredding your usual choice and trying out this new sandwich,” says Natalie Perez, Marketing Director of KFC Philippines.

KFC Shredder Sandwich Cross Section

If you are looking for something new and beyond the usual, I highly recommend the KFC BBQ Shredder Sandwich. I hope KFC makes it a permanent part of their menu. For delivery, call 887-8888. Follow them on Twitter @KFCPhilippines , Facebook www.facebook.com/kfcphilippines , and  www.kfcdelivery.com.ph.

It was a quick trip from SM Megamall to Julia Vargas corner Meralco Avenue going to Renaissance Condominium. After parking, we found ourselves at its 2nd floor inside Citrus Restaurant & Deli upon invitation of the owner through common friend.

The interiors of Citrus Restaurant was classical-posh but laid back. If you value your privacy,  a quaint location as such is great.

Citrus Restaurant and Deli

Interestingly, they also have an exclusive second floor with a mock-up fireplace that also serves a wine cellar for expensive wines ranging in the hundreds of thousands.

Citrus House Specialties

Now for the food. More than the usual tapas, I highly recommend their house specialties Jaunita’s Callos and Lengua with mashed potatoes which is surprisingly affordable at P259 and P200++ only, respectively.

Juanita’s Callos

Lengua with mashed potatoes

The callos was flavorful and cooked just right as if it was done by a lovely chef mom at home. The lengua was tender and exceeded my expectations.

The food was served without unnecessary fancy decorations either but I noticed the elegant and irregularly shaped white plates fit for the 2-person serving dish.

Wine Room on the second floor with mock-up fireplace

Citrus Main Dishes

From their main dishes, we got to try the Pan-Fried Fish ala Vera Cruz. Quite a long name, but it was no disappointment either at only P199.

This was followed by the Spaghetti Bolognese (P199) and a double-sized thin-crust pizza. I also shared a Vanilla milkshake with my fiance who loves anything sweet. 😛

Pan Fried Fish ala Vera Cruz

Spaghetti Bolognese

Desserts and More

Finally, some baked potato chips and a delectable Panna Cotta (top photo) concluded our dinner affair. I thought I was already used to the low prices but the P59 panna cotta was simply unexpected.

Promos

Citrus Promos

They also have a P999 promo offering 1 bottle of wine + all you can eat tapas-tapas. Or the Drink All You Can Jack Daniel’s for P949. Night chillers can also get free tapas-tapas for every 10 bottles of beer.

If you’re looking for an eclectic flair that would match your tapas, they have live bands playing with a different concept every night of the week.

They open up as early as 7am and offers breakfast, salad, and a wide range of pizza collection. Beverage range include soda and juices starting at P40 and P60, respectively. Beer starts at P50.

Pizza

Aside from great food, I highly recommend Citrus Restaurant as a very ideal place for dating with its intimate and sophisticated ambiance; not to mention the friendly prices for guys on a tight budget. 🙂

Citrus Restaurant & Deli
2F, Renaissance 3000, Meralco Ave. Ortigas Center , Pasig
7am- 12am daily
Lounge (9pm-12am and extended on Fridays and Saturdays)
Call them for reservations at: 667-3458, 667-3465, 631-0335

Citrus Restaurant as Bar

I definitely have to be back at Citrus Restaurant soon and try more of their new world cuisines on the menu; perhaps at the wine cellar on the 2nd level next.

Happy New Year everyone! We’re starting the year with a bang and a fight! A Boodle fight that is!

Panlasang Pinoy Boodle Feast

Honestly, the idea of a Boodle Feast was foreign to me. So when Blackbeard’s Seafood Island invited NomNom Club for their Robinsons Magnolia Mall opening launch weeks ago, the curious cat in me immediately said ‘yes‘.

On it’s 8th year in the restaurant industry, Blackbeard’s Seafood Island (BSI) is staying true and strong to what they are known for – the Boodle Feast. It was a first for me to try on a Boodle Feast. It is characterized by eating directly from one big banana leaf with boodle trays where the food is served with minimal utensils because you are expected to eat with your bare hands. Although I was a bit late for the gathering, I took on the Boodle food gracefully and ate slowly while trying on the different kinds of seafood in the Boodle set. Although I have yet to be acquainted more with the practice, the food was satisfactory.

Blackbeard’s Seafood Island

Boodle Feasts Sets

I also came to know that there are actually 15 boodle feasts sets to choose from. The servings can either be for a SMALL group of 3-4 persons or the BIG one for a family of 5 to 6 hungry individuals. The 15 Boodle Feast sets are:

• Magellan’s Landing (P965/P1250) – with danggit chips, kinilaw na tanigue, grilled tilapia, grilled squid, grilled shrimp, steamed crabs, chicken inasal, grilled talong and bagoong rice.
• Panlasang Pinoy (P875/P1365) – Hipon sa aligue, Sinuglaw, Ginataang Alimango, Adobong Manok, Kare-kareng gulay, ensalatang lato with crispy dilis and plain rice.
  

  Boodle Feast Set

• Fiesta Bicolandia (P765/P1150) – Halaan sa buco, pork BBQ, Ensaladang talong, Bicol express, Ginataang Alimango, Laing, Grilled Tilapia with Bagoong Rice.
• Tali Beach (P965/P1299) – grilled chicken, inasal, BBQ, steamed white shrimps, grilled tilapia, grilled tahong, crabs, grilled squid, grilled tomatoes, lato, mangoes, watermelon with steamed rice.
  

  Tali Beach Boodle Set

• Palawan Shores (P785/P1150) – grilled shrimps, tahong, halaan, squid, tilapia, steamed crabs, grilled corn, lato, sauteed Kangkong sa bagoong with clams and rice.
  

  Magellan’s Landing

Other boodle feasts are Dagupan’s Pride, Dapitan’s Pride (I am Ninoy), Boracay’s Feast, Mt. Apo, Davao Gulf, Chang’s China Chow, Vigan, Kanyaman, Shabu Shabu (Grand Binalot) and Luau.

15 Boodle Feast Sets

Fried Ice Cream Dessert!

If you haven’t tried a Boodle Feast yet, try one soon at Blackbeard’s Seafood Island and eat to your heart’s content without the fuss of your usual dining wares and utensils. And of course, it is best consumed with your whole family or group of friends.

Knorr Sinigang na Tilapia for Noche Buena

In a recent interview with the contestants of the MasterChef Pinoy edition, most of the participants agree that spaghetti is the number 1 food choice of Filipinos for Christmas. and I think it is true to my observation.

However, it doesn’t mean we will just settle with comfort food. We can always up the ante of our meals specially during Noche Buena (Christmas Eve feast) which is a special occasion for us Filipinos. One suggestion is the well-loved Filipino dish called Sinigang (Tamarind Soup).

Sinigang

In fact, we just had Sinigang na Tilapia for lunch earlier which my mom prepared using Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix. She prepared a lot so I know we’ll be seeing it again later for Noche Buena. 🙂

A steaming serving of the tamarind-base soup is enough to warm the heart and tummy especially during the cool evenings. Mom put in the traditional mix of tomatoes, kangkong, onion, pepper, and radish. The play of flavors found in a warm pot of Sinigang brings back fond memories with the family.

Knorr Sinigang sa Sampalok Mix

And to make the preparation less taxing, Knorr Sinigang is on hand to bring out the rich sinigang flavor in a convenient way. It is made from real sampalok and available in convenient sachet packs. It can also be mixed with pork or seafood together with gabi and other vegetables.

Holiday Season with Chef Marvin Agustin

Chef Marvin Agustin

Similarly, Chef Marvin Agustin makes sure that he goes the extra mile to offer something different yet definitely familiar to the Filipino palate. He uses leftover lechon as the main ingredient in making his classic sinigang.

“Everyone loves sinigang. We all grew up with it, and with a little creativity and a little help from Knorr Sinigang, you can have a winning dish for the holiday season,” Marvin concludes.

Knorr Sinigang Mix

So don’t hesitate to have some Sinigang in your Noche Buena! 🙂

Top Food Blogger Anton Diaz at the Cucina Andare Opening

We often visualize trucks as big nasty vehicles on the road. The nearest I could associate it with food are the fruit-delivery trucks from the provinces or the ones used by caterers and big restaurants.

But the Philippine foodie scene just got better as the group behind Mercato Centrale night market, led by Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet and author/celebrity RJ Ledsema, brings the US concept of food trucks to the Philippines. Hence, Cucina Andare was born two nights ago.

Cucina Andare Food Truck Finds: (L-R, T-B) Brother’s Burger, Bundaberg Apple Ale, Chicken Waffle, Beef Shawarma Plare

Mexicombi (Van)

Just in time for the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, the Cucina Andare food truck market is located at the Glorietta Park in front of Greenbelt 3, Landmark, and Makati Shangri-La Hotel. It will be open every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 4pm– 3am for the whole of December which started Last December 14, 2012.

It brings together specialty and gourmet food trucks, new and innovative food, drink and pastry vendors from home-based food businesses from around Makati plus some live acoustic performances.

“The food truck is a staple in the American foodie scene…There are now popular gourmet food trucks in San Francisco, New York and Australia, and people follow them wherever they go. We believe it’s about time that food trucks make their debut in the Philippine foodie scene,” shares top food blogger Anton Diaz.

Upper Left: Hungry Rover’s UD Beef Kofta Sliders (Mini Burgers) made of grilled patties, veggies, choice of sauce, and cheese in baked buns with chips on the side. P110

They also launched the Food Truck Association of the Philippines during the opening of the market to encourage more food trucks vendors and related innovative ideas. I think this is the start of a new niche in the Philippine food retail industry.

And what did NomNom Club do there? What else but to eat! And here are our TOP FINDS from the first Philippine food truck market :

1. Gab Sobrepena’s Shawarma Bros Shawarma Truck
   

   Shawarma Bros

2. Hungry Rover truck by Romeo, Joseph, and Voltaire
   

   Hungry Rover: Check out their US Beef Tapa Grilled Wraps for P120

3. QKebab Shawarma Truck by Chef RJ Ungco
   

   QKebab Shawarma Truck by Chef RJ Ungco

4. Brothers Burger Gourmet Burger Truck
   

   Brothers Burger Gourmet Burger Truck

5. Bundaberg Ginger Beer
   

   Bundaberg Ginger Beer & Other Variants

6. GuacTruck Taco Truck – a partnership with the Big Chill
   

   GuacTruck Taco Truck – a partnership with the Big Chill (lower right)

7. MioGelati Gelato Truck
   

   MioGelati Gelato Truck

Best Food Truck

Since the new food truck market is so eye-catching, we can’t help but compare and judge them.  The best-tasting food for the night came from Shawarma Bros courtesy of the Beef Shawarma plate while the Best Food Truck Design goes to QKebab Shawarma & Shawarma  Bros.

QKebab Shawarma Truck

Beef Shawarma Plate by Shawarma Bros

On the other hand, the Best Food Truck Experience belongs to the Hungry Rover truck which even have a dining area inside the truck (good for about 8 people.) for the complete food truck experience.

Hungry Rover Truck

Other food establishments who participated in the food truck market include Mexicombi, Chicken Waffle Haus, Taclings,  Top Dog  Best Hotdogs on the World, Cakes by K, Carlo’s Kitchen, Petra & Pilar, the Spanish Club, and Chef Resty’s Roast Beef Carving Station, among others.

B. Wings creates a unique mix of buffalo wing variants

Taclings’ small malunggay tacos for about P120 a dozen

Cucina Andare Food Truck Market

Know more about Cucina Andare Food Truck Market via www.facebook.com /CucinaAndare and @CucinaAndare on Twitter. Contact them at admin@CucinaAndare.com or 09178401152. See you there again next Friday!

Kusina ni Kambal caterer also served us lunch

We have recently visited the Pinoy MasterChef house which serves as the temporary home of the Top 14 Cooks of the first ABS-CBN kusinaserye.

Myra – Chef Accountant of Muntinlupa

We also got to know the Top 14 cooks in a personal level in the same visit. But NomNom Club got extra close to some of them and even tasted their dishes. Here are six of them up close.

The Ladies

Ivory – the Bubbly Cook

We first met Myra. She is an employee by day and wife & mom by night. The Chef Accountant of Muntinlupafirst worked her way around the kitchen when she was still little. Her forte are home-cooked meals as she now cooks for her family of two.

With her in the room is Ivory. As a nurse, her parents initially wanted her to become a doctor bur her love for cooking made her pursue her culinary passion. Aside from that, she loves to eat, as she herself claims.

In contrast to other cooks and chef who prefers not to fully consume what they have cooked and leave it to guests, she likes eating what she has prepared. Her bubbly character will also help you enjoy your meal.

Myra has prepared a black and white chocolate crepe which served as a complementary dessert to the Italian-inspired potato-based masterpiece by Ivory. As much as Myra’s crepe was ok, Ivory’s dish was outstanding.

Myra’s Crepe & Ivory’s Potato Entree

Mac – the Kitchen Mac-Kulit of Tarlac

The Gentlemen

A former seaman, the Kitchen Mac-Kulit of Tarlac seem to be the jolliest of them all. I wasn’t initially sure if this is to compensate for his broken marriage, but I think Mac is naturally a happy person.

Ronnel – Boy Labong of Pampanga

Our second male cook is Ronnel. He is your typical husband from the province of Pampanga who is not surprisingly good in cooking and cooks over an open fire using twigs.

Known as the Boy Labong of Pampanga, he is the reserved type but have the looks for showbiz.

Tolits – Chief Cook of Police

Sorsogon’s Chief Cook of Police, Tolits, wanted to take up Fine Arts in college but was not able to because his family couldn’t afford it, and it was only in cooking where he was able express his passion for art.

He eventually joined the police force while being in charge of cooking tasks at home for his family as it was not the forte of his wife.

Ronnel prepared a very good tasting sisig which he claims to have prepared in the traditional way, Kapampangan style. Tolits served us a simple but also good-tasting shredded meat on bread. Mac, surprisingly and out-of-character, crafted a leche flan.

Ronnel’s Sisig (left) & Mac’s Leche Flan (right); Tolit’s Dish is Top Photo

Cons – Kitchen Siren of San Juan

The light-hearted conversation led us to Mac’s love-interest among the Pinoy MasterChef Top 14. He confessed his childish attraction to Cons. This led our group of media to interview Cons on our way downstairs.

Known as the Kitchen Siren of San Juan, Cons once auditioned in Pinoy Dream Academy to become a recording artist. A disease, however, temporarily damaged her voice and deterred her from reaching her dreams. This set off her love affair with cooking and has since then vowed to master cooking.

However, she cleared that Mac is just a friend.

Who do you think will be crowned as the first Pinoy MasterChef and will win the P1 million grand prize? Who will stand out?

ABS-CBN MasterChef Pinoy Edition

Pinoy MasterChef Top 14 Cooks

Catch MasterChef Pinoy Edition and the Top 14 cooks as they cook their way to their dreams, Mondays to Fridays, 10:30 a.m. before Be Careful with My Heart on ABS-CBN’s Umaganda block. Follow them at Twitter @MasterChefPHL, www.masterchefph.tv, and www.facebook.com/MasterChefPH.

Wendy’s Greenbelt 1

Wendy’s recently introduced the new BBQnator exclusively to the Philippine market. To be exact, it was just last November 30, 2013 when it came up into the menu boards of their branches.

Wendy’s BBQnator

Wendy’s BBQnator is composed of two 2-quarter pound imported beef patties, 6 strips of tasty smoked bacon, 2 slices of American cheese, and a dash of hickory barbeque sauce to give it the BBQ taste. Finally, it is topped with Wendy’s own real onion rings. It doesn’t come cheap at the price of P255 per sandwich, but this mouthful two-handful meal will certainly leave you full. The Combo meal version with drinks and fries costs P315. Upgrade to onion rings for an additional P8.

Wendy’s Son of BBQnator Combo with Drinks + Frostee

Baconator versus BBQnator

Son of BBQnator

We are all familiar with Wendy’s Baconator. So how is the BBQnator different from the Baconator?

They share a lot of similarities, actually; so much so you may say the BBQnator is a variant of the Baconator. They both have 2-quarter pound beef patties, strips of bacon, and cheese. But the BBQnator has an added hickory barbeque sauce for the distinction that I believe would appeal more to Filipino’s love for anything sweet. Moreover, the BBQnator has onion rings on top just below the buns.

Wendy’s onion rings are served as slices of yellow Spanish onions with mild, sweet flavor, lightly battered & breaded making it crispy on the outside.

Wendy’s BBQnator

Wendy’s BBQnator Combo

Son of BBQnator (top photo)

And just like the Baconator who has a Son of Baconator, the BBQnator also has a Son of BBQnator. The more manageable size is priced at P156 only for ala carte and P198 for the combo.

So who’s the winner?

The Baconator is a hit with bacon-lovers and those with a big-appetite. It has been a long-time favorite for Wendy’s aficionados, but I think Wendy’s BBQnator would be able to exceed the Baconator’s success. As mentioned above, the sweet hickory barbeque sauce will appeal more to the Filipino taste. And who knows, Wendy’s international franchise might even adopt this innovation in its international branches. 🙂

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.