Entries Tagged 'Affairs' ↓

Are you in the mood to create wonder and share the new found joy with Starbucks? Then it’s that season of the year when we know that the new Starbucks Planner is about to be released.

“Nov.1 UPDATE: The Starbucks Planner 2014 has been unveiled.”

Starbucks Planner 2014 Philippine Teaser

No, we cannot wait for Halloween to pass to reveal this year’s Starbucks Planners for 2014! Join NomNom Club here, on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as we reveal it online on the evening of October 30, 2013 to the theme of “Create Wonder and Share Joy!“

Check out last year’s planners here: Starbucks Planner 2013.

What can you say about Starbucks Philippines‘ Starbucks Planners 2014 teaser?

Something red, something pink? or something wonderful perhaps? Share your thoughts in the comment section below and perhaps win a small surprise from NomNom Club soon! 🙂

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for sharing your joys and wonders this Christmas season with Starbucks Philippines’ Starbucks Planner 2014!

What an extraordinary combination. I just found out that the new Jollibee Bacon Mushroom Champ being offered in all Jollibee branches around the country comes with Thor’s Hammer – Mjolnir – USB flashdrive!

Jollibee Thor Hammer USB (also known as “Mjolnir”)

Mjolnir: Thor’s Hammer

With Thor – The Dark World movie  coming up in theaters next week on October 30, this collaboration by Jollibee and Marvel’s Thor (and his hammer) comes just at the right time. Thor fans will surely buy this package even just for the hammer USB alone. 😛

New Jollibee Bacon Mushroom Champ

The new Jollibee Bacon Mushroom Champ Solo Meal (P129) with the Thor Hammer USB (P95)

On other hand, foodies will love this new offering by Jollibee, with or without the freebie toy. The Champ just got a level-up with a lot of bacon strips, a generous dose of cheese sauce, and a dash of mushroom that complements the 1/3 pounder 100% pure beef hamburger patty. I suddenly had a flashback of the Jollibee Ultimate Burger Steak Meal. 😛

Cross-section: Jollibee Bacon Mushroom Champ

With every purchase of the solo Jollibee Bacon Mushroom Champ ( P 129 ) or the combo meal ( P165 ), you can buy the extraordinary 1G Thor Hammer USB for P95; This is already a good catch since an ordinary 1G USB already retails at about he same price in the market.

Catch this Jollibee Thor Hammer USB promotion now as it starts today and end on November 16, 2013. Of course, I will surely catch the Thor movie  ‘The Dark World’ as well! 🙂

SM Foodcourt

Do you love to eat? How about the idea of eating and having the opportunity to win one of 6 Suzuki APV vans at the same time? – That’s possible with SM Foodcourt‘s “Let’s Eat & Win” promo!

Enjoy food festivities this Christmas season with SM Foodcourt’s biggest promotion for 2013! Starting October 18 until January 15, 2014, SM Foodcourt customers who purchase a minimum of P250 single receipt with any Coca-Cola product of participating SM Foodcourt tenants is entitled to a peel-apart card with a raffle coupon which they can get from the nearby redemption booth of the same SM Foodcourt branch.

How to Join SM Foodcourt ‘Let’s Eat & Win’

Each peel- apart card from the Let’s Eat & Win promo gives the customer a chance to win instant prizes and one of the 6 Suzuki APV vans in the raffle draws, tax free!

Imagine that, driving a brand new car just becuase you enjoyed some food and dining at SM Foodcourt? 🙂

Instant Prizes & Coca-Cola Products

Moreover, customers can win instant prizes including snap watches, yard cups, placemats, eco bags, free upsize on any Coca – Cola product and free Coke in cans.

Instant Christmas gifts and Coc-Cola products, don’t you think?

Excited enough? Check the complete promo mechanics and guidelines here.

SM Foodcourt ‘Let’s Eat & Win’

Remember, it starts on October 18 and will last until January 15 of the next year! This promotion will surely make your Christmas a very merry one until the new year! the first raffle draw will be on November while the second one will be on January.

The Let’s Eat & Win promo covers all 38 SM Foodcourt branches including SM Aura Food on Four! Say “NomNom” and let’s eat and win!

Don’t be surprised when you visit the newly reopened Yoshinoya branch in SM Megamall. It opened a little more than a week ago as the 4th branch in the Philippines to have its interiors remodeled seemingly catering to the younger market segment.

Yoshinoya SM Megamall Reopens

Best known for its Japanese Gyudon Beef Bowl, Yoshinoya went away from the traditional Japanese feel of wood and classic bowls into a more hip orange-themed look.

The upgraded design highlighted the “bull horn” logo shaped as “Y” and invented by Yoshinoya’s Mizuho Matsuda way back since 1899. Did you know that the surrounding rope around the horn represents “Yokozuna” referring to the ranking winner in a Japanese wrestling match? Moreover, the rope is made with 27 rice grains while the whole logo means “best beef bowls.”

Launches and openings, specially for a restaurant, is of course not complete with out served food. So here are some of the Yoshinoya specialties we got to try on their opening day:

Beef Gyudon Rice with Vegetables + Red Iced Tea

Guest Celebrity Ricardo Zepeda graces the Yoshinoya Megamall Opening

Yoshinoya Orange Wall of Bowls

Yoshinoya Maki-Siomai-dessert sampler platter 

As good as the food we had, on the other hand, I missed the more conservative premium Japanese ambiance, but that may be just me.

Freshly-cooked Tempura with sauce

Yoshinoya Megamall had its look since way back in 2003 when it first opened. I guess it was time for a change. And with it, the evolution to adapt to the new market must be what the people behind Yoshinoya have in mind.

As long as the food quality does not change, I know we will continue to love the delicious recipe of  beef and rice Gyudon we have grown up with in Yoshinoya SM Megamall. By October, Yoshinoya Delivery will have the number 288-2888! They have branches in Robinsons Galleria, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Manila, and Glorietta 1.

Jazz Mall

For about three weeks now, the bustling area of Bel-Air near Buendia/Gil Puyat Avenue (Makati) has been jazzed-up with the new SM Hypermakret Jazz. Located at the ground floor of the newly risen Jazz Residences condominium by SMDC, it has made grocery & shopping easily accessible for the surrounding urban workforce, nearby schools and residents along Nicanor Garcia corner Jupiter streets.

SM Hypermarket Jazz Grand Opening

Aljur Abrenica

SM Hypermarket Jazz opened its doors last September 12, 2013. It played host to a big celebration of sorts as attended by the Honorable Makati Mayor Jejeomar Binay Jr. and celebrities Gerogina Wilson and Aljur Abrenica. They made an appearance and spiced up the already excited crowd. We also witnessed the soft opening of the Jazz Mall where the supermarket is also located.

SM Hypermarket Promotions

Aside from the generous first-day opening discounts and freebies, a number of grocery items are on sale with special promotions such as the ‘Buy One Get One‘ promos. There are also value packs (save up to 80%) and the member’s exclusive discounts through SM Advantage card SWIPE.

Jazz Residences – Jazz Mall

Georgina WIlson w/ SM Hypermarket Executives

Special Guests Gets Initial Sneak Peek of the Supermarket

Positioning itself as a one-stop shop that answers all household needs, it’s got a wide range of freshly delivered goods like pork, beef, poultry, seafood, fruits, and vegetables, among others. There is even an organic vegetables section which is starting to pick up demand from the health-conscious market.

Moreover, it houses dedicated sections for bread, dairy, snacks, ingredients, and beverages filling up any pantry and fridge. It’s got products for special occasions as well as the everyday must-haves like toiletries, cleaning aids, and pet food/pet care. And as a HYPERmarket, you can also find clothing, footwear, appliances, electronics, toys, and even furniture in its offerings.

Appliances & Baby Needs

Wet Section

Value Packs & Special Promotions

Organic Vegetables & Other Products

Happy to Serve

Standing on the value of being always “Happy to Serve,” you would easily find friendly customer assistants around the store.

Customers would also find a Western Union branch for money transfer, a foreign exchange service, and the usual bills payment counter we can find in other SM Supermarkets.

International Flavors Section

Food Service Center

Customer Assistants

Bread & Dairy Section

Bills Payment & Money Changer

Jazz Residences Condominium

But wait, there’s more! 😛 Starting today, SM Hypermarket Jazz is giving its customers a chance to win one condo unit at Jazz Residences! Earn a raffle ticket for every Php 500 purchase from SM Hypermarket Jazz.

The Public rushes in at 5pm Public Opening

Makati’s new shopping and grocery destination is just a stone’s throw away from the buisness district capital of the Philippines! SM Hypermarket Jazz in Bel-Air operates from 10am-9pm.

My first food truck experience was with Cucina Andare months ago. But when I heard about the then upcoming first food truck park in the Philippines, I was even more excited as this new trend of mobile food catering from the Philippine Food Truck Association at Capitol Commons (front of Kapitolyo in Pasig City) was exclusive to food trucks alone.

Capotil Commons Park Map

I recently had a food escapade in the nearby Kapitolyo restaurant food scene. But food trucks just give you a different experience as you hop from one truck to another with only a few footsteps. Placing your order can also be done in a jiffy.

Food Truck Food Picks

So wifey and I visited the venue on it’s opening day more than a week ago and here’s our top four food picks (not in any order):

* Big Bite Avenue’s Longga Burger & De Luxe Fries

When I asked for Big Bite Avenue‘s (top photo) bestsellers, they said that their burgers were good. I was a bit more adventurous that day so I was looking for something different. The Longga Burger in the menu caught my eye and they said it was a good choice as well. So I had one and a mini serving of the De Luxe Fries (mini-P50;large-P100).

The fries was done first so wifey and I munched on it while waiting for the longganisa burger. Not expecting much from the fries, we were actually caught by surprise on how good it was. But more than the fries, it was the toppoings composed of cheese sauce, ground beef, aioli sauce, diced onion and tomatoes which made it a hit to our taste.

The Longganisa Burger

De Luxe Fries

The longganisa burger (P110 mini) eventually came and we were not disappointed. The longganisa patty in between sesame buns was huge unlike fastfood burgers nowadays where the buns outsize the patties big time. It was topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and BBQ and aioli sauce.

* Broosy’s Sisig Taco and Ramen

Apparently, the name Food Truck by Broosy is based from the celebrity chef behind the truck – Chef Bruce Lim. The menu is quite interesting actually for a Japanese food truck. They had sisig rice, tacos, and ramen.

Wifey and I were not too sure what to order so I decided to have the Sisig Taco while she craved for some ramen.

With options for pulled-pork, fish, and chicken, I believe my choice of sisig was the best. And I thought sisig was best only with rice or beer. It turns out using soft tacos is a good idea as well. With 4 handy pieces, it is priced at P120. A bit hefty for the size but well worth the taste.

Chef Broosy

Sisig Tacos

For those looking for a complete meal, Chef Broosy has a promo called Rainy Day Special at P120 on all tacos and rice toppings inclusive of drink.

The ramen was also very good at only P180 for both regular and spicy (petite P100).

* Hungry Rover’s Fireballs & Chips

We met someone familiar – the experiential food truck called Hungry Rover where about 8 customers can actually fit and dine in the truck complete with tables and chairs. It’s more of a mini bus for me than a truck. 😛 We first encountered them months ago at Cucina Andare which immediately became one of our favorite.

This time around, they hit it again by continually updating their menu. I tried one of their new stuff – the ‘Fireballs & Chips‘ at Php200. It consisted of meatballs and nacho chips brazen with chili-garlic cheese sauce and salsa on top.

Hungry Rover Food Truck

Fireballs & Chips by Hungry Rover

The nacho chips were average but it was the meatballs which made this a winner.

I am also looking forward to trying their new Turkey Pepper Cheese Steak (P170) and Manila Cheese Steak (P170) in my next visits.

* Great Burger’s Bacon Cheese Burger with Crinkle Fries

This was actually the last one I visited among the food trucks. I was already full from all that I ate that night but I’m glad I pushed myself into trying this one further.

I ordered their Bacon Cheese Burger (P160) with crinkle fries (P40). The order might take a while but it’s all worth the wait with their juicy patty and flavorful sauces. The natural-cut fries was also superb in itself even without the cream and condiments.

GReat Burger Truck

Bacon Cheese Burger + Crinkle Fries

I highly recommend both the burger and the fries and is looking forward to try their Original Flavor burger (P140) and the Fire Fries (P100) next time around.

Other Food Trucks: Mio Gelati, Shawarma Bros, and More

Make sure to end your truck meals in bliss with desserts – specifically gelato – from Mio Gelati starting at P80 per small cup (P150 big cup) to as much as P200 for the Premium+Alcoholic flavors.

The Ferrero variant I got was P100 for the small cup since its a premium flavor. Mio Gelati’s best-seller – the dark chocolate.variant – was very good as well.

Mio Gelati Gelato

It was also my first time to try the Amazing Cones. These are bite-size pizza in a cone with classic flavors at only P50 while the special flavors are at P60.

Amazing Cones

Start with their classic Pizza Burger flavor with flamed-grilled beef, mushrooms, cheese sauce, and mozarella cheese. Then follow it up with the new “All Meat” special flavor with Italian sausage, salami, ham, beef, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.

Other food trucks include the Shawarma Bros, the Cheese Steak Shop, Truck Bun, and Ser Chef’s. Among these, I was only able to try a wrap from Shawarma Bros which was ok. I tried to order from Ser Chef’s food truck but they run out of rice for their meals. I returned and checked at least 3 times that night from 8pm-9:15pm to no avail.

Food Truck Park @ Capitol Commons

Capitol Commons

The Food Truck Park at Capitol Commons (10-hectare mixed-use development) is the newest residential and lifestyle destination from real estate developer Ortigas & Company who is behind Greenhills Shopping Center and Tiendesitas.

The Capitol Commons Park is located at Meralco Avenue corner Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City. The Food Truck Park is open to the public every Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 10pm upto as late as 12mn on Fridays.

You can bring your mats to the Food Truck Park in Capitol Commons Park as there are spacious green pastures to share.

Food Truck Park Schedule

The food fest started more than a week ago and will continue for the whole month. Get updates about the Food Truck Park through their Facebook page and the Capitol Commons Facebook page. You may also call #foodtruckparkph at 401.3332.

Similar to the cronuts craze to some extent, tonkatsu restaurants are starting to sprout like mushrooms in the foodie scene to satisfy the public’s craving for some deep fried ‘pork cutlets’ with the crispy appeal. And if you are one of the katsu lovers in the Philippine metro, then you should check out the newly opened Tonkatsu by Terazawa.

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Max’s Adobong Kangkong is a staple favorite in the family. This is specially true with one of my aunts, she never fails to order ’em every time she visits any Max’s Restaurant. Continue reading →