Entries Tagged 'Affairs' ↓

Another adventure in Legazpi Sunday Market is set as they organize the first “Grilla In Manila” grilling contest and festival on April 25, 2010.

Although registration for the contest is already closed, you can still join us as we witness the actual contest this weekend from 8am to 11am. Teams just had their debriefing last Sunday. Aspiring cooks, chefs and entrepreneurs are encouraged to attend.

Here is a backgrounder on the contest:

The contest is open to non-professionals, foodies, student chefs, starting out entrepreneurs, etc. (amateurs).  Teams with a maximum of 3 members will be allowed.

a. The teams will submit a total of 3 dishes prepared in its entirety at the market (preparation and cooking time is a total of 3 hours).

1. Grilled Beef Dish – 2.5 kilos of Angus  beef will be provided by the LSM courtesy of sponsor Tenderbites.
2. Specialty Grilled Dish (choice of team)
3. Side Dish (produce to be purchased at the LSM by the team). Produce (vegetables, fruits, protein etc.) must be purchased at the LSM by the team on the day of the event  for only P200 (to be sponsored by the market). It must also be prepared in its entirety at the market (preparation and cooking time is a total of 3 hours)

b. Preparation and cooking time is a total of 3 hours. All 3 dishes should be ready for tasting at 11am.

c.  All grilling and cooking equipment, unless specified, will be provided by the team. No electricity will be provided.

Legazpi Sunday Market's Grilla In Manila

d.  All ingredients will be provided by the teams except where specified.

e.  5 gallons of water will be provided for each team’s use.

f.  Teams should be at the venue by  8:00 am.

g.  Teams must provide all cutlery, dish towels, utensil , grillers and any appliances or Ingredients not specified.

h.  Cleanliness and safe food handling is of at utmost importance.

i.  The amount of food prepared must be enough for:
– 40 small tasting portions
-  5  full portions for judges (plated)

Judging Criteria
Presentation/Visual Appeal        15%
Palatability/Flavor            50%
Tendreness                15%
Originality/Creativity            20%

Awards
The Market Griller (people’s choice)
The Grill King (overall winner)

For inquiries on Legazpi Sunday Market‘s “Grilla In Manila“, you may call Maan at (632)425.0851 or email Legazpi_SundayMarket@yahoo.com

Starbucks will be offering Top Pot Doughnuts in select Starbucks Coffee outlets in the Philippines come April 12, 2010, Monday.

What's inside the box? 🙂

Background

Top Pot is a family owned business started by two brothers Mark and Michael Klebeck. With its unique, old style signature “hand-forged” doughnuts, Starbucks hand selected Top Pot back in 2005 to carry their doughnuts in western Washington.

The Top Pot doughnuts are made using little automation giving each doughnut a hand crafted taste and look that fits Starbucks® hand crafted beverages and coffee.

The Doughnuts

With zero grams trans fat, the three doughnuts are the Glazed Old Fashioned Doughnut, Chocolate Old Fashioned Doughnut, and Top Pot Apple Fritter.

Starbucks Glazed Old Fashioned Doughnut

The ‘Glazed Old Fashioned Doughnut‘ is considered a “classic” inspired through a recipe from the 1930’s. Inside the golden exterior is a moist, cake with hints of vanilla and some nutmeg. It’s covered with Top Pot’s own proprietary “Air Sped” glaze while it’s hot .

Starbucks Chocolate Old Fashioned Doughnut

While the ‘Chocolate Old Fashioned Doughnut‘ is the chocolate version of the classic Glazed Old Fashioned doughnut.

Starbucks Top Pot Apple Fritter Doughnut

The ‘Top Pot Apple Fritter‘ is made of hand chopped apples mixed with cinnamon and spices and cooked golden brown and covered with “Air Sped” glaze.

The Contest

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April 19, 2010 Update: the Contest is UPGRADED & EXTENDED!

The prizes just leveled up from 1 GC to 3 GCs! And because of this, NomNom is also extending the contest another week from April 19 to April 24! The three raffle winners from those with the correct answer will be announced on April 25. Thank you to Starbucks Philippines for the prizes.

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If you noticed, the article’s direction is more descriptive than a recommendation. That is because I’m gonna let you guess which among the three Starbucks Top Pot doughnuts caught my fancy best.

Top Pot Doughnuts

Mechanics

Simply create a Facebook wall post (shared with ‘everyone‘) indicating which Starbucks doughnut you think NomNom liked best. Include this link (https://nomnomclub.com/restaurants/2010/starbucks-top-pot-doughnuts/) in your message as well.

Finally, place the URL of your facebook wallpost on the comment section below and you’re done!

Rules

One comment per person only. Multiple entry cheaters will be turned to stone by Medusa then swallowed by the Kraken.

Contest will start from now until April 17 24, 2010.

All valid and correct answers will be included in the electronic raffle using Random.org. Winner will be announced on April 18 25, 2010 on this blog.

For any inquiries or clarification, please don’t put in the comment section (it’s for the answers and URL links), instead you may email admin<at>NomNomClub.com.

Top Pot Doughnuts

Prize

A Three (3) Starbucks gift certificates for a free drink of your choice at any size.

It All three will be couriered to your choice of address anywhere in the Philippines.

Qualification

Starbucks Top Pot Doughnutd

The contest is open only to anyone with a valid Philippine address where the prize will be couriered. It is also open only to NomNomClub.com Email Subscribers. If you are not yet an email subscriber, you may do so by clicking here.

So, which could be my favorite Starbucks Top Pot doughnut? Is it the old fashioned glaze? The chocolate version? or the Apple Fritter? 🙂

The Venice Piazza‘s newly opened restaurants Kuse and Old Vine has a new alfresco dining promo.

Customers of both Kuse and Old Vine both gets 30% off on all drinks and pica-pica 9pm onwards everyday!

Kuse serves traditional Filipino cuisine while the term, which originated from the Filipino word ‘Kusinero’, means ‘chef’. Old Vine offers Mediterranean dishes with a wide variety of wine collection.

Among the pica-pica and dishes you could order for the alfresco dining include Buffalo Wings with tomato-coriander (P210), Hot and Spicy Dynamite Roll (P190), and Tokwa’t Baboy (P200), and of course, beer.

For inquiries on Kuse and Old Vine, call: 836.4966, 836.4969 or 0920.9243044. Email at larrycortez_chefsquarter@yahoo.com.

Tapella Restaurant will celebrate Easter with kids and family this Sunday – April 4, 2010.

Jump for joy and have a blast from 4pm-7pm with magics, mimes and clowns! Games and tricks, egg painting contests, balloon twisting, fun filled activities and loads of prizes await kids in the much awaited Easter Egg Hunt.

Tapella Restaurant Easter Sunday

Gather the most number of eggs and get prizes from Star Paper. Kids will be delighted with Dunkin Donuts upon registration. Spaghetti and other kiddie snacks will also be available during the event. For only Php500 nett, kids and family will have a holistic Easter Sunday.

Kids at heart will also enjoy a sumptuous Easter special starting from Php300 and delight in the comforts of Tapella’s serene ambiance.

Tapella is a Spanish dining creation by Gaudi located at Greenbelt 5. Headed by executive Chef Alexandra Cacho, the restaurant specializes in tapas and paellas with a wide range of salads, pasta ,dessert and wines. For inquiries and reservations you may call 7572710.

My Sunday was spent lazily at home. Being very busy for so long as I can remember, it has been months since the last time I spent the whole day lounging around the house and doing nothing. It was a healthy welcome respite.

I got to catch up with some cooking shows and foodie features on cable TV, and surf the net that’s not part of work. 🙂

Healthy Cravings with Iza Calzado & Chef Jeremy Favia on QTV

What interestingly took my attention was the local ‘Healthy Cravings‘ show with Iza Calzado and Chef Jeremy Favia on QTV yesterday morning. They featured a salad concoction using the regular pechay instead of the usual iceberg lettuce. Pechay turns out to have more nutrition value than its counterpart, more affordable, and readily available.

The cooking shows tickled my long-time fancy as a chef. When the show was over, I hungered for more and checked out the internet which led me to the foodie site Kitchenomics.com. The site provided relevant information for chef wannabes like me or moms looking for affordable and nutritious meals for their families.

I suddenly remembered mom who always made sure weekend family meals are made extra-special because everyone’s at home; the family was complete.

Ok, this is a foodie blog, not a personal blog. 🙂 Enough of the drama, back to Kitchenomics. 🙂

Kitchenomics Tips and Resources

The site also offered membership where benefits include access to Del Monte Kitchenomics’ library of practical and delicious meals. And just like being members of NomNom Club, Kitchenomics members would be the first to know of exclusive events and promos – something I think that really ‘clicks‘ nowadays. 🙂

Kitchenomics.com 'Submit A Recipe'

Further exploring the website reveals features which facilitates interaction with other foodies by sharing recipes, tips, and expert culinary resources. My favorite though is the Kitchen Tools and Equipments section because it can serve as my reference for kitchen equipments whose names I always forget. 🙂

Kitchen Tools and Equipments

Enough of the watching and the reading. Putting these gathered foodie knowledge from Kitchenomics.com into action would be a good agenda for the upcoming long holy weekend where I’ll be stuck at home. 🙂

From a list of almost 500 restaurants endorsed and nominated by Spot.ph readers last year, the judges thereafter shortlisted the nominees. This lead to the announcement  of 13 admired restaurants in each of their categories recently concluded at the Nescafe Gold Spot Awards 2009.

Encore (previous Embassy Superclub) was filled with food industry players, food enthusiasts and the media for an afternoon of foodie glamor and tasty anticipation for the would-be winners of Nescafe Gold Spot Awards 2009.

Nominees, Foodie Enthusiasts and Guests

This year’s judges include Chef Aileen Anastacio, Yummy editor-in-chief Becky Kho, Chef Him Uy de Baron, award-winning blogger Franco of Table for Three Please, food writer and blogger JJ Yulo and actress Cherie Gil.

Ms. Myrza Sison, Editr-in-Chief of Spot.ph with Jonel Uy of NomNomClub.com Food Blog

Mr. Logan O’Brien, Consumer Marketing Manager, Coffee Business Unit, Nestle Philippines

Sponsored by Nescafe, online voting via Spot.ph ended last January 31, 2010. With more than 250,000 votes cast for 55 restaurants in 11 categories (2 categories were purely by the judges), without further adieu,

Manila’s Best Restaurants for 2009 are:

Best Japanese Restaurant – Inagiku
Best Filipino Restaurant – Abe
Best Steakhouse – 22 Prime
Best Delicatessen – Santi’s Delicatessen
Best Bar – Cav Wine Bar and Bistro
Best Chinese Restaurant – Shang Palace
Best Italian Restaurant – Paparazzi
Best Buffet – Spiral
Best Dessert Place – Cupcakes by Sonja

*Best Restaurant Chain – Cibo
*Best Service – Cibo

*New Restaurant of the Year – Lusso
*Restaurant of the Year – Lolo Dad’s

*Best Restaurant Chain and Best Service was solely determined by readers through mobile and online votes while New Restaurant of the Year and Restaurant of the Year were purely from the panel of judges.

22 Prime - Best Steakhouse

Inagiku - Best Japanese Restaurant

Cav Wine Bar And Bistro - Best Bar

Santi's Delicatessen - Best Deli

Abe - Best Filipino Restaurant

Cupcakes By Sonja - Best Dessert Place

Best Buffet - Spiral

Best Chinese Restaurant - Shang Palace

Paparazzi - Best Italian Restaurant

Cibo is the only one which brought home the bacon for two categories while Lolo Dad’s got the most coveted title of Restaurant of the Year.

I have tried Lolo Dad’s Brasserie in Makati where I met Chef Ariel Manuel but I haven’t been to their main branch in Malate. I hope to do so soon.

I shared these information earlier online on-the-spot during the event through my twitter, plurk, and facebook network accounts. Among my networks, Shang Palace got the most cheers which tinkled my fancy about the restaurant.

I want to visit Shang Palace very soon! Congratulations to this year’s Nescafe Gold Spot Awardees!

Lead by president Erwin Elechicon, Chowking recently celebrated its 25th year in the foodservice industry with a familiar vibrant color.

Jericho Rosales for Orange Chicken

Chowking President Mr. Erwin Elechicon

Last week, the Fort Bonifacio branch was immediately filled with bloggers, cosplayers, celebrities, and Chowking’s own Managing Director Edward Arandia and Brand Group Manager Chris Monteron.

Chowking Managing Director Edward Arandia

The event’s highlight was famous local actor Jericho Rosales who is also their latest endorser for Chowking’s newest product – the  OH!some OH!range Chicken.

As expected, the presence of Jericho brought the house down with cheers and jeers especially from the female admirers. Also known as “Echo“, Jericho is game with almost everything and readily interacted with the crowd without any of the negative superstar complex. Something rare in the entertainment industry. Hats off to Jericho.:)

Now, for the OH!some OH!range Chicken, Chef Rosebud Benitez introduced it as Chowking’s newest serving of crispy chicken with the orange twist.

OH!some OH!range Chicken

The OH!some OH!range Chicken rice topping meal was served with chunks of the crispy chicken, rice on the side, an orangy and tangy amber-colored glaze syrup, and some real mandarin orange bits.

The Orange Chicken rice chow meal is priced at P69 while the lauriat with crispy noodles, chicharap, and buchi is P99. The Salo-Salo set for sharing is P125.

Orange Chicken Rice Chow Meal

The deal looked enticing and Oh!some with its color and real orange bits. It smelled good too. However, the product can still be improved with lesser breadings on the chicken meat and some more orange syrup just like in the product photos.

They also need to work on the consistency of the ‘tenderness’ of the chicken meat. I’m not too sure though if this was just an effect of the cold dishes served that night.

I would  have to say though that the program was fantastic. The party’s level of energy was always high led by Jericho’s oh!some chicken dance. Crowd participation was more than satisfactory. Surely, the videos of the varied chicken dances are now all over the internet and YouTube. 🙂 If the info I got was correct, it was not surprising that I discovered later on that Robbie Carmona, who was also present at the party, organized the oh!some event.

With over 400 branches, Cheers to Chowking‘s 25th year in the food industry! I’m a lauriat suki and the Chowking halo-halo is always a great heat quencher for me especially now that it’s summer.

Fifty-two photo entries, three weeks, and one engaging photo contest – this is how we describe Red Ribbon’s Chocolate Heaven cake online contest.

After launching their newest uber-chocolatey cake, Red Ribbon immediately announced the start of Chocolate Heaven cake photo contest looking for the photo that “best expresses how chocolatey the cake is.” Check out the mechanics and article.

One week after the end of the online contest last March 10, 2010, 5 judges from Red Ribbon was able to come up with the top 3 best photos. They had a hard time as there were a lot of very good entries!

Red Ribbon would like to thank all those 52 heavenly entries for participating.

Without further adieu, the winners are:

1st – Jenniffer Go’s “Choco Fingers”
2nd – Rose Declaro Obias’ “Heavenly Sinful”
3rd – Camille Zaballa’s “Gusto Ko Pa!“

Congratulations to the winners!

1st – Jenniffer Go’s “Choco Fingers”

Jenniffer Go's "Choco Fingers" : Mama told me to never play with my food, but I guess we can make an exemption with Red Ribbon's Chocolate Heaven Cake...

2nd – Rose Declaro Obias’ “Heavenly Sinful”

Rose Declaro Obias' "Heavenly Sinful" : To an innocent child, this sinful yummy treat from Red Ribbon is heavenly. To him, he is in Chocolate Heaven with his every bite.

3rd – Camille Zaballa’s “Gusto Ko Pa!”

Camille Zaballa's "Gusto Ko Pa!" : I never knew what heaven was until mommy introduced me to Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven. Ooh baby, do you know what that's worth? Ooh heaven is a place on earth.

The grand winner receives P3000 worth of Red Ribbon gift certificates, the second placer receives P2000 worth of Red Ribbon gift certificates while the third gets P1000 worth of GCs.

They will be contacted/emailed for their addresses where the gift certificates will be couriered anywhere in the Philippines.

For those who wants to join another contest, check out this Havaianas Flip-Flop USB giveaway!

Continue to enjoy the heavenly Red Ribbon Chocolate Heaven cake!