Entries Tagged 'Promos / Events' ↓

No, it’s not your favorite British comedy television program that continues to make you laugh even if you’ve watched it for 10x already. 🙂 It’s the Philippine franchise of Mr. Bean from Singapore!

Mr. Bean Eastwood Mall

Mr. Bean is a famous soya chain brand in Singapore serving healthy and fresh soya milk, creative ice blended soya drinks, chilled taho, and more.

In the Philippines, Mr. Bean has been here since last year and they’re celebrating the 1st anniversary of their first branch in Alabang Town Center today. They have since expanded with three more branches in Eastwood Mall in Quezon City, Lucky Chiantown Mall in Manila, JP Morgan Net Plaza Building, and in McKinley Venice Piazza in Taguig by June 2013.

Mr. Bean Eastwood

Yesterday, me and my wife were able to try for the first time the best of what Mr. Bean has to offer in their Eastwood Mall branch.  They invited us over in advance for their anniversary promos we will discuss in a while.

Classic Soya (Cold)

We were able to try the cold classic soya milk as a refreshing treat from walking inside the mall. The regular size costs P55 while the large one is P65. I suggest you get the regular one, unless you decide to share it with someone, since I find the regular cup already filling enough.

If you’re a bit more adventurous and wants some flavor with your soya, then you’ve got a myriad of choices among watermelon, papaya, melon, honeydew, and mango from the Fresh Fruity Soya category. (P75-85 for Regular; P85-90 Large)

If you’re not into fruits and want it more icy, you’ve got the classic, strawberry, chocolate, mocha, and lychee variants from the Icy Soya category. (P75-90 for Regular; P85-100 Large)

(Left) Watermelon Fresh Fruity Soya, Classic Milk Soya (cold), Soya Beans (Right) Mr. Bean Pancakes

Lychee Ice Soya (P90 R) with Lychee Pop Add-on (P20)

Lychee Icy Soya + Lychee Pop

Just like the add-ons in milk tea shops, they have pearls, chocolate fudge, caramel fudge, and lychee pop which you can have together with your drinks or any of their products for that matter. It all costs P20 per add-on serving except for the pearls which is P10.

So we tried adding the intriguing Lychee pop which was said to give a light burst of lychee flavor in your mouth since the pearl-like sago ‘pops‘ in your mouth. We added it to the Lychee Icy Soya and the result is pretty interesting.

It reminded me of Figaro’s popping boba which they offer with their milk tea offerings as well. I’m sure the Lychee Pops will click with the kids.

Watermelon Soya

My wife got the watermelon fresh fruity soya (P75 regular). I guess what’s particularly special with Mr. Bean’s soya drinks is that they don’t use syrup. They use fresh fruits and blended it with your soya drink. You’ve got to understand though that the soya have the tendency to dilute the fruit flavors so don’t expect a strong fruit taste. Just like with the watermelon, the soya taste was still the dominant flavor, just with a hint of watermelon; hence the pink color.

Among the three, the Classic Soya Milk is still my most recommended Mr. Bean drink.

The Food – Pancakes!

Cheese Pancake (P60)

If you’re a fan of Japanese pancakes like I do, then Mr. Bean pancakes are for you too!

We got to try the cheese and kaya pancake variants and the latter was a clear winner for me. The cheese pancake actually contains cream cheese which is also good. It’s just that the kaya filling is the traditional Kaya Singaporeans usually have for breakfast. Something like the equivalent  of Filipino’s love for coconut jam.

In fact, I have tried the same kaya pancake from a Mr. Bean store in Singapore when I first visited the country back in August 2008. It was a memorable one because it was my first international trip and the kiosk immediately caught my attention then.

The pancakes also come in peanut butter and chocolate flavors. All costs P60 each.

Kaya Pancakes (P60)

Lastly, it would be interesting to note that the flour they use for the pancakes is also infused with the same high-quality soya from North America and used in all Mr. Bean branches in Singapore and other countries including the Philippines.

Soy Ice Cream (P80/cup)

Soy Ice Cream

One of the  surprises for me yesterday was the soy ice cream! Yes, a soft-serve ice cream made out of soya. I was informed that it is the first and so far the only soya based soft-served ice cream in the Philippines. It costs P80 per cup.

It has so great a concept-potential that franchisers are even considering franchising the soya ice cream concept alone! 😛

I was initially skeptical on how it would taste like. I also felt a bit of a rougher texture than the usual soft-serve ice cream we have in the Philippines but the taste grew on me as I took more scoops and finally learned to love it. I guess you have to try it for yourself as well to fully appreciate what I mean. 🙂

Chilled Taho

I thought it was just an ordinary chilled taho in a plastic container. Well, it is, except for the fact that it tasted awesomely great! I mean how much can a plain taho taste like? My concept of the usual taho we got used to in our youth was challenged after tasting Mr. Bean chilled taho (P45 regular, P55 large).

As plain as it looks, it instantly and unexpectedly became my favorite product from Mr. Bean. I later on learned from one of the owners that they use coco sugar infused with the soya. I also suggested that they could easily and interestingly add flavored variants.

Chilled Taho (P45; Also available as hot / classic (P45 R; P55 L)

Mr. Bean 1st Anniversary

Uric Acid Free

After having said all these, if you are old or have gout, you would certainly run away from anything soya-based. Interestingly,  Mr. Bean follows a special de-shelling process to remove ‘purine‘ which is the culprit in producing uric acid. So it is a comfort to know that we can actually bring our old folks over and have them enjoy soya as well.

Happy Birthday Treat

As a treat to its loyal customers and soya lovers on their anniversary, Mr. Bean Philippines is having a price rollback to it’s old menu prices today!

Moreover, the first 40 customers today and tomorrow (May 1 & 2, 2013) who visit any Mr. Bean branches can get to win a free gift of either a puzzle kit or Mr. Bean pin strap.

MrBean Special (P75)

Mr. Bean
Ground Floor (near Activity area)
Eastwood Mall

I’m certainly going back to Mr. Bean. Maybe my wife and I will try the one in JP Morgan Net Plaza Building since we frequent BGC more.

Hot Soya Milk

You would notice that the price range is not cheap for a cup of soya drink or the Japanese pancakes which are similarly available in other shops. But don’t forget either that you are paying for the high-quality ingredients, processes, and good tasting products that Mr. Bean have to offer. As they say, you get what you pay for. 🙂

Aside from the ones we tried from the above menu, I am particularly interested to also try  the Mr. Bean Special (black sesame & peanut rice ball) and the hot version of the Classic Soya Milk in our next visit.

Happy Anniversary to Mr. Bean Philippines!

7-Election GULP Cups

I’ve been itching to publish my article on my senatorial bets for the upcoming Philippine national elections come May 13, 2013. Until that serious post comes to fruition in my other blog, let me settle for a bit fancier and informal one via the 7-Eleven “7-Election Campaign“!

NomNom Club @ 7-Eleven with Lipton Red Tea

Although it started since last month, you still have about two weeks to catch up on the 7-Eleven “7-Election Campaign” fever of choosing your candidates online and preferred parties by simply purchasing a 473ml (16oz) GULP cup and make your vote count!

You have three cup choices:

• Team PNOY
• Team UNA
• Team Independent

The 7-Eleven crew registers your chosen cup in the cashier. On the other hand, you can mock vote for your Senatorial candidates online at 7-election.com.ph. A cup is about P18.

How To Vote:

How else do I show you these unless I try it myself, right? 🙂 So here’s what I did:

How To Vote

1. Go To 7-election.com.ph (connected via Facebook / Twitter)
2. Choose My Senatorial Candidates
3. View the Results

7-Election Cups: (L-R) Team PNOY, Team UNA, Team Independent

My Senatorial Bets. 7 Team PNOY, 2 Team Independent, & 1 Team UNA,  2 more slots open for the 2 more weeks remaining. 🙂

You can also view the results per area from the homepage if you are curious. For lazy people, here’s the link. 🙂

7-Elections Results Board at 7-Eleven Roosevelt/Munoz where we bought our GULP drinks

Online Area Results

Although the 7-Election Campaign is not official (of course), it kind of makes you think and decide as early as now which are your preferred candidates come election day while at the same time having a refreshing drink from 7-Eleven. 😛 Who are your bets?

Eastwood Central Plaza rocked as Oishi claimed a night of music by announcing its very own The Marty’s Band.

Ramon Bautista as Host and judge

Starting from young aspiring musicians from different universities around the Metro submitting their online auditions, the Final 8 proved themselves in deserving their respective spots. The Marty’s Band was after all a creation of the people together with a diverse pool of judges: comedian Ramon Bautista, Rock Ed founder Gang Badoy, actress Saab Magalona, music composer Francis De Veyra and rocker-director RA Rivera.

Marty’s Fancy Guitar

Oishi, maker of Marty’s Cracklin’ vegetarian chicharon spearheaded the event and made sure their tasty crunch was felt having Ramon Bautista as host made it livelier as he drew energy out of the supporters.

Paving the way in announcing the winners was a rocking roster of local bands. But to start things off and to set the night’s tone, the finalist performed their debut song, “Chicharock Chicharoll.” This was intensely followed by Gracenote, Banda ni Kleggy, Ebe Dancel and 6 Cyclemind.

Judges RA Rivera, Gang Badoy and Francis De Veyra (without Saab Magalona)

As the Final 8 were called on-stage, one could see the anticipation in the finalists’ faces knowing that only 4 of them would be part of the Marty’s Band. The prizes lined-up includes P 100,000 each and the full band experience under one of the most reputable band management groups in the industry. The Top 4 would include a vocalist, Lead Guitarist, Bassist and a Drummer. The crowd made sure that their favorite finalists felt the support and possibly what is yet to be their careers.

Oishi Marty’s Crowd

The Marty’s Band

Finally the winners were announced having Sud Ballecer as vocalist (University of Santo Tomas), Nokie Dalangin as Lead Guitarist (De La Salle University), Bam Butalid as Bassist (Asia Pacific College) and Christian Malubay as Dummer (STI). Oishi made the crowd go for an extra O, Wow! moment as Eunice Grace Gatdula (Asia Pacific College) was also announced as a surprise winner and the fifth member of the band, receiving the People’s Choice Award.

Final-8-Martys singing ‘Awit ng Kabataan’

The Marty’s Band Winners- Sud Ballecer (vocals), Eunice Gatdula (peoples choice award), Nokie Dalangin (lead guitarist), Bam Butalid (Bass)

Pedicab

In the end, the final 8 gave their parting words capped by performances from Pedicab and Radio Active Sago Project, the band of their mentor, Francis De Veyra. Kudos to The Marty’s Band!

The food-filled summer weekend food fair is back on it’s 3rd year – Best Food Forward! It will fill your tummies on April 20-21, 2013 at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City.

Opening as early as 10am,  Best Food Forward is expected to house over 6,000 food-lovers in this two-day stint. It will showcase various specialty food stalls, cooking demonstrations, celebrity chefs, showbiz guests, and of course, foodies like you and me!

Best Food Forward 2013

The events’ beneficiary will be the Unang Hakbang Foundation who hosts a weekly feeding for program kids. Chef Bruce Lim will also be doing a cooking demo on Saturday, April 20 at 2pm!

7 Food Stalls to Check Out

• 

  Earl Grey Almond Crips

  Delicakes by Joy

I love 2 things from Delicakes by Joy, the tea-infused pastries Flavored Macarons and the Earl Grey Almond Crips.

The former looks like a fusion of the traditional Filipino macarons and cupcakes which are moist to the taste inside and out. A box of original macaroons box of 12s mini costs P160; the assorted one is P180.

The latter is even better with its crispy texture hihglighted by my favorite almond slivers. It’s not cheap at P150 per 80 grams but the experience eating ’em is worth the amount.

Delicakes by Joy Tea-Infused Macaroon Flavors

• Kalookies

As simple as it looks, these fudge-centered cookies will grab your taste buds at first bite and leave you wanting for more. It comes in 3 flavors too!

Kalookies

• Our Kitchen

Our Kitchen provides varied food offerings but hihglighted their brownies and microwave-ready meal packs.

Our Kitchen Brownies and Meal Packs

• Mrs. Graham’s Bakery

Mrs. Graham’s Bakery has a gamut of macaroon surprises in different flavors.

Mrs. Graham’s Bakery Macaroons

• Kewpie Salad Dressings

And just when you thought, you’ve got ye our favorite salad dressings at home, wait ’til you taste Kewpie Salad Dressings in bottles.

Kewpie Salad Dressings

• Curly Pepitas Magic Drinks and More (Butter Beer)

From the creators of the famous Butter Beer in Mercato Centrale, they came up with new products such as the Speculoos Pulvoron, Speculoos Shake, and Speculoos Milktea

Curly Pepitas Speculoos Variants

• Eat My GF (Garlic Fries)

It’s not just the burger, the bacon or the ingredients, it’s the combinatin of them all which makes Eat My GF (Garlic Fries) stand out form the others. Take a big bite!

Eat My GF servings with Gold Leaf Tea to balance the fight 🙂

Best Food Forward Tickets:

Tickets to the event will be available on the day itself! Just go to NBC Tent to purchase your tickets! Entrance fee is just P 75 or get some tickets for free from NomNom Club! 🙂 Reminiscing about Best Food Forward 2012. 🙂

Partners and Sponsors:

Best Food Forward is partnered with Electrolux, Alaska Milk Corporation, Kewpie, Flyace Corporation, Jolly and Philips. Special thanks go to Gastro Chef, Mac Graphic Carranz, Outcomm, Gourmet Farms, Enzo’s Shawarma and Tapa King. Media partners include ClicktheCity, Lifestyle Network, Crossover 101.1, Nuffnang, Food, Appetite, Flavors, Yummy, Yummy.ph, the Asian Food Channel, Openrice.com, BusinessWorld, Highlife, Wedding Flavours, MyWeb.ph, Media Magnet, Herword.com, Zodio and When In Manila.

Delicakes by Joy

Best Food Forward
NBC TENT
8th avenue corner Katipunan Circle, Bonifacio Global City
(across the FORT STRIP, walking distance from ROX,Bonifacio High Street)
0917.8871933 or 2119644
www.bestfoodforward.com.ph
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Best-Food-Forward/148077355228746

See you at the NBC Tent for the Best Food Forward 2013 Summer Food Fair this weekend!

It was a quaint afternoon at home last week when a strangely huge and ultra-colorful box was delivered to our new house in Quezon City. It had the ‘Mentos‘ brand, a popular mint candy in the Philippines, boldy printed on it.

Inside the big box were 6 more smaller boxes bearing written riddles on the cover. One of the riddles said: “The sun bakes them, the hand breaks them, the foot treads them, and the mouth tastes them. What are they?“

NomNom Club Foodie Jonel carrying the huge box!

I wasn’t able to answer this one. But opening the box reveals the answer through a related object – in this case, a small violet notebook – which means Grape. There were a total of 6 riddles and objects which revealed the 6 answers representing 6 of the 7 new fruity sensations of Mentos namely grape, raspberry, orange, pineapple, strawberry, green apple, and the mystery flavor.

Mentos Rainbow Mystery Riddles

What’s your guess?

Mentos Rainbow Mystery

Finally, a longer black box is seemingly hidden at the bottom which contained 6 packs of  the Rainbow variant. The pack contains 2 of each of the flavors mentioned above plus two of the mystery flavor. In total, Mentos Candy enthusiasts will be experiencing 7 exciting fruit flavors in one rainbow roll aptly dubbed “Rainbow Mystery Roll.”

Check out more details at the Mentos Philippines Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/MentosPhilippines and join in the fun of the Facebook Rainbow Mystery Rollette game app at http://www.facebook.com/MentosPhilippines/app_111703135666853

The Answer

Rainbow Mystery Roll

I got to try the Rainbow Mystery Roll and my taste buds found the mystery flavor quite familiar. My initial guess was ‘mangosteen.’ But thinking a bit further, I think I know what it is already. To keep the excitement going, I will not share my answer yet.

How about you, have you tired the Mentos Rainbow Mystery roll and tasted the mystery flavor? What’s your guess / answer? My guess starts with the letter “W.” 🙂

TGi Friday’s

The weather man last night just said in the news that the days will get hotter in the Philippines with 35+ degrees Celsius and up! Summer gets more intense and  we need to catch up on the outdoors as T.G.I.Friday’s kicks off the summer with a new bar menu.

The first American casual dining chain in the Philippines that is T.G.I.Friday’s has updated their bar list to include a wide array of affordable drinks such as the Ultimate drinks, beer on tap at P60, local bottled beer at P75 and beer by the bucket for only P350.

TGI Friday’s Red Card

Cocktails are also available starting at P125 including your favorite staples Long Island Tea, Bahama Mama, Kamikaze, and 77 Sunset Strip. Moreover, the Refillable Mojito craze continues everyday at P295. Whether you’re the life of the party or just winding after work, TGIF’s new beverage menu has something for you.

Furthermore, T.G.I Friday’s free Red Card is already available starting this month for the buy-one, take-one on cocktails every Thursday.

Stars Behind the Bar and Red Card

Another highlight this month at T.G.I Friday’s is the first leg of the ‘Stars Behind the Bar‘ tour, which includes a showcase of celebrity bartenders, free drinks, and a chance to learn basic flairs and cocktails.

T.G.I.Friday’s is known for popularizing flair tending, and hosted the first known flair bartending competition in the US in 1985. This time, the featured bartenders mostly came from the previous Shake, Rattle, and Pour Bartending Championship now on its 18th year.

The Stars Behind the Bar (left-right, top-bottom): Ronilo “The Showstopper” Bautista (Mall of Asia), Aldrin “The One” Javar (TriNoMa), Michael “Unstoppable”Rabago (Glorietta), Genrev “The Revolution” Bacasno (Tomas Morato), Gino “The Bomb” Simbillo (Marquee Mall Pampanga), Junjun “The Entertainer” Marcelo (Malate),

In partnership with Stolichnaya Vodka, catch the “Stars Behind the Bar” tour at the following venues:

• Bonifacio High Street – March 21, April 11 and 25, and May 9
• Glorietta – March 22, April 12 and 26, and May 10
• Mall of Asia – April 4 and May 16
• Eastwood – April 5 and May 17
• TriNoma – April 14 and May 4
• Malate – April 18 and May 23
• Alabang Town Center – April 19 and May 24
• Tomas Morato – May 2 and 30
• Robinsons Galleria – May 3 and 31

TGI Fridy’s Electric Lemonade, Margarita, ans Smoothie

So, Taste the Love this summer with T.G.I.Friday’s new bar menu, Red Card, and ‘Stars Behind the Bar’ tour! Know more about these at http://fridays.com.ph/, Facebook #welovefridays , and Twitter @Fridaysphil.

Chef Greg Villalon

In a predominantly Catholic country such as the Philippines, Good Friday symbolizes the commemoration of the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Aside from the prohibition of taking a bath after 3pm, one other observed tradition is the abstinence of eating meat. And so, I found this sardines recipe from Mega Creations Premium Sardines (from the creators of Mega Sardines) a fitting post today. 🙂

Mega Creations Premium Sardines (L-R, Natural Oil, Spanish Style)

A few weeks ago, Mega Creations Premium Sardines, together with Global Academy Head of Operations Chef Greg Villalon, demonstrated that tasty meals can be easily prepared even using common household ingredients in less than half an hour.

The sardines come in two variants: in natural oil and in spanish style. One of the dishes / recipes cooked with a twist was the Moroccan Sardine and Sweet Potato Casserole. It was my favorite and deserves a feature here:

Moroccan Sardine and Sweet Potato Casserole Recipe:

Ingredients

• 6 Cans – Mega Creations Premium Sardines Spanish Style (chopped)
• 2 Cups – Spinach leaves (chopped)
• 2 Cups – Red Bell pepper (strips)
• 1/2 Cup – Raisins
• 1 Cup – White onion (minced)
• 2 Tbsp – Cinnamon powder
• 2 Tbsp – Cumin powder
• 1 Tbsp – Turmeric powder
• 6 Tbsp – Tomato paste
• 1/2 Cup – Olive oil
• To taste – Salt
• To taste – White pepper

Sweet Potato Mash

Moroccan Sardine and Sweet Potato CasseroleSweet Potato Mash

• 1 Kilo – Orange sweet potato (peeled and cubed)
• 2 Cups – Milk
• 6 Tbsp – Butter (softened)
• To taste – Salt
• To taste – White Pepper

Cheese Crust

• 1 Cup – Cheddar cheese (grated)
• 1 Cup – Japanese bread crumbs
• As needed – Butter

Procedure:

1. Peel, chop, and boil sweet potatoes until soft enough for a knife to go through it. Drain off the sweet potatoes before mashing with a fork.
2. Place mashed sweet potatoes in a pan, then incorporate milk and softened butter until desired consistency is achieved. Season to taste then set aside.
3. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan then add onions, peppers, spinach, and raisins. Briefly saute, then add all the spices and leave in the pan until fragrant.
4. Add the potato paste and stir well. Next, add the Mega Creations Premium Sardines and mash thoroughly until a “spreadable texture” is achieved. Season to taste, then set aside.
5. Assemble the dish on a casserole or a Pyrex dish. The ingredients will be layered similar to a lasagna dish, with the first layer made of sweet potato puree, and then topped with the spinach mixture. Repeat the process until you fill the casserole.
6. Sprinkle the cheese crust on top then add slices of butter to cover the whole dish.
7. Bake in a 375° F oven for about 30-45 mins or until the crust has browned.
8. Serve and enjoy!

Chef Greg Villalon with Chef Rose Bud

Asian Style Sardines Sub-Sandwich using Mega Premium Sardines

Catch more of the Mega Creations Premium Sardines recipes with Chef Villalon in an exciting new cooking show entitled “Everyday Creations,” premiering on April 5 at 6:30 p.m. on The Lifestyle Network. There will be replays on Sundays, 11:30am and Wednesdays at 6:00 pm. Check My Everyday Creations page on Facebook for additional sardines recipes as well.

This is for the hardworking men and women of today. Regardless from which industry you come from, you deserve to reward yourself from time. This Friday and  weekend is a good start as the salary also just came in. 🙂 Reward yourself with Jollibee’s new Ultimate Burger Steak!

Jollibee Chicken Joy, et al.

The Ultimate Burger Steak Meal

From the same food chain who gave you the Chicken Joy, Breakfast Joys, the 39ers, and the more recent Grilled Pork Tenders, Jollibee offers something new for the hefty foodies – the Ultimate Burger Steak Meal.

Without having to wait for 5 to 10 minutes anymore, Jollibee supersized their burger steak meal into a pan-grilled 1/3 lb. CHAMP patty, smothered with mushroom gravy, mushroom slices, and a dash of toasted garlic on top. A bed of crunchy french fries supports the ultimate patty from below while a  a sunny-side-up egg rests on a serving of rice on the side.

For the Ultimate Appetite! #TheUltimateMeal

Priced at P109 for solo and P119 with drink, I say this is one power-filling meal for the demanding appetite.

NomNom Verdict

Together with a group of foodie bloggers, we got to take first dibs of this new offering in an intimate gathering at their Research and Development Center in Ortigas.

It was a filling treat of 100% Pure beef but it didn’t stop me from being among those who finished the whole serving in just a few minutes (including photo-taking, instagraming, twitting with #TheUltimateMeal, and Facebook-ing; have you seen the photos of Jollibee Singapore circulating around Facebook yesterday? They said it’s located at the 4F of the Lucky Plaza. 🙂 ).

Back to the ultimate story, it’s “The Champ” meets “The Burger Steak” kind of thing and consuming them altogether. 🙂 I was quite hungry then but I held half the rice; the rest disappeared in an instant, nonetheless.

I would also like to share the same sentiment of another food blogger last night – Melo from Pinoy Cravings, that the combination of the french fries and the mushroom gravy (which spills over to the fries) made an interesting combination you might also want to try.

Jollibee Ultimate Burger Steak: 1/3 lb. CHAMP patty + mushroom gravy + mushroom slices + toasted garlic+ french fries + egg.

Available all day, come and celebrate with Jollibee the ultimate 35th year anniversary with the Ultimate Burger Steak Meal to satisfy your ultimate cravings! 🙂