Do you have the passion in promoting Filipino Cuisine? Are you a creative writer with a knack for food? Are you on a search to discover the best Filipino dishes? Do you believe na “masarap” maging Pinoy? Are you game for the challenge of going to 10 Philippine destinations and 101 restaurants for a total of 30-day foodtrip and P25,000 cash prize in hand?
Sooo Pinoy Kare-Kare
If you say yes to all of the above, then you should join Sooo Pinoy‘s The ‘Search for the Ultimate Food Blogger!’ (This reminded me of BloggerManila.com’s Search for the Blogger Apprentice, lols)
What is the Search for the Ultimate Sooo Pinoy Blogger?
“It is a nationwide search to help us find the best blogger who best embodies the Sooo Pinoy advocacy and will help best promote Filipino cuisine”, according to Unilever Food Solutions who hosted a launch dinner last night at Milky Way in Makati.
Sooo Pinoy
Sooo Pinoy is inviting all bloggers to join its Search for the Ultimate Food Blogger for chance to go on a once-in-a-lifetime food trip – an all-expense paid journey to ten beautiful Philippine destinations to dine in more than 101 different Filipino restaurants.
This is in line with their Sooo Pinoy advocacy to heighten appreciation and awareness for Pinoy food as Sooo Pinoy intends to tap the blogger community to promote Filipino cuisine.
Composed of three rounds, the Search will not only measure the bloggers’ writing skills but their ability to engage readers as well. Each round is designed to test the bloggers’ creativity and passion for the advocacy. The winning blogger should be able to encourage Pinoys to discover our cultural identity through Filipino cuisine with articles that will leave readers hungry for more.
Bloggers must submit an entry for round 1, a blog article that explains why they deserve to be the Ultimate Food Blogger. All entries must be received before October 24. Entries will be judged according to creativity, quality of the write-up, and popularity among readers. Only those who pass the first round will continue to rounds 2 and 3 in the hope of becoming the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger. Those who want to join may visit www.facebook.com/SoooPinoy to see the detailed mechanics.
October 24 is the date to hold as this is the last day of submission for Round 1!
I Want To Join!
Adobo: one of Pinoy Food Signature Dishes
Search for the Ultimate Sooo Pinoy Food Blogger
Readers of my Adventure-Travel  blogLetsGoSago.net knows just how much I would love to participate in these type of challenges. However, due to my upcoming academic trip to Taiwan, I have a problem with the round 2 and round 3 dates if ever I qualify moving forward. I guess that’s good news for the rest of you guys! lols. 🙂
Sooo, what are you waiting for? Join the search for the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger! (I’ll just wait for the 2012 edition, if ever)
Last Tuesday at Society Lounge, Van Houten Philippines hosted a chocolate tasting affair for chocolate aficionados and several members of the media as hosted by food blogger celebrity Lori Baltazar of Dessert Comes First. Being a self-proclaimed chocoholic, I made sure that I am present for this special chocolate tasting event. 🙂
Ia Adam-Lim of NomNom Club w/ Van Houten
Van Houten Chocolate in Three Dishes
For this chocolate “affairâ€, we were served three dishes which incorporated Van Houten chocolates as a major element.
The first one that I tasted from the trays of food brought to us by the waiters was a Chicken Mole Negro. I heard chicken and I heard chocolate which are both edible to me but it was the first time I tasted chicken with chocolate. It has a spicy aftertaste which is not too strong. I felt that you need to drink water after, but obvious enough to realize that the spice was at the end of the experience.
I can honestly say that I liked it because I had two more of thereafter.
Guests had tortillas on their tables with chocolate enchiladas waiting for them. It wasn’t that popular on our table because when I left, the plate was still mostly full.
Van Houten Chocolate with Espresso Shot
And finally, for dessert, we were served a chocolate sponge cake called Chocolatini (I hope I got the spelling for that cake correctly). There were actually two variants: a dark cake and a lighter brown cake.
People prefer the lighter one and they say its mocha flavored but for me there is not much of a difference having taste buds which are not that too discerning with cakes.
Generally, I liked the Van Houten dishes being appropriate for the theme. It’s not something I am going to intensely crave for often but it the experience was light and satisfying for my chocolate craving.
There were other dessert items available such as strawberry with mango ice cream and caramel popcorn but I was already overwhelmed with the whole afternoon of chocolate indulgence. 🙂
Cocoaphilia Experience with Van Houten
“Chocolate is undoubtedly one of the world’s favourite foods. Thanks to the pioneering invention of the cocoa press by C.J. Van Houten who changed the course of chocolate making with the creation of the cocoa press, the result is the chocolate bars we know and love today†says Diana Obias, Van Houten Senior Brand Manager. “Cocoaphilia is our label for one’s passion about cocoa and all things chocolate,†she added.
Van Houten Chocolates
Van Houten Chocolate Highlight
The three Van Houten chocolate dishes were just an introduction for the highlight of the event which is a pairing of a Van Houten chocolate with a shot of espresso.
The first pair is a ristretto together with a Van Houten semi-dark chocolate and the second one is a caffe lungo together with Van Houten fruits and nuts chocolate.
To differentiate the two:Â a ristretto is a very “short” shot of espresso coffee while Lungo is Italian for ‘long‘, and refers to the coffee beverage made by using an espresso machine to make an espresso (single or double dose or shot) with much more water (generally twice as much), resulting in a stretched espresso, a lungo.
So we had a short shot and a long shot of espresso. A nice play of contrasts. My new found friends from IBC 13 liked the lungo. I actually preferred the ristretto but my preference is mostly based on my liking for semi-dark chocolates.
Contributed by Blogger Apprentice: Ia Adam-Lim (some photos are from Cocoaphilia FB Page while source definition of ristretto and lungo are from Wikipedia)
Do you like chocolates too? Would you attend a chocolate tasting event if there’s one with Van Houten chocolates? Tell me what you think. 🙂
On it’s 8th year of publishing the Philippines’ Best Restaurants Guide, premiere society magazine, The Philippine Tatler, with partner San Miguel Corporation, is once again organizing its annual Charity Week for a chosen charity.
Philippines' Best Restaurants
Philippines’ Best Restaurants Guide
This handbook is a product of months of reviews of the current 157 restaurants and finest dining places in the country. It has served as a pocket guide for foodies, gourmands, and discerning diners for the best 100 restaurants.
“Restaurants are evaluated on their cuisine, ambiance, service standards and price. The reviewers follow a standard rating procedure that encompasses the different facets of a restaurant – from the range of the menu and the wine list, as well as the competence and etiquette of the wait staff.“
The Philippines’ Best Restaurants 2011 also included new sections such as the Best lists of restaurants excelling in various categories such as the Best for Tourists, Best for Wine Lovers, Best Chinese, Best Vegetarian and Best Steaks, among others.
Philippine Tatler's Best Restaurants Guide
Seven of the country’s best chefs were also featured in “Chef Talks.” They are Juan Carlos de Terry of Terry’s Bistro, Tonyboy Escalante of Antonio’s, J Gamboa of Cirkulo, Colin Mackay of Sala, Sala Bistro, and People’s Palace. Add to that Jessie Sincioco of Chef Jessie Rockwell Club and Chef Jessie Top of the Citi, Tippi Tambunting of Masseto, and Tomo of Taka.
Philippine Tatler 10th Anniversary Issue
Charity Week
This year’s chosen beneficiary of the Charity Week is the Virlanie Foundation.
Virlanie Foundation Officials & Volunteers joined by Philippine Tatler Officers at Shang Palace
Thirty-six (36) restaurants from the Philippines’ Best Restaurants list will donate a generous portion of their proceeds from September 22-30, 2011 to Virlanie. The funds will support one of Virlanie’s projects – the Mobile Unit. It is Virlanie’s outreach program for street children living in Divisoria through a mobile classroom and good nutrition through a feeding program.
Here is a list of the 36 participating restaurants:
Interestingly, I have also just published a few weeks ago about Golden ABC‘s similar advocacy which donates parts of their proceeds purchased from their clothing shop entitled Get Up: Fashion for Advocacy.
Maurice Arcache also joined us in the lunch launch @ Shang Palace
Philippine Tatler and Virlanie Foundation invite you foodies to dine with advocacy and enjoy a meal or two at any of Philippine Tatler’s Best Restaurants included in the Charity week from today until September 30, 2011. You still have five days to go dine and at the same time help the needy! 🙂
NomNom got an invitation from DOLE for a cook-off challenge last month. Although I wasn’t one of the challengers as much as I wanted to be, tasting the Dole tomato sauce-inspired dishes prepared by Chef Jeremiah de Belen Favia from then QTV11‘s Healthy Cravings and Ka-Toque Lutong Barkada, was a delight.
First in the recipe set was the Cherry Tomato and Eggplant Ragu Penne. It was a simple penne pasta dish but made special with the lycopene-rich thick sauce of Dole tomato sauce. This was the same dish prepared on the spot for demo by Chef Jeremy.
Cherry Tomato and Eggplant Ragu Penne
This was followed by the Chili Con Mushroom Over Herbed Baked Potato.
Chili Con Mushroom Over Herbed Baked Potato
But what I liked best was the Dory Braised in Dole Tomato Sauce. I usually like saucy dishes such as these. The fish meat got the right texture and the flavor was enhanced further by the sauce.
Dory Braised in Dole Tomato Sauce
“Dole advocated healthy living through our products and activities. For this event, we like to highlight that being healthy should be part of our love for food, and this event highlights that it is easy to be healthy,†adds Poch Zenarosa – Dole Philippines’ Packaged Foods Division Product Manager.
Chef Jeremy in the Dole Cook-Off
The Challengers in the MIHCA Kitchen
MICAH Waltermart Makati
The Dole Cook-Off Challenge was held at the Magsaysay Institute of Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) in Waltermart Makati.
Having started the other day, the week-long “Indonesian Food Festival” hosted by Oakroom Restaurant (Oakwood Hotel in Ortigas) will run until the 21st of September.
Sata Ayam (Appetizer)
Delight in the diversity of Indonesian cuisine and the combined influence from its neighboring countries. Discover authentic Indonesian food from the islands of Java, Sumatra and Bali as prepared by Executive Chef Deden Suherman and Chef de Partie Sulistyo who both came from Oakwood Premier Cozmo Jakarta for this festivity.
This is my first time to have a full authentic Indonesian meal prepared by an Indonesian chef and it was a good experience. I also found some similarly equivalent dishes from our own like the Sop Buntut which I can compare with how ‘bulalo’ is cooked in the Philippines since Indonesia is a fellow South East Asian country.
For starters, we had “The Temptation” appetizer set which consists of:
Tahu Asi (stuffed tofu inside crisp breading-P295++);
Asinan Sayuran (refreshing serving of sliced fresh vegetables with cold sweet and sour soup – P295++)
Indonesian Appetizers: Tahu Isi, Asisnan Sayuran, Sate Ayam (left-right)
For the main dishes, we first had Gado Gado (P350++), a plateful of mixed boiled vegetables with peanut sauce at the center. It can pass as an appetizer as well, actually. 🙂 (Top Photo)
Oxtail Soup (Sop Buntut)
This was immediately followed by the warm oxtail soup called Sop Buntut (P425++).
Things heated up again with the serving of spicy beef stew called Rendang Daging (P525++).
Spicy Beef Stew (Rendang Daging )
It was then concluded by Ikan Asam Pedas (P495++), a Western Sumatra spicy-sour fish dish.
Ikan Asam Pedas (Spicy Sour Fish)
The dessert set was: Sweet Es Cendol (rice flour with coconut milk and brown sugar sauce – P225++) and Pisang Goren (fried banana topped with brown sugar – P225++). The Es Cendol is their version of our Halo-Halo.
Es Condol - Pisang Goren - Wedang Jahe
Bajigur (Warm Ginger-based Drink)
I had both hot and cold ginger-based drinks called Bajigur (P175++) and Wedang Jahe (P175++), respectively. The former is a combination of coffee, coconut milk, brown sugar, and ginger, while the latter has boiled grilled ginger, lemon grass, clove, cinnamon, and brown sugar as well.
Other available dishes you could try in the Indonesian Food Festival include Bakwan Udang (vegetable fritters with shrimp P395), Mie Goreng (Indonesian Fried Noddles P375), Opor Ayam (Chicken cooked with coconut milk P325).
For other desserts and drinks, they also have Ketan Sikayo (boiled sticky rice with pandan custard P225), and Sekoteng (boiled ginger, lemon grass, clove, white sugar,carnation milk, with fresh bread cubes, peanuts, mung beans and tapioca pearls P175).
Chef Deden Suherman and Chef de Partie Sulistyo
Available for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is open for breakfast too. For reservations and inquiries, you may call 637 7888 or 910 8888 extensions 8603/8604
Oakroom Restaurant
Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Tel. No. 637-7888
Open from 6 a.m. to 12 midnight
In celebration of our 2nd anniversary this month, “everyone’s food blog” – NomNom Club, together with the KFC Tower Burger, challenges you to “Demolish the Tower Burger with NomNom Club!“
KFC Tower Burger
In addition to the existing official “Demolish the Tower Burger” contest, “Demolish the Tower Burger with NomNom Club!” encourages all bloggers in Metro Manila to participate in this special and limited activity for you to try!
What’s in it For You:
1.) Get to Demolish the Tower Burger for FREE complete with the set meal of fries and a drink.
2.) Be successful in demolishing the Tower Burger completely within 2 minutes (while being recorded with your own video camera) and get an instant P300 KFC Gift Certificate!
3) Be able to upload your video on YouTube, join KFC’s official contest, and get a chance to win and experience the much-awaited Night Race in Singapore! Click HERE for the official KFC contest mechanics.
How To Join:
1) Know Where NomNom Club Is
Monitor the NomNom Club Facebook Page and await the wallpost schedule to be announced everyday from Sept 13 to Sept 16 anytime from 12nn to 8pm. At least 1 wallpost per day will reveal at least 1 KFC branch where NomNom Club is located and what time you can catch him there.
For example (on the NomNomClub FB wallpost):
“Hello guys! catch @NomNomClub at KFC Cubao Branch (back of Gateway Mall) from 5pm to 7pm and get the chance to demolish the KFC Tower Burger!“
“I’m going to KFC <insert branch> at <time> to take on @KFC Philippines Demolish the Tower Burger Challenge with @NomNomClub !”
Don’t forget to tag @KFC Philippines and @NomNomClub (tag by writing “@†first) in the message.
3) Join On-The-Spot
Be there within the announced time, easily look for NomNom and participate! Come early because only 5 contestants per hour can be accepted. When you come late beyond the announced time, he’s not there anymore! (Although you can still buy for yourself a Tower Burger and participate in KFC’s official Demolish the Tower Burger Contest ).
This is how NomNom looks like in person 🙂
Requirements:
1) Subscribe to NomNom Club HERE or join NomNom Foodie Club HERE to get insider tips (through your email) of the locations in advance.
2) Bring your camera. If you don’t have company, NomNom can hold your camera and time you while you devour the KFC Tower Burger.
3) Bring a Valid ID. I will be carrying a tablet with Wi-Fi to verify on-the-spot if your FB profile was able to post the required message and tags and if your FB profile photo actually looks like you! 🙂
Demolish the Tower Burger with NomNom Club!
The big box of KFC Tower Burger got buns, creamy mayo, crisp and fresh lettuce, a hash brown and the original recipe chicken patty. It also stands as a 2-inch high burger (or more) that stack up high!
What do you call the act of devouring food at the Ultimate Taste Test event? – ‘Ultimate Taste Testing’. 🙂
Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet, NomNom, & Tricie (R-L)
Ok, I made that up.
A week after the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0, people have been asking how many food stalls was I able to try. And when I answer 51, they seemed to be amazed and ask how I did it.
It’s simple actually.
If you approach it mathematically, ~50 stalls in 5 hours is equal to 10 stalls per hour or 6 minutes per food stall. Thinking about it, 6 minutes is already a good rate which includes taking photos, lining up, and asking a little background about the food from the owners.
Here are some tips on how I was able to make it through 51 of the 55 food stalls in Ultimate Taste Test 6.0:
1) Skip Breakfast – this readies your tummy with maximize space available. 🙂
2) Come Early – I came 15 mins. ahead of time. There were only a handful of people and you’ve got the food suppliers pulling you by the arm just to try their delicacies. You’ll never feel unwanted. 🙂
Conquering 51 Food Stalls at the Ultimate Taste Test 6 (2011)
3) Relax, Don’t Panic – Eat in pace, one at a time. You’re not in a race. Get rid of the greedy mentality and trust the organizers that they prepared enough food for everyone and that you will not run out of food to taste.
4) Take a Sip after every food stall visit – this helps clear your palate for objective tasting of the next, and pushes down the previous. You can also bring a water bottle just in case the event lacks beverage suppliers.
Nomnomnom...
5) Eat in Line – when rush hour strikes, you might find yourself waiting in line specially if the stall is a blockbuster hit. This is the best time to eat your haul from the previous stall. By the time you’re finished, your’re in front of the line. Efficiency is key. 🙂
6) Bring an Eating Buddy – (preferably with the same level of appetite)Â nothing beats peer support. If you see your friend eating along with you, you will be more determined. Although I came by myself, we didn’t fall short of having the other food bloggers around for company (and critique).
7) Strategize – being my third UTT, I already learned from my previous mistakes. I utilized a different strategy this time. For the first hour (11am-12nn), I just took photos. The title should actually be 51 Stalls in 4 Hours. 🙂
8 ) Alternate Main Dishes and Desserts – my first approach was from left to right, but there came a point when there was a series of dessert food stalls which overwhelmed even my sweet tooth. I decided to drop my sequence and just remember to go back to the ones I skipped.
6 Ultimate Finds from the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0
This was my alternate title for this article. But since a lot of food bloggers already came out with theirs days ago. I surmised mine was old news.
Anyhow, so here’s NomNom Club‘s Top 6 Ulitmate Finds from the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 last week:
Symphony of Flavors
6.) Â Symphony of Flavors – Best Leche Flan Cheesecake ever! The goodness of Lech Flan and Cheesecake combined.
Carmen's Best - Holly's Milk and Ice Cream
5.)Â Carmen’s Best – Using 100% fresh cow’s milk, I love the Salted Caramel Ice Cream.
Chef C's Paella
4.)Â Chef C’s – I can’t remember if they served other dishes but I was extremely satisfied with their Paella De Andaluz.
Dek A Thai Authentic Cuisine
3.)Â Dek A Thai Authentic Cuisine – The Popia and Thai Milk Tea were indeed authentic and very good. You’d want to dine in and ask for a full serving. 🙂
Luigi's
2.)Â Luigi’s -Â They almost made my top spot with their awesome Phillychangas and Chicken Cordon Bleu with Aligue Mayo. Yummy!
PinakBest
1.)Â Pinakbest – Aptly named, Pinakbest was my pinaka-best pick with their Bagnet and Ilocos empanada. They also got the longest line.
But…but…I have more recommendations! Allow me to give my next 6 as well:
Spring By Ha Yuan
7.) Spring by Ha Yuan – Their Ka-Pao variants Pulled Pork, Beef Shortrib, and Monk’s Dream were a sight. I was only allowed to try one though – Beef Shortrib – and it was good!
Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates
8.) Â Theo & Philo Chocolate – these Artisan Chocolates come in interesting packages and chocolate flavors combined with the not-your-usual chocolate partners. 🙂
5 Loaves & 2 Fish
9.)Â 5 Loaves and 2 Fish – not sure if I should call it nachos or tortillas, but the baked chips were crunchy and the dips were interesting and flavorful
Chori Chori Burger Joint
10.)Â Â Chori Chori Burger Joint – they got the Chori Burger taste from Boracay. You should try the Chori Burger with Egg.
The Sweet LIfe's 'Sweet Surrender'
11.)Â The Sweet Life – You should try their “Sweet Surrender” which is a frozen soft meringue with custard and French Vanilla ice cream. It is held by a graham cracker crust.
Eat My GF (Garlic Fries)
12.)Â Eat My GF – Aside from the interesting name, it’s basically Garlic French Fries at it’s best.
An additional special mention would be Chef Bruce Lim’s Chef Table’sBuco Pie Martini for its creativeness. 🙂
They say that Filipinos are good adopters. When they see something they can attune to their own taste, they create their own version. One new upcoming example that would please cooking show and TV buffs‘ eyes and palettes at the same time would be the Filipino version of the internationally successful Junior Masterchef – Pinoy Junior MasterChef – with host Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo.
Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo Hosts Pinoy Junior Masterchef
Meet the 60 young kitchen stars on the premier show of this much-awaited kiddie cooking reality show “Junior MasterChef Pinoy Edition†on August 27, at Saturday’s primetime. Find out as well who will eventually advance to the Top 20 on ABS-CBN. The first Pinoy Junior MasterChef will win a culinary scholarship and P1 million.
Hosted by famous celebrity Judy Ann Santos-Agoncillo, Juday returns to television through this new show. For the very first time in her career, the Philippine’s Queen of Soap Opera will dabble in hosting as she leads the search for the finest young amateur chef in the country.
Joining Judy Ann are world-renowned Filipino chefs Fernando “Ferns†Aracama, Rolando “Lau†Laudico, and JP “Jayps†Anglo in the newest reality franchise from the group that brought you phenomenal hits “Pinoy Big Brother,†“Pinoy Dream Academy,†and “The Biggest Loser Pinoy Edition.â€
They will be the ones to guide the kiddie chefs and judge the dishes the kids will cook up as the Philippines will be the third country in the world to produce its own Junior MasterChef.
Idiomatically, Chef Lau is The Rebel, Chef Ferns is The Maestro, and Chef Jayps is The Traveler.
“This show is all heart. The kids are really cute and smart so it’s hard not to have a connection with them. But as a host and their mom in the program, I’m the one to balance their emotions. We don’t want to hurt their feelings but we also need to be honest when it comes to the taste of their dishes. When they’re about to cry, I have to be strong and raise their spirits. You have to be ready with words of encouragement for them,†shared Juday.
With the help of Chef Ferns, Chef Lau, and Chef Jayps, all accomplished chefs and restauranteurs, Juday said kids will surely learn from every challenge or task they face in the program.
Don’t miss the first taste on the reality show that will make you hungry, smile, cry, and be inspired to cook, whether you are young or old, an aspiring chef or simply a food lover in “Junior MasterChef Pinoy Edition†on August 27, Saturday at ABS-CBN.
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