Entries Tagged 'Dessert' ↓

Batangas Vice Governor Mark Leviste

Magnolia is one of the first names in the ice cream industry in the Philippines.  And just in time for the festival month of May, Magnolia Ice Cream launched a new collection called “Best of the Philippines.”

Best of the Philippines

Everybody got to taste the Magnolia Ice Cream Best of the Philippines Flavors

In the gigantic media launch, Magnolia Ice Cream revealed the “Best of the Philippines” collection: the Macapuno Banana and Macapuno Langka representing the province of Laguna, Coffee Crumble and Tsokolate Tablea (chocolate) from the province of Batangas, Mangoes & Cream of Guimaras, and finally the Ube Keso (cheese) from the cool climate of Baguio. It reminds me of the ube jam from the sisters of Good Shepherd.

Special Guest DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr.

Magnolis Ice Cream Team with DOT Secretary Ramon Jimenez, Jr.

Magnolia Ice Cream Best of the Philippines Grand Media Launch

Obviously, the “Best of the Philippines” ice cream collection is in line with DOT’s current tourism campaign, “It’s more fun in the Philippines.” The honorable DOT Secretray Ramon Jimenez, Jr. himself was a guest speaker in the grand launch and admired the nationalistic-themed ice cream collection. The newest flavors of Magnolia Ice Cream do not only taste good but also promotes tourism and nationalism in the country.

I believe these are the best flavors I have tasted in the Philippines, not only because of the yummy flavor, but also because the variants that promote tourist spots and festivals of the Philippines. Imagine that, nationalism that can be promoted even through our ice cream. 🙂

Like what they said in the event, “Huwag maging dayuhan sa sariling ice cream” (Don’t be a foreigner in your country’s own ice cream”). I agree, even the ingredients used in manufacturing the ice cream and its sources, are very Filipino.

Magnolia Ice Cream Best of the Philippines Collection: Macapuno Banana, Macapuno Langka, Coffee Crumble, Tsokolate Tablea, Mangoes & Cream, and Ube Keso

Nationalistic Packaging

Moreover, the reusable plastic containers are illustrated with Filipino festivals that we can be proud of and organizations of the provinces each flavor represents. A truly colorful packaging befitting the colorful flavors of Magnolia Ice Cream’s Best of the Philippines collection!

MIC General Manager Mayo Alcon said that the flavors best represent these provinces in the same way that the brand promoted the Baguio Good Shepherd with the Ube Keso variety.

* Story by Athena Tria of AthenaTria.com for the Blogger Apprentice Challenge. Photos by NomNom Club

The media launch was a success and I know the newest flavors will be a success too specially the Tsokolate Tablea from Batangas which is my favorite (although most seemed to like Baguio’s Ube Keso most)! Thank you to Magnolia Ice Cream for bringing out the “Best of the Philippines!”

Oishi has been a long established snack brand in the Philippines. It was one of the few I grew up with as a child when there were only a handful of snack brands in the market.

Oishi Kirei

Years forward, NomNom Club was invited the other day for Oishi’s new campaign/slogan – “O Wow!” It’s long withstanding snacks like the Oishi Prawn Crackers & Kirei  and the newer ones like the Gourmet Picks, Baked Porky Pops (which I just tried last week off the grocery shelf), Marty’s Cracklin’ , the ultra sweet Pillows, Bread Pan, Oishi Potato Fries, and Wafu were all presented in an “O Wow” way.

Baked Porky Pops

NomoNom Favorites

The Oishi Prawn Crackers brought back a lot of childhood memories but among the Oishi products, Smart C has been my favorite in the beverages line. It’s not too sweet like other bottled juice and tea drinks.

Oishi Prawn Crackers

Among the snacks, the Gourmet Picks is almost always a staple in our grocery cart while Oishi Wafu wafer stick is my personal sweet indulgence – highly recommended. 🙂

Also getting my thumbs up are the Oishi Potato Fries (for being baked, not fried) and Marty’s vegetarian chicharon that’s almost as good as it’s sinful pork counterpart.

Marty's Cracklin'

Finally making in the NomNom’s a-list is the Bread Pan (photo above) whenever I wanted a quick toast-bread-fix matched with some jam. 🙂

Two more of my favorites which I did not see that day was Marty’s Baconette Strips and Oishi Ridges. Something I forgot to ask the people from Oishi.

Elmo for Oishi

Elmo Magalona: New Oishi Celebrity Endorser

In the finale of the Oishi-O-Wow presentations, their newest product celebrity endorser was revealed in the personality of Elmo Magalona, the son of the late Francis Magalona – an icon in the Philippine music industry.

Still in his teen years, Elmo represents Oishi’s energetic and dynamic product line from beverages to the variety of its unique snacks.

Oishi ‘O Wow’
Website: http://oishi.com.ph/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/oishi.ph

Elmo Magalona: New Oishi Snacks Celebrity Endorser

It’s good to see a long-established brand like Oishi continually developing itself and keeping abreast with the times and its market. Oishi deserves it’s own “O, Wow!” 🙂

Bon Chon, Chicken Charlie, and now – Chicken Delish! I made sure to check out this humble stall at the recently concluded Best Food Forward food fair held at NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City over the weekend.

Chicken Delish

The foremost reason is because Chicken Delish owner Annalyn Jusay-Zoglmann pimped it out to me. 🙂 She is fellow blogger as well so I was curious on what she came up with since her sole (so far) and actual branch in Paranaque is beyond my reach.

Chicken Delish Sauces

It’s one of those home-style fried chicken made more special with its tasty sauces such as the sweet and spicy sauce, Pinoy barbecue, sriracha (Thai hot sauce mixed with butter and honey), Pinoy buffalo, and the good old salt and pepper. While still being improved, her bestsellers are the sweet and spicy sauce which was not surprising with Filipino customers.

For my part, I tried it with the sweet sauce last Saturday and was satisfied. The meat was still tender and juicy even if it was late in the afternoon already. The chapchae side dish I chose was also good even by itself. Hopefully I can try it with the Pinoy barbecue sauce soon.

Annalyn says that she was serving her gourmet-style fried chicken to her family even before the bonchon craze hit the metro. ” Chicken is something every member of my family loves and experimenting on the many ways to cook it was a natural progression of our passion for all things poultry-related.”

Chicken Delish @ Best Food Forward 2012

“It came to a point that I wasn’t just happy serving my chicken at home as I was also pondering my retirement from the corporate jungle and embarking on a business… I went ahead to test my business idea in the Soderno Sunday market last year and after its initial success with the weekend crowd, an opportunity came for me to open a stand-alone store at the Caltex Gas station in Better Living, Paranaque City. I’ve also been joining bazaars like the Midnight Mercato in the Fort to gain further exposure for my product,” adds Annalyn or AJ for short.

Chicken Delish Menu / Sidedish

Chicken Delish Price

Chicken Delish‘s four-piece chicken wings afford-ably cost P90 while the two-piece drumsticks are at P120. Feel free to share your experience with Chicken Delish in the comment section below specially if you’re from the south. 🙂

Best Food Forward Photos

Next, here are the other Best Food Forward photos I got from the food fair. Thanks to Nuffnang Philippines for the blogger tickets.

Picket Fence Ice Cream Cart

SkewU Skewers

Pink Wasabi

Mochiko Ice Cream and Ponzarotti

Pinoy Eats World

Best Food Forward Seminars and Cooking Demos

Med Chef

Chorizo Burger and a popcorn concessionaire

Crunchy Belly

Wagyu Burger and Special Chocolate booth

Moderne Culinaire Academy

JT's Manukan and Malabon Delicacies

Thai Cha Yen

Cuisiniers (left); Milk Chocolate booth (right)

88DB.com

Our Kitchen and OpenRice.com booth (I'm an OpenRicer myself!)

Yummy Magazine

Did you go to the Best Food Forward last weekend? How was it? Which were your favorite food concessionaire? NomNom’s choice from those I have tried are Crunchy Belly of Carlo’s Kitchen, SkewU, Pint Homemade Ice Cream, ButterBeer, and well, Chicken Delish.

🙂

All is set for the big day tomorrow as Manila’s benefit summer food fair – Best Food Forward – comes back to town from its success last year!

Sumang Malagkit with Tsokolate

Bigger and better, BEST FOOD FORWARD 2012 returns with more surprises and enjoyable activities on March 24 and 25, 2012 at the NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. It promises to be an affair where everyone can savor the best food from food entrepreneurs and exhibitors all in one roof.

Best Food Forward likewise aims to encourage group of friends, families and industry people to appreciate our local delicacies, entrepreneurial talent and creativity/

Photo Teasers:

Not too long ago, NomNom Club, together with a select group of foodies, were able to try about ten of the food exhibitors in the upcoming Best Food Forward that served like sort of a teaser. 🙂

They are

• The Fruit Garden – Luxury Jam
• Casa San Luis
• Manang’s Chicken
• Pint Homemade Ice Cream
• Skew U
• Butter-Beer
• Simply Pie
• Quantum Cafe
• Carlo’s Kitchen – Crunchy Belly
• and the Chocolate food concessionaire which served different chocolate by-products including brownies, and chocolate dips for the suman. The taste  is so rich and authentic…I forgot their name! 🙂

The Fruit Garden (by Pierre Marmonier Marmonier) - I got to try their new flavors

Casa San Luis

Mannang's Chicken

Simply Pie

Quantum Cafe

Chocolate Food Concessionaire (whose name/brand I forgot) 🙂

All the above-mentioned ten concessionaires served fantastic treats but four among them deserves the ‘NomNom” seal! 🙂 You should not miss the following in tomorrow’s Best Food Forward:

• 

  Skew U

  Crunchy Belly of Carlo’s Kitchen – awesome crunchy liempo bits will make you ask for more

• Skew U – pronounced as just “Skew”, you’ll be surprised with the tender meat of their chicken and pork skewers.
• Pint Homemade Ice Cream – My readers know how much I love ice cream, ‘nough said.
• ButterBeer – Harry Potter fan or not, you’ll love this wizardy beverage. Make sure to have it really cold for best results

Crunchy Belly of Carlo's Kitchen

Butter Beer with its Child Creator

Panghimagas: Pint Homemade Ice Cream

Here are some more of the food concessionaires (including):

• Chicken Delish
• 3 Angels
• AZChia-ChiaBia
• Bacolod Chicken Inasal
• Bliss
• Bonanza Roasted Calf
• Casa San Luis
• Chewy Junior
• Choclery Artisan Chocolates
• Cinq Dessert Boutique
• Cuisiniers
• Culinary Institute of Aristocrat
• Cupcake Boutique
• DEC
• Downtown Philly
• Duckie’s Cupcakes
• Eat my GF (Garlic Fries)
• Enzo’s Shawarma
• The Fruit Garden – Luxury Jam
• Gold Leaf Tea
• Ineng’s
• Jam Foods & Co. – Angus Beef Tapa
• Justine’s Baked Goods
• Kate Baked
• Kate Bakes
• Khao Shong Coffee
• Little Louie’s Cupcakes
• Lu Chi Authentic Dimsum House
• Mama Lou’s
• Manang’s Chicken
• Megabites Chocolates
• Monster Cookies
• Our Cookie Jar
• Our Kitchen by Manila Catering
• Perfect Home Living
• Picket Fence Milk & Ice Cream Bar
• Pint Homemade Ice Cream
• Rice Pots
• SaWrap and Roll
• Smoochies Basil Seed Drink
• Skew U
• Snow Joe Cream Coolers
• The Souq Organics
• Sugar Cakes by Ana’s Kitchen
• Sweet Vanilla
• Teys’ Cakes and Pastries
• Think Wink Cookies
• Tokyo Bubble Tea
• Unit 16 Sweets
• Yemashita

Food Cencessionaires who explained their delicacies led by Ms. Gwen Carino

Best Food Forward 2 is also for the benefit of the Unang Hakbang Foundation and is supported by Gastro Chef, M Café, Chelsea Market & Restaurant, Mr. Jones, Momo, Melba’s Farm, Café Lupe, Flavors on Fire Catering, Modern Culinaire Academy, Gourmet Farms, Pinoy Organics, Baicapture, and Make Believe.  With special thanks to media partners Flavors, Yummy, Entrepreneur, Appetite, BC Media, BusinessWorld, Click the City, 88db, Openrice, MacGraphics Carranz, Media Magnet, Nuffnang, Myweb.ph, AllTravelSpots.com, IEMAS, and Crossover 105.1.

Best Food Forward 2012

NomNom Club and BFF

For more information on Best Food Forward, you may contact 0917 8871933, 2119644 or bestfoodforward2@gmail.com. Check out  www.bestfoodforward.com.ph as well. Ticket prices for entrance is at P50.

J.CO Chocolate Caviar Donut

You might have heard the foodie news – J.CO coffee and donuts have landed in the Philippines! Their first stop was SM Megamall in Manila which just opened last March 15, 2012 while I was in South Korea. This will be followed soon with branches in Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, and SM Mall of Asia.

By the end of the year, the Philippine’s master franchiser is opening up 10 branches, with a target of 20 by the end of 2013 and 30 by 2014.

J.CO is a popular lifestyle café chain in Indonesia and some parts of  Southeast Asia. It first opened in Jakarta, Indonesia in 2005 with the thrust to fuse the popular donuts of the West with the exotic touches of the East. Other countries in the Asian region soon got into the J.CO craze, including Malaysia, Singapore and, more recently, Shanghai in China.

J.CO SM Megamall Branch

J.CO Donuts

J.CO Hazle Dazzle

It is just right then to follow through this news with an inspection of what this Indonesian-grown donut and coffee brand has to offer.

On focus in this write-up is their main product – the J.CO donuts.

They use a wide array of ingredients sourced from around the world like Belgian chocolates, Californian almonds, American honey, New Zealand cheese, and Japanese Matcha green tea.

Let us look at some of them and their best-sellers.

Moreover, the makers of J.CO donuts seem to have a penchant for Hollywood celebrity names as well…from Jacky Chan’s to Leonardo Di Caprio’s. 🙂 Check these out:

Strawbeery Caviar Choco and Oreology (L-R)

Hazel Dazzle
Donut topped with rich milk chocolate sprinkled with chopped peanuts and filled with a hazelnut surprise

Strawbeery Caviar Choco
Light and fruity donut with strawberry choco topping with crisp chocolate bits

Oreology
One of the worl’d favorite chcoolate treat with white chocolate topping fully covered with ground bits of dark Oreo

JCO Jacky Chunk (leftmost); Meisisipi (middle)

J.CO Avocado Dicaprio (rightmost)

Jacky Chunk
Dark-Chocolate and Peanut combo kick on glazed donut

Meisisipi
Donut laid with rich choco toppingand crunchy choco sprinkles

Avocado Dicaprio
An avocado delight with creany fruit flavors and a teasing chocolate granish on the sides

Tiramisu & Blue Berrymore

Tiramisu
An espresso dessert-inspired creation with Tiramisu-flavoured filling topped with sprinkled cocoa powder.

Blue Berrymore
Filled with cream cheese and blueberry sauce, the white chocolate topping puts the exclamation mark. making it Charlie’s favorite angel.

J.CO 'Glazzy' Glazed Donut (right); Heaven Berry (left)

Glazzy
J.CO‘s classic honey-glazed soft-bite donut

Heaven Berry
Strawberry cream donut topped with swirly white chocolate garnish

JCO Forest Glam (right)

Forest Glam
Black Forest topping composed of cherries, dark chocolate, and confectioner’s sugar

Crunchy Crunchy
Chocoltae covered donut with crunchy chocolate rice crispies on top.

3 NomNom Favorites

Alcapone
J.CO’s signature donut with Belgian White Chocolate sprinkled with roasted almond slices.

JCO Alcapone(left) and Green Tease (right)

J. Club Cheesy Rich with a bite

Green Tease
Green tea cream on top!

J. Club Cheesy Rich (top photo)
This cheesy donut is rich with cheddar and cream cheese, among others.

Price

All the J.Co donuts are at a uniform price of P42 (except J.Club Cheesy Rich which is P45) to enable the customers to try all of them without being too concious of the price. A not-so-common pricing strategy if you ask me. 🙂

J.CO Donuts

J.CO Chocolate Caviar (Crunchy Crunchy in the background)

All the J.CO donuts also has a mini-doughnuts counterpart called J.Pops. It’s a good way of being able to taste-test a variety of donuts before actually making your choice of with the big ones!

Chef Christine Nicole Nicolas

Albeit Mr.Kurosawa Restaurant has been around for more than three years now (Eastwood branch), this was the first time I was able to try it in their Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila branch, which is on their second year of operations.

The Euro-Japanese mix concept is new to me as well. The owners described it as “Japanese cuisine with a touch of European flair” headed by corporate Chef Christine Nicole Nicolas, Chef Benjamin Gonzales, and Chef Florabel Co-Yatco.

French-Japanese items like tempura or gyoza souflaits, steaks and fine wines; Greek-Japanese items like Japanese kebabs and salads; Spanish-Japanese items like the japaella; and Italian-Japanese items such as pastas and pizza, are among some of the interesting fusion cuisines. This is complemented with traditional Japanese favourites such as kobe, teriyaki, tempura, donburi, sushi and sashimi.

New Offerings

Their new offerings include chicken, katsu dishes, and milk teas. They are the following:

Tongkatsu (Breaded deep-fried pork cutlet)

Fish Katsu (P268)

and Shrimp Katsu (top photo)

There are also Salmon Katsu (P448) and Torikatsu (P288) which I was not able to try. Regular iced tea are at about P70; add P30 for the large size.

Highly Recommended

Highly recommended are the 4pc. Chicken Wings called Last Samurai (P298) and Ebi Katsu (P398).

Last Samurai (Chicken Wings)

Ebi Tempura

Needs Improvement

On the other hand, thier range of milk teas need perking up. I found the Strawberry Yakult Milk Tea (Sakura) and Matcha Milk Tea (Yojimbo) ordinary.

I have yet to try the Winter Melon Milk Tea (Sanjuru).

Here are some more shots from their menu:

Mr. Kurasawa Menu

Mr, Kurusawa Ramen

Mr. Kurusawa Brain Freeze Beverages

Check out their branches below:

Eastwood Branch
G/F Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City
10am – 11pm (Sun to Thu)
10am – 12pm (Fri to Sat)
Tel no. (+632) 901-0825.

Resorts World Manila Branch
2F Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila, Pasay City
11am – 11pm Everyday
Tel no. (+632) 973-6213

Feel free to share your Mr. Kurusawa adventures here in case you have tried dining in any of their two branches. 🙂

Relik Tapas and Bar sounds like ‘something old‘. But if you’ve been there, you’d pleasantly know why it was named such. The red bricks and classic furniture lend that relic and cozy feel.

Relik's Margarita

Relik is not that easy to find, actually. You would extend an extra effort to find it at the second floor of Commercenter Bldg at the corner of 31st avenue and 4th street in Bonifacio Global City amidst all other restaurants visually competing for attention on the street. On the other hand, the restaurant has been getting the raves as a cool hangout place. With the good interiors and atmosphere, I am not surprised.

But this story is not about Relik as a bar. More than that, Relik offers good food.

Together with some foodie friends, we got to experience a mix of Spanish-Mexican tapas-inspired dinner the other day.

Let me share with you those I met that night:

Tasting Board (P490) - Boneless “Diego Martin”. Chorizo Pamplona, Stuffed “Serpis” Spanish olives and Manchego

Benny’s Certified Angus Ribeye (P1150) - a 300g rib eye served with a burnt butter sauce

Relik's Mixed Paella (P820) - serves 8 and is ordered a day in advance

Vanilla and Amaretto Panacotta (P160) - cooked cream with a berry compote

If your saliva dripped over those photos, there’s more.

And these are the ones you should not miss and I recommend:

Baked Australian Brie (P530) [Top Photo] – creamy Yarra Valley Brie wrapped in jamon and lightly glazed with honey.

Chorizig (P295) - chorizo bits topped over with Filipino favorite - sisig

Quesadillas - served with guacamole and tomato salsa. Choice of garlic shrimp, pulled pork, BBQ chicken fillings

Mother Ann’s Braised Ox-Tail (P450) - slow braised Australian ox- tails served with pomme puree and buttered carrots

Mussels and Chorizo (P330) - green mussels sautéed in garlic cream and Spanish chorizo

Roasted Bone-Marrow (P290) - topped with gremolata, served with caramelized onions and crunchy bread

I’d also have to give Relic for being able to serve bone-marrow. It’s not a common dish in a restaurant.

Relik is open Monday to Friday from 11:30 am – 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm – 4:00 am; Saturday to Sunday 5:00 pm – 4:00 am.

2/F Commercenter Bldg, 31st Ave cor 4th St, Bonifacio Global City
Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(0917) 529-8333

Whether you just want to have a good time with your friends or is looking for a good lunch or dinner, check out Relik Tapas and Bar and enjoy the food as much as you will do the place.

Yogurt is a healthy food alternative that is both nutritious and delicious in taste. And making this product accessible and easy to prepare is what EasiYo yogurt makers have in mind.

EasiYo Yogurt Launch

Benefits of Yogurt

A cup of yogurt a day gives 47.5% of our daily recommended calcium intake, which we need to fight osteoporosis and to have stronger bones and teeth. It is also rich in protein, about 30% more than what milk can deliver. Yogurt is also rich in vitamins like B-2, B-12, Potassium and Magnesium.

EasiYo Real Yogurt Maker

But, how much does a cup of yogurt cost in the local market? Have you ever think of making your own yogurt at home?

EasiYo Launched

NomNom Club was recently invited to have a first-hand experience of New Zealand’s do-it-yourself yogurt system that has arrived in the Philippines. The event was held at the Global Culinary and Hospitality Center located along Jupiter Street, Makati, Philippines.

EasiYo Brand Ambassador Chef China Cojuanco

Present at the said event was EasiYo Brand Ambassador Chef China Cojuanco. She was joined by Ms. Josie Paule, President and Country Manager of Cambert Philippines. She also showed us three easy way of making our own yogurt using the EasiYo system.

Three EasiYo Steps:

1. Half-fill EasiYo jar with cold water. Add contents of sachet and mix. Fill jar with cold water and mix again.
2. Put red regulator in Yogurt Maker. Pour boiling water up to the top of the regulator. Place EasiYo jar inside.
3. Let the yogurt set for 12-24 hours. Remove from Yogurt Maker and chill. Makes 1 kg/1 liter of fresh yogurt.

Watch this short video we took during the product presentation.

EasiYo Recipes

Moreover, Chef China shared two EasiYo recipes – Chunky Tuna spread with Fresh Herbs and Strawberry & Kiwi fruit Smoothie.

Chunky Tuna spread with Fresh Herbs

Strawberry & Kiwi Fruit Smoothie

Chef Gigi and Chef Brando (top photo) of Global Culinary and Hospitality Center made two mouth-watering recipes for a nutritious meal served as part of dinner:

Pork Adobo with Easiyo Yogurt and EasiYo Greek Honey Yogurt Baked Fish with Ratatouille

Pork Adobo with Easiyo Yogurt and EasiYo Greek Honey Yogurt Baked Fish with Ratatouille

Grilled Chicken, Melon and Grape Salad with EasiYo Lemon Yogurt Basil Dressing

Grilled Chicken, Melon and Grape Salad with EasiYo Lemon Yogurt Basil Dressing

Chicken Linguine with Creamy EasiYo Natural Yogurt Pesto Sauce

Chicken Linguine with Creamy EasiYo Natural Yogurt Pesto Sauce

More EasiYo Dishes

For dessert, we had EasiYo Vanilla Yogurt Panna Cotta with Mango Compote. We also received an EasiYo Recipe book.

More on EasiYo

EasiYo is made from high quality milk powder derived from free range cows, grazing the fertile pastures in New Zealand. The product has no preservatives, artificial flavour and food coloring. EasiYo yogurt is currently being exported to over 20 countries around the world.

EasiYo comes in a starter pack that includes the EasiYo Real Yogurt Maker and EasiYo Yogurt jar; the EasiYo Yogurt Base and Culture, which makes 1 kilogram of yogurt; the EasiYo fruit squirt; and a 50-page EasiYo Recipe Book to get you started with cooking.

It comes in seven flavors- Natural, Strawberry, Vanilla, Lemon, Banana and Greek n’ Honey.

EasiYo Yogurt Launch at Global Culinary and Hospitality Center

EasiYo Yogurt is available at leading supermarkets and distributed in the Philippines by Cambert Pilipinas Inc. For more information, check out to www.easiyo.com or email at contact@easiyo.ph.