Entries Tagged 'New Brews' ↓

Tokyo Tokyo’s “Halo-Halo”

Can you feel the afternoon heat rising as the days go by? Although the Philippine weather bureau says it’s not yet officially summer in the Philippines, Pinoy foodies are certainly already looking for summer heat quenchers such as the famous Halo-Halo….and Tokyo Tokyo might just have what you are looking for! Continue reading →

If this is your first time to hear about heart-shaped pizzas, where have you been? 🙂 NomNom Club was able to try Angel’s heart-shaped pizza for Valentine’s Day for the first time about two years ago. Continue reading →

Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight

Traditionally, Chinese New Year in the Philippines is celebrated with the colors red and gold. ‘Red’ symbolizes luck in the Chinese culture while ‘gold’ represent prosperity.

But in the new Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight restaurant in Greenhills, you have more colors to celebrate it with care of their multi-flavoured Xiao Long Bao!

New Look

Aside from changing their old name Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight also revamped its look. In my second visit to the restaurant a few weeks ago with my wife,  I was surprised to know that they had a renovation sometime mid of last year. I didn’t know about it since my first visit was perhaps back in 2012. I felt it was a let down at first since the see-through noodle kitchen was gone. It provided an interesting view from the outside whenever I pass by V-Mall in Greenhills.

New Crystal Jade in V-mall Greenhills

On another thought, the changes were also good in a way that the new ambience was refreshing to the eyes dominated by light purple shades and the skyline of Shanghai on one wall adding to the casual dining experience.

Xiao Long Bao

Xiao Long Bao

Having grown-up in a Chinese family, Xiao Long Bao (a steamed soupy pork dumpling) was a common sight in big family gatherings in Chinese restaurants. But I have never seen a Xiao Long Bao other than its traditional plain and white form. Needless to say, the Multi-colored Xiao Long Bao (Php 229) came as a surprise. 🙂 Wifey and I discovered that the rainbow-colored Xiao Long Bao set was a mix of 5 flavors including Shrimp (orange), Spicy Chicken (dark orange), Spicy Beef (red), Vegetable and Dried Beancurd (green), and interestingly - Cheese (yellow). :) You can mix and match any of the five as a package for only Php 229. One piece is about P49-P59 each. I think this is the only colored Xiao Long Bao in the Philippines.

Multi-Flavored Xiao Long Bao

With a more piqued interest, we just had to try it! 🙂 And so we did. For a spice-averse couple like us, you can easily guess our favorites. The seafood-lover in me cherished the shrimp while wifey went for the cheese. The spicy chicken and beef flavors were tolerable for our standards so you need not worry either. The vegetable and dried beancurd was a good one; it was my second choice, actually.

Yummy Beverages

Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight Menu

Beyond the signature Xiao Long Bao,  Shanghai dishes are mostly represented by La Mian noodles, Tan Tan Mien, Spicy and Sour soup, and sauteed chicken with cashew nuts, among others. Here are some more new and interesting dishes we tried from their menu over lunch.

Braised Pork with preserved vegetable in Claypot (Php 300) [NomNom Recommended]

Lion’s Head – braised minced pork & mushroom with cabbage (Php 358)

Crispy Eel in “Wu Xi” Style [NomNom Top Choice]

Deepfried Mushroom in Salt & Pepper (Php 288)

Mango Pudding (Php 120)

Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Taro (Php 120 3pcs)

We also got a ‘Fried Mixed Rice in Hot Stone Pot‘ (Php 348) but organic red and brown rice is not for everyone. They usually turn out tougher than ordinary rice; so think twice about this. We liked it for it’s health benefits though. Check out our Costales organic farming adventures here.

The Braised Eggplant with Pork in Claypot (Php 300) from the menu looks interesting as well so I think we will try this in our next visit.

Moreover, Crystal Jade is open for breakfast in the morning from 7 to 10:30 a.m with a special breakfast menu. Pair up your favorite dimsum with a bowl of their signature congee or pulled noodle offerings and conclude with a Chinese tea.

Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight
Address: Unit 117-121 Ground Floor, V-Mall, Greenhills
Operations: 7 to 10 p.m. Monday to Sunday
Telephone: (+632) 570-5233 & 570 6910
Website: www.crystaljade.com

Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight also delivers via City Delivery at (02) 87878.

Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight Restaurant

Did you know that Crystal Jade also offers Black Truffle and Foie Gras Xiao Long Bao flavors? 3 pieces cost Php 188. So why not celebrate your colorful Chinese New Year with the family at Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight tomorrow? 🙂

Bottomless Tostada Chips with Skillet Queso (P390)

NomNom Club recently visited Chili’s at The Atrium of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City for the first time.

Here’s a short photoblog, aka ‘photo-chips‘, of what we had in the filling dinner a few days ago.

Chili’s SM Megamall

• Triple Dipper (P495) – a combo of three well-loved appetizers in Chili’s: Chicken Cripsers, Wings Over Buffalo, and Southwestern Eggrolls. The latter is a crispy flour tortilla filled with smoked chicken, black beans, corn, jalapeno jack cheese, red peppers and spinach. Triple Dipper also comes with avocado ranch dressing, among other sauces.
  

  Chili’s Triple Dipper (P495)

• Bottomless Tostada Chips with Skillet Queso (P390) – never tire with your unlimited crispy tostada chips with flavorful house-made salsa and skillet queso which is a combination of chesse dip and soft beef.
• Classic Nachos (P435) – It certainly looks like pizza, but they are nachos! These nachos has melted cheese on top, jalapenos, and beans served with house-made pico de gallo and sour cream. You have the option to add grilled beef for (P195), grilled chicken for (P95), and guacamole for (P55).
  

  Classic Nachos (P435)

• High and Mighty Pie (P380) – Definitely a dessert to share (although I can finish this all by myself)! 🙂  It’s indeed high for a pie and mighty for a cake! It has Heath candy pieces in rich vanilla ice cream piled high on a crushed Oreo cookie crust and drizzled with caramel and hot fudge.
  

  High and Mighty Pie (P380)

  

  Big Mouth Burger Bites

Lastly, we had the Big Mouth Burger Bites. We also had smoothies which are as good as desserts by the name of  Fresh Strawberry (P195) and Molten Chocolate (P195).

Molten Chocolate (left) & Fresh Strawberry (right); both Php 195

The former is a generous serving of vanilla ice cream blended with chunks of strawberries at the bottom. The latter is special chocolate coating blended with vanilla ice cream and milk. It’s creamier than the first.

Chili’s chilisphilippines.com 2F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Makati (729.3022) Northeast Greenhills, San Juan (727.2959) Tomas Morato corner Scout Fernandez, QC (372.5017) Power Plant Rockwell, Makati City (659.65627) SM Megamall (631.0380) Twitter/Instagram: @Chilis_PH

Chili’s SM Megamall

We used to go to Chili’s in Greenhills and the one at the Timog / Tomas Morato Area. Chili’s SM Megamall is surely a welcome addition to their list of branches which is more accessible.

Tik-Tok Food Cart

New year, new opportunities. This is what the food industry leaders behind a number of well-loved brands such as Mister Donut had in mind when they developed their newest foray into the food stall franchising business called Stallmart.

Siomai Central Food Cart

Stallmart Inc.

Stallmart, Inc. aims to become the strongest in the stall and kiosk industry. Having started way back in 2012, Stallmart already offers affordable packages for aspiring businessmen and provides support to franchisees such as site evaluation assistance, staff training, and operations and marketing support.

“There are always new and innovative ideas waiting to be materialized…Franchising allows brands to have multiple branches in strategic locations opening simultaneously, dominating the market even before competitors develop their own businesses,” says Terry Yap, Business Development and Franchising Director of Mister Donut Philippines.

Tik-Tok Offerings

Franchising in the Philippines

On the concept of franchising, it has been more than a trend in the local entrepreneurship scene of the Philippines. It started to boom about a decade ago but the busniess model continous to prosper. This is apparent with the influx of different franchise brands in the Philippines.

And one of the strongest factor in the success of franchise businesses in the Philippines is name recognition. In cases wherein numerous players in the market offer generally the same products, consumers tend to gravitate towards brands that are familiar to them.

Stallmart Franchise Business Products

ThirTea

More about Stallmart

In our meeting a few months ago, we came to know that Stallmart’s particular action point is the low-investment, high-profit businesses in the Philippine franchising sector. Hence, they recently launched three new food cart brands—ThirTea, Fold N’ Roll, and Little Mexico.

Fold ‘n Roll

ThirTea aims to provide the best milk tea experience especially for consumers on-the-go, offering pocket-friendly milk variants. Stallmart is optimistic that the milk tea boom is beyond trend but is more because of a concious market choice leaning toward a healthier lifestyle. Second is the Fold N’ Roll which aims to highlight the company’s version of New York-style folded pizza. Lastly, Little Mexico brings a taste of Mexico through bite-sized tacos, nachos, and burritos.

Little Mexico Food Cart

Today, Stallmart has over 90 franchised stores all around the country and more are expected soon considering the brands ThirTea, Fold N’ Roll, Little Mexico, Siomai Central, and Tik-Tok.

NomNom Club was able to try a variety of products from the above-mentioned brands. As per taste, the products of Fold N’ Roll piqued out interest. If it is able to maintain a consistent quality, Fold N’ Roll will go far.

ThirTea Food Cart

Fold N’ Roll Food Cart

If you are interested with the franchsiing opportunities offered by Stallmart among the brands of ThirTea, Fold N’ Roll, Little Mexico, Siomai Central, and Tik-Tok, you may contact them at the following channels:

Stallmart Inc,
Wesbite http://www.stallmart.com.ph/
Telephone: +632.370-1236
Email: foodcartfranchising@foodventures.ph

Stallmart Franchise Business

Stallmart Food Carts

NomNom Tip: If you are new in business, starting up using the franchise business model will really help a lot in ensuring the success of your first venture. And one of the most important aspect of that is a reliable franchise supplier. In the case of foodcarts, with the years of experience of the owners of Stallmart with Mister Donut and other brands such as KFC, I believe you will be in good hands with them.

There are four numbers to remember from this ‘Awesome Secret Foodies Tour‘ – they are 8, 20, 3, & 1000. The numerals represent 8 restaurants, a 20-course degustation, 3 Hours, and 1000 pesos.

Foodies Anton Diaz, RJ Ledesma, wifey Marjorie Uy & NomNom!

The Tuscany Food Tour at McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio presents a 20-course degustation spread among 8 restaurants that intends to continually fill your tummies for 3 hours. All these for a measly P1,000 from you pocket. Moreover, 2 of the metro’s iconic foodies – RJ Ledesma and Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet – will join the group of 30 to make the experience more engaging.

Participating Restaurants in the Food Tour:

• Sauceria
• Planet Grapes
• L.E.S. Bagels
• Main Street
• Sophie’s Mom
• B&T Mexican Kitchen
• Marciano’s
• Trattoria Poggio Antico

Not to keep you wanting for too long, let’s take a peek on what the 8 restos  have to offer:

Planet Grapes

Wine pairing at Planet Grapes plus choice of one red wine and one white wine:

Planet Grapes

Wines include Folie a Deux Merlot 2010, Joel Gott Riesling 2011, and Kunde Family Chardonnay 2011, among others

RJ Ledesma joins Our Awesome Planet in hosting the Tuscany Food Tour

Trattoria Poggio Antico

4-in-1: Prosciutto con Melon (ham and melon on pizza crust), Crespella del Poggio Antico (crepe stuffed with ham and cheese, and mushrooms in truffle oil), Pomodoro e Mozzarella Crostini and assorted pizzetas, and Oyster Sur Pate di Fegato (oyster on liver pate)

This Foodie Tour come in a Group of 30

….or simply your small group of friends

B&T Mexican Chicken

B&T Mexican Kitchen

Chipotle Chicken Pizza, Mango Glazed Habanero Chicken, Taquitos Espesyal with Barbacoa, & Nachos with Assorted Dips [+ Awesome “Rice” drink on the left]

Chicken Mole

L.E.S. Bagels

L.E.S. Bagels with assorted Cream Cheese Filling (NomNom Tip: :I love the one with black sesame seeds)

Marciano’s

West Side Four Season Pizza; (not in photo: Woody Allen Linguine)

Dow Jones – US T-bone with prawns, potato wedges, sausages, and roasted vegetables

Sauceria

Feta Cilantro Tomato Cocas – Spanish style pizza

Artisanal All-Beef Burger with tuyo blue cheese spread in a Furikaki bun

Tuna Tataki – Zaru Soba with homemade wasabi sour cream dip

Main Street

Poutine – thick-cut fries served with beef gravy and cheese curds (best with San Miguel Beer)

Wagyu Burger – Kitayama beef in sesame buns served with tomato relish, cheddar cheese and their very own house sauce

BEST DESSERT in this tour: Organic Maple and Candied Bacon Artisan Ice Cream (using vanilla maple base)

Sophie’s Mom

The place is dainty and cute fit for the little princess. However,  I’m not sure if the Red Velvet shown below will be offered because the tour menu only indicated Oreo Cheesecake Cookies and Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes (fyi). Any which way, you could always order it independently. 🙂

Red Velvet Cupcake (display only)

The “An Awesome Secret Foodies Tour” is presented by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls for you to discover Tuscany’s best kept secrets starting today (November 30) and for the next three more Saturdays (December 7, 14 and 21) from 2pm to 5pm.

The experience will enable you to taste a little bit of everything and get a feel of the place before splurging out on an entire meal. Only a limited set of 30 tickets will be available per date tour so hurry up and get your tickets at designated booths near the Tuscany Grand Villas Gate from 11:00am to 6:00pm (between Ukkokei Ramen Ron and Marciano’s).

An Awesome Secret Foodies Tour @ Tuscany

For more information, you may call 709-0888, 709-9888 or 0917-838-0111.

Food Tour Tip: Eat slowly and enjoy the company as much as you would the food. Each participant will be given a tour kit including the tour ticket, tour pin, degustation menu and the McKinley Hill Gourmet Guide.

NomNom Top Picks are:

• Main Strreet’s Organic Maple and Candied Bacon Artisan Ice Cream
• Sauceria’s Tuna Tataki
• Sauceria’s Feta Cilantro Tomato Cocas
• Marciano’s West Side Four Season Pizza
• L.E.S. Bagels with black sesame seed (I forgot the name; it was long 🙂
• B&T Mexican Kitchen’s “Rice” drink
• Planet Grapes’ Torrontes wine.

Join this mouthwatering degustation at Tuscany in McKinley Hill with your friends and family and I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as we did during the media tour. This Tuscany Food Tour is a secret no more, but remains awesome for the next 4 Saturdays.

Tagged as “where great minds come together to shop and dine,” the Ayala group has created a new lifestyle hub in Quezon City called UP Town Center.

Cotton On (non-restaurant)

Located in between UP Diliman campus and Ateneo De Manila University, the UP Town Center is patterned after the tradition of great university town centers around the world. The 7.4 hectare UP Diliman East Campus property along Katipunan Avenue in QC has been transformed into a “mixed-use retail and office development“.

Premium retailers, services, and restaurants will serve the needs and demands of office tenants, students, workers and surrounding residential communities surrounding the area.

What makes it unique from the usual retail developments is its bias of support for industry-academe collaboration such as on-the-job training and incubation of start-up businesses. Its operating hours is from Sunday – Thursday 10 AM to 9 PM; Friday & Saturday 10 AM to 10 PM.

Here are some establishments that are currently operating at the UP Town Center:

Ba Noi’s

Cafe Shibuya

Family Mart

Ginza Bairin

Highlands Coffee

IHOP Philippines

• Ba Noi’s
• Cafe Shibuya
• Family Mart
• Ginza Bairin
• Highlands Coffee
• IHOP Philippines
• J Co Donuts & Coffee
• Kos Greek Ouzeri
• Lucca Bakery
• Red Onion Cafe
• Ryu Ramen & Curry
• Salu-Salo
• Shrimp Bucket
• Steveston Pizza
• Tea Rock
• Tokyo Tonteki
• Torch
• Vanilla Cupcakes

J Co Donuts & Coffee

Kos Greek Ouzeri

Lucca Bakery

Red Onion Cafe

Ryu Ramen & Curry

Salu-Salo

Liberty

Not in Photo:

• Boon Tong Kee Philippines
• 8 Cuts Burger Blends
• Dulcelin Gourmet
• Casa Verde
• Pinac
• The Primary Kitchen Bar

Shrimp Bucket

Steveston Pizza

Tea Rock

Tokyo Tonteki

Torch

Soon to Open:

• Aeropostale

UP Town Center
1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
uptowncenter.info@gmail.com
http://www.ayalamalls.com.ph/

Vanilla Cupcakes

I was able to dine at Ginza Bairin. Watch out for its feature here in NomNom Club soon! Enjoy special treats at the UP Town Center when you present your student ID until November 30, 2013!

December is fast approaching and mom’s are surely already thinking of what to prepare this Christmas season and for upcoming parties and family gatherings at home. Clara Ole already knows this and came prepared for the rescue.

Clara Ole Pasta Sauces

The joy of preparing meals can easily turn into a nightmare when moms are pressed on time or when ingredients fall short from what she needs. This is the area where Clara Ole does it best – easy to prepare meals and ready-to-use products.

Wide range of Clara Ole Products

Pasta Sauces

Pasta dishes is one of the most in demand creations during the Christmas season; and you don’t have to settle with the usual spaghetti and pasta you have in every celebrations throughout the year.

With Clara Ole‘s wide range if versatile pasta sauces, you’ve got more options and something new to surprise your family with. Mommys can choose to go international with the “Italian style” or stick to a safe formula with the “Sweet Style.” For those a bit sophisticated, “Three Cheese” may do the trick while the “Filipino Style” may tickle the loyalists.

Pancake Syrups

Old stocks of Clara Ole products in our kitchen cabinet

Breakfasts and mornings could be made sweeter with Clara Ole’s Pancake Syrup, a fit partner for, well, pancakes. 😛 They can choose from Original, Maple, Cinnamon, or Truly Fruity. For those watching their blood glucose levels, Clara Ole Maple Syrup is sugar-free! While the chocolate lovers, they can have the Classic Choco and Choco-Nut Syrup.

Marinades & Dressings

Lunch meals can be made tastier with marinades. One of which is Clara Ole’s Original Barbeque Marinade which is best for grilled meat such as pork or chicken. Other variants include the honey mustard, hickory, Korean barbeque, tapa, and tocino marinades.

On a diet with salads? Make it more interesting with Clara Ole Dips n’ Dressing variants Thousand Island, Caesar, Honey Mustard, and Ranch and Asian. It goes well a dips for fish & chips, or buffalo wings as well.

Clara Ole Strawberry Jan

All the above-mentioned sauces and recipes are actually the turf of my wife. NomNom Club‘s personal favorite from Clara Ole are the jams (Blueberry Jam in particular) which we use in the morning for breakfast. Contrary to the usual Filipino customs or having rice even in the morning, we are closer to the American tradition of having breads with jams in the morning.

Know more about Clara Ole , Christmas recipes, and their line of products at  http://ClaraOle.com or follow them on Facebook at http://facebook.com/myclaraole. They are also on Instagram at @ClaraOlePH and they have a Facebook App called “Pot Sessions” A Cook without A Book.”