Entries Tagged 'Cuisine' ↓

Kopiko L.A. Coffee Nutrition Facts

I have a new discovery on instant coffee.

I’m a moderate coffee drinker who usually just have it for the morning breakfast at home and occasionally in the afternoon at coffee shops like Starbucks and Figaro while blogging.

It’s my wife who’s more into coffee. She can have as much as 4 cups in a day on average. However, since she developed a medical case of hyperacidity, she had to consciously moderate her coffee intake to about half from her usual capacity.

The Kopiko L.A. Coffee Discovery

Kopiko LA Instant Coffee

So we are glad to know about the new Kopiko L.A. Coffee, short for low acid coffee mix, with a special low acid formula using selected grade one coffee beans and utilizing a controlled roasting process. I guess it’s somehow like the special process used by Mr. Bean Philippines in making their soya uric-acid-free.

The label says that this gastric-friendly instant coffee is ideal for people with medical conditions related to the digestive system, sensitive stomachs, and high-stress jobs.

My wife and I have been drinking it daily during breakfasts for almost a week now and we liked it as the coffee taste does not linger on the sides of the mouth even after drinking it. So far, it hasn’t triggered her hyper acidity either.  Each sachet of the instant coffee contain non dairy creamer and sugar.

Kopiko Low Acid Coffee

Moreover, we split one sachet into two cups every morning, one for her, one for me. Perhaps if you want a stronger flavor, you can mix one whole sachet in a single cup. SRP is at P6. I’m not sure if it’s available in other packages, but we got the pack with 10 25g sachets. Kopiko L.A. coffee is distributed by TriDharma Marketing Corporation and manufactured by PT Mayora.

Try the Kopiko LA Coffee yourselves and share with us your thoughts in the comments section below. 🙂

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!

If you think that Jupiter street in Makati is already packed and has almost all kinds of restaurants from the mainstream food industry, think again. A Chinese restaurant called RK Garden along Jupiter corner Antares streets has just opened a few months ago.

Baked Crab

Brief History

Originally from Tagum in Davao, the owners saw the restaurant’s potential in the busy streets of the metro so they brought it here in Manila. Although I initially felt that the brand name is quite off for a Chinese restaurant, I cannot argue with its historical roots. R stands for one of the owner’s name “Rose“. “Garden” was added by way of habit care of the Davao customers, and moving to Manila somehow persisted the “Restaurant” part.

RK Special Chopsuey (P278)

What Makes Them Unique

What makes RK Garden Restaurant unique are their “kinilaw” dishes. Yes you read that right – kinilaw. I cannot overemphasize the presence of kinilaw in a Chinese restaurant. And specially for a tsinoy like me who is used to Chinese cuisine, it somehow violated my 34-year notion of what dishes should be found in a Chinese restaurant. 🙂

Nonetheless, the presence of kinilaw in this Chinese restaurant has a good explanation  Kinilaw is Rose‘s specialty back in Davao and what they are known for all around town. They are so famous for it that it is also the reason why I will be visiting RK Garden Restaurant again very soon.

Kinilaw Dishes to Order

Having mentioned all that above, I was only able to try two kinilaw dishes; of which I was extremely satisfied. And this is coming from a non-fan of kinilaw, to say the least.

For the uninitiated, knilaw ingredients are usually composed of ginger, onion, lemon/kalamansi juice, and red/green chili, marinated in vinegar and seasoned with salt. Most of the time, kinilaw is served as an appetizer in the Philippines but in this case, the serving is big enough to be one of the main dish.

Kinilaw Malasugi S-P198; L-P396

Kinilaw Malasugi

We had Kinilaw Malasugi (Swordfish Ceviche) /Marlin / Blue Marlin that night. I think what did the trick was the right mix of vinegar and spices; and of course, the fish should be fresh and of good quality to start with.

A small serving of Kinilaw Malasugi costs P 198 ; the large one is P 396. Not too expensive, but definitely not cheap. Nonetheless, it’s worth the price.

Kinilaw Suahe (Top Photo)

They saved the best one for last. I thought Kinilaw Malasugi was already a surprise but  Kinilaw Suahe was even better. If you love shrimps or suahe and kinilaw, this one is truly worth the visit even if you’re from far-off Quezon City like me (former Makati resident).

The price tag of this dish is not indicated because of seasonality, but you can estimate it at about P200/100 grams on a good season.

Other Chinese Dishes

Here are the other ‘Chinese’ dishes (not yet posted above) you would usually expect from a Chinese restaurant. They are good orders as well, specially the crabs although they are expectedly quite expensive.

Century Egg with Seaweed (P180); background: Yang Chow Friend Rice (Large – P276)

Left – RK Marshmallow Shake (P150); Right – RK Avocado Shake (P150)

RK Green Seafood Soup (Small- P298, Large- P596); Background: RK Special Red Iced Tea (P95 Refillable)

Patatim (P598)

Lapu-Lapu Steamed with Soy Sauce (seasonal price)

Fried Spareribs with Salt & Pepper (P298)

Steamed Crab with Garlic (seasonal price)

On a last note (for the owners), the interiors of the restaurant, which unfortunately I forgot to take photos of, has a lot of room for improvement. But we’re letting that pass since their kinilaw is superb! 😛

RK Garden Restaurant
Jupiter corner Antares Streets, Makati City, Philippines
(02) 519 9434 Operations 10:00 am – 10:00 pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/RK-Garden-Chinese-Seafood-Restaurant/580510921961852

 

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.

Garlic Shrimp Pizza

Lent is just a week away! Aside from the fact that Filipinos are again anticipating a long vacation courtesy of the Philippine holidays 2013, the religious are also observing certain traditions including veering away from eating meat.

And Angel’s Pizza has prepared something interesting for their clientele for this season - Garlic Shrimp Pizza and Margherita Pizza!

The new Garlic Shrimp Pizza is oozing with mozzarella cheese with a spread of real shrimp. The combination might not be the usual but its surely worth a try specially for seafood pizza lovers.

The medium size pizza is P329; the family size is P470 and big family is P556.

Shrimp on a bed of mozarella cheese

Angel’s Pizza – Garlic Shrimp

The second one got the better of the health-conscious me – the Margherita Pizza! Perhaps due to the basil leaves, this classic Italian pizza was customized the Angel’s Pizza way. It’s cheaper than the Garlic Shrimp pizza as well. 😛

Be sure to have it hot out-of-the-oven for your ultimate enjoyment of the crispy crust. The medium size Margarita pizza is P297; the family size is P416 and big family is P491.

Angel’s Margherita Pizza

Moreover, you might as well check out the new variants of the calzone and the soon-to-be-released Angel’s Pizza Club Card.

Angel’s Pizza Club Card and a New Calzone Variant

 Try these new two pizza flavors and more and have them delivered this Lenten season by calling the Angel’s Pizza delivery hotline 922-2222.

Starbucks Asian Dolce Latte in clear glass (not served in clearglass in actual Starbucks branch; for visual purposes only)

06 March 2012, Philippines - ‘What is Asian coffee?‘, you may ask. That actually kept me thinking. If Europe has their espresso and the Americas got the cafe Americano, Asia seems to drink from the sweeter side of the cup, albeit retaining the strong coffee flavor.

With that in mind, Starbucks highlights the unique flavor of Asia this new month of March with the introduction of the locally inspired Asian Dolce Latte since yesterday.  Add to that a revelation of the new food items, and finger sandwiches:

Asian Dolce Latte

Asian Dolce Latte (T/G/V- ₱115,₱130, ₱140 )

Starbucks puts an Asian twist to their line with the smooth textured latte with sweet dolce sauce combined with freshly steamed milk, topped with velvety foam.

Don’t forget a double-shot of the premium, dark-roasted Starbucks® Espresso Roast.

The uniquely flavored dolce sauce is a blend of different milk that gives the coffee a smooth and rich velvety texture.

Iced Asian Dolce Latte

Iced Asian Dolce Latte (T/G/V- ₱125,₱140, ₱150 )

The Asian Dolce Latte also has a cold counterpart known as Iced Asian Dolce Latte.

It is made with fresh milk, ice layered with roasty shots of espresso and topped with espresso whipped cream plus a dash of espresso dusting.

– – –

New Starbucks Food Items

Dark Chocolate Turtle Cake (slice-₱120, whole-₱1350)

This is a moist and dense chocolate buttermilk sponge cake layered with caramel pecan fudge on a chocolate cookie pecan crust, covered with dark chocolate icing. Highly recommended by NomNom for its chocolate factor!

Dark Chocolate Turtle Cake

Chocolate Hazelnut Éclair (₱85)

It’s a delicious and decadent pastry filled with creamy and velvety chocolate hazelnut cream custard. Make sure to pair it with a hot  tea or coffee!

Chocolate Hazelnut Éclair

Crab Stick Salad On French Butter Croissant (₱120) [Top Photo]

Flaky and crisp, this croissant is filled with a creamy crab stick salad, chopped crunchy celery and hard-boiled egg with hints of wasabi. Filling and good!

Kung Pao Chicken Wrap (₱155)

Chicken breast cubes, fresh asparagus strips, carrots, tomatoes, ginger, onions and garlic sautéed in a sweet soy sauce then sprinkled with roasted chopped peanut go hand-in-hand as a package wrapped in pita bread. East meets west.

Kung Pao Chicken Wrap

– – –

New Finger Sandwiches

Forest Ham And Monterey Jack Cheese On Brioche Loaf Bread (₱110)

Simplicity is the keyword. This sandwich holds a Forest ham and Monterey Jack cheese on a soft sweet bread loaf.  A great light snack for those who want a quick bite.

Forest Ham And Monterey Jack Cheese On Brioche Loaf Bread

Salmon And Capers On Parmesan Bread (₱110)

Salmon spread meets tart chopped capers with lemon juice, cucumber and parmesan cheese. This sandwich is loaded with heart-healthy omega 3 fatty-acid.

Salmon And Capers On Parmesan Bread

Cheesy Egg And Bacon Salad On Simple Bread (₱110)

There’s always room for the classics! The egg salad is made cheesier with a twist of bacon in bits sandwiched in between a simple soft pair of bread.

Cheesy Egg And Bacon Salad On Simple Bread

Make sure to drop by at a Starbucks Philippines branch soon as the new Asian Dolce Latte will only be around until May 14, 2013!

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! 🙂

Likas sa pamilyang Pilipino ang palaging magkakasama – sa hapunan, sa pamamasyal, at sa iba’t-iba pang okasyon. “Isang malaki at masayang pamilya,” ika nga.

Max’s Restaurant in Lipa City, Batangas

Ang aking pamilya ay mula Lipa City sa probinsiya ng Batangas. Doon nagkatagpo ang aking mga magulang at doon sila nagsimula ng kanilang pamilya. Subalit ako’y ipinanganak sa Maynila, dito rin ako nag-aral at nagtapos. Sa makatuwid, dito na ako lumaki…malayo sa kanila. Ngunit tuwing may mga okasyon tulad ng kaarawan at Pasko, sinisigurado kong makakauwi ako.

Ngunit may mga panahon talagang mahirap maiwasan tulad ng nakaraang Disyembre kung saan ako’y nagbagong taon sa Bulacan kapiling ang aking kasintahan at ang kanyang pamilya. Ito ay aming napagkasunduan dahil sa Batangas naman kami nag-Pasko, kasama naman ang aking pamilya.

Max’s Restaurant Website & Online Delivery

Ngayong ako’y nagbabalik-tanaw, bigla kong naalala ang Max’s Restaurant at ang kakaibang paraan nila nang pag-order at pag-deliber. Sa pagsipat ng www.maxschicken.com gamit ang iyong kompyuter o telepono na konektdo sa Internet, makikita na isa sa paraan ng pag-order ‘online‘ ay ang ‘Delivery Now‘ o ‘Deliver Later‘ at pwede ko itong ipa-deliber sa iba’t-ibang lugar sa Pilipinas.

Naisip ko na kahit wala ako sa Batangas sa piling ng aking mga magulang, pwede ko itong gamitin na pang-sorpresa sa kanila. Pwede akong magpa-deliber ng ‘sarap-to-the-bones‘ fried chicken, Kare-Kare, Crispy Pata, Pancit Canton, o kahit Sinigang! Kakaiba, hindi ba!  Para kaming ‘sama-sama kahit malayo!’ 🙂

Max’s Chicken on facebook

Magandang ideya rin ito para sa mga kababayan nating OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers). Kahit nasaan man sila sa mundo, kahit wala sila dito sa Pilipinas, pwede silang umorder at magbayad gamit ang internet at surpresang darating ang Max’s Chicken sa kaarawan ng kanyang mahal sa buhay o sa pagtatapos ng kanyang anak na parang nandoon din siya sa kasiyahan.

Salo-salo kahit malayo!

Panoorin ninyo ang napakagandang video na ito:

At siyempre, nandiyan parin ang Max’s Delivery hotline 7-9000 para sa regular na pagpapadeliver. Nasasabik na akong subukan ang kakaibang pag-order na ito sa www.maxschicken.com. Sino ba ang may nalalapit na kaarawan? 🙂