Entries Tagged 'Casual' ↓

The Holy Week has traditionally started in the Philippines with Palm Sunday being yesterday. Here are Figaro‘s lenten special offerings for their customers to keep them satisfied without the guilt. 🙂

Kani Sandwich

Figaro’s Kani Sandwich is filled with yummy crab sticks and garnished with lettuce and tomatoes in potato bread. Although the bread quality could still be improved, I love the generous serving of crabsticks in between. More than that, it tastes really good and satisfying with the light mayo dressing packing ’em all together.

At P179, it is served with a salad  of lettuce and ripe tomatoes on the side (again) which is different from the one with the crab sticks to further compliment the filling.

Figaro Chili Sardine Angel Hair Pasta

Chili Sardine Angel Hair Pasta

The chili is actually light, which is good for me. Figaro’s Angel Hair Pasta is mixed with Spanish sardines sauteed in garlic, olive oil, dried chili flakes, onions and black olives. Tossed in angel hair pasta., it is further garnished with finely-chopped parsley and Parmesan cheese. All the  ingredients and its flavors make the whole serving a little complicated to the taste but they all blend well together for that sophisticated taste.

“The saltiness of the fish melts with the sour and salty taste of the black olives exploding in flavors of the spices, onions, garlic and chili flakes,” says an article I read. At P180, it is served with 2 toast bread on the side and a choice of beverage from Figaro coffee or the new Figaro’s Summer Frosts.

Figaro Kani Sandwich

However, in the end, I’m not really a fan of Sardines so  I still prefer the Kani Sandwich. 🙂 Both are shareable enough with the Kani sandwich being served as a pair of triangular slices.

Figaro is going “Light for Life” with their Lenten special snacks that is Kani Sandwich and Chili Sardine Angel Hair Pasta.

"Better Pizza starts in the Kitchen"

Pizza stores are on a roll in the Philippines, I think. In the last six months, I was invited to press launches and gatherings in relation to almost all the following developments:

• Pizza Hut added Venus Raj in the list of its celebrity endorsers.
• Pizza Palace opened in Makati Avenue.
• Domino’s Pizza came back in the Philippines and the 2nd branch just opened in Pasig.
• Greenwich has combined it’s two top endorsers John Lloyd Cruz and Anne Curtis into one commercial.
• Angel’s Pizza is beefing up its marketing

Dining at Papa John's

Moreover, I also heard about Papa John’s Pizza having also entered the Philippine market. However, it was only last March when I got to try the pizza brand in their Robinsons Galleria Veranda branch.

The Veranda is one of the newest foodie hangout in the Ortigas area as part of Robinsons Galleria‘s answer to the market’s increasing demand. It was also my first time in the Veranda and they have an intresting mix of restaurants and food spots. More about the Veranda restaurants this month of April.

Back to Papa John’s, I was able to try a bite of their Chicken BBQ and Fisherman’s Catch flavors in both large, hand-tossed, and thin crust servings.

The Chicken BBQ pizza consists of grilled chicken, bacon bits, and onions. I love the sweet and tangy BBQ sauce lining the top layer.

Large 14" Chicken BBQ Pizza by Papa John's

The Fisherman’s Catch is a combination of shrimps, calamari, green peppers, onions, and signature garlic sauce. Ideal for the upcoming lent, the Fisherman’s Catch is a good one. Other lenten specials options include Garden Special, Simply Cheese, and Margherita Special).

Large 14" Fisherman's Catch Pizza by Papa John's

Papa John's Pizza Box

After tasting them, I knew then that founder “Papa” John Schnatter got it right. I believe they will be able to capture the Filipino palate and go a long way.

Both 14″ large pizzas are priced P530 ( 12″Medium – P430 ; 9″Small – P300 ; Jr. Papa – P150 ).

But the star of our meal was the Super Papa.

As its name suggests, Super Papa seem to have it all with the combination of pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, mushrooms, onions, green peppers & black olives.

At P550, this is NomNom’s recommendation among the three (although all three were superb, promise).

Large 14" Super Papa Pizza by Papa John's

Papa John's @ the Veranda, Robinson's Galleria

Although their pricing levels are a little above the average ones we have in the market, the taste and quailty of their hand-tossed pizzas seem to match it. Better ingredients, better pizza, indeed.

Check out Papa John’s at the Veranda in Robinson’s Galleria. I sure am going back, Mama!

😛

Pizza Hut just got a new major major endorser for their new Stuffed Crust Pizza in the person of the charming and world class beauty titlist Maria Venus Raj.

You should be seeing the new TV commercials today introducing Venus Raj as Pizza Hut’s newest celebrity endorser in addition to Diether Ocampo.

Last night, in an intimate dinner with bloggers, we were introduced to Pizza Hut’s new TVC which exuded class and sophistication with Venus Raj clad in the evening gown she actually wore during the Miss Universe pageant where she won 4th Runner-Up.

Venus Raj & Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza

You would see more of this TVC tonight at the Bb. Pilipinas Beauty Pageant Grand Coronation Night on ABS-CBN.

Pizza Hut’s Stuffed Crust pizza

A product of creativity preferred to be eaten backwards by some, Pizza Hut has long introduced the Stuffed Crust Pizza – cheese baked right into the crust. This time around, Pizza Hut is treating its customers with 25% more cheese as a thanksgiving of sorts.

“We noted the Filipinos love for cheese, and this is evident in every dish we do at home thus, we made our New Stuffed Crust Pizza even cheesier with 25% more major, major cheese; for Filipinos to enjoy. As we are the only Pizza Restaurant that serves Stuffed Crust, we made sure that this re-launch will hit it big to our consumers by adding more cheese as a way of thanking them in loving our Stuffed Crust Pizza through the years” says Edgar Allan L. Caper, Advertising and Promotions Manager of Pizza Hut Philippines.

Interestingly, the 25% more cheese is not stuffed to the crust, but as a layer topping.

For the budget conscious, take advantage of their P499 promo which already includes 2 family stuffed crust pizza or the P699 promo which includes more.

Major Major Stuffed Crust Feast - Valid for take out and delivery from April 8 to May 23,2011

Pizza Hut
Website www.pizzahut.com.ph
Facebook facebook.com/pizzahutphilippines
Pizza Hut Delivery 911-11-11

But wait, there’s more! How about some free Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust Pizza for you and your family from NomNom Club, Venus Raj, and Pizza Hut? Then watch out for that special announcement on April 15, 2011 here at NomNomClub.com

It was my first time at Rai Rai Ken weeks ago. And one doesn’t go there without trying their ramen. 🙂

Rai Rai Ken

It was dinner time and I ordered Rai Rai’s Ramen Chasyu (Roast Pork). it was neatly served (photo above) in a big bowl.

It is a soy sauce based soup with slices of well, roast pork, a hard-boiled egg, and some vegetables. It was a good one. You’d know in the taste that it was an authentically prepared Japanese ramen. I came to know that authentic ramen is not easy to create as the soup alone takes hours to prepare. At P180, it is a filling and satisfactory meal.

Mixed Seafood Ramen

On the other hand, my friends had the Gomoku or the ‘mixed seafood‘ ramen which is composed of mixed seafood and also topped with egg and mixed vegetables.

My friend said it was also good and had generous servings of seafoods like shrimp, kani, and squid. Perhaps I will try that next time.

Rai Rai Ken Gyoza

To complement our meals, we had some sumptuous Gyoza and Jurassic Maki. The Jurassic Maki (P195) is like an inside-out roll with Ebi Tempura, salmon skin, kani stick, and ebikko, molded with mayonaisee and topped with an eel slice.

It tasted as good as it looked. 🙂

Jurassic Maki

Mango Shake

Rai Rai Ken Makati

I also had a cold mango shake to contrast my hot soup at the latter part. It’s highly recommended as well for its smooth-creamy texture.

We dined at their two-floor branch in Makati near our place (SM Hypermarket near  South Super Highway-Buendia corner). Rai Rai Ken is definitely worth going to for authentic Japanese ramen.

Buon Giorno is the brainchild of Mark Floro and his wife, Linda Floro, both of them are food enthusiasts. The couple decided to share their passion with their friends through a quaint Italian restaurant, Buon Giorno.

It was first established at Cliffhouse, Tagaytay City where it has been hailed as one of the most romantic destinations in Tagaytay. The Cliffhouse Buon Giorno branch is very famous for its Opium bed because of the countless marriage proposals that has happened there (the Opium bed is the most reserved spot at the Cliffhouse branch- so better call them early if you’re planning special for your lovey dovey).

With the success of the first branch at Tagaytay, the Floros decided it’s  high time to bring Buon Giorno back to the Metro once again (they opened at Shaw Blvd a few years back but it was closed down).  Buon Giorno is currently located at Rockwell Business District in Ortigas.

I had the privilege to join fellow food bloggers as Buon Giorno introduced their palatial menu.

Antipasti/Antipasto (Appetizer) *this is not a complete menu list

Trio of Crostini P218

A thin of lightly-toasted bread served with pesto, chicken liver pate and  mushroom dip

Bruschetta P180

Tomatoes, mozzarella and basil on olive-toasted toast

Antipasto Platter P335

Marinates olives, pearl onions, roasted peppers, cheese cubes and Italian meats

Insalata (Salad)

B’uon Giorno’s Special

B’uon Giorno’s Special P218

Crema de Brocolli

A mixed of Buon Giorno’s best salad greenies and fruits drizzled with their delectable house dressing

Zuppe (Soup)

Crema de Brocolli P140
An awesome blend of cream and broccoli

Pizza

Mare Pesto P265

Mixed seafood brought together with lots of basil, pesto and cheese. The pizza is super thin crust which gives a crunchy feel with each bite.

Buon-Giorno-Pizza

New York Pizza

New York Pizza P295

It’s composed of assorted meat, bell peppers, and cheese topping on crisp, crusty dough.

This is truly a great break from the pizza that we usually order. Though it’s still far from the original Italian pizza, it’s as good. The chef needed to tailor the pizza according to the Filipino taste 

Other pizza flavours are: Vegetarian, Peperroni, Hawaiian, Salsiccia, Prosciutto A Funghi, and Al Margherita.

Pasta

Canneloni Spinaci P294

Tender bits of chicken & mortadella ham rolled in sheets of spinach pasta smothered with tomato sauce and cheese

Pescattore Alla Puttanesca P308 (Top Photo)
Assortment of seafood in spicy and peppery tomato sauce

Canneloni Spinaci

Risotto (Italian Rice Dishes)

Pollo E Funghi P302

It’s basically chicken in rice dish. It’s by itself a complete meal and will immediately fill your hungry tummy.

Piato Principale

San Prieto Con Basilico John Dory P470

Perfectly cooked cream dory fillet with creamy sauce and spinach

Beef Wagyu in Mushroom Gravy Sauce was also served that night and it’s available by request (in case you are dining in the future).

Chocolate-Pistachio Sans Rival

Dolci (dessert)

Chocolate- Pistachio Sans Rival P207

Layers of wafers covered in chocolate icing and drizzled with pistachio.

This may not be my favourite version of sans rival but if you’re a chocolate lover, you’ll dig it.

Buon Giorno Cheesecake

Cheesecake P170

It’s creamy and fairly yummy but I tasted better cheesecakes (but then I’m biased because I am not a cake person, I’d rather have cold desserts than sweets and pastries).

Bevande (beverages)

Fresh Fruit Shakes P120-P144

Watermelon shake, Grape shake, and Mango shake

Buon Giorno Watermelon, Grape, Mango Shake

Few facts on Italian dining:

Olive oil is a staple in any Italian pantry. There are many varieties of Olive oil and usually, different kinds are used for salads, entrees and cooking.

Italian Dining

For those wondering how to use olive oil with food and cooking, these could help you:

•    Use quality olive oil. Never use an olive oil if you can’t eat it as it is.

•    The most widely used olive oil on restaurants are the extra virgin oil and cold pressed olive oil. It’s also the highest in quality though it’s pricey as compared to the other varieties. Extra virgin olive oil is the best variety used over salads or for dipping bread.

•    If you do not want too much aroma from the olive oil, you may opt for virgin olive oil. It contains fairly less flavour and aroma that’s why it’s best used for frying, grilling and oven roasting. But ordinary or pure virgin olive oil contains even less flavour and aroma than virgin olive oil and is best used in recipes that flavour from olive oil is not desired.

•    Italians can easily determine the variety of olive oil. I was told that they can also tell if the olive oil was from Italy or from other parts of the world.

This has been your resident NomNomClub writer, Renz of Pinay Mommy Adreamer, saying Hanno un Grande Giorno!

Buon Giorno
Grnd Flr, Tower 1 Rockwell Business Center
Ortigas Avenue
Pasig City
Tel number- 5719092

I love ice cream cakes since I was a child. And Dairy Queen rekindled it with their newly launched product Mango Cheesecake ice cream cake specially made for the summer season.

Called the Mango Cheesecake Blizzard Cake, it is made with two layers of creamy vanilla ice cream with real mango chunks in between. Although a little pricey at Php749, it is made with 100% ice cream and topped with icing buttons, mango puree spread,  and chewy cube combination of cheese and grahams. For me, more than just a cake, it’s an experience of having an ice cream cake altogether.

Dairy Queen Mango Cheesecake Blizzard Cake

Mango Festival

DQ: Served Upside Down

It’s a festival of everything Mango at DQ as well. In addition to the ice cream cake, Dairy Queen is offering a myriad of other cool mango concoctions such as 2 new mango blizzards, a smoothie, and citrus coolers.

Mango Blizzards

The 2 new DQ Blizzards are Mango Cheesecake Blizzard and Mango-Pineapple Blizzard.

Dairy Queen Blizzard

The Mango Cheesecake Blizzard is the soft-serve ice  cream version of the cake (also with real mango bits and cheesecake chunks) while the Mango-Pineapple Blizzard is for those who want some citrus sting from the pineapple bits which can be a good contrast to the prior double sweetness of mango and cheesecake. It costs P59/6oz, P79/9oz, P99/12oz, P119/16oz.

Mango Smoothie

I wan’t able to try this but DQ also has s new Mango Premium Fruit Smoothie which is a creamy blend of fresh orange, mango and a creamy soft serve vanilla ice cream. At P79/12oz & P99/16oz, I’m trying these next! 🙂

Dairy Queen Smoothies & Citrus Coolers

Mango Citrus Cooler

Much simpler is the Mango Citrus Cooler which is a blend of lemon and mango fit for a cool summer drink. The citrus coolers are also available in Lemon, Strawberry, Pineapple, and Strawberry Pineapple flavors. P49/12oz & P59/16oz.

Check more information about Dairy Queen (DQ) at www.dairyqueen.com.ph or their Facebook. 🙂

Dairy Queen Blizzard

With Filipino’s penchant for anything cold during the summer season, these blizzards and smoothies will surely be a hit. These flavors were available since early March and will stay at all Dairy Queen menuboards until the first week of May.

From years of hiatus in the Philippines as a brand, Domino’s Pizza is back!

Domino's Store

Now with Goldilocks as one of its business partners, Domino’s intend to leverage on the partnership’s strength.

President and CEO of Domino’s Pizza Philippines, Mr. Tong Hong shared that with Goldilocks’ expertise in the fast food and franchised business, he believes the alliance will work.

Domino's Pizza

In fact, some of the ingredients/raw materials are sourced from Goldilocks’ commissary as well. Moreover, expect tie-ups and promotions with the two brands in the near future.

Domino’s Branches

Currently with 2 branches, Domino’s targets to open six to eight more stores in Metro Manila within the year.

The two branches as of press time are in:

• Marvin Plaza Building, Pasong Tamo (Chino Roces) , Makati City and

Domino's Makati

• Silver City, [along Frontera Drive (Tiendesitas)] Pasig City

Domino's Silver City, Pasig

The Pizzas

There are currently nine flavors which are a mix from different sides of the world. While the Pepperoni Pizza is the best-seller in the United States, Korea craves for the Potato Pizza. Extravaganza is an all-time favoritte.

Other flavors include Domino’s Deluxe, Shrimpus, and Hola Spain. They also have Buffalo Chicken Wings and pasta offerings. My favorite for the night was the Domino’s Shrimpus. I highly recommend it.

Domino's Shrimpus

Delivery

Having pioneered the 30-minute guarantee delivery in the pizza industry, Domino’s Pizza brings it back as well serving nearby areas. To check on your area, call the following:

Domino’s Pizza Delivery
Makati 745-3030
Pasig – 576-3030

Check Domino’s Pizza online at www.dominospizza.ph.

End Note

Potato Pizza

The Potato Pizza really got me curious. Considering that the bread dough is already heavy on the stomach, having potato slices for toppings makes it doubly filling. It should really taste good to justify its slot in the menu board. I hope to try that one when I go back at Domino’s Pizza. 🙂

Being a predominantly Catholic country, one would immediately observe if the lent season is approaching in the Philippines. One of the give-away signs is that restaurants offer their non-meat alternative to their customers. One of the early movers this year is Max’s restaurant which has started offering their Max’s Seafood Fest since yesterday.

Fish Fillet for the Lent

Fish & Seafood Fest

Max’s has started its Seafood Selections Promo and offers non-meat dishes familiar to the Filipino taste.

The seafood spread include Filipino cuisines like Camaron Rebosado and one of my favorites Sinigang na Hipon.

A wide selection of fish dishes are also part of the option such as Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet, Spicy Laing Tilapia, Fish Fillet in Black Bean Sauce, Sinigang na Tiyan ng Bangus, and Steamed Fish Fillet in light soy.

Max's Seafood Fest Promo

“…the timeless flavors of Filipino cuisine and warm memories of sharing these meals with their friends and family. ..this is what Max’s brings to the table with its Seafood Selections Promo… a taste of home with every hefty serving of these traditional recipes,” says Bobby Simborio, Corporate Communications Officer for Max’s Group of Companies.

Seafood Fest Frequency Card

Seafood Selections Frequency Card Promo + Chicken-All-You-Can GCs

Max’s also launched a special seafood fest frequency card where each purchase of a qualified seafood selection dish with a glass of Pepsi gets a sticker for a card slot.

From March 8 to April 30, 2011, diners who can complete the six sticker slots will get a free Max’s Chicken-All-You-Can gift certificate.

Frequency Card Promotion Mechanics

Max's Offering for the Lenten Season

Have a non-pork meat diet with Max’s Seafood Fest and enjoy a meatless Lenten season. 🙂