Nomnomnom, Eat, Nomnomnom, Eat, Nomnomnom

As promised, we’re bringing back Food Foto Fiesta.

I had a recent surprising discovery of a Filipino restaurant called Serye. It’s related to the classic Aristocrat restaurant that anyone above 20, and residing in the Philippines, would be familiar with.

Actually, Serye have been around for sometime but is currently re-branding from Serye Restaurant and Cafe, to Serye Cafe Filipino; but that story deserves a separate article altogether. Stay tuned for that in the coming weeks.

For now, feast on the 10 photos I recently took from their Eastwood Libis branch.

Gambas

Pork Spareribs

Kesong Puti Puttanesca

Pork Binagoongan

Arroz Ala Cubana Pandesal

Tuna Sisig

Kesong Puti Salad

Dinuguan and Puto

Boneless Crispy Pata

* Food photos taken at Serye Cafe Filipino Eastwood Libis Branch.

The Food Foto Fiesta is a regular section from an affiliate food and travel blog LetsGoSago.net. Since it now focuses largely on travel (although still with some travel-related food write-ups), NomNomClub.com now revives a similar section here.

No explanation, no stories. Just dish labels and scrumptious images enough to make the onlooker drool, just enough to let your stomach grumble and make you want to go there and eat.

It’s roughly defined as a mob of food pictures from a focus dining place. 🙂 I hope you would enjoy our upcoming Food Foto Fiestas!

Silangan Elementary School

A follow up to the earlier Christmas hangover post is a charity-related event where Jollibee‘s Christmas Caravan went to Silangan Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Laguna.

This is part of Jollibee‘s “MaAga Ang Pasko” program where they collected children’s used toys through theor Christmas boxes in all Jollibee branches nationwide.

After the collection period, the toys were cleaned and washed in partnership with a commercial laundry group and some volunteers.

Then from hereon, they selected a number of public schools from different locations around the Philippines. One of which is the Silangan Elementary School.

Celebrity/Actor Aga Muhlach

Jollibee MaAga Ang Pasko

A school ravaged by last year’s typhoon Ondoy (Internaitonal typhoon Ketsana), Silangan Elementary School was still in the process of recovery when we went there last December of 2009.

Interestingly, this event opened the first day of their classes as well. (School operations stopped while the school was under construction and rehabilitation from the typhoon).

In line with this, Jollibee will be assisting the school in its recovery efforts.

All the students gathered at the school gym with its stage prepped-up for the program.

More Photos as a movie:

And of course, the celebrity model for the Jollibee MaAga Ang Pasko program is none other than Aga Muhlach. Aga spearheaded the program after two stage presentations from the school’s student representatives. Aga Muhlach went around the school as well before helping in the distribution of the Jollibee MaAga Ang Pasko toys and gift packs to the students.

Jollibee Christmas Caravan

The Jollibee Christmas Caravan was a long trip from Manila to Laguna but it was all worth it having seen the happy faces of the children and students.

A month after the holidays, Starbucks‘ Dark Cherry Mocha still stayed on the menu board way after the other two holiday featured beverages Toffee Nut Latte and Peppermint Mocha was taken off the shelf – which is a good thing! 🙂

Give in to your chocolate craving with its combination of espresso, steamed milk, and bittersweet chocolate with dark cherry flavor; topped with whipped cream and cocoa powder.

And although the Starbucks Planner fever is over, it tastes like Christmas all over. 🙂

Finally, a week  after the Top 6 Christmas Wishlist entry came out, we will now know who will be NomNom Club’s 2009 Best Christmas Wishlist Bl0g.

From among the 25 entries last December 2009, “My Shrubbish Nomnomlicious Wishlist“ wins as NomNom Club’s 2009 Best Christmas Wishlist Blog!

Congratulations to John Paul Vergoni of Kompyuter Sayantist for his entry “My Shrubbish Nomnomlicious Wishlist“.

First (1st) Runner-up is ‘”My Christmas 2009 Wishlist” by Edelweiza Mabalay from  “The Life of a Breadwinner.”

Second (2nd) Runner up is “My Grownup Christmas List” by Ria Tirazona from”Daydream Believer“.

Thanks you to Ia Lucero who helped us in the very hard judging process. Ia is a fellow writer, blogger, and a respected web designer in the online community. See more details of her work at Stellify.net

The grand winner brings home the limited edition Starbucks USB flash drive. The second and third placer each gets an authentic Starbucks cap and lace (instead of the earlier announced gift certificates). Wait for the confirmation email in your inbox within this week where your valid Philippine address will be requested for shipping purposes.

Again, congratulations to all winners and participants. I hope you would join our succeeding contests in the future.

Stay tuned to Nomnom Club‘s food adventures and contests by subscribing to our email feed and Facebook Fanpage.

Hopefully we could have another Christmas Wishlist contest for 2010 come December. 🙂

Via Mare Restaurant

When I refer to something as ‘expensive‘, it does not necessarily pertain to the high price alone.

When it comes to food, I consider the value through the balance of  quantity, quality, and preparation involved. Simply said, ‘is it worth your buck‘?

As a supposed branch specialty, I decided to try out Via Mare‘s Bulalo from their SM Mall of Asia branch.

Via Mare Interiors, SM Mall of Asia

Bulalo is one of my favorite stew dish so I was anticipating  to try Via Mare’s version. The menu says P400 ($9). It’s not cheap, but I assumed it’s a big bowl enough for at least two.

Come serving time, it was indeed a big bowl with some vegetables and 2 corn cub slices. I excitedly got the meat part first but it wasn’t as soft as a bulalo should. The soup is just so-so and almost half of the meat serving is ‘litid‘ (ligament).

Bulalo @ P400

I’d just like to clarify though that the bulalo was not that bad, it was average. It juat wasn’t at par with my expectations – which was the problem because I expected more from Via Mare who prepares good Bibingka Galapong and is one of the established restaurant brands in the Philippines.

I guess it was just a bad night for the bulalo. 🙂

Bigby’s Cafe restaurant in Manila is always in my shortlist when dining at the Atrium of SM Megamall. And I’m just glad to be back for dinner the other day before watching a movie premiere care of Viva Films.

Two friends in company choose to be conservative with their tried and tested orders Rack-A-Bye-baby ribs (~P400; $8) and Mojo Chicken Q (P299; $6.5) while the adventurous me choose to try something new (something I haven’t ordered before).

Bigby's Cafe 7 Restaurant Rack-A-Bye Baby Ribs (Photo by Azrael Coladilla)

Mojo Chicken Q (Copyright NomNomClub.com)

Tuscan Fish Melt

I decided to go fishing and got the Tuscan Fish Melt. It’s a fried Dory fish topped with pesto paste laid over pasta in tomato sauce. Although I wished the Dory was bigger, the dark pesto paste was a new experience.

The farthest I got with pesto is with pesto pasta and nothing else. In this case, the pesto paste was fuller in taste (since it’s in paste). The pasta in tomato sauce was good too.

By the way, my two companions enjoyed the Rack-A-Bye-baby ribs and the chicken barbecue-like Mojo Chicken Q. I should point out the large serving of Bigby’s Mojo Chicken Q, by the way.

A total of twenty-five entries were submitted for the Starbucks USB contest where a blogger should create a Christmas Wishlist based on the following mechanics.

It was great how the participants shared their personal wants and desires and how some seriously made selfless wishes. It was awesome to discover how creative some of the entries were. There were also unconventional wishes which made me create a list of the Top 6 ‘Kakaibang‘ wish from among the entries. 🙂

1. Bra holder – http://ruthilicious.blogspot.com/2009/12/wish-list.html
2. Stickers – http://vvaguilar.multiply.com/journal/item/17/My_Christmas_Wishlist
3. Businesses and Investment Opportunities – http://cheftonio.blogspot.com/2009/12/christmas-wish-list-2009.html
4. 1st Birthday Party for her son – http://kasai-mysimplelife.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-christmas-wishlist-for-this-year-are.html
5. Pictures with Starbucks items – http://crazylawrenz.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-wish-list.html
6. For a different set of wishlists as a whole – http://www.polyvore.com/christmas_wishlist/set?id=14354899

I didn’t know there’s such a case for bras. We’ll, I think because I’m a guy. 🙂 The ‘business opportunities’ came in as a surprise since it was an uncommon one and very serious at that.  While the mom who wishes for a birthday party for her son’s first birthday was quite touching. The last two were eccentric as a collection.

There were also heartwarming messages for NomNom like the one from FunHuntress.blogspot.com that says (http://funhuntress.blogspot.com/2009/12/my-grownup-christmas-list.html)

I’m really happy that bloggers come up with these kinds of contests that can change their readers’ lives.

…or somehow affect it at the very least, even if not ‘change.’ 🙂

There was also an entry where she wished to be linked from NomNomClub.com. She is StalwartsKryptonite. 🙂

So, who won the Starbucks USB flash drive?

There were a number of very good entries so I decided to select the Top 6 first and invite a co-judge who is a professional writer to help me in expertly selecting the grand winner. We’ll add our scores and average them.

Allow me to announce the top winner taking home the Starbucks USB next Sunday January 17, 2010. I would also reveal my co-judge at the same post. And because of that, I would add more prizes. The 2nd and 3rd place winners will not go empty handed. They would win a Starbucks gift certificate each.

Top 6 Entries for the Starbucks Coffee Philippines USB Falsh Drive

Here are the Top 6 Finalists (in no particular order):

1. My Christmas Wishlist 2009
2. My Grown Up Christmas List
3. Pangarap Kong Jackpot
4. My Christmas 2009 Wishlist
5. My Shrubbish Nomnomlicious Wishlist
6. If I ever meet Santa…

Whew! These are all good in their own different ways. I just hope my co-judge would not be as torn as I am 🙂 It was a good 2009 and cheers to 2010!