Nomnomnom, Eat, Nomnomnom, Eat, Nomnomnom

Jazz Mall

For about three weeks now, the bustling area of Bel-Air near Buendia/Gil Puyat Avenue (Makati) has been jazzed-up with the new SM Hypermakret Jazz. Located at the ground floor of the newly risen Jazz Residences condominium by SMDC, it has made grocery & shopping easily accessible for the surrounding urban workforce, nearby schools and residents along Nicanor Garcia corner Jupiter streets.

SM Hypermarket Jazz Grand Opening

Aljur Abrenica

SM Hypermarket Jazz opened its doors last September 12, 2013. It played host to a big celebration of sorts as attended by the Honorable Makati Mayor Jejeomar Binay Jr. and celebrities Gerogina Wilson and Aljur Abrenica. They made an appearance and spiced up the already excited crowd. We also witnessed the soft opening of the Jazz Mall where the supermarket is also located.

SM Hypermarket Promotions

Aside from the generous first-day opening discounts and freebies, a number of grocery items are on sale with special promotions such as the ‘Buy One Get One‘ promos. There are also value packs (save up to 80%) and the member’s exclusive discounts through SM Advantage card SWIPE.

Jazz Residences – Jazz Mall

Georgina WIlson w/ SM Hypermarket Executives

Special Guests Gets Initial Sneak Peek of the Supermarket

Positioning itself as a one-stop shop that answers all household needs, it’s got a wide range of freshly delivered goods like pork, beef, poultry, seafood, fruits, and vegetables, among others. There is even an organic vegetables section which is starting to pick up demand from the health-conscious market.

Moreover, it houses dedicated sections for bread, dairy, snacks, ingredients, and beverages filling up any pantry and fridge. It’s got products for special occasions as well as the everyday must-haves like toiletries, cleaning aids, and pet food/pet care. And as a HYPERmarket, you can also find clothing, footwear, appliances, electronics, toys, and even furniture in its offerings.

Appliances & Baby Needs

Wet Section

Value Packs & Special Promotions

Organic Vegetables & Other Products

Happy to Serve

Standing on the value of being always “Happy to Serve,” you would easily find friendly customer assistants around the store.

Customers would also find a Western Union branch for money transfer, a foreign exchange service, and the usual bills payment counter we can find in other SM Supermarkets.

International Flavors Section

Food Service Center

Customer Assistants

Bread & Dairy Section

Bills Payment & Money Changer

Jazz Residences Condominium

But wait, there’s more! 😛 Starting today, SM Hypermarket Jazz is giving its customers a chance to win one condo unit at Jazz Residences! Earn a raffle ticket for every Php 500 purchase from SM Hypermarket Jazz.

The Public rushes in at 5pm Public Opening

Makati’s new shopping and grocery destination is just a stone’s throw away from the buisness district capital of the Philippines! SM Hypermarket Jazz in Bel-Air operates from 10am-9pm.

My first food truck experience was with Cucina Andare months ago. But when I heard about the then upcoming first food truck park in the Philippines, I was even more excited as this new trend of mobile food catering from the Philippine Food Truck Association at Capitol Commons (front of Kapitolyo in Pasig City) was exclusive to food trucks alone.

Capotil Commons Park Map

I recently had a food escapade in the nearby Kapitolyo restaurant food scene. But food trucks just give you a different experience as you hop from one truck to another with only a few footsteps. Placing your order can also be done in a jiffy.

Food Truck Food Picks

So wifey and I visited the venue on it’s opening day more than a week ago and here’s our top four food picks (not in any order):

* Big Bite Avenue’s Longga Burger & De Luxe Fries

When I asked for Big Bite Avenue‘s (top photo) bestsellers, they said that their burgers were good. I was a bit more adventurous that day so I was looking for something different. The Longga Burger in the menu caught my eye and they said it was a good choice as well. So I had one and a mini serving of the De Luxe Fries (mini-P50;large-P100).

The fries was done first so wifey and I munched on it while waiting for the longganisa burger. Not expecting much from the fries, we were actually caught by surprise on how good it was. But more than the fries, it was the toppoings composed of cheese sauce, ground beef, aioli sauce, diced onion and tomatoes which made it a hit to our taste.

The Longganisa Burger

De Luxe Fries

The longganisa burger (P110 mini) eventually came and we were not disappointed. The longganisa patty in between sesame buns was huge unlike fastfood burgers nowadays where the buns outsize the patties big time. It was topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and BBQ and aioli sauce.

* Broosy’s Sisig Taco and Ramen

Apparently, the name Food Truck by Broosy is based from the celebrity chef behind the truck – Chef Bruce Lim. The menu is quite interesting actually for a Japanese food truck. They had sisig rice, tacos, and ramen.

Wifey and I were not too sure what to order so I decided to have the Sisig Taco while she craved for some ramen.

With options for pulled-pork, fish, and chicken, I believe my choice of sisig was the best. And I thought sisig was best only with rice or beer. It turns out using soft tacos is a good idea as well. With 4 handy pieces, it is priced at P120. A bit hefty for the size but well worth the taste.

Chef Broosy

Sisig Tacos

For those looking for a complete meal, Chef Broosy has a promo called Rainy Day Special at P120 on all tacos and rice toppings inclusive of drink.

The ramen was also very good at only P180 for both regular and spicy (petite P100).

* Hungry Rover’s Fireballs & Chips

We met someone familiar – the experiential food truck called Hungry Rover where about 8 customers can actually fit and dine in the truck complete with tables and chairs. It’s more of a mini bus for me than a truck. 😛 We first encountered them months ago at Cucina Andare which immediately became one of our favorite.

This time around, they hit it again by continually updating their menu. I tried one of their new stuff – the ‘Fireballs & Chips‘ at Php200. It consisted of meatballs and nacho chips brazen with chili-garlic cheese sauce and salsa on top.

Hungry Rover Food Truck

Fireballs & Chips by Hungry Rover

The nacho chips were average but it was the meatballs which made this a winner.

I am also looking forward to trying their new Turkey Pepper Cheese Steak (P170) and Manila Cheese Steak (P170) in my next visits.

* Great Burger’s Bacon Cheese Burger with Crinkle Fries

This was actually the last one I visited among the food trucks. I was already full from all that I ate that night but I’m glad I pushed myself into trying this one further.

I ordered their Bacon Cheese Burger (P160) with crinkle fries (P40). The order might take a while but it’s all worth the wait with their juicy patty and flavorful sauces. The natural-cut fries was also superb in itself even without the cream and condiments.

GReat Burger Truck

Bacon Cheese Burger + Crinkle Fries

I highly recommend both the burger and the fries and is looking forward to try their Original Flavor burger (P140) and the Fire Fries (P100) next time around.

Other Food Trucks: Mio Gelati, Shawarma Bros, and More

Make sure to end your truck meals in bliss with desserts – specifically gelato – from Mio Gelati starting at P80 per small cup (P150 big cup) to as much as P200 for the Premium+Alcoholic flavors.

The Ferrero variant I got was P100 for the small cup since its a premium flavor. Mio Gelati’s best-seller – the dark chocolate.variant – was very good as well.

Mio Gelati Gelato

It was also my first time to try the Amazing Cones. These are bite-size pizza in a cone with classic flavors at only P50 while the special flavors are at P60.

Amazing Cones

Start with their classic Pizza Burger flavor with flamed-grilled beef, mushrooms, cheese sauce, and mozarella cheese. Then follow it up with the new “All Meat” special flavor with Italian sausage, salami, ham, beef, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.

Other food trucks include the Shawarma Bros, the Cheese Steak Shop, Truck Bun, and Ser Chef’s. Among these, I was only able to try a wrap from Shawarma Bros which was ok. I tried to order from Ser Chef’s food truck but they run out of rice for their meals. I returned and checked at least 3 times that night from 8pm-9:15pm to no avail.

Food Truck Park @ Capitol Commons

Capitol Commons

The Food Truck Park at Capitol Commons (10-hectare mixed-use development) is the newest residential and lifestyle destination from real estate developer Ortigas & Company who is behind Greenhills Shopping Center and Tiendesitas.

The Capitol Commons Park is located at Meralco Avenue corner Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City. The Food Truck Park is open to the public every Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 10pm upto as late as 12mn on Fridays.

You can bring your mats to the Food Truck Park in Capitol Commons Park as there are spacious green pastures to share.

Food Truck Park Schedule

The food fest started more than a week ago and will continue for the whole month. Get updates about the Food Truck Park through their Facebook page and the Capitol Commons Facebook page. You may also call #foodtruckparkph at 401.3332.

KFC Cheezy Bacon Fest

No flowery words needed, cheezified and baconized blogs will do. Or better yet, have some cheezified fries and baconized burgers!

Well, you can even have ’em both with the new KFC Cheezified & Baconized offerings!

Cheezy Bacon Pasta Bowl (P80)

Drizzle cheese and sprinkle bacon to literally anything and it automatically becomes a crowd favorite!

Pessimist? Then try KFC Philippines‘ Cheezy Bacon Fest and give in to your insatiable craving as the KFC Rice Bowl (top photo) and KFC Pasta Bowl are indulged with creamy cheese sauce and helpings of smoky bacon.

It turns into the Cheezy Bacon Rice Bowl (P90) and Cheezy Bacon Pasta Bowl (P80), respectively. Have your KFC’s Original Recipe Chicken Fillet covered with Cheese Sauce and Bacon bits on top.

Moreover, KFC snacks such as the Twister (P85), Chik’n Fillet, Bucket of Fries and the Zinger were also delightfully cheezified and baconized.

Cheezy Bacon Zinger (P105) – KFC’s Original Zinger with Sliced Cheese and Bacon Strips

Cheezy Bacon Chik’n Fillet (P50) – Original Recipe Chicken Fillet sandwich with Cheese Sauce and Bacon Bits

Cheezy Bacon Bucket of Fries (P75)

NomNom Club‘s favorite though is the Cheezy Bacon Bucket of Fries where the signature KFC Fries is loaded with Cheese Sauce and Bacon Bits for P75. I bet you’ll surely enjoy this.

My second favorite is how the classic mashed potato was made more enjoyable with cheese sauce and bacon bits as toppings. The Cheezy Bacon Mashed Potato costs P29 for the regular size and P49 for the large one.

Cheezy Bacon Mashed Potato

Cheezify & Baconize Anything

You can actually go beyond the above-mentioned KFC meals and snacks and go about cheezifying and baconizing anything on the KFC menu according to your fancy for an additional P30.

As you can see, I tried adding some cheese and bacon bits to my favorite blueberry krushers (I called it Blue Bacon)! It wasn’t actually my best idea but hey, I am adventurous enough to try something wild! YOLO! 😛

Cheezified & Baconized Blueberry Krushers

You can come up with your own crazy combinations as well! Check KFC on Twitter/Facebook @KFCPhilippines / www.facebook.com/kfcphilippines for some crafty ideas.

Which KFC snack or meal, do you think would be possible to cheezify or baconize? 🙂

26th Bistro CBT

More commonly known as ‘CBTL’, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf turns 50 this 2013 with an extraordinary celebration. Going beyond being the pioneer of the original ice blended drinks and the first to offer tea lattes, CBTL recently unveiled its latest unique dining concept by the name “26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf”.

Dipping its fingers into the full-service restaurant industry, CBTL intends to deliver ‘#everydayextraordinary’ dining experiences to its customers through its everyday meals that are of high quality while maintaining affordable prices.

Salmon Fishcake

The #EverydayExtraordinary Dinner

This is exactly what we experienced last week when NomNom Club was invited together with a long table full of food writers and bloggers. We got to try taste-sized servings of some of the best of what their menu has to offer, from soup to dessert.

Salmon Fishcakes with Greens

We started with a medium-sized salad plate of Salmon Fishcakes with Greens (P345). The basic mixed greens was complemented well with the balsamic vinaigrette while the pan-fried Norwegian salmon cakes with smoked paprika aioli beside it was cooked just right.

I started the meal right as it turned out later on that this was my favorite dish of the night.

Salmon Fishcakes with Greens

Wild Mushroom Soup

The appetizer was followed by a good serving of Wild Mushroom soup (P225). I’m not so much a fan of mushroom soups but this one was good. It’s flavorful concoction was due to the fact that it was a combination of button, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms. The latter dominated the taste.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine

The entrees was started by the Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine (P395) which is a white sauce-based linguine pasta served with seared tiger prawns and shiitake mushrooms. I love prawns and needless to say, the dish was gone in a dash.

Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala

From light to heavy, the second dish – Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala (P475) – will fill your craving for meat as the pan-roasted steak was fork-tender. Completing the dish was potato gratin and marsala sauce on the side.

Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala

Chocolate Lava a la Mode

Chocolate Lava a la Mode

With the series of good food, my expectations for my well-anticipated dessert/s was high. Sadly, similar to another food blogger across the table, it fell short as we expected the Chocolate Lava a la Mode (P235) to be more moist with some actual ‘chocolate lava’ at the center.

Nonetheless, the chocolate cake was generally ‘ok,’ The others had the apple crumble a la mode.

Breakfast. Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks

The 26th St. Bistro by The CBTL caters to the whole day foodie from breakfast to lunch and dinner, including in between snacks and coffee. The restaurant is brimming with yuppies and executives from surrounding buildings and offices around Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

Pepper being added to the Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine

For breakfast, I’d like to try the following soon: Toblerone Pancakes with Salted Caramel and Peach Stuffed French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs and Smoked Salmon Florentine, and the Tapsilog-inspired Filipino breakfast served with U.S. Angus Beef Tapa and Baked Pesto Tomato.

The lunch and dinner menu has a selection of light and heavy salads, soups, pastas and entrees including Spinach and Blue Cheese Farfalle, Slow Roasted Braised Beef Short Ribs, and Lamb Chops with Ratatouille and Rosemary Marble Potatoes.

They also have an expanded range of sandwiches including the vegetarian option Portobello Mushroom Ciabatta.

For desserts, I look forward to trying the Pannacotta Sampler paired with a cup of hot African Sunrise tea, the decadent Turtle Pie, Apple Crumble ala mode, and any of the Chicago–Blueberry–Toblerone–Triple Decker family of cheesecakes in my next visit.

Of course they also serve the signature CBTL coffee and tea beverages plus imported wines and beers.

The 26th St. Bistro distinguishes itself from the usual Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branches with its larger and more comfortable dining area, as expected from a full-service restaurant. The ambiance is also upscale while maintaining the relaxed atmosphere.

#EverydayExtraordinary @ 26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
26th St. corner 5th Avenue
Bonifacio Global City
Twitter/Instagram: @CBTLph

Everyday Extraordinary Colors of the CBTL

Join their tagline and share your #everydayextraordinary experience in Facebook, Twitter or Instagram whenever you visit the 26th Street Bistro. They also have a branch for those in the Ortigas business district at the East Wing, 5th Level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

Similar to the cronuts craze to some extent, tonkatsu restaurants are starting to sprout like mushrooms in the foodie scene to satisfy the public’s craving for some deep fried ‘pork cutlets’ with the crispy appeal. And if you are one of the katsu lovers in the Philippine metro, then you should check out the newly opened Tonkatsu by Terazawa.

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Max’s Adobong Kangkong is a staple favorite in the family. This is specially true with one of my aunts, she never fails to order ’em every time she visits any Max’s Restaurant. Continue reading →

Chef Christopher Gallaga

If an all-American buffet sound good to you, then you should waste no time in trooping down to Diamond Hotel at the heart of Manila City.

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I had lived within the vicinity of Kapitolyo in Pasig for a year or two sometime between 2001 to 2004. It was already a foodie haven back then. Home-based food establishments can be found left and right and I used to have a simple dinner in a street corner restaurant called Cafe Juanita.

Spam Sandwich Waflle

Ten years later, surrounding towns have  developed such as the nearby community of Avida Towers Centera along Reliance Street. A stone’s throw away from the Kapitolyo food streets, Avida Towers Centera is a residential condominium located at the corner of EDSA, Reliance, and Mayflower Streets.

Kapitolyo Food Tour

Last weekend, a day before the recent typhoon Maring devastated parts of Metro Manila, we had a day of food tripping around Kapitolyo together with some guys from Avida Land. I immediately noticed that there were a lot of new food establishments, with some replacing even formerly non-food establishments.

Milky & Sunny

First stop was Milky & Sunny for our breakfast. With interiors in the theme of baby-blue and white, it really sets you in the mood for the morning sunshine. Milky & Sunny had just opened in October of 2011 and I’m loving their fluffy soft waffles and tasty-toasty french toast.

Milky & Sunny in Kapitolyo Pasig

I ordered the Choco Hazelnut French Toast (P150) and Spam Sandwich Specials (P150). The others ordered the famous Breakfast Platters which is a big plate consisting of a choice of three from bacon, hotdog, sausage, spam, and corned beef. Then add a choice of bagel, toast, waffle, or pancake. And finally, take a choice of scrambled egg or sunny side up. The big plate also includes hash potatoes.

Although I found the combination of their Spam and egg in the ‘Spam Sandwich‘ a bit too salty together, the Choco Hazelnut french toast was a good one and is worth coming back to.

Chocolate Hazelnut French Toast

Since it would be crazy to immediately jump to Poco Deli for lunch, we found it a perfect time to check out the model units of the nearby Avida Towers Centera. Check out my photos of Avida Centera here.

Poco Deli Kapitolyo

Poco Deli

Giant sausages, bacon rice, and bacon slabs were the celebrities for lunch.

It was raining different kinds of sausages in our table inside Poco Deli. It gave me flashbacks of the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” which I watched recently through ClickPlay app.

Anyhow, our group made sure we ordered different entrees so we can try out as much. I ordered Mom’s Pot Roast (P320) while the rest had a German Sausage Platter/sampler, Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice, and Beef Stew, among others.

Although my order didn’t came through, I told the waiter that it was ok since I had enough from tasting all the entrees around me and was satisfied.

Blackout Chocolate Cake (lower left); Italian Sausage with Cheese (right), White Mountain Cake (upper left), Citrus Delight (upper right)

The German sausage platter is a good idea to share in a group of 3 to have some guide on what to order next. Bacon lovers should try the Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice (P320) [TOP PHOTO]. For a change, have your bacon in chunks. I had high expectation from the bacon rice. But it turned out to be a simple cup of rice with generous sprinkles of bacon bits on top. I think it’s ok, I just expected a lot.

Although that was a  let down, you should not miss the Citrus Delight (120). A bit citrus-y and sweet, it was ultimately refreshing. Make sure to press on the orange slices and stir well so you get maximum pulp bits with every sip.  Pizza, pasta, cold cuts, cheeses, and gourmet sandwiches are the other options.

The desserts were also a killer. The Blackout Chocolate Cake(P155) is aptly named and will get all praises from chocolate lovers, most probabaly. If you are not, the other cake behind is tamer – the White Mountain Cake (P150).

Poco Deli has another branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens, or so their poster says. Checking that out is something I look forward to.

Charlie’s Grind & Grill

Charlie’s Grind and Grill

Natural-Cut French Fries

Straight from lunch, we headed to the next for merienda [snacks] (yes you read that right). That’s what we did all day – eat; this is a food tour after all.

Store design wise, don’t expect much from Charlie’s. It is beside a car wash station which I think also belongs to the owner. That says it all. But believe it or not, their menu board consists of Black Angus Burgers, Wagyu CheeseBurgers, natural-cut french fries, and related burger variants with a commanding price of P200 up for each burger.

But what caught my fancy most was something I saw for the first time in all the burger joints I’ve been to – the San Miguel Beer Burger. I knew at that moment that I’m not going to leave this place without trying that Beer Burger.

And so I did.

San Miguel Beer Burger

Wagyu Cheeseburger with Mushroom

10 minutes later, it came as served by a rowdy-looking but courteous waiter. Even before you take a bite, you can smell the hint of beer right from the aroma. I uncovered the top bun first and a slew of seemingly sauteed onion and mushroom greeted me. This was followed by the bacon, the meat patty resting on a huge fresh onion and the usual burger conspirators.

I had a bite, turned my tongue upside down and back. Aside from the burger patty, I can taste a hint of beer even with the onion and mushrooms. This was confirmed by the server. It had griddle mushrooms, bacon baked onions, cheddar cheese, mayo,  SMB BBQ Sauce , and the toasted beer bun.

At P350, it is not cheap but worth the experience and having the right to say “I have tried a San Miguel Beer Burger“. It tasted good too! 🙂

Needless to say, I didn’t have to eat dinner that night.

Avida Towers Center 2-Bedroom Model Unit

Avida Towers Centera

In a similar way, the lifestyle being offered by the Avida Towers Centera to its future residents are filled with dynamic activities and food scene such as the Core @ Centera for the fitness and sports buff, the Hub @ Centera for the techie, the Peak @ Centera for a magnificent views of the cityscape; the Serenity Park @ Centera for the peace seeker, and the Shops @ Centera for the city dweller. Know more about Avida condominiums via www.avidaland.com and www.facebook.com/AvidaLandCorp, or call (+632) 848 5200 (within Metro Manila) and 1-800-10 848 5200 (outside Metro Manila).

And that was my fattening Kapitolyo Food Trip last weekend. The following days of being stuck at home, care of typhoon Maring, didn’t help in burning all the calories I gained. 🙂

Milky & Sunny Pancakes

Kidding aside, it was great to discover these new foodie spots in nearby the residential area of Avida Towers Centera and the Kapitolyo food scene.

This. is. life.