Nomnomnom, Eat, Nomnomnom, Eat, Nomnomnom

Thai cuisine gets highlighted as Marriott Hotel Manila brings the Flavors of Thailand to Manila.

Marriott Cafe features one of the South East Asia’s favorite cuisines – the Thai food – in partnership with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Embassy of Thailand and Thai Airways. From August 1 to 31, satisfy your taste buds with a delicious showcase of authentic Thai dishes from Thai chef Thanathorn Krobsuay.

Chef Krobsuay, as Marriott’s official Thai food ambassador, shares his sophisticated style and expertise in Thai cooking flown all the way from the JW Marriott Bangkok.

Marriott Cafe

My experience of the Thai dinner buffet at the Marriott started with the famous Tom Yam Goong soup. It’s a spicy prawn soup with lemongrass and galangal. Although there are a number of variants of this soup including their color which is usually red, this one is white.:) It was a good prep-up appetizer.

Next in line was the Som Tum, a spicy green papaya salad. This time, it meant the word ‘spicy‘ in its flavor. 🙂

Other dishes I tried out were Thod Mun Pla, Spicy Wok Fried Seafood, and Larb Gai. Thod Mun Pla are Thai fish cakes (marinated and fried) with pickled cucumber, green beans and sweet and sour sauce while Larb Gai is a minced chicken salad with mint and ground rice plus lime juice and fish sauce.

As common as it is in Thai buffets, I give my thumbs up that night goes to the Pad Thai. I found the stir fried noodle and seafood perfectly cooked and taste that’s not too overpowering.

Pad Thais are considered their national dish which consists of fried noodles, eggs, been sprouts, shrimp, chicken, and tofu combined with other oriental ingredients including tamarind juice, hot chili, and fish sauce.

Ending the buffet was a Kanom Thai Ruam (selections of Thai royal desserts) which are usually made of coconut milk based or sweet sticky rice. Thai desserts are generally not as sweet as those from the Philippines which we are accustomed too. So if you are one of the latter I have mentioned, you might consider Thai desserts a little lacking.

By the way, I also got to try a Thai pizza which was conservative with the toppings. Interestingly, it had a basil leaf on top of each slice.

Too bad i lost all my photos in this food escapade. The photos here are care of Marriott Manila. Top photo by Alex Dizon.

Promotion

Moreover, diners who avail of the Flavors of Thailand buffet also get a chance to win a pair of round trip tickets to Thailand courtesy of the Thai Airways and Tourism Authority of Thailand. The prize trip includes a three-night stay with breakfast at the Rennaisance Koh Samui Resort and Spa Thailand.

Flavors of Thailand Buffet

Flavors of Thailand

The Flavors of Thailand buffet is available during lunch and dinner at P1,350 nett for adults and P675 nett for children.

Sunday Brunch is a little more expensive at P1,650. Children below 12 get in for half the price and children below 6 get in for free!

Marriott Café is located at the Ground Floor of Marriott Hotel Manila in Newport City, Pasay. For information and reservations, call (632)988-9999 or visit www.marriott.com/mnlap.

Being a non-Muslim, I am guilty of not really knowing enough Halal foods, or which products are Halal certified and the likes. Perhaps I didn’t care enough about it then.

But being a travel and foodie blogger, I would eventually come across Muslim communities and it would be truly helpful for me to know their culture and food practices including observation of Halal certified products of which this article is going to be about.

Wikipedia says that Halal is an Arabic term pertaining to food permissible according to Islamic law. The Muslim’s religion – Islam, implements laws that indicate which foods can or cannot be eaten based on their perception of ‘clean‘ animals. This include proper ways of slaughtering an animal for consumption. In general, the Muslims don’t consume anything with pork or the derivatives thereof.

Halal Food Products

You might want to check this Halal products guide. As mentioned earlier, I never really knew which products are Halal or otherwise and it caught me by surprise that there so many common-day products around us which are actually halal certified.

Some of the featured Halal food products are Skyflakes, Eden Cheese, Lucky Me Pansit Canton, Argentina corned beef, Fiorgelato ice cream, and Tang powdered juice.

“It aims to provide updated information to folks interested in purchasing Halal certified products. Links are provided directly to the company website for further information.” according to the website’s about page. Also, get updated on Halal certified food and products in Facebook.

It is indeed good to know about this new site serves as a repository Halal certified food just like a Halal food guide.

Exactly one month away from NomNom Club‘s first year anniversary, we’re officially announcing the establishment of NomNom Foodie Club! 🙂

Actually, it has been open to the anyone (public) with the link located at the header of every page. We are now at 70+ foodie members and counting.

NomNom Foodie Club is the community-based arm of NomNomClub.com food blog. I have also decided to take out the prior membership classifications to prevent biases. Although it was intended to facilitate group organization and effective communication, I think it is better off this way at this point in time (ang serious!). 🙂

The establishment of NomNom Foodie Club is part of the blog administrators plan of slowly opening up this blog to become community-based in the next two years; and eventually having the foodie club SEC (gov’t) registered if circumstances permit. For the short term, we could be having you guys guest blog! 🙂

I foresee a lot more potential with our foodie community like possible taste tests for new products, food group activities, and even themed food tours!

If you are a foodie and thinks that you can contribute to our community, please Register Here. It’s open to any foodies from anywhere in the world.

NomNom Club

As a final note, I would like to invite all our members to reserve their Saturday afternoon on September 04, 2010 to celebrate NomNomClub’s 1st Year anniversary 5 days in advance with NomNom Foodie Club’s first Get Together! We are most probably having it in one of Greenwich Pizza branches in Metro Manila, Philippines. Talks are underway with concerned sponsors as of this moment (advance Thank You to Greenwich; woot!).

Thank you for supporting NomNom Club!

Greenwich Pasta Supreme dlites

Greenwich Pizza recently released the latest addition to their Pasta Supreme line – the Pasta Supreme DLite!

Boasting of 70% less fat* by using healthy ingredients like olive oil and spinach noodles, Greenwich had the girl’s predisposition to be figure-conscious in mind when they came up with the Pasta Supreme dlite variants Tuna Tomato and Shrimp Aglio Olio.

*The fat comparison is versus the saturated fat from other existing Greenwich pasta.

The Tuna Tomato is a mix of chunky tuna, black olives, tomato, and as mentioned – the spinach noodles. Aside from the ingredients, it’s the spicy kick which sets it apart. (Photo Above)

Greenwich Shrimp Aglio Olio

The Shrimp Aglio Olio is the ‘sosyal‘ one with shrimps, olive oil, and chopped mushroom which I initially mistook for ground beef (lol). 🙂

Thsi is not me, ok? 🙂

On the side note, I tried these last month at the same time when Greenwich released the Limited Edition Level Up Pinoy Shirts.

For those who want it on the lips but not on the hips, try the new Greenwich Pasta Supreme DLites in selected fast casual stores like Greenwich Megamall.

Ok, actually, it was an afternoon snack with some friends. But I really do hope it was breakfast then at Kopi Roti because French toasts are so my morning favorite. 🙂

Kopi Bun with Kaya Spread Filling

At the Greenbelt 3 branch, we tried their Hainanese style ‘Kopi‘ (coffee) with sweet milk at P50 and signature Kopi Bun (P40) which is a soft bread with coffee flavored crust and sweet buttery filling.

Kaya Toast

We also had 2 “Roti” French toast (P55), “Roti” Kaya toast (P45), some Kaya puffs, soft boiled eggs (P30), and a Milo Dinosaur beverage. The first two were served with the ‘secret‘ Kaya spread and butter while the third is filled with the former.

For that day however, my kaya toast was so ordinary, and I don’t know why; so I’m raving only about the roti French toasts and my Milo Dinosaur.

As long as it’s slightly toasted and fresh hot, my French toasts never fail me. It’s one of those soft-and-chewy inside but slightly-toasty on the outside comfort food. Just remember to consume them immediately upon serving so it’s still fresh hot.

Kopi Roti French Toast with Kaya spread and butter

Milo Dinosaur

The Milo Dinosaur is a cold concoction with the Milo branded chocolate malt powdered drink. If you love Milo from your childhood years, you’ll be getting flashbacks with its large serving. 🙂

Soft Boiled Eggs

From the menu board, I recommend Set A which is composed of 2 “Roti” French toast (for your egg and carbohydrates), soft boiled eggs (for your protein needs), and Kopi for your caffeine kick (almost perfect if it could be changed to a Milo Dinosaur). It’s a complete breakfast at P125 which saves you P10 from ordering them separately.

Kaya Puffs with Special Kaya Spread Filling

Non-incidentally, today is also Kopi Roti’s 5th year anniversary in the Philippines! Being a Singaporean franchise, the raw ingredients supplying their 18 branches here are sourced directly from Singapore.

In light of this, avail of their special treat from Aug 4-8, 2010 : Kopi Roti offers you the “5 + 1 anniversary promo“. …Buy 5 Kopi Roti products, Get 1, free.*

Congratulations Kopi Roti! More Kopi Buns and French toasts for breakfast! Woot! 🙂

It’s that season of the year again when the blogging community goes on the sprawl searching for their Top 10 Emerging Influential Blogs for the year.

There are a lot of great and influential blogs out there. But the trick in this search is the term ‘emerging.’ It pertains to the NEW blogs, those which started about a year ago – March 2009 to be precise. And that’s where discernment is needed – because of a blog’s young age, it’s really hard to judge if the blog would eventually kick-off or die down into oblivion in a year or two.

I have been participating in this annual activity for three years now. And I have noticed something unique this year – a rise in the number of new food blogs. I think it is safe to say that this is partly the result of the increase in food blogger events as well, prevalent in at least three major areas in the Philippines namely Cebu, Davao, and Metro Manila.

Nomnom Club

NomNom Club itself is an out-sprout form LetsGoSago.net, a former travel-and-food-blog now turned travel blog. It was September 09, 2009 (09/09/09) when I decided to start this food blog to avoid diluting LetsGoSago.net which was slowly being dominated by non-travel related food posts. The rest is history.

More than the increase in new food blogs, the latest top rank list (week 9) were dominated by at least 5 food blogs sharing 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 7th spots. Compared to last year’s winners, there were only 2 food blogs.

In this light (and being a food blogger myself), my first five Emerging Influential Blogs for 2010 are:

NomNomClub.com – This food blog. If I don’t vote for my blog, how can I encourage others to do so? 🙂 Hence, I hope you will (*ahem*vote*ahem).

Foodie Manila

By the way, I’m trying to develop it to become community-based by year 2 so feel free to Join NomNom Foodie Club and expect exciting foodie activities soon! We’re turning one next month! 🙂

FoodieManila.com – If you’re not much of the reader-type, this food blog is for you. Just look at the awesome photos, dream about it but hold that saliva drip, asleep or awake.

Kusina Maria

KusinaMaria.com – Maria is her first name and cooking is her surname. Find personal recipes from her blog

Thirsty Blogger

ThirstyBlogger.com – And you think having a food blog is already a focused niche in itself, this guy goes a step further by focusing on drinks and juices, or any beverage for that matter.

TeaCompletely.com -  Tea blogging. And you thought a beverage blog was already extreme? This blog tandem of Aileen and Drew is about their tea adventures in Manila, Davao, or as far as Singapore!

Tea Completely

I guess 50% of my nomination slots going to food blogs is enough. I’ll look into other emerging and influential blogs and update this post within the month.

Aug 31 Update:

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And the other 5 non-food blogs completing my list are:

Facebuko – this is one of the best and wittiest humor blogs we have today. Maintained by a fellow UP alumni, I’m not surprised (lol).

Ganda Ever So Much – I am not usually fond of personal blogs as monitoring the personal lives of individuals is not my cup of tea (unless they’re extra special). But this one got a magic touch to it care of Orman. 🙂

When In Manila – From zero to hero, Vince managed to prove that there is still room for more creative blogs in the Philippine blogosphere.

Fat Girl No More – this blog is unique and inspiring as it journals the quest of a fat girl who wants to loose the extra pounds. I admire her dedication despite the odds and her courage in sharing her journey with us.

Tara Na – I have personally met all my nominees above except Erica. Nonetheless, her zest in the write-ups and articles shows her zest for the craft. I believe she is one emerging and influential blog to look forward to in the months to come.

Sadly, we can only include 10. If for any reason, you don’t prefer my complete list, you may consider the following similarly deserving blogs in your list:

• http://www.project52weeks.com
• http://www.reluctantstylista.com
• http://www.survivingautism.net
• http://www.paolodome.co.cc
• http://www.rabsing.com
• http://www.christianhomeschooler.info
• http://www.avatar.ph
• http://www.thecreativedork.com
• http://www.no-benta.blogspot.com
• http://www.bonggaba.com

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If  NomNom Club passes your standard to be one of your Emerging Influential Blogs for 2010, please do so in any of your blogs and it will be very much appreciated. 🙂

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Positioning itself as a Filipino cafe in a sea of coffee shops in the metro, Figaro Coffee Company has adopted itself to something unusually found in a typical coffee shop setup: a Filipino Breakfast Meal.

Corned Beef Breakfast

Prepared by Chef Carl Marxist Tan, I’ve all tried Figaro‘s three breakfast meals namely: Pork Longganisa, Classic Corned Beef, and Gourmet Crispy Tuyo (Dried Fish).

I am torn between the pork longganisa and corned beef, they are both good. Perhaps, I’ll just leave that for you to decide.

If you have the Filipino sweet tooth and doesn’t mind the extra fat, go for the homemade Pork Longganisa. You’ll love it and ask for more.

Figaro Pork Longganisa

If you decide to get more serious and prefer it a little salty in the morning, the corned beef sauteed in onion breakfast is for you.

However, I would say that the Crispy Tuyo needs a little improvement in the preparation. Given that it has the “crispy” on the meal title, it somehow fell short of that expectation. Other than that, the tuyo flakes was ok.

Figaro Crispy Tuyo (Dried Fish)

All three sets priced at P175 come with a fried farm sunny side up egg and tomato-cucumber salsa on the side. It is also paired with an 8 oz. Figaro brewed coffee.

New Desserts

Chocolate Eclair Dessert (P65)

Figaro's Ambrosia (food for the gods - P70)

Figaro also adds 2 new desserts to its sweet line: the Chocolate Eclair and Ambrosia.

Eclairs are long custard-filled pastries. This one is covered with chocolate on top. I recommend Ambrosia, also known as Food for the gods.

And yes, you can order the Figaro All Day Breakfast “all day.” 🙂

Figaro is a 100% Filipino owned coffee company and sources its coffee beans locally to support the industry.

If one is coming from Quezon City, the San Miguel By The Bay area across SM Mall of Asia can indeed be considered a far “Ibayo” (the next town). But it can be a worthwhile visit for Filipino cuisine lovers.

Ibayo Barrio Fiesta

Barrio Fiesta has been an iconic restaurant here in the Philippines representing good old classic Filipino dishes well-loved and tested through time.

And with the onset of the owners’ third generation family members in the person of Tristan and Tyrone Ongpauco, they have decided to give it a new twist. From the Filipino home-inspired rattan tables and chairs, Ibayo gave it a touch of modernity with new interiors while retaining the Filipino touch.

From a full-pledged restaurant into a bistro, you could now find bar chow, beer, and cocktails (such as the Ibayo Sunset) in the menu, obviously catering to the younger crowd. The Ibayo branch in San Miguel By The Bay also serves alfresco.

Ibayo Firesticks

I tried it about a week ago with some friends. We had the ever-staple Crispy Pata (deep fried pork knuckles), White Adobo (Adobong Puti), Lechon Kawali, Mama Chit’s Special, Ibayo Firesticks, and  Pinaputok na Pla-pla wrapped in foil.

But before all that, we had the Ibayo Firesticks (or should I say “they” because I never got to try one). My comrades are very fast on the plate. 🙂 These firesticks are jalapeños & cheese rolled up as a spicy appetizer

Ibayo Crispy Pata - P425 Regular P525 Large

White Adobo / Adobong "Puti" - P190

Pinaputok na Pla-Pla - P265 per 500grams

The twist to White Adobo is the combination of chicken and pork marinated in vinegar but without the soy sauce (hence ‘white’) while Mama Chit’s Special (P695) is a mini fiesta of sorts served in a bilao. There’s shrimp, calamares, lumpia, chicken, bangus, and others – all fried. It serves 4-5 persons.

Barrio Fiesta Rice, Kare-Kare, and Buko Fresh Fruit Shake

But what I loved about dinner that night is the Barrio Fiesta Rice, a native Paella style rice. The paella rice was flavorful on its own, surrounded by tahong (mussels) and topped with shrimp and crab.

Barrio Fiesta Rice - P250

Another winner that night was their Kare-Kare, tender oxtail and tripe stewed in peanut sauce. Heat is maintained with a small fire at the pot’s bottom. Kare-kare would be one of the few dishes we can expect to be consistent through all of Barrio Fiesta branches and Ibayo as the peanut sauce they use all come from one source.

Kare-Kare - P220 Regular P350 Family

Buko Fruit Shake FTW! - P105

I can’t rave more about the Buko Fruit Shake I had. If there’s a drink you should not miss in Ibayo, it’s this one. It’s not overly sweet, but it’s creamy. The shaved-ice’s texture and consistency was also perfect It’s so good it could pass for a sherbet.

Turon Ala Mode / Majablanco - P75 / P65

We also had Turon Ala Mode and Maja Blanca for dessert. I’m not sure why it’s “majablanco” in their menu. Maybe it’s an alternative term. I’m just used with ‘maja blanca‘ since I was a child. 🙂

Ibayo by Barrio Fiesta

Dining @ Ibayo

That’s my Ibayo by Barrio Fiesta experience. Try them out at Building G, Unit 7-8 in San Miguel by the Bay, SM Bay City (bayside behind MOA). Don’t forget the Barrio Fiesta Rice, Kare-Kare and Fresh Buko Fruit Shake!  They are open 3pm-12mn on weekdays and 3pm-2am on weekends. Call 0917-5376062 or 0906-5002782 for reservations.