My Top Picks at The Ultimate Taste Test 7.0 Mercato Centrale

Last November 17, 2011 Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio Global City, has once again proved that it is the mecca of anything good, delicious, and awesome when the seventh serving of Our Awesome Planet’s The Ultimate Taste Test 7.0 was held at the venue.

Having attended the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 at Rockwell, I thought that I’ll be ready to face yet another ultimate food tasting, but Ultimate Taste Test never fails to overwhelm me.  Yes, food were given on food taste portion, but if you sum up everything that the merchants fed the foodies, it was indeed hefty.  I was able to try all the food that the 50+ merchants served during the UTT 6, and I was able to do the same during the UTT 7.  I am hardcore that way.

According to Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet who’s the genius behind Ultimate Taste Test Events, the recent UTT was conducted especially for the Christmas season.  Food merchants offered their food which can be served during the holiday and/or can be purchased for gift giving purposes.  True enough, there are some food that I am keeping an eye on because I know it’ll be perfect for my Christmas gift list.

Geicks! brings Rodillas Yema Cake to Manila

The Rodillas Yema Cake which originates from Rodillas Restaurant in Tayabas Quezon used to be a distant gastronomical tease in my book, until GEICKS! Cakes bring it here in Manila together with Rodillas Caramel Cake.

Yema filling sandwiched in between soft and fluffy chiffon cake smothered with yema cream which stands as its icing, sprinkled with generous grated cheese.  A combination of two different tastes from each side of the pole.  Sweet and salty.  Matrimony of two flavors meant to oppose yet complement as it flirted with each other while seducing one’s palate.

The apparent mark of a beautiful mess indicating the yema custard’s will to slowly drip and hold on at the same time  as it cover the chiffon was very inviting that it would be impossible not to lick when you get your hands on it.  One may fear a death by sugar load but the salty component of the cheese is your saving grace.

Simply Pie by Gail Ang

When I first tasted Simply Pie’s mini quiches during the Best Food Forward Summer Food Fair early this year, I was smitten by it.  During Lori Baltazar’s Dessert Comes First 6th year anniversary, I yielded into the cute mini quiches that shyly beckon in one corner, yearning to be savored again.  By the time that I am already frequenting Mercato Centrale and other food fairs, I let myself be swayed by the wave of gastronomical urge to be captured by these little yet delectably enticing creations of home baker, Gail Ang.

Simply Pie may be cleverly named through play of words, but its pies and quiches are anything but simple.  Crafted through combination of passion, God-given talent, and the best ingredients available, Simply Pie is one of those that I can highly recommend for foodies and non-foodies alike who are in search of great tasting quiche and pies.

USPB and USDA Thanksgiving Dinner at Restaurant 9501 with Chef Myrna Segismundo

Of all the many things that I am thankful for this year, the opportunity to learn new things has always been on top of my list.  Recently, new found knowledge about the endless culinary possibilities of US Potatoes unfold right before my very eye.  The thanksgiving dinner hosted by the United States Potato Board (USPB) and United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) at Restaurant 9501 was not just a gastronomical experience, but a learning opportunity as well.

With the use of US Frozen Potatoes, Restaurant 9501’s Chef Myrna Segismundo showcased original and off-the-menu recipes which everyone feasted on during the thanksgiving dinner.  It was amazing how Chef Myrna’s creativity and passion strengthen her exploration of versatility in creating wonderful dishes with US Frozen Potatoes as the integral ingredient. 

Breakfast Buffet at Pan Pacific Manila Hotel

I have mentioned in my previous post about our stay at Pan Pacific Hotel Manila that the wonders of our experience weren’t just confined within the corners of our room.  While I had the grandest time relaxing in our room, the best thing that really left a mark on me was our dining experiences.

The morning after the night I spent sleeping like a baby in our room, we were greeted with an awesome breakfast buffet waiting for us at the Pan Pacific Lounge 21st floor of the hotel.  Wide variety of food which wasn’t just limited to the usual breakfast dishes was spread at the buffet table while guests were busy loading up to face a great day ahead.

Pre-Dinner Cocktail at the Pacific Lounge of Pan Pacific Manila Hotel

Couple of days before staying at Pan Pacific Hotel Manila, my sister and I planned to visit several restaurants around the area. 

That didn’t materialize. 

But that’s perfectly fine with us because the decision to stick to the goal of enjoying Pan Pacific Hotel Manila, including their food offerings was probably the best decision we’ve ever made that time.

You’ll know what I mean as I progress dishing out in series of blog posts what we had feasted on during the stay.

So, I suggest my dear friends that you stick with me on this Pan Pacific Hotel Manila Dining series and read on.

YedyLicious for CCA Manila at Philippine Daily Inquirer

Before this day ends, I hope you could grab yourself a copy of today’s issue of Philippine Daily Inquirer.  My write up for Central For Culinary Arts, Manila in line with their 15th years in the culinary school industry can be found at the lifestyle section of the broadsheet, page c3. 

Congratulations CCA, Manila! Flame on!

Staycation at Pan Pacific Manila Hotel

Couple of months ago, Pan Pacific Manila, the first and finest butler hotel in the country launched their newly renovated rooms to further enhance the best five star hotel experiences that they can offer to their guests.  A week after my birthday, I was able to experience staying at one of Pan Pacific’s renovated rooms with my sister.

I am not going to bombard you with too many information and photos of my wonderful experience at Pan Pacific Manila so this is going to be series of posts that I’ll be dishing out in the coming days. 

Jollibee Chicken and Mushroom Pasta

While I’ve always been a fan of Jollibee Spaghetti, their new offering Jollibee Chicken and Mushroom Pasta just couldn’t quite satisfy my palate. I am not sure if it has something to do with my expectation that whenever I eat pasta from Jollibee, the child in me will be awaken with its sweet Pinoy taste, or I just find this new creation by Jollibee plain boring.

It is not that bad since some of my friends regard it as a welcome change from the usual sweet style spaghetti, but I find it too peppery for my taste.  Instead of the usual ground beef, they use chicken, ( oh yes kiddos, no strips nor chunks of chicken here) and then mushroom as a substitute for the well-loved hot dogs and sweet ham which can be found from the old time favorite Jollibee Spaghetti.

Ultimate Taste Test 7.0 at Mercato Centrale

It wasn’t long ago when 1000 foodies gathered and feasted on food offered by 50+ food merchants during the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 at Rockwell.  It was one awesome foodie event of this year, and now, Our Awesome Planet and San Miguel Lifestyle Brews are ready to rock our world again with…

The Ultimate Taste Test 7.0 

TeaTap Cafe

Ever since the milk tea craze started, a lot of milk tea cafes have sprouted like mushrooms on every corner.  I remember the time when it was only Serenitea here in San Juan that I always go to whenever I crave for milk teas.  Now, many has been added to the list and one of them is TeaTap Cafe.  Owned by the same group behind Kozui Green Tea in Tomas Morato

Located along P.Guevarra St. in San Juan, this spacious milk tea store evokes a cozy and modern ambiance with nice interior.  It can be intimidating at a glance, but the cute decors accentuate a welcoming feel to the place.  As compare to others, Tea Tap place is probably one of those I can spend the entire afternoon lounging and enjoying my milk tea.  They also offer free wifi which is definitely a big plus.

Mario's Restaurant at Tomas Morato, 40th Year Celebration

After 4 decades of serving scrumptious dishes in an ambiance that exudes classic comfort, Mario’s Restaurant continue to soar high and mighty in keeping the tradition to give their customers only the best in terms of food, service, and gastronomical experience.

Founded by the late Mr. Mario Benitez and his lovely wife, Ms. Nenuca Benitez together with their sons Mr. Jose Fil and Chef Anton Benitez, Mario’s Restaurant first branch was established way back 1971 in Baguio City. Years after, their branch at Tomas Morato in Quezon City was built which up to this day remains to be one of the most celebrated and distinguished restaurants in Manila.

As part of Mario’s celebration for its 40th year in the restaurant scene, some food bloggers and friends were invited to experience a delightful dinner, the Mario’s way.

Salon Culinaire 2011 at Center For Culinary Arts, Manila

Last October 28, 2011 Salon Culinaire 2011 was held at Center For Culinary Arts Manila’s main campus at Katipunan to celebrate our future chef’s ability to whip up creative and delectable dishes on different categories.

The Butler Cake at Pan Pacific Manila

It could pass for the usual chocolate cake you can get from the usual bake shops, yes.  But in terms of taste,  The Butler Cake from Pan Pacific Manila is one of the most decadent chocolate cakes here in Manila.

The Butler Cake is meant to serve one’s palate.  It conveys a delicious metaphor of the way a true butler caters to one’s needs.  A palatable representation of giving comfort summarized not just  into a mere combination of chocolate, butter, and flour, but of high caliber and meticulous preparation to create something beautiful, something that lingers in memory and palate. 

It screams high quality chocolate taste without the intention of killing you with excessive sweetness.  The dominant flavor of rich chocolate taste was made all the more palatable with a distinct undercurrent hint of liquor.  Two flavors flirting with each other, leaving traces of an affair meant to tease and crave for.

Kitchen Knight Evening Food Delivery Service

One of the most challenging things when it comes to writing about food is doing it on an empty stomach. Much like taking medicine, it should not be done when you have not eaten anything yet, otherwise you’ll be subjected to doom, well at least in my book. It is always wise to get loaded before plunging into the game of putting memories of food into words and drooling over its photos.

However, there are inevitable situation when you need to finish an article because you are way too late meeting a deadline or way too crowded with backlogs. Yes, amidst hunger, you need to finish at least one food article or food blog post for good or for ill. This happens to me often especially during night time when 24/7 food deliveries are limited, and my mother who’s a wonderful cook is already in dreamland.

Good thing that a new concept of delivery food service whose target markets are the nocturnal like me and those who are working on a graveyard shift is here. Kitchen Knight, an evening food delivery service which offers variety of home cooked meals delivered during night time is now up and ready to rescue those hungry tummies specifically in Makati, Taguig, and some nearby cities.

Gastronomy by Joy First Year Celebration

Last Saturday, I was invited by fellow blogger Joy of Gastronomy by Joy Blog to be part of her thanksgiving celebration as her blog turns one year old. Joy’s blog is one of those few blogs I get to visit whenever I have the time to blog hop. Aside from food and restaurant reviews that she writes about, it was the way she incorporate her family life to her posts that I find quite endearing.

The intimate celebration was held at Pages Deli at Shangri La Mall and Bistro Vignette at Ortigas Center. It was graced by the presence of fellow bloggers Peach of The Peach Kitchen with her adorable daughter Ikay, and Raymond of Food Health Reviews. Also with us was Chef Anna of My Pink Wasabi whose Kashi Makis never fail to make celebrations extra special.

Peach of The Peach Kitchen and Joy of Gastronomy by Joy