Mango Cream Cake by Conti's

Although most people I know adore Conti's Mango Bravo, there are still some who thinks that it's too sweet and prefer something less complicated, for that matter. One of them is my own father.

I remember Red Ribbon used to have Mango Cream Pie and everybody seems to love it. But I can no longer find a branch which carries it and that leads me to discovering Conti's Mango Cream Cake.

A layer of soft chiffon cake, delectable mango cream, and fresh mango chunks. The sweety-sour taste of the fruit is not over powering as the cream evens out the flavor as it touches your palates.

It is indeed less complicated than the Bravo, but still it is beaming with pride of decadence that only Conti's can offer.

It is best served chilled but it still tastes good even after sitting on a room temperature for an hour. Available in regular size for only 360php.

Conti's Pastry Shop and Restaurant

53 Connecticut St., Greenhills

San Juan, Metro Manila

(02) 774-4184

Philly Cheese Steak Overload Pizza

Here's one thing about being a foodie, gender doesn't matter. With that I agree especially when I finally had a time to grab a box of Greenwich's Philly Cheese Steak Overload Pizza, an addition to their Overload Xtreme Cheese Pizzas. And this one alongside Monster Cheese & Pepperoni Overload pizza is tagged as Pizza for Men. I don't really care because I know for a fact that women can enjoy it too.

I've always been a fan of Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, (well, I've always been a fan of anything that has cheese on it for that matter) so when Greenwich introduced this variety, I know I wouldn't be disappointed.

Greenwich's Philly Cheese Steak Overload Pizza is heavyweight pizza which overflows with a half-pound of roast beef and oozes with a double layer of mozzarella and cream cheese. Add to that the crunchy bell pepper, mushroom, and onion plus its herb and spices which adds a kick on it, it is the perfect cheese and meat experience.

Now for the pepperoni lovers out there, you have Monster Cheese & Pepperoni Overload pizza to feast on. This one, according to my friend puts all other pepperoni pizzas to shame as it’s filled to the brim with 100% more pepperoni and 2x more mozzarella cheese. Now, I would have to try that one next time.

Xtreme Cheese Pizzas are available in different sizes. For the Rolled-Edge Thick crust, they have Double for 307php, Family 483php, and 18” Blowout 879php. For the Thin & Crispy Crust which I love the most, they have Double 263php, Family 439php and Party Square 523php.

Experience Xtreme Cheese Pizzas on delivery by calling Greenwich Delivery Hotline at 5-55-55.

Korean Barbecued Salmon Steak

Growing up foodies, my family has this weird habit of having a phase when it comes to food that we love. For instance, a week ago we have this Tuna phase wherein my mother would buy tuna (not in can though) for a whole week of consumption because we love it the first time she cooked Teriyaki Tuna Steaks. From then, we would have to think of different recipes where we can have the Tuna as the main star. My mother would pile up our refrigerator with Tuna until such time that my sister and I would start ignoring it or just skip meal altogether even if there are other viands just because we cannot stand another sight of Tuna. With that, my mother would move on to her next target.

And for this week, it is our Salmon phase. Now this is a different story. Most of the time the food phasing would just last for about a week, but for Salmon, I think I would be okay having it as part of our meal for a month or so. Aside from Dory, Salmon has always been one of my favorite fish. And this recipe that I am sharing with you right now, I learned from my father.

KOREAN BARBECUED SALMON STEAK

1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. melted butter
1/4 lemon or lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper, crushed
1/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/4 tsp. thyme or tarragon, crushed
1 lg. clove garlic, minced
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 salmon steaks, 6 oz. each

Combine and mix well all ingredients except for the salmon steaks. Brush both sides of each steak. Place on cooking grid and grill over medium-hot charcoal briquettes or pan fry it allowing 5 minutes per side. Brush fish frequently with sauce, turning once halfway through cooking time. Brush steaks thoroughly before removing from cooking grid/frying pan.

Sauce:
2 tbsp. brown sugar
1 lg. clove garlic, minced

1/2 carrot cut into strips
1/2 c. soy sauce
1/2 c. sake
2 tbsp. honey
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 tsp. flour dissolved in water
1 tbsp. toasted sesame seeds

Onion Scallions for garnishing

Sauté garlic, onions, and carrots, then add soy sauce, sake, sesame oil, honey, and brown sugar. Stir until the sugar and honey are dissolved. Add the flour mixture and mix well until the sauce thickens. Seasoned with pepper. Stir in the sesame seed and wait for 2 minutes before removing the sauce from the heat.

Pour the Korean Barbecue sauce over the salmon steak and garnish with sesame seed and spring onions, then serve.

Pixie's Sinugba

It was one of those weekends when everyone in the house was too busy with their own things to do. All the house helpers were on a day off and neither of my sisters was on the mood to do our usual weekend cook fest for the family. Good thing my mother brought home Pixie's Sinugba Inihaw na Boneless Bangus on her way home after going to the grocery store.

Living in a unit of one of the buildings here in San Juan, we are not allowed to grill food because of the smoke it can produce. Too bad for our family, since growing up in Antipolo, we are used to having a weekly barbecue party during the weekend. Good thing we can always order from a nearby resto whenever we crave for grilled food. And this new discovery is an added joy to our family.


Pixie's Sinugba is home of the most delicious Inihaw na Boneless Bangus na walang kaliskis (Grilled Boneless Milkfish without Scales) and other seafood products with a healthy concept of not having MSG. They started out as takeout outlet at their Mindanao Ave. Tandang Sora Quezon City Branch, and now, aside from their Take-out branches, they also have several Dine-In branches as well.

Their specialty, Inihaw na Boneless Bangus na walang kaliskis is so far the best grilled milkfish I ever tasted. Stuffed with lemongrass, onions, and tomatoes, it is such a delight to eat the fish without the hassle of segregating the fishbone to the meat itself.

The packaging is impressive. The freshly grilled fish is wrapped in a aluminum foil, covered with plastic, and then placed into a long box. It comes with chili, soy sauce, and calamansi for the saw-sawan.

Although it is a superb viand, I think it is also best as a pulutan (appetizer) on a beer drinking session. It is available in three sizes; Large for 158php, Extra Large for 168php, and Jumbo for 178php.

Aside from this specialty for their Take Out branches, they also offer other choices of viands such as Liempo, Sizzling Crabmeat, Paksiw na bangus, and Bangus Lumpia among many others. While on their Dine-In branches which also offers the aforementioned viands, they have added new choices on their menu such as Inihaw na Rellenong Bangus, Kinilaw na Isda, Lumpiang Manok, and Bangus Imbotido.

Having a tagline "Uulit Ka Sa Sarap", I'll probably visit one of their Dine-In branches one of these days to experience again the Inihaw na Boneless Bangus along with their other specialties.

For deliveries, you can call Pixie's Sinugba Delivery Hotline at Tel. #: 9223333

or visit their website, www.pixiessinugba.com

Conti's Mango Bravo

I’ve been wanting to do a food review for Conti’s Pastry Shop and Restaurant for quite sometime now but I promised to my friend Dada, that he’ll be with me when I do the review. So, for now, I’ll settle with the reviews on Conti’s cakes first. Since, they are quite a few; I’ll be breaking them down into a cake per post.

Let me start off with their Mango Bravo. One of the main reason why BF Homes Paranaque has been a dessert mecca in the south before Conti’s branched out to other places such as San Juan City, Taguig City, Quezon City, Makati City, and Sta. Rosa, Laguna.

Personally, I may have been a cake lover since I was a kid, but I am not really fond of varieties which include fruits in it. I would love my cake to have chocolates, almonds, mallows, vanilla, cream, mousse, and other stuff but fruits. I mean, it’s a cake, it supposed to be sinful in all aspect, why include something healthy on it? I was just a kid then. But as years go by, I’ve come to appreciate other varieties as well. And this includes Conti’s Mango Bravo.

The first time I tasted it, it has become a personal favorite. It’s a chilled layer of sponge cake, cashew, cream, mango chunks, chocolate mousse, meringue-like-textured cake, smothered with white mango cream which has mango chunks on top drizzled with chocolate drippings. Yes, it’s a layer of those delectable things which made it so tall, one would instantly compare it to a hat. A delicious hat for that matter.

I should say that this is a must try for cake lovers out there. Although the cake looks heavy, the combination of flavors is so good and not overpowering. A slice will cost you 75php, a mini size cake is 450php, while the regular size is 850php.

And since they have a branch in Greenhills Connecticut St. which is so near to where I am living, I’ll be posting more reviews on their cakes and pastries until such time that my friend Dada and some other as well would be able to squeeze in a lunch or dinner date into our busy schedule.

Meanwhile! Happy eating foodies!

Conti's Pastry Shop & Restaurant

#53 Connecticut St. Greenhills, San Juan

Tel# +632 727-6898, +632 744-4184, 744-4208