May 31, 2013

Mercato Centrale Brings Cocina Centrale at the Culinary Capital of the Philippines- Angeles City, Pampanga

Mercato Centrale invites Pampanga and Central Luzon-based food entrepreneurs to join the newest premier food and lifestyle night market at culinary center of the Philippines – Angeles City, Pampanga in Ayala's Marquee Mall


“We’re inviting food entrepreneurs from Manila, Pampanga and the surrounding provinces of Central Luzon to join our newest market - Cocina Centrale! It will be a culinary showdown where the best of Pampanga will meet the best of Manila!” said RJ Ledesma, Co-founder of the Mercato Centrale Group.
        
Mercato’s Cocina Centrale will have its grand launch on June 29, Saturday at the Marquee Park of Ayala's Marquee Mall in Angeles City Pampanga. It will be open every Friday and Saturday starting July 5 from 4pm to 3am.

May 25, 2013

The Ultimate Ice Cream Experience at Cold Stone Creamery Philippines- Serendra, Bonifacio Global City


Cold Stone Creamery, the American-based ice cream chain, has finally landed here in the Philippines!! Cold Stone Creamery teamed up with Arizona Ice Cream Corporation here in the country to offer Filipinos a fun and friendly personalized ice cream experience. It will officially open to the public some time next week and I'm pretty sure most of you are already excited to be one of the first customers to try it out.

The store is strategically located at the corner of Serendra Piazza fronting Market!Market! It has a see-through glass doors and windows, showing off the simple yet vibrant store interiors with energetic and bubbly staff aiming to put smiles on their customers' faces.

Last May 23, The Foodies Circle was privileged to be part of the invitational sneak peek of the first Cold Stone Creamery store in the country. Guests were treated to unlimited ice cream creations just the way they like it.


First step is to Choose Your Cup:
Lick It (P95), Like It (P145-P180), Love It (P165-P200), Gotta Have It (P185-P220), Mine (P365-P400), Ours (P765-P800), Everybody's (P1,165-P1,200)

May 24, 2013

Movie Stars Cafe and Restaurant- Dino Buffet at Seaside Boulevard SM Mall of Asia


I've read about this Movie Stars Cafe and Restaurant (used to be Star Movies Cafe) from blogs that offers buffet dining and entertainment at the Seaside Boulevard of SM Mall of Asia. D and I got a voucher for their Dino buffet for just P399 instead of the regular rate of P699. You won't miss the place as it has this big and bright signage outside the restaurant.

Action figures and character displays will greet you upon entering as waiters and waitresses actors and actresses dressed in costumes will assist you to your seats. I suggest going early as the place gets packed during dinner time. 

Batman and Joker

Iron Man and Atom from Real Steel

May 22, 2013

Mezza Norte Weekend Food Night Market in Trinoma Mindanao Open Parking


Calling all foodies living in Northern Manila, the Mercato Centrale Group heard you and finally brought Mezza Norte in Trinoma's Mindanao Open Parking. From the same organizers who brought us Midnight Mercato in Bonifacio Global City and Cucina Andare in Glorietta Park, Mezza Norte promises to bring together great-tasting and affordable products and dishes not only from all time Mercato favorites but from new and upcoming food vendors as well. 

I was able to attend the grand launch of Mezza Norte in Trinoma last May 3 sampled some of the food vendors' offerings.

We started with some drinks from Edgy's Foodtrip which is one of the best-selling and affordable beverage in Mercato. There were a lot of flavors to choose from but I decided to stick with my all-time favorite Melon(P35). I love that it was semi-frozen, maintaining its refreshing and cold temperature to the last drop.


Another Mercato favorite is Big Bob's Charcoal Grilled Burgers that filled the air with its irresistible aroma.  


A new found favorite which I'm pretty sure D would also love is Schmidt's International Gourmet Hotdogs.

We decided to try their Wagamama (P130) which features their big, tender and juicy hotdog topped with Japanese Curry, Shredded Nori, Japanesae Mayo and Coleslaw. Their Coney Island Chili Dog (P145) also looked fantastic with Homemade Chili, Cheese, Jalapeno, Onion Relish and Sour Cream. I'll be sure to try that on my next visit with D. 


May 20, 2013

Quench Your Thirst with True Blends Tea + Coffee at The Strip- Pasig


Last month, we were invited by fellow foodie and TFC member Stacy to their business venture True Blends located at The Strip Commercial Complex in Pasig. It was a hot and lazy day but it was just the perfect place to be. 

I love trying out milk tea places but most of the time, I order fruity drinks rather than milk teas. I am just into fruity and refreshing beverages which are light and thirst quenching. 

True Blends' Lychee Nata Green Tea (P55-Grande, P65-Venti) was definitely my cup of tea. It was icy cold and refreshing indeed! No need to pay for additional sinker since it comes with free nata crystals already. 


What's great about True Blends is that their cups are not sealed and use covers instead. This way, they could adjust the sweetness level of the drinks to the customers' preference even after getting their orders. 

Although I am a big fan of plain and simple fruit teas, their Peach-Mango Yakult w/ QQ (P85-Grande, P95-Venti) won me over. It was also sweet and refreshing but I just love the tangy hint of yakult in the mix. Plus, the colorful QQ jelly added a nice sweet bite to every sip. 

May 17, 2013

My Foodgasm 2013 Second Bite Experience and Top Picks

After my first Foodgasm experience as a blogger judge, I was more than excited to attend the second bite at a bigger space and with more food concessionaires.


There were a lot of participants this year but only a few stood out for me. 

First on our list is Ping Gu Mushroom Fries.


Awarded as the "People's Choice" for that night, I couldn't agree more as their booth probably has longest line of people waiting to try those mushroom fries. 

These are basically organic oyster mushrooms in special breading and then deep fried until crispy brown. I love how crunchy it was on the outside and chewy and juicy on the inside. You could choose from four dips available: Sweet Chili, Gravy, Tomato Ketchup and Garlic Mayo. My personal choice was their sweet chili as it best complements the fried mushrooms. 

May 14, 2013

Naci Comfort Food- Feast on Comfort Food and Desserts at their New Home in Fort Bonifacio

Remember Naci Comfort Food and Dessert Bar in Greenhills? I just love the place so much that I was really sad when it closed down last year. D even brought my sister and mom here to celebrate mom's birthday while I was away. 

After one year, here I am at the newly opened Naci Comfort Food which rebranded itself as a fun and modern comfort food destination in Fort Bonifacio. 

High ceilings, colorful chairs, cute and fancy decors, the place looked totally different from their first branch. It was now bright, vibrant and fun which gives a casual and relaxed vibe and dining experience.


Aside from the traditional placemat menu, guests are now offered with tablets wherein they could browse through Naci's food and beverage selections. What's great about using the tablet is that diners could check out the actual look of the dishes they want to order. 


Now, our feast begins..

I am an appetizer type of person,and as much as possible, I want to try a little bit of everything on the menu without going over budget or worrying about left overs. But usually it's just D and me on foodtrips, so that's quite impossible to happen unless we are totally famished. 

Good thing Naci has Nat's Appetizer Sampler (P520) that give customers a chance to choose four of Naci's best-selling appetizers. 


Zomato now in Manila- Discover More Places To Eat Around You

Zomato, the world's fastest growing online restaurant and nightlife guide finally hits the South-East Asian market with Manila as its first stop. Covering major cities in the metro mainly Makati, Quezon City, Manila, Mandaluyong, Paranaque, Pasay, Pasig, Pateros, San Juan, Taguig and Muntinlupa, Zomato has recently crossed 10,000 listings for restaurants and nightlife places on the Manila section of their website. The best part about it is that it is available both on the web (http://zomato.com/manila) and on mobile apps (iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry).


Zomato is currently present in 21 cities across 7 countries including UK, Sri Lanka, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Philippines and India, where it all began. Zomato actually receives 12 million users every month who use the platform to discover the places to eat around them. 

May 10, 2013

Mercato Centrale Brings Levante- The Newest Night Food Market in Eastwood Citywalk 2


It's going to be a fun foodie adventure in Eastwood as the Mercato Centrale group, organizer of the premier food and lifestyle night markets around the metropolis, brings to you Levante – the newest night food market in Eastwood Citywalk 2. Grand opening is on May 17, Friday from 6pm to 3am.


Enjoy a culinary adventure at Levante with its mouth-watering homemade cooking straight from the kitchens of Eastwood’s budding food entrepreneurs, along with your favorite Pinoy street foods and, of course, the best-selling dishes from your favorite Mercato Centrale vendors.

May 7, 2013

Slappy Cakes- All Day Breakfast, All Day Fun! The Do It Yourself Pancakes in Eastwood


The all-day-breakfast craze is here! After IHOP's successful opening in the Philippines, the most popular breakfast spot in Portland in now in Manila!! Slappy Cakes has been featured on different shows like The Cooking Channel and Rachel Ray and was awarded as one of America's top ten destinations by the Food Network with the title "America's Best".

Their first branch is located in Eastwood and they will also be having a second one in SM North Edsa soon. 

So what makes Slappy Cakes unique? It's their do-it-yourself pancakes that give diners a whole new level of fun and interactive dining experience. 


Here at Slappy Cakes, you do all the cooking of your pancakes. In front of you is a big non-stick  pancake griddle that will unleash the cooking skills of everyone. I'm pretty sure D would love to try this  and update his "3 things I can cook" to "4 things I can cook".


What time is it? It's Slappy Time!!!

May 6, 2013

Yabu House of Katsu: Join the Katsu Craze and win an iPhone 5!

Hey guys!! Want to win an iPhone 5?

Yabu, our favorite katsu house is giving away the much coveted iPhone 5 to one worthy fan.


How to join? Simple.

Download.
Snap.
Customize.
Share.
Win!

Beat the Summer Heat with Gerry's Grill Summer Coolers!

What's the best way to cool down this summer? A trip to the beach, or probably a family outing to Baguio or Tagaytay. But with Gerry's Grill new Summer Coolers, you could cool down and beat the summer heat without going too far. 

Choose from 4 delightful desserts to top your dining experience in Gerry's Grill. 

Banana Boat- Gerry's take on the classic Banana Split


Banana Caramel- A scoop of ice cream topped with banana slices whisked with rum glaze and caramel sauce

Miner's Castle, Miner's Falls and Pictured Rocks Cruise- Munising, Upper Peninsula of Michigan

A trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan brought us to the beautiful Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore

Truly a breathtaking scenery.. never seen anything like it before..



The famous Miner's Castle that lost one of its turrets back in 2006. 


May 5, 2013

Harley-Davidson Museum, St. Josephat Basilica and Miller Brewery - Milwaukee, Wisconsin Attractions

Summer is here and my Facebook news feed is full of friends enjoying the Boracay beach and family trips abroad. Can't help but reminisce my last year's summer vacation with relatives in Chicago. 

Went for a long drive to Milwaukee, Wisconsin and stopped by some attractions.

Harley-Davidson Museum



May 4, 2013

♥♥♥ Birthday Surprise: Comic Strip, Terra & Água and A One Day Shopping Spree with D ♥♥♥

March 19, 2013 11:50pm- D called me up and asked me to check my email. I initially thought it's a letter or message he prepared for my birthday. I was busy playing Candy Crush so I told him that it's not yet my birthday and that I'll check it later after I finish the level was playing. He kept bugging me to check my email already, and so I did and finally saw his email with a PDF file attached to it. 

It was a comic strip with photos of beaches and sands. D knows that I love travelling above all things. He also knows how hesitant I am on spending money on branded clothes, shoes, bags etc.. We would always talk about how we would limit our shopping budget now, for us to be able to splurge on travel plans in the future.

The first thing I thought when I saw the comic strip was that maybe it's his way of creating a travel memory even if it's just a made up story..for now.. hehe :)

Then, I noticed it was written in Tagalog. The funny things is, I constantly tease D about his Tagalog. He fluently speaks Tagalog but there are times when he mixes up his words and creates a whole new funny meaning. Ok, maybe he used Google translate or asked someone to help him, I thought. 

Anyway, here's the comic strip he made:

May 1, 2013

URBN Bar & Kitchen- Contemporary Comfort Food in Bonifacio Global City


I was at URBN Bar & Kitchen earlier this month, but no, I was not on high heels dancing and partying with friends. Instead, I was on my empty stomach ready to indulge in URBN's mouth-watering dishes with fellow foodies. That's a better bar scene don't you think?

From the same owners of Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge, URBN Bar & Kitchen isn't all about clubbing and partying all night long. With a kitchen helmed by Chef Benjo Tuason, expect nothing but the best comfort food with a twist.

Just like in Relik, URBN has this separate section for dining customers and another for those who just want to party and have some drinks. The place has this modern industrial vibe with metal pipes and fans on the ceiling and huge chairs and tables at the center of the room. 


Now moving on with our food scene..

We were initially served with URBN's Home Made Potato Chips (P250) with aioli and pesto dip to have something to munch on while waiting for the night's food highlights. 


I must say that this is quite addicting! It was thin and crunchy just the way I like it, but I had to stop and control myself for the succeeding dishes. 

Double Baked Manchego Souffle (P395)