KFC Zinger Double Down : A Hot Meaty Surprise

When I took my first bite on a KFC Double Down sandwich when it was launched months ago, I enjoyed its sinful meatiness. A lot of my friends and fellow KFC enthusiasts have also raved about it, and were demanding for the return of this sandwich. Now, imagine how excited we were when we found out they decided to bring it back with a hot new twist – KFC Zinger Double Down Sandwich.

KFC Zinger Double Down - up-close

Our family, especially Ken, enjoys spicy food. So we really, really wanted to give this a try. The KFC branch in Malabon no longer delivers to our area for some reason (why?!? 🙁 ) so we had to go to their store to order.

To prepare ourselves for this spicy experience, my nanay and I bought KFC Krushers too. She picked the Strawberry Lush yogurt Krusher, I got the Kookies n’ Cream. We ended up finishing them off before our orders were completed. It’s ‘cause of the weather! 😀

KFC Krushers Kookies n' Cream and Strawberry Lush

There are more new Krushers flavors now and I want to try the rest next time we go to KFC. I’ll order the Mocha Krunch, Rockin’ Road or their Christmas Krushers Winter Berry and Dulce de Leche. The classic Krushers are priced at Php 65; yoghurt ones are at Php 75, while the minis are at Php 45.

I really hope they include us again in their delivery areas. 🙁 Sorry, can’t get over the fact that just a month ago, they still deliver and now, they can’t anymore. 😀

Continue reading KFC Zinger Double Down : A Hot Meaty Surprise

Our Top Picks in the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 in Rockwell

We know, this is an uber late post. But, we still think it’s worth posting about our top picks for UTT 6. It’s better late than never, I guess. Stay tuned for our faves the last UTT 7 at Mercato. 🙂

We first told you about our experience at the Ultimate Taste Test in Rockwell. Now, let us share with you all the yummy food we had that day.

Our ticket to Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test - CertifiedFoodies.com

It took us a couple of days to finalize our top picks for the Ultimate Taste Test because we couldn’t agree on all of our choices. That’s what you get when you have 2 people (and siblings) with different tolerance to flavor intensities and with varying preferences. 😀 So, we agreed to not rank anything and just feature the ones we absolutely loved and those that were worth mentioning. 🙂

But, before we continue, please take note that we only got to taste what 38 out of 55 food suppliers have to offer.

Without further ado, in no particular order, here are our Top Picks for the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 in Rockwell, starting with the sweet stuff…

 

 

Sweet Delights

 

Carmen’s Best and Holly’s Milk

Paco Magsaysay, the owner of Carmen’s Best Ice Cream and Holly’s Milk, was the very first food supplier who approached us. Even before we got to taste his products, we were totally convinced!

Paco Magsaysay of Carmen's Best and Holly's Milk - CertifiedFoodies.com

We first got to try the Salted Caramel and Coffee flavored ice cream (sorry, we didn’t get to take a photo of the actual product :D). And let us tell yah it was the creamiest ice cream we’ve ever had! We both nodded at each other in total agreement. 😀

Paco proudly continued on to tell us that their ice cream and milk are all fresh, even using this very catchy tagline “From Cow to Cone”. And you can truly taste the freshness from the milk and the ice cream. The flavors and creaminess of the spoonfuls of frozen delights served to us lingered in our mouths. 🙂

They don’t have this available in supermarkets yet so if you want to have a taste of their products, contact them to order:

Carmen’s Best
Contact info: 809-2042 or cb_icecream@yahoo.com
Carmen’s Best on Facebook

 

Holly’s Milk
Contact info: 813-1385 / Website: http://www.hollysmilk.com/ Holly’s Milk on Facebook

Update: They were the #1 pick by the UTT 6.0 foodies! 🙂 Congrats!

Continue reading Our Top Picks in the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 in Rockwell

Marios : 40 Years of Great Food and Memories

For most local restaurants in the Philippines, surviving 10 years in the business can already be considered an amazing achievement, which gives Mario’s restaurant all the reason to celebrate for lasting an astounding 40 years in the industry.

 

Mario’s: A History

Mario and Nenuca Benitez

Mario Benitez’ great passion for customer service married well with Nenuca’s perfect execution of her family’s long tradition of Spanish cuisine, which, together, gave birth to the establishment of the very first Mario’s Restaurant in 1971 along Session Road in Baguio.

Former location of the original Mario's restaurant in BaguioFormer location of the original Mario’s restaurant, where a branch of KFC now stands.

New location of Mario's in Baguio

After the original venue got burned down, Mario’s transferred to a more open and spacious location.

It didn’t take long until the restaurant received great reviews from both locals and vacationers alike, some even encouraging the couple to branch out in the big city of Manila. Finally in 1974, the Benitez Family, confident that their fusion of Filipino and Spanish cuisine will have a special place in the hearts of the Manileños, opened the doors of their second branch situated along the bustling streets of Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Mario's in Tomas Morato

The façade of Mario’s in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Continue reading Marios : 40 Years of Great Food and Memories

Something Interesting and Sweet about Chocolates

I never met a chocolate I didn’t like.

– Deanna Troi, Star Trek: The Next Generation

Who doesn’t love chocolates? I mean, seriously, we see anything with the word CHOCOLATE and we start drooling. Come on admit it! 😀

Do you remember those days when a chocnut is just what you need to cheer you up? Nowadays, however, we are bombarded with a variety of chocolates. How, then, do you know you’re getting the good stuff?

First off, we need to know that there are two general classification of chocolates, couverture and compound.

Compound Chocolate Chips(Image credit)

Compound Chocolates

 

Let’s start with compound chocolates. These chocolates are the supermarket variety – cheap and mass-produced. These products may or may not contain cocoa butter. Those that do not have cocoa butter are made with shortening and/or substitute fats.

The percentage that you see on the bar of chocolate indicates the percentage of cocoa solids, meaning the amount of cocoa mass and cocoa butter.

 

Couverture Chococlates

Now this is the real deal. Couverture chocolates must have a minimum of 32% cocoa butter in order to be considered as such. Some brands use only cocoa butter while others mix in a bit of shortening for stability. Some of the well-known brand of chocolates we normally find in the grocery have a bit of shortening mixed into it to increase their tolerance for warmer temperatures. Ideal storage for pure chocolates is 20ºC.

Couverture chocolate bars

Chocolates, much like wine, have different subtle flavor notes. These flavors notes are best savored when the chocolates are at room temperature.

Different chocolate makers use different blends of beans to create their own flavor profile.

The 3 main kinds of cacao trees are

  1. Criollo
  2. Forastero
  3. Trinitario

Continue reading Something Interesting and Sweet about Chocolates

Only the Finest Decadence from Van Houten Chocolates

Chocolates. I’ve always loved them ever since I was a little kid. I mean, who didn’t enjoy the sweet flavors of chocolates when they were children? Back then, I only knew how to chomp them all up ’til my nanay would tell me I’ve had enough. It was after over 2 decades when I learned how to enjoy chocolates the "right" way. And a few weeks ago, at Society Lounge in Makati, Van Houten reminded me of how I can truly savour the decadent goodness only quality chocolates can offer.

Van Houten chocolate bars

Van Houten has been around for 180 years. I remember having my first taste of it when a family friend who came from the US brought us a canister of their chocolates back when I was in my teens. I can still recall thinking that they were indeed imported, high quality ones because I haven’t tasted anything that good from any loot my nanay brought home whenever she goes on her bi-monthly sweets shopping for us.

Van Houten's Legacy and what Cocoaphilia is all about

Van Houten is widely available here in the Philippines and they now offer varying flavor combinations that would surely please the cocoaphile in you.

Continue reading Only the Finest Decadence from Van Houten Chocolates

Your All-Time Favorites at Flapjacks

A good restaurant values its customers’ opinions and suggestions. A way of showcasing this is when a certain dish makes a re-appearance on the menu due to popular demand from their avid patrons. And this is exactly what Flapjacks is doing now, by re-introducing four (4) of their signature dishes with Back…Better…Best!

You can start your meal by experiencing a nice play of textures and flavors with a plate of Mango Exotica. It’s a light but quite filling meal with a delightful mix of Romaine lettuce, sweet bites of California raisins, croutons, succulent grilled chicken slices, with almond slivers for that extra crunch, all tossed in a tangy and sweet mango vinaigrette.

Mango Exotica - Flapjacks - CertifiedFoodies

Mango Exotica (Lunch Php 195 | Dinner Php 325)

Another dish that is making a comeback is the Chicken Stuffed Parmigiana. It’s a plate of tender chicken breasts, stuffed with fresh cheddar cheese which are breaded then fried and topped on a bed of linguine pasta and marinara sauce.

_DSC0478

Chicken Stuffed Parmigiana (Php 325)

This one is a personal favorite. The Lemon-Pepper Pan Seared White Fish is a plate of heavenly flavors with its mildly seasoned white fish with freshly squeezed lemon and pepper, pan fried in olive oil. It is served with herb rice and chef’s veggies.

_DSC0459

Lemon-Pepper Pan Seared White Fish (Php 295)

The Original Hashbrown Burger closes the list of dishes for Flapjack’s “Back…Better…Best.” This huge burger is made up of mouth-watering pan-seared all-beef patty with fresh tomatoes and lettuce, topped with golden fried hash brown and American cheese, served with potato fries on the side.

_DSC0466

Original Hashbrown Burger (Php 350)

And of course, aside from the “Back…Better…Best” selection, there are lots of other dishes, desserts and beverages you can try at Flapjacks.

For our beverages, I ordered the Ginger’s Lemonade, which was an amazing discovery. I’m a huge fan of lemonades, but this interpretation was surprisingly good and very refreshing. And come on, I used to hate ginger, but now with this drink, I don’t think I’ll ever want my lemonade without it.

My sister Mhel opted for the Granny’s Favorite probably because she’s ancient and all that. 😀 Kidding. I pushed her on ordering this because I was very intrigued how a combination of apples, oranges, and grapes would taste like. And again, the drink was such a revelation. You would think it’s a smoothie of a single fruit if you don’t stop and really taste what’s in it.

_DSC0410

(Left) Ginger’s Lemonade – Php 75   |   (Right) Granny’s Favorite – Php 125

And to feed my obsession with hot wings, we ordered their Traditional Buffalo Wings. These are chicken wings lightly breaded, cooked to perfection, and served with bleu cheese dressing. Just the way I like it, the wings were very spicy and tangy because of the cayenne pepper hot sauce. And I loved how spooning out some bleu cheese dressing helped lessen the spiciness on my tongue.

_DSC0469

Traditional Buffalo Wings (Php 295)

We also ordered the New Orleans Seafood Gumbo, which is a plate of  sautéed cajun spiced shrimps, calamari, and dory fish, served with garlic rice. And a little running tip for those who would like to try this dish: Don’t forget to squeeze the lemon. If not, the dish would come off as too salty.

_DSC0487

New Orleans Seafood Gumbo (Php 265)

My sister and I really hope that this Bacon Wrapped Pork Medallions will never leave Flapjacks’ menu. It was so good that my sister can’t stop raving about that Tex-Mex (Texan-Mexican) rice giving a nice complement to those moist and tender pork medallions.

_DSC0490

Bacon Wrapped Pork Medallions (Php 345)

Lastly for dessert, though I was really craving for some cheesecake, we ordered a plate of Bread Pudding. This dessert was just of the right sweetness. And it would have been better if the bread pudding was warmer than it was to provide a nice contrast in temperature with the vanilla ice cream. Not Flapjacks’ fault though. It took me over 10 minutes to get the shot that I want, so it went cold.

_DSC0561

Bread Pudding (Php 195)

We dined at Flapjacks’ in Robinsons Place Manila Midtown. I loved the look and feel of the interiors, especially those light fixtures on the ceiling.

_DSC0417

_DSC0428

_DSC0426

And this is me drinking Granny’s Favorite. It was my sister who took the shot. I was busy thinking of what to say about the drink, hence the serious face. 😀

Me seriously thinking about what to say about Granny's Favorite

Flapjacks made our wishes come true by bringing back our all-time favorite dishes with “Back…Better…Best,” and now it’s our time to drop them a visit and indulge.

Flapjacks restaurants are located in Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center; Theater Mall, Greenhills; Al Fresco, Midtown; and UP Ayala Technohub. To receive special news and deals from Flapjacks, sign up at mybistro.com.ph or visit their website at flapjacks.com.ph.

Orchard Road Restaurant : A Taste of Singapore in Megamall

First off, I honestly don’t know much about Singaporean food, though I’ve always been enthralled by the diversity of their dishes. And I have been wanting, for the longest time ever, to try their cuisine. Little did I know that I will be able to have a taste of the dining experience in Singapore that’s friendly on the pocket right here, at Orchard Road that is. 🙂

Orchard Road in SM Megamall - CertifiedFoodies.com

This restaurant is named after the famous Orchard Road in Singapore renowned for its remarkable dining scene, where the food court is done up as a series of hawker carts.

We were invited to a food tasting at Orchard Road in SM Megamall. The restaurant exudes a very relaxed atmosphere and surely you’ll find pleasure strolling along the Orchard Road’s stylishly designed facade.

They prepare your orders right in front of you at Orchard Road - CertifiedFoodies.com

And if you’re like me who happens to be curious (as always) to see how dishes are prepared then voila! Feed your curiosity as you see how your food is being cooked right before your very eyes. You can see all the tools and everything they do during the preparation of your orders – something a lot of foodies enjoy. 🙂

First things first: What do they have to offer? Orchard Road houses a wide array of Singaporean dishes like the Hainanese Chicken, Laksa, Chicken Satay, and Mee Goreng, to name a few. I’m sure you would find a dish to satisfy your craving.

Orchard Road's best sellers

You have two options on how your orders will be taken. You can either opt to have a waiter take your order while you are seated or you can go directly to the counter and place your order with their cheerful staff. 🙂 I suggest the latter, so you can see photos of their signature specialty dishes. It’s a great help in choosing. Of course, that’s an advice for the fickle-minded and first timers like moi! 🙂

Continue reading Orchard Road Restaurant : A Taste of Singapore in Megamall

Celebrating 10 Years of Heartwarming Goodness from Bizu Patisserie

Bizu Patisserie and Bistro in Greenbelt

Last week, Ken and I, along with fellow foodies, were invited to Bizu Patisserie and Bisro’s Bloggers Party over at their Greenbelt branch. Having been there during the Cadbury Chocoholic night, we were both looking forward to having a taste of more dishes from this pastry shop / restaurant.

Bizu Patisserie Bloggers Party - CertifiedFoodies.comI took this photo using my new Nikon D3100. Woot! Stay tuned for better photos soon 🙂

The dinner was graced with the presence of Aaron and Annie Tanco who started it all. They shared with us how their pastry shop was conceptualized, including how they came up with the name of their restaurant. It was all very interesting, especially the part where Aaron told us that Bizu came about after her mom Annie dreamt of people kissing each other on the cheeks (beso-beso) at a restaurant. They decided to use the French word for “kiss”, which is “bisous”, but added a twist by spelling it the way it’s pronounced.

Aaron Tanco, Chrissy of Marketing and Annie Tanco from Bizu Patisserie

I just want to mention this – I enjoyed how Aaron and Annie spoke to us about their restaurant. You can really feel they’re truly passionate about their food and the service they offer to their diners. They were all very accommodating, even laughing and sharing stories with us throughout the night. Even Chrissy, the lovely lady in the middle of the photo above, was very cheery. 🙂

Continue reading Celebrating 10 Years of Heartwarming Goodness from Bizu Patisserie

Certified Foodies at the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 : Part 1

Last Saturday, it was on. We prepared our tummies for the Ultimate Taste Test in Rockwell and we thought a couple of days of eating light will help. But, no. Out of the 55 food suppliers that were there, generously giving us a taste of their best-sellers or new products, we only got to try 38. WEAK you might say, but hey, we did that in 5 hours! We had to go to an event with our media partner so it was quite an achievement for foodies like us. And it was an experience we won’t forget. So, brace yourself for our two-part feature on this ultimate foodie adventure. 😀

First, let us tell you about our experience before we tell you our top picks. We were at Rockwell Tent a couple of minutes past 11am after the doors officially opened. We wanted to get first dibs on what the food suppliers had to offer, but there were already about 20-30 people there. 😀 Here’s our ticket:

Our ticket to Rockwell's Ultimate Taste Test - CertifiedFoodies.com

We handed out our tickets at the reception area and were tagged. We were then given our own UTT  passports.

Our Ultimate Taste Test passports - CertifiedFoodies.com

The passport had the whole place mapped out for us to find which ones we’d love to try first.

Inside the passport is the official score sheet where you can rate the food and leave comments for each supplier. Listed there are all the dishes the food suppliers were serving that day. But there were some hosts who offered more than what was initially listed. Woot! 🙂

Continue reading Certified Foodies at the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 : Part 1

Cadbury Chocoholic Night + Joy Shots Promo for a Trip to Boracay

Bizu Patisserie and Bistro at Greenbelt 2A few weeks ago, we were invited by Cadbury Philippines to a chocoholic night at Bizu Patisserie and Bistro in Greenbelt 2 in Makati. Our family LOVES Cadbury chocolates because of its creamy, milky goodness so it was an event we won’t ever pass up.

We invited a fellow chocoholic friend Geejay of Mga Luto ni Lola to join the Certified Foodies team for the night. Here’s a shot of us at the photo booth. It was so fun that I think we took home 3-4 photos each! 😀

Team Certified Foodies at the Cadbury photo booth!

The event was graced by the lovely Georgina Wilson, Cadbury Philippines’ brand ambassador. She shared with us how much she loves Cadbury and how relishing these milky chocolates brings back memories of bonding times with her family, particularly her dad. And I feel her. We all did. Food and the enjoyment of it can really bring back memories and fun times we had with people we hold dear.

Cadbury Brand Ambassador Georgina Wilson graced the event

FYI: Each chocolate bar of Cadbury Dairy Milk contains a glass and a half of milk. No wonder it’s the richest and milkiest chocolate bar I’ve ever tasted! 🙂 I love the plain milk chocolate; my bro and parents are into their Fruits and Nuts variants.

Cadbury Dairy Milk Joy Shots Promo for a trip to Boracay with friendsAnyway, the chocoholic bloggers night was intended to announce the launch of their latest promo, Cadbury  Dairy Milk Joy Shots where a barkada of four can win a 4-day, 3-night round trip to Boracay inclusive of hotel accommodations and transfers. How exciting is that?!

How to join the Joy Shots promo? All you have to do is take a photo of you with 3 of your friends while you enjoy Cadbury Dairy Milk Bar/s (at least one 75g bar OR two 40g bars). The photo should be of you sharing a joyful moment with your friends.

Send in your photo, along with a brief caption (maximum of 60 words) about why you and your barkada deserve to win that Boracay trip. Email it to cadburyphilippines@gmail.com.

Photos will be judged based on the following criteria:

– Depiction of Sharing the Joy with Cadbury Dairy Milk (40%)
– Originality of depicting bonding (30%)
– Creativity (20%)
– Caption (10%)

The best photo based on the above criteria will win the trip. 5 consolation prize winners will also get Cadbury gift bags. Promo runs until September 16, 2011 only so HURRY! 🙂

Continue reading Cadbury Chocoholic Night + Joy Shots Promo for a Trip to Boracay