Certified Foodies

Harry Potter Fans, Get Your Butterbeer Fix at Starbucks!

Having read all 7 books, I could pretty much say I grew up with Harry Potter. It didn’t really bother me that I just borrowed all the books from my classmates and never really owned a single copy until I finally got into college. What frustrated me the most is the fact that there are a lot of magical food in Harry Potter I could never get a taste of in real life, and one of them is Butterbeer!

There’s no way I can rub elbows with witches and wizards at Hogsmeade while downing a glass of authentic Butterbeer, and the same thing goes to my chances of heading to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando to get a knockoff version of the drink any time soon. But I’ve recently discovered a secret that would finally put my Butterbeer cravings to rest! Baristas from Starbucks cracked the code to a perfectly yummy Butterbeer. It’s a secret recipe and they don’t have it on their menu, but they will be more than willing to whip it up for you if you just give them this recipe. Take note that this is only available during the holiday season because of the toffee nut syrup, so you still have time! 🙂

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Moist Chocolate Torte Recipe

I recently got myself a new Nikon D3200 DSLR. I have been very envious of my sister Mhel ever since she got her D3100. On the weekend that I got my camera, I had no idea what to take pictures of, so I decided to bake something to put our food photography skills to the test. I remembered we bought a packet of Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate chips the last time we were at the supermarket. From then I knew just what to make with it â€” Moist Chocolate Torte.

This is probably the simplest yet the yummiest cake that was taught to me by my pastry chef at the hotel where I previously worked. I recall eating all the leftovers by the kitchen sink, so I can easily pretend that I’m washing our kitchen tools because our executive chef is very sneaky. 😀 He’ll just pop out from nowhere the moment you’ve already put something in your mouth. I’ve been caught a couple of times, but never really got scolded for it. He knew I was always hungry. 😀

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NACI Comfort Food at Bonifacio Global City

If there’s one thing we all (yes, including you!) have in common, it’s our love for pure, unadulterated comfort food. The difference lies on where we find that sense of satisfaction. It could be your nanay’s home-cooked meals, or simply from a restaurant that means business when it comes to comfort food (no pun intended). And we recently discovered one that takes it seriously, they had to add it to their name – NACI Comfort Food.

NACI Comfort Food is a family-owned restaurant located at Bonifacio Global City. We were invited to have a taste of some of their dishes, including their Kid-friendly Meals. Though they’re hours away from our home, we thought it’ll be a perfect time to revisit BGC. The restaurant was initially located at Greenhills, and they later on moved to BGC.

We got to meet Nadine (daughter of Lovely Rivero) and Natasha. They told us a little bit about their restaurant. We initially thought the name was an abbreviation or something, but we later found out that the name “Naci” actually means “rice” in Kapampangan. The menu, however, at NACI Comfort Food is not merely inspired by Kapampangan cuisine, but a fusion of various flavors. Some of the dishes at Naci Comfort Food were even concoctions of the late Chef Ed Quimson. They also have a Cohen-friendly menu. Continue reading NACI Comfort Food at Bonifacio Global City

A Lovely Staycation at F1 Hotel Manila

If there’s one thing Ken, our nanay and I have in common, it’s how hard we work and how dedicated we could get with our jobs. Some may consider us (slightly) workaholic, but we do enjoy what we do. However, from time to time, we forget to give ourselves a break to rejuvenate. That’s why F1 Hotel Manila‘s invitation for a staycation couldn’t be any more timely.

A short staycation is sometimes all one needs to unwind and forget, at least for a little while, the stress of every day life. Ken and I were actually planning on staycationing at F1 Hotel before they invited us ’cause we wanted to stay there and eat at some of the restaurants in BGC since the area is too far from our home (like 2-3 hours travel time… ugh).

We learned when we arrived that they were introducing us to their holiday offerings. We were excited to find out what F Restaurant has to offer this year since we had a very tasty dinner buffet from awhile back. F is the restaurant of F1 Hotel Manila and they have an all-day buffet here (breakfast, lunch and dinner). We’ll show you all the food we enjoyed in a bit, but before that, let me tell you about our staycation experience.

First, a group photo of all the bloggers and their loved ones who were there with us.

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The Maya Kitchen Baking Class with The Burp Society

After our dinner at Van Gogh is Bipolar, we thought it’ll be fun to organize a different kind of activity for the next The Burp Society meet-up. Thankfully, The Maya Kitchen gladly helped us organize a baking class for our group, which turned out to be a completely fun and learning experience for all of us.

The Burp Society and Ms Rory at The Maya Kitchen

Ken’s an excellent pastry chef, which has inspired me to want to learn how to bake. So, I thought it’ll be a great idea to hold a baking class exclusively for The Burp Society. And, almost immediately, I thought about The Maya Kitchen Culinary Arts Center.

Maya Kitchen display of products

I’m sure you’re all familiar with Maya, the brand well-known and trusted for decades by us Filipinos because of the quality of their products. You’ve probably prepared pancakes, brownies, cakes, cookies or even champorado at home with ease because of Maya’s mixes. But, did you know they have been helping out entrepreneurs and home bakers and cooks for years now through the classes they hold at The Maya Kitchen? You can learn more about this through their website: www.themayakitchen.com.

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Zoricho: Putting a Spotlight on Philippine Sausages

One late afternoon, my friend and I got out of work early (a rare feat when you’re working in the hotel industry), so we decided to hang out and grab a bite. We went to this restaurant and started ordering, but a few minutes in, the server approached our table and apologized since all the food we ordered were unavailable. Frustrated and really hungry, we beelined to Zoricho, just across the diner we were previously in.

It’s a good thing I just got my pay check that day, so I wasn’t intimidated much by their chic and upscale-looking interior. 😀 Here are photos of their restaurant in Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas that I grabbed from Gianne‘s blog since I didn’t have a decent camera at that time.

If I only had Php 500 in my wallet, I wouldn’t even dare steal a peek inside. 😀 But don’t be fooled, the dishes on their menu are actually affordable. My friend had been craving for lasagna, so just imagine her delight when she saw one on the menu.

A classic done tastefully, Zoricho Lasagna (Php 250), with a twist of Zoricho meat sauce, was surprisingly good. The serving size was more than enough for one person (10 points for that!).Â The dish had a good play in flavor and texture, with its refreshing hint of herbs, the tanginess from the tomatoes, and the pork Zoricho bits that added a good crunch.

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Fall in Love with Chocolates from CMBV Confectionaires

If there’s one thing Ken and I have in common, it’s our deep love for chocolates. We’re more into dark chocolate, he likes milk chocolate more than I do and I think we have the same amount of liking for white chocolate. So when a common friend offered to let us taste the chocolates he makes, how can chocolate lovers refuse? Let us introduce you toÂ CMBV Confectionaires Co.

CMBV Confectionaires is a chocolate shop owned by 2 friends – Christian, the general manager, and Marvin, the head chocolatier. They’re a fairly new business which started in November 2012 out of their passion for chocolates, skills in chocolate-making and business savvy. Fast forward to 2013, you can now find CMBV Confectionaires’ hand-crafted gourmet chocolates at Manila Polo Club (Manila’s Best), VASK Modern Tapas & Gastronomic Cuisine Restaurant and soon at KYO Patisserie (the last 2 are located at BGC). They also have a shop at Fort Bonifacio. You can find their complete address and contact info near the bottom of this post. 🙂

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Cronuts from Le Coeur de France, Krispy Kreme and Anybody Coffee

We were supposed to scour the Metro to find out which local cronut version is the best. However, after having a taste of 4 different cronut knockoffs, we finally called it quits. 😀 Though we’ve had one very yummy croughnut experience (Dolcelatte), we think we need more variety on the pastries we eat.

So, we decided to put all the other 3 local cronuts we’ve tried into just one post. Behold Le Coeur de France Croughnuts, Krispy Kreme Krispy Kroissant and Anybody Coffee Cronutz.

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Recipe: Chocolate Lava Cake aka Molten Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Lava Cake (a.k.a. Molten Chocolate Cake) is a common dessert in fine dining restaurants and hotels, and that’s the reason why people think it’s very hard and expensive to make. But surprisingly, it’s completely the opposite. It’s so easy that you can make it in 15 minutes. 🙂

The only ingredient that may be considered costly are the dark chocolate chips. We used Hershey’s semi-sweet chocolate that we got for Php 180. Believe me, you won’t even regret having spent that much once you get your first spoonful of the chocolate lava cake. 😉

We’re sure you’ll love this recipe for Chocolate Lava Cake. We highly recommend you serve this with vanilla ice cream to make the whole experience complete. The warm, oozing decadence from the molten chocolate cake is best enjoyed with ice cream, trust me. 🙂

Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe (a.k.a. Molten Chocolate Cake)

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WAFU Greenhills Teppanyaki Omakase Buffet

Over a week ago, Ken and I were invited to a 12-course sit-down Teppanyaki Omakase buffet at WAFU in Greenhills. They’re a Japanese restaurant nestled right in front of the Greenhills Shopping Center. Since Ken has been craving for Japanese food for quite some time now, we accepted the invite right away.

I initially chuckled when I read the name of the restaurant. 😀 After Googling about it, I learned “Wafu” means, literally, “Japanese style“. I’ve had my fair share of Japanese food, particularly tempura, tonkatsu, sushi and sashimi, but I’m pretty sure there’s a ton more for us to know about their cuisine and their culture – which we’re hoping to continue learning through this blog. 🙂

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