Certified Foodies

Top Picks at 2nd Ultimate Taste Test in Rockwell

If there’s one day we allow ourselves to completely indulge on good food, it’s at the Ultimate Taste Test. This time is no different. Upon seeing the lineup of food purveyors that will be presenting their new products for the coming holidays, we couldn’t wait to be there.

Sadly, Ken couldn’t come because he had to work, so I invited a long-time friend of mine to join me. He’s a food lover too and we both genuinely enjoyed the experience together. Thanks, Alex! 🙂

Since I came from work, I wanted to take a few winks before I went to Rockwell. We finally started our UTT food trip at around 3pm and we finished past 6pm. Take note that we didn’t get to taste everything. Some of the purveyors there are already familiar, so we chose to head on over to the new ones that piqued our interest the most. Plus, the fact that we were already too full at 30+ food items tasted, we just had to skip some.

Just like before, it was hard to pick our (mine and my friend’s) top favorites since there were many standouts, but the decision on who makes it here was all on me. 😉 In no particular order, here are our top favorites from the 2nd Ultimate Taste Test in Rockwell:

Bayani Brew Iced Teas

Since there’s only one beverage at the event that we absolutely loved (except for the beer, of course), I’m putting Bayani Brew on top of our list. Dubbed as Filipino iced tea, their line of products are made of nutritious, local ingredients from Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm in Bulacan. Their section at the UTT was mostly crowded because they were very enthusiastic in telling people about their products. And it’s good to see that many were genuinely interested, including us. 🙂

We were given a taste of 2 of their iced tea flavors. The original variant was a combination of calamansi, lemongrass and pandan. It has this refreshing aroma, and as soon as I took a sip, the exciting combination wanted me to drink some more.

The other flavor was Purple Leaf, brewed from sweet potato, purple leaf tops and lemongrass. What made this iced tea pink was the talbos ng kamote extract. It changes color after brewing, as we were told, thus, staying true to Bayani Brew’s promise of no artificial colors or flavors. If you like your iced tea with an extra dash of sweetness, you’d definitely love this one.

Ron Dizon, the Social Enterprise Head of Bayani Brew, said that they haven’t officially launched Bayani Brew yet, but the price is Php 35 per bottle when they become more readily available here in Metro Manila.

There’s one thing that Ron said that resonated in me – the fact that foreigners are more aware about the hard work of our very own Filipino farmers and the abundance of quality local ingredients that we have available. The beautiful lady pictured above is French, and she was very eager to tell us about the product and what they do, which is just amazing. That’s why we appreciate events like the Ultimate Taste Test where those businesses who can’t go on full-blast marketing are given a chance to let us know that they exist or what they have to offer.

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One Night of Foodgasm

A few weeks ago, Ken and I were invited to be blogger judges at Foodgasm, a food tasting event and competition that was organized by UP Economics Society. Having been a supporter of up and coming food entrepreneurs, we were excited to see who’ll be there. We went home glad that all but two of the participants were completely new discoveries to us.

The event was held at Mercato Centrale, tent area. The venue was a little tight considering the number of foodies who were there to partake on what the food purveyors had to offer. I believe the a/c wasn’t on, so we were hot and sweaty by the end of the event, which I’m sure wasn’t part of the Foodgasm concept. 😉 We think that’s something they can improve on next time around. Still, it was a successful event. 🙂

Before we tell you our favorites, we’d like to congratulate Blue Toque for winning that night. Everyone, including us, loved The Ultimate, their mouth-watering multi-layer cake. Keep it up, Blue Toque! 🙂

Now, let’s get on with our top 5. This list was based on the collective mind of me, Ken and our 2 food trip buddies that night – Ken’s friend, who is also a budding chef, Marge and our nanay. There were a total of 17 participating food businesses and only 5 made it to our list. There were some that almost made it and we’ll share them with you later on this post. For now, rightfully so, the spotlight is on our TOP 5:

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Twinings Diamond Jubilee Tea Blend : A Taste of Royalty

As one grow older, it’s expected that many aspects of ourselves – personality, outlook in life and even our palate – mature as we come of age. In my case, last year, when I decided to shift from drinking coffee everyday to enjoying tea instead, I found myself wanting to taste all sorts of tea out there aside from the tea bags I’m so used to. So, when Twinings sent over this Diamond Jubilee Loose Leaf Tea Blend in honor of Queen Elizabeth’s 60-year reign, I didn’t waste any time to have a taste of royalty at the comforts of our home.

Twinings has been the official tea of the British Royal Family since 1837. In fact, they were granted the Royal Warrant for tea by Queen Victoria 175 years ago and has been marking very important celebration in the royal family with new blends, tin cases, caddies, etc.

This Twinings Diamond Jubilee Commemorative Blend is as special as the significant event it’s celebrating. The limited edition tin case itself is already worth buying this.

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Dimsum Break : Finally in SM North Edsa!

Update: Dimsum Break at SM North Edsa Annex is FINALLY open! Read our review here.

One thing most of you don’t know about me is that I lived in Cebu for about a year. Sure, there are many dishes and food places that anyone traveling there shouldn’t miss like Taboan (best place to buy pasalubong like danggit and dried squid) and Sutukil near the Mactan Shrine (Dampa-style restaurants). But, there’s one specific dish that I have been longing to have a taste of again and that’s Steamed Rice, Cebu style. So, I was frantic when I learned that Dimsum Break from Cebu is opening a branch here in Manila – at SM North Edsa! 😀

(Photo from Dimsum Break’s Facebook page)

When I moved back here, I have been longing for another taste of their Steamed Rice. In a desperate move, I beggedÂ Mai, one of the contributors in this food blog, a pure Cebuana, to come up and share a recipe for Cebu style Steamed Rice that she made here at home. The flavors are close to the actual dish from Cebu, but there’s something missing. Still, the recipe did satisfy our craving.

You might be wondering what the heck this Steamed Rice dish is. Don’t take it literally. It’s not just plain steamed rice. It’s a mix of many ingredients and with just one small bowl, it can fill you up because of the combination of the rice, the sauce, peas, the shrimp and pork (or beef). It’s so good that it’s one of the things I deeply miss about Cebu. 😀 If you’d like to try making at home, check out Mai’s Steamed Rice recipe.

Anyway, going back to Cebu. There are 2 popular restaurants there where you can order Steamed Rice. One is Harbour City Dimsum House, which is my favorite spot. Here’s a REALLY OLD and LOUSY photo of our lunch there one weekend (taken back in 2008, I think, and I didn’t know better 😀 ):

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See You at the 2nd Ultimate Taste Test in Rockwell!

Last year, we went to the first Ultimate Taste Test in RockwellÂ (UTT 6.0) and we feasted on a ton of delicious new discoveries like Carmen’s Best Ice Cream, Tina Pie’s tarts, Theo and Philo Chocolates, and more! It was indeed a very memorable foodie experience and we cannot wait for Rockwell’s 2nd Ultimate Taste Test, as presented by Our Awesome Planet and San Miguel Lifestyle Brews!

This time, instead of just one day, this Ultimate Taste Test will be for TWO DAYS to accommodate 2,000 foodies. The 2nd Ultimate Taste in Rockwell will now be on September 15, 2012, Saturday, ONLY! At UTT 6.0, the whole Rockwell Tent was packed with food lovers ready to take on what 50+ food purveyors at the event had to offer. We know you would be excited about the 2-day this food tasting event. Double the fun! 🙂

This is just perfect for the upcoming holidays. I’m sure many of you enjoy gifting goodies come Christmas and New Year like us, so this is your chance to discover something new from established food suppliers / businesses or from up and coming entrepreneurs. 🙂

Tickets are now on sale! Here are the details:

When: September 15 to 16, 2012 – Saturday and Sunday – 11am to 9pm
Where: Rockwell Tent
Php 585 per ticket per day.
If you choose to come on both days, you’d get a discount. Just Php 1,000 for 2 days.
The ticket price includes the following:
– Food tasting of products from at least 40+ food vendors and Power Plant Mall’s restaurants.
(They should provide different products per day)
– A bottle of San Miguel Super Dry, Premium All Malt or Cerveza Negra (for 18 years old and above)
Maximum of 1,000 foodies only per day.
For tickets:
– Rockwell Customer Care: call 898-1702 during mall hours
– Creative Juice Office: call 570-7827 during office hours

If you are a food business owner and you would like to be part of the Ultimate Taste Test in Rockwell, check Anton‘s post on Our Awesome Planet. It’ll be a great opportunity to showcase your products.

Ken and I will be there on the 16th, Sunday, probably in the afternoon (he’s currently working). We can’t wait! 🙂 Since the event will be on the 15th, I think it’s just going to be me and a foodie friend. Ken has to work.

See you at the 2nd Ultimate Taste Test in Rockwell and let’s all be food critics for a day (or two). 😉

Check our past posts about the Ultimate Taste Tests we’ve been to:

Asia Food Expo, Food and Drinks Asia 2012 : Win FREE Tickets Here!

This September is looking like a very eventful month for foodies, food businesses and new entrepreneurs alike. I guess everyone is getting ready for the coming holidays, and we’re as excited as you are. Among the many events, the Asia Food Expo 2012 and the Food and Drinks Asia 2012Â are the food expos we’re looking forward to the most. And, together with Breakfast Magazine, we’re giving away TEN (10) tickets to these 2 events, so read on. 🙂

If you are planning on opening up a business or you’re thinking about expanding a current one, then, you’d be glad to know that these 2 events are specially focused on different sectors of the food industry.

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KFC Streetwise Cheese Top Burger : Love or Hate?

KFC Streetwise Cheese Top Burger is maybe the most hated among the products that KFC Philippines has ever put out. And if you are among the haters, to tell you the truth, save your energy. Hear us out. 😉

First Impressions

When KFC announced that they have a new product, Ken and I, like most of you, chuckled at the sight of their ad. KFC Cheese Top Burger – a burger with cheese on top of the bun instead of in the middle. Sure, that looks weird and sounds funny right?

Still, Ken and I were curious about it. I read people on my network saying it’s a plain ol’ burger, nothing fancy. I mean, c’mon. For Php 50.00 WITH drinks, what do you expect? 😉

I had EXACTLY that thought in my head when KFC told us they’ll be delivering Cheese Top Burgers for me and Ken to try. This happened over a month ago, a few days after they released it, and memes about it were everywhere (I know, this is an overdue post). Before this, we were already planning on ordering it for takeout when we go grocery-shopping over the weekend. Good thing they did bring us samples ’cause the KFC branch here in Malabon no longer delivers to our area. The burgers were handed over to us still nice and warm.

First impressions were okay, it’s not messy at all to handle. The cheese is baked on top of the bun, so it’s not like it was just placed on top of it or spread like Cheez Whiz.

Now, the taste. Ken wasn’t impressed. But, when I asked if he liked it, he said it’s okay, nothing surprising. I guess he still had that thought in his head about how ridiculous this idea was. He finished it off while I took my time to inspect it.

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Binulo Restaurant : A Foodie Haven in Pampanga

Pampanga is dubbed as the Culinary Capital of the Philippines. No doubt about it, they truly deserve the title for every time I hear “Pampanga,” two of their most popular fare always come to mind – pork sisig and, my ultimate favorite, pork tocino. But stopping over at Binulo Restaurant in Clark, Pampanga for dinner after our short stay in Baguio proved that Capampangan cuisine has more delectable food to offer.

Binulo Restaurant is a single-storey establishment, but yet it’s quite roomy, and the tables are adequately spaced, providing guests more room for movement. The name of the restaurant is actually taken after a cooking method of the native Aeta, which uses bamboo or “bulo” as the cooking vessel for their food.

The first thing that landed on our table was a basket of Pititian with Atchara (Php 185). It’s the Kapampangan (or Capampangan) version of chicharon or fried pork rinds (if you love Cebu’s chicharon from Carcar, you will definitely love this too!), and it is served with vinegar and green papaya relish or atsara.

Usually at home, chicharon and vinegar would be more than enough for me, but coupling it with papaya relish added an interestingly sweet and tangy note that made it harder for me to resist stuffing myself full, leaving almost no space for the rest of our meal. 😀

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Happy 100th Birthday, Julia Child!

Today, August 15, 2012, marks the 100th birthday of Julia Child, the iconic American chef who changed the world of gastronomy through her amazing talent and passion for cooking – oh, and not to mention her personality! How Americans eat and cook at home was never the same because of her as she brought the intimidating art of French cooking to the USA. She may have passed away years ago, but her legacy will continue to nourish future food lovers.

For us here in the Philippines, some may say that she hardly had any influence on how we Filipinos eat or cook. We have our own ways of cooking that can be traced back hundreds of years. We have always loved cooking and eating at home, and most of the influences in our culinary world are from the Spaniards (Europeans) and our neighbors here in Asia. However, with our ever-growing curiosity in tasting what the world has to offer, we, in many ways, have been touched by Julia Child.

I’m sure many of the chefs and culinary experts here in the country are very familiar with Julia Child. Her techniques, her recipes and her cooking tips will continue on for generations to come, I’m certain of that. When you slather on mayonnaise on your favorite bread or dish, or when you prepare and eat an omelette (or omelet), in a way, Julia has been a part of making all those possible to do in our very own homes.

How Julia Child Influenced Us

We may be thousands of miles away from France and America where Julia Child has been a household name, but through the internet and all the technology we enjoy now, she has touched our lives too.

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YOUR Guilty Pleasures : Thank You for Sharing!

You told us about YOUR guilty pleasures, now let us share with you our favorites and the TWO (2) WINNERS who we unanimously voted as the ones with the BEST ANSWERS. To read the entries of the other participants, go here.

Most of you told us about your love for chocolates, pastries and anything sweet.Â But, there were some who sharedÂ their unique (read: weird) guilty pleasures…

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