food friday Archives - Certified Foodies

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt, SM City San Lazaro

A few hours after my brother Kien flew back from Singapore, we didnâ€™t waste any time and went out. I was picking up my new babyÂ that day in Manila. Since weâ€™re a few blocks away from SM San Lazaro, we decided to head out and look for a place to hang out or to pass the time and test drive my camera.

I was craving for gelato that day, but we werenâ€™t sure if thereâ€™s a store that sells it in SM San Lazaro. So, we were glad we found Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt as soon as we turned a corner by the entrance. We opted to try their froyo instead.

Iâ€™ve already tried frozen yogurt from 3 places â€“ The White Hat, Red Mango and Yogiberry. So far, I enjoyed all of their own versions of froyo, Yogiberry topping the list, followed by Red Mango at close second. So, I was really curious how Tutti Fruttiâ€™s froyo will compare with them three.

First off, I think I was an (frustrated) interior designer in my past life â€˜cause I enjoy taking photos of interiors of food places I visit. This is the table where me and my bro hung out to enjoy our froyo. I love the fun colors they used inside their store and the dotted design of the chairs.

Tutti Frutti Frozen Yogurt has the same concept as Yogiberry â€“ self-service. They have numerous dispensers with different flavors of frozen yogurt. You can mix flavors if you prefer.

Kien loves vanilla flavored anything so he chose that. I chose coffee â€˜cause, well, I love coffee. Plus, he also wanted to try it.

According to what Iâ€™ve read about Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt store, they have 50 different yogurt flavors. Every week, they change flavors of the froyo they have available at the stores. A fun experience for frozen yogurt lovers indeed.

The other flavors they had available when we were there were Death by Chocolate, Original Tart, Very Berry Raspberry, Lychee, Taro-bly Delicious and Strawberry Banana.

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Haagen-Dazs Ice Cream – My New Indulgence

Sadly, Haagen-Dazs has decided to close their operations here in the Philippines.Â Click here to read more.

I’ve been wanting to try Haagen-Dazs ice cream for months now and it was only last September that I finally had a taste of their luscious ice cream. The idea came to me ’cause I was having a really rough day and I needed something to boost my mood. And, so, with my brother accompanying me, we decided to finally head out to HÃ¤agen-Dazs in SM Mall of Asia to try their ice cream.

Some may be a li’l intimidated to try Haagen-Dazs’ ice cream. I can’t really blame them because, first, the name is hard to pronounce. Hahaha. Seriously. I can’t really pinpoint where the name HÃ¤agen-Dazs originated, but this brand of ice cream was established by two Polish entrepreneurs back in the 60’s.

Another reason why most people I know haven’t tried HÃ¤agen-Dazs ice cream is because of the price, that you need a high-paying finance job to afford their ice cream. They’re really expensive, even for me who don’t usually care about the price as long as the food is great. So, that very first time in September that I got to try their world-famous ice cream, it took me a bit longer to decide on what to order ’cause I forgot to withdraw money from my ATM account (hahaha). Good thing one of their staff gave us their menu so we can decide on what to order within my budget. Oh, I love their menu! I wanted to take them home with me! *LOL*

I also love the ambiance inside their store. Their staff were also very friendly. The guy at the counter even offered to take our photos, but I declined ’cause I looked like a mess after what transpired the night before. Anyway, their staff who was waiting on us to order was very patient and even suggested a couple of things we should try. I so wanted to try their Fondue, but I was afraid my bro and I won’t be able to finish everything since we’re planning on having dinner later.

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KFC’s California Maki Twister and BBQ Rods

KFC – It’s Finger Licking Good!

Last week, my brother and I had food delivered from KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), my favorite chicken food joint. We were both craving for their chicken and BBQ rods, so we decided to have them for lunch. We also haven’t tried their new California Maki Twister yet so we added it to our order, plus two KFC Go-go sandwiches for my parents.

By the way, I wish KFC will bring back their Go-go Dragon sandwich. I super love it and I’ve been craving for it.

KFC BBQ Rods â€“ yum!
Php 27.50 per stick

The KFC BBQ Rods is currently Kien’s, my brother, addiction. I understand why because it’s good and the sauce really makes it more enjoyable. Not pairing KFC BBQ Rods with rice is like a waste of the sweet taste of the sauce. *LOL*

I ordered 6 sticks of KFC BBQ Rods â€“ five for my bro and one for me. And, I also ordered their two-piece chicken meal. As always, one chicken is Hot and Crispy, the other one’s in Original flavor. What was delivered to us was still warm, so I really enjoyed it even when a couple of customers at our internet cafe were having their photos printed while I was eating away. *grin*

KFC 2 piece Chicken Meal - Hot and Crispy, Original - CertifiedFoodies.com

KFC 2 piece Chicken Meal – Hot and Crispy, Original
Php 130.90 â€“ ala carte

A few minutes after we were done with lunch, my brother and I decided to have a taste of KFC’s California Maki Twister. We only ordered one since we can share it anyway. I haven’t had sushi ever (but I will, soon!!), so I didn’t really know what to expect. Good thing Kien is a sushi guy, so I told him to let me know if it really tasted close to actual California Maki sushi.

KFC California Maki Twister - CertifiedFoodies.com.jpg

KFC California Maki Twister
Php 86.90 â€“ a li’l expensive for me, but I loved it.

When I took my first bite, the mango filling gushed out of my half of the Twister. It was so good, I can eat another one without feeling guilty. Might need women’s weight loss pills afterwards, though. Hahaha. But, seriously, I loved it!

What’s inside KFC’s California Maki Twister – Mangoes, cucumber, wasabi

The KFC California Maki Twister is made up of cucumber, mango and a hint of wasabi wrapped in a toasted tortilla. Kien said it tasted close to the sushi version. That made me want to try sushi on our next food trip. Woohoo!

Again, KFC didn’t fail my tastebuds. I was quite full after everything we ate. It was like our last supper / meal before we start on our “gradual” diet. But, for now, I am really craving for another KFC California Maki Twister!

Have you tried KFC’s California Maki Twister already?

What do you think? Let me know if you enjoyed it, too.

Enjoy!

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Egg Station Tokneneng : Street Food Goodness

Have you ever had Tokneneng, one of the famous street food here in the Philippines? Tokneneng is usually quail eggs (itlog ng pugo) coated with orange-colored batter, deep-fried to crispiness. Some may say it’s actually chicken eggs and they’re bigger, but the tokneneng I know and love are the small ones. I know how to cook tokneneng at home. It’s very simple, really. I mostly use sweet chili sauce with it, but I’m not that satisfied. The deep-fried eggs aren’t really flavorful since it’s just plain eggs, so the secret to good tokneneng is to enjoy it with rich, sweet and mildly spicy sauce.

Egg Station at Victory Mall in Monumento - best tokneneng sauce I've ever had! - CertifiedFoodies.com

Â Egg Station at Victory Mall in Monumento

My favorite store that sells tokneneng is Egg Station. We never fail to drop by their stall in Victory Mall in Monumento. I love, love, love their sauces. There’s even this one time that we took more sauce than we needed when we had tokneneng for takeout just so we can try to recreate it at home. *LoL*

Egg Station sauces on the side - CertifiedFoodies.com

Different choices of Egg Station sauces on the side

We discovered Egg Station one time when we were checking out the mattress salesin Monumento. I like their setup â€“ you order and they have small plastic bowls covered with plastic bags for your orders. They have containers of sauces on each side of their stall. They even have this small table where customers can sit their bowls and eat away.

Egg Station Price list

Their prices are the cheapest I’ve seen. You get 4 pieces of tokneneng for only Php 10.00. You can order 1 piece of balutthat’s also coated and deep-fried for the same price.

Egg Station sells tokneneng, kikiam, one day old chicken, balut, penoy, squid balls, siomai, etc. - CertifiedFoodies.com

Â Egg Station sells tokneneng, kikiam, one day old chicken, balut, penoy, squid balls, siomai, etc.

They also sell penoy, one-day old chicken (awww… poor li’l things *LOL*), kikiam, squid balls, chicken balls and siomai. They have available drinks, too, selling at Php 12.00 a cup. But, we usually just buy tokneneng from them with lots of sauce. Hehehe.

Egg Station product display - CertifiedFoodies.com

Egg Station street food goodness

I’ll try to recreate their sauce here at home and I’ll share the recipe with you. Might come in handy when we finally open our own carinderiaor eatery here at home.

Tokneneng from Egg Station

Do you have your own recipe of tokneneng sauce you’d want me to try? Please share them with me at the comments section. If you posted it on your blog, leave the link and will post it here. Thanks!

Marty’s Baconette Strips – Oishi’s New Snack!

My partner and I love munching on different snacks or chips when we’re watching our favorite TV series or movies at home after a long day at our internet cafe. And, for the past week, we are in love with Oishi‘s new product â€“ Marty’s Baconette Strips.

Marty’s Baconette Strips are bacon-flavored snacks so if you’re worried about too much fat or calories, then, this snack is for you. It’s actually very light and Mai can’t stop munching on them. The flavor is close to how bacon should taste like so I’m also addicted to it.

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I Love Red Mango Frozen Yogurt!

One of the things that I’m absolutely addicted to nowadays is frozen yogurt. I’m addicted to the regular yogurt, too, but, enjoying a cup or tub of froyo can really freshen up my mood. I mean, it’s healthful and really yummy! So, I now opt to having frozen yogurt over ice cream anytime!

So far, I’ve only tried frozen yogurt being offered by 3 stores â€“ Red Mango, The White Hat, and Yoh-Gurt. All I can say is I enjoyed all of them, but, I love the first 2 more.

Last time we were at SM Mall of Asia, Mai and I headed out to Red Mango to try out their frozen yogurt. I told Mai that I HAVE TO try all the frozen yogurt stores in MOA because I want to compare them to know which store offers the best frozen yogurt in town. And, I’m happy to say that Red Mango did not disappoint.

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