…because we love to eat
I’ve just arrived from Batanes yesterday morning, and I’ve been resizing photos for later use since. We’ve eaten some amazing seafood at this northern island, and for such a pretty price!
I’ll start off the Batanes series with this photo of bloggers and photographers going click happy over food:
In the photo are Marc of Spikeithard.com, Eric of Sugarloaded.com, Melo of PinoyCravings.com and Dino of GearGuru.multiply.com.
Spot.ph invited a some bloggers to have a community meet-up at the Krispy Kreme factory at the Bonifacio High Street in Global City, Taguig. We were welcomed by Spot.ph’s Cathy, Trixie and Karl, who I always bump into during events. Also present was Mark, Krispy Kreme’s Marketing Manager, who told us about the company’s plans for the rest of 2008 and 2009.
It turns out that on the 14th of November, they will be opening their ninth store in the Philippines at the Gateway Mall in Cubao Quezon City. Like all Krispy Kreme openings, the first customer will get a year’s supply of Krispy Kreme donuts. The tenth store will also open later this year, this time at Glorietta Mall in Makati.
Mark also said that they plan to open six more stores in 2009, including stores in the south of Metro Manila. I asked whether the expansion would include opening factories in Cebu and Davao, and he replied that they will look into it. He was surprised when I told him about the Cebu and Davao bloggers asking their friends and relatives who are flying in from Manila to bring them boxes of Krispy Kreme. And it’s not just the bloggers — in all the flights I’ve taken locally, there would always be one passenger carrying a box of Krispy Kreme.
We were also surprised to find out that some of the doughnut variants we have here are unique among the Krispy Kremes in the world. Doughnuts like the Hershey’s and Reese’s doughnuts are actually the initiative of Krispy Kreme Philippines, and because of their efforts, delegates from other Krispy Kreme teams around the world are coming over to Manilato learn about KK Philippine’s marketing secrets. Oh the sweet taste of success!
I did a Toni and went to Random.org to pick the winner of my contest. And the lucky girl is…
DYANIE!
Congratulations Dyanie! Your prize will be sent first thing next week. I hope you and your mom enjoy it 🙂
And for everybody who joined, thank you SO much! Watch out for other contests here in Kainpinoy.com. Or, you can join the contests I’m running over at my travel blog. Get a chance to win a Wii Night package from Redbox or a Jansport bag from Bratpack!
Mother Earth Bags are available over at their Multiply store. Flour sack bags starts at only Php 65, while printed canvas bags starts at Php 95. Perfect for the holidays!
I’ve heard of this chocolate buffet before, and I remember I missed it because I was out of the country the whole time it was on going at the Manila Peninsula. Once I found out that it’s back again this year, I quickly made plans with friends to indulge in chocolate.
Like warriors going into battle, we made preparation. We read and memorized Lori’s Guide to Gorging on the Peninsula Chocolate Buffet. We kept dinner light and rather salty, and admittedly, cheap (for the Chocolate buffet is rather pricey). With tummies partially filled with fast food goodness, we drove to the Peninsula.
We arrived a couple of minutes past nine, and already, some of the plates were already empty. We surveyed they scene, planning our attack on the buffet tables. There were rich and moist chocolate cakes and cheesecakes, creamy mousse, smooth chocolate drinks, chocolate buttons, exquisite truffles and pralines, bread sticks dipped in chocolate, ice creams made with or laced with chocolates, puddings, brownies and cookies, assortment of nuts, fruits and marshmallows to be slathered with three different kinds of fondue. It was mind boggling, but once we got over the shock at seeing so much chocolate, we made our choices and converged back at the table.
Argee, Anna and I hungrily dug into our picks and paused for a nanosecond, savoring each orgasmic bite of chocolate. Everything tastes as good as they looked. Some desserts have a richer and fuller taste than the others, so to cleanse the palate, we tucked into pieces that doesn’t have as much chocolate in them. Unfortunately, (I’m not one for l33t talk, but this is one occasion that calls for it) the chocolate pwned us. We managed 5 or 6 trips back to the buffet before admitting defeat. By the end of the night, I was nibbling on marshmallows, strawberries and ice cream cone — without the chocolate fondue nor the ice cream. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience, all these chocolates. I would not hesitate to go back to this buffet.
Chocolate Buffet at the Manila Peninsula Lobby
Adults: Php 550+
Children (12 yrs & below): Php 225++
For inquiries and table reservations please call The Peninsula Manila at 887-2888, extensions 6757
and 6759 (The Lobby) or 6694 (Restaurant Reservations).
Corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues
1226 Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Following the success of their previous charity fundraisers, White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt is now on their third, with celebrity couple Patricia “Shaan” Bermudez-Hizon and Vince Hizon.
The Hizons will be scooping frozen yogurt for their chosen charity, the Everyday Is Your Birthday Foundation. For almost 8 years, EIYBF has provided a way for people to share their blessings with the needy. It encourages people to celebrate their own birthdays not just through the usual way of splurging on a big party with friends & family, but to also share the greatest gift of LOVE, to the less fortunate. Half of the day’s revenue will be donated to the EIYBF.
So if you’re at the Mall of Asia this Saturday (October 25), why not drop by White Hat, give their yummy Italian frozen yogurt a try and help make a difference.
I’ve been to two Dialogues twice before; it goes without saying that I enjoy these talks that Starbucks organize every two months. This month’s theme is education, and last Saturday, they tapped Lori Baltazar of Dessertcomesfirst.com to share her thoughts and experiences on food blogging and photography.
Lori started of by telling us about herself, her background and how her food blog came to life. It was her passion fervor for food that pushed her to writing and blogging about the one topic she loves most. For Lori, blogging is not just about writing whatever comes to mind. Each post entails much research, usually done right in her personal library of over 400 cook books and several reference books (which includes a descriptionary). Her hardwork can be clearly seen in her blog: each post are detailed and written so lyrically that you find yourself craving even before you reach the last paragraph.
One thing that I vividly remember about Lori’s talk on food blogging was when she said to “trust your taste.” She advises us to be honest with what we think about the food we are reviewing, and not force ourselves to like it, just because everybody else like it. I found myself agreeing, and shamefully admitting to myself that I am guilty of it more than a couple of times. Another thing I remember was to not go to a restaurant when you’re in a bad mood. Again, I agree — bad mood more often than not, affects the general feeling you have about a place, thereby losing your objectivity.
On food photography, Lori shares these pointers:
And here’s Lori talking about macro and using flash:
Afterwards, there was a coffee pairing: Starbucks brews paired with a savory wrap and two desserts. The Organic Shade Grown Mexico was paired with the Basil and Tomato wrap (I forgot exactly what it was), the Colombia Nariño Supremo with the Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownie and the Komodo Dragon Blend with the Mocha Sans Rival (so good!).
The dialogue, the coffee and the pastries weren’t the only things that made this event memorable: I also met one of my readers, the dearest Dyanie who sent me a package of goodies back in August. Yup, couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
I’m not one for fads, but one fad that I do like is the switch from plastic bags to reusable bags (which I’m hoping wouldn’t just be a fad). Before, there was just Envirosax. Then retail stores followed, offering their own branded reusable bags in lieu of plastic, often for a fee. These bags are cute, but sometimes come with a price tag that raises the eyebrows.
Mother Earth Bags is an advocacy project of four friends Nena, Joey, Kat & Angela, who believes in saving the planet one bag at a time. It may be hard to make a dent on the trillion plastic bags used every year, but saving hundreds a year per person is still something, right? Besides, how can you resist these cute bags?
The bags come in printed canvas (Php 95) and flour sacks, both plain (Php 35) and embellished (Php 65).
Now on to the good part! I just got my Mother Earth Bags, and I’m absolutely impressed. The craftsmanship on each is superb! The bags are made at The Livelihood Shop, a program that employs underprivileged women of Taguig. Not only are you helping the environment when you use the bags, you’re also providing these women with livelihood when you buy.
Mother Earth Bags are available on a per order basis, through their Multiply site. Or, you can win a couple of bags for yourself from Kainpinoy.com! To join, simply tell us which one of these phrases describes you perfectly:
Post your answers in the comment box, and be sure to leave a valid e-mail address! This contest is open to all Kainpinoy.com readers, both in the Philippines and overseas. Contest closes on October 31st, and the winner will be drawn and announced on the 1st of November. I’m running a similar contest over at my travel blog, and yes, they’re independent of each other. You can join both contests to increase your chances of winning 😀
I’m not really much of a coffee drinker, I have to admit. Despite working nights, I’ve actually grown accustomed to staying up all night without needing to drink coffee to keep me awake and functional. However, I like trying new things and when I see something new, I have to try it!
While grocery shopping with my family, I wandered over to the chiller to pick up some cheeses and see what else is available. Nestled with the Yakult and yogurts was these small bottles of Nescafe Iced Coffee.
Just a tad bigger than the Yakult bottle, the Nescafe Iced Coffee comes in three variants: Original, Sweet & Creamy and Ginseng. Not a fan of ginseng, I picked up a bottle of Original blend, and two bottles of Sweet & Creamy. At Php 10, it’s cheap enough to buy a couple for taste testing. Apparently, it’s a pretty good buy as well. The Sweet and Creamy variant was exactly as it was labled: very creamy and not overly sweet (to me at least). The Original was good too. I was expecting it to be black, but it was already sweetened and had cream, though not as sweet and as creamy as the other variant.
So if you find yourself in need of a caffeine fix, but don’t have the budget for a pricey cup, head on to the nearest covenience store or grocery and pick up a couple of bottles of Nestle Iced Coffee.
Greenwich invited members of both traditional and new media to formally launch their new Gourmet Overloaded pizzas a couple of weeks back. Instead of a formal press conference, we were treated to a pizza party with Greenwich endorser, John Lloyd Cruz.
Greenwich’s Rufino branch was packed with media people, eagerly waiting the pizza and John Lloyed. At 4 pm, the guest of honor was ushered in, and camera flashes filled the room. After the introductions and raffle, the pizzas were brought out: Hickory BBQ Chicken and Grilled Beef Shawarma.
The Hickory BBQ Chicken Overloaded Pizza was packed with toppings, and in one whiff, and you know the pizza’s bursting with flavor. And it was. The Grilled Beef Shawarma was the winner in my book, though. It was able to capture that shawarma flavor I’ve been hankering for. So much so that I had to resist the urge to roll the pizza slice and it shawarma style XD
And to further prove that I hardly pay attention, I learned that afternoon that the Greenwich Overloaded pizzas are available in thin and thick crusts (which it turns, Ryan already blogged before). I’m partial to thin crusts, but in Greenwich’s case, I highly recommend going for the thick crust version. I find the thick crust softer than the thin crust, and are actually not that thick. I also found out why their pizzas aren’t as oily as other pizzas: they use olive oil!
Greenwich Pizza
Website: www.greenwich.com.ph
Delivery Hotline: 5-55-55
After a blog event in Makati last Saturday, Arpee, Noreen, Eric, Bong and I headed to Rockwell for the Negros Trade Fair. A freak thunderstorm had us changing our plans at the last minute — it was pouring so hard that visibility was zero! Luckily, we were already inside the mall during the sudden downpour. We were left without any plans though… where do we eat?
I seldom go to Rockwell, so I asked Arpee and Noreen to pick out where we’d have an early dinner since they frequent the Powerplant mall. We went down to the lower ground, where most of the the restaurants are. We were overwhelmed with the choices, each restaurant with its own specialty. We were all set to go to Mongkok when we spotted a restaurant that is near and dear to the Lazaros: Milky Way.
I’ve only heard about Milky Way from Arpee’s blog, and I’m glad to finally able to try it. Milky Way is set up much like a turo-turo, where each dish is laid out in glass display and you point to the dish you want to order. My eyes were immediately drawn to the gorgeous pile of Pork Spareribs, and ordered one for myself. I ordered one order of rice to go with it, and a plate of Pancit Luglog.
When the food was served, I went about taking photos as I usually do (except when I’m extremely hungry). Arpee and Noreen, on the otherhand, having eaten at Milky Way several times before, didn’t bother and went about attacking their spareribs and Adobong Pusit. I heard Arpee gushing about the spareribs — how tender the meat was, and how flavorful it is. Quickly finishing my photoshoot, I put my camera and Gorillapod back in my bag and digged in.
I’ve learned to take Arpee and Noreen’s word when they say something’s good, but nothing prepared me for how good the food actually taste. The Pork Spareribs was great in every way — it’s tasty, it’s tender and it has a good proportion of fat at meat. Priced at Php 180 for one slice, it may seem pricey, but bear in mind that it’s a pretty big slice: it’s big enough to share. One rice is not enough for the whole slab, but I refrained from ordering an extra serving because I still have my pancit. The Pancit Luglug was another hit in my book. Unlike other palabok/luglog that tries to overwhelm you with the number of toppings, Milky Way keeps it simple with the delicious aligue sauce, hardboiled eggs, chicharon and spring onions. At Php 90 per order, Milky Way’s Pancit Luglog is a good choice for a filling merienda (try it with their Sago’t Gulaman, which I hear is another clear winner).
Milky Way
Concourse Level
Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Drive corner Estrella St.
Makati City
900 Arnaiz Avenue
Makati City
Ground Level, V-Mall
Greenhills Shopping Center
San Juan