The Freshest Picks At PICK Manila

Two weekends ago, I was invited to this weekend market out in Manila. I love going to the market, especially weekend markets because of the wide selection of products available. There’s cooked food, fresh meat and fish, poultry, produce, clothes, home ware, even pets on sale.

pika-pika

At the back of SM San Lazaro in Manila is Celadon Manila, a leisurely residential community by ALVEO Land Corp. Every Sunday for the month of September, Celadon Manila plays host to PICK Manila– the first lifestyle weekend market in city.

LCRV (Leche Flan)

If you are a foodie like myself, you’ll be able to go on a food trip with the big mix of culinary delights they have to offer– form Filipino staples like embotido, relleno, aligue (crab fat)–which I had to stay away from (a bit hard, but I managed)- leche flan and other native delicacies to international fare like Japan’s sushi and Italian sodas.

IMG_1952copy

They even sell organic products like organically-grown brown rice and herbs. Gourmet items, foreign and local, like honey and coffee are also sold by some stalls. Fresh fruits and baked products like breads and cakes are also available.

i am the queen, you are the bee.

For the fashionistas and home make-over lovers, PICK Manila also offers a showcase of some of the most novel and exciting finds. Shoes, bags, tops and fashion jewelery for the stylish urbanite and intricate home decor made of glass, wood, and fabric inspired by different cultures for the interior-savvy. I spotted a little wooden decoupaged case and a nice big lamp, both of which were just screaming for me to take them home.

HBA (Pillow)

Though I wasn’t able to take home the box and lamp, I did manage to snag myself a bag of Kalinga coffee which everyone has been raving about. I also bought some fruit and baked goods.

Fudge cookies 2

If you’re not doing anything tomorrow, why not check out PICK Manila. Head on over to Celadon Manila and experience it yourself.

PICK Manila is open on Sundays from 7AM to 2PM.

CeladonManila is a development by ALVEO Land Corp. Please visit: www.celadonmanila.com.ph for more information.

* Promotional photographs were provided by the concessionaires through ALVEO Land Corp.

Which type are you?

Ryan, Rey and I dropped by Delifrance this afternoon to try out their latest offering: the Delifrance Tray Couture. There are four variants: Henri, Philippe, Cherie and Amelia.

Delifrance Tray Couture - Henri
Henri – Premiere Clubhouse and Shrimp Pesto Pasta

 
I am a Henri: a set with half a Premiere Clubhouse and half Shrimp Pesto Pasta. The best part about this set? The crispy bacon in the sandwich and the plumb and juicy shrimp in the pasta.

Delifrance Tray Couture - Cherie
Cherie – California Chicken Clubhouse and Garlic Pesto Pasta

 
Rey is a Cherei: a tray with California Chicken Clubhouse and Garlic Pesto Pasta. He and Ryan particularly loved the mango included in the sandwich.

Delifrance Tray Couture - Amelia
Amelia – Seafood Deluxe Clubhouse and Pomodoro Angel Hair Pasta

 
Ryan, on the otherhand is an Amelia: a combo of Seafood Deluxe Clubhouse and Pomodoro Angel Hair Pasta. I loved the creamy crabstick spread and the lusciously red pomodoro sauce looks enticing indeed.

Philippe, the other tray comes with Tuna Onion Mayo Clubhouse and Beef Stroganoff Pasta, and I intend to try this out next time I go to Delifrance.

All Tray Couture comes with a shot of your drink of choice, creamy soup, crunchy breadsticks, and a rich chocolate dessert.

So are you a Philippe, a Henri, a Cherie or an Amelia? Tell us in your most creative way, and win a free coupon to try out Delifrance’s Tray Couture! Simply write your answers in the comment box, and the ten best answers will be given a prize!

Contest guidelines:

  1. This contest is open to Metro Manila residents and nearby suburbs. Why? Because you’d have to pick up the prize in Makati.
  2. Winners may claim their prizes at Unit 7C, 114 Tuscan Bldg., V. A Rufino St., Legaspi Village, Makati City. Contact numbers are 812-8828, 812-9199, 0917-523-4624. Look for Ms. Joyce Pogoy.
  3. Contest closes on September 30, 2008.
  4. Winner will be chosen and announced on October 1, 2008.

Bacon Mushroom Tops and Chili Cheese Dog

Jollibee has always been one of my favorite fastfoods, and every visit to their store leads to several minutes standing at the counter, undecided which treat to order. Now choosing is even harder with the Jolly Hotdog’s two new variant: the Chili Chesse Dog and the Bacon Mushroom Tops.

Jolly Hotdog Bacon Mushroom Tops

If you think the original Jolly Hotdog was good, it gets even better. The Chili Cheese Dog has spicy beef toppings with cheese. Not too spicy, but it does have that kick. The Bacon Mushroom Tops have bacon bits, mushroom, and you guessed it, cheese.

Jolly Hotdog Chili Cheese Dog

Each variant costs Php42.00 each, but if you order it as a value meal (with drink and regular fries), it would cost you Php 66.00.

Philippine Blog Awards – People's Choice

Hey dear Kain Pinoy readers! Though this blog is relatively young and sparingly updated, it somehow managed to get included in the People’s Choice Awards for the Philippine Blog Awards! We feel so loved ^_^

Here are the list of nominees:

Here’s the mechanics for voting:

This year’s voting is quite different from last year’s. In order for us to accurately tally the bloggers who voted, we jazzed up the voting a bit and made it more exciting.

To vote, you MUST be a Filipino blogger, which means, you need to own a blog. You might be blogging on Blogger, WordPress.Com, Live Journal, Friendster, Multiply, or on a self-hosted
blog—it doesn’t matter—the point is, you need to have a blog to vote. Your blog must be established at least three (3) months from today with a minimum of 10 posts.

Why? Well, read on for the instructions on how to vote for your favorite Bloggers’ Choice Award nominee!

  • Choose only ONE (1) blog from the list of official Bloggers’ Choice Award nominees above. On your blog, tell us why you voted for the nominee. Yes, you can vote for your own blog. And no, you cannot vote for a blog that is not on the list of official Bloggers’ Choice Award nominees.

  • Make sure that the links to the websites of the 2008 Philippine Blog Awards sponsors are included in your post. You MUST include the sponsor links to validate your vote.

    Level Up! Games
    Nokia
    Blog Bank
    Smart Communications
    Josiah’s Catering
    Rsun Technology Store
    Yahoo
    XFM 92.3
    Buddy Gancencia Reality TV
    Ultravision Photo and Video
    Click Booth
    Aloha Board Sports
    Sheero Media Solutions
    YourPinoyBroker.com
    Belo Medical Group
    Inquirer.Net
    Toshiba
    ROAM Magazine
    PLDT

    To make it easier, here’s the code to copy and paste:


  • Submit your post URL and some basic info tthe Philippine Blog Awards committee using this form. Make sure
    that you provide the COMPLETE URL of the post you created for your vote to be valid.

Once you have submitted your vote post URL, wait for the confirmation from one of our committee members. Please be patient, we will manually go through each and every vote post to make sure it’s valid.

So what will you get out of this? Well, aside from the fact that you will make your favorite blogger happy, a valid Bloggers Choice Award vote entitles you one (1) raffle entry.

ONE BLOGGER = ONE VOTE = ONE RAFFLE ENTRY

Source: Philippine Blog Awards

Hmm, I wonder what the prizes are. Not sure when the dealine is, but the Awards night is on the 21st, so cast your votes now! It doesn’t have to be for Kainpinoy… we’ll still love you 😉

Discovering Amazing Cones

“Let’s try that pizza in cone place,” Rey said.

“The what?” I asked. Did I hear him right? Pizza in a cone?

“I heard there’s this place in New Manila that sells pizza in a cone.”

A quick Google search later, I discover that there is indeed a store that sells pizza in a cone: Amazing Cones. Currently, they only have two branches, one along Doña Hemady in New Manila, and the other at the V-Mall in the Greenhills Shopping Center. With a determination to try something new (and having nothing else better to do), Rey and I headed to Greenhills to find out what the fuss is all about.

Amazing Cones 03
My Feisty Fajita and Rey’s Supremo Italiano

 
Basically, Amazing Cones’ specialty are their pizzas, which is served in a pita-esque bread, shaped like a cone. The pizza toppings are put inside the cone and topped with mozzarella cheese. The pizza cones come straight from the oven, served in a cone holder to keep it upright. The cones were hot, and because its shape, the heat is retained longer. You’d have to nibble through the gooey mozzarella to help the pizza toppings cool.

Amazing Cones 02
Amazing Ice

 
Amazing Cones offer a variety of pizza flavors ranging from the familiar to combinations you’d only find in specialty pizza places. I had the Feisty Fajita, which was a refreshing change from the traditional pizza topping with its combination of chicken, bell pepper, onions, cilantro, cheese sauce and mozzarella. Priced between Php 70 – 80 for each cone, it’s decently priced. The cones aren’t too big though, equivalent to one slice of pizza.

We each had Black Gulaman Amazing Ice to go with our pizza cones, and an Amazing Swirl Kool Twist & Amazing Swirl Crunchi Creme for dessert. Priced at Php 60, I didn’t find the Amazing Ice a good value, specially since the large cup wasn’t large at all and I didn’t like its taste (and mind you, I LOVE gulaman). My Kool Twist in its regular cone costs Php 65, while Rey’s Crunchi Creme was priced at Php 80 and comes in a Belgian Waffle cone. As you can see in the picture, they were very generous with the ice cream. The ice cream was creamy indeed, and each order can be shared.

Amazing Cones 06
Amazing Swirl

 
The concept is cute and intriguing. I loved the Feisty Fajita and the ice cream cone (though I doubt I’d be eating ice cream again anytime soon). I’m definitely going back to try the other flavors.

Amazing Cones
#11 Doña Hemady Street
New Manila, Quezon City
Phone: (632) 4165299 / 7241402
Fax: (632) 7227904
Website: http://www.amazingcones.com

Unit V118 G/F V-Mall Building
Greeenhills Shopping Center, San Juan

A taste of Cebuano: CNT Lechon

The second weekend of August found me, Eric and Melo in Cebu to cover the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo festival, as well as to be reacquainted with Cebuano favorites.

One of Cebu’s best delicacy of course, is the lechon. I don’t know what it is about Cebu’s lechon, but its Manila counterparts simply can’t measure up. The skin is really crispy and the meat is so tender and juicy.

Cebu Lechon CNT 02
Oh yes. I torture you with pictures of lechon.

 
Among the tourists, the “brand” we’re all familiar with is CnT Lechon. This is probably because there are several CNT branches scattered all over Cebu. Inside SM City Cebu, they can be found at the supermarket foodcourt. Likewise, at Ayala Center Cebu, CNT also have a stall at the mall’s foodcourt. Of course, their lechon is superb, hence the popularity of CNT among the locals and visitors alike.

We went to the CnT restaurant that’s found right across SM Cebu, along Juan Luna Extension. It’s a popular dining place during the weekend, and even though we arrived at 1pm, it was still packed with families having Sunday lunch. Ordering is done at the counter, where you tell the girl behind the counter how much lechon you want to order, and pick out any additional dishes you want to go with it, turo-turo style.

Cebu Lechon CNT 04
Don’t worry, this is hurting me as much as it hurts you… I want lechon, too!

 
Soon enough, two plates of chopped lechon is in the center of the table. We all reach for a strip of skin and our eyes collectively rolled back when we bit into it. It was crispy, like chicharon, yet tastes distinctly like lechon. A second set of eye-rolling ensues when we tasted the meat. The Cebu lechon has a distinct flavor — it’s so good there’s no need for any sauces!

Now, when are we going back to Cebu?

CNT Lechon
1377 V. Rama Avenue
Guadalupe, Cebu City
Phone: (6332) 254-4249, (6332) 254-6641

Thinking of bringing home a Taste of Cebuano (as CnT’s tagline say)? CnT have boxes for their lechon, so you can bring home the best Cebu lechon for friends and family. Just tell the staff behind the counter that you want it boxed when you order. You can even order a whole lechon from CnT, and have it sent via air cargo!

Scooping for charity: Miguel Escueta for White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt

Miguel Escueta and White HatIn an effort to give back to the community, White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt is teaming up with singer Miguel Escuata to raise funds for his charity of choice.

On the 24th of August, Miguel with don the White Hat apron and stand behind the counter, serving the real Italian frozen yogurt to customers. Half of the day’s earnings will be donated to I Am Strong, an NGO aiming to help the youth become responsible adults. They do this by conducting nationwide training to impart values such as being trustworthy, being respectful, doing noble deeds, being steadfast in times of crisis, being open-minded and being gutsy enough to face challenges.

Now isn’t this a good enough reason to try out White Hat? 😉

White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt
2/F Entertainment Mall
SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City
Location Map: (click to view large)
White Hat in Mall of Asia

Tasting the best hamburgers at Pepper Lunch

I’ve been eagerly waiting to try Pepper Lunch, ever since I read about it in Chuvaness’ blog, one of Pepper Lunch’s owner. So have every blogger subscribed to her blog. When it finally opened, fans came in droves, resulting in long lines that snake around the Powerplant’s basement. Two months after, I was finally able to try it for myself.

Hamburger at Pepper Lunch
Melo’s Hamburger Steak

 
After reading several blogs singing praises for the flavorful meats, I had high expectations. Also, after seeing countless pictures of the servings and the menu, I know what to order even before I went.

I had the Cut Steak and Hamburger Combo, while my dinner buddy Melo had the Hamburger. For dessert, I ordered the Vanilla Crepe Cake.

Combo Cut Steak and Hamburger at Pepper Lunch
Combo Cut Steak and Hamburger

 
The steaks were served in a hot plate. Not just any ordinary hotplate — Pepper Lunch uses a patented technology that heats up to 300 degrees so you can cook your meat, and keeps your food hot without burning it. It’s also non-stick, so there’s no danger of your food sticking to the metal.

The meats arrive sizzling. There’s instruction printed on the paper that shields you from the bubbling oils. Basically, when you’re served your meal, you’re supposed to slather the flavored butter across the meat and cook it to your desired done-ness. There are two kinds of sauces you can use on your veggies and meat: Garlic Soy Sauce and the Honey Soy Sauce.

Vanilla Crepe Cake at Pepper Lunch
Vanilla Crepe Cake

 
The meat and hamburger were good on their own, even without the sauce. The hamburger was incredibly juicy, and the cut steak reminded me of bacon with its generous sliver of fat. Bacon = good. Mmmm, bacon.

Bacon talk aside, the entire meal was good. Another thing that stood out for me was the rice. They use real Japanese rice, and you can clearly taste the difference from ordinary rice. The dessert was light and fluffy. Good enough, but I’ll probably order a different dessert next time.

UCC: More than just coffee

Though not a hardcore coffee drinker, I enjoy going to coffee shops mainly for the pastries. I was quite pleased to find out that apart from having good quality coffee, UCC Vienna Cafe also serves sumptous meals and desserts.

UCC Vienna Cafe 8
Coffee: The perfect drink for those who oversleep.

 
After tasting UCC’s much lauded coffee (house blend, Sumiyaki and Blue Mountain), we were treated to some of their best selling dishes.

UCC Vienna Cafe 9
Spicy Seafood Soup Spaghetti. Repeat that 5 times.

 
First to arrive was the Seafood Soup Spaghetti. Sounds weird? Spaghetti noddles swimming in tomato sauce, with a generous topping of plump shrimps and squid. It was a rainy Tuesday morning, and the hot soup with just a hint of spice was the perfect way to warm up.

UCC Vienna Cafe 11
Japanese Salad

 
The Japanese salad served next had a generous serving of greens, deep fried seafood to satisfy those who don’t like veggies, with Japanese mayonnaise as dressing.

UCC Vienna Cafe 15
Sumiyaki Eel

 
Next we had the Sumiyaki Eel — eel fillet marinated in a special sauce and lightly fried, then topped on pasta with creamy white sauce. The marinade gave the eel a strong flavor that complimented the cream-based sauce.

UCC Vienna Cafe 17
Yakiniku!

 
There was also Yakiniku, serve on top of rice. Yakiniku is thinly sliced beef, marinated and grilled. Like the eel, the meat also had a strong flavor, and goes really well with lots of rice!

UCC Vienna Cafe 18
Hamburg Curry Rice

 
Last was the Curry and Hamburg with rice. Japanese Curry, unlike its Indian and Thai counterpart, has the curry flavor, sans the spice (or not as spicy). The hamburger was thick and juicy — how hamburgers are supposed to be.

Of course, it didn’t end there!

There were cakes galore, paired with fresh fruit shakes!

UCC Vienna Cafe 25
Blueberry-Banana, Mango-Kiwi, Apple-Strawberry, Mango-Orange, Strawberry-Kiwi — Take your pick!

 

UCC Vienna Cafe 23
Very moist Tiramisu

 

UCC Vienna Cafe 28
Apple pie with HALF an apple!

 

UCC Vienna Cafe 20
Chocolate-y Chocolate Cake

 

UCC Vienna Cafe 22
Japanese Cheesecake, Caramel flavor

 

Still not done, we were then presented with UCC’s coffee jelly, and yes, even more coffee!

UCC Vienna Cafe 26
Coffee Jelly~~~

 

UCC Vienna Cafe has branches in Thomas Morato (Quezon City), Connecticut Street (Greenhills), The Podium (Ortigas Center), SM Mall of Asia (Pasay), The Block at SM North EDSA (Quezon City), The Clubhouse at Corinthian Hills (Quezon City), Rustan’s (Makati) and SM Pampanga (Pampanga).

UCC Cafe Terraces has branches at the Forbes Town Center in Global City, Paseo Center in Makati, Rockwell Drive in Makati, Westgate Center in Alabang, Robinson’s Midtown in Manila and Trinoma Mall in Quezon City.

UCC Park Cafe is located at the Glorietta Park in Makati.

The Return Of The Amazing Aloha And Cheesy Bacon Mushroom

Two all-time Jollibee favorites are making a comeback!

I am happy to announce that Jollibee is bringing back the Amazing Aloha and Cheesy Bacon Mushroom burgers!

Cheesy Bacon Mushroom
Cheesy Bacon Mushroom Solo- Php 82.00 / Value meal- Php 108.00

I’ve always loved the Amazing Aloha, so I was a bit dismayed when I found out that it had been removed from the menu. When I had the opportunity to talk to Ms. Arline Adeva, Joliibee PR Manager, a few weeks back, I told her how much I loved the Amazing Aloha and asked if it will ever come back as part of the menu. She told me, with a smile, “let’s just wait and see.” I’ve wondered how long I would have to.

So you can just imagine how overjoyed I was when I learned earlier this evening that they are indeed bringing them back. In my mind I was screaming “My prayers have been answered!”

Along with some friends from the press, I was lucky enough to be one of the first to sample the improved Amazing Aloha and Cheesy Bacon Mushroom burgers.

The Cheesy Bacon Mushroom is made up of soft toasted buns layered with 100% pure beef double patty, strips of bacon, mushrooms, and a slathered with a hefty serving of cream cheese.

Amazing Aloha
Amazing Aloha Solo- Php 82.00 / Value meal- Php 108.00

The Amazing Aloha is unique, and like no other burger you’ll find in the Philippines. I think no other burger chain in the country has a burger like it: a burger made of 100% pure beef double patty, bacon, cheese, lettuce and a thick slice of pineapple, sandwiched by a soft toasted bun.

From being single-patty sandwiches, both burgers now boast of juicy double patties, topped with the great-tasting toppings. I just can’t get over how good they tasted!

I guess it’s true what they say– it’s definitely sweeter… the second time around.

The Amazing Aloha and Cheesy Bacon Mushroom burgers will be available in all Jollibee stores nationwide beginning August 13, 2008.