Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf opens at One Archer's Place near DLSU Manila

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf comes to One Archer’s Place on Fidel Reyes St. near De La Salle University (DLSU), along Taft Avenue in Manila. The new The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf shop opened its doors to its first customers yesterday, January 30, "serving everyone with their full selection of internationally-acclaimed signature blends and gourmet treats and dishes."

In line with its debut, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® branch in One Archer’s Place will be holding a special promotion that will coincide with DLSU’s 100th year celebration. During the promo period that will run from its opening day till February 05, 2012, customers can come to the store from 12:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon and purchase any of their favorite drinks for only Php 100.

“Manila is a good market for us,” shares Walden Chu, President of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®. “A place that’s right in the center of a burgeoning coffee culture in the country, this new branch will not only compliment the busy lifestyle of people in the area, it will also make it easier for more to enjoy the specialty drinks that our brand is known for.”

The One Archer’s Place store will be located near prominent establishments around DLSU and will cater mostly to students and young professionals working and living in the vicinity. In addition, it will serve as a haven for both cult-like followers of the brands as well as coffee and tea aficionados of all sorts.

The White Hat Creamy Cioccolato

Want a new experience for enjoying HOT CHOCOLATE? Instead of having it made for you, you can have fun blending your own hot chocolate with The White Hat’s new DRINK called THE WHITE HAT CIOCCOLATO.

You will be given THE WHITE HAT SPOON encased in a block of premium chocolate. Then, they will warm a cup of milk for you so you can slowly melt the chocolate into the milk and smell the rich aroma before savoring the oh-so-delicious and REAL HOT CHOCOLATE. SPOON, STIR, SIP -- It’s truly an experience worth waiting in line for.

The White Hat can be found at these Metro Manila Outlets:

Glorietta 3
Robinson’s Place Ermita
Robinson’s Galleria
Rustan’s Makati
Shangri-La Mall
SM Fairview – Annex 2
SM North Edsa – Annex Bldg.
Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street

Moshi Moshi and Red Mango in Katipunan

Moshi Moshi and Red Mango in Katipunan
by Nicole

On a fine Tuesday afternoon, I went to Katipunan with one of my awesomest pals. We went to check some books for our reading list. (Hello Fully Booked!)

For those of you who have not been to Katipunan for ages, there's a new commercial building in the area and it houses Fully Booked, Coffee Bean, aaaand new eating houses!

Right before browsing books, I got hungry so my friend and I had our early lunch at one of the restaurants there. I actually wanted to try Saint's Alps Teahouse because of Bong's post about it but we decided to try Moshi Moshi instead.

What a homey, cozy place! I liked how spacious this restaurant was and I was so pleased that it was not crowded.

Moshi Moshi is a Japanese restaurant and their menu has the typical japanese dishes - they've got takuyaki, okonomiyaki, and donburi among others. Donburi is very much like the Filipino rice topping (rice plus ulam on top) and in Moshi Moshi, you can make your own Donburi by choosing what you want to have in your rice bowl. Top it with meat, egg, kimchi (I think I saw kimchi there), etc. - you decide.



Moshi Moshi's Menu

My friend and I chose two of their "special" donburis - the chicken teriyaki don, and the curry don. I had the curry don - all vegetables; no meat - hooray! I was very happy that I was able to choose weather I would like my curry don with or without meat.



All Vegetable Curry Don (Php 105)

This curry. . . it was just okay. It was a little bit spicy (I could taste they put quite a lot of black pepper in it.)



Chicken Teriyaki Don (Php 135)

 The serving was rather small and according to my friend, their chicken teriyaki was salty (she asked me to taste it but I wasn't able to because I was busy talking so I forgot ha ha!). Anyway, I really liked that the rice was perfectly cooked!

We didn't order any dessert in Moshi Moshi because I wanted my friend to try my favourite yougurt place, Red Mango! We tried their waffles.


Banana Almod Waffles (Php 85.00)
Extra Yogurt (Php 40.00)
Blueberry toppings (Php 5.00)



Green Tea Waffle (Php 85.00)
Extra Yogurt (Php 40.00)

WE LOVED RED MANGO'S WAFFLES! They were reaaaaallly yummy! I thought the green tea waffle wouldn't taste that good but it was soooo goood! Top it with Red Mango's original yogourt - hands down super d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! My friend and I really enjoyed our dessert time here in Red Mango Katipunan. The place is perfect for students who want to munch something while studying. :) I'm absolutely going to get my sisters and my friends to try Red Mango waffles!



Address and Telephone Number

Moshi Moshi
2/F #327 Katipunan Ave.
Loyala Heights, Quezon City

Red Mango
2/F #327 Katipunan Ave.
Loyala Heights, Quezon City
+63922 820 8456


P.S.

I'd like to thank my friend Jad for all these photos and for an awesome day! Weeee!

Therese in Taiwan: Peanut and ice cream wrap 花生捲加冰淇淋

Obviously, I'm not good with "technical terms." I don't actually know how this is called in English, but I'm calling it the peanut and ice cream wrap, because it literally is that.

I was able to try this at Jiufen Old Street, located in Keelung city (north of Taiwan) but I think they're also available in some night markets here in Taipei.

There's a bed of crushed peanut topped with 2 scoops of ice cream, and wrapped with what I believe is rice paper. They're yummy! It sounds crazy but even if it's cold outside, ice cream is still ice cream, and I believe that ice cream is a must-eat!

I think this costs around 30 NT (~PhP 45) but I'm not sure. It's worth a try though!

How to get to Jiufen from Taipei:

Take the train from Taipei Main Station to Ruifang Station, and then look for the Keelung bus (across the street) bound for Jiufen

Get off at MRT Zhongxiao Fuxing station and take the bus bound to Keelung. I think you can take buses 1815 and 1810.

Danne: Happy Chinese New Year!

Just wanted to share with you some of the dishes we had last night in celebration of Chinese New Year. This would be a "for fun" post rather than the usual restaurant review kind I'm doing.

We ate at Legend Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant in Macapagal Boulevard (near Mall of Asia).

Let's begin!

First up is Spinach Soup.

Sweet and Sour Pork, which is the most staple dish in Chinese gatherings (at least for us).

Yang Chow Fried Rice, which is another usual dish.

Broccoli with fresh scallops-- this is one of my favorites. Tasty, plus it's healthy for your body.

Another favorite is the Steamed Lapu Lapu. The sauce and the softness of the fish is what makes this really good.

It was my first time to try these Breaded Lobsters. Tasted really delicious! Since Legend was a seafood restaurant, we really tried to order seafood rather than other kinds of meat.

And we also had this saucy beef dish which is best eaten with cuapao (steamed buns).

Chinese food is really very yummy, probably because of the rich and long history behind it. There's no better way of celebrating Chinese New Year than eating.

Xin nian kuai le! :-) (Happy Chinese New Year!) Wear red!

Danne

Legend Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant

Address: Macapagal Highway, Pasay City

Telephone no: (02) 833-3388

Saint's Alp Teahouse

It was my first time to try Saint's Alp Teahouse. I brought my family to Saint's Alp Katipunan, located right above the Fullybooked branch along Katipunan Avenue, in front of Ateneo. I have been really curious about this place, as I have tried other milk tea and tea stores which have taken Manila by storm, and sprouted like mushrooms everywhere you look. Lucky for tea lovers like myself, we have a lot of options to choose from.



Saint's Alp Teahouse has a nicely decorated interior, which provides comfy seats and great ambiance. It isn't just a tea shop, because it also offers a variety of food and beverage items for customers to choose from (which is also good, come to think of it).




And since I had Php 1000 gift certificate to use that night, I browsed through a very long menu, and decided to order these for the family to try:



We ordered the 2 Taiwanese Breaded Chops (Chicken and Pork) with Marinated Minced Pork add ons (Php 195 + Php 60 = Php 255): Quite honestly, I like the chicken better than the pork. The chicken chops were okay, but with the minced pork combined, it was good and filling. We also got a Large Chicken Breast (Php 110) to add on to the chops.



An all time Filipino breakfast favorite, the Beef Tapa w/ Garlic Rice & Egg (Php 195), I think, was the better choice. The tapa was soft, tasty, and flavorful.



For cheese lovers, you might want to try their Cheesy Tempura Balls (Php 90), which is a good appetizer. Watch out for the oozing hot cheese, if you don't want to scald your tongue. It's fried cheese in light tempura batter.



A must try off their menu is the Matcha (half-and-half) Peanut Butter Toast with Tea (Php 90). Matcha flavor and peanut butter with honey green tea equals perfect combination. The toast is a perfect snack, combined with a perfect hot tea, which is flavorful.




The drinks reminded me why the place is called a teahouse. Surely, I can say that the beverage is good. As for drinks, we got the Almond Milk Tea (Php 115) and Blueberry Double Chocolate Sorbies (Php 130). The almond milk tea is a refreshing taste, something different from what I have tasted so far. I think it's good for almond lovers, or those who want the tea taste hidden. The Blueberry Double Chocolate Sorbies is one of the best iced blended drinks you should try in Saint's Alp. Who would have imagined blueberry and chocolate (double) actually works. It's a little sweet for my taste though, other than that it's a perfect cooler!



Last, but definitely not the least. This is the star of the night. The best drink I have tasted in Saint's Alp Teahouse. It's actually not a tea-based drink, but it's great for coffee lovers, like myself. Sumiyaki Coffee with Coffeeagar (Php 150). Really good strong coffee with coffee jelly on ice. Yummy! :)



Saint's Alp Teahouse
2/F Regis Center, 327 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City
G/F Forbeswood Parklane, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel#: 990-2194 (Katipunan), 478-7135 (Fort Branch)
http://www.saintsalp.com.hk/

Danne: Ramen / Ramen Bar Eastwood

When I was living in Japan I got the chance to eat authentic Japanese cuisine-- those in side streets, prepared by seasoned cooks, those that weren't necessarily expensive but you'd know they're authentic.

One of the best (if not the best) ramen I've tasted is Ippudo Ramen, which is located just outside our dorm (but they have several stores around Japan). It was very tasty, rich, authentic! You should try, if ever you go to Japan.

And then there was the Ramen Museum in Yokohama, which deserves its own post! (Perhaps I'd write about it one of these days!)

Last week I got to reminisce my love for this Japanese noodle dish when I ate at Ramen Bar in Eastwood.

This was their ramen selection.

First order that came out was the Shoyu Ramen (PhP 280), which was soy infused tonkotsu ramen topped with tamago, naruto, negi, chasyu, butter and corn. If you see the eggs beside it, it's an order of Tamago (PhP 50).

Next up was an order of Chasyu (PhP 120), which very much resembles the Chinese Cha-sho (Asado).

We also tried the Yakiniku Beef Rice Topping (PhP 165), which very much tastes like Japanese gyudon to me.

This is the Spicy Kakuni Rice Bowl (PhP 185), which is pork belly with rice.

Overall, the eating experience reminded me of how we used to enjoy Japanese cuisine in Japan, probably one of the best types of food around.

There's more kinds of ramen to try. Not only from this restaurant, but also from others. I'm looking forward! If you'd like to recommend any ramen restaurant, kindly comment in the comment box at the end of this post and I'd be sure to try.

Danne

P.S. Check out my new site, http://dannelim.com if you have time. In there is my graphic design folio, blog, among many other things!

Ramen Bar Eastwood

Telephone no. (02) 570-9457

Address G/F Eastwood Mall , Libis, Quezon City, Philippines

http://www.facebook.com/ramenbar

Yummy celebrates 5th with a "fresh start"

YUMMY magazine is celebrating a milestone this year as 2012 marks their fifth anniversary. To kick off their year long celebration, YUMMY is introducing new columns and sections. Editor-in-chief Becky Kho says, “YUMMY is expected to be a more fun, helpful, useful cooking and dining companion for you.”

With the addition of new pages, YUMMY now boasts of a meatier content. Guest Chef is a new section where readers can get to know the cooking style of a noteworthy personality each month. Another is the Yummy Likes! which features YUMMY editors’ current best picks of their favorite food, drinks, and restaurants in the country.

The Everyday Recipes section is now given an upgrade with the addition of more baon ideas using five ingredients only. Plus, YUMMY also trains the spotlight each month to local artisans who are living out their passions in their Making It page.

Readers can also expect more surprises in the coming months. Kho adds, “Content is not only the only aspect of the magazine we’re making better. In our next issue, we will also unveil the all-new look of YUMMY.”

The January-February issue of YUMMY is also a healthy issue which features homegrown products and local superfoods guaranteed to improve your lifestyle, help you make the right food choices, and achieve a balanced and healthy diet.

YUMMY is available at newsstands, bookstores, and supermarkets nationwide. For more of YUMMY online, visit www.yummy.ph.

Photo courtesy of Yummy Magazine. :)

Tiffy Learns How to Cook: An introduction

When I was in Japan last October/November, my boyfriend's mother taught me how to cook.

Yes, that's right--and she had every reason to. 

When I was on my vacation at their house the year before last, Nori and I were waiting for dinner when he nudged me to offer his mom help with the salad. I did, and she handed me a knife and a cucumber to cut. As I was slicing the cucumber, she glanced at what I was doing and went, 危ない！ (That's dangerous!) at what I was doing. My left hand was grabbing the cucumber and apparently, you should not do this. 

This is how you do it, noobz.

[Photo source: How to cut vegetables]

That very same night her mom handed me a persimmon and a knife to peel it. I was having such a hard time at it that she ended up peeling it for me. At this point, I should mention that his mom is a sweetheart so she didn't really give me a hard time about it. 

My boyfriend, of course, was shocked: how can you not know how to cut vegetables, or cook? Didn't you learn it in school?

Oh, we did have a class where we had to cook. It's just that, I was the one who washed the dishes. 

In my next two posts, I will show you two recipes that I learned. Until then, can you recommend dishes that would be awesome to learn? Or any sort of kitchen tips (like, how you're not supposed to throw the dishwashing sponge in the washing machine--oh yes I did)?

Don't forget to join our ongoing giveaway! 

Juan Carlo the Caterer: Press Conference for Wedding and Debut Fair 2012

Juan Carlo the Caterer: Press Conference for Wedding and Debut Fair 2012
by Nicole

As an ambassador of the Manila Foodistas (muwahahaha! :D), I went to the press conference for the Wedding and Debut Fair 2012 held at Plaza Ibarra in Timog last January 12. One of the major highlights of this event was a taste of the food from Juan Carlo the Caterer.

Born in 1995, Juan Carlo the Caterer is a Batangas-based catering business. They are known as the "caterer to the stars." I'm not a star hence it's no surprise that it was the first time that I've heard of them. Anyway, their clients included Regine and Ogie (when they got married), Sharon Cuneta (a regular customer), and the most recent were singer Kyla and basketball player Rich Alvarez also on their wedding. (Wow! I didn't even know that those two got married already! Yes ladies and gents, I live in a different kind of world).

So okay, let's get down to food.

Hors d'oeuvres (I'd rather call 'em munchies)

For the starter, they had this interesting chicken croquettes. Oh I liked their croquettes! Their version was not the usual oily, tasteless fried food but rather it was flavourful, not dry, and how I liked that it had a hint of spicyness.

Chicken Croquettes

The other munchies served were these mini tacos. I'm not a caterer so perhaps my comments would not be that much reliable but that won't stop me from commenting ha ha! In my opinion, tacos are really challenging to serve in any kind of catering because tacos, when served like this in this photo, go soggy right away.

Mini tacos

Salad/Vegetable

In a western setting, salad is served after the main course (except for the United States and England where I read it's normally served in between the appetizer and the soup). They didn't have salad at the event but I sure loved this buttered vegetable! Not overcooked (vegetables were still crispy)  and the butter was not overpowering - just the way I wanted it.

Buttered Vegetables

Main Course

Here comes the meat! How do I summarize these entrées? Three words: tender, juicy, and flavorsome!

Goat Kalderetang Batangas

This kalderetang kambing (goat) was a sure winner! The meat was very tender, juicy, and it's not swimming in oil. I really, really liked this dish! Really good! So happy to find a Filipino dish on the menu too.

Chicken Masala

It's the first time I ate this Chicken Masala. After googling it, I found out that this is an Indian food - no wonder it tastes like Indian curry. I like this one too because it's savory - not bland neither pungent. The chicken is very tender.

Salmon

 Okay, I forgot to note the name of this dish. One thing is certain - this is salmon, a perfectly cooked salmon - you would love how beautifully pink it was! This is yummy! I'll ask my mother to cook this. :)

Pork Geneva Style

Geneva - a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. This pork dish has cheese, banana, and topped with parsley.

Ox Tongue with Buttered Mushroom

I can't remember the last time I ate lengua or tongue in English. The lengua was also tender. I liked the sauce! It's not salty - just right for my taste buds. And that cute cake icing-looking design (?) surrounding the meat is actually mashed potatoes :D

DESSERTS

I'm not into sweets so it's a little bit hard for me to comment on these desserts. I'll try my best though.

I forgot to try this one! Those cherries and grapes looked fresh! It has kiwi on it too.


Sansrival with Pistachio nuts

Not a fan of their sansrival. I guess this would be yummier if served chilled.

This dessert is the most unforgettable! All along I thought these were little brownies BUT NO! What a sneaky dessert! Ha ha! The base was like that of a bar of chocolate with lots of sugar topped with cherries, cornflakes, raisins, and nuts (I believe almonds).



Fruit Jelly

Aside from fruit jellies, they had buko pandan too - the one I chose to try. It was sweet.

Buko Pandan

My plates

When I was growing up (well actually until recently) my eating habit was eat everything that's edible but. . . times have changed. I've turned myself into a picky eater basically because of  all those diseases that you could get from eating the wrong food. I remember one sage said, "people don't die of terrorism and violence. We kill ourselves by a spoon and a fork." So why on earth am I saying this? Well, this was the reason why on my plate, as you can see, I only got tiny servings - just to taste actually and not to waste if I didn't like it.

At any rate, I sure liked the food! The service was okay too. Now I know why Juan Carlos is famous among the celebrity people.

The Venue

This was one of the rooms in Plaza Ibarra where the press con for bridal and debut fair of 2012 was held. The set-up was very western.

Juan Carlo the Caterer is a major sponsor to the Weddings & Debuts 2012 Bridal Fair. This event will be held from February 17 to 19, 2012 at the SM Megatrade Halls 1, 2, and 3. Their press release says that anybody can get free entrance to this event by simply logging on to www.weddingsanddebuts.com.ph or texting your name to 0915 811 7839.

The souvenir

They gave each attendee these goodies - Chile red wine, press release stuff (photos, print info and a CD), aaannnddd gift cheques!



Speaking of gift cheques, Manila Foodistas will be giving away these gift cheques worth 500 pesos to the one fantabulous winner! :D

Here's how: