Nothing is sweeter than to end a tiresome week with good friends who shares the same love and passion for food and good conversation. Last week was quite a challenge for me as I run against time just so I can finish all tasks at hand. Good thing that after the crazy week that was, my friends and I were able to attend the last day of Best Food Forward held at NBC Tent, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig. Proceeds from the event will go to Bayan-anihan and the Unang Hakbang Foundation, so it’s like helping others while enjoying good food. Indeed it was one delicious summer weekend.
A lot of merchants from the food industry joined the fair to showcase their products. Some are already well known while the others are just on the onset of introducing their business to the market, nevertheless, most of them are worthy of your money and time. Every stall there put so much effort in order for the public to enjoy what they can offer.
I couldn’t count how many food I have tried and enjoyed, so these are just some of them who really captures not just my attention but my palate as well.
Spinach, Feta, Sundried Tomatoes Mini Quiche and Mushroom & Sour cream Mini Quiche by SIMPLY PIE
Simply Pie
Baby Pies, Puff Pies, Muffins, Healthy Cakes
For Orders or Inquiries:
Contact Person: Gail Genevieve Ang
Tel. No.: 341-2238
Mobile No.: 0922-8822194
Email: gailgenevieve@yahoo.com
Website: www.simplypie.multiply.com
Facebook: www.facebbok.com/simplypie
Insanely Delicious Cupcakes by KLAR JOSEPH
Try their Red Velvet, Bailey’s, S’mores, and The Diplomat. They are all to die for! Gorgeous couple Klarisse and Joseph who owns this business are so nice and very accommodating to their customers. Very promising cupcakes!
Klar Joseph
Tel. No.: 633-9954
Mobile No.: 0917-5335527
Email: klarjo@gmail.com
Website: thespoonisflat.com
Wicked Bites by DRAGONFLY DESSERTS
Their wicket bites is extremely moist and chocolatey with a kick of chili spice. A more solid version of Gelatissimo’s Chocolate Chili Gelato, in my opinion.
Dragonfly Desserts
Tel. No.: 506-9922 / 415-8008
Mobile No.: 0917-8780001 / 09098888802
Email: cherylannlim@yahoo.com
Website: dragonflydesserts.multiply.com
Brazo Bars of SUPREME BRAZO BARS
Supreme Brazo Bars by Ces Lopez
Tel. No.: 722-5638
Mobile No.: 0917-8271518
Email: supremebrazobars@yahoo.com
Website: www.supremebrazobars.com
Moist Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Bread Pudding Crème Brule by MED CHEF
Their Moist Chocolate Cake with Caramel still haunts me in my sleep up to this day and Chef Hasset’s signature dessert Crème Brule is equally worth raving about.
Med Chef by Chef Hasset Go
139 Mo. Ignacia Ave. Diliman Quezon City
Tel. No.: 585-6052 / 732-3355
Mobile No.: 0917-8338628 / 0915-4871332
Facebook: www.facebook.com/medchef
Caramel and Ginger Lime French Macarons from CHRISTA
Christa
Tel. No.: 2119874
Mobile No.: 0917-8905747
Email: chrsitaskitchen@yahoo.com
Website: christaskitchen.multiply.com
Facebook: Christa’s Kitchen
Twitter: MacaronsbyXTA
Blackforrest Bons from LIQUEUER BONBONS
Liqueur Bon Bons by Joana
Tel. No.: 502-7941
Mobile No.: 0917-5783339
Email: liqueurbonbons@gmail.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/liqueurbonbons
Chocolate Crinkles from JIMENEZ BAKERY
Jimenez Bakery
Mobile No.: 0916-6064815 / 0919-5747784
Email: jimenez.bakery@yahoo.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/jimenezbakery
Cookies, Chocolates, Brownies and other sweets by MELANGE FATTISSERIE
Melange Fattisserie
Mobile No.: 0926-6200572 / 0906-3583943
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MelangeFattisserie
Healthy Carrot Cake by THE LOW CAL CAFÉ
The Low Cal Café
Tel. No.: 871-6508
Mobile No.: 0917-3205463
Email: lowcalcafe@yahoo.com
Website: www.lowcalcafe.multiply.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/lowcalcafe
In between feasting on sweets and savory treats, we also had some Lechon Cebu and Food Guru's Beef/Chicken Kebab at the Outdoor Grilling Area of the event.
Again, these are just some of the food I have enjoyed immensely during the food fair but there are still others that are good as well. I’ll probably make an individual post in the future for these good food finds and to others which are not on this list.
Best Food Forward was indeed a success. Affordable good food in one place are very rare to find these days, good thing that food fairs like this are held. My family enjoyed all of the food I have brought them from the fair and they were even planning on joining me for the next food fair I am going to attend with my friends. Such a lovely way to bring people together.
I hope there will be more Best Food Forward Food Fairs to come in the future.
Best Food Forward
Website: http://www.bestfoodforward.com.ph/
Facebook: Best Food Forward
While I was browsing some invites I got recently I noticed that the phrase “come in your best summer attire” is always present. Indeed it is already summer. What could be a better way to start summer than to savor a very refreshingly delicious treat which will not sabotage your diet? Thanks to Californiaberry for bringing us foodies their 100% non-fat frozen yogurt which everyone can enjoy without the guilt.
Aside from their froyo, they introduced some affordably healthy and delicious food in addition to their menu at the first Californiaberry Bloggers event. New menu includes Ice Ice Baby, Fresh Fruit Blends, Pasta Dishes, and Organic Coffee.
Ice Ice Baby
The unique texture of ice shavings and fro-yo plus the flavorful toppings makes this cool treat a very promising way to combat summer’s heat in a very delicious way.
Fresh Fruit Blends
Not your usual fruit shake because it is a combination of fresh whole fruits and tasty yogurt. Available flavors are BananaRama (Fresh Mango, Kiwi and Bananas shake), Double Berry (Strawberry and Blueberry), FluShot (Strawberry, Kiwi and Orange), Mango Tango (Mango, Banana and Peach), and you can also personalized your own Fresh Fruit Blends by whipping up your own choice of 3 fruit variants from Mango, Banana, Kiwi,Orange, Blueberry, Peach and Strawberry.
Pasta Dishes
The best-loved pasta dishes in the menu include Lasagna, Bolognese, Carbonara, and Seafood Alfredo. Since Californiaberry promised servings of healthy offerings, these pasta dishes are enhanced by natural flavors and fresh ingredients without MSG.
Organic Coffee
Coffee lovers like me are not left out because Californiaberry now serves bold and full-bodied roast of 100% organically grown coffee, spicing up their menu with another dash of healthy beverage.
Californiaberry is now serving nationwide with over 23 stores, including the newly-opened branches at Mezza Residences in Sta. Mesa, SM Fairview and SM Novaliches. Also located in Banawe (Quezon City), Greenhills (Ortigas), Tomas Morato, SM North Edsa (The Block), SM Southmall (Las Pinas), SM Manila, SM Megamall, SM Novaliches, Robinson’s Galleria, The Fort (Global City) SM Iloilo, Gaisano Mall (Davao City), DLSU (Manila), Sta. Lucia Mall (Cainta), Ateneo (Katipunan), UST (Manila), and Walter Mart (Makati), Festival Mall (Filinvest, Alabang) and BF Homes Paranaque.
For more information, check out www.californiaberry.net and for the latest updates on freebies and promotions, follow Californiaberry on Facebook fan page.
For inquiries about franchising, call (632) 470-1835 or email franchise@californiaberry.net
Thanks to Californiaberry and Mr. Alex Dizon for the invite.
I promised to post an entry about Pages Deli earlier than today but I found myself lost for words. Not because there is nothing to say about this Deli, but because there is too much. I was worried that words I could throw with reckless abandon in an instant while I was still in awe of the experience that was, might fail me.
Food and Literature. What else could be more beautiful than that?
My love for literature started at an early age. Growing up, while my two sisters were channel surfing to catch their favorite TV shows, I was busy flipping book pages. I was too caught up in the world of Alice In Wonderland, Jack and the Beanstalk, and Peter Pan to be bothered by constant dilemma of winning over a battle of whose in-charge of the TV remote control. I am a middle child, so there really was no chance for me on that league. So, from there I embrace the world of literature. I resolved to marry Holden Caulfield if I didn’t get to meet Mr. Darcy, flirted with the idea of living the life on the road ala Jack Kerouac, and have asked the question “Who is John Galt?”. I let myself be swayed by the currents of wonderful adventures that is literature.
My love for food, well, it’ll be pointless to discuss since this is a food blog, so, you know the score.
Food and Literature. These two things pretty much sums up the world I am living in right now. That is why it didn’t surprise me that upon discovering Pages Deli at Shangri-La Mall one afternoon, I fell in love with it at first sight.
My friend Glenn and I were scheduled to attend a dinner but when we passed by Shangri-La Mall, we just couldn’t resist the urge to take a look at the Deli because of its inviting ambiance. We decided to have some coffee and cakes just so we can check it out but lo and behold, when we read what’s on the menu, their sandwiches were named after American Classic Novels, and that does it. We ended up ordering sandwiches, cakes, and coffee, gorged on it while anticipating the big dinner that was still about to come that night on another restaurant. It was worth it.
I was torn between Gulliver’s Travel (Shrimp Sandwich) and The Little Mermaid (Salmon Sandwich), but since I’ve always been a bacon person, I ordered for their Animal Farm instead. It is a Turkey and Bacon Sandwich made to perfection.
Generous slices of tasty turkey and crispy bacon strips with onion, lettuce, tomatoes, smothered with mayonnaise sandwich in warm and soft white bread. I love how generous they are with their servings of turkey, not all delis and sandwich bars are like that. I am a little apprehensive ordering turkey sandwich because most of the time, I always ended up disappointed with the bland taste of micro piece of turkey. But with Pages Deli, it’s different because one bite and you would know that yes, it is indeed a turkey sandwich, plus the bacon gives it further kick of flavor.
At first Glenn wanted to try their New York Times Bestseller which is Pages Deli’s Signature Triple Decker, but since it is too big and we still have dinner to attend to, he settled for The Journey to the Center of the Earth which is their Hungarian Sausage Sandwich.
When I was handed half of it and was able to taste the sausage I was in awe. It’s like tasting sausage for the first time, I feel like a child again. Hungarian Sausage is known to be spicy but this sausage has just the right amount of spiciness that goes well with the bread, lettuce, and mustard. Personally I would love to have it with soup, because French bread is really not the type of bread you could chew easily and it is always best paired with thick variety of soup.
Pages Deli's Chocolate Cake I have to say, is one of the best moist chocolate cakes I have ever tasted. It’s one of those I cannot get out of my mind weeks after having it. It was really that good, had it not been for the dinner that we still need to attend to, I would probably order for another slice.
Their Brun Butter Cake was the first one to grace our table with its simple appearance. It looks like just another sponge cake that you can buy on some local pastry shop. Not the one I expected since I am not a fan of sponge cakes. Glenn even told me that it was a challenge whether I would give it thumbs up or not. I was ready to order for another slice of whatever cake is available aside from what we have ordered but one bite and I was sent to fantasy land. A mixture of butter, milk, and honey, it was so creamy and not spongy at all, to my surprise. I ended up consuming it in no time.
The Brun Butter Cake comes with coffee of your choice so I ordered for their Macchiato, while Glenn tried their Cupid and Psyche, a Strawberry Milkshake with a slice of fresh strawberry and cream.
Pages Deli is a great place if you’re on a romantic date or you’re just hanging out with your friends. If you’re literary buff you would instantly notice that the quotes printed everywhere was taken from famous novels and literary authors. Another commendable thing is their very warm and accommodating staff. From time to time the waiters would visit us on our table to check if we need anything, and there was never a time that our glass of water weren’t full.
All in all, our experience with Pages Deli was superb. Good Food, reasonable price, fantastic ambiance, and warm staff would make me go back to this deli for another wonderful experience.
Pages Deli
Streetscape
EDSA Shangri-La Plaza Mall
Mandaluyong, Philippines
490 years ago, according to history, Philippines was discovered by Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, it was March 16, 1521. Then Lapu-Lapu, one of our native heroes fought for the freedom of our motherland and then as they say, the rest was history. Today, as a proud Filipino Foodies, let us rediscover the wonders of some Filipino Cuisines through a patriotic restaurant which regard food as the highest salute to all the unsung heroes in the kitchen. Allow your resident foodie to give you a glimpse of what 1521 Restaurant has to offer.
First time I heard about 1521 Restaurant from a friend who constantly raves about their Grilled Kare-Kare, I have already set my mind to visit the place as soon as possible. But due to busy schedule, I was only reminded of that plan when a dear cousin, Ate Len recommends the resto as well. After spending couple of sleepless night to finish a writing gig a day before its rather impossible deadline, I immediately invited my friend Glenn to have a dinner at 1521. Believe me, it was worth those sleepless nights.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were enthusiastically greeted by their friendly staff. As we were seated, we were handed one of the most interesting menus I’ve checked so far. No food was served yet, but we were already delightfully entertained with the well thought out written words on the menu such as Suaheng Suwabe, Ka-Musta-Cat, Hip Na Hipon, and Talong Mo Kay Tulfo, to name a few. I knew right there that it is going to be a pleasant dinner.
While we were happily perusing the content of their menu, a charming food attendant was there to offer us their best dishes. We originally plan to order the Grilled Kare-Kare, but when we learned that their bestseller is Potchero Ni Tankeko, we immediately placed the order along with other dishes that captured our attention.
Potchero Ni Tankeko
This dish I must say was the highlight of our dinner. It wasn’t tagged as their bestseller for nothing. Slow-stewed beef in a mush of yam, plantains, tomato sauce, and vegetables. Since it was slow cooked, expect a heavenly soft and tender beef screaming of flavors in every shred there is. I love how thick and savory the sauce was. When I poured it over to my hot steamed rice and mixed it with some shred of those sinfully tender beef, I was lost for words. It was so good It could be a sin not to order it when you visit the resto.
Potchero Ni Tankeko (365php)
Bonggang-Bonggang Binagoongan
True to its name, this dish was so fabulous compared to the usual fare of Pork Binagoongan. Crunchy pork on a bed of local shrimp paste, generously accompanied with manibalang mango. I enjoyed the crunchy skin and soft meat of the pork while the explosion of taste brought by the shrimp paste combined with the manibalang mango tickled my palate.
Bonggang-Bonggang Binagoongan (260php)
Dinamitang Keso
Their own version of cheese stick with green de-seeded chili. I’ve tasted similar delectable appetizer like this but what raised their version a notch higher was the mango wasabi dip that comes with it. If you’re the type of person who does not enjoy wasabi, worry not because this dip does not have the feisty taste of the usual wasabi. The taste of mango was dominant while the wasabi just gives it a certain kick that makes you crave for more.
Dinamitang Keso (160php)
Dinamitang Keso with Mango Wasabi Sauce
My, My, My, Mais
Sounds like your usual corn soup, eh? It’s actually not. The sweetness of the corn was not there but its distinct savory taste was present since they used white corn. Personally, it tasted like a childhood memory. The soup has its nostalgic effect on me, reminding me of my childhood days when my mother would cook a hearty soup for me and my siblings during rainy season. I was told that it has the same effect on my friend but his was a different story. The common ground was that it both reminds us of our childhood day’s comfort food.
My, My, My, Mais (105php solo / 295php family)
1521 Leche Flan
I am a big fan of Leche Flan, and 1521’s version was definitely one of the best I ever had. Rich and velvety smooth, it was not too sweet and the lemon rind shavings were not just there for decoration but it adds spunk to the creaminess of this dessert.
1521 Leche Flan (75php solo / 140php to share)
Kamias Shake
I was a little apprehensive about it at first since I am not really into sour type of drinks. I was surprised when a taste of refreshingly fruity flavor which strikes a balance between sweet and sour taste enveloped my palate.
Kamias Shake
1521 Ays Ti
At first I thought that it was just the usual Iced Tea but when I tasted it, it screams of sweet raspberry juice with ice shavings. It was so good and perfect for those who enjoy fruity sweet type of drinks.
1521 Ays Ti
The place is fairly small but its cozy Filipino ambiance makes it charming. Owners Tanke Tankeko and Nica Miranda really knows how to captures not just Filipino palates with their variety of dishes, but Filipino hearts as well with their shared Filipino heirloom recipes.
All in all, it was a very pleasant experience having dined at this restaurant. They entertained us through their witty menu, warmed our heart with their comforting food, and made us proud to be Filipino with their hospitality and patriotic concept. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to enjoy affordable Filipino cuisine with a twist and other harmonious fusion dishes in the comfort of a very cozy place. Perfect for a date night, get together with friends, corporate lunch out, and family food trips. I would definitely go back to try some of their interesting dishes.
1521 Restaurant
547 Shaw Blvd., Barangay Wack-Wack,
Mandaluyong City Philippines 1550
Phone Nos.: 02.794.0433 • 02.216.4532 • 0917.803.1521
Website: http://1521resto.com
Email: fifteentwentyonerestaurant@yahoo.com
Services: Reservations, Take Out, Delivery, Catering
Mon - Thurs: 10:00 am - 11:00 pm
Fri - Sat: 10:00 am - 1:00 am
Sun: 10:00 am - 11:00 pm
My mother is a career woman. My sisters and I grew up knowing that unlike some of our friends, our mother has work that she needs to attend to, therefore, she can’t stay at home most of the time. What I have always been proud about her is that there never was a time when we, her children would starve while she’s away. Aside from that, she always makes it a point that when we come home from school, she’s already home with food she delightfully prepared for the whole family.
Although I do not have my own family yet, I can see how hard it is to be juggling your career while taking care of people you love. For that, I admire my mother immensely. After a day of work, she still has the energy to cook delectable food for our family. I know by heart that along with other things my mother has mastered, cooking up in no time always comes handy.
Pork Steak in Red Wine Sauce has always been one of my favorite recipes that my mother can cook as fast as she can change her clothes. Of course, a pre-marinated pork steak can do the trick but marinated overnight or not, my mother’s version never fails to seduce me into having a second helping of rice.
Pork Steak in Red Wine Sauce
4 pcs 3/4 to 1 inch thick pork steak (or pork chop)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup white onion chopped
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soysauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
Rings of white onion for garnish
Procedure
1. Season steaks with salt and pepper and brown in olive oil in medium-hot skillet, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes per side. Remove steaks from skillet, set aside.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients; cook and stir to remove any brown bits from bottom of skillet. Bring to a boil, return steaks to pan, cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes
3. Serve with rings of white onion on top.
Serves 4.
Bon Appetit!
