Bono Artisanal Gelato at Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall: New Flavors to Enjoy!

Last weekend, I paid a visit to Bono Artisanal Gelato at SM Mega Fashion Hall to try their new flavors. Rea, one of the great minds behind this rockstar gelateria has always been excited and proud to introduce Bono's new flavors. I figured, despite the loaded schedule and slightly injured ankle, I should pay a visit to check out their new babies since I am a self confessed Bono fan (Both the rockstar and the gelato, mind you.)

Since Bono Artisanal Gelato opened its door to the gelato-hungry public, several flavors were introduced. This time they have Butterbeer Gelato and The Spoiled Mommy Sundae up their sleeves to once again entertain the palates of gelato-lovers out there.

Their branch at SM Mega Fashion Hall in Mandaluyong is a welcome addition to the branches I usually frequent to. I am from the Eastern part of the Metro, so it is their branch at Podium that I would normally visit. Their branch in Megamall however became an instant favorite since with all the new restaurants opening in the area, it is where I would usually spend my time roaming around. I love that Bono is continuously branching out. People deserve good gelato, to be honest.

The Rockwell’s 4th Ultimate Taste Test 2014: Join the Gastronomic Funfare!

Hey foodies! It’s the time of the year once again to put on your food critic hat and enjoy variety of food samples as Our Awesome Planet and San Miguel Lifestyle Brews presents Rockwell’s 4th Ultimate Taste Test 2014. This food tasting event will feature 50+ home-based food businesses alongside some food establishments under Power Plant Mall’s umbrella. Needless to say, it is going to be a day filled with gastronomic funfare.

I have been supporting Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test since 2011 and until now, theirs is definitely one of my favorite food fairs that I love to attend.  While I have been a fan of the entire Ultimate Taste Test series, the experiences and the food finds I encountered at their Rockwell UTT proved to be incomparable ( Thanks to nice location and comfortable tent set up).

So, if you are as excited as I am to be a food critic at Rockwell’s 4th Ultimate Taste Test 2014, here are the details.

Sizzlin' Steak (Formerly Sizzlin' Pepper Steak) #SizzlinSteak @sizzlinsteak

Sizzlin' Steak is not a new concept in Philippines restaurant scene. It used to go by the name Sizzlin' Pepper Steak which most of us are familiar with giving their years in the business. They are known to serve variety of food choices on a patented hot plate system wherein diners can cook their own food, particularly steak, in no time. The slight change in name was brought about by the restaurants re-branding in keeping with the ever changing needs in the market.

This re-branding is slowly being rolled out in every Sizzlin' Steak branch nationwide. With this re-branding, new items like the Sizzlin' Pasta and processes such as the customizable sizzlin' plate are being slowly introduced to the market.

Recently, I went to check out their branch at Greenhills, Promenade to try some of their specialties and to experience the new ordering process they are now rolling out which is the make your own sizzlin' steak plate. While Sizzlin' Steak is not foreign to me, the customizable plate was.

Genuine Broaster Chicken® at Robinsons Magnolia: The Healthy Alternative to Fried Chicken is Now in The Philippines

My visit recently at Broaster Chicken located at Robinsons Magnolia opened my eyes to a new world of well-loved comfort food, fried chicken. The fact that Broaster Chicken is all about providing healthy alternative to the usual sinfully delicious fried chicken, made me embraced this new world without hesitation.

Broaster Chicken is known for their crisp, light, and juicy chicken cooked through Broasting. Most of us may not be familiar with the term Broasting, I myself has little knowledge of it prior to my visit at Broaster Chicken. But if you have seen the episode of Travel Channel’s Man Vs. Food wherein the host, Adam Richmam featured Broasted Chicken, then you’ll have an idea. So yes, we are not talking about straight up fried chicken here, this post is all about the healthy option for the fried chicken lovers in all of us ~ broasted chicken.

By definition, Broasting a chicken is a cooking method made possible by using a pressure fryer and special condiments. This pressure fryer used in creating genuine broasted chicken is not just anything you could grab at any appliance store. It is an equipment manufactured by Broaster Company based in Beloit Wisconsin, licensor of Genuine Broaster Chicken.  So, unless a store is using this Broaster Pressure Fryer from its license manufacturer, the authenticity of broasted chicken may be questionable.

Osaka Ohsho at SM Megamall: New Dishes on the Menu

We recently visited Osaka Ohsho in SM Megamall to try new dishes on their menu. Osaka Ohsho is known for their gyoza tagged by many as "World's No. 1 Gyoza" but they also offer other great tasting dishes well worth one's hard earned money. The newly added dishes on the menu are variety of Fuwatoro Tenshin Han which can be availed ala carte or through Fuwatoro sets.

For those who is not familiar, Fuwatoro Tenshin Han is one of Osaka Ohsho's best sellers that is made of soft and fluffy Koshihikari rice covered with equally fluffy and velvety scrambled egg. It is sort of like omu rice, only better.

Although with limited choices, Fuwatoro Tenshin Han Set is already available at Osaka Ohsho when it opened here in our country. Now, Osaka Ohsho expanded the choices for this set by adding four new options; Ebi Tempura, Chicken Karaage, Curry Cheese Tonkatsu, and Mabo Tofu. 

Zabo Chicken at SM Jazz Mall: 18 Spice Chicken, Rice Buffet, and Affordable Mediterranean Dishes

Zabo Chicken is a restaurant at the new SM Jazz Mall in Makati that specializes in slow-roasted 18 Spice Chicken alongside other affordable Mediterranean inspired dishes. This new player in Manila restaurant already established itself enough that within three months of operation, they have already managed to branch out to different locations with four branches all in all as of the time of writing. 

Their slow-roasted Mediterranean style 18 Spice Chicken which recipe they developed for 8 months prior to the opening of their first branch is the pride of Zabo Chicken. Rightfully so, since its flavor is a treat in itself. Zabo's Menu leans heavily on Mediterranean without disregard to Filipino market. That is why they offer Rice Buffet wherein diners could feast on as much rice as they want. The affordability of their price range is another noteworthy thing about Zabo Chicken.

Their branches are located at SM Jazz Mall in Makati, SM BF Paranaque, SM North Edsa, and at Glorietta 4 Food Choices. Being the flagship store of Zabo Chicken, I decided to pay a visit at their SM Jazz Makati branch to check out some of their offerings.