Tia is a real fan of Mochiko (mochi ice cream) and would always buy one or two whenever we go to Mercato. It’s a bit heavy on the wallet at P75 per piece so eventually we went to Mercato less and less. Hehehe.

During our recent vacation to Davao, we hanged out at Abreeza Mall looking for a place to have snacks and look at what we found? Mochi Ice Cream!!!

This one’s from a stall called Mochi Creme and it’s cheap at under Php50!! Tia got excited and we immediately bought two, our usual Green tea Matcha and Black Sesame flavor for Php48 each.

It’s comparable to Mochiko despite not having premium ice cream from F.I.C but still the Green Tea and Black Sesame flavor are very delicious. I also bought another one, trying out their Blue Vanilla (Php45) which is just colored vanilla ice cream so it wasn’t that special.

They also have strawberry, mango, chocolate and purple yam (ube) flavor. I hope they would come up with some more like avocado and coffee.

I think the price of these mochi ice creams are just right. While we were eating our mochicreme, we saw all sorts of people (if you’ve been to Abreeza Mall you would know what I mean) buying from them so I guess P50 is the sweet spot for a mochi ice cream.

I talked to the ladies manning the stall and asked whether they have a branch in Manila. Unfortunately they don’t but they told me they’re putting one up in SM Megamall real soon, like this February soon. Can’t wait.

You can follow the Mochi Creme Facebook Page if you want to be updated when they will be available in Manila.

Gee writing this post is making me crave for some mochi ice cream!

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Coffee lover students and faculty of DLSU and College of St. Benilde (or simply those living near the area) would want to take advantage of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s latest promo where you can avail of all their drinks for just Php100.

There’s a new CBTL at the One Archer’s Place near La Salle, Taft and to commemorate DLSU’s 100th year celebration, they’re offering all their drinks for just Php100. This promo is only available from 12:30PM to 1:30Pm only and will run until February 5, 2012.

Go check out the new Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf at One Archer’s Place if you’re within the vicinity. Hit the buttons below to share this news.

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Since we were on a tight budget for our Davao trip (didn’t do whitewater rafting anymore), we decided to just try out the restos Davao has to offer. What’s nice about Davao is that it’s not a big place so food tripping is really doable.

We were looking for an affordable but hot dining spots in Davao and a lot of people suggested Majid’s Kabab. I looked for it in Google Maps and found out that it’s located on a street parallel to our hotel’s (My Hotel). Nice!

It was just a nice 5-minute walk from our hotel to Majid’s Kabab in Rizal St. near La Casitas. We decided to eat early because they said the place is not too big and it tends to be filled up pretty quickly.

The place looks unassuming, it’s just a roadside eatery with little round tables and monobloc chairs. People don’t recommend this for its design and interiors but for the affordable and delicious food they offer.

Like how cheap?

A beef or chicken kabab that comes with pita bread and grilled tomato only costs Php35.00. Beef tenderloin kabab is Php43. A beef cholo (2 beef kababs with grilled tomato and rice topped with butter) is only Php65.

Having eaten at Mr. Kabab’s in Manila and liking their beef kabab, I had high hopes for my beef cholo. We also ordered a chicken kabab and a beef tenderloin for Tia. Serving size is not that big unlike Mister Kabab’s but that’s the beauty of it, with the price, you can order try kinds of kababs and their other dishes. like their ox brain or mirza ghassemi (eggplant dish).

Moment of truth. How does it taste?

Yummy! Absolutely yummy! I tasted everything we ordered and loved them all. Just like Mr. Kabab’s but cheaper. The beef kabab was flavorful, the chicken tender and grilled just right and the beef tenderloin was also tasty and tender.

The garlic sauce was delicious and their special grape powder (be sure to ask for it) made a lot of difference. It gives the kabab a distinct flavor so you don’t get bored with its taste even after consuming a lot.

Total damage was jut Php183 for the both of us but we could’ve skipped the softdrinks (P20) and just ordered another kabab. Maybe next time!

I don’t know if Majid’s is the best kabab place in Davao but it sure is delicious and doesn’t hurt the pocket at all! I wouldn’t be surprised if this is the best what Davao has to offer in terms of Persian kababs. I wish they would open up a small resto in Manila as well. Hehehe.

If you ever find yourself in Davao, do look for this place and experience affordable and delicious Persian food.

Majid’s Kabab
J. Rizal St., 8000 Davao City, Philippines
Mon – Sat: 11:30 am to 10:00 pm (take note, not open on Sundays)

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California Maki lovers you might want to check this out. Teriyaki Boy is offering their California Roll (just the original version) for only Php50 until February 15, 2012 only! No additional purchase required. All you need to do is dine in there.

That’s 8-piece of California Roll Maki per serving and you can order 2 servings per table. This promo is available in all Teriyaki Boy branches.

We only chanced upon this promo when Tia was craving for maki and we went to Teriyaki Boy because I wanted some of their chicken teriyaki.

See their poster here. Click for a bigger view so you can read the mechanics.

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If you’re craving for food from Hong Kong, Singapore, Macau, and Shanghai, you might want to check out the newly-opened Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe at the SM Mall of Asia.

Xin Wang HK Cafe is quite popular in Singapore and overseas, they can only be found in Vietnam and here in the Philippines. It’s like Orchard Road but with a classier ambiance and more food choices that looks really appetizing.

This restaurant boasts of 200 Hong Kong food items in their menu which might take you a few minutes before you can decide what to order. Even the appetizer, dessert and drink lists are pretty loaded.

We went to the opening yesterday and were treated to some of their fares which has an average price of P200 and very shareable.

Sorry for the less-than-stellar pics, it was an unexpected event so all I had was my phone. Believe me, they look more appetizing up close than in these photos. Thanks Az for the heads up!

What’s a chinese resto without dimsum (timsum?). They have sticky rice, steamed pork spare ribs, shrimp rolls, shrimp har gao, fried wantons, and more.

Siew Mai (4 pcs) – P95

Steamed Pork Buns (3 pcs) - P95, Iced HK YingYong – P75

Steamed Pork Spare Ribs - P95

Chinese love their noodles and Xin Wang has all sorts. Dry, fried, Hor Funs, Kway Teows, ramens, soup noodles and more. They also serve a HK favorite Papaya Soup.

Noodles with Luncheon Meat N’ Egg – P195

Beef and Egg with Sauteed Hor Fun - P225

They also serve curries, roti pratas, vegetable rice, sizzling bulgogis, and more.

If you don’t feel too HK-ish, Xin Wang has western foods cooked hong kong-style. They have HK-style spaghetti, pork chop with fries and beans, fish and chips, and their specialty which is the cheese backed rice which unfortunately wasn’t served last night.

Their version of fish and chips? - P225

They also have snack items like sandwiches, kaya breads, french toasts, chicken wings, fish ball filled with fried meat, pork chop burger, fries with curry mayo, prawn paste chicken and more. They also serve the famous Mongkok porridge.

Prawn Paste Chicken - P215

As for dessert, they have both warm and cold desserts as well as all sorts of hot and cold teas, milk teas, coffee jellies, malts, chocolate dinosaur, etc. They have snow ice, rice mochis, puddings, almond creams, and more.

Japanese Rich Mochi with Crushed Peanuts and White Sesame – P85

Wish I could try their snow ice but I was already full. Anyway, this HK restaurant is fully loaded with all HK foods you can probably think of. So if you’re craving for such food, you don’t need to go to Singapore or Hong Kong to binge, just head over to Xin Wang HK Cafe at the SM Mall of Asia.

[Xin Wang HK Cafe]

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Today is November 11, 2011. For the past few days, Mang Inasal has been hinting that they will unveil something exciting on 11-11-11. That’s today! And a lot of people got curious and were itching to eat at Mang Inasal today. So what’s the promo all about?

Prepare to be disappointed…. sort of.

There’s no P11 chicken meal. No promo for 11 people. No promo starting at 11AM. There’s no promo at all. Mang Inasal just revealed new meals, food, dessert and add P29 for unlimited Coke.

Ho hum.

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Ahhh the KFC Zinger. I remember my first bite of this more than a decade ago when it was still about Php70+. I’m one of those who eats it with spoon and fork on a plate and a huge helping of gravy on the bun. I also love the KFC Double Down despite its salty taste. I just eat it with rice to neutralize the saltiness.

I’m sure a lot of people have thought about a Double Down burger… but instead of original recipe chicken fillet, how about two Zinger fillets? Spicier and crispier with the same bacon, mayo and cheese in the middle. KFC sent me one yesterday to be among the first to try it out and my thoughts are:

1. Because of the crispy coating, it’s bigger than the original Double Down.
2. It’s twice the spice. I already gulped down two glasses of water and I was not done yet although I only have low tolerance on spicy food.
3. It’s not as salty as the original recipe although you would still want to order rice for it… and gravy. Lots of it.

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If you love food, especially Filipino cuisines from different parts of the country, and you love to blog, then you might want to join the Search for the Ultimate Food Blogger. Unilever Food Solution is having this Sooo Pinoy campaign to promote awareness and appreciation of Filipino cuisine and they are looking for a blogger.

The winner of this search will be having a once-in-a-lifetime food trip – an all-expense paid journey to ten beautiful Philippine destinations to dine in more than 101 different Filipino restaurants. It will be the ultimate Filipino food trip!

Composed of three rounds, the Search will not only measure the bloggers’ writing skills but their ability to engage readers as well. Each round is designed to test the bloggers’ creativity and passion for the advocacy. Ultimately, the winning blogger should be able to encourage Pinoys to discover our cultural identity through Filipino cuisine with articles that will leave readers hungry for more.

Round 1 Mechanics

1. Post an article about Why Should You Be the Ultimate Sooo Pinoy Blogger. The blog post must have a minimum of 300 words and a maximum of 500 words, with at least 3 food shots and a photo of you dining in the restaurant. These are just the minimum – there is no limit as to how much you want to express creativity!
2. Take a screenshot of the blog entry and email it to Sooo_Pinoy@yahoo.com. The email must also contain the blog post URL, the contestant’s name and mobile number, and the blog article itself (preferably in .doc or .docx format)
3. The blog post must not be altered or deleted until the end of the Search (until December 15).
4. Deadline of submission of entries is on October 24
5. Announcement of those who will advance to the next round is on November 7

1. Each blogger will be given a list of restaurants to choose from. They will have to choose a restaurant and set a meeting with the owner/manager.
2. Each blogger is tasked to research about the chosen restaurant and share with his readers how it became an integral part of the Sooo  Pinoy advocacy. The blogger can explore the key dishes that made the restaurant known for, the restaurant’s history and culture, what makes it unique, etc.
3. The blog post must have a minimum of 300 words with at least 3 photos of yourself and the chef you interviewed. These are just the minimum – there is no limit as to how much you want to express creativity!
4. Take a screenshot of the blog entry and email it to Sooo_Pinoy@yahoo.com. The email must also contain the blog post URL, the contestant’s name and mobile number, and the blog article itself (preferably in .doc or .docx format)
5. The blog post must not be altered or deleted until the end of the Search (until December 15).
6. Deadline of submission of entries is on November 20
7. Announcement of those who will advance to the next round is on November 29
   

So that’s it! It’s a tall order but imagine the prize. 30-day food trip. 101 restaurants. 10 destinations. All-expense paid! Wowee! You know you want to join. Feel free to visit www.facebook.com/SoooPinoy to see the detailed mechanics.

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On September 23 to 25, SM Megamall will hold its first ever MEGA FOOD SALE. Just like your typical MEGA SALE, this food sale will be a mall-wide event with participating restaurants offering discounts, free desserts, drinks, appetizers… well you get the idea.

Each participating establishments will have its own promo so you might want to find the best one that you could take on. Or dine at Megamall from the 23rd to the 25th. Hehehe.

Here are the participating restaurants for the SM MEGAMALL MEGA FOOD SALE:

Akiba Almon Marina Amici Balay Ilocos Baliwag Lechon Balot Balot Bar-B-King Bigby’s Bo’s Coffee Breadtalk Brother’s Burger Bubble Tea Cabalen Cajun Red Rock California Berry Cerealicious Chef’s Quarter Chicken Company Chin’s Express Classic Savory Country Style Crepes & Crème Dad’s Kamayan Dulcinea Eat & Go El Pollo Loco Eskimo Bob Figaro Flaming HHohHot Gilligan’s

Goldilocks Gonuts Donuts Goto King Gotti’s Greenwich Gumbo Haagen-Dazs HK Choi Ilonggo Grill Inihaw Express Jamaican Patties Jatujak Jipan Jollibee Kamay Kainan Karate Kid Kebab Factory Kenny Roger’s Kipp’s Chicken KKK Komoro Soba Kusina Ni Gracia Lydia’s Lechon Le Coeur De France Mang Inasal McDonald’s Mesa Mexicali Mey Lin Pot & Noodle Mondo Juice

Mr. Kimbob Orchard Road Okuya Express Pancit Malabon Pinoy Toppings President Tea House Papa John’s Pepper Lunch Peri-Peri Persia Grill Pho Hoa Pizza Hut Red Mango Red Ribbon Sbarro Seattle’s Best Coffee Secret Recipes Sizzling Plate Subway Sugarhouse Superbowl of China Taberna Barcelona Tokyo Café Tutti Frutti Wendy’s White Hat Xoi Vietnamese Yoshinoya

Granted that some of these are found at the Food Court, there are still some nice restaurants for you to treat your family to a Sunday lunch. If you’re wondering what kind of promos they will have, here are some:

• Cajun Red Rock’s BURGER & FRIES ALL YOU CAN
• HK Choi’s DIMSUM & NOODLES ALL YOU CAN from 2 to 5 pm
• Dulcinea’s CHURROS ALL YOU CAN from 2 to 5 pm
• Mey Lin Pot & Noodle 70% off on selected items
• Classic Savory 30-70% off on selected items
• Secret Recipe’s 70% off on selected items
• Brother’s Burger 50% off on the half pound burger from 2 to 6 pm
• Gotti’s 50% off on the godfather pizza
• Mesa’s 50% off on ALL desserts
• Persia Grill 50% off on all appetizers & shakes
• Superbowl of China 50% off on select noodles
• Pepper Lunch Php25 only for their extra special dessert, for every order of Pepper Rice
• Red Mango’s buy 2 take 1 special
• Jollibee’s Buy a 6pc bucket of chicken & get 1 free chicken joy meal
• Mang Inasal’s free 2 scoops of ice cream for every order of PM meals
• Gonuts Donuts cheaper by the dozen (box of 12 for only P199)
• Akiba’s free slice of cake for every order of coffee

If your birthday or a special occasion falls on the 23rd, 24th or 25th, you know where to celebrate it.

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Last Saturday, Tia and I and a group of bloggers were treated by BonChon to a feast of their most awesome chicken wings at their Ayala Triangle branch.

Chicken BonChon at Ayala Triangle Garden, photo courtesy of Magic Liwanag Photography

We’ve tried BonChon once before at Robinson’s Galleria and we really liked it. We like it so much that we missed a friend’s wedding ceremony to make it to this event (Sorry Bry hehe). We love chicken wings and we’ve tried a LOT of wings before but BonChon makes their wings like no other.

BonChon chicken wings are fried twice so the fat between the skin and the meat falls off. Then the sauce (regular or spicy) is glazed all over it to maintain the skin’s crispiness. The wings here are so crispy and flavorful. The spicy flavor is really hot by the way.

The usual way for coating wings is by tumbling the chicken inside the container with the sauce sometimes making the skin soggy and is a lot messy to eat. The way BonChon coats their wings sets them apart and is much better in my opinion. It preserves the crispiness and the glaze is evenly distributed.

BonChon also served us some of their dishes. The calamari makes a nice side dish. Just the right amount of saltiness that you don’t need any more dip for it. It has a spicy mayo dip though for those with more adventurous taste buds.

I’m really not fond of salad but Tia had some of their Ginger Tofu Salad and said it was good. You need to shake the salad with the sauce inside the container first. The sauce can be a bit strong so don’t use them all at once.

I also had their fish taco. Dory fillet with the same crispy batter as that of their chicken served in soft taco shell (or is it a pita bread) with thin strips of lettuce, tomatoes and a little bit of mild spicy sauce. This one’s heavy and could be an afternoon snack on its own.

I was able to have a brief chat with owner of the Philippine franchise of BonChon, Scott Tan.

Scott Tan of BonChon Philippines

His favorite meal at BonChon is typically a six-piece wings, an order of Bulgogi rice (I tasted this before and it was good but serving was a bit small) and Kimchi coleslaw which he mixes with his rice. Yep, he said don’t eat the coleslaw on its own but mix it immediately with their rice.

When I asked about future expansions for BonChon Philippines especially at SM Mall Of Asia (which is near our office), he said it’s underway and will be finished before the year ends. The next branch that will pop up is at University Mall near DLSU. I believe it will be ready by next month.

Next year BonChon will be heading to other provinces. Priority will be in Cebu and Davao.

Thanks BonChon for the treat!

Hmm as I finish writing this, I’m now craving for some more BonChon wings. Have you tried their chicken already?

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