Category: Food and Beverages

Chili’s Deluxe Big Mouth Burgers

Posted on by jane

Bloggers got a first crack at sampling Chili’s bigger Deluxe Big Mouth Burgers. Chili’s has been serving burgers already but this time, their new line of burgers said it all — they were large enough for 2 people to share! Great for people like me with less-than-average appetite.

An added treat for the bloggers was a kitchen tour personally done by Chili’s chef. We got to see how orders were filled, the many quality control steps that they took to ensure each burger came out as it should, sanitation measures (they washed and washed and washed their hands over and over). We got to enter their room-sized freezer where we saw the patties and other ingredients stored. And we got to see how the mushroom sauce was made — prepared by the chef himself in front of us.

We were treated to their four new burgers plus their brand new scrumptious dessert. First, the appetizers…

Next came the burgers, one after the other. I first tried the Ultimate Mushroom Burger (P365) since I love mushroom burgers. The grilled burger is topped with melted Swiss cheese, topped with a rich mushroom sauce and crispy onion strings and served with homestyle fries. 
(Ultimate Mushroom Burger)
This was followed by the Gourmet Burger (P375), peppercorn-crusted burger with fried pickles, gouda cheese and dijon aioli. I never thought I’d enjoy something with peppercorn but the burger really tasted great and I was surprised I actually loved the tangy taste of gouda cheese! This one is something I’d go for again.
(Gourmet Burger)
By this time, my tummy was registering ALMOST FULL. But I still went for a taste of the Smoked Meatloaf (P330). It was topped with crispy onion strings on a sesame seed bun with shredded lettuce, tomato and pickle, served with smoky ketchup and homestyle fries.

(Smoked Meatloaf Burger)
The last burger I tried was the Patty Melt (P350), a burger on Texas toast with Swiss cheese, chipotle-glazed onions and crispy bacon. It was served with jalapeno dressing. Now this one kind of took me by surprise because instead of a burger bun, I was eating the burger with American bread. Frankly, I would have preferred eating this one on a bun, not just because burgers are usually in buns but because the size of the burger overpowered the teeny weeny taste of the toast. 

(Patty Melt)
My tummy was filled to the brim by this time. But who will refuse a dessert that looks like the Banana Cream Pie (P200), graham cracker crust with banana custard filling, topped with fresh whipped cream, drizzled caramel and cocoa powder? Not me!!!

(Banana Cream Pie)
Chili’s, with over 14 years of existence in the Philippines, really knows the taste and appetite of its customers. With the addition of these deluxe burgers, family time at Chili’s will be even better.
Enjoy the Deluxe Big Mouth Burgers at Greenbelt 5 (729-3022), Northeast Greenhills (727-2959), Tomas Morato (372-5017) and Power Plant Mall Rockwell (659-6527).

TGI Friday’s Shareable Platters & Party Pitchers

Posted on by jane

Friends and family, there is more reason now to visit TGI Friday’s and spend wonderful bonding time without racking up a fortune in food bills. They now have platters that are completely shareable, with party pitchers to boot, good for 3-4 persons! And take it from me and my friend, Chats, who were lucky enough to sit down to taste test these platters, they are scrumptious!

Chats and I, after a yummy TGIF dinner

The night we ate there, we got to try two of their platters: the Triple Chicken Sampler and the Seafood Platter.

Triple Chicken Sampler (Buffalo wings complete with celery sticks and bleu cheese dressing; Sesame Jack Chicken strips with Jack Daniel’s sauce and Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Quesadillas drizzled with balsamic glaze and served with marinara sauce). Cost: P925
Seafood Platter (crispy medley of fresh Calamari, deep fried white Fish Fillet and crispy jumbo Shrimp, served with Friday’s signature sauces of Southwestern sour cream, cocktail sauce and tartar sauce. Cost: P945
Of course, our meal came with one of their party pitchers, the Strawberry Lemonade Slush, which is probably good for 4 people – just right for a barkada meet-up. Cost: P345

The other platters that I am bent on trying next time I’m there are:
Filipino Platter – Friday’s famous Filipino Pork Liempo basted with sweet and sour sauce, Pork Adobo and Slow Roasted Half Chicken all in one platter and served with Friday’s ensalada. Cost: P1,225
Friday’s Three for All – features a trio of Friday’s most famous appetizers: Loaded Potato Skins, Fried Mozzarella and spicy Buffalo Wings, complete with sour cream and green onions, marinara sauce, and celery sticks with Bleu Cheese dressing.
Jack Daniel’s Sampler – crispy golden-fried shrimps, juice Sesame Jack Chicken Strips and tender baby back pork ribs with the mouthwatering Jack Daniel’s sauce. Cost: P1,285
And if you purchase a shareable platter from 5pm onwards, your pitcher is on TGI Fridays – FREE!

Kraft’s Yummy Cheez Whiz Burger Spread

Posted on by jane

Cheez Whiz has long been a staple in my home. Not just now when I’ve got kids of my own. Growing up, this was already ever present in our refrigerator as my siblings and I found it not just cheesy yummy but it was so convenient as a cheese spread on our pandesal and Sky Flakes.

Well, guess what. Cheez Whiz has taken a turn for the better as Kraft comes out with its Cheez Whiz Burger flavored spread.

I recently opened a bottle of this spread. This spread is gread over burger patties. There’s no need to buy expensive, imported cheese squares. A generous spread of this burger flavored Cheez Whiz is enough.

OK, I had no burger patties on hand when I opened the bottle but I did have my favorite biscuits on hand. So, I simply opened a pack of biscuits and slopped Cheez Whiz over it.

Guess what. It was just as good on biscuits as I believe it will be on a burger pattie. It even has some bits of meat mixed in with the spread to add texture.

Looking at its label, I see that it is fortified with Calci-3, a trio mix of Calcium, Vitamin D and Phosphorus — three essential building blocks that kids need to have strong bones.

Cheez Whiz Burger comes in three sizes: a 15g Sulit Pack, a 110g bottle, and a 200g bottle.

Celebrate a Toblerone Valentine

Posted on by jane

Running out of great ideas for Valentine?

Toblerone has come up with different ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day with your special one. You can continue to celebrate V-Day with this love triangle chocolate-y sweetness.

Log on to www.toblerone.com.ph (the Toblerone Fan page) where a community of like-minded, chocolate lovers can share their thoughts on different V-day traditions and gift ideas making it easier for singles and couples to share the sweetness of February. Check out what you can do while on that page:

Would You Date Your Bestfriend?

Answer this and you could win. Here are the simple Toblerone mechanics, as posted on their FB wall: Here’s a hard-hitting, reality-facing, heart-to-heart question for you guys: Seriously, will you consider dating your bestfriend? Yes or No- and why? Share us your answers and you might just win one of three(3) limited edition Toblerone bars for Valentine’s Day! Don’t forget to tag us TobleronePilipinas !

Spread the Sweetness

Which is your loved one’s favorite Toblerone: Milk Chocolate, White, Dark, Fruit & Nut or all? Go to the “Spread the Sweetness” tab to get to the Toblerone Gifting Application which will allow you to do just this.

 
Matchmaker, Matchmaker
Play a little game of Cupid this season by trying out Toblerone’s matchmaking application. This fun, online application lets you mix and match buddies online to check their compatibility and romantic potential. 
  
And there’s more!
On Feb. 11, there will be a “for singles” event. Head on to UNO Pizzeria Restaurant and Bar at San Miguel By the Bay at 7pm as Toblerone, in partnership with Thinkpadd and UNO Pizzeria, hosts a Valentine’s Day speed dating exclusive.

And while at the grocery, why don’t you grab the limited-edition Valentine’s Day Toblerone for your loved ones?

However you wish to celebrate Valentine’s Day, Toblerone has got you covered.

HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY!

Delifrance’s Joyeux Noël

Posted on by jane

I really and truly love fruitcake (yes, my kids and some friends still roll their eyes as to why I still crave this). I love Christmas because this is the time when I can receive fruitcakes from friends. But in recent years, this practice has dwindled due to the changing trends. Last year, wine dominated the gift trend. I wonder what it will be this year?

Several years ago, I bought a fruitcake from a good friend in January, kept it for months in my ref, lovingly taking it out every few weeks to baste the top and sides in brandy. And at Christmas time, we opened it up and it smelled and tasted so good! One day I will do that again.

But if you are a busy mother or a working person with no time on your hands to look around for the perfect fruitcake or pastry to give as a gift on Christmas, take a look at the gourmet offerings of Delifrance, aptly called Joyeux Noël.


Premium English Fruitcake
Always one of their bestsellers, the Premium English Fruitcake is soaked in brandy and fruit juices months in advance. They use only imported ingredients and have one of the most generous toppings of crunchy pecans, flavorful walnuts, tangy glazed fruits, and cherries and dates.
For those who want variety, Delifrance has also come up with a twist to the classic fruitcake — the Strawberry Walnut Fruitcake, topped with sweet strawberries and walnuts.

Christmas Revelry Hamper
This is only one of 3 different hampers that you can choose from.

Delifrance’s Christmas Warmth Hamper is a coffee gift set that spreads the warmth of holiday cheer with a prime selection of handpicked Arabica beans, packaged with an assortment of Christmas Bars and a batch of Choco Chip Almond Biscotti. Another option would be to indulge in holiday merriment with the Christmas Cheer Hamper, which features an irresistible mix of Christmas Bars, Premium English Fruitcake, specially selected Coffee Beans and an authentic bottle of French red wine. Finally, the Christmas Revelry Hamper mixes the rich flavors of French Wine and specialty coffee with the decadence of holiday favorites such as the Premium English Fruitcake, Chocolate Bars and Chocolate Chip Almond Biscotti.

All these premium items come in a limited edition picnic hamper.

Assorted Bars
The assorted bars feature a delectable assortment of chocolate-based pastries: Dark Choco Chip Butterscotch, Choco Chip Cookie Dough Brownie, Butter Pecan, or the Turtle Brownie.
There are different-sized boxes containing these assorted bars so it fits whatever budget you have.

For inquiries, please call the Delifrance main office at 643-8401 or visit www.delifrance.com.ph

The Christmas Cakes of Red Ribbon

Posted on by jane

Get ready for a very sweet Christmas!

Red Ribbon is offering two eye-candy, mouth-watering, scrumptiously delicious cakes for the holiday season.

The first one is the Santa’s Wish Cake.

This is how Red Ribbon describes the cake: “…made with moist and dense rhumbutter cake with a layer of creamy caramel filling and covered in soft and smooth icing.” Salivating already? I was, even before they served the bloggers up with a slice of the cake. Take a look at how it looks from the inside…

The Santa’s Wish Cake will be available off-the-shelf in all Red Ribbon stores from December 22-24 at only P550.
Now for the second cake — my personal favorite — the Chocolate Walnut Fudge cake. I confess. The Red Ribbon person was just putting the cake on the pedestal and I forgot I had just eaten lunch plus one slice of cake already. Yes, my tummy suddenly found out that it still had room for this one! And why not, check these pictures out.
(see those walnuts at the bottom? Yummy!!!)
Red Ribbon describes this one as “made of a layer of creamy chocolate mousse on a bed of moist fudgy brownie, both loaded with chopped walnuts and finished with dark chocolate ganache, sprinkles and long chocolate curls all made with Hershey’s Dark Chocolate to make it even more irresistible.”
You’re right. That there is the REAL McCoy — Hershey’s chocolate, and no other!
I cannot describe it to you. You have to go out and get this cake yourself and taste it. I was savoring each and every bite of this one.
One tip: We were told this cake is best kept in the FREEZER. And serve it straight out of the freezer and eat with a piping hot mug of coffee.

The Chocolate Walnut Fudge cake is only available till January 9, 2010 and sells for only P680.
This is a not-to-be-missed cake, take it from me.
Taste Korean Food Festival (Nov. 19-23, 2009)

Taste Korean Food Festival (Nov. 19-23, 2009)

Posted on by jane

In the 80s I had the chance to live in South Korea for 5 months due to work. An assistant and I did computer audit work for an oil company and a multinational bank. I fell in love with Bibimpap, a complete meal in itself consisting of ground beef and various vegetables, together with a fried egg as rice toppings together with a special Korean hot sauce. Coming back to Manila, one of the first things I did was to try to find a Korean restaurant. I could not find any at all.

Fast forward to today in 2009. Look everywhere and you see Korean culture around us. There are so many Koreans in different parts of the country studying English, engaging in business, and many other activities. Korean restaurants, Korean hair stylists, Korean groceries abound everywhere. It seems that the Koreans have been able to integrate in some way with the Filipinos.

Last Friday, I came across a Korean food festival at the Atrium of Shang Plaza. The Korean culture through its food is available for everyone to see and taste test till Monday, Nov. 23.

Continue reading “Taste Korean Food Festival (Nov. 19-23, 2009)” →

The Del Monte Fit ‘n Right Weight Loss Face Off

Posted on by jane

8 Weeks.
 
2 deejays. 

3 servings of Del Monte Fit ‘n Right Fruit Snacks daily. 

1 goal.

The two deejays of Magic 89.9 — Joseph Paul Javier, aka Mojo Jojo, who co-hosts Goodtimes with Mo, and Eric Virata aka Slick Rick of Boys Night Out — gamely got into the challenge on who can lose more weight.

Slick and Mojo Continue reading “The Del Monte Fit ‘n Right Weight Loss Face Off” →

Red Ribbon Says: Let There Be “WHITE”

Posted on by jane

Yesterday, we were treated to a WHITE event by Red Ribbon as they unveiled their latest scrumptious, cake. Check out  the description and note all the adjectives:

Creamy white chocolate melt-in-your-mouth shavings

Light, moist white chiffon cake
Layers of real cherry bits filling and a fusion of cream and white chocolate flakes
Crowned with beautiful cream rosettes
Luscious long-stemmed, red maraschino cherries on top

Hungry already? Here is Red Ribbon’s take on the already famous Black Forest cake — the new Red Ribbon White Forest Cake!

Red Ribbon White Forest Cake

Continue reading “Red Ribbon Says: Let There Be “WHITE”” →