Category: Uncategorized

Clear’s Total 3 Scalp Care Line

Posted on by jane

I have been buying Clear shampoo for my boys for some time now. They love the Cool Sport Menthol variant. This was an additional incentive for me to go and attend Clear’s event recently at Midas Hotel. Curious me wanted to find out why my boys would specifically ask me to buy this brand over others they’ve tried.

Midas Hotel (which, I found out later, was a renovated Hyatt Regency Hotel) sported a unique, yuppie kind of look at the lobby, with a grand piano on a raised dais and modern glass and orange-accented decor
Midas Hotel lobby
Entrance to Midas Hotel
I was ushered by receptionists to an escalator and took an express ride all the way to the penthouse of the hotel. Good thing I had just washed my hair because it would have been totally embarrassing. I found out, upon reaching the penthouse, that like everyone else there, I was going to have a… SCALP TEST!
A hair analyzing probe was rolled over a portion of my scalp. Thankfully, I had no dandruff and no sebum (the oily substance secreted which, if in excess, can cause very oily hair and odor if bacteria feeds on it. But because of other hair concerns like dryness and hairfall, my overall score was an acceptable 70%.
My scalp test score – 70%!

After some canapes and cocktails, we were led into the main area to wait for the program to begin. Fortunately, we got a good place in the front of the stage with no cameras blocking our view.

Borgy Manotoc and Bianca Valerio were the hosts for the event and we all had such a good time listening to them because they were very casual, joked around a lot and were simply entertaining.
Borgy Manotoc and Bianca Valerio hosted the event
Clear’s brand ambassadors, Piolo Pascual and Bea Alonzo, were introduced. Finally, I got to set my eyes on dreamy Piolo and really admired how utterly straight and beautiful Bea’s hair was!
But on to the real VIPs of the day — the Clear Total 3 line of scalp care. Here’s the total line.
DID YOU KNOW…?

– that dandruff is primarily a fungal disease caused by Malasezzia?
– that we all have Malasezzia and when our scalp is unhealthy, the fungi could take over and cause flakes to appear?
– that our scalp is just like our normal skin except that it has more hair follicles, more sebum, more nerves and a lot of Malasezzia?
– that scalp damage can be caused by harsh shampoos, microbes, stress and poor diet habits?
– that dandruff is worse in cold season than in the summer?
– women’s scalps are tougher than men’s but get easily damaged due to more frequent styling and is prone to hairfall
– men’s scalps are weaker, have more sebum than women’s and so are more prone to dandruff?
With extensive research, the people behind Clear incorporated two nutrients into their Total 3 scalp care products that do not just wash away flakes from the surface of the scalp but penetrate deep down — to be exact, 3 layers down into the scalp — to give:
1. No Dandruff
2. No Dryness
3. Less Hair Fall
These nutrients are Nutrium 10 for women and Pro-Nutrium 10 for men. There are 10 vitamins and mineral nutrients inside Nutrium 10. And in Pro-Nutrium 10, there are two powerful anti-dandruff actives: Zinc Pyrithione and Climbazole. 
WHICH CLEAR VARIANT IS FOR YOU?

Unisex/Women (4 variants)
Complete Soft Care 2 in 1 – for all scalp and hair types; transforms hair from dry to soft and shiny
Ice Cool Menthol – for all scalp and hair types; refreshes and revives scalp and hair with a burst of menthol freshness
Dry Scalp & Itch Control – for dry, itchy scalp
Anti-Hair Fall – for weakened scalp and hair’ strengthens hair from roots to tips and increases hair’s defense against hair fall
Men (3 variants)
Cool Sport Menthol – for all scalp and hair types; the ultimate anti-dandruff refreshment
Anti-Hair Fall – for weakened hair fiber; strengthens hair and defends against hair fall
Cooling Itch Control – for dry, itchy scalp
I’ve seen Clear in action already. Right after the event, I gave the Cooling Itch Control variant for men to one of my boys who was showing signs of dandruff from another brand’s shampoo (it was something I picked off the shelf randomly but which turned out very ineffective). It hasn’t even been a month yet since he started his regimen on Clear but last time I looked, his dandruff was gone. Yay!
I’m excited to try the variant for hair fall. With my super long hair now, I need to make sure I keep the roots really strong and the tips soft.
Thanks to Unilever’s Clear team and to Bridges for this event.

Pao Pao Xiao Chi: A flavored fruit tea and Taiwanese snack place in San Juan

Posted on by jane
A stone’s throw from Xavier School is this flavored fruit tea and Taiwanese snack cafe that serves the students from the nearby schools as well as the surrounding community, offering a menu at very reasonable prices. One late morning, I joined several other food bloggers upon the invitation of Alvin of Cheftonio’s Blog. 
Jerome Tan, one of the proprietors, said they opened in San Juan City late 2009. I do remember seeing this place as I go to and from my gym but never really got a good look at it till we went there to try their food fare and fruit/milk teas.

The word Pao Pao when translated stands for “very full” and the word Xiao Chi means “small snacks”.

Our food adventure began with servings of their flavored fruit teas and specialty drinks. Mind you, they do not use flavored powder. Their fruit teas are made from fruit puree and are kept in modern cylindrical dispensers that actually look like fashion decor. And all their teas come in 20 oz. glasses compared to 16 oz. ones in other fruit tea shops.

Modern dispensers containing fruit puree for drinks
Taro Milk, Php 50
Green Apple, Php 45
Strawberry, Php 50
Add-ons for your drinks, Php 5-10 each
(Clockwise: Egg pudding, Chocolate, Sago,
Almond jelly, Strawberry)

Next came their version of spicy chicken, squid and pork. My kids would love this as they often go to another outlet for spicy chicken. What makes Pao Pao’s different (and I believe, better) is that they have at least 9 different spices that you can drizzle all over your spicy chops: black sesame, green tea, lemon, seaweeds, wasabi, orange, red chili, yellow curry and kimchi.
Spicy Chicken and Spicy Squid – Php 50;
Spicy Pork – Php 55
Hands down, the group’s favorite sprinkle was yellow curry while the spiciest one for me was the red curry (I hear that the Koreans who come and dine pour generous portions of the red curry over their food).
Dimsum came next.
Steamed Dumplings
Half – Php 45; Regular – Php 80
Fried Dumplings
Half -Php 45; Regular – Php 80
Fried Shrimp Wanton
Half – Php 60; Regular – Php 120
Steamed Shrimp Wanton
Half – Php 60; Regular – Php 120
By this time, my tummy was almost at bursting but still, the food kept coming. We were made to try their  noodles and rice meals.
Special Dry Noodles, Php 100
Beef Noodle Soup, Php 125
Lu Rou Rice, Php 60
Beef Brisket Rice, Php 105

We also got to try their new offering, Glazed Potatoes. It tasted different for me because unlike other potatoes I’ve tasted that were on the salty and dry side, these were marinated in a sweet, glazed sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. Guess it takes some getting used to.

Glazed Potatoes, Php 50
They actually have a lot more to offer. I have to say that their prices are really value for money. This is important for the students from the nearby schools who depend on allowances. They get their fill without it burning a hole in their pockets.
If you love fruit and milk teas, Pao Pao Xiao Chi is one you need to try because the flavors of their teas are comparable to the other ones around the San Juan area. The fact that they carry real food and not just pica-pica works well for those who want to have their teas with their meals.
Pao Pao Xiao Chi branches:
Main store (17 Gen. de Jesus St. cor. Gen. Lim St., Little Baguio, San Juan City, Tel 994-8554)
999 Mall, Divisoria, Manila
Ycaza Street, San Miguel, Manila(Beside St. Jude Catholic School)
Website: www.paopao.com.ph
Facebook: www.facebook.paopao.xiaochi

Healthy food tripping and more at Yummy Eats 2011

Posted on by jane

I brought my 2 boys to Yummy Eats at NBC Tent. It was an opportunity to get them out of the computer and into something that they loved doing – EAT!

An FIC ice cream truck was parked right in front of the venue, serving free ice cream to registered visitors.

The winning flavor for the day – LEMON CRUMBLE!

There were a lot of people at the food fair at NBC Tent. We registered, got our tickets plus a directory to help us locate the food stalls we wanted to try.

What impressed me with the choice of stalls that Yummy Magazine featured was this — there were a lot more of them offering healthy eats. I even found a vegetarian stall! I would have wanted to try the samples from each and every stall there but having arrived almost mid-afternoon, I had to saunter through some of them.

Before anything else, let me just give some space to one of the most creative and fun stalls I saw at Yummy Eats — themed cupcakes from Little Miss OC Kitchen! It’s not only children who’d love to have these in parties. If, like me, you’ve got Angry Birds and Plants vs Zombies apps in your device, you will too!

Plants vs Zombies
Yeehee!!! ANGRY BIRDS!!!

Pigs and Plants!
Despicable Me!
Little Miss OC Kitchen
Contact: Anna Sarmiento / Aleth Ocampo
Mobile: +63920 9512343

Email: littlemissoc@yahoo.com / alethmapa@yahoo.com

Here are some of the stalls my kids and I sampled:

Farm n Deli Enterprises

My kids and I love tinapa. I buy them at S&R most of the time. So it was a delight to see bottled tinapa. The proprietress, Cynthia Torres, spooned out samples on salted crackers for us to taste. Sarap! Their bottled tinapa is on the spicy side, though (a warning for those who may not like spicy food) but that is okay for my brood who actually love spicy food.

Farm N Deli Enterprises
Contact: Cynthia Torres
Mobile: +63917 5548180
Email: cntorres3466@yahoo.com

Pipino Vegetarian
This was a nice discovery. At least now, friends who are vegetarian can add them to their list of vegetarian food outlets. Aside from their food items, they had Pipino Iced Tea which we tried. I would recommend it any time – delicious and so cool, just right for the summer heat. Another gauge of how good it is? My vegetable-averse son actually loved it and wants me to buy more.

Pipino Vegetarian
Contact: Alessa Libongco Lanot
Mobile: +63917 5253772
Email: alessandralanot@gmail.com, alessandralibongco@gmail.com
Big Daddy’s Chicken
Being chicken lovers, my boys dragged me over to Big Daddy’s so they could sample the crispy chops fried to perfection the Taiwanese way. 
Big Daddy’s Chicken
Contact: Kim Ting
Mobile: +63922 8924878
Email: kimberly.ting@yahoo.com
The Fruit Garden
We discovered jams of all sorts using local fruits, French recipes and techniques. I saw their new chutney line offering mango, tomato and orange.
The Fruit Garden
Contact: Pierre Marmonier
Mobile: +63920 9453565
Email: pierre@thefruitgarden.net
Divine Desserts
I was tempted to try the very unusual Wasabi Kitkat Mousse but the word “wasabi” reminded me of nose-clearing spicy hotness. My older son though dared to try a sample and in his words, it was not hot like the real wasabi but there was a hint of its flavor in it. And the dessert was sweet. This stall had other yummy desserts for sampling as well, including home-made pickles!
Divine Desserts
Contact: Millet Soberano
Mobile: +63917 5359175
Email: milletbs@yahoo.com
Classic Confections
I was able to sample both their Almond Crunch and Calamansi Bars. Mmmmm!
Almond Crunch
Calamansi Bars
Classic Confections
Contact: Baba Ibazeta
Mobile: +63917 5245892
Email: bibazeta@yahoo.com
Carmela’s Best Ice Cream
This is owned, according to those manning the stall, by former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. The boys and I went first for their fresh milk including their chocolate milk. While the milk was really good and we all loved it, my marketing budget found the price a bit steep at around P120/bottle. At the rate my kids and I consume milk, I can’t buy too much of this at a time but I wouldn’t mind buying some every so often. The clincher for my dairy-loving boys though was their ice cream (Coffee as well as the strange sounding but very yummy Salted Caramel). The coffee flavored ice cream was well, coffee-tasting. But I was intrigued that the salty hint to the caramel ice cream actually complemented it very well. I actually ended up buying the Salted Caramel variant for the boys before we left the place.
Carmela’s Best Ice Cream
Contact: Paco Magsaysay
Mobile: +63917 8154406
Email: paco_magsaysay@yahoo.com.ph
Amaya Frozen Caramel
I met the husband and wife team who said that Amaya was their daughter’s name. Right now, their only product is the frozen caramel. I sampled it and boy, it’s a much better version than my favorite leche flan! The texture was melt-in-your-mouth leche flan but harder, due to its being frozen. The cold sensation as it hits the tongue is much better than leche flan that is eaten at room temperature. Thumbs up for me!
Amaya Frozen Caramel
Contact: Cathy Garcia
Mobile: +63928 5519734
Email: cathygarcia78@hotmail.com
Jaq’s Kitchen
The names of their products were somewhat unusual. The Vodka Tinapa intrigued me. I asked the lady there if it was spiked with vodka and she said yes! Hmmmm, next time I buy tinapa, I’ll try spiking it with vodka too.
Jaq’s Kitchen
Contact: Jennie Orros
Mobile: +63917 5296918
Email: jennieorros@yahoo.com
Simply Pie!
Healthy and delicious mini quiches! I got to try their Mushroom and Sour Cream quiche as well as the Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomato quiche. Mmmmm…. They also have Bacon and Gruyere quiche.
Top is the Mushroom and Sour Cream quiche; the bottom is Spinach, Feta and Sundried Tomato.

Simply Pie!

Contact: Gail Ang
Mobile: +63922 8822194
Email: gailgenevieve@yahoo.com
Gourmet Dips and Dressings
Another healthy find – not just gourmet! I tried all 3 dips that Mira Angeles had as samples: Cheese Pimiento, Herbed Cream Cheese with Sun-dried Tomatoes (her bestseller), and the Basil Pesto Pate. Very, very good and tasty!

Basil Pesto Pate
Cheese Pimiento
Herbed Cream Cheese with Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Gourmet Dips and Dressings

Contact: Mira Angeles
Mobile: +63917 5270913
Email: mira.angeles@gmail.com
Starbucks
With kids in tow, no stop is complete without Starbucks in the picture. We got a sampling of their Caramel Frappe and got free sachets of Italian Roast that was ready to be mixed with hot water for a great coffee break.
My Caramel Frappe and free Italian Roast blend

Starbucks (Rustan Coffee Corporation)

Telephone: 896-2755 / 895-2747
Email: customer@rustancoffee.ph
Website: http://www.starbucks.ph/
There were other booths we would have wanted to sample but had no time to visit. I also spotted LowCal Cafe’s Lindy Santiago who I met at the Suchero launch.
It was just a few hours spent at Yummy Eats but it was well worth our time (and gas) going out to the NBC Tent. Kudos to my dear friend Fran of frannywanny.com for organizing this very successful event. I hope there will be another one next year. 

Carrier launches its Designer Series airconditioners

Posted on by jane
Concepcion-Carrier Air Conditioning Company (CCAC) has long been a known name in air conditioning. At a recent launch I was invited to, I heard the Carrier executives explain why they decided to open up a designer line and what its intelligent features were.
For the longest time, airconditioners came in just one color – silver. Then in recent years, some brands came out with shell-white framed airconditioners. After doing a customer survey, Jojo Concepcion (CEO of CCAC) said that they were surprised to find out that for women, the color of choice was….BLACK!!! 
Well, I’m not surprised. Fashion-wise, black is THE color you see for daytime and nighttime wear. Whether worn in a casual gathering or in a formal occasion, black does look nice. Why not have an airconditioner that comes in black? It would look good and add class to the ambience of modern homes.
Midnight Black, Twilight Silver and Winter White are the colors of this series.

But not only do these designer airconditioners look good. They come with features that not only cool all the nooks and crannies of your home but also comes with an 8-in-1 filter (whoa!) and is supposed to save you energy costs because of its built-in intelligence.
Here are some of those features:
1. 8-in-1 filtering system – I only have 1 3M filter now in one airconditioner while with the others, I regularly take out and wash the filter that comes with the unit. But these designer series units have not 1 but 8 filters!
  • Anti-mold filter that prevents molds and other fungi from causing allergies, infections and toxicity
  • Zeolite filter/activated carbon filter – a natural earth mineral which remove volatile organic compounds and bacteria
  • Vitamin C filter – neutralizes free radicals and converts active oxygen to oxygen, preventing the increase of melanin which is the cause of dark spots on skin
  • Catechin filter – a bioflavonoid in green tea with antiviral/antioxidant qualities
  • Super sterilizer filter – harnesses the power of the 3 other filters (Sasa, Bio-Enzyme, Gingko Extract) to alleviate allergies and keep your family safe from harmful germs
  • Sasa – a bamboo extract with bacterial and viral deactivation properties
  • Bio-Enzyme – helps eliminate bacteria, viruses and molds
  • Gingko Extract – reduces agents that cause allergic reactions

2. Run-hour timer – This is similar to your prepaid card. You can automatically program your airconditioner to run according to a monthly budget and target energy consumption. 
3. Econo feature – when room temperature reaches a desired level, the unit shuts off and the electric fan turns on (used together with the Energy Savings Plug).
4. Cycle timer – you can program your unit to turn on and off at 30-minute intervals for a maximum of 24 hours.
5. Auto on/off – you can program your unit to turn on and off at preset times.
They also come with diagnostic features that alert you if the unit is not cooling, stops when ice forms on the coils, shows an error warning when the sensor has an open/short circuit, delayed start-up in case of power outage, and even a reminder when filters need changing or replacing. They come also with a 5-year compressor warranty and after-sales service.
These designer units are about the same price as most current standard airconditioning units. Here are the SRPs:

0.75 HP – Php 18,700
1.0 HP – Php 21,900
1.25 HP – Php 22,200
1.5 HP – Php 25,500

The Carrier designer series is available as window-type units or standalone slim variant for businesses and establishments.

Carrier executives at the launch with emcee, Tessa Prieto-Valdes

California Crunch Cassava Chips

Posted on by jane
When you hear the word “cassava”, what comes to mind?
For me, it has always been cassava cake or bibingka cassava, a cassava-based cake topped with a coconut milk and egg yolk custard and finished off with cheese toppings.
So when I was asked if I wanted to review a new brand of chips made of cassava, I immediately said yes. It piqued my curiosity since I could not imagine what chips made of cassava would look or taste like.
This is what the cassava chips looked like when it was sent to me.
The pictures of the ridged chips on the front of the packaging reminded me of Pringles. And sure enough, that is what it actually looked like.
We opened the Sour Cream & Onions pack first since that is one of my favorite flavors. The chips are slightly thicker than Pringles. Unlike Pringles which tend to break apart with a slight bite, it takes a bit more bite to break the cassava chips. But that’s okay for me as it gives a crisper crunch experience.

I must say, the chips surprised me as they did not really have that cassava taste I was expecting. It turned out tasting like regular chips. The same sweet, fresh and tangy combination of the sour cream and onions was still there. My youngest son actually took the entire pack and sat down in front of the TV munching it. That’s a thumbs up, I think, as far as the Sour Cream & Onions flavor.
A few days later, we tried the Barbecue flavored pack. I had already seen another blogger friend, Richard’s, comment that the barbecue was pretty spicy so I was already forewarned. True enough, I only got to eat 3 pieces of the barbecue chips before it became too spicy for me. But again, that’s just me. My boys gobbled up the rest of it.
As a mom, I prefer to choose healthier options for my kids. But kids will be kids and will always want to munch on chips. Reading the press materials given to me, I see that cassava has twice the fiber content and has a higher level of potassium compared to potatoes.
I also noticed that on the upper right of the packaging, it said that the cassava chips are 0% cholesterol and has 30% less fat than potato chips. So if California Crunch Cassava Chips taste like its potato chips equivalents, then this could be a healthier option for kids
Each 120 grams pack of California Crunch Cassava Chips currently retails at Php 44.50. It is available at SM Supermarket and SM Hypermart at the moment but there are plans to add outlets soon.
California Crunch Cassava Chips
Website: www.calicrunch.com

Yummy Eats: A cooking and eating fair this May

Posted on by jane
(click to enlarge image)
I love good food but before I try out restaurants, I always check my foodie friends for recommendations and feedback. Now, here is a painless way to try good food because everything under the NBC Tent, Fort on May 21, 2011 will represent the best food finds specially chosen by Team Yummy of Yummy Magazine.
Yummy Eats is a cooking and eating (I love that combination!) fair that will run from 10am to 6pm. Not only will you get to check out Team Yummy’s recommended food but there are activities running throughout the day.
In fact, I got a Facebook invite from LowCal Cafe to Yummy Eats just today as they are one of the best food finds. LowCal Cafe is behind those sugar-free but still delish dessert concoctions which even diabetics can take. I am actually hoping they will have their Sansrival at the fair. Their Sansrival is sweetened with Suchero (coco sugar) which I tried at the Suchero event some time back and I tell you, it tasted just as good as the sugar version (my post on Suchero is HERE).

I am looking forward to a day of eating because I am sure I’ll bump into my foodie friends there as well as get to taste some of the best food in town. And yes, I’ll do my workouts before and after this event.

The entrance fee is Php150 but pay only Php100 when you present the May issue of Yummy Magazine at the door.

Kudos to my neighbor and foodie friend, Fran of frannywanny.com who is the force behind this event.

Hope to see you there!

How do I love Samsung Smart TV? Let me count the ways…

Posted on by jane

Ok, I admit that title is probably too cheesy. But really, I am such a gadget lover (even if I can’t afford it most times) and we’ve been hearing about convergent technology for some time already.

I think we’re now getting very much closer to total convergence — where just one device has the features of several gadgets combined like TV, internet, mobile. And I saw it at iblog7 in early April.

Samsung, one of the sponsors of iblog7, brought in this eye candy, 46-inch smart TV that caught my eye all the way from the back of the theater. Who wouldn’t ogle it? It was W-I-D-E. And thin (like the side view of my iPad).  During the break when they took it to the lobby of Malcolm Hall, I was one of those who stood around and admired it – not just from the front but from the side AND from the back as well. Here’s that “quarter turn please” look:

Now, a quarter turn, please?
And….another quarter turn, please?
So from the aesthetic point of view, I’m already in love with this Samsung smart LED TV. I know just the spot in my home for it — almost anywhere!!! Because if it is that thin (see those 4 legs?) I don’t need a special TV stand or table that is over a foot deep. This TV will be such a space saver for me. For a mommy with 4 kids, I’m always running out of space. This space-saving feature, for me, is TOPS!

Let me now count how many different ways I can use the Samsung Smart LED TV:
As a TV
1. We can watch 2D movies – After all, this is a TV, right? 
2. We can watch 3D movies – It’s 3D-enabled. That means once I sync the required 3D glasses with the TV, we can watch 3D movies from the comfort of our home. First movie in my 3D cinematic list? Avatar!
As a Multimedia Player
3. MP3s on a USB stick can go into the USB slot behind the TV and voila! I can listen to my music from anywhere in the room.
4. With the same USB stick, I can watch videos in MP4 format! 
As a Gaming Console
5. I can download from a wide choice of gaming apps and get the whole family to play them on thhe 46-inch screen. Whether it’s Sudoku Plus, Bejeweled 2, or some other game, for sure my kids will spend hours on this TV. 
As my Skype Device
6. See this? This is how we get to talk to my girl who is in China right now. That’s a 13-inch screen with an itsy-bitsy picture of my girl in one window and work on another window. 
We need to crowd around that laptop just to get a view of her and hear her voice. Now, take this Samsung TV and we can divide all 46 inches into 2 windows and all of us will still be able to see her without craning our necks! And hear her voice in surround sound too. Cool!
As a Digital Picture Frame
7. I just need to hook up my digicam or videocam using a USB cable and I can have all photos in my camera or videos in my videocam play on the big screen. Imagine a slideshow on that big screen. During family gatherings at home, this is the perfect way to show off family pictures to a large crowd.
Surf the Net
8. This is where convergent technology really matters – bringing web content into TV. With my wireless network at home that I can connect to the Samsung TV, I can surf the web in one window and watch TV in another. No more looking down at laptop, looking up to watch TV. Everything I need to watch and do is on one device.
As a Power Saver
9. The Eco light sensor in the Samsung TV measures brightness in the periphery of the TV and brightens or dims the screen as needed. This saves energy in the long run.
10. Another energy saver is opening just one device to surf and watch TV rather than opening a laptop and a TV set. The Samsung LED TV is energy-efficient too, unlike my old TV set here which not only has a smaller screen but also has that bulky back, to boot.
I truly would love to have the Samsung LED TV in my living room. For me and my family, it is a game-changer as far as how we use our various devices at home.
(This is my first entry to Samsung Smart TV’s blogger contest.)

Tutti Frutti: Yummy Yogurt!

Posted on by jane
I love yogurt. I have loved it for over 20 years. So when frozen yogurt became popular in the Metro, it also became a favorite with me. When a small group of my mommy blogger friends and I were invited last Feb. 17, 2011 to try Tutti Frutti frozen yogurt at SM Hypermart Pasig, I readily said YES. 
We had time to meet the franchisee, Allan Sio, who readily sat down with us to introduce us to Tutti Frutti. 
L-R: Michelle, Rone, Rowena, me, Noemi)
Allan Sio (center) holds the SM Hypermart Pasig franchise
Tutti Frutti has over 150 stores worldwide (California, Virginia, Georgia, Texas, Hawaii, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines, Tahiti, Mexico, Hong Kong, Malaysia, etc).

It has over 50 different flavors but of course, you won’t find all those in one visit. They have 4  yogurt dispensing machines, each of which can dispense 2 separate flavors using different levers or, choose the middle lever of each machine to dispense a combination of the 2 flavors in it.

The day we visited, these were their 8 flavors:
  • Strawberry Banana
  • Vanilla
  • Strawberry
  • Death By Chocolate
  • Pomegranate
  • Cookies & Cream
  • TF Original (permanently available)
  • Taro-bly Delicious (permanently available)
You choose your size of cup, choose your flavor, and dispense as much or as little as you like. Add toppings of your choice (optional), weigh and pay. Tutti Frutti charges P20 per ounce (not counting the cup’s weight).
For diners who have no idea what these flavors are like, they have colorful tiny spoons so you can try all flavors before choosing a cupful.
Of course, I went around trying all 8 flavors. Strawberry Banana tasted good. I guess it’s because I love those 2 fruits. Death by Chocolate was a curiosity and it turns out, it tasted much like frozen Chocolait. The Taro-bly Delicious, though yummy and probably popular with kids, was a little too sweet for my taste. 
I eventually settled down with my all-time favorite — the TF Original. Then I added fresh fruits: strawberries, blueberries and mangoes. And this is the result (all 9.026 ounces of it):
Kids may want to know that aside from the usual nuts, cookies & cream, oreo, marshmallows, Tutti Frutti has mocchi toppings!
Another feature of their toppings is their premium gourmet sauces from Monin of France with choices like Dark Chocolate, White Chocolate and Caramel.
Tutti Frutti is located right across the checkout counters of SM Hypermart Pasig, very close to the Food Court.

Asian Fusion at Coco Asian Kitchen

Posted on by jane
 (UPDATE as of July 2011: This restaurant has closed down and has been replaced by another one)

Thanks to Chris, The Foodie Club had a chance to sample the menu of Coco Asian Kitchen. I thought the restaurant was a new one at Greenhills Promenade.

When my daughter and I got there, we realized that during the last 1 or 2 movies that we caught at Promenade, the kids and I did eat at the Promenade food court and already chanced upon Coco Asian Kitchen. But we never got a chance to sample the menu offerings as we usually got to Promenade just a few minutes before show time and usually went for the stalls that offered fastfood items.

The nice thing that I noticed about Coco Asian Kitchen was its very colorful facade. It was the most eye-catching of all the other restaurants in the Promenade lobby. Secondly, I personally love Asian fusion food because my taste buds can try the spices and cooking styles from different countries without having to go to different specialty restaurants featuring just one country’s cuisine. There’s one other Asian fusion resto at the Promenade but they cater more to diners who are ready for a sit-down dinner. Coco Asian is able to serve up fusion food more quickly — great if you’re in a hurry and not ready for a sit-down meal.

I did not get to try all the food served that night but let me give you some idea of their offerings.

First up is my favorite of the night – Ube Ubod (P120, solo). Truth be told, I had already seen Ube Ubod featured on the resto’s wall but not being adventurous, I found it strange at first to see what looked like purple dumplings. The purple wrapper apparently was made of ube (yam) and tied with a string. I removed the string to expose the lumpia ubod inside. I dribbled (nah, I soaked) the lumpia in yummy peanut sauce. I’m glad that this was served up because it tasted just like Filipino lumpia ubod, a favorite of mine since ubod is the main ingredient of the Ilonggo (my province) style of lumpia. The peanut sauce, to me, clinched it. Now I know what I will be ordering often when I’m at Promenade.

Ube Ubod

My second favorite of the night is Dory ala Coco (P170, solo; P290, sharing). I’m a lover of dory fillet so it was a natural for me to go for this dish. It was breaded and deep-fried, then topped with sweet coconut-based sauce. I found the dory taste just right and soft inside despite it being breaded and fried. This was a new way of cooking dory because usually breaded items are dry, unlike this one which comes with a sauce. Crispy fried noodles came with this dish and I believe is best eaten when you crush the noodles into smaller bits, scoop up the coconut sauce and drizzle it over the noodles for flavoring. In my case though, I chose to take the dory with the rice served up.

Dory ala Coco

Oh, since I already mentioned eating rice with the dory, let me just insert it here before I go on to the other dishes. We got to try a new dish that was not yet on the menu — Seafood Fried Rice. Strips of fish and shrimps and mussels were mixed in with the fried rice which was cooked just right, not too greasy. Sliced green onions as well as lemon slices completed the dish. Next time, I’ll squeeze a bit of that lemon on the rice to see how it affects its overall flavor.

The third dish I tried was the Crispy Tilapia Fillet (P190, solo). The crispy tilapia sat on a bed of crispy noodles and came with a soy sauce dip with red hot peppers in it. This looked to me more as an appetizer or pulutan so I was just surprised that other dishes came ahead of this one. Also, while the noodles made the presentation of the tilapia look better, I felt that most diners would just gobble up the tilapia with the soy sauce and leave the noodles untouched. Maybe Coco Asian can cook up some kind of yummy sauce that can be taken with the noodles so nothing goes to waste.
Crispy Tilapia Fillet

The Cha Gio (P90), their version of Vietnamese spring rolls (someone got to one of the rolls before I got to take a pic), came with fried noodles, a couple of fried onion rings and other veggies, together with a vinegar-spiced dip. This was not bad. In fact, I like rolls dipped in vinegar. 

Cha Gio

By this time, I was already full so I was unable to try the next two dishes.

The Coco Express (P130, solo; P190, sharing) is Coco Asian’s version of Bicol Express. My palate can’t handle that kind of spice so I opted out of trying it. Maybe I’ll venture some other time.
Coco Express

The last dish brought out was the Sweet Potato Prawns (P190, solo; P360 sharing). Too bad, I wanted so much to taste this because unlike the usual breaded prawns, those spiky things you see are actually crisp potato strings. Anyway, that’s a good excuse to go back to Coco Asian and order this one.

Sweet Potato Prawns

Our sumptuous dinner was capped with a selection from Bubble Tea Boy which was in the same area as Coco Asian Kitchen. The powders they use to make these milk teas come from Japan, which is why the names of most of their drinks are in Japanese. As a health conscious person, I opted for Green Tea Latte (I think it costs about P80 for a large cup) as my first Bubble Tea choice and I actually loved it because the green tea flavor came out very well. Next time though, I will try it without the pearls. I like my milk teas smooth so I need not chew.

Green Tea Latte

We were served other dishes as well but it was on the other side of our VERRRRYYY long table. These were Tom Yum Soup (P90) and Goat Kaldereta (P260).

On the whole, I was happy to find that Coco Asian Kitchen was a place where I could have good Asian fusion food without having to wait very long. Having a foretaste of all these dishes have given me a list of “must tries” for another time. And what made our evening even better was the company of The Club.
The Club (photo courtesy of Foodie Manila)

You can find Coco Asian Kitchen at the Ground Floor of the Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City.

Share Krispy Kreme Hearts this Valentine’s Day

Posted on by jane

Valentine’s Day will be extra special for me and the family.

We received a box of Krispy Kreme and for once, they are NOT round but heart-shaped Valentine’s Treats. My box has the zigzag-shaped hearts but they have two more designs — scallops and a heart within a heart design. The doughnuts (topped with milk or white chocolate) may look different on the outside but inside, it’s the same favorite doughnut with its trademark melt-in-your-mouth dough.

These heart treats are only available for a limited time – only until February 14, 2011. So this weekend, head out to the nearest Krispy Kreme branch near you and get a box – make that two – and share Krispy Kreme hearts with your special someone or with the family.