April 6-8, 2017 was a busy day for all foodies and food
entrepreneur as Madrid Fusion 2017 took place at the SMX Convention Center in
Pasay City. The whole place was like a
hive, buzzing with activities and people.
Part of the Region 10 contingent was the product from
Clarin, Misamis Occidental – the various sticky rice cakes or suman ng Clarin.Nearly all 17 flavors were displayed for
tasting and sold in the 3-day event.ASEC Fredrick Alegre, along with some visitors, was wowed with the
number of flavors that Clarin was able to showcase during Madrid Fusion,
knowing that this is the first time that the said municipality has joined in
this kind of event.The flavors of
Clarin’s suman were as follows:
Mango – sticky rice with
ripe mango slices, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Pinya – sticky rice with
ripe pineapple slices, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Durian – sticky rice with
durian slivers, cooked in coconut milk and sugar.The durian’s strong scent is not present,
making this a delightful way of enjoying the fruit.
Tsokalate – sticky rice
with tablea made into a spread, cooked with coconut milk and sugar; making this
rich in local flavors.
Tsokolate with Mani –
similar to tsokolate with added with peanut flavor coming from processed peanut
spread.Also cooked in coconut milk and
sugar.
Moron – a classic suman
in the Visayan region.
Balintawak – created in
honor of a place where it was made, this sticky rice goodness is with coconut
meat made sweet by cooked coconut milk/oil (latik).
Classic – this is your
standard sticky rice, wrapped in leaves and cooked using coconut milk and
sugar.
Carrot – with shredded
carrots made into a slightly sweet paste, this is mixed into the sticky rice
and then wrapped in leaves before being cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Ube – another root crop
common in the area, the purple yam is made into a semi-sweet paste that is
mixed with the sticky rice before being wrapped in leaves.Cooked with coconut milk and sugar.
Keso/Queso – slices of
cheese are added into the sticky rice mix and then cooked with coconut milk and
sugar.The cheese melts into the sticky
rice making it more creamier in each bite.
Choco Moron – the classic
suman of the Visayas region with chocolate jame added into it.Cooked in coconut milk and sugar mixture.
Buko – sticky rice with strings of young coconut meat
added into the mixture.It is also
cooked with coconut milk and sugar, making it slightly sweet and delicate.
Peanut – this is your
locally processed peanuts, finely grounded and made into a near paste in
texture then added into the sticky rice mixture before being wrapped in fresh
banana leaves.Cooked with coconut milk
and sugar, this suman creation is both delicate and with a crunch.
Latik - the sweetened form of the coconut milk, cooked
till dark in color and then added into the sticky rice mixture before being
cooked in coconut milk and sugar.
Adlai – two types of rice
mixture was used in this suman.One is
your standard sticky rice and another is one that is high in fiber.This suman creation can be considered healthy because of the high fiber content that
helps in the digestion of food.
Langka/Nangka – slivers
of ripe langka (visayan: nangka), is place into the sticky rice and then
wrapped in fresh banana leaves before being cook in their standard coconut
milk-sugar mixture.
People can’t have enough of this sticky rice mixture that
some even came back to buy more of it.They can’t believe that you can have that many variations of sticky rice
creations and still be delicious and true to the nature of suman.Such were the
feedback given especially during the 3rd-day Regional Lunch, which
was attended by all the delegates present in the event.
As of the moment, this sticky rice cake creation can be
bought in the House of Suman in
Clarin, Misamis Occidental.For further
inquiries regarding the product, you can reach the PR/Social Media team of TBDC
thru 09778400606 (Kezia Noblia – Account Director).
Madrid Fusion 2017, the biggest food event of the year, went
into a spin as Region 10 brought in the best of the province in a variety of
kakanin. With Regional Director Marie
Elaine S. Unchuan of the Department of Tourism (DOT) leading the way, Region 10
aimed to win the heart and stomach of all attendees of the event, local and
foreigner alike.
With this year’s delivery of the best delicacies from the
region, RD Unchuan aimed to let people knew that there is gastronomic wonder of
the region.The delegations are as
follow:RD Marie Elaine S. Unchuan -
DOT10, Josephine H. Roque – DOT 10 Focal Person, Leonila S. Arguelles – Kitchen
Focal Person, Chef Benzar Aradani , Camille Ambalario – Chef’s Assistant ,
Nelia B. Lee (Food Sponsor), Agnes Garcia Sue (Food Sponsor – Clarin, Misamis
Occidental), Mayor Clive Quino and Mrs. Rina Quino (Food Sponsor -Manolo
Fortich, Bukidnon) with other DOT 10 personnel.
People were won over by the delicious suman from Clarin, Misamis Occidental, the crunchy peanut brittle,
the delicate pastel by Vjandep from Camiguin, that grated young corn delicacy
called binakiand chicharon from CDO, the peanut goodness
of Cheding’s from Iligan City and the sweet pineapples of Manolo Fortich,
Bukidnon.Paired off with it were the
various coffee goodness of the region.Not only are delicacies featured but also the Humba de Oro and Ostrich
Salpicao; two dishes displayed during the regional lunch last April 8 under
the careful hands of Chef Benzar Aradani.
A good number of gastronomic wonders are to be expected and
seen at this year’s Madrid Fusion.Region 10 was all set to give and serve their own tongue-wonder creations
and win the hearts of people to come and explore and taste what they have to
offer as a region, as a province and as Mindanao.
Truly more than what is known about Region 10.From point to point of the region, the whole
Region 10 DOT was ready to wow those in the event with what they were
presenting in the 3-days event.From
Bukidnon to Misamis Occidental, a good selection of delicacies was presented as
part of the
When it comes to Filipino food, one of the things that comes to mind is how Filipinos are capable of making almost everything taste great! We're very practical and resourceful. You name it, almost every part we can manage to create a great dish out of it.
One of my favorite grilled street food is chicken and pork isaw (intestines). To others, the idea of eating street food isn't as enticing since you don't even know where it came from or if it's safe to begin with. I even remembered sneaking out with my cousin at night just to eat some of those since she's not allowed to eat street foods by her parents.
I can't blame her though, who couldn't resist those chewy flamed grilled cholesterol induced goodness? Right?
One of the things that I do love during the Holiday season is when I get to pig out on traditional holiday foods like Lechon, Queso de Bola, Puto Bumbong, Bibingka and many more. Even when the Christmas season is over, I still find myself craving for all of those...especially Bibingka.
Since some of my readers aren't from the Philippines, it might be the first time that you've heard of this seasonal treat. Bibingka is a type of rice cake made with rice flour and coconut milk or water. Other ingredients can vary greatly, but the most common secondary ingredients are rice and milk. It's traditionally cooked in clay pots lined with banana leaves. Curious what it tastes like? No worries, I've met with a Head Baker who wants to popularize Filipino cuisine so that everyone could get to experience having a taste of our famous desserts.
In celebrating its 15th year of publication, Cook Magazine continues to look for ways to engage their readers by evolving into a more complete experience for everyone. I enjoy reading Cook Magazine because they really get involved with foodies as if they are a part of the journey when they share articles and photos of their recent food discoveries.
Inside House Manila
The official hashtags for the night
On the editorial side, they've also added a couple of new sections to the magazine. The Health and Wellness section by Dolly Dy-Zulueta features food and beverage products, restaurants and destinations that promote wellbeing. Cook Magazine is not just limited to food as they also have their Home and Living section that contains crafts, decorating and DIY projects.
From L-R: The Cook Magazine Team. Managing Editor Magnolia Silvestre, Former Editor in Chief Nancy Reyes-Lumen, Editor in Chief Chef Dino Datu and Advertising Sales Manager Marlon Aldenese
Outside House Manila
For this year, Cook Magazine celebrates its 5th annual Holiday Bash held at the House Manila with the theme "Disco Fever" as their way of thanking their advertisers for their unending support. It was a fun night to mingle, dine, drink and be merry!
Best In Costume Winners
House Manila was jam-packed that night!
Catching up with my friends from the blogging community
Cook Magazine would not be the country's longest running monthly food publication without their Top Advertisers for 2015. Their 2015 Top Advertisers are Petron Corporation, Lamoiyan Corporation, Hafele Philippines, Ugong Trade and Holdings Inc, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Mondelez Philippines, Gifted Minds PR and Marketing Consultancy, Berghoff Philippines, Excellence Appliances Technologies Inc, Unilever Food Solutions, Appstar Global Distributors Inc. HDR Foods Corporation, G.Q.W.E.S.T. INC., Zinven International Corporation and Wilmington Imex Inc.
The 2015 Top Advertisers at the Cook Magazine Holiday Bash
Cook Magazine's 5th Annual Holiday Bash was truly big and extravagant! This event was also made possible by their other event sponsors including Skyjet Airlines, Figaro Coffee Company, Berjaya Hotel, The French Baker, Midas Hotel and Casino, Bluewater Resorts, New World Manila Bay Hotel, Robinsons Supermarket, The SM Store, Breville, Petron Gasul, McCormick, Best Western Boracay Tropics, Fujidenzo, Hotel Celeste, Landbank, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila, Ready-Wrap Containers, Tecnogas, Uratex Monoblock, Whirlpool Appliances, Widus Hotel and Casino, Movenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu, Tourism Malaysia, Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria, Holiday Inn Manila Galleria, Shangri-La's Mactan Resort and Spa, Crimson Hotel Manila, F1 Hotel Manila, Full Circle Communications, Inc. Gardenia, Goldilocks, Jolly, King Sue, Marca Leon, Masflex Cookware and Kitchenware, San Miguel Pure Foods Culinary Center, San Miguel Purefoods, Simple Touch, Harvest Hotel, Rizgolf Sports Marketing, Shinigawa, Thousand Miles Leisure Pro Travel and Tours Co., Acacia Hotel Manila, Astoria Hotels and Resorts, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, Hotel Jen, Mother's Best, Party Shots Photobooth, Richmonde Hotel Iloilo and Ortigas, Toblerone, Hurom Slow Juicer, Cafe in the Park, Century Park Hotel, Oreo, Gree, Photoman, Diamond Hotel Philippines and Yoshinoya.
Other food sponsors include Chef Wix Catering, Kitchen Seventy-One, True Aussie Beef and Lamb, Lydia's Lechon, Agings Food Delight, Ice Cream House, Royal Patisserie, Sweetielicious Homemade Goodies, San Miguel Corporation, Pepsi and Smirnoff Mule.
Last year, they've also launched the Cook Magazine Studio Kitchen, a venue where cooking, eating and food photography all seamlessly blend.
The kitchen has had a bit of a makeover recently thanks to Mother's Best sponsoring kitchen cabinetry and a new backsplash. The addition added some warmth to the kitchen and provides a space to display products like Mother's Best condiments.
If you're a foodie and you'd love to see more interesting features,
recipes, tips, techniques and a whole lot more, don't forget to grab a copy of Cook Magazine!
Website: http://cookmagazine.ph
It was last February when my mom's close friend drove us all the way to Pampanga just to have lunch. Crazy, right? She tells us that she goes to Pampanga when she is craving for Kapampangan dishes. Kapampangan Food is a cuisine all Filipinos know for sure. Known for its bold and savory dishes to its one of a kind dishes such as Camaru or crickets. The roadtrip slash foodtrip that we had was really fun and memorable! Ever since then, I couldn't resist buying my own Paco Fern for my salad... I even have one on the fridge right now. Plus, it was also my first time to try a fried Betute!
Unlike my mom's close friend... not everyone has the luxury of time going all the way there to have lunch. Fortunately, somewhere located at the Metro’s business district – Makati city, you can dine at Apag Marangle. Where they are offering the best Kapampangan food and great deals good for the whole family.
As part of their new offering Apag Marangle is offering an array of boodle fight meals that is perfect for your budget and taste buds. And prices would start at 1,100 pesos.
They have four offerings which are:
ASIKAN (Bukid) (P1,100)
Ensaladang Paco (Fiddle Head Fern Salad with Salted Eggs and Special Apag Marangle Dressing)
Sale Manuk (Chicken and Lemon Grass Soup with Corn)
Ningnang Liempo (Broiled Pork Belly)
Pritung Tilapia (Fried Tilapia)
Plain Rice
Nasing Marangle (Apag Marangle’s version of Paella)
DAYAT MALAT (Dagat) (P1,700)
Ensaladang Manggang Bubot (Green Mango Salad)
Sigang Paro King Sampalok (Shrimp Cooked in Fresh Tamarind Juice)
Pritong Bangus (Fried Milkfish)
Minantikilyang Ema (Buttered Crab)
Ningnang Pusit (Broiled Squid Stuffed with Herbs, Tomato and Onions)
Tabang Talangka Rice (Crab Paste Rice)
Plain Rice
MANANGU (Biyahero) (P1,600)
Ensaladang Ampalaya (Bitter Melon Salad)
Balatung (Mongo Beans Soup with Peeled Shrimps)
Pelutungan Manuk (Fried Chicken)
Pepalasing Paro (Drunken Shrimps)
Sisig
Nasing Marangle (Apag Marangle’s version of Paella)
Plain Rice
KABALENAN (Bayan) (P1,500)
Chicharong Bulaklak
Suam Mais (Corn Soup in Clay Pot)
Humba (Pork Belly Braised in Yellow Bean Paste)
Kare-Kare (Filipino Stew of Beef Oxtail and Tripe on a Creamy Peanut Sauce)
Chicken Barbeque
Plain Rice
Garlic Rice
Apag Marangle and Kapampangan cuisine go hand in hand in bringing Pampanga near to every Filipino. Let's go visit Apag Marangle at Parksquare Makati and have a taste of fresh and authentic Kapampangan food today! Who's with me?
Zomato goes full-stack food-tech; introduces Whitelabel platform for restaurants
Earlier today, Zomato announced the launch of its Whitelabel Platform (zomato.com/whitelabel), a full suite of technologies for restaurants to run their business on the internet. The key feature on the platform is the ability for restaurants to launch custom-branded native mobile apps to help them connect with and engage their customers, and operate at internet scale.
The food-tech segment has seen a lot of action over the last year. As per a Tracxn report published in December 2014, the food-tech segment has seen a total investment of USD 1.2 Billion in 2014 alone. While the dine-out and online ordering segments have seen a large chunk of this funding, internet-first restaurants have also seen their fair share of interest from investors.
Currently, most of the internet-first restaurants primarily function on a 'no/own kitchen + own delivery + on-demand' model. The industry is seeing early signs of this concept germinating in certain urban clusters. However, a vast majority of the industry is dominated by the unorganised sector of asset-heavy restaurants, and there is a huge untapped opportunity to get them online, build innovative services, and drive more delight to customers. Zomato's introduction of White Label Apps aims to capture this opportunity. Zomato White Label Apps is a plug-and-play platform which will power a restaurant's digital identity with ease, enabling restaurants to spend more time focusing on their core business of food, translating directly to better dining experiences for users.
Ashish Goel, Chief of Product & Design, Zomato said “While speaking with a lot of restaurant owners, we realised that most of them do not have an app or digital presence and they want to harness the power and distribution of the internet and mobile to grow their business. And that there is no one single service provider for restaurants which can give them the entire suite of technologies required to run an internet presence closely integrated with the operations of their business. We see this as an opportunity to have a larger impact on the food-tech ecosystem, as well as create a larger overlap between tech and food.”
Pankaj Chaddah, Co-Founder, Zomato said “We are excited about the pace of innovation at Zomato. The bigger picture is increasingly becoming clearer to us and we are hoping that in a few months, we will be able to solve a large part of the pain points that users as well as business face in the industry.”
Zomato White Label apps offer features such as targeted push notifications, real-time information and menu management, and marketing tools to merchants at their fingertips. The app is based on a subscription model that bundles Zomato’s existing restaurant management app – Zomato For Business – into each subscription for free. These White Label apps integrate seamlessly into all the ancillary services Zomato offers, such as Online Ordering, Table Reservations, in-app Cashless payments, and the upcoming Zomato Base (point of sales system).
Zomato White Label Apps have already caught the attention of some top restaurant brands. Summerhouse Cafe in New Delhi, Miyabi Sushi in Dubai, and Shizuku Ramen in Melbourne are amongst the first 100 restaurants that have already signed up in the last week.
The Zomato White Label Platform will be available to restaurants in all 22 countries Zomato is present in currently.
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Zomato is a restaurant search and discovery app, providing in-depth information for over 1.4 million restaurants across 22 countries. Zomato's core content features include restaurant information such as scanned menus and photos, sourced by its massive feet-on-street team across cities it is present in globally. Users can rate and review restaurants, as well as create their own personal network of foodies for trusted recommendations.
In addition to restaurant search and discovery, Zomato has expanded its offering to include in-app Cashless Payments, Online Ordering,Table Reservations, and a Point-of-Sale system, creating cutting-edge technology to connect restaurant businesses and customers in ways that will revolutionise the restaurant industry.
Vikings Chefs after the awarding at World Food Expo 2015
Internationally Renowned Chefs
Vikings Group Chefs Jonathan Jota, Anton Abad, Mark Wilhelm Ragudos, Jennifer Gumboc, Don Aries Jerome Duenas, Joel Mondelo, Mark Reyes, Charles Andrei Santos and Raphael De Jesus won top honors for the country and their restaurants Vikings, Niu by Vikings and Four Seasons Hotpot City.
The chefs spent four days battling the best of the best at the Philippine Culinary Cup (PCC) of the World Food Expo 2015 (WOFEX) which is the only World Association of Chef’s Society (WACS) endorsed competition in the country.
They received a total of 13 medals across different categories. Chef Jonathan Jota won a gold medal for the Quick Fire Salad Category, winning Silver Medal is Chef Anton Abad for the US Beef category, Chef Mark Wilhelm Ragudos for the US Poultry category and Chef Don Aries Jerome Duenas for the Creative Breakfast Challenge category.
"The Vikings Team placed 3rd on overall performance for the Professional Category at the PCC 2015, beating international competitors from Korea, Malaysia, Hong Kong and other Local Hotels and De Luxe Restaurants” said Over-all Coach Chef Jonathan Jota.
The prestigious competition is an avenue for Filipino chefs to gauge their skills against chefs from other countries, and gain international recognition for their culinary expertise.
This year’s PCC had 1,200 competitors from more than 15 countries and is still the number 1 culinary Food event to watch out for.
Also organized by WOFEX, BLOSOMEX or Blogging and Social Media Expo were held at SMX Convention Center where Vikings took home the “People’s Choice Award for Favorite Buffet”
“The Choice” had 2,075 respondents from Our Awesome Planet, K.T.G. Collective Food Blogs, and Zomato voted to settle foodie debates of favorite buffet, favorite ramen, favorite specialty restaurants and favorites in 45 other categories.
The Internet has revolutionized our way of life by making access to information easier.
Now, every bit of information is literally just a click away. With the internet being an integral part of our everyday life, consumers increasingly go online to research for options before making decisions, like deciding where to eat.
With this fact in mind, food businesses are now taking advantage of what the web can do for them. Today, the food industry is investing time and effort in creating and sustaining their digital visibility to promote their services and goods online. And because these avenues have wider reach, promotion has never been easier, faster, and more effective.
According to Zomato, an online and mobile restaurant search and discovery service, having websites and social media accounts allows restaurants to create more buzz in the online space.
“If you are visible online, especially on Zomato, the searcher will eventually find you, out of a great number of restaurants within an area,” says Anton Ojeda, Zomato Philippines country manager. “By the time you’re shortlisted, it will just depend on the food preference of the searcher to choose you.”
Being visible in the digital space is like hitting two birds with one stone for the food industry. Ojeda adds that having digital presence does not only promote a brand, it also opens the communication line between restaurants and their patrons. “Being present in the digital space is not just about letting people know about your brand. It is about reaching out to them,” Ojeda said.
Through comments and feedbacks, restaurants are informed of how consumers find their services and food. Today, because of social media, consumers can freely say what they think about a particular restaurant, both positive and negative. Zomato found out that reviews by food bloggers as well as everyday diners play an important part when picking out a place to eat. “Filipinos have the habit of researching about a restaurant before actually eating there, and they rely on reviews they find in the Internet,” states Ojeda.
On the other hand, consumers can also give negative feedback through social media, which, as Ojeda says, restaurants take seriously. “In Zomato, restaurant owners can reply to bad reviews,” shares Ojeda. “You’d be surprised how seriously they take these reviews and how quickly they would take actions to address them. And even those with a lot of good reviews would reassess their operations after just one negative feedback from a user.”
Generally, having digital visibility plays an important part in the success of the food industry. It can either make or break the business. One just really needs to be wise enough to take advantage of its benefits, and use any negativity as a catalyst to make the venture grow.
Building a restaurant’s online presence and promoting brands in the digital age will be one of the topics in the first local Zomato Restaurant Summit to be held on May 19. The event, which has the theme Conquering the Digital Age, will bring together restaurateurs and foodies to talk about how restaurants can level up their games in the digital stage. Other topics include the evolution of Philippine restaurants and food tourism. For more information about the Summit, visit https://www.facebook.com/ZomatoSummit.
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About Zomato
Zomato (http://www.zomato.com/) is an online and mobile restaurant search and discovery service, providing in-depth information for over one million restaurants across 22 countries. Zomato's core content features include menus, photos, and geocoded coordinates for restaurants. It currently serves over 80 million monthly visitors globally.
Zomato was founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah. The company is present in over 100 cities across India, the UK, Ireland, Canada, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, UAE, South Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, Indonesia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Qatar. Zomato recently acquired Urbanspoon, marking its entry into the United States and Australia.
Little do anyone know that Solaire isn't all about their extravagant resort and casino. They also have lots of great places to eat there! I chanced upon visiting Solaire when I was invited along with other Zomato foodies for a special Foodie Meetup slash Food Crawl.
The Solaire Food Crawl was like a quick gastronomic hopping where Solaire got to introduce some of the dishes that were available for their anniversary special. A bit of disclaimer though, since we only had 20-30 minutes at each place I could not assure you that I could easily put into words that total restaurant experience that you are looking for.
In no particular order, here are some restaurants and cafes that you may want to consider visiting at Solaire.
Caution: This post a bit photo heavy and saliva inducing. Do not read on an empty stomach!
1.) Finestra
Finestra is an Italian restaurant known for their authentic handmade pastas, designer pizzas, artisan olive oils and homemade gelato and sherbet. Finestra in Italian means "windows" which I found quite appropriate as their restaurant's interior boasts of the floor to ceiling windows that gives a wonderful view of the Manila Bay and Solaire pool outside. Very elegant.
There is no doubt that Finestra captures the flavors of Italy as their Executive Chef is Salvatore De Vincentis, who has worked for 20 years and won numerous awards like Best Executive Chef for Italian Cuisine at the WOFEX Worldwide Competition Awards, Best Italian Restaurant for Edsa Shangri-La Manila's Paparazzi at the 2009 Nescafe Gold Spot Awards, and Best Italian Restaurant for Mezzo Mezzo, JW Marriott Hotel, Mumbai at the 2012 Times Food and Nightlife Awards.
Saltimbocca Alla Sorrentina
Here's what I do know though, the tomato sauce goes well with the Parmesan and Mozzarella cheese.
Plus, the veal slices are very tender and juicy. Something even a plastic butter knife could cut through. One of the chef's signature creations only available for the month of March as an Anniversary Special Offer, I will be honest, I know little of Italian cuisine so I couldn't comment much about this dish.
2.) Waterside Restobar
I believe the restobar is called as such because of the fascinating bayside ambiance. Don't let the the sophisticated look of this place fool or intimidate you as most of the Latin American and Mediterranean specialties here are not too expensive.
The interior design of the place which is a set of earthy tones and hint of copper tones that compliments each other gives the restaurant a modern rustic feel.
Paella Valenciana(P550)
Paella is a traditional Valencian regional rice dish cooked over hardwood fire, using the finest Spanish Bomba rice from Levante. This one is the Valenciana where the paella is spiced with classic saffron, pimiento, eggs, chicken and prawns. I can't stress this enough but of all the places I've dined, they have the most perfectly cooked and sweet tasting prawns that I really really love.
Surf and Turf(P2850)
This large platter is good for sharing as it includes large portions of the Hanger Steak, Salmon, Pork Back Ribs and Prawns. What I love about this other than the sweet and perfectly cooked shrimp is the moist chunk of salmon that goes well with their selection of sauces and dips.
From L-R: Co-Stars Mango, Asparagus, Humita and Potato Carbonara(P90)
My favorite of all would be the Mango, it was a refreshing side dish that includes an interesting mix of green and yellow mango and cilantro with a bit of yogurt. The Humita is a sweet corn baked in husk that I find a little spicy but great for "pantanggal umay".
3.) Oasis Garden Cafe
Oasis Garden Cafe offers a wide selection of tea, coffee, snacks, and artisan finger sandwiches.
I totally adore this place because of how relaxing it is to the eye. The transparent glass roof elegantly lights up the bird's nest inspired interior and the backdrop of foliage, blooms, and cascading water features that seems to lift your problems away.
From L-R:
Blondies with Roasted Mango and Avocado
This one is made out of glazed blondies, avocado panacotta and roasted fresh mangoes. The texture of the soft avocado panacotta goes perfectly well with the glazed blondies. You won't go wrong with this as the flavors seem to be in harmony with each other, It isn't too sweet so your taste buds won't get tired of it. I could eat this forever, believe me.
Butterscotch Macaron Cake
This Butterscotch Macaron Cake is made out of layers of almond caramel filled with caramel and butterscotch parfait, roasted almonds. I'll be honest, I don't like overly sweet cakes. I'm not too crazy about it but I don't hate it either, that's just me.
Strawberry Chiffon Cake
Composed of red velvet cake, vanilla mascaporne filling and fresh strawberries, this one most of us really love! Just like the Blondies with Roasted Mango and Avocado, it isn't too sweet and the toppings add an interesting flavor to the base of the cake.
From L-R: Earl Grey Tea and Passion Green Tea(P200)
Along with the cakes I also recommend having a dose of their assorted teas, which ever you're in the mood for. The Eary Grey is a combination of Earl Grey and Vanilla Creme best served with lemon while the Passion Green is a green tea infused with tropical flavors of passion fruit. Both brewed with loose leaves that gives a more flavorful and aromatic tea. The serving is also great for sharing with friends. I can't help but unwind as it's quite calming for stressed-out people like me.
4.) Red Lantern
Red Lantern is a Chinese restaurant known for their signature Cantonese delicacies like Suckling Pig, Peking Duck and Dimsums. Ingredients of their dishes are imported from Hongkong, Singapore and Malaysia for the enjoyment of Manila foodies!
Wuxi Braised Ribs(P273)
Could you imagine the texture of this very tender pork ribs braised for 3 hours? Heavenly! I absolutely love this especially for its melts-in-your-mouth fatty bits! Cooked with their secret special red rice yeast sauce and garnished with ginger to add a little kick to the dish, I'd say this sweet and savory braised ribs is so far one of the best ones I've tried in a Chinese restaurant! It's available this March only for Solaire's anniversary special offer. Better try it out now!
5.) Yakumi
Yakumi is a Japanese restaurant that takes pride of its traditionally prepared dishes created by the finest world's top Japanese chefs using only the freshest fish and crustaceans and other world-class ingredients. Most of the fish they use except for Tuna, Lapu Lapu, flown in Tsukiji Market Tokyo. Whether it is Sushi, Sashimi or Robatayaki I'm sure that they would give you that incredible Japanese dining experience.
Here's a fun bit, did you know Yakumi only uses freshly grated wasabi? Not just the cheap powdered ones that tastes "subdued", these ones have that bold taste and no weird aftertaste. Freshly grated wasabi from the Wasabia Japonica root is known to be expensive and quite hard to find here so these are flown from Japan three times a week. They even have the traditional Japanese tool for grating wasabi where they have a piece of real sharkskin stretched over a block of wood. Really interesting.
One of their many refreshments, a glass of chilled house tea.
Ehou Maki
One of the special anniversary offer is this Ehou Maki. What makes this one different from a regular sushi roll? Since seven is considered a lucky number, it must be made of seven ingredients to represent the seven deities. For this one I think they used cucumber, raddish, tamago, tobiko, kani, unagi and rabi for their ingredients. You can use any ingredients you want as long as it is seven.
Traditionally it is eaten whole and uncut they don't want to cut the connection of the fortune as "it might cut off your luck." Here's the mini version on the left. I don't think anyone could handle the one on the right. I couldn't eat it whole so I don't think I'm gonna be lucky this year. Kidding.
6.) Strip Steakhouse Restaurant
Strip Steakhouse has the finest selection of imported beef cuts including American Kobe that are fresh and seared to perfection. What I found amazing about this restaurant is how big their wine wall is. Imagine 3,000 wine bottles to choose from!
The full view of the open kitchen is really interesting as you could witness how they prepare your dishes at the chef's table. Here we even got to see how they do the food presentation of their Pastrami-Spiced Black Angus Beef Short Ribs.
Here's the mixture of spices used to marinate the steak. The spices used not too overwhelming as explained in the video below.
Check out this video to see how French-Canadian chef Eric Turgeon whips up this special anniversary dish!
Pastrami-Spiced Black Angus Beef Short Ribs
The Angus beef so soft that the carrots there are actually harder than the short ribs instead. Since it is marinated for a long period, you could actually taste the flavor of the spices in the meat! Served along with mashed potato and cherry tomatoes to balance the flavor of the Angus beef. It's not too salty so it's something different to what most Filipinos are used to.
All in all, I believe Solaire is an interesting place where you could simply spoil yourself or rather bring a girl or guy you're trying to impress for a romantic date. However, not ideal for an everyday brunch as some of the restaurants like Finestra might be a little pricey for someone's budget.
Do you have any other particular dish that you'd love to try at Solaire? Let me know!
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