December 2018 – Jellybeans in the City

Theo & Philo brings new flavors to local chocolates

Filipinos have long had a love affair with chocolates. Those richly dark treats were first brought to this country over four centuries ago by Spanish colonizers who introduced the growing of cacao to the locals. Today, the Philippine cocoa industry has grown to become the primary producer of cocoa beans in Southeast Asia and has brought about innovative local chocolate brands.

One such brand is Theo & Philo. Curious about the name? “Theo” is short for “theobroma cacao,” the scientific name for chocolate, while “Philo” comes from the Greek word for “love.” Theo & Philo therefore means “chocolate and love.”

With products made from natural ingredients sourced from around the Philippines, Theo & Philo built its advocacy for organic and fair trade practices that support scholarships and farming communities. It has also pioneered in the production of new chocolate flavors that feature tastes that are embedded in Filipino culinary traditions and pop culture.

Its bold-flavored chocolates have garnered international awards and recognition, most recently at the International Chocolate Awards – 2018 Asia Pacific Competition.

During the recent Crafts for a Cause exhibit at SM Mega Fashion Hall, I was able to buy some bars which include:

70% Dark Chocolate (Php119.75). With its use of high quality cacao for rich depth with notes of earthiness and cherries. Its great for a no-nonsense chocolate experience.

Net Weight: 45 grams

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Sugar, Cocoa Butter

60% Dark Chocolate with Ginger and Mint (Php119.75). With this combination of rich dark chocolate, warm ginger and refreshing mint, you can enjoy a sweet treat with a bit of a surprising feel in your mouth.

Net Weight: 45 grams

Ingredients: Cacao Beans, Sugar, Ginger, Cocoa Butter, Peppermint Oil

Milk Chocolate Adobo (Php119.75). This novelty bar is among the three flavors that won Theo & Philo the Bronze award in the International Chocolate Awards – 2018 Asia Pacific Competition. With a unique flavor from the soy sauce toffee and black pepper adobo infusion, this milk chocolate will let you see two Filipino favorites – adobo and chocolates – in a whole new light.

Net Weight: 45 grams

Ingredients: Sugar, Cacao Beans, Cocoa Butter, Milk Powder, Butter, Soy Sauce, Black Pepper

Theo & Philo and its penchant for fearless chocolate flavors will make for great post-meal indulgences, dessert adventures or memorable novelty gifts.

Theo & Philo chocolates are available in the following retailers:

Human Nature: Alabang, Makati, Manila, Marikina, Pasig and its flagship store in Quezon City
Gourdo’s: Alabang, SM Megamall, Trinoma Mall and Greenhills
Echo Store: Makati, The Podium, Eton Centris
SM Kultura: SM Makati, SM Megamall, Mall of Asia, SM Aura

and more. For more details, visit the Theo & Philo website.

Chef Jessie’s Place in Makati soon to open

Chef Jessie Sincioco, Hotel Intercontinental Manila’s very first Filipina pastry chef and recipient of multiple international awards and recognitions in her field, never dreamed of having her own building.

The renowned restaurateur behind culinary brands such as Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie and Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, now has another feather in her cap (or toque blanche, to be consistent with her profession): a newly constructed building set within one of the Makati suburbs surrounding the Central Business District.

The structure is designed to house, not just Chef Jessie’s corporate offices, but various dining choices that showcase the chef’s culinary creations as well.

At the ground floor, which will house a bakeshop and a coffee shop, diners can relax and unwind with their favorite brew and Chef Jessie’s signature pastries.

The mezzanine will be the home of a restaurant that features intercontinal fare, while the third floor will be made available for rentals and events as a function hall that can cater to small groups or large gatherings (or the oft-maligned tita conferences :-)).

The upper floors will house the corporate offices of JCS Gastronomie, Inc., the company that manages her culinary establishments.

Given Chef Jessie’s religious bent, a small but beautiful chapel which will hold masses every Friday is also given pride of place in the building.

Anticipating that ample parking space will be a major consideration for her diners, she acquired another lot near the building to serve as a parking lot.

The new building, Chef’s Jessie’s Place is something that the chef can consider all her own, a significant portion of her solo ventures. She credits the acquisition and construction of the building to a special blessing, along with the honor of being tasked to prepare all of His Holiness Pope Francis’ meals during his celebrated visit to the country in 2015. This same year was coincidentally the year when the lot on which the building was erected became available.

Chef Jessie has definitely come a long way. From joining and winning the Great Maya Cookfest in 1983 with her now iconic mango cake recipe, to getting hired immediately after the competition by a top honcho of Intercon, to launching Le Souffle with expat partners, to now being the name behind top restaurants, she has proven, time and again, her strength, culinary genius and her mettle.

And with all that’s in store with the highly anticipated grand opening of Chef Jessie’s Place, slated to be in early 2019, we can look forward to more exciting things from Chef Jessie.

Chef Jessie’s Place is located at the corner of Pililia and Obrero Streets in Tanay, Makati City.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to an exclusive sneak peek of Chef Jessie’s Place prior to its official opening.

Modern Filipino Cuisine at Ombu Kusina, Tomas Morato

Lately, restaurants touting “modern Filipino cuisine” have sprouted up all over the metro.

But what is modern Filipino cuisine?

Simply put: it is the flavors you grew up with but broken free of traditions surrounding them, even incorporating foreign influences. It is composed of tastes and textures familiar to you but applied and presented in exciting and novel ways. In short, this is not your grandma’s cooking.

Unless your dear Lola is part of the visionary team behind Ombu Kusina, of course.

Ombu is a modern Filipino restaurant located along Mother Ignacia Street in Quezon City. Having recently revamped its interiors, it also recently launched its special holiday dishes. And your friendly neighborhood Jellybeans is among the lucky foodies who were able to attend its exclusive food tasting event.

Ombu’s newly renovated premises are simply impressive. White subway tiles serve as an elegant backdrop for light-colored plush seats, darkwood tables and the feast laid out for us.

And said feast consisted of Ombu’s signature dishes such as:

Dilis Rice (Php80 per cup: Php170 for sharing). Your favorite sinangag (garlic fried rice), lightly flavored and topped with salty crispy fried dilis (anchovies).

Salted Egg Spaghettini (Php260). Al dente spaghettini noodles tossed in a sauce of salted egg yolks, sprinkled with tomatoes, diced cucumber and salted egg whites. The salted egg sauce was evenly spread throughout the noodles and the cucumber provided a fresh contrast to the sauce with every bite.

Sisig Pizza (Php520). The classic pork sisig and egg tops a thin-crust pizza drizzled with garlic sauce.

Binagoongang Talong (Php300). Fresh eggplant and lechon kawali served with a thick bagoong (shrimp paste) sauce. While I found the sauce a little too thick for my taste but the crispy fried pork belly is just yummy and went well with the Dilis Rice.

Seafood Mix Laing (Php290). Taro leaves wrapped around a mix of shrimp, crab meat, onion and lemon grass, slowly cooked in light coconut milk.

Also part of the feast are Ombu’s seasonal dishes such as:

Adobochon (Php440). Flavorful roasted pig with tender meat and crispy skin served with adobo sauce on the side.

Flaming Chicken (Php340). Tender and juicy chicken flambed right before our eyes.

For dessert, we had Frozen Brazo de Mercedes (Php180). Delightful layers of frozen soft meringue alternating custard filling, ice cream and graham cracker crust.

The dishes were expertly prepared and given a fresh twist by Ombu Kusina’s chefs.

So for a great taste of modern Filipino cuisine, check out Ombu Kusina.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Ombu Kusina is located at Ground Floor, Sequioa Hotel, Mother Ignacia Street, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 6.30am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 4411789 or +63 922 8149086, or email omburestaurant@yahoo.com.

Thanks to SandUnderMyFeet.com for extending the invite

Product Review: Shaleve Ginger Shampoo and Conditioner

I have been blessed with naturally straight hair but it does tend to get oily, even greasy at times. I quite surprised that despite this, my scalp tends to get flaky, especially when I feel stressed. (This is a big problem for me as I like wearing dark colors.)

I also have a problem with hairfall: after washing my hair, I would see strands clumping together at the drain.

While many commercially available hair care products do purport to address my hair concerns, I oftentimes don’t see or feel the improvements as immediately or as signifcantly as I would like.

Then I was sent a bottle each of Shaleve Ginger Anti-Alopecia Shampoo and Shaleve Ginger Physiotherapy Hair Care Conditioner to review.

My first thought was: Ginger? On my hair? Really???

I’ve known for a while that this root crop has a lot of medicinal properties but this is the first time I’ve encountered its application to hair care.

Actually, many of ginger’s qualities that make it a superfood also make it a boon to hair.

Ginger has natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe scalp problems such as dandruff, dryness and itchiness. It also helps regulate hair sebum secretions, addressing my concerns with oily hair.

To use, wet hair thoroughly and apply the Shaleve Ginger Anti-Alopecia Shampoo evenly to hair, massaging the scalp for two to three minutes until a slight foam is generated. (Note that this shampoo is not as bubbly or foamy as more mainstream shampoos.). Then rinse off with clear water.

Afterwards, gently massage the Shaleve Ginger Physiotherapy Hair Care Conditioner onto the scalp. Leave on for five minutes then rinse thoroughly.

Personally, I love the light and fresh feeling these products bring to my hair. They also leave a nice and subtle herby sent that stays on my hair all day.

These hair care products are imported and distributed by Berfly International Trading Corporation, a supplier of a complete range of beauty, body and bath-stuffs for discerning consumers in the metro.

The Shaleve Ginger Anti-Alopecia Shampoo retails at Php148 per 300ml bottle while the Shaleve Ginger Physiotherapy Gair Care Conditioner sells for Php174 per 300ml bottle.

Both of these products are available at Berfly’s showroom at 6th Floor LJK Building Km 21 Ortigas Avenue Extension, Brgy. San Isidro Cainta, Rizal or at the company’s online store at Facebook.

For inquries, call +63 966 1975536 or email berflyinternational@yahoo.com.

East meets West at Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Some cuisines achieve more of their potential when combined with the cooking styles, ingredients and nuances of other cuisines.

Take Bistro Charlemagne: A Concept By Little Asia for example. Named after its owner, Charlemagne Lim, this high-end restaurant offers Asian and European fusion dishes.

With its first branch well established in Nuvali in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, its second branch is situated in fifth level of Ayala Malls Feliz in Dela Paz, Pasig City, giving the denizens East of Manila a new and exciting dining option.

Walking through the lush greenery of Ayala Malls Feliz’ gardens (which gives you a breathtaking view of the nearby mountains of Antipolo) will lead you into the opulent interiors of Bistro Charlemagne. Mood lighting, plush velvet-upholstered chairs and large dark wood tables give diners a feeling of luxury and coziness. This place is great for romantic night-time dates and Sunday brunches with the family.

Together with other east-based foodies, I was invited to a foodie meet up held here where I sampled some of the resto’s delectable dishes:

Japanese Mixed Seafood Salad (Php315). Tuna, shrimp and kani tossed in spicy mayo and finished with ebiko (shrimp roe), tempura flakes and sweet soy. An exciting start to the meal with a bit of heat from the spicy mayo and contrasts in texture from the tempura flakes.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls (Php295). Unlike other spring rolls, this one is fried to a golden and crunchy crisp after being stuffed with glass noodles, pork and mushrooms, then served with the traditional Nuoc Cham dipping sauce.

Bistro Sisig Fries (Php295). Chopped and thrice-cooked pork cheeks sauteed in a creamy chicken liver sauce and served on top of crispy and golden French fries.

Little Asia’s Crispy Chicken (Php325). Have you ever noticed how some families have special recipes that get passed down through generations? This is one of them: a specially crispy chicken served with a freshly made gravy developed Charlemagne’s grandfather, enjoyed and shared to the world by three generations of restaurateurs.

Beef Tenderloin Rolls with Cheese (Php395). Don’t I always say that everything’s better with cheese? These rolled beef tenderloin slices sauteed in teriyaki sauce certainly are.

Shrimp Poppers (Php415). Plump and lightly battered shrimp deep-fried and tossed in the house’ special sweet chili mayo sauce and chili oil and served with a side salad.

Ox Sisig (Php325). Thrice-cooked ox tongue and ox tripe mixed witj the house’ special liver-mansi mayo and topped with chicharon bulaklak. A fresh take on the classic sisig dish!

S’mores (Php245) and Reese’s S’mores (Php245). We dipped graham crackers on roasted marshmallows laid on top of Ghirardelli chocolate ganache with the former and on top of peanut butter chips ganache with the latter.

Blueberry Custard Napoleones (Php245). Crisp puff pastry sandwiching vanilla custard and blueberry puree sauce, sprinkled with pistachio dust.

Pandan Crepe (Php245). Soft pandan-flavored crepe encasing shredded coconut stewed in coconut milk and coated in palm sugar. This is a surprisingly tasty dessert with a amazingly fresh twist on familiar flavors.

With these dishes and more on the menu, Bistro Charlemagne is where East meets West, and they do make a great combination.

And here’s some good news for people on a budget: you can sate your craving for your favorite Bistro Charlemagne dish with a set meal at only Php215! This already comes with rice, soup and iced tea.

Plus, birthday celebrants get the house special Little Asia’s Crispy Chicken free when they dine at Bistro Charlemagne with a minimum single-receipt transaction of Php1,995 within seven days of their birthday. Simply present a valid government-issued ID.

This Bistro Charlemagne branch is located at Fifth Floor, Ayala Malls Feliz along Marcos Highway, Dela Paz, Pasig City.

Another branch is found at GFF-6, Building B, Ayala Malls Solenad 3, Nuvali, Don Jose, Santa Rosa, Laguna.

For reservations and inquiries, call +63 049 2580846 or +63 917 8334223.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a Blogger Event held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.