March 2020 – Page 3 – Jellybeans in the City

MOS Brings Its Most Popular Burgers to PH Market

MOS Burger, one of the leading burger chains in Japan, is about to give Filipinos a different kind of burger dining experience.

“We have brought our well-loved burgers to the Philippines. Now, you don’t have to go all the way to Japan to have your fill of our best-selling yakiniku rice burger and other burger selections,” said MOS Burger Philippines president Araki Masahide.

Among the MOS Burger top-sellers that have been included in its Philippine menu is the MOS Cheeseburger (Php149). This Japanese-style cheeseburger comes with MOS’ special meat sauce poured over a pile of beef patty, tomato, onion, and cheese.

Not to be missed is the yakiniku rice burger (Php169), the burger that has been strongly identified with the brand since it was introduced in its Japanese stores. It comes with perfectly marinated yakiniku beef with green lollo rosso (lettuce) and onions in an equally delicious rice patty. MOS also offers the natsumi yakiniku (Php189), which is yakiniku wrapped in fresh lollo rosso instead of being sandwiched in a bun or rice patty.

Another popular choice among its diners worldwide is its wagyu burger (Php299), which likewise comes in two options—one with the buns and the other with the rice patties or wagyu rice burger (Php309).

For chicken lovers, a must-try is the teriyaki chicken burger (Php189) with its own version of chicken teriyaki sandwiched with green lollo rosso, sliced onion, and mayonnaise. For those who prefer to have it with MOS’ signature rice patty, there’s the teriyaki chicken rice burger (Php209). Diners can likewise have it with just greens as it offers the natsumi teriyaki chicken (Php209) as well.

MOS also has something for seafood lovers—the seafood tempura rice burger (Php169). It consists of delicious seafood tempura drizzled with flavorful kakiage sauce and sandwiched between MOS’ signature rice patties.

“We only want the best for our Filipino diners. We encourage them to try each burger when they visit our store,” Araki said.

Guests at MOS Burger’s VIP Night, an event held prior to its official store opening at Robinsons Galleria, were treated to this sumptuous array of Japanese-style burgers.

Distinguished guests during the event included Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines, His Excellency Koji Haneda, and his wife, Madame Ihoko Haneda; MOS Food Services Chairman Atsushi Sakurada; MOS Food Services Inc. Executive Officer and General Manager of International Headquarters Jun Takifuka; MOS Food Services, Inc. General Manager Hironobu Maehara; and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte.

They were welcomed by Araki, MOS Burger Philippines CEO Hubert U. Young, and MOS Burger Philippines Vice President Tateishi Hiroshi.

MOS Burger’s first Philippine store is located at Robinsons Galleria (near the ADB Avenue entrance). It is slated to open branches in SM Megamall, Robinsons Magnolia, Greenhills, Midtown, and Eastwood in the coming months.

Nanka brings fresh and natural flavors to your party with its catering service

Parties bring together people and food. It is a time for the enjoyment of other people’s company, hopefully over delightful repasts.

And to help bring in the good food that will fuel great party experiences, Nanka Japanese Steakhouse offers in-house and outside catering.

I experienced it myself last December when my division held our office Christmas Party at Nanka.

From my previous dining experience here with my fellow foodies, I already know that Chef Mike Santos and his team pride themselves in bringing out the natural flavors of food. Everything starts with the finest ingredients – fresh produce, meats and seafood – all painstakingly prepared and cooked to accentuate their natural tastes and textures.

Recently, I had another taste of Nanka’s catered dishes when foodie pioneer Spanky Enriquez hosted a food-tasting buffet which featured these delicious viands:

Mushroom and Tofu Soup.

Shiitake Pasta.

Baked Salmon.

Teppanyaki Shrimp.

Pork Belly with Spicy Miso.

Roasted Chicken.

Salmon Sashimi and Assorted Sushi Rolls.

Kani Salad.

Assorted Sweets which include eclairs, carrot cake bars, cream puffs and brownies.

Nanka’s buffet packages start at Php825 per person.

But the real stars of the show are what we had for “dessert:” Nanka’s famous premium steaks which included the Wagyu A5, the highest grade among Japanese Wagyu; WagyuX by Rangers Valley and the Black Onyx Bone-in Rib-Eye and Black Onyx Tomahawk. All of Nanka’s steaks are priced at Php500/100 grams.

These steaks are seared cast-iron grill before oven-roasted to a medium doneness. Served with togarashi salt, wasabi sea salt, housemade demiglasse, chipotle miso and chimichurri sauces, each bite is buttery and beefy that we found ourselves going for more. (Too bad I had to leave before the Tomahawk was served but, fortunately, I was able to taste it during my previous visit.)

So if whether you’re planning a party for the fam or an office shindig, do check out Nanka’s catering services.

Many thanks Spanky for the invitation!

Nanka is located at 1810 Mother Ignacia corner Chino Roces Avenue, Paligsahan, Quezon City, open Mondays to Saturdays from 11am to 2pm and 5pm to 11pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 85179677, +63 977 6218472, or +63 917 6734917.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a food tasting 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.

Delicious charcuterie delights in a box by Platterea Luna

In case you’ve been hiding under a rock in the past year or two, one of the most popular food trends nowadays is charcuterie.

By definition, it is the art of preparing meat products such as bacon, ham, sausages, cold cuts and the like. Despite being originally intended as a way to preserve meat before refrigerators became prevalent, charcuterie today is enjoying a comeback among gastronomic circles as a way to showcase the flavor of the meats derived from the preservation process.

Parties and holiday get-togethers just have to have a table elegantly laden with preserved meats accompanied by cheeses, fruits, breads and wines that further enhance the meats’ flavors. These setups in which diners can take their aperitif of choice along with selected meats and cheeses have come to be known as grazing tables.

Taken visually, these sumptuously arranged grazing tables have come to represent the bounty of food or the generosity of the host. They often serve as conversation pieces at parties because of the beauty of their arrangement, while also encouraging guests to mingle while enjoying their food.

Something this wonderful can also be enjoyed at home through grazing platters that an Epicurean can put together for a small party or even a quiet time at home.

But with Platterea Luna’s stylishly assembled grazing boxes, there’s no need to trouble oneself in sourcing the elements for an elegant charcuterie experience. Each box is filled with a well-curated selection of meats, cheeses and accoutrements, well-suited for leisurely grazing on during a picnic or while binge-watching your favorite series at home.

Platterea Luna got its start when TV writer and producer Helen de Castro and her partner Christine Go, a medical doctor, decided to serve something different for her family to welcome the new year 2020. Being a lover of wine, cheese and other food pairings, she researched on setting up grazing tables and started gathering ingredients to assemble one for the family’s celebration.

On New Year’s Eve, she unveiled her first grazing table to her family. Impressed with her work and entertained by the novelty of the concept, her family started posting photos of the grazing table online.

This sparked an idea that this new skill can be the start of a new business.

Platterea Luna was formally announced on February 2, offering stylishly assembled gourmet grazing boxes just in time to get orders for the Valentine rush. The first batch of grazing boxes were delivered to excited recipients on Valentine’s Day.

Through all the doubts and frenetic activity involved in launching her new venture, Helen is kept strong by the support of her family and friends, as well as in her love for her business.

‘They say “Do something that you’re passionate about and you wouldn’t have to work a day in your life, ‘” she shares. ‘I’ve always loved wines and cheeses. Aside from gaining pounds, I never knew how this interest would benefit me. During the development stage of the business, I was always so excited with the thought of assembling the ingredients in the boxes. There’s this satisfaction I get when I see the finished product. It’s as if I’m creating art. And I love art. Seeing all these colors and flavours in one box makes me giddy. At the end of the day, it’s all about doing what you love so you can put your whole heart into it.”

Platterea Luna’s elegant grazing boxes come in four variants:

Solo Box: contains one gourmet cheese and one cured meat and various accoutrements. Good for one person, it’s perfect for leisurely snacking on during a quiet evening at home.

Small Box: contains one gourmet cheese and two cured meats, various accoutrements and one 187mL bottle of wine. Good for two persons, it’s best enjoyed during a romantic outdoors picnic date.

Medium Box: contains two gourmet cheeses and three cured meats, various accoutrements and one 187mL bottle of wine. Good for three to six people, it can serve as the fuel for a family’s weekend-long Netflix binge-fest.

Large Box: contains two gourmet cheeses and three cured meats and various accoutrements. Good for seven to ten people, it’s perfect for parties and can even be a social gathering’s conversation piece.

My Platterea Luna medium box did sustain my family and me through the hours we spent on a Crash Landing on You marathon during a long weekend. While I was shedding copious amounts of tears over Yoon Seri and Ri Jeong-hyuk’s travails, I was sustained and comforted by the delicious contents of my grazing box. These included meats such as Salami Milano, Peppered Ham and Lyoner, as well as Brie and Provolone cheeses along with accoutrements which consist of fresh and dried fruit, nuts, pretzels and chocolate almond sticks and a small bottle of French red wine.

To get your hands on a lovely Platterea Luna grazing box, course your order through Platterea Luna’s Facebook page or Instagram account, or call +63 977 8211591.

Disclosure: Product sample was provided to enable an honest review. Charcuterie board pictured above were assembled from the contents of the Platterea Luna medium box.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Craving for a cheesecake? Go for a Chi’s Cake!

We all need some sweetness in our lives: that burst of sugary flavor on your tongue that signals the happiness that is sure to follow.

Sure, eating sweets may not be so healthy, may be even be self-indulgent, but, really, it’s more than just a capping a meal with dessert or satisfying a craving during your coffee break. In times of stress or sadness, it envelopes you in that feeling of comfort and happiness. In times of elation and success, it underscores the joy.

For me, cheesecakes bring on that feeling of happiness more than any other dessert: the buttery and sugary graham cracker crust, the richness of the cream filling and the lovely surprise of whatever topping is put on it.

Well, what if you can enjoy this little piece of heaven while not going overboard with the sugar?

Chi’s Cake, an online dessert shop operated by Siri Andres, specializes in no-bake cheesecakes. Compared to their baked counterparts, no-bake cheesecakes are lighter and airier, due to the folding in of stiff whipped cream into the other combined ingredients, resulting into the mousse-like texture of the dessert. And the cheesecakes from Chi’s Cake are known for not being to sweet.

Siri formerly worked as an IT business analyst but has transitioned into a full-time stay-at-home mom. Leveraging her love for whipping up sweet treats to give to friends and family into a potential business, she started by creating her own brand of no-bake cheesecake flavors which soon generated multiple orders.

Last week, I was able to sample some of her no-bake cheesecake creations such as:

Carrot Cinnamon Cheescake (Php650 for 7-inch cake | Php900 for 9-inch cake | Php450 for a box of 12 cheesecake cups). Are you a fan of carrot cakes? The hearty and tangy taste of shredded carrots underscored by the warm spicy sweetness of cinnamon? Well, imagine those in a smooth and creamy cheesecake that is not too sweet. The sweetness comes from its generous topping of caramelized chopped walnuts! This cheesecake is her first and signature creation.

Oreo Strawberry Creme (Php1,150 for 7-inch cake | Php1,400 for 9-inch cake | Php700 for a box of 12 cheesecake cups). This cheesecake variant features the unbeatable combo of chocolate and strawberries, perfect for lovers during Valentine season and beyond. Bits of fresh strawberries incorporated into the cheesecake filling on top of a crust of crushed Oreo cookies and topped with a slice of strawberry smothered in syrup. I would imagine hearts fluttered over this dessert!

So go ahead and indulge with no worry of being overcome with sweetness, just the joy that comes from these treats.

To get your hands on these lovely cheesecake creations, call +63 945 4968265 or email siriangeline.amurao@gmail.com at least two days before delivery date. For more details on other cheesecake variants available, check out Chi’s Cake’s Facebook page or Instagram account.

Payments are accepted via BDO, Unionbank, PalEx, GCash and LBC.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to enable an honest review.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business: