July 2020 – Page 2 – The Jellybeans Edit

Got our food faves from Bistro Charlemagne at home

There are places and food that just become family favorites.

Take Bistro Charlemagne, for example.

I had my first taste of its unique and tasty takes on Asian cuisine in its then newly-opened Ayala Malls Feliz branch and it was only a matter of time before my whole family got hooked. Since then, we have visited this resto again and again for intimate dinners or big celebrations with the extended family. We even stopped by for a meal at its Ayala Malls Solenad branch on our way down from Tagaytay.

Unfortunately, it had to pause its operations during the enhanced community quarantine. The fam missed our enjoyable dinners there (and I missed my chance to celebrate my birthday in our favorite place). Sigh!

Thankfully, the metro has transitioned to a general community which provided people some freedom of movement and less restrictions on dining out. That said, I still have qualms about my family, especially the kiddos, leaving the safety of our home.

Well, the solution came when I heard that Bistro Charlemagne has re-opened and has made most of its menu items available for delivery and pickup.

Just in time, too, for my daughter #ExhibitA’s natal day. (She has been hounding me about having her faves from this resto for her birthday lunch.)

And wouldn’t you know it! Ordering was so easy: I just called the Ayala Feliz branch at +63 956 4507704, gave my orders, and then paid via GCash. On the day of my daughter’s birthday, I simply booked for the pickup of my orders from Ayala Malls Feliz Loading Bay for delivery to my place.

Just as #ExhibitA wished for her birthday, we feasted on several orders of:

Drunken Lengua in Brown Mushroom Sauce (Php415). Tender pan-seared ox tongue with mushrooms and asparagus in white wine sauce. This dish is particularly memorable for #ExhibitA, as she was the one who picked this dish out from the menu when I took her and her brother to eat at Bistro Charlemagne a few days after my first dining experience there.

Tenderloin Beef Rolls with Cheese (Php415). Tender, thinly sliced beef wrapped around cheese and sauteed in teriyaki sauce. This dish is absolutely irresistible for my little boy #ExhibitB, who just can’t keep himself from putting roll after roll onto his plate.

Japanese Beef Rice (Php135). Japanese rice, ground beef, mixed veggies and egg, all mixed together in one flavorful rice dish. This goes so well with the other viands that we can’t imagine our meal without this!

I may not be able to bring the whole fam outside yet, but I’m glad I was able to bring one of the best dining experiences home to my family.

Miss dining out? Bistro Charlemagne is also open for dine in and follows strict sanitation and physical distancing protocols for your safety.

This Bistro Charlemagne branch is located at Fifth Floor, Ayala Malls Feliz along Marcos Highway, Dela Paz, Pasig City. Call in your orders or book your table by calling +63 956 4507705 or +63 2 77299496.

Other branches are located at:

GFF-6, Building B, Ayala Malls Solenad 3, Nuvali, Don Jose, Santa Rosa, Laguna. (Tel: +63 049 2580846 or +63 917 8334223)
Lot 2, Third Floor, Cinemas Building, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Entertainment City Paranaque (Tel: +63 2 79149082)

Bistro Charlemagne also delivers via GrabFood, LalaFood and FoodPanda.

Download the Grab App and get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order.

Download the LalaFood App and get a free delivery coupon when you use my code: BEINGJMR53.

Snack time at de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

Feeling peckish with hours to go before the next meal?

Why don’t you stave off your hunger with something tasty?

A Jamaican pattie (or two or more!), for instance.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

This flaky pastry traditionally tinted a golden yellow and filled with seasoned ground beef is claimed to be Jamaica’s No. 1 snack.

It came about when Cornish pastry was introduced in the Caribbean and was then combined with meat fillings flavored by seasonings from India, Africa and Jamaica. The Jamaican pattie then made its way to the US, Canada and UK in the 1960s and 1970s, brought by Jamaicans who migrated to these countries.

In 1990, it arrived in Southeast Asia by way of the Philippines when Fruitas Holdings, Inc. opened the first of many de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar in Manila, where these yummy patties are baked – not fried! – fresh everyday.

Hubby was the first of us to develop a taste for the Jamaican pattie. His favorite from long before is the Cheezy Beef Pinatubo Pattie, which, as the name implies, was inspired by the volcanic eruption of Mount Pinatubo as evidenced by its spicy beefy flavor.

The rest of us in the fam were introduced to this delicacy during the quarantine when one of my former officemates opened a de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar at the Zeta Tower in Bridgetowne Business Center some short distance from our home.

The kids and I developed a liking for the Cheezy Beef Pattie. We love its savory goodness, made even better by the cheese that accompanied the ground beef filling.

Each pattie is priced at Php59. Other variants available include Beef Pinatubo (without cheese), Cheeze Tomato, Cheezy Tuna and Chicken Stew.

Order a pattie bundled with a ready-to-drink Fruitas bottled juice (Mango, Four Seasons, Dalandan and Calamansi flavors available) for just Php88.

This branch of de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar is located at Ground Floor, Zeta Tower, Bridgetowne Business Center, Libis, Quezon City, open for takeout or pickup.

However, it also offers free delivery within Barangay Santa Lucia in Pasig which is where I live. The patties can be delivered baked, for immediate consumption, or par-baked, so you can just reheat during snacktime. Well, isn’t that just awesome!

So when the fam is in the mood for some munchies, we know what to do.

If you’re near the area and want to order, send a message via Facebook, or call +63 917 5695300.

Inang Charing’s Cakes and Pastries now offers Strawberry Shortcake

Is it strawberry season in the Philippines already?

Way, waaaay back into my youth, I only got to taste this luscious red fruit when a family member brought home a precious basket as a pasalubong from a Baguio trip.

Due to its scarcity, eating the fruit fresh was considered sosyal… or shala, as the kids say it nowadays.

Thanks to developments in agriculture and transportation, strawberries are more widely available, making it easier for bakers and dessert makers to incorporate this delectable fruit in their creations.

Such is the case with Inang Charing Cakes and Pastries (read my previous post on this enterprising homebaker here), recently launching its newest offering: the Strawberry Shortcake.

Mhai Capili, the baker behind Inang Charing’s Cakes and Pastries, decided to add this dessert to the menu, taking advantage of the fresh Baguio strawberries being sold in the metro. She decided to test out the recipe forming in her head to see if it will work.

The result is a delightful eight-inch diameter confection made with a light spongy cake layered with thick whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

It is a delight to the senses: The spots of bright red made by the fruit against the light-colored cream and sponge cake draw the eyes. The smell of the fresh strawberries whet the appetite. The contrasts in textures in these elements make for an exciting mouthfeel. And, of course, the bursts of fruity sweetness against the sugary cream filling and cake sates any sweet tooth’s craving.

The best part is that this absolute showstopper of a dessert can be yours for just Php985!

Just order via Facebook or Instagram with a three-day lead time and pay via GCash or BPI bank deposit a day before your preferred pickup date.

Thank goodness there’s no need for me to break the bank, nor travel far, for that shala (or sosyal) feeling you get from eating a decadent slice of Strawberry Shortcake.

Disclosure: I got my cake for just Php785 as I chanced upon Inang Charing’s post regarding the sale price for one of its first-ever batch of Strawberry Shortcakes while I was browsing for dessert ideas for my daughter #ExhibitA’s birthday. You could probably say that I just couldn’t resist. Oh, #ExhibitA (and the whole fam) loved it too. 😋

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

The Jelly List: Chocolate dessert picks for World Chocolate Day

Did you know that World Chocolate Day falls on July 7?

On this day, you can expect chocolate lovers from all over the world to celebrate what they deem to be the end-all and be-all of foodstuffs: the chocolate.

Chocolate is prepared from the fruit of the tropical tree Theobroma cacao (the name translates to “food of the Gods). This tree is native to the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America, thriving in hot and humid areas. As chocolate’s global popularity grew, so did its cultivation, with cacao plantations in regions such as West Africa, South and Southeast Asia.

While chocolate is so versatile that it can even be used as an ingredient in savory dishes, my love for it stems from its sweet applications.

So, fellow foodies, allow me to share a sampling of my favorite chocolate dessert incarnations from various establishments in the metro.

Teddy Keng’s Chocolate Gateau from Chef Jessie’s Place

Chef Jessie’s version of the decadent chocolate cake, this confection is made of alternating layers of light chocolate cake and rich chocolate cream filling all covered with a rich, shiny ganache and decorated with an unfurling flower fashioned from chocolate. Definitely a choco-holic’s delight!

Chef Jessie’s Place is located at 1997 Pililla corner Obrero and Tanay Streets, Valenzuela, Makati City, open daily from 9am to 4pm for pick up and delivery. To order, text or call +63 917 8967880, +63 917 8330797 or +63 977 0976649 or email chefjessiesplace@chefjessie.com.

Read more about Chef Jessie’s Place here.

White Chocolate Creme Brulee from Bistro Manuel

This rich and creamy custard also features the subtle flavor tones of white chocolate, topped with a torched sugar sculpture and a tangy berry tartlet.

Bistro Manuel Bistro Manuel is located at Second Floor, Six Axis Center, 4347 B. Valdez Street, Poblacion, Makati City, now open for dine in as well as takeout. To book your table, fill out this questionnaire.