October 2022 – Jellybeans in the City

Chinese family meal at Luk Yuen, SM Megamall

For many of us Filipinos, Chinese food has become one of our go-to cuisines when dining out.

Not only has Chinese culinary influences permeated our own cuisine, its sheer variety and rich traditions have made fans of all sorts of food lovers.

The same is true with my family. Most of the time, when craving for a break from our usual lutong-bahay, we would hie ourselves to our local Chinese restaurant.

Since my childhood, Luk Yuen has been a family favorite. After attending Mass at SM Megamall, my parents usually took my brothers and me to dinner at the Luk Yuen outlet at the basement.

Now that I have a family of my own, with each of us having our own individual preferences when it comes to food. I’m happy to rediscover my faves at the same Luk Yuen outlet that my parents used to take me to, and that, despite our widely disparate gastronomic preferences, my husbands, kids and I can all happily enjoy a meal at this restaurant.

We started our meal with complimentary Hot Chinese Tea, traditionally used by Chinese diners to help ease digestion, boost metabolism and prevent overeating, among other health benefits.

We can’t have a meal at a Chinese restaurant without ordering a platter of Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php265). This dish consists of cooked rice sauteed in a wok together with bits or char siu pork, cooked shrimp, scrambled egg yolks, along with chopped scallions, carrots and peas. While flavorful as it is, it goes so well with other Chinese dishes.

Another staple of Chinese cuisine is dim sum, and my family members are all fans of the Steamed Shrimp Dumpling (Php210). Also known as hakaw, it is made of plump shrimp and cooked pork wrapped together with aromatics in a transparent wrapper with its signature pleats. Its Cantonese name

Deep-fried Bean Curd (Php175). A tasty appetizer also known as Crispy Tofu, it is made with cubes of soybean curd, deep fried and tossed in salt, pepper and chilis.

Birthday Noodles (Php465). Also known as Long-Life Noodles, this dish is the forebear of our own pancit and is traditionally served during one’s birthday with noodles consumed without breaking to signify a wish for a long life.

Boneless Chicken in Lemon Sauce (Php345). Marinated chicken thigh fillets, breaded and deep-fried, then drizzled with a tangy lemon sauce.

Peppercorn Spareribs (Php395). Bite-sized pork spare-ribs deep-fried to crispy juiciness and topped with garlic and served with chilled vinegar.

With these dishes, the fam’s combined appetites were sated and we were able to revisit some of my favorite dishes from my childhood visits at Luk Yuen.

All the dishes were flavorful, satisfying and affordable, certainly a great choice for a family meal during a bout of shopping.

This Luk Yuen branch is located at the Lower Ground Floor, SM Megamall Building B, EDSA corner Doña Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 86334396 or +63 956 7366816.

Other branches are located at Cash & Carry, Alabang, Greenhills, Glorietta and Capitol Commons.

Classic Pinoy favorites with a twist from MESA, SM City East Ortigas

If you fancy yourself totally done with Pinoy food, you might want to rethink your position.

Yes, the viands that you eat practically everyday at home or at every family gathering can have erstwhile undiscovered aspects that will rekindle your love of our homegrown dishes.

That’s what MESA aims to bring to the table (see what I did there? :-))

One of the restaurant brands operated by Food Global Concepts, MESA cafes a carefully curated menu of Filipino dishes representative of the country’s diverse regional flavors, and enhanced with endearing modern twists.

This is why whenever the fam is in the mood for a break from home-cooked meals but still wants to partake of something familiar, we hie ourselves off the MESA branch most accessible to us, the one located at SM City East Ortigas.

In keeping with MESA’s recipe for success for all of its outlets, this branch features the brand’s celebrated menu filled with innovative takes on traditional Filipino dishes, genuine Filipino hospitality as embodied by its warm and welcoming service crew and an exceptional dining experience that retains its native accents while couched in affordable luxury.

Over several visits, my family has identified our fast faves from MESA’s menu. These include:

Laing 2 Ways (Php205). MESA brings two ways to enjoy Bicol’s most celebrated dish made with slowly simmered taro leaves in coconut milk and fermented shrimp paste and topped with chicken adobo flakes. Have it as it was traditionally served (wet) or crispy.

Tofu Sisig (Php190). Pampanga’s most famous dish is given a healthier twist with the use of local beancurd sautéed with onions and a special sisig dressing and served sizzling on a hot plate.

Suahe in Salted Egg (Php590). River shrimp sautéed in salted egg yolk and light soya with wanly, butter, native chilis, sugar and lime juice.

Boneless Bangus with Cheese (Php375). Marinated boneless milkfish baked and topped with melted cheese, garlic and spring onions, an excellent way to get the kiddos to like seafood!

Salt & Pepper Spare Ribs (Php520). Thin slices of pork spare ribs, deep-fried and tossed in butter, garlic and native chilis.

Binagoongang Baby ni Kaka (Php555). Lean pork belly sautéed in fermented shrimp paste, onions, tomato and native chilis and served with grilled eggplant.

Nilagang Baka (Php415). Beef tenders simmered in a flavorful broth along with sweet corn, onions, celery, cabbage and native pechay.

Kare-Kare Beef and Tripe (Php820). Tender slices of beef, ox tripe and fresh vegetables cooked in a rich peanut sauce and served with fermented shrimp paste. A welcome dish in any Pinoy spread!

As you can see, these dishes may have graced your dinner table in one form or another, but at MESA, they come in a manner that celebrates their roots in our traditional native culture, as well as the myriad possibilities they possess to whet the appetites of future generations of Filipinos.

Drop by a MESA branch near you and experience a fresh way to enjoy Pinoy cuisine.

This MESA branch is located at Unit 268-270 2nd Floor, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Barangay Status. Lucia, Pasig City. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 87214434 or +63 915 4572987.

Other Metro Manila branches are located at:

Caloocan: SM City Grand Central
Las Pinas: Via Lifestyle Center, SM Southmall
Makati: Ayala Malls Circuit, Greenbelt 5, Powerplant Mall
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall, Shangri-la Mall
Manila: Robinsons Place Manila, SM City San Lazaro
Muntinlupa: Festival Mall
Paranaque: Ayala Malls Manila Bay, SM City Sucat
Pasay: SM Mall of Asia
Pasig: Ayala Malls Feliz,
Quezon City: Ali Mall Cubao, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, Ever Gotesco Commonwealth, Eastwood Mall, Fisher Mall, Robinsons Place Magnolia, SM City North EDSA, SM City Fairview, Tomas Morato, UP Town Center
Taguig: SM Aura Premier, Vista Mall

Family steak lunch at Beeffalo by Hotrocks, Marikina

There’s something about biting into a juicy and flavorful piece of steak that makes one feel all good inside, right?

Each bite releases flavor, tenderness and juiciness, a powerful combination that simply makes you look forward to the next delicious bite.

However, steaks don’t come cheap.

Back in the late 2000s, my fam had a go-to place for delicious cuts of beef grilled to juicy and flavorful perfections: Hotrocks. It was a no-frills steak place located along C5 in Libis in Quezon City where we can enjoy steaks without having to break the bank.

Well, it disappeared when the area went through some renovations, much to our dismay, but we were gladdened to discover that it found a new home in the Marikina suburbs.

It even took on a new moniker: Beefalo by Hotrocks. Plus, it adopted a look as well: it transitioned from the down-home, cafeteria-style steakhouse (complete with wall decors of plates autographed by celebrity diners) to a more Western ranch-style roadside house with a spacious garden-style al fresco dining area and interior punctuated by brick walls and decorated with vintage appliances and bric-a-bracs.

During my visits there with my family since I discovered its re-emergence in Marikina, I welcomed its change in aesthetics (as well as the improvement in creature comforts that titas like me look for) but I was also glad to see our favorites still on the menu, such as:

Caesar Salad (Php 175 solo | Php345 for sharing). A bowl of crisp romaine lettuce tossed with bacon bits and croutons in Caesar salad dressing, then sprinkled with grated parmesan cheese is just the ticket for starting a great meal, wouldn’t you agree?

Porterhouse Steak (Php520 for 250g | Php795 for 450g). This is the steak that started it all: hefty cuts of porterhouse steak with spartan seasoning and served with mashed potato made from scratch, buttered veggies and the tangy housemate sauce. No-frills but still quite an indulgence.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake (Php195). If memory serves, Hotrocks served me my first taste of this rich confection more than a decade ago. A cheesecake crust at the bottom is covered with a layer of milk-infused cake, which is then covered with a thick milky cream frosting. What’s not to love?

A family meal at Beefalo by Hotrocks is always a welcome foodie adventure for our family of steak lovers.

Beefalo by Hotrocks is located at Lot 6, Block 3, Gil Fernando Avenue, Santo Niño, Marikina City, open weekdays from 12 noon to 10pm and weekdays from 11am to 10pm for dine-in, takeout and delivery. For inquiries and orders, call +63 2 89676008 or +63 939 1130772.

Stay updated on its latest promos and offers by following it on Facebook and Instagram.

Holiday season shopping now in full swing at MetroMart with exclusive sales from Shopwise and Landmark

MetroMart, the no.1 on-demand online grocery delivery platform, provides a series of PISO SALES, weekly discounts, promo codes and freebies this October, leading into the holiday season.

Event	Dates	Highlights
Shopwise PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart	Oct 21-24	Premium items can be purchased for ONLY ₱1.00
Landmark PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart	Oct 24-27	Premium items can be purchased for ONLY ₱1.00
S&R PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart	Oct 28-31	Premium items can be purchased for ONLY ₱1.00
The Marketplace PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart	Nov 18-21	Premium items can be purchased for ONLY ₱1.00
Halloween Specials	Oct 25 – Nov 2	₱200 off of total order
Shopwise’s Wise Wednesdays	Every Wednesday this Oct-Nov 2022	– Up to 70% off items – ₱300 off of total order – FREE Delivery – FREEBIE with purchase

First up is the Shopwise PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart this October 21-24, 2022. Immediately following the weekend sale event is Landmark PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart, running from Monday to Thursday, on October 24-27, 2022. Premium items can be purchased for only ₱1.00, and each of the sale days will have the 1-peso products available throughout the whole day, from 9AM – 8PM.

Next on the lineup is yet another S&R PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart. This will be held on October 28-31, perfect for both Halloween and early Christmas shopping. And for next month, be on the lookout for The Marketplace PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart scheduled for November 18-21. The final roster of products for the S&R PISO SALE and The Marketplace PISO SALE will be published on MetroMart’s social media channels. Items will also be available for a whole day, spanning 9AM – 8PM.

Sprucing up the home is now also a breeze with Shopwise’s Wise Wednesdays, available every Wednesday this October and November 2022.

Get discounts up to 70% off on premium items like cookware, food storage solutions, and even home internet products.
Use code: FREEDELSW to avail FREE Delivery on grocery orders with a minimum spend of ₱1,500.
Use code: SW300 to get ₱300 off on orders with a minimum spend of ₱6,000.
Customers may also get a FREE Large Glass Dispenser with a minimum purchase of ₱10,000.

Going trick-or-treating? Use code: HALLOWEEN to get ₱200 off an order with a minimum spend of ₱2,500. This promo is valid for ALL Users, for a one-time use and applicable across all stores and supermarkets, from October 25 to November 2, 2022.

All of these promos are available throughout the Philippines, where MetroMart has expanded its serviceable locations. The PISO SALE is available in participating branches of Shopwise and Landmark via the MetroMart app and website, all over Metro Manila and key locations throughout the Philippines, including Batangas, Bicol, Palawan, Tagaytay, Pangasinan, Cavite, Cebu, Baguio and Davao. The same will be applicable for the upcoming S&R PISO SALE and The Marketplace PISO SALE. The Shopwise Wise Wednesdays promos can be availed in all participating branches of Shopwise.

Check out the premium items below, up for grabs for just ₱1:

Shopwise

*Date and Time*	*Sale Items*	Retail Price
Oct 21 (Fri), 9am-8pm	Woolworths Pasta Macaroni 500G	₱ 109.00
	Woolworths Australian Diced Tomatoes 400G	₱ 89.00
Oct 22 (Sat), 9am-8pm	Woolworths Yellowfin Tuna with Mild Gherkins 95G	₱ 99.00
	Woolworths Salmon – Lemon & Thyme 95G	₱ 99.00
Oct 23 (Sun), 9am-8pm	Woolworths Canned Chicken – Sweet Chilli 750G	₱ 119.00
	Woolworths Pasta Macaroni 500G	₱ 109.00
Oct 24 (Mon), 9am-8pm	Woolworths Fully Loaded Cookies – Chocolate 210G	₱ 209.00

*Sale items are subject to availability in Landmark branches.

Landmark

*Date and Time*	*Sale Items*	Retail Price
Oct 21 (Fri), 9am-8pm	Nutella Hazelnut Spread with Cocoa 200g	₱ 162.00
	Snickers Classic Singles 51g	₱ 43.00
Oct 22 (Sat), 9am-8pm	Loacker Quadratini Napolitaner	₱ 106.70
	Loacker Quadratini Dark Chocolate	₱ 106.70
Oct 23 (Sun), 9am-8pm	Cheetos Corn Puffs	₱ 159.30
	Lay’s Honey Butter	₱ 50.25
Oct 24 (Mon), 9am-8pm	Hershey’s Kisses Special Selection – Truffle 135g	₱ 195.00

*Sale items are subject to availability in Landmark branches.

“The MetroMart family always aims to provide affordable and budget-friendly promos and discounts to our customers, especially now that we are moving ever closer towards the Christmas season. We are cooking up even more and even better PISO SALES, with bigger discounts and sale items for the best value. Stay tuned and ready your carts!” MetroMart CEO and co-founder Steffano Fazzini said.

The Shopwise PISO SALE and Landmark PISO SALE, exclusively via MetroMart, are applicable to New and Existing Users of MetroMart. A minimum spend of only ₱2,000 is required in order to avail the 1-peso sale items. Only completed checkout of orders within the scheduled day and time can avail the discounted items.

Are you new to MetroMart? Sign up for a MetroMart account here and enjoy Php200 grocery credit.

MetroMart is the #1 online grocery delivery service in the Philippines. Our grocery partners include S&R (with or no membership card required), Robinsons Supermarket, Landmark, The Marketplace, Shopwise, All Day Supermarket, Merrymart, Super8 Grocery Warehouse, Ever Supermarket, UltraMega Supermarket, and over 500+ specialty store retailers like Pet Express, Baby Company, Toy Kingdom, Toys”R”Us, National Book Store, Office Warehouse, Southstar Drug and AllDay Rx. Customers can order from their favorite stores on the MetroMart app and have it delivered to their door in 2 hours!

Over 160,000 products are available with MetroMart’s 500+ partner supermarkets and partner specialty stores. Order your groceries through http://www.metromart.com, or download the app on iOS or Android app store.

For more updates on MetroMart, follow it on Facebook and Instagram at @metromartph.

Details provided in a recent press release.

A festive feast of Kenny Rogers Roasters Smokehouse BBQ Roast & Ribs

The holidays are already upon us, and within this festive season, get-togethers among families and friends are sure to be popping up all over your calendar.

If you’re stymied over what to serve during your gatherings, why not wow your guests with a show-stopping spread that’s filled with both new and familiar flavors?

Fortunately, Kenny Rogers Roasters is serving up fresh additions to its fresh and healthy menu: Smokehouse BBQ Roast & Ribs!

Did you know that smoking meat has likely been a practice since the Paleolithic era? It looks like our forebears discovered that food stored and preserved in their smoky dwellings (due to the absence of chimneys) acquired a distinct flavor.

Over the centuries, the practice of smoking meat evolved from its original intent of preserving food for storage or transport, to enhancing its flavor.

Smokehouse barbecues arose from this tradition. The southeastern region of the US became known as the barbecue region, where cooks adopted the practice of slow-roasting cuts of meat over fire pits to make them tender. This culinary tradition grew alongside the practice of families and communities coming together to share a meal of deliciously smoked meat along with popular side dishes.

Kenny Rogers Roasters makes that delicious tradition even more accessible to Filipinos with its newest limited edition menu items.

Let’s start this flavorsome food journey with its Smokehouse BBQ Roast, Kenny Rogers Roasters signature roasted chicken marinated in a special blend of barbecue flavors and spices and served with skin slightly crispy and charred.

Make this a centerpiece of your feast by ordering a whole chicken ala carte (Php825)…

… or make it a filling solo meal (Php310 Solo A | Php335 Solo B), complete with rice, sides and a corn muffin.

Then you can immerse yourself in the barbecue tradition with Kenny Rogers Roasters’ Smokehouse BBQ Ribs. This dish consists of tender and juicy fall-off-the-bone pork ribs infused with a spicy savory rub that gives it that extra kick.

Order a whole slab ala carte (Php920) to feed the whole fam…

… or enjoy it solo with rice, sides and a corn muffin (Php495).

This tasty food trip is made even more delicious with three new sauces that add new dimensions of flavor to the Smokehouse BBQ Roast & Ribs:

Applewood. Fruity and smoky with a slightly sour bite.
Alabama. Tangy sauce made with mayonnaise spiced with pepper and special spices.
Roasted Garlic. Sweet and nutty blend infused with garlic.

A Kenny Rogers Roasters meal wouldn’t be complete without those yummy corn muffins (Php105/box of 6), wouldn’t you agree?

Round up your festive feast with some delectable sides (Php55 regular | Php83 large) such as Corn & Carrots, Mac ‘n Cheese and Fresh Fruit Salad.

Make your get-togethers extra special this holiday season with these deliciously smokey dishes by meeting up with your fam and friends at your nearest Kenny Rogers Roasters branch.

You may also order your Smokehouse BBQ Pork & Ribs for delivery right to your doorstep at kennyrogersdelivery.com.ph or through Kenny Rogers Roasters’ delivery hotline +63 2 85559000, as well as via GrabFood, FoodPanda and Pick*A*Roo.

For more details about its offers and promos, follow Kenny Rogers Roasters on Facebook, Tiktok, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter

Check out my previous posts about Kenny Rogers Roasters:

Eggs-perience eggs-tasy with Kenny Rogers Roasters’ new Salted Egg Chicken line

Chimichurri makes a comeback at Kenny Rogers Roasters!

Deliciously healthy meal at home with Kenny Rogers Roasters’ Roasted Chicken Group Meal

Bigger rewards and deals abound during GCash’s birthday week

It’s that time of the year again when GCash showers its users with deals and rewards as it celebrates its birthday week. From October 17 to 23, GCash has been giving away up to Php240 million of vouchers and freebies, all day, everyday.

So, GCash users, be sure to download the latest version of the app and make the most of its convenient features to make the most our of its #ReadySetGBirthday offers, such as:

Services

Citibank. Apply for a Citibank Credit Card and enjoy no annual fees forever plus get Php 1,000 GCash eGC via giftaway, redeemable within 60 days! Plus, applicants who avail a Citi Personal Loan can get as much as Php 5,000 GCash eGC via giftaway during GCash Birthday week!
DHL. Get a 20% discount when you pay via GCash Pay QR using the code GCASH20 on your next DHL delivery!
Entrego. Users are entitled to Entrego Vouchers when they pay via Gcash QR! Receive vouchers worth Php 50, Php 30, or Php 20 throughout Birthday week.

Shopping

Zing. Get 100 Zing Points with a minimum spend worth Php1,000 on your first transaction during Birthday week. For succeeding transactions, get 10 Zing Points for every minimum spend of Php1,000 when you pay with GCash. Plus, get Ayala Mall GC worth 100 pesos, with a minimum spend of Php1,000 when you check out with GCash on ZingMall.
Zalora. Get 25% on your Zalora purchases when you pay online via GCash with a minimum spend of Php2,000.
Charles & Keith. Get PHP 350 off with a minimum spend of Php 3,500 in all Charles & Keith stores when you pay with GCash! Applicable on all regular, sale, and promo bundle items.
Puregold. Shop at Puregold and buy Php1,500 worth of participating items and Scan to Pay via GCash to receive a Php50 Puregold exclusive discount voucher on your GCash app! Or you can buy from Puregold in the GLife app and get a Php100 discount voucher with a minimum purchase worth Php2,800 of participating items.

Food

Pancake House. Buy One, Get One on 2pcs. Classic Pancakes at Pancake House when you pay using GCash. Available for dine in, takeout and curbside pick-up transactions only.
Bo’s Coffee. Enjoy FREE Drip Coffee when you Buy 1 any Large Espresso or Froccino Beverage from Bo’s Coffee and pay via GCash QR code/
Auntie Anne’s. Awesome food deals are also available throughout GCash Birthday week! Order from Auntie Anne’s on GLife to avail a Buy 1 Take 1 promo on the Chocnut Pretzel Twist! Those who Scan to Pay in any Auntie Anne’s store can also get a Free Chocnut Pretzel Twist with minimum spend of Php250.
Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken & Sauce Bar. Scan to Pay when you dine in or order takeout from Peri-Peri and receive a free Cheese Quesadilla for a minimum purchase worth Php 500!

Tech

Cherry Mobile. Get a chance to win freebies from Cherry when you purchase select items! A LoveMarie Powerbank 5k mAh, LoveMarie Powerbank 10k mAh, and free Car Ionizer Filter are all available as freebies with specific purchases of Cherry gadgets and items!

A+ Rewards

Claim a variety of exciting freebies on A+ Rewards on the GCash app! Some exclusive Birthday week deals to look forward to include discount vouchers on your next Agoda booking, 2 months free Apple Music subscription, and 1 month free subscription to Google One!
You can also claim discount vouchers on A+ Rewards and enjoy the following exciting discounts: Php 40 off on your next FoodPanda delivery, Php 40 off on Google Play Store, Php 20 off from iHerb, Php 20 off from IQIYI, Php 20 off from Shein, Php 20 off from SmileOne, Php 20 off from Spotify, or Php 20 off from Steam!

This GCash Birthday, you can claim free vouchers on the GCash Birthday landing page found easily on your GCash Home Page. Scroll through the landing page to claim the various vouchers available. Remember to read all its terms and conditions before redeeming any voucher!

To claim these exciting perks, simply tap the GCash Birthday banner on your GCash app’s home page and scroll through the available vouchers. Be sure to check out the terms and conditions before redeeming your vouchers.

You can also claim and use vouchers to redeem discounts on GCash Pay QR transactions. To use your vouchers, open the GCash app and select ‘Pay QR’ and ‘Scan QR Code,’ or simply swipe left on the home page. Align your phone’s camera over the merchant’s GCash QR code to scan, and then enter the non-discounted amount for the goods you bought in the Payment screen.

Confirm the total and choose whether to pay with GCash or GCredit. To select and use a voucher, tap the arrow in the Discount row. After selecting the voucher, you will be able to see the discount that will be applied as well as your new total amount. You can also see all of your claimed vouchers in your Voucher Pocket, which is accessible through your profile.

View all the exciting offers this GCash Birthday celebration from October 17 – 23 by visiting the GCash website. Download the GCash app today on the AppStore or Google Play Store.

GCash (G-Xchange, Inc.) is the #1 Finance App in the Philippines. Through the GCash App, 69M registered users can easily purchase prepaid airtime; pay bills at over 1,600 partner billers nationwide; send and receive money anywhere in the Philippines, even to other bank accounts; purchase from over 5.2M partner merchants and social sellers; and get access to savings, credit, loans, insurance and invest money, and so much more, all at the convenience of their smartphones. GCash is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mynt (Globe Fintech Innovations, Inc.), the first and only duacorn in the Philippines.

Enjoy perfect coffee breaks with this #PerfectMatch: Cinnabon rolls + Coffee

Whether you’re still enjoying the perks of working from home, or are already called back to the office, I’m sure your coffee break remains to be one of the major highlights of your day.

As that time when you can enjoy a short respite from your work, as well as get together with your office pals for some cat, coffee breaks are definitely a godsend.

Do you know what will make your coffee breaks perfect? A perfect pairing of Cinnabon rolls and Cinnabon coffee, that’s what!

Since the mid-80s, Seattle-based bakery Cinnabon has been serving up its most delectable cinnamon bun, a product of the collaboration between father-and-son duo Rich and Greg Komen, and master baker Jerilyn Brusseau.

In 1999, Cinnabon established its foothold in Asia when it opened its first Philippine bakery at Robinsons Place Manila.

Today, Cinnabon has twenty bakeries in the country, all committed to churning out its much celebrated Cinnamon buns and more, using the finest quality ingredients and serving them, hot, irresistibly fragrant and fresh from the oven.

In between bouts of hard work, you should really drop by your nearest Cinnabon bakery and treat yourself to some #IndulgingComfort with these mouthwatering cinnamon rolls:

Cinnabon Classic Roll. The cinnamon roll that started it all, filled with Makara cinnamon and topped with decadent cream cheese frosting.
Chocobon. Classic cinnamon roll given that delicious chocolate filling and drizzle.
Caramel Pecanbon. Classic cinnamon roll topped with caramel frosting and chopped pecans.
Chocopecanbon. Classic cinnamon roll topped with chopped pecans and drizzled with chocolate sauce

Cinnabon’s sweet and luscious rolls are best paired with its handcrafted coffee beverages. Need something to perk you up for the rest of the workday? Take your pick from these delicious coffee variants:

Coffee beverages (available hot or cold): Brewed Coffee, Cafe Americano, Cafe Mocha, Cafe Latte, Cafe Latte, Cappuccino, Caramel Macchiatto, Cinnamon Roll Latte
Cold brew: Classic, Creamy, Vanilla & Cream, Cinnamon

Want to bring that indulging comfort back with you? Then grab a bag of Cinnabon’s Choco Stix Nuggets to-go and let the rest of your work buddies enjoy some sweet respite, or bring it home for as a sweet treat for the fam.

Each bite-sized dough is baked to pillow-y yumminess with a slight crunch and coated with sweetened cocoa, meant to be enjoyed with your nears-and-dears. After all, sharing is caring.

Experience #TheRecipeForWonderful at Cinnabon stores are located at:

SM Aura Premiere, SM Baguio, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia, SM North EDSA and SM North EDSA North Towers, SM City Clark, SM Cagayan de Oro, SM Seaside Cebu, SM Fairview, SM Mindpro
Trinoma Mall
Festival Mall
Ayala Malls Manila Bay
Robinsons Magnolia, Robinsons Galleria
Alabang Town Center
SLEX Shell Travel Plaza – Main, SLEX Shell Travel Plaza – Deli2Go, SLEX Shell Mamplasan
Petron Travel Plaza
Caltex San Pedro Travel Plaza
NLEX Shell Travel Plaza – Deli2Go, NLEX Drive & Dine
NAIA Terminal 3, NAIA Terminal 4

Can’t go to a Cinnabon bakery? Order your Cinnabons for delivery right to your doorstep via GrabFood, FoodPanda and G-Life.

For the latest news on its products and offers, follow Cinnabon on Facebook and Instagram.

Photo Credit: Karl of Fuda.ph for the pictures taken during the Cinnabon Coffee Session held at Cinnabon Glorietta 4.

Check out my previous posts on Cinnabon:

Cinnabon Cranberry Biscoff — Enjoy some #IndulgingComfort with Cinnabon’s Cranberry Biscoff Minibon

Cinnabon Toffee Minichocobon — A new way to get some #IndulgingComfort: Cinnabon’s Toffee Minichocobon!

Cinnabon Estancia — Quick and sweet escape at Cinnabon, Estancia Mall

Family lunch at BOTEJYU, SM City San Mateo

After being mostly stuck within Metro Manila during the lockdown, the family heartily welcomed an out-of-town trip to San Mateo.

Venturing out from our comfy accommodations at Timberland Highlands Resort to SM City San Mateo for a spot of lunch and a bit of shopping, we decided to dine at the BOTEJYU outlet located there.

BOTEJYU is a Japanese restaurant that originated from an okonomiyaki eatery established Osaka, Japan in 1946.

Its menu expanded to include other popular Japanese dishes such as the ones we enjoyed during our visit:

Tuna Sashimi (Php395). Fresh tuna slices served with wasabi and Japanese soy sauce.

California Roll (Php255). Sushi roll made with crab meat, avocado, cucumber, prawn egg and BOTEJYU’s original mayonnaise.

Edamame (Php110). Lightly salted boiled green soy beans that serve as an appetizer to many Japanese meals.

Prawn Tempura (Php670/10pcs). Crispy battered prawns served with tempura sauce.

Tender Pork Tonkatsu (Php275). Tender pork cutlet breaded and deep-fried to a crispy golden brown and served on a bed of shredded cabbage with tokatsu sauce.

Tender Pork Tonkatsu Curry (Php425). Tender pork cutlet breaded and deep-fried to a crispy golden brown and served on a bed of rice with Osaka-style curry sauce poured over it.

Diced Beef Garlic Steak Bowl (Php545). Steamed rice bowl topped with diced beef garlic steak.

Sukiyaki Teishoku (Php540). A set meal which consists of beef cooked in sukiyaki sauce with noodles and soft-boiled egg, served with miso soup, salad, rice and kimchi.

While the menu offerings are a bit pricey, we found the quality to be reliably good, and the service to be prompt.

It’s great to see that BOTEJYU has established its presence in Rizal, thanks to this branch.

This BOTEJYU branch is located at Ground Floor, SM City San Mateo, Gen. Luna Avenue, Ampid 1, San Mateo City, Rizal, open daily from 11.15am to 7.45pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 8524673.

BOTEJYU branches in Metro Manila are located in:

Alabang: Festival Mall Expansion Wing
Caloocan: SM City Grand Central
Las Pinas: Evia Lifestyle Center
Makati: Ayala Greenbelt 3, Ayala North Exchange
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall The Atrium
Manila: SM City Manila
Paranaque: Ayala Malls Manila Bay, SM City Bicutan, SM City Sucat, SM Southmall
Pasay: SM Mall of Asia Galileo Wing
Pasig: Ayala Malls Feliz, Estancia Mall Capitol Commons, SM City East Ortigas
Quezon City: Ayala Vertis North Mall, Fisher Mall, Robinsons Place Magnolia, SM City Fairview, SM City North EDSA, Trinoma Mall Garden Area
San Juan: O Square 2 Greenhills Shopping Center
Taguig: One Bonifacio High Street Mall

BOTEJYU also accepts orders for delivery through its website and via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

To know more about its latest offers and promos, follow BOTEJYU on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous post about BOTEJYU:

Chinese American fast-food at Panda Express

Chinese food spans a gamut of cuisines, with various regional, religious and ethnic influences into this kind of cooking found within China and abroad.

The development of Chinese cuisine in the United States was driven by small-town restaurants that catered to Chinese immigrant miners and railroad workers as well as the local population which are largely unfamiliar with Chinese food. At the same time, these incorporated local ingredients and adapted the dishes to a more American taste, thereby giving rise to Chinese-American cuisine.

A famous example of eateries that serve Chinese-American cuisine is Panda Express. Founded in Glendale, California in the 1980s as the quick-serve, mall-based version of the sit-down restaurant Panda Inn, this line of business grew to 2000 locations as of December 2017.

Panda Express made its way to Philippine shores in December 2019 when, through a partnership with fast-food giant Jollibee Foods Corporation, it opened the first Panda Express branch in SM Megamall, generating long-lines of customers who want to be among the first in the country to sample the restaurant’s signature dishes.

Today, Panda Express has nine outlets, situated in both malls and free-standing locations.

Because of our busy lives, the long lines outside its branches, and then the lockdowns due to the pandemic, it took some time for my family to check out Panda Express’ branches in Metro Manila. (We did dine at Panda Express’ branches in Seattle, Washington during our US trip in early 2019).

After the loosening of lockdown restrictions (as well as the waning of the long lines of people waiting to dine in), we were finally able to treat ourselves to the filling and fulsome offerings of Panda Express.

Diners at Panda Express have several choices when it comes to serving size:

Bowl (starts at Php225) – consists of one entree and one side dish (with 394 to 1105 calories)
Plate (starts at Php310) – consists of two entrees and 1 side dish (with 544 to 1595 calories)
Bigger Plate (starts at Php395) – consists of 3 entrees and 1 side dish (with 694 to 2085 calories)
Kid’s Meal (starts at Php190) – consist of a junior-sized entree, a junior-sized side dish, a 12oz drink and dessert (with 330 to 1000 calories)
Family Feast (starts at Php1,290) – serves a group of four to five persons and consists of 3 large entrees and two large side dishes (with 590 to 2233 calories)

Given our appetites and our own strong preferences among Panda Express’ menu items, is there any wonder why the fam members opted to each get a Plate serving?

Our orders included:

Sides:

Fried Rice. Steamed white rice wok-fried with soy sauce, eggs, peas, carrots and green onions.
Chow Mein. Stir-fried wheat noodles with onions, celery and cabbage.

Entrees:

Orange Chicken. Panda Express’ signature dish inspired by General Tso’s Chicken made with crispy chicken pieces wok-tossed in a sweet and spicy orange sauce.
Kung Pao Chicken. A Szechwan-inspired dish with chicken, peanuts and vegetables, finished with chili peppers.
Shanghai Steak. Wok-seared steak with fresh string beans, onions and mushrooms in a savory sauce.
Savory Shrimp. Juicy shrimp, stir-fried with green onion and bell pepper in a savory sauce.
Honey Walnut Shrimp. (included in one of our delivery orders after our store visit) Large tempura-battered shrimp, wok-tossed in a honey sauce and topped with glazed walnuts.

We found these Plat servings very filling indeed, with the varying textures and flavors of the dishes complementing each other.

Given that all the dishes have been pre-cooked, serving the food was quick and efficient.

This Panda Express branch is located at Upper Ground Floor, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Madaluyong City.

Other branches are located at:

Las Pinas: SM Southmall
Muntinlupa: Shell SLT Southbound SLEX, Mojito Lifestyle Center
Panaranaque: Soledad Place Betterliving
Pasay: DoubleDragon Center East
Quezon City: Holy Spirit Drive Don Antonio, Greenmeadows Bagumbayan, SM City North EDSA

Panda Express also delivers via its website, as well as through GrabFood and FoodPanda.

To stay updated about its menu and offers, follow Panda Express on Facebook and Instagram.

Godel Chocolate: home-grown yet world-class from #BeanToBar

We Pinoys are such chocolate lovers, aren’t we?

We have it in our desserts, drinks, breakfast cereals and, sometimes, even our entrees!

It’s no wonder, then, that local chocolate brands have emerged, not just to cater to the Filipinos’ craving for chocolate, but to also spur the growth of local chocolate farming and production.

One such brand is Godel Chocolate.

Established in mid-2020, Godel Chocolate has been providing top quality tools and equipment for cacao bean processing and fine chocolate or compound chocolate production.

To fully demonstrate the exciting possibilities from the local cacao plant, Godel Chocolate came out with its own line of premium-quality chocolate products. As the company continues to hone its expertise in the chocolate craft, it shares its knowledge and experience to budding entrepreneurs. Its advocacy is to help create a new movement of chocolate makers to boost local consumption and production of chocolate, thereby encouraging growth among local chocolate farmers.

I recently attended a tour of its factory in Paranaque, another one of its initiatives to spread knowledge on the local chocolate industry.

Chocolate 101

The tour started with a review of the history of chocolate as well as the basics of chocolate farming and production.

Test-run for budding chocolatiers

Tour attendees also got a sneak peek into chocolate making by making our own personalized chocolate bars.

Chocolate-making solutions

At its core, Godel Chocolate is a solutions-based company. It sells a line of equipment to help small chocolate producing businesses manage the processes involved in chocolate making from bean sorting to packaging.

Want to get in the chocolate-making business? Get more details about Godel Solutions by visiting its website or calling +63 2 88693754 to 56.

The tour ended at the factory’s store which showcases Godel Chocolate products and dessert creations.

Chocolate Products

Godel Chocolate products are made from fermented cacao beans directly sourced from organic farmers in Davao, North Cotabato and South Cotabato. By adhering to chocolate making fundamentals and carefully managing its production processes from bean to bar, Godel Chocolates is able to craft chocolate products that are simple in formulation but packed with flavor.

Other products include:

Bean-to-bar Chocolates: 70% (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter), 50% (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin), 50% milk (cocoa mass, sugar, cocoa butter, soy lecithin)
Specialty Bean-to-bar Chocolates: Tablea Bar, Organic 70% Chocolate, White Chocolate, Salted Caramel Chocolate, Milk Chocolate with Cashews, Milk Chocolate with Almonds
Origins Bean-to-Bar Chocolates
Instant Tsokolate: Hot Chocolate Bomb, Stir-in Hot Chocolate
Dragees: Milk Chocolate-Covered Almonds
Seasonal Bonbon ad Milk Chocolate Bars
Gift Boxes and Chocolate Bars
Baking Ingredients

Chocolate dessert creations

Godel Chocolate products can also be made into these mouth-watering desserts.

This factory tour has certainly opened my eyes to the myriad possibilities for budding entrepreneurs in the local chocolate industry and strengthened my appreciation for our home-grown chocolate products.

Want to check out these chocolate possibilities for yourself? Book your slot at an upcoming Godel Factory Tour here.

Tours are priced at Php800/head with private group tours for up to twelve persons priced at Php8000.

Godel Chocolate is a trademark of JCG Marketing Group, Inc. Its factory is located at 11C Sampaguita Avenue, UPD IV, Paranaque City.

To know more about Godel Chocolate, follow it on Facebook, Instagram, Tiktok and Youtube.

Shop for Godel Chocolate Products at:

Official Online Shop, Shopee and Lazada
Godel Chocolate Kiosk at SM City North EDSA
Gourdo’s: Alabang Town Center, Glorietta 4, Trinoma, UP Town Center, The Podium, SM City Fairview
Salcedo Community Market (Jaime C. Velasquez Park, Saturdays, 7am-2pm)
Ayala Alabang Saturday Market (117 University Avenue, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa, Saturdays, 6am-2pm)