Eat – Page 64 – Jellybeans in the City

Comfort food delivery from Pares Retiro, P. Tuazon

Lately, we’ve been craving for comfort food, right?

Now more than ever, we’re looking for that feeling of well-being and fullness that comfort food brings.

An example of Pinoy comfort food that I was happy to rediscover is beef pares. This dish is braised beef stewed in a savory-sweet sauce and served with garlic fried rice, making winning combo indeed!

For me, the benchmark for beef pares is the one I tasted prior to the quarantine, when my officemate and I had our lunch delivered from the Pares Retiro near our office. I guess that’s why this resto chain was dubbed the best pares in town. I get cravings for it sometimes since then.

However, I’ve been stuck at home for the past few months and the nearest Pare Retiro is too far for delivery.

That is, until GrabFood made Pares Retiro in P. Tuazon available for long-distance delivery. Yey!

I found out about it when Hubby gave in to his late-night cravings and had some beef pares and bone marrow delivered for us to devour in between episodes of the K-drama we’re bingeing on.

(Spoiler Alert: they were gone in mere minutes that I haven’t been able to take decent pictures!)

That late-night taste intensified my craving for the dish again so I decided to order from Pares Retiro via GrabFood for our dinner.

Tonight, the kiddos and I feasted on:

Classic Pares Meal (Php208). That winning tamdem of beed pares and garlic fried rice. The slow-braised meat is fork-tender and the sauce has the right dynamic between sweet and savory that goes so well with the garlic fried rice.

Pares Tendon Meal (Php214). The classic pares dish made even more irresistible with the addition of melt-in-your-mouth pieces of imported US beef tendon that adds flavor and texture to the dish.

Bone Marrow (Php189). Roasted bone marrow flavored with herbs and spices. Add a bit of bone marrow to each bite of pares and rice and you’ll see why the fam and I got obsessed with it. I only wish there was more of it.

These dishes are not high-brow nor elaborate. Instead, they are simple dishes that give us comfort especially during these trying times.

This Pares Retiro branch is located at P. Tuazon Corner 17th Avenue, Cubao, Quezon City. It delivers via GrabFood, LalaFood, FoodPanda and Pares Retiro’s website.

Japanese dining for the fam at Teriyaki Boy

For years now, my family has been getting our Japanese food craving satisfied by Teriyaki Boy.

This local chain under the Max’s Group occupies the space between fast-food and high-end Japanese restaurants by offering the fam’s Japanese food faves at reasonable prices.

Our go-to branch is the one nearest our home located at SM City East Ortigas. Here, we feast on classic such as:

Tonkatsu (Php289). My son’s favorite Japanese dish consisting of a tender piece of pork cutlet that’s been breaded and deep-fried to a crispy golden brown and served with shredded cabbage and drizzled with sesame dressing along with a tangy-sweet katsu sauce.

Katsu Ju (Php355). My daughter’s go-to order consisting of breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet which is simmered in sweet soy sauce with leeks, onions and a beaten egg and then served on top warm rice.

Dynamite Sushi (Php114/4 pcs | Php210/8pcs). This sushi roll made with fresh tuna, chili oil, togarashi and Japanese mayo is one of the ploys employed by Hubby to stimulate my appreciation for spicy food.

Another bonus of dining at this particular branch is that it shares the space with another Max’s Group brand, Sizzlin’ Steak, enabling Hubby and me to also sate our craving for steak by cross-ordering an Australian Marbled Steak (Php699) for each of us. This tender and juicy piece of imported meat, grilled to our preference (medium to medium-well) and served with rice, French beans, cherry tomatoes and herb butter on a sizzling plate, ready for the satisfying sight, sound and smell of flavorful gravy being poured over it.

During the enhanced community quarantine, Teriyaki Boy paused its operations but has since re-opened for for dine-in, takeout and delivery.

So if the quarantine has you missing those tasty Japanese dishes you so love, check if there’s a Teriyaki Boy outlet near you.

This Teriyaki Boy branch is located at Second Floor, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Santa Lucia, Pasig City, open daily from 10am to 7pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 96381817 or +63 2 88879000.

Teriyaki Boy also delivers via its website.

McDo shakes are here to stay!

Get shakin’ anytime, anywhere as McDonald’s Philippines announces that its McDo Shakes are here to stay!

Now a permanent offering alongside other McDonald’s favorites, you can get your favorite McDo Shakes anytime and anywhere! Add a little sweetness to your day with the cool and delicious drink made from McDonald’s creamy soft-serve ice cream you love, combined with sweet Chocolate or Strawberry syrup. Indulge yourself with the milky, luscious, and decadent drink that’ll surely cool your day.

Satisfy your sweet tooth cravings with your favorite Strawberry or Chocolate Shakes for as low as P69 for regular and P89 for medium. Make sure to upgrade your meal’s beverage to give it that right amount of sweetness for as low as P45. You can also enjoy your McDo Shakes paired with everyone’s favorite World Famous Fries that are crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside!

Don’t miss out on the exclusive Strawberry Shake promo on the McDonald’s App. Download the app now on the App Store or Google Play Store and to find out more about the deals offered!

McDo Shakes available in all McDonald’s stores nationwide via Dine In, Take Out, Drive Thru, Pick-up, and McDelivery. For more information, follow McDonald’s Philippines on Facebook or McDo PH on Viber to stay up to date on all McDo announcements.

Details provided by McDonald’s Philippines in a recent press release. Header image is mine.

Spread the sweet goodness of Kica Bites cookies

A little bit of sweetness can go a long way, wouldn’t you agree?

A little bit of a warm hug, a little bit of a winsome smile, a little bit of a happy thought… All these are little bits of joy that we can spread around, especially during these trying times.

After all, the quarantine can’t lock down our merry vibes, can it?

That’s why we should take every opportunity to spread little bits of sweetness to the people around us.

Take the cookies from Kica Bites, for example.

Made with love by newlyweds Kim and Carla (hence the name “KiCa”) who discovered baking as their “quaranthing,” these confections are the sweet treats that are sure to brighten everyone’s day.

Baked in small batches in their HQ in Rizal, Kica Bites cookies come in two signature flavors:

Original Chocolate Chip (Php209 for box of 6 | Php269 for box of 10). It’s hard to resist biting into a buttery cookie studded with chocolate chips, with just a hint of a crisp at the edges and chewy center . So why bother resisting?

Triple Dark Chocolate with Walnuts (Php229 for box of 6 | Php289 for box of 10). Get ready for chocolate overload with this fudgy chocolatey cookie!

Can’t choose between the two flavors? Why don’t you go for a Mixed Box (Php279) with five pieces of each cookie variant?

So the next question is: how can these sweet cookie delights find their way to you?

Simple: just fill out this order form, then wait for the order confirmation as well as Kica Bites’ payment details. Pay via BPI, Union Bank or Gcash then send proof of payment. Kica Bites cookies may be delivered from Rizal to anywhere in Metro Manila everyday or within Cavite on weekends.

These cookies are great for dessert a meal or as an accompaniment for your cuppa on your coffee break.

With the holidays fast approaching, you can spread some joy and love by giving a box of cookies to your nears-and-dears so that they can bite into some sweet goodness too!

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

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

TECNO Mobile’s Pouvoir 4 brings a power-packed, affordable entertainment device to consumers

What can you get for PhP5,000 these days that will also help beat boredom while on indefinite staycation at home? A couple of books? A few games? How about all those and more in a single device, and with several hundred pesos to spare?

For only P4,590.00, TECNO Mobile’s Pouvoir 4 and Php5990 and Php6990 for the Pouvoir 4 Pro models can give consumers hours and hours of uninterrupted ultimate entertainment experience – be it gaming, vlogging, photography or watching videos and movies – thanks to its big 6,000mAh battery capable of powering the phone for up to four days straight on a single charge.

Building on the local market’s increasing levels of digital content consumption global premier mobile phone brand, TECNO Mobile has a specific focus on delivering flagship-like entertainment experiences with a power-packed performance. The latest addition to its popular Pouvoir series, Pouvoir 4’s larger- than-life battery makes it a sensational device that elevates user experience and delivers endless entertainment possibilities without interruptions.

800 minutes of movie and music experience on a single charge

The Pouvoir 4’s massive 7-inch display screen provides a 90.55 percent screen ratio that gives consumers a wider visual area, completely transforming their viewing experience. Featuring class-leading 480-nit brightness capabilities, the super large display provides users with a cinema-level immersive experience when watching their favorite shows and movies.

The phone’s dual speakers provide clean and crisp stereo sound that truly engages consumers like never before. Powered by Dirac, Pouvoir 4 delivers a digital sound solution based on acoustic measurement and correction, allowing users to enjoy a high-quality immersive entertainment experience.

Over 650 minutes of action-packed gaming

For gamers, the Pouvoir 4 unleashes a brand-new perspective to competing with friends with specifications that reimagine gaming experiences.

The Pouvoir 4 features a 32GB+3GB big memory while the Pouvoir 4 Pro comes in 64GB + 4GB and 128GB + 6GB memory options ensures that users have a smooth glitch-free gaming experience. Operating on HiOS 6.0 which is built on Android Q, the phone provides better interaction design letting users view important notifications during gaming time with minimal interruption. Built with gamers in mind, the Pouvoir 4 offers bespoke features such as a specific shooting Intelligent scheduling of system resources to ensure a high-quality experience. The phone also utilizes a magic button that can be used as fire key in arcade and shooting games as well as a Screen Off Gaming Mode that saves more than 50 percent of battery power.

Powering vloggers with an AI-powered camera and HD content capabilities

TECNO Mobile didn’t stop there. The Pouvoir 4 comes with an artificial intelligence(AI) quad multi-function camera that allows users the ability to produce top-of-the-line video quality allowing for a unique vlogging experience.

The device is equipped with a 13MP AI quad camera, plus two 2MP cameras and an AI lens at the rear, and an 8MP dual flash camera at the front. The main camera packs a F1.8 big aperture and 8X digital zoom with a 77-degree shot angle that produces HD video recording function. The phone also comes with a low light video record mode that automatically brightens video shots in the dark.

The Pouvoir 4 comes loaded with a range of cool features such as face unlock, fingerprint sensor for optimized security along with a unique button along the side to wake up a Virtual Google assistant, all packaged in a straight and elegant design that reflects TECNO Mobile’s brand and style in their products.

The Pouvoir 4 is available at partner retail stores in Ice Jadeite, Cosmic Shine, Fascinating Purple color options for Pouvoir 4 and Fascinating Purple, Misty Grey and Ice Jadeite for Pouvoir 4 Pro.

For more updates, visit www.tecno-mobile.com/ph. Follow TECNO Mobile Philippines on facebook.com/TECNOMobilePH and get a chance to win your own Pouvoir 4.

About TECNO Mobile

TECNO Mobile is a premium smartphone brand from TRANSSION Holdings. Upholding the brand essence of “Expect More”, TECNO Mobile is committed to giving the masses access to latest technology at accessible prices, allowing the consumers to reach beyond their current limitations and uncover a world of possibilities. TECNO Mobile understands the needs of consumers from different markets and provides them with localized innovations across a product portfolio featuring smartphones, tablets, and feature phones. TECNO Mobile is a major global player with presence in around 60 emerging markets across the world. It is also the global Official Tablet and Handset Partner of Manchester City Football Club. For more information, please visit: www.tecno-mobile.com

Red Velvet Cake from Lia’s Cakes in Season

Momshies, did you know that red velvet cake is actually made with cocoa, making it, in essence, chocolate cake?

It’s a classic dessert favorite in the Southern US states, said to have originated in Maryland in the early 20th century. It gained the moniker “velvet” cake for having soft and velvety crumbs as opposed to its coarser crumb contemporaries.

During the food rationing of World War II, bakers started adding boiled beetroot to their cake ingredients to help them retain moisture and its juices to add color to their creations.

Traditionally, bakers used a light and fluffy French-style roux icing to decorate the red velvet cake. Variations using cream cheese of buttercream frosting came later.

I was recently gifted by a fellow momshie with a whole Red Velvet Cake from Lia’s Cakes in Season.

This dessert store is practically a landmark in the foodie haven of Kapitolyo in Pasig City. Set up by young entrepreneur Carlo Carlos in 2004 to feature “fruits-to-cakes in season,” cakes and pastries that creatively incorporate the freshest fruits in season.

Its Red Velvet Cake (Php990 whole | Php140 per slice), however, is the store’s take on the classic fave. It consists of a moist chocolate cake (colored a deep red, of course), wrapped in a smooth buttercream icing and topped with crystal bits for added texture.

To get your hands on this decadent delight, order through Lia’s Cakes’ online store or call +63 917 6605427 (minimum order of Php850) for delivery to anywhere in Metro Manila. Delivery is free for website orders over Php2,000.

So order now, momshies!

Lia’s Cakes in Season is located at 23 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

SKY treats new subscribers to GrabFood discount codes

SKY is giving new subscribers an irresistible treat as it partners with GrabFood—discount codes for their next food delivery when their application gets approved from October 1 to 31, 2020.

Perfect for their next binge-watch and snacking session, this sumptuous offer entitles subscribers to at least two discount codes or more depending on the plan that they have subscribed to.

For every P500 monthly fee of subscribed plan, new subscribers will receive two P69 worth of discounts. For instance, a SKY Fiber Unli Broadband 25Mbps + All in Box plan worth P1,499 will get six GrabFood discount codes with a total value of P414.

Each discount voucher is valid for single use and may be availed of upon checkout for a minimum food order amounting to Php690 on GrabFood. The discount codes will be emailed to new subscribers within three to five days of successful installation of their SKY service.

To avail of this latest SKY promo, subscribe to a SKYcable or SKY Fiber plan via mysky.com.ph within the promo period. For more details about the promo mechanics, visit mysky.com.ph/grabfood.

Image and promo details provided by SKY in a recent press release.

Palm-sized cookies from Extra Butter

Have you ever had those really stressful days when nothing is going right so you just want to curl up somewhere and seek comfort from a delicious cookie?

During those kinds of days, you know that the comfort you get from a regular-sized cookie won’t be enough.

How about a cookie the size of the palm of your hand?

This monster-sized cookie (and other similar sized variants) are made by Extra Butter.

This new online food seller is a collaboration between two siblings who both have impressive backgrounds in the Pasig food scene: Ingrid and Renz Mediarito.

Ingrid is a culinary instructor and entrepreneur who also runs Buffalo Swing Cafe and Ingrid’s Sweet Haven Pattiserie while Renz is one of the managing partners behind Moonshine Pub and Union Square Pizza.

During the quarantine, the siblings decided to engage in a joint project: a dessert shop that sells palm-sized cookies.

What exactly is an Extra Butter Cookie? Well, it is 150 grams of sweetness, comfort and indulgence. It features familiar flavors enhanced by the use of premium ingredients (such as couverture chocolates) sourced from local suppliers (so it also supports local business). It’s an amalgam of moist and chewy cookie goodness interspersed with interesting textures. It has no preservatives and is baked on a per-order basis.

An Extra Butter Cookie can be one of six flavors:

Triple Chocolate Ganache. Belgian chocolate cookie batter with ganache filling and milk chocolate couverture.

Double Milk Chocolate. Batter made with nutty butter mixed with milk chocolate couverture.

70% Dark Chocolate. Batter made with creamed brown butter mixed with two variants of 70% dark chocolate couverture.

Cranberry & White Chocolate. Oatmeal cookies with tangy dried cranberries and white chocolate callets.

Matcha & Black Sesame Seeds. Cookie dough flavored with Japanese green tea with black sesame seeds and white chocolate chunks.

Salted Butterscotch. Cookie studded with caramel chocolate callets, toasted marshmallows and salted pretzel.

Extra Butter bakes on Thursdays for delivery on Fridays from Pasig to anywhere in Metro Manila. You can get a Box of 6 for Php660.

To order, fill up this form. Cashless payments via BPI, BDO and GCash are accepted.

How about indulging yourself with some Extra Butter cookies? Wallow in the sweet comfort it brings and come out from your shell ready to face life’s challenges again.

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

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

Meringues from Brownies Unlimited, SM Megamall

Brownies Unlimited may be your go-to place for various kinds of fudgy brownies, but did you know you can also pick up some special meringue desserts here, too?

Meringues are light and airy confections traditionally made with whipped egg whites and sugar baked at low temperatures to achieve a signature crisp exterior.

Variations of meringues can be found in many parts of the world.

Here in the Philippines, among of the most popular meringue desserts are the silvanas. Made of cashew meringue wafers coated with cookie crumbs enveloping buttercream, it is a decadent delight for many dessert lovers.

Sambos, on the other hand, is the twin dessert of silvanas, wherein cocoa powder and coffee are added to the buttercream before sandwiching it between cashew meringue wafers then coating the resulting confection with chocolate cake crumbs.

After a bout of shopping, Hubby brought home a box for the kids to get a taste of these desserts. I found that these differ from traditional versions by having a rounder, puffier shape as opposed to the ones from Dumaguete that are more disc-shaped.

You can get these meringues at Brownies Unlimited for Php40 a piece or get a box of 6 for Php220.

These silvanas and sambos go well with coffee for a post-meal dessert or with iced tea for a late afternoon sweet snack. These are also great for pasalubong, contributions for potluck parties or as holiday gifts for dessert lovers.

It’s best to keep them frozen prior to serving.

So, are you Team Silvanas or Team Sambos? How about Team Both? 🙂

Check them out are your nearest Brownies Unlimited outlet.

Brownies Unlimited also delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Hoppity-Poppity Carrot Cake from Chrissy Bakey

We’re nearing the end of the first of this year’s “-ber” months and you know what that means…

The holidays are upon us!

Despite the quarantine restrictions and the near-constant worries we momshies saddle ourselves with, there’s no denying that this holiday season presents us with the challenge of making it one to remember for the right reasons.

And what better way to celebrate all that we have accomplished despite the odds this year than to enjoy great food with our nears-and-dears.

Homemade desserts, in particular, do more than just inject us with a bit of sugar rush. They bring us back to those simpler and carefree times when the highlight of our days were biting into a sweet slice of heavenly cakes.

That’s what thirty-seven-year-old Pasig-based entrepreneur Chrissy Caballero hopes to achieve with her online bakeshop Chrissy Bakey.

Having been a home baker for ten years, she grew her business from her habit of baking sweet treats for her son’s snackbox and whipping up cakes for family celebrations. After experimenting with various dessert recipes, even setting baking challenges for herself, she decided to quietly launch the Chrissy Bakey in late 2019, using the brand name when taking on orders and requests during the Christmas season.

She was gearing up to make 2020 her banner year…

…and then the pandemic happened.

Though initially discouraged by the stresses brought about by the pandemic while also juggling a full-time marketing job and overseeing her son’s online learning at the same time, Chrissy finally started selling her desserts again during the ECQ, then formally launched Chrissy Bakey into the world during Indepence Day this year.

Chrissy Bakey offers whimsical takes on classic dessert favorites.

The creatively-named Hoppity Poppity (Php650), for instance, is her version of the all-time favorite Carrot Walnut Cake. An eight-inch round pan of moist and sweetly-spiced carrot cake highlighted by chopped walnuts and raisins then topped with a rich cream cheese topping, it will surely get the kiddos (and some of the grown-ups!) hoppin’ for another slice or two.

Chrissy Bakey also caters to chocolate lovers with Mom’s Legendary Chocolate Cake. Other treats such as Lemon Bars and Red Swirlies are available upon request.

Chrissy Bakey opens up slots for these yummy creations every Friday and Saturday. To order, send a message via Instagram. Payments via BPI and GCash are accepted. Chrissy Bakey’s goodies can be delivered to anywhere in Metro Manila via Grab, Lalamove and Joyride (delivery fee to be shouldered by customer).

So momshies, how about we give our loved ones a taste of our fellow momshie Chrissy’s yummy dessert creations over the holidays?

Disclosure: Product sample was provided to facilitate an honest review.

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