food delivery – Page 22 – Jellybeans in the City

Donut takeout from Krispy Kreme, SM Megamall

As some of you may have gathered from my previous blog posts, my kiddos are avid Krispy Kreme fans. Since the start of the quarantine, we have been relying on delivery services to get our hands on these donut treats.

However, when Hubby and I recently went shopping for school supplies at SM Megamall, our first visit to this mall since March, the opportunity to grab a box or two of Krispy Kreme donuts presented itself.

As required among all mall-based retail outlets, Krispy Kreme’s branch at SM Megamall adheres to safety and sanitation protocols such as requiring patrons to wear face masks and face shields, answer a contact-tracing questionnaire and sanitize hands prior to entering the store premises.

Dining in is no longer allowed, so unlike during my previous visits before the quarantine, there were no customers hanging out inside the store. In fact, only a handful of customers are allowed to be inside the store to maintain physical distancing.

All those restrictions are well worth following to keep ourselves safe. Plus, Hubby and I were still able to bring home a dozen Krispy Kreme donuts for the kiddos (which I paid for using GCash, again, to minimize physical contact).

I got a Box of 12 (Php425) which contains Krispy Kreme’s “light as a cloud, melt in your mouth, pillows of goodness” yeast-raised donuts. Since the fam fave is still the Original Glazed donut, the package included nine of those.

I just added a piece each of Red Velvet, New York Cheesecake and Kreme-filled with Gold Sprinkles for variety and to complete the dozen.

Needless to say, the kiddos were delighted with our pasalubong and the fam demolished the donuts in no time.

I’m glad that despite the pandemic and the restrictions brought about by the quarantine, we are still able to enjoy simple and delish delights such as these.

This Krispy Kreme branch is located at Upper Ground Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City.

To get your box of donuts, call +63 2 88879000, order online or via GrabFood.

#QuarantitaTreats: Pinoy and proud bubble tea drinks from Boba Unibers

Rain or shine, it’s always a good time for a boba tea.

These delish concoctions can give us a much-needed sugar boost to get us going, or refresh us after a hot or grueling day.

Boba (“bubble”) gets its name from the chewy pearls made of tapioca soaked in sugar syrup that look like dark bubbles which add texture to your drink.

Boba teas originated from Taiwan in the 1980s when the smaller pearls were used for milk teas. An enterprising shop owner then decided to use larger pearls in a bid to make his offerings stand out.

Boba teas then made their way across the globe and soon established a foothold in the Philippines with new shops offering all sorts of bubble tea variants opening every month.

The newest of these boba tea shops is Boba Unibers, managed by twenty-seven-year-old Jacques Michael Buenviaje together with his partner, twenty-six-year-old Katrina Mikaela Laygo.

Both were working in a five-star hotel in BGC when the pandemic struck the metro. They decided to leave their hotel jobs and forge new paths for themselves, which, luckily for us boba tea lovers, includes launching Boba Unibers.

As you can discern from their business’ moniker, #PinoyPride infuses their business and product concept.

By incorporating local flavors and ingredients to their boba tea offerings, they bring milk tea fans like us fresh ways to enjoy our favorite drink while tapping into our sense of nostalgia (plus they also help local farmers by sourcing their coffee beans and muscovado from them).

Being good to the environment is also high on their list of priorities. Not only do they eschew the use of single-use plastics, they also made use of reusable glass jars and edible straws (made with rice and tapioca) which scored major points with my environmentally-aware daughter, #ExhibitA.

Now let’s talk about Boba Unibers’ drinks, shall we?

Wintermelon (Php75). Made with BU’s special tea blend, caramel-y wintermelon syrup, milk, house syrup and boba. #ExhibitA reserved this boba as soon as she saw it.

Taro (Php75). Made with BU’s special tea blend, taro, milk, house syrup and boba. A creamy masterpiece of a drink! (And cutely light purple too!)

Champorado (Php85). Made with BU’s special tea blend, tablea rice milk, house syrup, powdered milk and boba. Who would have thought that our favorite chocolatey breakfast item would taste so good in boba tea form? My son #ExhibitB snatched this up as soon as I was done taking photos.

Pandan Yema (Php85). Made with BU’s special tea blend, milk, pandan yema syrup and boba. A mix of the mild taste of pandan and the milky salted caramel-like taste of yema made for a candy-like sweet drink.

Salted Pistachio (Php110). Made with pistachio syrup, caramel sauce, caramel syrup, Kievit and Lipton Tea. This milky and slightly nutty drink will satisfy pistachio lovers.

Cold Brew Milk Tea (Php85). Made with BU’s special tea blend, milk, cold brew coffee and boba. This woke me right up from my mid-afternoon stupor.

These are just a sampling of the many possibili-teas that Boba Unibers has launched into the milk tea stratosphere, with more flavors to come as Jacques and Katrina continue to experiment with new flavors and ingredients.

So #quarantitas (or #quaranTEAtas?), let’s help these young entrepreneurs raise our flag and bring the spotlight to the unique flavors we Pinoys love by supporting Boba Unibers.

To order, call +63 906 3485071 or message Boba Uniberse on Facebook or Instagram. Cashless payments via GCash, Metrobank and BDO, as well as cash on delivery, are accepted. The jars of milk tea can be delivered from Cainta to Rizal and Metro Manila areas via GrabExpress, Lalamove, Mr. Speedy, Angkas and Joyride (to be shouldered by the buyer).

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:

#QuarantitaTreats: Winner wings from Clingy Wingy

Hello, quarantitas!

I know that all the inconveniences and restrictions brought about by the still ongoing quarantine can’t defeat your indomitable spirit.

Your search for tasty treats that sate your appetite and excite your taste buds continues.

And if you happen to chance upon one that from enterprising young ‘uns, then all then all the better, right?

Take Clingy Wingy, for example.

A partnership between twenty-two-year-old Gabrielle Carreon and nineteen-year-old Dana Amores, Cainta-based Clingy Wingy is one of the newest (and most welcome) entrants into the online food selling business.

Best friends Gabrielle and Dana decided to extend the reach of their family’s kitchens and offer their well-loved flavored chicken wings to stuck-at-home foodies at affordable prices. These include:

Classic Buffalo. Crispy chicken wings coated in a vinegar-based cayenne pepper hot sauce for an unbeatable mix of tangy and spicy.

Spiced Honey Garlic. A sweet-savory sauce made with a combination of honey and garlic flavors the chicken pieces.

Garlic Parmesan. Garlic butter sauce topped with parmesan cheese add flavor to chicken wings that kids love.

Hickory Barbecue. Smokey barbecue-flavored wings reminiscent of Southern-style barbecues.

You can munch on these pieces while camped out in front of the TV, while having an e-numan session with your buddies or you can serve them with lots of rice to the fam for dinner.

These chicken wings are available in boxes of four pieces (Php119), eight pieces (Php229) and twelve pieces (Php339).

To order, message Clingy Wingy on Facebook or Instagram. Payments via BDO and GCash are accepted, as well as cash on delivery. These wings can be delivered for free within three kilometers of Midtown Village, Cainta, Rizal, and to anywhere in Metro Manila and Rizal with a delivery fee.

So quarantitas, show some love to these budding entrepreneurs and get yourself of box of Clingy Wingy wings!

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:

Affordable lunch at Komoro Japanese Dining, SM Megamall

While securing school supplies at SM Megamall last weekend, Hubby and I decided to have lunch at one of our old haunts here: Komoro Soba, now renamed to Komoro Japanese Dining.

Five years ago, when our offices are both located in the Ortigas area, this Japanese restaurant was our go-to place for affordable teishoku.

These are Japanese meal sets comprised of white rice, miso soup, tsukemono (pickled fruit or vegetable) and your choice of viand. While the rice serves the purpose of being filling, the miso soup provides the comforts of umami, while the tsukemono helps to cleanse the palate and counterbalance flavorful viand.

Komoro’s version of the teishoku is adapted to Filipino taste by replacing the tsukemono with seasonal fruit which almost serves the same function.

Mixed Tempura Teishoku (Php139). Shrimp, chicken and vegetable pieces dipped in batter and served with tempura sauce.

Tonkatsu Teishoku (Php147). A juicy piece of pork cutlet breaded and deep-fried to a golden brown and served with shredded cabbage, a salad and tart katsu sauce.

Prior to eating our teishoku, we shared a serving of Zaru Soba (Php98), chilled buckwheat noodles served with a light dipping sauce called tsuyu to whet our appetite.

It was a quick tasty meal to fuel us for a bout quarantine shopping.

This Komoro Japanese Dining branch is located at Upper Ground Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City,

Another mall-based branchbia located at Lower Ground Floor, SM City Southmall, Alabang-Zapote Road, Almanza, Las Piñas City.

Komoro also delivers Japanese Bento meal sets in Makati and BGC. To order, call +63 2 9858240 or +63 917 5870809 or message Komoro Bento on Facebook.

5 ways Cafe Mary Grace’s ensaymada solves your holiday gifting dilemma

Ooh yes! We’re in the BER months now and, for many, the countdown to Christmas has begun.

And you know what we’re all excited for during the holidays, right?

Gifts, course!

Showering our loved ones with presents is one of the most rewarding feelings.

However, given the new situations we are faced with due to the still raging pandemic and different phases of community quarantine it necessitates, we may have to adjust our holiday gift-giving strategy.

So let me present the case for Cafe Mary Grace’s Ensaymadas as your go-to holiday present for your nears-and-dears.

1. Ensaymadas are rich in history.

Did you know that the origin ensaymadas can be traced all the way back to the 17th century in the Balearic Islands in Mallorca, Spain?

During celebrations and festivities, Mallorcan bakers would combine strong flour, water, sugar, eggs, mother dough and a kind of reduced pork lard called saim, from which the resulting pastry, the ensaimada de Mallorca, gets its name.

The ensaymada found its may to the Philippines during the Spanish colonization and is now among the most common delicacies in the country, found in most neighborhood bakeshops. Modifications made from the Mallorcan original include the use of butter instead of lard, as well as the addition of sugar and grated cheese.

It has even become part of our Christmas tradition to enjoy these pastries together with a cup of hot tsokolate made with local tableya.

2. They’re also steeped in good childhood memories.

Most of us can recall those afternoons we spent enjoying an ensaymada roll or two – still warm and fresh from the neighborhood bakery – for merienda after playtime with our childhood pals, right?

3. Cafe Mary Grace’s Ensaymadas is an upgrade of our childhood ensaymada.

Cafe Mary Grace made its name from the homemade goodness of its cakes and baked goods. Its ensaymadas are no different.

Made with 100% real butter and eggs as well as topped with grated Edam cheese, these soft and fluffy pastries have that combination of sweet and salty flavors we Pinoys so adore with a premium and delicate mouthfeel.

4. They already come beautifully packaged.

For just Php658, you can already get a pretty box of six ensaymadas, ready for gifting.

The ensaymada pieces are also individually wrapped so it’s no hassle to give them out to guests as desserts during small gatherings or save a few pieces for later munching.

Boxes of eight pieces and twelve pieces are also available at Php756 and Php1,098, respectively.

5. They’re easy to get.

Given all the restrictions on retail operations and protocols on social distancing, Cafe Mary Grace has made it easy for its customers to get their offerings by making them available online so there’s no need to line up to get a hold of them.

Orders may be coursed through Cafe Mary Grace’s website for pickup or via GrabFood for delivery.

These pastries will arrive chilled as they were taken fresh from the chiller. Before serving, only thaw out the number of pieces you want to eat. Do this by placing an ensaymada in a bowl, covered with a damp cloth, and microwave for ten seconds on the lowest heat settings to restore its original softness.

So go ahead and gift yourself and your loved ones with a box of Cafe Mary Grace Ensaymadas this Christmas!

This Cafe Mary Grace branch is located at Ground Floor, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Santa Lucia, Pasig City.

Pasig: Rockwell Business Center, Ayala Malls Feliz, Estancia Mall
Quezon City: Eastwood Mall, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway Mall, UP Town Center, Trinoma Mall, SM City North EDSA, SM City Fairview, Ayala Fairview Terraces
Marikina: SM City Marikina
Mandaluyong: Shangri-la Plaza
San Juan: Unimart Greenhills
Taguig: Uptown Place Mall, Serendra, St. Luke’s Medical Center, One Bonifacio High Street, Venice Grand Canal Mall
Makati: Powerplant Mall, Steps Dance Studio, Century City Mall, The Enterprise Center, Greenbelt 2
Manila: SM City Manila, SM City San Lazaro, Lucky Chinatown Mall
Pasay: Mall of Asia Arena Annex, SM Mall of Asia
Paranaque: SM City BF
Las Pinas: SM Southmall
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center, Festival Mall

Flashback to my childhood with Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik

We Pinoys do love our kakanin, don’t we?

These are the sticky rice cakes that many of us used to wolf down for merienda after a bout of running around the neighborhood with our pals.

The term kakanin is the portmanteau of the Filipino words kain (“to eat”) and kanin (“rice”). Made with glutinous rice and coconut milk, and sweetened with sugar or accompanied by sweet fruits, these rice treats can go a long way in re-energizing youngsters after playing all afternoon and tide them over until dinnertime.

One of my favorites is the suman, a kakanin in which the glutinous rice is cooked in coconut milk and streamed and is usually served wrapped in banana leaves. There are many ways to enjoy this rice dessert: the ones my lola in Bataan used to make is composed of short cylinders of that I would dip in sugar before eating, while my mom likes to lightly fry some in oil until they get a little crispy.

I was already an adult by the time I came across a new variant called suman sa latik. In this suman iteration, the rice cake is doused with latik, or caramelized coconut milk. This makes for a decadent dessert or filling merienda.

Thanks to a fellow foodie sharing his snack stash, I was able to get a taste of Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik one afternoon.

These suman are handmade with love, just like how our lolas used to make.

These are best enjoyed right away, but as I had a couple of telecons that Saturday afternoon, I delayed eating them for a while. No worries, though; I just reheated a piece in the microwave for half a minute before pouring some of the caramelized coconut cream sauce over it, and placed the rest in the fridge.

And since I couldn’t keep such a yummy treat to myself, I sent a few pieces over to my mom, who also loved it!

You can get your own box of Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik for just Php200. It contains six pieces of banana leaf-wrapped suman and a generous helping of latik, more than enough to satisfy your suman craving.

To order, send your name, contact number, delivery address and number of orders to Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik on Facebook or Instagram for delivery anywhere in Metro Manila or Cavite on Saturday. Cashless payments via BDO, BPI and GCash are accepted.

If you are not consuming your suman sa latik right away, they may be kept in the refrigerator for up to seven days. Aside from microwaving, they may be reheated using a steamer for thirty minutes.

Go ahead and order a box of Mama Lola’s Suman sa Latik to share with the fam and reminisce about the good ole’ days.

Thanks to Harvard of AlwaysHungry.PH for sharing his snack stash!

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

Fried Chicken ‘n Biscuits at Popeyes

Contrary to my initial assumption, Popeyes Louisiana Chicken, Inc. was not named after my childhood hero Popeye the Sailorman. Instead, owner Al Copeland always claimed that his inspiration for the name of his fried chicken company was Det. Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle, Gene Hackman’s character in The French Connection.

That wrong assumption aside, I had no other expectations when Hubby requested that we take advantage of Popeyes’ free delivery promo to get some of this resto’s famous fried chicken for our merienda.

We have been busy working from home ever since the start of the community quarantine and one of the usual highlights of our workday is our afternoon snack break.

‘Tis the start of the season for fam celebrations with Silverspoon

Just like that: September is here, momshies. And so begins the world’s longest Christmas season.

And while the whole world is still battling that dread virus, you still shouldn’t let it keep you from celebrating what joys you can, right?

Life does go on, so let’s celebrate it with good food, especially now when you won’t have to slave away in the kitchen to serve the fam a show-stopping meal, thanks to SilverSpoon.

The brainchild of thirty-year-old financial advisor and budding food entrepreneur Decebelle Montefrio, SilverSpoon brings tasty gourmet dishes to your table for your family to enjoy.

It was Decie’s dream since her college days to pursue her love of cooking and have her own food business. When the pandemic struck the country a few months after she returned to the Philippines from Canada, she decided to set up an online food business instead. By June this year, Decie has launched SilverSpoon, offering viands that appeal to the Pinoy palate which are also close to her heart such as:

Roasted Potato Wedge Snack (Php180). Generous wedges of potatoes, flavored with herbs and seasoning and oven-roasted until golden brown. It’s great for munching while binge-watching your favorite TV shows, or as a appetizer to a fabulous meal.

Butter Garlic Shrimp Platter (Php630). Plump shrimps lightly breaded and coated in a flavorful sauce of butter and garlic, great with lots and lots of rice! Also available in a solo meal with rice and veggies for Php230.

Honey Garlic Liempo Platter (Php380). Tender grilled pork belly glazed in a sweet-savory honey garlic sauce. Also available in a solo meal with rice and veggies for Php150.

Lechon Kawali Solo Meal (Php150). Deep fried pork belly with crunchy skin and flavorful meat served with rice and veggies. Also avail also as a Platter for Php360.

Spicy Adobo Solo Meal (Php150). Decie’s childhood pork adobo recipe with a bit of a spicy kick. True to the adage that adobo gets better in its second serving, leftovers from this generously portioned dish were also great as adobo flakes the next day. Also available as a Platter for Php350.

To order a belly-filling and heart-warming gourmet meal for your family, message SilverSpoon on Facebook or Instagram, or text +63 936 8102017. Pre-orders for next-day delivery are accepted until cut-off at 8pm. Payments via GCash, BPI or BDO, as well as cash on delivery are accepted. Orders may be delivered from SilverSpoon’s kitchens in Commonwealth, Quezon City to anywhere in Metro Manila (delivery fee to be shouldered by the buyer).

So, momshies, have a merry early start to your holiday celebrations with SilverSpoon!

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:

Comfort-snackin’ with 616 Burger

If the past few months of quarantine has taught me anything, it is that we need every bit of comfort we can get.

These are not normal times and we are not operating at our usual capacity. Therefore, we need to treasure what sources of joy or contentment we have.

Personally, I take comfort in good food. When I feel overwhelmed during a busy workday or in the midst of mounting house chores, a bite into something delicious will soon set me – and the world – to rights.

To you, my dear foodies, I’m happy to share my discovery of a new source of comfort: 616 Burger.

This passion project of twenty-two-year-old recent UST grad Alyanna Manuel started off as her quarantine pastime and side hustle. Building on her family’s experiences in running food businesses, and her own love for cooking, she started whipping up her favorite comfort food and offering them online at affordable prices. Her menu items consist of familiar snack items that are leveled up by way of ingredients and preparation to satisfy the palate of discriminating foodies.

The Crunchy Bacon Burger (Php160), for instance, is made with pure beef burger patty flavored by six spices and well complemented by the smokey bacon, slices of fresh veggies and its garlic mayo sauce inside a freshly baked bun. Crunchy bits of Piknik add some interesting texture to every bite of this juicy burger.

The burger’s trusty sidekick, the Cheesy Overload Fries (Php85), on the other hand, has a crispier texture than other fries due to its light breading. The sauteed ground beef and cheese sauce added some heartiness to this side dish.

If you still can’t get enough of cheese, then grab a Cheese Quesadilla (Php110), buttery toasted soft tortillas encasing high quality cheese.

Snacking on these gave me and the kiddos a happy respite in an otherwise crazy day.

To get your hands on these comforting snack items, message 616 Burger on Facebook or Instagram or fill out the online order form. Cashless payments via GCash, Paymaya and BPI are accepted. 616 Burger’s snack items can be delivered from Don Enrique Heights in Quezon City to anywhere in Metro Manila.

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: