Sushi to share from Mumei Sushi

Sushi lovers out there will be happy to know that they can just have their sushi faves delivered right to their doorstep, thanks to Mumei Sushi!

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi began operations in 2018, providing sushi sets on consignment to Robinsons Supermarkets in North Luzon.

The Quezon City-based company then decided to expand its operations to the next frontier: online selling.

In this new space, Mumei Sushi was able to expand its product line in new and creative ways to include items such as:

Rolled Sushi. Aside from the classic faves such as tuna, salmon, kani and California Maki, Mumei Sushi also offers imaginative takes involving new savory or spicy ingredients – such as Seven Spice, Shredded Nori and Bonito Makis – as well as fruitier combinations – such as Kiwi, Avocado and Strawberry Makis. These sushi rolls are priced from Php25 to Php45 per piece but assorted pieces can also be packaged in a Holiday Box (Php1,299 for 50 pieces), Birthday Box (Php2,499 for 100 pieces) or a Grand Sushi Feast (Php4,799 for 200 pieces). Imagine walking into a party with that ginormous box!

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi Tamago (Php45/pc). Sushi made with thin layers of rolled up egg placed on top of sushi rice.

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Sashimi in Can (Php399). Slices of fresh tuna and salmon, ready to eat and served in a tin can for presentation and portability.

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Onigiri (Php100/pc). Hefty triangular blocks of sushi rice wrapped in nori filled cooked meat dishes such as spicy beef amd Pinoy sisig.

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Spam Musubi (Php100/pc). A popular snack or lunch item in Hawaii, made with a slice of grilled spam placed on top of a block of sushi rice wrapped together with nori.

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Tempura Soba (Php300/serving). Japanese-style deep-fried battered shrimp served together with thin yet firm buckwheat soba noodles. Both are well-complemented by the special dipping sauce that accompany each serving.

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

With Mumei Sushi, Japanese food lovers can easily enjoy their faves as well as explore new ways to enjoy sushi.

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Mumei Sushi

Here’s a friendly reminder: given that sushi is best served cold, do consume the sushi immediately upon delivery.

Mumei Sushi

It is also best enjoyed with family and friends, so don’t forget to share your sushi stash with your nears-and-dears!

To get your hands on these delectable sushi treats, call +63 2 33528462, text +63 999 4025936, +63 977 4721528 or +63 923 5177609. You may also send a message via Facebook or Instagram.

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:

A Subway Snack Attack

Busy working at home but in need of some nourishment to plow through your tasks?

Not to worry because you can easily have a tasty and filling sub from Subway delivered right to your doorstep!

Subway, Libis

The sub, or the submarine, is a sandwich made with a length of bread split lengthwise and filled meats, cheeses, vegetables and condiments. It is so-named because of its distinctive shape, but has also been called hoagie, hero or grinder.

Subway, the world’s largest single-brand restaurant chain, specializes in submarine sandwiches, some of which, my kiddos and I were able to sample when Hubby ordered a few subs for our mid-afternoon snack. These include:

6-inch BLT (Php276). People say that great things come in threes. In the case of this sandwich, those three things are crispy bacon, crisp lettuce and juicy tomato slices served with mayo on freshly baked honey oat bread.

Subway, Libis
Subway, Libis

6-inch Roasted Chicken Breast (Php149). A six-inch sub with a tender, juicy roasted boneless chicken breast patty, with lettuce, tomatoes, green peppers, onions and mayo is served on freshly baked honey oat bread.

Subway, Libis
Subway, Libis

Truth be told, Hubby ordered a 12-inch Spicy Italian (Php264), a footlong sub with spicy salami and pepperoni with crispy veggies on a freshly baked footlong bread, but I didn’t get a chance to take a picture of it anymore. Guess why, hehehe!

Well, I do plan on getting a fews subs again soon, especially since it has an ongoing Two for Php200 promo.

Feel like a sub today?

This Subway branch is located at Ground Floor, Zeta Tower, Bridgetowne Business Center, Libis, Quezon City, and is open from 9am to 4pm for takeout and delivery via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

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.

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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!

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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.

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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.)

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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.

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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.

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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!

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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.

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Feliz

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.

Bistro Charlemagne Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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
de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar
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.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

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.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

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.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar
de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

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.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar
de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

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.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar
de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

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.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar
de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar
de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

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.

de Original Jamaican Pattie Shop and Juice Bar

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

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 for delivery

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, Poblacion

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.

More on Bistro Manuel here.

Salted Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie from MDJ Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies are a go-to comfort food. Now imagine those goodies getting an upgrade with the use of silky brown butter sauce and a bit of sea salt and you’ve got one of MDJ Cookies’ best-selling creations.

MDJ Cookies

To order, send MDJ Cookies a message via Facebook or Instagram with your name, address, contact number, delivery date, flavors (with quantity of order) and mode of payment (GCash and BPI are accepted).

More about MDJ Cookies here.

Chocolate Truffle Liquor Cake from Inang Charing

A decadent 5-inch diameter confection of layers upon layers of chocolate goodness from a moist chocolate cake base flavored with chocolate liquor covered by a thick and creamy chocolate ganache and topped with a generous sprinkling with cocoa powder.

Inang Charing

Course your orders for this chocolatey delight via Facebook or Instagram with a three-day lead time and pay via Gcash or BPI bank deposit a day before the delivery.

Read more about Inang Charing Cakes and Pastries here.

S’mores from Bistro Charlemagne

Truth be told: I’m not into marshmallows but Bistro Charlemagne made a believer out of me with its S’mores. Rich Ghirardelli chocolate ganache is topped with a thick layer of roasted marshmallows and served with graham crackers. This has become a fam fave!

Bistro Charlemagne, Ayala Malls Manila Bay

Bistro Charlemagne’s branches in Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Ayala Malls Feliz and Ayala Malls Solenad are open for takeout and delivery via GrabFood, LalaFood and FoodPanda.

Read more about Bistro Charlemagne here.

Hot Chocolate from Cafe Mary Grace

During gloomy rainy days, a cup of hot chocolate sure perks me right up. Cafe Mary Grace’s Hot Chocolate is rich and milky, good enough on its own but spectacular as a dessert when paired with some of the store’s baked goods.

Cafe Mary Grace, Eastwood Mall

Selected Cafe Mary Grace stores are open for dine-in, takeout or delivery via GrabFood.

Read more about Cafe Mary Grace here.

Choco Salted Caramel Cake from Coffee Time Cakes and Pastries

This dessert is a chocolate cake layered with salted caramel and covered with a luscious chocolate frosting. Perfect when partnered with a cup of your favorite coffee.

Coffee Time Cakes and Pastries

To pre-order, send a message via Facebook or Instagram, or call +63 920 4900391

Read more about Coffee Time Cakes and Pastries here.

Champorado Cheesecake from 121 Restaurant

The quintessential Pinoy breakfast cereal is now in cheesecake form. Now, instead of enjoying piping hot, you get to savor it decadent and frozen on a crust of graham crackers. Yum!

121 Restaurant, Allegro

Course your order for this fresh take on an old favorite for delivery here.

Read more about 121 Restaurant here.

So chocolate lovers, feel free to indulge yourself and give in to your chocolate cravings with these top picks on World Chocolate Day!

Happy eating, choco-holics!

Check out my other adventures compiled into Jelly Lists:

Header image by congerdesign on pixabay

Chef Jessie’s creations are now available for delivery and pickup!

Fans of Chef Jessie Sincioco will surely be glad that her well-lauded creations will be easily accessible to them as we all enter the New Normal.

From her memorable beginnings as the baking category grand prize winner in The Great Maya Cookfest in 1983, becoming the very first Filipina Pastry Chef in 1990, her hands-on management of upscale restaurants through own company JCS Gastronomie, Inc, to being hand-picked to cook for His Holiness Pope Francis during the Pontiff’s 2015 visit to the Philippines, Chef Jessie has shown time and again that she can adapt to the changing needs of her clientele while maintaining the quality and craftsmanship her food creations have become known for.

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

With the metro now under a general community quarantine, with some restrictions still being applied to people’s movement, especially when dining out, Chef Jessie has made many of her celebrated culinary ouvres available via pick up and delivery, some of which were sent to me to sample and enjoy with my family.

Ciabatta Bread (Php100/loaf). Italy’s response to the French baguettes, this long, flat and rustic-looking loaf of bread (named after the slippers it resembled, apparently) was only invented in 1989 by Arnaldo Cavallari, but has the look and taste of old-fashioned breads. It’s perfect as an accompaniment to pastas and other savory dishes or as an appetizer when slathered with butter or dipped in to oil and balsamic vinegar.

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chef Jessie’s Special Dip for Bread (Php450 for 220g bottle). Speaking of dips, I also received a bottle of finely chopped red and green bell peppers, pimiento and grated parmesan in herbed olive oil, which went so well with the ciabatta bread. I liked the dip as is but Hubby preferred adding more grated parmesan to the dipped bread. Aside from snacking on the bread and dip while binge-watching on Netflix, we also included this combo to our meal when I cooked up some Creamy Pesto Chicken for the fam’s dinner.

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chocolate Gateau ala Teddy Keng (Php1,000 for 6-in | Php1,500 for 8-in). 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.

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

As you can see from the description, this gateau is a chocoholic’s delight! Named after one of Chef Jessie’s friends, The Landmark founder Teddy Keng, the cake is said to be a rich, generous and subtly sweet as he is. Well, high praise indeed!

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

Chef Jessie’s Place for delivery

These culinary delights and more are available at Chef Jessie’s Place, the newly-built building which houses Chef Jessie’s pattiserie, restaurant and corporate offices. You can read more about it here.

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.

Missing the experience of fine dining? Well, here’s some good news: Chef Jessie Rockwell Club is now open everyday from 10am to 5pm for dine-in. Prior reservations are required at +63 2 88906543, +63 2 88907630, +63 2 77290122 or +63 917 8967880. Read about my fine dining experience at Chef Jessie Rockwell Club here.
Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate an honest review.

Chef Jessie's Place Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

The Jelly List: Father’s Day gift ideas for your foodie dad

They say a dad is a son’s first hero and a daughter’s first love.

There’s no doubt that our fathers play a very important role in our lives. With Father’s Day coming in a few days, it’s time to think about what to give our dads as little tokens of our love and appreciation for all they have done and continue to do for us.

This task is even easier if our dads have a great love and regard for good food. Luckily, we have an abundance of great food choices that can be delivered straight to Dad’s doorstep to delight him come Father’s Day.

Let me share with you my top picks:

Pampanga’s Famous Cheesebread from LBS Bakeshop

If Daddy ever tasted Pampanga’s famous cheese bread, I’ll bet that he will be craving for more. As luck would have it, this delicacy is now easily available in the metro. At just Php299 for a box of thirty pieces of cheese bread, he can eat his fill of this yummy pastry from Pampanga’s LBS Bakeshop.

LBS Bakeshop

To order, just send a message through Facebook or Viber +63 999 8233340.

More on Pampanga’s Cheesebread here.

Sous Vide Steak from The Manila Hotel

If Dad is a certified carnivore, he will love the Sous Vide Steaks from The Manila Hotel.  “Sous vide” – or “under vacuum” in French – refers to the process of vacuum-sealing food in a bag then cooking it in a very precise temperature in a water bath. Cooking steaks sous vide results in a tender and juicy meat, evenly cooked from edge to edge. Daddy will surely delight in the premium cuts of imported meats, prepared by The Manila Hotel’s expert chefs.

The Manila Hotel’s Sous Vide Steak

Pre-order now to get 20% off on a minimum food bill of Php2,500 for pickup or delivery on Father’s Day by calling +63 2 85270011 or sending an SMS/Viber at +63 998 9501912.

More on The Manila Hotel here.

Choco Lovin Ice Cream Cake from Papa Diddi’s

Give Daddy a break from the heat with the all-new Choco Lovin ice cream cake from Papa Diddi’s. Made with Batangas tablea punctuated with choco chips, matched with chocolate cake, giving Daddy a rich dark chocolate experience.

Papa Diddi’s Choco Lovin

Course your order through Papa Diddi’s Facebook and Instagram accounts or have it delivered via FoodPanda.

More on Papa Diddi’s here.

Tableya Filipina from Theo & Brom

If Daddy is a hard-core chocolate fan, gift him with a bag of Tableya Filipina. Made as an homage to the country’s traditional tablea tsokolate, it can be made into a rich hot chocolate for his morning drink or added to baked goods to get that rich chocolate flavor.

Theo&Brohm Tableya Filipina

Order your Theo & Brom’s Tableya Filipina here.

Jams from The Fruit Garden

Speaking of Daddy’s morning chocolate drink, how about the rest of his agahan? Sweeten his pan de sal with some fruity jams from The Fruit Garden. These artisanal jams are cooked in small batches using copper cauldrons to bring about a burst of fruity flavors.

The Fruit Garden Jams

Order your jars of The Fruit Garden’s jams at SpeedRegalo.

Ube Pandan Premium Flantasy Cake from What’s Your Flan

This creamy cake flan combines the flavor of ube (purple yam) with the appetizing aroma of pandan. If my Hubby’s reaction to this dessert is any indication, it’s sure to be a hit with Dad!

What’s Your Flan?

Order your Ube Pandan Premium Flantasy Cake from What’s Your Flan?’s Facebook or Instagram account or call +63 916 497 8876.

More on What’s Your Flan here.

Bottled Cocktails from After Hours Bar

Celebrate the weekend with Dad by gifting After Hours Bar’s Gin Basil Smash cocktail in a bottle. Minors and non-tipplers in the family can join in the fun with After Hours Bar’s refreshing Handcrafted Iced Tea.

After Hours Bar Bottled Cocktails

Order your After Hours Bar bottled cocktails here.

More on After Hours Bar here.

So check out these yummy gift ideas for your foodie dad and show him how much you love him this Father’s Day!

Check out my other adventures compiled into Jelly Lists:

Header photo created by freepik – www.freepik.com

Photos for Sous Vide Steak, Choco Lovin and Tableya Filipina provided by The Manila Hotel, Papa Diddi’s and Theo & Brom, respectively.

This post contains affiliate links.

Pampanga’s favorite cheesebread, now in the metro!

Pampanga is famous for its cheese bread and rightly so!

Ever since I had my first taste of this tasty pastry during a trip to Pampanga a few years ago, I have been craving for it. Each piece has a lovely mix of milky, sweet and salty flavors from the soft and fluffy bread to the fragrant sugary cheese streusel topping. When served still warm  from the oven, it gives off a an appetizing cheese-y smell which will beckon you to bite into it again… and again… and again.

LBS Bakeshop

Hindi mo pagsasawaan, as we Tagalogs say.

For a while I thought I will only get to taste this delicacy when passing through Pampanga on the way to Bataan during our family’s yearly Holy Week trip to my dad’s hometown, or when I’m lucky enough to have friends passing through the area buy a box (or two!) for me.

Well, imagine my delight when the heavens listened to my pleas and has now made this Pampanga favorite available in the metro!

LBS Bakeshop

LBS Bakeshop

LBS Bakeshop, formerly known as Apung Gari Bakery & Kiosk, is where Pampangenos go for a taste of the original cheese bread since it started operations in 1955. After taking on the name LBS Bakeshop (after Leonila B. Santiago, the former “L” in another Pampanga landmark, LA Bakeshop) in 2008, it has continued to make flavorful merienda dishes from Apung Gari’s original recipes such as palabok, arroz caldo, chicken mami and more available to locals.

And now, thankfully, it has also made two of its most popular products – its cheese bread and its soft and sweetly buttery Spanish bread – available to Metro Manila denizens through weekly deliveries to its main reseller in Quezon City.

For Php299, you can get a box containing:

  • 30 pieces of cheesebread
  • 25 pieces of Spanish bread, or
  • a mix of 20 pieces of cheesebread and 10 pieces of Spanish bread

I chose the last option as my son and I are crazy for cheese bread while Hubby and my daughter prefer Spanish bread. Since receiving my order, I re-heat two pieces of cheese bread to go with my coffee for breakfast every morning, and then re-heat enough pieces of the two breads for all of us for our afternoon merienda.

LBS Bakeshop

LBS Bakeshop

LBS Bakeshop

To get your hands on these yummy breads, send a message through Facebook or Viber +63 998 9694531 with the following details:

  • your order
  • full name
  • complete delivery address
  • mobile number
  • preferred mode of payment (BPI or GCash)

After receiving confirmation of your payment, you can book the pick up of your order through your preferred courier service.

Now that Pampanga’s famous cheese bread is here, I foresee a lot of happy breakfasts and snack times for me and the fam.

So why don’t you support a local business and order a box for your family and friends today?

LBS Bakeshop

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

New ube flavors from What’s Your Flan?

Just when you thought you couldn’t possibly find a new way to enjoy ube, here comes What’s Your Flan? with two ube flavors to tickle your palate.

Ube, or purple yam, has been a trending food item since early last year, expanding its use from the halayang ube and ube ice cream we grew up with, to new confections and concoctions including ube cakes, ube pandesal, ube donuts and even ube frappes.

Today, I was able to taste two new custard-based desserts flavored by this versatile veggie from What’s Your Flan?

What’s Your Flan?

What’s Your Flan?

The brainchild of former OFW Princess Rosario, What’s Your Flan started out in 2009 as a home-based business centered on creating leche flan “with a twist.” Today, the company can boast of a myriad flavors of leche flan – including green tea matcha, strawberry with cashew, and more – as well as an expanded lineup of products including ice cream cakes and cheesecakes. (Recently, I was able to check out its Avocado Dalgona Gelato. More on that here.)

This time, What’s Your Flan? took the classic ube and applied it to two delectable flans desserts.

Ube Pandan (Php380). One of the company’s Premium Flantasy Cakes, it combines the flavor of ube and the appetizing aroma of pandan. Surprisingly, Hubby, though not a dessert-lover like me, excitedly dug into this flan as soon as I finished taking pictures. Apparently, it reminded him of the ube bars he enjoyed so much as a kid. (Creating a mental note for Father’s Day, hmm…)

What’s Your Flan?

What’s Your Flan?

Ube Peruvian Inspired Flan (Php450). Similar to us Pinoys, the people of Peru also have a love affair with sweets which start with their version of the leche flan: the Crema Volteada. This Latin dessert is given some twists through a special process that gives it a smooth and creamy mouthfeel as well as the subtle addition of the ube flavor to its rich milky taste. My daughter #ExhibitA, who is not an avid ube fan, loved how the ube in this dessert is not overpowering.

What’s Your Flan?

What’s Your Flan?

These flans are best enjoyed chilled, and consumed within five to seven days. (Well, they didn’t last a day in our household.)

With these ube-flavored flan creations, it sure looks like our collective obsession with ube won’t be going away anytime soon!

What’s Your Flan?

To get your hands on these ube flan confections and more, send a message to What’s Your Flan on Facebook or Instagram or call +63 916 497 8876.

Interested in starting your own business? What’s Your Flan is accepting applications for resellers and franchisees.

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:

A comforting meal at Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Malls Vertis North

Don’t you sometimes crave for good ole’ comfort food? The kind that you used to anticipate all week for your mom to serve for Sunday lunch?

Well, that’s what you can expect at Katherine’s Cafe.

Katherine’s Cafe, Vertis
Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North
Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North

Over our lunchbreak, my officemates and I hied over to Ayala Malls Vertis North and discovered this cozy cafe where we could have a quiet lunch to catch up over a good meal, which included:

Corned Beef Hash (Php345). Traditional corned beef, country-fried potatoes, egg and garlic fried rice.

Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North
Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North

Chicken and Pork Adobo (Php288). A traditional chicken and pork adobo recipe served with soft-boiled egg garlic fried rice.

Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North
Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North

Stuffed Pork Chop (Php368). Juicy grilled pork chop stuffed with bacon, spinach and white cheese, served with buttered vegetables and herbed rice.

Katherine’s Cafe, Vertis
Katherine’s Cafe, Vertis

Chicken Paillard (Php298). Fillet of chicken that has been pounded thin and grilled, served with brown rice, tomato and pepper salad and balsamic glaze.

Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North
Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North

Pasta Puttanesca (Php298). Fettucine tossed with tomato, olives, capers, anchovy and garlic chips.

Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North

We also took advantage of a Facebook promo to get a free slice of Chocolate Cake to complete our meal.

Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North

We dined on such tasty, belly-filling and heart-warming dishes, well-attended to by the friendly and accommodating staff.

Katherine’s Cafe, Ayala Vertis North

Unfortunately, we weren’t able to repeat this homey lunch experience as Katherine’s Cafe had to pause its operations due to mall closures brought about by the community quarantine.

Recently, though, this branch re-opened for takeout, pickup and delivery.

Want to enjoy these comforting dishes at home? Just call in your order at +63 2 79466133, send a message via Facebook, or course your order Grab, Lalamove, Joyride or Angkas Pabili services.

This Katherine’s Cafe branch is located at Level 1, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City. Other branches are located at:

  • Second Floor, Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City
  • Ground Floor, Ayala Malls Manila Bay, Entertainment City, Parañaque City
  • Second Floor, Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
  • Second Floor, Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City