food review – Jellybeans in the City

Chowking re-introduces a #DeliciouslyDifferentChicken

Chowking, the Philippines’ top Chinese quick-service restaurant, has redefined the fried chicken experience with their deliciously different Chinese-Style Fried Chicken. Recently, it revealed this delightfully flavorful fried chicken at a mystery pop-up event recently held at Capital Commons, Pasig, leaving attendees eagerly savoring a delectable surprise.

A Taste Test Adventure

Curiosity piqued, regular customers and casual passersby were invited to participate in a blind taste test. Unaware of the source, they indulged in unbranded fried chicken, and their genuine reactions were captured. Little did they know, this delectable delight hailed from none other than Chowking.

The Taste that Speaks Volumes

Their reactions were unanimous and spoke volumes about the unique appeal of Chowking’s Chinese-Style Fried Chicken. The satisfying crunch that accompanied the first bite set the stage for a flavorful journey, leaving taste buds tingling until the last bite. The consensus was clear – the chicken was bursting with authentic Chinese flavors and spices, making it truly #DeliciouslyDifferentChicken.

Where to Savor the Difference

To embark on your own flavorful journey and savor the #DeliciouslyDifferentChicken, head to a Chowking branch near you. Whether you prefer dining in or enjoying it in the comfort of your home, Chowking offers multiple options, including Take-Out, Drive-Thru, and delivery through chowkingdelivery.com or the Chowking App.

Share Your Deliciously Different Adventure

Don’t miss the chance to share your delightful experiences online and let the world know what sets Chowking’s Chinese-Style Fried Chicken apart. Join the conversation and spread the word about this unique twist on a beloved classic. Discover the difference and revel in the delightful taste of Chowking’s Chinese-Style Fried Chicken today!

Stay updated on Chowking’s menu and offers by following it on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.

Details provided in a recent press release.

Manam Comfort Filipino, Greenhills: A cozy culinary journey through Filipino comfort food

One of the things I look forward to every weekend is Sunday brunch with the fam. After attending mass, we usually enjoy a meal at restaurant that gives us a welcome break from our usual lutong-bahay viands and fast-food delivery fare.

One particular Sunday gave me the chance to revisit Manam Comfort Filipino. During my pre-pandemic era, I enjoyed a HappyLunch at its Trinoma branch with my officemates but I was unable to repeat the experience afterwards.

Until now.

A Warm Embrace of Filipino Comfort

Manam Comfort Filipino is a culinary gem founded by friends Abba Napa, Eliza Antonino, and Jon Syjuco. This homegrown concept by The Moment Group pays homage to the founders’ cherished childhood memories and culinary adventures. With a menu that beautifully marries tradition and innovation, Manam offers a dining experience that subtly challenges the taste of Filipino classics while remaining relatable and comforting to the contemporary Filipino palate.

Comfort Beyond Taste: The Cozy Atmosphere of Manam

For this particular Sunday brunch, I enjoyed the meal with my family at Manam’s Greenhills branch. Here, we were enveloped by an inviting and cozy ambiance. The spacious interiors, adorned with light-colored furnishings and walls adorned with vibrant artwork, create an atmosphere that feels like home. It’s the kind of place where families and friends gather, creating lasting memories while enjoying the comforting flavors of Filipino cuisine.

Unfolding Hominess: A Taste of Manam’s Filipino Soul

Manam is more than just a restaurant; it’s a celebration of heartily delicious Filipino cuisine. The name itself, derived from the Filipino word “malinamnam,” perfectly encapsulates the essence of Manam’s brand—a testament to the restaurant’s commitment to unfold hominess to all who enter. The founders’ vision was simple yet innovative: to present Filipino comfort food in a way that satisfies the modern diner’s cravings while preserving the nostalgia of beloved childhood dishes.

Classics and Twists: An All-Filipino Menu to Savor and Discover

At Manam, the menu is thoughtfully divided into two categories: classics (homestyle cooking like our lolas used to make) and twists (creative versions of our favorite ulams). Serving sizes include small, medium and large, accommodating diners ranging from solo and intimate groups to family-size parties. This unique menu concept takes diners on an exciting culinary journey, indulging in a feast of comfort dishes, including both new and familiar flavors.

From the Classics:

House Crispy Sisig (Php190 small | Php340 medium | Php570). A sizzling plate with crispy pork jowl and cheek, onions, and chilis—a harmonious symphony of textures and flavors.

Beef Salpicao and Garlic (Php265 small | Php495 medium | Php895). Tender beef cubes marinated and braised in a flavorful garlic sauce.

Sizzling Bulalo Steak (Php350 small | Php635 medium | Php1,135). Beef shank, succulent and tender, bathed in savory gravy, served on a sizzling plate to add an enticing touch.

From the Twists:

House Tofu Sisig (Php175 small | Php295 medium | Php485). Crispy fried tofu cubes, drenched in Manam’s vegetarian house sisig sauce, accompanied by fried okra, scallions, and fresh green chilis—a vegetarian twist on a beloved classic.

Caramelized Patis Wings (Php190 small | Php465 medium | Php915). Succulent chicken wings coated in a sweet, tangy and savory caramelized patis glaze, delivering a delightful fusion of flavors.

Crispy Pancit Palabok (Php225 small | Php440 medium | Php725). Crunchy glass noodles adorned with chicharon, crispy garlic, shrimp, squid, and tinapa flakes, bathed in a savory shrimp sauce—a delightful textural journey through the flavors of the Philippines.

To complement our comforting feast, we cooled down with refreshing Mango Pomelo Sago (Php175), their smooth and citrusy sweetness adding a delightful touch to our culinary adventure.

Manam Comfort Filipino in Greenhills has truly mastered the art of comfort dining, blending tradition and innovation to create a culinary experience that warms both the heart and the palate. From the inviting ambiance to the carefully crafted classics and inventive twists, Manam offers a delightful taste of Filipino soul food. Whether you’re seeking a cozy family gathering or a comforting meal for one, Manam is the place where Filipino comfort takes center stage, reminding us of the flavors that define us and the memories that bind us.

This Manam Comfort Filipino branch is located at OSquare 2, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 10am to 9pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm.

Other Metro Manila branches are located at:

Makati: Greenbelt 2
Mandaluyong: SM Mega Fashion Hall
Manila: Robinsons Place Manila
Muntinlupa: Festival Supermall Expansion Wing, Molito Lifestyle Center
Paranaque: Ayala Malls Manila Bay
Pasay: SM Mall of Asia
Quezon City: Ayala Malls Trinoma, SM City North EDSA, SM Fairview, Robinsons Magnolia, Gateway Mall
Taguig: Uptown Mall, Net Park

Check out my previous post about Manam Comfort Filipino:

Sweet somethings from Big Al’s Cookie Jar

Every once in a while, I get that irresistible craving for something sweet.

I normally give in to this craving because:

Doing so brings me so much joy (and yes, a bit of sugar rush!)
It’s so easy to get something sweet and delish from Big Al’s Cookie Jar!

Since 2004, Big Al’s Cookie Jar has been whipping up delightful desserts from its home kitchen or from its four branches conveniently located in the metro.

It also conveniently delivers its confections via GrabFood, enabling sweet-tooths like me easy access to it sugary offerings such as:

Triple Decker Cookie Jar (Php459).

This prettily packaged jar of cookies contains sixteen cookies of all three of its chewy soft-batch cookie variants: Chocolate Chip, Chocolate Chip Macadamia and Chocolate Oatmeal Walnut. Each cookie generously laden with chocolate chips and chunks.

Decadent Chocolate Cake (Php409/loaf | Php749/junior).

Big Al’s best-selling moist chocolate cake generously covered with rich and smooth chocolate icing.

Butter Caramel Cake (Php449/loaf).

Moist butter cake topped with Big Al’s signature caramel sauce.

With these delicious delights so easily accessible, there’s no reason not to give in to my cravings, is there?

So if you’ve got sweet cravings like I do, why deny yourself such decadent pleasures?

Order your decadent desserts from Big Al’s Cookie Jar today via GrabFood.

You can also pick up your Big Al’s Cookie Jar treats at its branches located at:

G/F MaxFill Gas Station, Marcos Highway, Mayamot, Antipolo City
G/F Regray Bldg., 30 Matino St. cor. Malumanay St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
G/F CEO Flats Jupiter, 27 Canopus St. cor. Jupiter St., Bel-Air, Makati City
Blk 3 Lot 13 President’s Avenue, BF Homes, Parañaque City

To know more about Big Al’s Cookie Jar, visit its website or follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

‘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:

No-stress meal from Jampax Foods Delivery

Momshies, just because you spend more time at home nowadays doesn’t mean you’re less stressed, right?

With all that juggling between working from home, and all the stuff you need to work on at home, it’s enough to make you get frazzled sometimes.

Fortunately, the folks over at Jampax can take stress out of preparing your family’s next meal.

A group of friends who used to work in food industry before the pandemic hit our shores banded together and put their skill sets to bear to whip up tasty yet affordable rice meals for online selling.

Here’s a sampling of what you can expect from Jampax:

Gyoza (Php45/5 pieces). Mini-versions of the popular Japanese potstickers made with ground meat and minced vegetables flavored by garlic and aromatics wrapped in thin dough wrappers. This is my daughter’s favorite dumpling and she considers no Japanese meal complete without it.

Katsudon (Php110). Tender piece of pork loin, breaded and deep-fried served with egg cooked in a sweet and savory sauce over steamed rice and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. My little boy can’t get enough of it!

Chicken Inasal (Php85 | Php100 with rice). A boneless quarter leg of chicken flavored in the traditional Ilonggo marinade of calamansi, pepper, coconut vinegar and annato then roasted until tender and flavorfully smokey.

Other dishes from Jampax’s home-cooked menu include:

Chicken Teriyaki (Php85 | Php100 with rice)
Karaage (Php85 | Php100 with rice)
Tonkatsu (Php85 | Php100 with rice)
Pork Siomai (Php40/5 pieces)
Japanese Siomai (Php55/5 pieces)

Lumpiang Shanghai (Php45/5 pieces)

These dishes are jam-packed with flavor and can be enjoyed in a variety of ways:

A single order can be a busy office worker’s hassle-free lunch
Several orders can be family’s quick and easy dinner
Large orders can be a crew meal for outdoor projects and or party fare for big celebrations

Want to stock up on food you can cook later? Jampax also offers marinated chicken wings and chicken breast fillets at Php200 per half-kilo pack (in flavors garlic parmesan, hickory barbecue and buffalo flavors), as well as frozen pork siomai, Japanese siomai, gyoza and lumpiang shanghai for Php70 per twelve-piece pack.

So momshies, kiss the stress away for your fam’s mealtime. Just order your food at Jampax by calling +63 915 5850297 or sending a message on Facebook or Instagram between 8am and 6pm daily with a two-day lead time (same day orders may be accommodated depending on stock availability). Cashless payments via BPI and GCash are accepted and encouraged. Delivery is free in selected areas in Cavite.

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:

Malagos brings award-winning single origin premium chocolate from Davao

As with most plants, cacao beans, from which chocolate is manufactured, take on the characteristics particular to the region where they were grown and harvested. This is called their terroir.

Cacao beans that have been blended lose their terroir, hence the preference of some chocolatiers for single-origin chocolate products.

Davao-based Malagos Agri-Ventures Corporation, for example, produces the award-winning single origin premium Malagos Chocolate. This product line grew out of the resolve of the Malagos company matriarch, Mama Charita Puentespina, to reinvigorate the Davao’s cacao industry which crashed in the 1980s.

Instead of just exporting cacao beans to serve as raw materials for foreign chocolate manufacturers, Mama Charita drove the company’s cacao growing and post-harvest practices, as well as campaigned to make cacao a priority crop in the region.

Today, Malagos Chocolates is an internationally recognized and awarded brand. It is made from high quality cacao beans, grown in the Malagos farm in the foothills of Davao’s Mount Talomo.

The beans are carefully fermented, sun-dried and roasted in temperature controlled roasters, then ground to a fine texture at par with international chocolate standards. These processes are all done without the product ever leaving Davao, making Malagos Chocolates all natural, single origin and tree-to-bar.

I chanced upon Kultura Filipino’s “Crafts for a Cause” exhibit over the weekend and replenished my chocolate stash from the local brands featured there.

I picked the 65% dark chocolate; being the lowest percentage cacao content among the brand’s offerings, I think this variant offers the best balance between sweet and bitter chocolate flavors.

And apparently, I’m not the only one that thinks so. Malagos Chocolate’s 65% Dark Chocolate has won international awards, particularly in Academy of Chocolate’s Tree-to-Bar category in 2017, and in the World Drinking Chocolate Competition organized by the International Chocolate Awards in 2015.

Fancy a bite of this award-winning, single origin dark chocolate treat? Malagos Chocolates are available at SM Kultura Filipino branches in SM Mall of Asia, SM Makati, SM Megamall, SM AURA, SM North EDSA, Taal Vista and Pico Loro.

For more details, visit malagoschocolate.com.