yakult – Jellybeans in the City

Add some fizz to your buzz with a Chi Forest cocktail mix

In recent years, sparkling water, commonly referred to as carbonated water or soda water, has gained popularity as a healthy alternative to sugary soft beverages. Sparkling water has several health advantages that can make it a perfect addition to your diet in addition to its refreshing and effervescent taste.

Not only does sparkling water help you stay hydrated, it also helps to improve digestion and aids in weight loss.

Plus, thanks to Chi Forest, sparkling water is now available in delicious flavors such as Calamansi Lime, White Peach and Lychee Fizzy, making this healthy beverage even more appealing.

However, did you know that Chi Forest sparkling water can be added to cocktails? For instance, this Yakult Vodka Cocktail is made more refreshing and flavorsome with the addition of Chi Forest Lychee Fizzy.

Here are some more reasons why Chi Forest sparkling water is a welcome addition to your favorite cocktails:

Adds Fizz and Refreshment. It adds a refreshing and bubbly fizz to cocktails that can help to balance out stronger flavors in the drink. This carbonation can also help to open up the flavors of other ingredients in the cocktail.

Low-Calorie Option. As it is generally low in calories and sugar compared to other mixers, such as fruit juice or tonic water, Chi Forest sparkling water is a great option for those looking to cut down on calories while still enjoying a delicious cocktail.

Versatile Flavors. Chi Forest sparkling water comes in a variety of different flavors which add a touch of fruity sweetness or a zesty zing to your cocktails without adding extra calories or sugar.

Enhances Aromas. It can enhance the aromas of other ingredients in the cocktail. For example, using Chi Forest Calamansi Lime in a gin and tonic can help to bring out the citrus notes in the gin.

Perfect for Mocktails. Chi Forest sparkling water can be a great option for those who don’t drink alcohol, as it adds flavor and fizz to mixed drinks without the need for alcohol. This makes it a great option for parties or gatherings where there may be guests who don’t drink or lightweights like me.

So the next time you’re planning a cocktail party, be sure to stock your bar with Chi Forest sparkling water. It’s available at Robinsons Supermarket, The Marketplace, Shopwise, LCC, Shopee Mall and LazMall and other leading supermarkets in the metro.

To stay updated on Chi Forest products and offers, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Product samples were provided to facilitate this feature.

Check out my previous post on Chi Forest sparkling water:

Guilt-free refreshment with Chi Forest sparkling water

Fun and fresh flavors at the newly opened Yi Fang, Tomas Morato

The Pinoy’s fascination for all kinds of teas is going strong and is showing no signs of waning. Case in point: the proliferation of tea joints all over the metro and beyond.

One such joint is the newly-opened branch of Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea along Tomas Morato. The latest of this chain’s stores to set up shop in Quezon City, its opening day was marked by long lines of customers (including riders from food delivery services).

Taiwan is the birthplace of the milk tea. It was invented in Tainan and Taichung in the 1980s where it was dubbed the boba milk tea. Years later, fruit flavors are incorporated into the drinks, giving rise to fruit teas.

Yi Fang had its roots in the early 20th century Taiwan during the Japanese occupation of the country. Chen-Jen, developed cold drinks from overripe pineapples so that her husband working in the fields will have something to soothe his thirst. Chen-Jen´s nickname is Yi Fang, a name which her grandson adopted as the brand which inherited her fruit tea recipes and methods.

Yi Fang is notable for its brown sugar pearls – tapioca balls cooked and served in brown sugar syrup. These chewy and yummy pearls give the concoctions such as the Brown Sugar Pearl Tea Latte (Php120) a sweet and somewhat toasty taste.

It has also innovated on its tea mixtures through its Yakult series, drinks enriched in both nutrition and flavor with the probiotic milk beverage. The Yakult Pineapple Green Tea (Php120), for example, benefits from an added tanginess and creamy mouthfeel.

Want to skip the hassle and the long lines? Order online and just arrange for a quick pickup anytime from 11am to 11pm. You may also course your order through Honestbee or Grab Food Delivery.

Update: I recently joined my officemates in ordering a Brown Sugar Pearl Milk Tea (Php120) via Grab Food Delivery. I loved its creamy milk tea and chewy black pearls. Sugar level at 50% is just right because the brown sugar syrup is quite sweet already.

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Joined my officemates in ordering some refreshing drinks from @yifangteaph along Tomas Morato via @grabfoodph. Mine is the #brownsugarpearlmilktea, yum! It’s starting to feel like summer! Check out my blog post about this store’s opening day at https://beingjellybeans.com/2019/02/18/fun-and-fresh-flavors-at-the-newly-opened-yi-fang-tomas-morato/ . . . . . #drinkstagram #drinkersofinstagram #drinkpic #drinksmnl #drinksome #drinkstime #drinkspecials #drinksofig #drinkporn #beverageporn #saansaph

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Feb 18, 2019 at 10:02pm PST

This Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea outlet is located at 20 Lansbergh Place Condominium, 170 Tomas Morato Avenue Corner Scout Castor Street, Sacred Heart, Quezon City.

Other Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea outlets in the metro include:

Fourth Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City

M. Paterno Street, Fronting Mango Tree Residences, Greater San Juan, San Juan City
Third Floor, Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City
Ground Floor, Bonifacio Stopover Corporate Center, 2nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Ground Floor, Wumaco Building, Bonifacio High Street, 7th Avenue Corner Lane P, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers of #WeLoveToEatPH, I was invited to attend this resto’s grand opening wherein drink items were served to allow us to sample the fare. These were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other milk tea joints:

Now available at Gangnam Wings, Megamall: Samgyeopsal Sets!

My love for Korean food is well-documented in this blog and in my social media accounts. This love has only been further stoked when, urged by my husband and daughter who are both K-drama fanatics, I started watching Goblin. Everytime I see Gong Yoo, Lee Dong Wook and Kim Go-Eun either wolfing down or sedately eating samgyeopsals or ramyuns, I would find myself near to salivating.

I was happy to discover this Korean chicken-and-beer joint located at SM Megamall during a recent Zomato Foodie Meetup.

Named after the upscale district in Seoul made famous by Psy’s earworm of a song, the place had a lively and informal vibe, with playfully designed interiors (check out those rubber chickens!) and K-pop music videos playing in the background (yes, including songs from Goblin OST). Gangnam Wings is well-suited to the after-office crowd who will be craving for their chimaeks (chicken and beer) after a day’s work.

This resto is well-known for its authentic Korean fried chicken: crispy skin and tender juicy meat enhanced by distinct sauce coatings. Even its dishes have that playful vibe with its most popular orders named (not surprisingly) after famous Korean dramas: Goblin Wings (Php280 for half dozen pieces), which is a combo of three sauces – the Original Crispy, Garlic Soya, and the Sweet and Spicy – Php280; and Descendants of the Chicken (Php548 for ten pieces), which consist of any 2 combinations of sauces from Korean Buffalo, Korean Barbecue, Honey Garlic, Soya Yogurt and Spicy Asian. These sauces indeed have distinct flavors but, surprisingly, I liked them all, even the Korean Buffalo which was quite spicy.

I would recommend pairing the chicken with Beef Bulgogi Fries (Php298). These consist of thick fried potato wedges topped with beef bulgogi bits, aromatic herbs and a special mayonnaise.

A surprising piece de resistance is the Ginseng Chicken (sorry, I didn’t get the price :-)). A whole spring chicken is boiled, together with herbs and seasonings, for an hour with rice inside, such that the rice cooks while inside the chicken. The closest it comes to texture and flavor is the arroz caldo but with significantly less rice and a lot more falling-off-the-bone chicken.

For dessert, we had Rockmelon Bingsu (Php280), shaved ice with melon balls served in the melon shell and topped with a big dollop of vanilla ice cream. I can imagine myself eating this with my kids to ward off the summer heat in the near future.

I also sampled two of its Sojuritas (soju cocktails): the Watermelon Soju (Php688)and the Yakult Soju (Php248). Both were refreshing drinks with a little kick but I had to stop myself at two shots apiece as I still had to drive myself home. (By the way, I much preferred the tangy sweetness of the Yakult Soju, but then again, I was never a big fan of watermelon anyway.)

However, the real star of the show is the affordable Samgyeopsal Lunch Set which are now available for lunch and dinner. From 11am to 2pm, diners have the choice between Unlimited Pork at Php349/head, or Unlimited Pork and Beef at Php399/head. From 5pm to 8pm, on the other hand, Unlimited Pork is priced at Php449/head, while Unlimited Pork and Beef is priced at Php499/head. These sets come with unlimited meat, rice, ice green lettuce, side dishes (such as kimchi, mini potato balls, sweet fishcakes, vinegar radish, bean sprouts and onions, all prepared fresh in the kitchen) and iced tea.

Currently, all of these Korean barbecue sets will be composed of unmarinated meats but marinated variants are being considered for future offerings.

A concern that was raised was the absence of exhaust pipes to suck out the smoke from the cooking meats on the dining tables. Surely, the lunch crowd will not appreciate smelling like inihaw when they get back to their offices after their meal break. Owner Rinky Tuano assured us that this concern has been considered and will be addressed by air conditioning and the exhaust in the kitchen.

Gangnam Wings is located at the Megastrip Unit 1-114 Upper Ground Floor, outside Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City. Other branches will open soon in San Fernando, Pampanga, Sta Rosa, Laguna and in Antipolo, Rizal.

Disclosure: Together with other Zomato foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

At the request of Gangnam Wings, this post was updated to reflect the new pricing of the Samgyeopsal Sets.