yogurt – Jellybeans in the City

Koomi’s #GuiltlessGoodness now in Ayala Malls Feliz!

Why do we love Koomi’s yogurt drinks so much?

Is it because these refreshing drinks are a perfect foil to our hot and sweltering climate?

Is it the fact that their base ingredient – natural probiotic yogurt – is so good for us as it aids in digestion and is rich in calcium?

Or is it the sheer variety in options for flavors and add-ons that allow us to enjoy these drink in a myriad of ways?

Whatever the reason, we thankfully have a new outlet where we can get our yogurt drink fix: Koomi’s newly opened store in Ayala Malls Feliz!

Here, I was able to check out new and classic Koomi flavors to enjoy, such as:

KitKat You Outta My Head (Php175). Natural drinking yogurt made with bits of KitKat chocolate.

Tropic Like It’s Hot (Php160). Natural drinking yogurt blended with dragonfruit, apple and orange.

It Takes Passion to Mango (Php150). Natural drinking yogurt blended with mango and passionfruit.

Mango Cracker Rocker (Php160). Natural drinking yogurt blended with mango and graham cracker crumbs.

These drinks were all made with Koomi’s were made fresh using natural probiotic drinking yogurt and sweetened with fruit honey as well as fresh fruits and other add-ons.

The drinks I got for my daughter, my husband and myself were all made using Koomi’s Aussie yogurt blend which has a more pronounced tanginess that complemented the fruity add-ons’ natural sweetness. My son’s drink however, was made with a Filipino yogurt blend which has cream added to the mixture, making it a great complement to candy add-ons.

This Koomi branch is located at Ground Floor, Ayala Malls Feliz, Amang Rodriguez corner JP Rizal Street, Pasig City.

You may also drop by any of these Koomi outlets:

Pasig: The Podium, Unimart Capitol Commons
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall
Quezon City: Robinsons Magnolia, SM North EDSA, Robinsons Galleria, Z Square Mall, Ali Mall, Ayala Malls Vertis North, SM Fairview, Timog Avenue, Mezza Residences, Fisher Mall, Hemady Square, White Plains, UP Town Center, Maginhawa
Pasay: SM Mall of Asia, Double Dragon
Taguig: SM Aura, Uptown Mall
Manila: SM San Lazaro, SM Manila, Lucky Chinatown
San Juan: VMall Greenhills
Alabang: Festival Mall
Makati: SM Jazz, Glorietta 4, Salcedo Village
Malabon: Fisher Mall
Las Pinas: SM Southmall
Paranaque: SM Bicutan, BF Homes
Rizal: SM Taytay, Robinsons Place Antipolo

Koomi also delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Stay updated on Koomi’s offers and promos, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Koomi:

Koomi Tagaytay — Guiltless goodness in Tagaytay: Koomi

Koomi New Branch — Koomi’s #GuiltlessGoodness now in my neighborhood!

Guiltless goodness in Tagaytay: Koomi

One of the happiest discoveries of the family’s Tagaytay sojourn is the presence of one of our favorite yogurt drink stores at the nearby Ayala Malls Serin.

Koomi is an Australia-based chain which specializes in combinations of natural probiotic drinking yogurt with various fresh and wholesome ingredients to produce yummy and icy drinks.

If you haven’t tried Koomi drinks yet, you definitely should mainly for two reasons:

They are so good for you. Yogurt aids in digestion, boosting immunity and is rich in nutrients that promote bone health.
They taste so good. Flavored with natural sweeteners like fruit honey and enhanced with fruits, nuts and other healthy ingredients, Koomi drinks are yummy concoctions meant to be heartily enjoyed.

I took the opportunity during a supply run in Ayala Malls Serin to take out some delicious Koomi drinks for the fam, such as:

I opted for the Aussie blend, resulting in drinks with a very pronounced tanginess. However, Koomi also offers a Filipino blend which has cream added to the mixture, a flavor profile more aligned to the Pinoy palate.

Tagaytay vacationers (and residents, of course!) sure have some guiltless goodness to enjoy with this Koomi branch.

It’s located at Ayala Malls Serin, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Highway Brgy. Silang Crossing East Tagaytay City, Cavite 4120.

In Metro Manila, Koomi branches are located at:

Pasig: The Podium, Unimart Capitol Commons
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall
Quezon City: Robinsons Magnolia, Eastwood City Mall, SM North EDSA, Robinsons Galleria, Z Square Mall, Ali Mall, Ayala Vertis North, SM Fairview, Timog Avenue, Mezza Residences, Fisher Mall QC, Hemady Square, White Plains, UP Town Center, Maginhawa
Makati: SM Jazz, Glorietta 4, Salcedo Village
Pasay: SM Mall of Asia, Double Dragon Plaza
Manila: SM San Lazaro, SM Manila, Lucky Chinatown
Taguig; SM Aura, Uptown Mall
San Juan: VMall Greenhills
Muntinlupa: Festival Mall
Las Pinas: SM Southmall
Paranaque: SM City Bicutan, BF Homes
Malabon: Fisher Mall Malabon

Guiltless goodness for the fam from Koomi

If you want a break from your usual milk teas and coffee frappes, then you might want to consider yogurt drinks from Koomi.

This chain got its start in Australia, showcasing natural probiotic drinking yogurt combined with fresh ingredients in healthy and tasty icy drinks.

Yogurt is definitely good for you: it aids digestion and is high in calcium so it’s good for your bones.

Add in healthy natural sweeteners like fruit honey and you’ve got a wholesome drink to cool you down and nourish you. The drinks have winsome names, too, which will bring a smile to your face as you enjoy them.

In one of the last sweltering Sunday afternoons of November, I decided to treat the fam to Koomi drinks which, thankfully, just became available in our area through GrabFood’s long-distance delivery.

These included:

Avo Nice Day (Php187). Natural drinking yogurt blended with fresh avocado and fruit honey. My perennial order because I love avocado-based drinks so much!

You’re the Berry Best (Php154). For the Hubby who takes over cooking chores for me and always factors my snacks into his food delivery orders, I got this blend of natural drinking yogurt, strawberry and fruit honey.

Mango Moo (Php143). My daughter #ExhibitA is nuts about mango so she requested for this blend of natural drinking yogurt, fresh mangoes and fruit honey. Here’s a hack: she mixed some crushed grahams from my baking supplies into the drink and made herself a yogurt-y mango float.

Chewy Chewy Oats (Php143). For my little boy #ExhibitB who missed his breakfast cereal, I got this blend of natural drinking yogurt, chewy oats and fruit honey.

Stick-on-Me Purple Rice (Php138). I introduced my yaya to the wonders of Koomi with this signature concoction of natural drinking yogurt, purple sticky rice and fruit honey.

Since I opted for the Aussie blend for these drinks, they all feature a more pronounced tanginess of the yogurt. If you’re not into that, you can always opt for the Filipino blend which has cream added to the mixture to align the drink to Pinoy tastebuds.

So if you’re in the mood for a different kind of drink that will give you guiltless goodness, do give Koomi a try. It has stores in The Podium, Robinsons Magnolia, Eastwood City Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Power Plant Mall, SM Aura, Double Dragon Pasay, SM San Lazaro and VMall Greenhills.

You may also course your order through GrabFood like I did.

Jack’s Lemonade, Ayala Malls Feliz

I’ve been a been a believer in the health benefits of fresh lemonade for quite some time now.

However, I also used to think that it’s a one-dimensional drink: just lemon juice plus water and sugar… the end. It may be healthy but it’s, well, meh.

My eyes were opened to the drink’s myriad of possibilities when I was introduced to Jack’s Fresh Lemonade earlier this year.

During a foodie meetup at its kiosk in UP Town Center, my fellow foodie friends and I discovered many ways to enjoy lemonade. In fact, Jack’s Fresh Lemonade has thirty lemonade variants to choose from! Whether mixed with teas, herbs or fruits or made into a dessert, Jack’s Lemonade proved to be quite a versatile drink.

Aside from its homecooked sugar syrup, what sets Jack’s Lemonade apart from other lemonade iterations is the use of plum salt or kiamoy. It’s a salty dried plum in powdered form which adds another dimension of taste to the lemonade drinks. It’s readily available at the counter and can be sprinkled on any Jack’s Lemonade drink for free.

Recently, I attended another Jack’s Fresh Lemonade foodie meetup, this time at Food Choices in Ayala Malls Feliz.

There, along with my fellow foodies, I again had a taste of Jack’s Lemonade’s refreshingly tasty and zesty variants which included:

Basil Rich Tamarind (Php95 for regular | Php115 for large or hot). This lemonade incorporates a healthy blend of fresh tamarind puree and basil seeds.

Strawberry Mint (Php95 for regular | Php115 for large or hot). This lemonade combines the fruity sweetness of pureed strawberries and the cool freshness of mint leaves.

Lemon Cheesecake (Php95 for regular | Php115 for large or hot). If you ever wondered if lemonade can be turned into a dessert, well this drink is for you! This drink combines lemonade with powdered milk, condensed milk and grated cheddar cheese and a generous sprinkling of plum salt.

Strawberry Cheesecake with Poppers and Yogurt (Php150). One of the store’s newest drinks, it adds fresh strawberry puree and yogurt to the Lemon Cheesecake drink.

So if you want to experience lemonade in a variety of fresh ways, all you have to do is drop by your nearest Jack’s Fresh Lemonade kiosk!

Many thanks to Abby of Jack’s Fresh Lemonade for the drinks and to Apol of SaanSaPH for extending the invitation!

Wanna know how fresh lemonade is good for you? Well, this beverage helps in controlling blood pressure; detoxifying and cleansing the body; facilitating digestion, throat care, heart health and skin care; relieving heartburn; whitening teeth and treating arthritis and rheumatism.

This Jack’s Fresh Lemonade kiosk is located at Food Choices, Fourth Floor, Ayala Malls Feliz, Barangay Dela Paz, Pasig City.

Other kiosks in Metro Manila are located at:

Fifth Floor, Bridgeway, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Lower Ground Level, Shangri-la Plaza, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Second Floor, Market! Market! Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Cinema Area, Third Floor, Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, Trinoma Mall, Barangay Bagong Pagasa, Quezon City
Third Floor, Glorietta 2, Ayala Center, Makati City

Disclosure: Together with fellow food bloggers, I attended a foodie meetup held here. The drinks mentioned here were served to enable us to sample the fare and to facilitate honest reviews and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my previous blog posts on other lemonade kiosks:

A special place for happiness at Elait, Eastwood Mall

There’s a special place for every kid’s heart for ice cream. Its cool feel inside the mouth, the burst of sweetness on the tongue and the added tastes and textures from yummy add-ons make this a perfect summer treat for the young ones (and yeah, the not-so-young ones too!)

For my little boy and the kid in me, our ice cream craving was satisfied when we headed off to Elait in Eastwood Mall after dinner.

It is a small stall shared with cookie store Overdoughs, and similar to other Elait outlets, it is manned by rolled ice cream artisans and servers who also happen to be deaf.

Established by the Caravan Food Group, Inc., Elait supported its owner’s advocacy to raise awareness for social causes and provide employment and training for persons with hearing disability.

So how would you go about ordering and interacting with the store’s servers then?

An order form is conveniently provided where you can indicate your preferred flavor (either a custard or yogurt base plus mix-ins and toppings to flavor the ice cream). Signs containing basic sign language are also posted in strategic areas around the store. I think this is a good way to expose kids to diverse kinds of people and a fun incentive to learn sign language. It also a way to show kids that sometimes, a language barrier can be easily overcome.

Using a spatula, the mixture that will form your rolled ice cream is blended then evenly spread as it hardens on a sub-zero metal plate. This then scraped off the plate to form rolls which are then placed in a cup along with toppings before being served.

My son ordered a cup of Chocolate Overload (Php140). Chocolate shreds, brownie bits and chocolate vermicelli are mixed into a sweet and creamy custard base, with the resulting rolled ice cream topped with a Pocky stick and drizzled with chocolate syrup. From the way it looks to the way it tastes, it’s a kid’s summer dream come true.

For me, I got a Chocnut Dinosaur (Php140). Milo powder is blended with a yogurt base with, with the resulting ice cream rolls topped with Chocnut bits and drizzled with chocolate syrup. I just love how the tangy taste of the yogurt interacts with my favorite flavors from my childhood.

Elait is definitely a place for happiness: there is joy found in a cup, the joy found in making new friends and the joy of spending time, leisurely eating your favorite frozen treat with someone you love.

This Elait kiosk is located at Second Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City. Other Elait locations include:

The Caf Food Hall, Second Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Ground Floor, North Towers, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
M Place, Panay Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, SM City San Lazaro, Santa Cruz, Manila
Lower Ground Floor, SM City Manila, Ermita, Manila
Third Floor, Santolan Town Plaza, Col Bonny Serrano Avenue, Little Baguio, San Juan City
Second Floor, North Wing, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Third Floor, Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City
Second Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati City
Second Floor, Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Centre, Greenhills, San Juan

Check out my reviews of other dessert places:

Indulge, Cubao

Everyday’s a good day for ice cream at Sundays by Merry Moo, The Podium

What’s the simplest pleasure that you can picture yourself freely indulging in come the long hot summer?

For me, it’s ice cream, of course!

The icy yet velvety creamy feel of it on my tongue and the bursts of sweetness on my tastebuds combine to bring back memories of my childhood’s enjoyable summers, slurping this cool treat.

Well, with Sundays, Merry Moo’s first in-line ice cream store at the Corner Market Food Hall in the Podium, I won’t have to venture far to have a taste of my favorite ice cream flavors, and more.

Merry Moo made a name for itself with its artisanal and premium ice cream. Believing that happy cows make great dairy, it sources its milk from dairy farmers in Laguna whose herds are given expansive pastures to graze and roam freely. Since its dairy is non-UHT (Ultra Heat Treated), its milk and cream retain their flavors and nutritional content.

To guarantee freshness, Merry Moo’s ice cream is churned in small batches using fresh and locally sourced ingredients to produce yummy icy desserts that bring smiles to the faces of those who taste them.

Together with my fellow foodies, I was able to taste some of its new flavors which are:

Bananarama. Brown sugar is added to Cavendish bananas which are then oven-roasted. Afterwards, the mixture is blitzed, added to fresh milk and cream, then allowed to steep overnight to let the flavors intensify before being placed in the ice cream batch freezer. Chocolate cookie chunks are then added to the churned ice cream.

Spanish Bread and Doughnut. Curiously, these two flavors come from the baked products that inspired them. To infuse the ice cream base with these flavors, the breads are blitzed then added to the milk and cream base. The mixture is allowed to steep overnight then placed in the batch freezer. More chunks of Spanish bread or doughnuts are then added to the churned ice cream.

Yogurt. Hacienda Macalauan in Laguna, Merry Moo’s dairy supplier, also produces Greek yogurt. This is used to infuse Merry Moo’s milk and cream base, resulting in ice cream that is a little more tart but still yummy.

My scoops of these decadent treats were served on a crunchy waffle bowl, sprinkled with my chosen toppings: Horlicks, a sweetened malt-based powder, and buttered pecans.

The ice cream flavors sure are unusual, but call to mind tastes and textures that are near and dear to us. Who hasn’t whiled away a lazy afternoon munching on warm buttery Spanish bread, or added bananas to ice cream to for added fruity sweetness? Who hasn’t been caught in the recent frozen yogurt craze?

What I love most about Merry Moo’s ice cream is the thought and care that goes into the creation of each flavor. I plan to drop by one of its stalls soon to taste more of its flavors like Avocado and Salted Chocolate.

A scoop of Merry Moo’s premium ice cream flavors sells for Php115 while one of gourmet flavor sells at Php135. Add Php15 to drizzle your preferred sauce on it or add your favorite toppings for an additional Php20.

Want Merry Moo at your party? Have a scooping station for as low Php8,500, good for 100 servings.

For the mumshies out there: Did you know that through its partnership with Mommy Treats, Merry Moo produces the country’s first and only lactation ice cream? At only Php450/pint, enjoy flavors such as Dark Chocolate, Sea Salt Caramel and Match Green Tea packed with milk boosters to improve your milk supply.

Sundays by Merry Moo is located at the The Corner Market, Second Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City, open daily from 11am to 10pm.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I was invited to join a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Check out my reviews of other dessert places:

What to expect at BLK 513, SM North EDSA

What can you expect when you find yourself at BLK 513? Coming from a recent visit with a friend at BLK 513’s SM North EDSA outlet, let me break it down for y’all!

One: Its unique dark colored frozen dark skim yogurt.

Made of Greek yogurt which is denser and creamier than regular yogurt, it is further enhanced by the inclusion of activated charcoal, one of the world’s oldest and most trusted detoxifying agent that promotes healthy digestion and anti-aging among others.

Two: The wide variety of crunchy ingredients that you can add to your froyo for added texture.

These include a gamut of cereals. cookie crumbs and cake bits so, wherever your taste lies in the crunch spectrum, there’s something that matches your preference. My favorite among these is the butter bars that serve as a wholesome yet decadent addition to my dessert.

Three: Fresh fruit bits that add more natural sweetness to your frozen treat.

Take your pick from chopped strawberries, cubed mangoes and peaches, sliced kiwi fruits and more. My favorites among these are peaches and mangoes which I think go really well with frozen yogurt.

Four: The array of premium dessert sauces that you can have drizzled into and on top of your froyo treat.

I still dream of the Valrhona Gold Milk that’s sadly still only available in BLK 513’s Glorietta branch. Choices available in this store include the herby Chocolate Chai Tea, the cookie butter goodness of Spice Cookie Caramel, Strawberry Cheesecake and the decadent Dark Valrhona Fudge. In this instance, I opted for the Faux Ferrero sauce; made with milk chocolate, hazelnut bits and cereal, it added even more interesting texture to my dessert.

Five: Instagrammable surrounding that serve as pretty backdrops for your froyo shots.

Despite occupying a small space in the mall, BLK 513 affords you many background or flatlay options for your foodie shots. Position your dessert against the faux green vines or the walls artfully decorated with sayings.

I love the feel of the froyo in my mouth as well as its not being overly sweet. With the crunchies, fruits and sauce added into the cup or cone, there is an interesting interplay of sweetness and tanginess as well as a mix of various textures.

BLK 513’s frozen Greek yogurt enhanced with activated charcoal offerings are available in two options:

Dark Skim Cup (Php189): froyo with your choice of one crunch, two fruits and one sauce.

Dark Skim Cone (Php150): froyo with your choice of one crunch and one sauce.

This BLK 513 branch is located at the Second Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)

Other branches are found at:

Second Floor, Glorietta 1, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City (open daily from 9am to 10pm)
Second Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)
Level 2, S Maison, Conrad Manila, Seaside Boulevard Corner Coral Way, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City (open daily from 10am to 10pm)
Second Floor, Building A, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City (open daily from 10am to 10pm).
Bonifacio High Street, 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City (open daily from 10.30am to 10.30pm)
Second Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City (open daily from 11am to 10pm)
Food Street, Upper Ground Floor, SM Southmall, Almanza, Las Piñas City (open daily from 10am to 9pm)
Ground Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City (open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 9pm and Fridays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm)
Ground Level, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, A. Bonifacio Avenue, Balintawak, Quezon City (open daily 10am to 10pm)