by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 1, 2016 | Business, Food & Beverage
As the Christmas holiday approaches people in businesses often wrack their brains for unique gifts to give their corporate partners and clients. What better way to strengthen your business relationships than showing your appreciation with Villa del Conte artisanal chocolates from Padova, Italy?
You can choose from Villa del Conte’s wide array of luscious creations such as praline balles, praline sticks, ovincinis, and “Thank You” dark chocolate
To make your gift extra special these Villa del Conte premium chocolates can also be specially curated in lavish gift crates with bottles of wine. After all, wine and chocolate are the perfect combination.
Where to find Villa del Conte stores
Villa del Conte also accepts bulk orders for corporate gifts with personalized packaging. Visit Villa del Conte stores at:
- Greenbelt 5
- Century City Mall
- Shangri-la Mall
- Resorts World
- Alabang Town Center
- SM Megamall
- and Robinsons Magnolia.
For bulk orders, please contact 893-2575 or 621-6101.
To know more about Villla del conte go to http://www.villadelcontecioccolato.com or follow them on:
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 24, 2016 | Food & Beverage
I live in a household of chocoholics and my mom, the least chocoholic of the bunch LOVES Cadbury Dairy Milk. Whenever I bring home a bar or 3 she always gets first dibs – and this from a self-professed non-chocoholic. 😀
I recently found out that the limited edition Christmas flavors are back. Yey! Oh what a joy it would be to give these special chocolates to my special people.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Christmas Flavors – who deserves these special treats?
My mom deserves a treat
For my beautiful mom, the person who is always there for me no matter what, I would give her the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Mousse. With its light and airy chocolate-flavored cream enveloped in classic milk chocolate shell, she is sure to love it and ask for more.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Mousse
Mom likes to eat her chocolate before sleeping, as a light snack. I hope she will be able to control herself and stop at just one. Just to be sure I will eat with her. 😀
My daughter deserves a treat
My fashionista daughter, Erika, is sure to love the Cadbury Dairy Milk French Vanilla. She likes her chocolate light and not too chocolatey … which makes this the perfect variant for her.
Cadbury Dairy Milk French Vanilla
A bite into this exquisite flavor will plunge her into the smooth, soft, silky center filled with light and delectable French vanilla cream.
This sophisticated flavor is definitely a match for my classy kid. 🙂 And, for sure, her baby, Star, will love it, too! But I’ll taste it first just to make sure. 😀
My sisters deserves a treat
my younger sisters
The Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest deserves a person who likes to live a little and experiment with flavors. Consider this … you combine your Cadbury Dairy Milk with chocolate cookies and red jellies and you get the perfect combination of crunchy and chewy wrapped in delicious chocolatey goodness!
It’s a two in one deal! Therefore, I cannot, in all conscience give it to just one person. I’ll live a little, too, and give it to both my sisters, Tina, and Gigi … then we three can share it, hehehe.
Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest
How much are these these luscious treats?
Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest, Cadbury Dairy Milk French Vanilla, and Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate Mousse are available in 180g packs for a suggested retail price of P180.00. Hurry and get all flavors – available until supplies last! #FreeTheJoy this Christmas with Cadbury Dairy Milk!
Cadbury Dairy Milk’s limited edition Christmas flavors are available in all leading supermarkets.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 15, 2016 | Food & Beverage, Yummy Reviews
‘Tis the season to be eating and Guevarra’s serves up a Yuletide feast fit for a king starting today! You read it right, TODAY, October 15!
Christmas comes early at Guevarra’s. For those who have sampled Chef Lau’s popular buffet you already know that a regular 3-hour reservation for lunch, merienda, or dinner is not enough to taste all 80 dishes they regularly serve. For the Yuletide season, they’ve added 11 new dishes.
This means we can enjoy 99. OMG, NINETY-NINE DISHES! How can we taste/eat them all?
When bloggers were asked what their favorite dish was most mentioned the Angus beef. Having tried it myself, I would have to agree but, personally, I found it difficult to single out one dish specifically. 😀
Appetizer, salad, rice, fish, fowl, red meat, vegetable, dessert, beverages — so much to choose from, how can I pick just one, right? My answer, don’t limit yourself. With so much to choose from (and all of them delicious) each one deserves a trip on your tongue and down to your belly. 😀
The Yuletide offerings at Guevarra’s
Chef Lau and Chef Jac sat down one day and thought about what dishes are traditionally served at Filipino get togethers like Christmas gatherings and reunions. In a previous post I featured the eleven Yuletide dishes they added to the menu.
For Starters
Guevarra’s Christmas Chicken Liver Parfait
I’m not a big fan of liver but I did try this pate and it was good. Smooth and creamy. The name, though, was a tad confusing. It’s a pate but it’s called a parfait? Like the ice cream?
Guevarra’s Christmas Macaroni Salad
Macaroni salad is so simple to make that we usually ask the kids to make it. 🙂 All we need are cooked macaroni, cream or mayonnaise, cheese, raisins, and gelatin. The kids like to cut the gelatin into different shapes but cubes will suffice. The red and green gelatin cubes makes this favorite holiday salad colorfully beautiful.
The Main Course
Guevarra’s Christmas Embotido Lasagna Roll
Two dishes in one! Lasagna noodles are just perfect for this dish as it acts as both the wrapper and the pasta dish. 😀 During the blogger event Chef Lau shows us how they made this dish. Lucky us! Watch the video as he demonstrates how to make it step by step.
And for those of us who like to cook this means I could try to make this myself for noche buena. Actually, I definitely will make this for noche buena. 🙂 I hope I can do it justice.
Guevarra’s Christmas Beef Morcon
Beef morcon is also a staple fiesta dish at home. Our Yuletide festivities is just not complete if there is no beef morcon on the table.
I’m glad they made it because this dish takes too long to cook and oftentimes I’m too tired after to even appreciate the dish. Since they serve it at Guevarra’s I now have another reason to bring my family here for a meal. 🙂
Guevarra’s Christmas Fish Mayonesa
I remember my mom making this when we were kids … but she called it fish en blanco. Not to diss my mom but I prefer this version because Guevarra’s uses fish fillet. No fishbones to deal with. Yey! It gave me an idea, though, on how to serve fish en blanco next time. 🙂
Guevarra’s Christmas Paella
It almost isn’t a good idea to eat paella at a buffet. Why? because paella is a mix of rice and viand all cooked at the same time — meaning, it is already a buffet in itself!
Having said that, you should still try it anyway. It is really, really good! I placed a spoonful or two on my plate just to taste it and ended up finishing it before the white rice. 😀
Guevarra’s Christmas Roasted Stuffed Turkey
Some people say that turkey is just a big chicken but one taste will prove otherwise. Paired with gravy or cranberry sauce, my favorite part is the thigh. Cooked improperly turkey could become dry and tasteless. But never at Guevarra’s. This stuffed turkey is just delicious!
My personal favorite when it comes to sauces is the cranberry sauce. Somehow gravy just seems so ordinary but the cranberry sauce screams Christmas. 😀
Happy Endings and Great Coffee Pairings
Guevarra’s Christmas Pudding
Pudding is HEAVY. I mean physically heavy, not just heavy in the stomach. It is a very English treat. If I am not mistaken this baked goodie is infused with rum and smothered in honey. Perfect to pair with black coffee. Also great to have as a late night snack.
Christmas Suman Fruitcake
Suman is a traditional Filipino rice cake usually wrapped in a leaf and then steamed until cooked. We then eat it by dunking it in sugar. I personally like it paired with mango and topped with tablea chocolate.
Guevarra’s combined the traditional suman with the a fruitcake by topping the suman with candied fruits. The end product is a sweet confection. Diabetics beware! As with the pudding this goes well with coffee.
Guevarra’s Bibingka
Bibingka is served in so many ways now — topped with cheese, egg, cheese and egg, filled with chocolate or any syrup. Seriously, the skies the limit! I personally like eating bibingka while drinking hot chocolate or coffee.
Guevarra’s Puto Bumbong
Simbang Gabi is not complete without buying puto bumbong after hearing mass. But at Guevarra’s we don’t have to wait until December. We can have it now! Puto bumbong is served in single serve (big bite size) soup spoons.
Not only is it delicious, it is also very beautifully presented it is almost a sin to eat!
Should you go to Guevarra’s and sample their buffet?
If I haven’t convinced you yet, I don’t know what will. Lol! But maybe you have a few more questions. Let me see if I can come up with some of the answers a they were given to us during the Q&A.
Are there desserts made that are safe for diabetics?
Chef Jac says they don’t have any at the moment but they’ve been discussing it and they intend to bring out dishes safe for diabetics soon. Those dishes will, of course, be specially labelled so that customers who suffer from it know that they could safely consume it.
Is it necessary to call ahead for reservations?
Yes, absolutely! Reservations are necessary. Guevarra’s does not like turning people away and the only way to ensure that is if reservations are made ahead of time.
Do they accept walk-ins?
Like I mentioned, they don’t like turning people away. However, in the event that a party with no reservation arrives, they will be informed that they will have to wait in case someone who made a reservation (for the same number of people) fails to arrive within 30 minutes of their booking, then the walk-in party will be accommodated.
What meals do they serve?
No ala carte. It’s all buffet, buffet, buffet — lunch, “maagang salu-salo”, and dinner.
Meals are prepared by world famous Chef Lau, it must be expensive.
Au contraire, mon ami! It is anything but! Check out this price list:
|
LUNCH |
MAAGANG SALU-SALO |
DINNER |
| MON |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| TUE |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| WED |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| THU |
P399+12%VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
P499+12% VAT |
| FRI |
P399+12%VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
| SAT |
P599+12% VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
| SUN |
P599+12% VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
| HOL |
P599+12% VAT |
P549+12% VAT |
P599+12% VAT |
What time should we be there?
Meals are served at the timeframes below. Make sure to come early.
- Lunch is from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Maagang Salu-Salo 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Dinner is from 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM.
Can we make reservations for private functions like company parties?
Since they encourage reservations it is safe to say that customers will not be surprised to arrive to find the venue closed for private functions. Guevarra’s will just inform us whether or not the day and time we stated is available or not.
For Inquiries and reservations you may contact: 705 1811; 705 1874; 0917 311 2222. Follow them on Facebook: Guevarra’s ; Instagram: @Guevarras_ ; Twitter: @Guevarras_ .
See you at Guevarra’s!
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 9, 2016 | Food & Beverage
Torn between two classic Taco Bell favorites? No need to choose as Taco Bell rolls out its newest item on its menu – the Quesarito.
What is a Quesarito?
The Quesarito, as the name suggests, is a mash-up between cheesy gooey quesadilla and beefy meaty burrito.
Imagine a Quesadilla made with Taco Bell’s signature three cheese blend and nacho cheese sauce wrapped around a burrito filled with seasoned beef, Mexican rice, cool sour cream and creamy jalapeno sauce. Its two delicious flavors coming together to create something truly extraordinary!
Taco Bell’s Quesarito meal. Beverage not in photo because I was drinking it at the time. 😀
Have I tried it?
I had the opportunity to try the Quesarito meal for myself when I went to Taco Bell at the Ground Floor of Gateway Mall in Cubao. I usually like to drop by there on my way home from work for a quick bite and I was checking to see if there was anything new.
As I perused the menu I noticed they had a new product out so I decided to give it a shot. I love quesadillas and I love burritos so I thought to myself … “I eat rice topped with Cheez Whiz sometimes so this must be similar.”
And to some extent it is! What makes it different? Why everything that makes a burrito and a quesadilla different from plain old rice and cheese, of course! All the filling. 🙂 Add to that the side order of chips and a drink just complete the meal perfectly.
If you don’t say anything they will automatically give you the barbeque flavored chips for your side order. I tried it the first time and didn’t like it. Not because it wasn’t good but because I found the combination of cheesy Quesarito and barbeque chips too salty for my taste. When I asked for plain chips they willingly obliged me. 🙂
As for the beverage that accompanies it, you get to choose … soda or iced tea. I opted for RED iced tea (my favorite!)
Try the Quesarito for yourself!
Try the new Quesarito exclusively available for a limited time only at Taco Bell branches in:
- Gateway Mall (Ground floor and at the food court)
- TriNoma
- Alabang Town Center
Priced at P129 ala carte and P169 with nachos and a drink, this is a mash-up you wouldn’t want to miss.
For more updates, visit Taco Bell’s official website at www.tacobell.com.ph or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 30, 2016 | Food & Beverage
Guevarra’s is rich in heritage splendor and reminiscent of a house built in the 1920’s. The picturesque garden surrounded with rich greeneries have so far been the foreground of several weddings, with each one of them forever etched together in history.
A wide staircase that leads to the veranda gives you the feel of aristocratic elegance of the forgone era. As you enter the dining area, get ready to be enthralled with art-deco pieces transforming your senses to a magnificent old-world charm.
Since its inception, Guevarra’s has shared its domicile to numerous occasions from Baptism, Birthdays and weddings to corporate gatherings and reunions. The interior of the establishment can comfortably accommodate 200 persons with each area of the entire establishment has a story to tell.
Art aficionados will get to enjoy the walls that houses several awe-inspiring paintings and hanged plates with praises and dedications of celebrities who visited the establishment. Complementing the art of food and visual arts. Go ahead and shoot those selfies on any of the picture worthy angles.
Born by fondness for food, Guevarra’s have continuously raised the bar of epicurean palate for buffet lovers with its unparalleled buffet line-up. Their passion for food and flavor inspires Seven Plates Inc. partners, Warren Sy, Patrick King, Felix Yu, Timothy Go, Victor Go, Raymond Co and Jeffrey Siy together with Chefs Roland and Jackie Laudico to produce a celebratory feast that will make this season more remarkable. From appetizer to dessert, each lovingly created with love and inspiration.
Guevarra’s Yuletide Menu
What better way to celebrate the yuletide season than sharing good food and great ambiance with your family and friends. This season the Celebrity chefs has prepared several dishes on top of their year-round favorites to enthrall your visuals and taste buds.
Whet your appetite as you munch on crostini with
Christmas Chicken Liver Parfait; flavorful and rich Liver pate with infusion of moscato to open up your taste buds.
You will definitely roll your tongue as you taste their
Beef Morcon with it melt-in-your mouth goodness of rolled Top round with Bacon, Spanish chorizo, carrots and hard-boiled eggs.
Fusion precision with
Embotido Lasagna Roll – Classic Filipino meat loaf covered with Lasagna sheet and baked to perfection.
Bask in the marriage of flavor and color of the
Fish Mayonesa – Baked whole fish with Tartar dressing topped diced red and green bell pepper, carrots and egg.
A western favorite that proved to be as sought after here in the country,
Roast Turkey with cornmeal stuffing paired with two kinds of sauces – Cranberry and Gravy.
Enjoy the creamy goodness of their
Christmas Macaroni Salad, a rich blend of macaroni, gelatin cubes, raisins and dressing.
Filipinos love their rice, hence the
Christmas Paella, Flavored rice dish with morsels of Liempo, Chicken and Chorizo.
Craving for dessert will never be the same as you sensitize your palate with these yummy sweets:
Classic Christmas pudding, baked bread cut-ups with generous spread of glazed fruit preserves.
Christmas Suman Fruitcake, Christmas twist on Filipino specialty suman served with fruit preserves
Now let’s move on to the obvious signs that we are in the Christmas season and welcome Puto Bumbong and Bibingka.
These 2 glutinous rice creations will surely make you feel the warmth of the season in a classic manner.
We give back to the community
In the spirit of the season, let’s give back to the community. Each buffet head will automatically contribute a portion of the proceeds to benefit the Children’s Joy Foundation, a center that houses disadvantaged children in the country which Guevarra’s have been supporting for the past four years.
Where is Guevarra’s?
Guevarra’s is located at 387 P. Guevarra cor. Argonnes St. Addition Hills, San Juan.
Buffet rates at Guevarra’s are as follows:
Weekday meals (Monday to Thursday)
- lunch (Monday to Friday) – P399 +12% VAT
- maagang salu-salo – P499+12% VAT
- dinner – P499+12% VAT
Weekend Meals (Friday to Sunday)
- lunch (Sat. and Sun.) – P599+12% VAT
- maagang salu-salo (weekends and holidays) – P549+12% VAT
- dinner – P599+12% VAT
What time should we be there?
- Lunch is from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Maagang Salu-Salo 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
- Dinner is from 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM.
For Inquiries and reservations you may contact: 705 1811; 705 1874; 0917 311 2222. Follow them on Facebook: Guevarra’s ; Instagram: @Guevarras_ ; Twitter: @Guevarras_ .
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 17, 2016 | Food & Beverage
Papa John’s Pizza University Mall branch. Photo credit to www.vozzog.com.
The first time I heard about Papa John’s was when they opened a branch at the University Mall (U-Mall) on Taft near my place of work and I treated my daughter there for lunch. Sadly, that branch is no longer around but then … good news! There are more branches of Papa John’s Pizza now, and even more are opening soon!
Papa John’s current branches
All over the world there are 4,700 branches. Wow! That’s a lot of branches. In the Philippines alone there are currently 16 branches with more to open very soon. So where are these branches in the Philippines, you may ask? Here’s a map and a list for your convenience.
Some of the pizza markers may not appear at first glance as they are in areas outside of the immediate scope of the map. However, rest assured they are there. You just need to either zoom out or drag the map up and down. 😀
Check out the BLUE pizzas.
- Antipolo
- Emraud Square Plaza
- Shell Marcos Highway
- Quezon City
- Banawe (corner NS Amoranto)
- Cubao (20th Avenue)
- Tandang Sora (Berkeley Square, Commonwealth Avenue)
- Tomas Morato (corner Scout Rallos)
- Visayas Avenue
- Xavierville (Nueve Uno)
- Las Pinas (Dona Nena Business Center Building, Alabang Zapote)
- Makati (Jupiter Street)
- Mandaluyong (SM Megamall Building A)
- Marikina (PACLEB Building, Bayan-Bayanan Avenue)
- Paranaque (Don Bosco, Dona Soledad, Better Living Subdivision)
- Pasig (Julia Vargas corner Shell C5 Road)
- Rizal (Ortigas Extension, Taytay)
- San Juan (Wilson Street)
And more branches opening locally are opening soon!
Check out the RED pizzas.
- Baclaran (September 21, 2016)
- Kalaw (September 21, 2016)
- Nangka (September 21, 2016) – 2 branches
- Caloocan (October 2016)
Whew! That’s a lot of branches! You’re sure to stumble into 1 or 2 branches as you traverse through traffic in Metro Manila. 😀 My favorite branch, though, is the one on Tomas Morato. Probably because they have more space (multiple floors, people!) but basically, because it’s near where I live, hehe.
Papa John’s at Tomas Morato corner Scout Rallos Street in Quezon City
Now that you know where to go it’s time to know what you can enjoy while you’re there.
House Specialties
Pizza, pizza, pizza! That’s what Papa John’s is all about. But there are 6 flavors which they proudly say are their specialties: All The Meats, Cheesy Bacon Melt, Chicken BBQ, Chicken Bacon Ranch, Super Papa, and Texas Heat.
The last one I tried was the Chicken Bacon Ranch and I really enjoyed it! Call me weird but I think salad dressing on a pizza is just plain yummy. 😀
Chicken Bacon Ranch … Papa John’s Specialty Pizza
I could be deluding myself when I say this but … one other reason I like it is because it seems the healthiest choice of the 6. 😀
Sides
Pepperoncini
All Papa John’s Pizzas are served with a side of pepperoncini and garlic butter sauce. When I first encountered this I was surprised. That isn’t something that happens in other pizza restaurants. And these are big peppers, similar to the one used in sinigang. I love spicy food but even I approached it with caution.
The first time I took a knife and sliced a small piece and bit into it … and it was good! Spicy yes, but also tart, and crunchy! Then I tried cutting it up and putting it on my pizza and dribbled some hot sauce … even better! In the end I just picked up the next one and munched on it like chips. 😀
Now, if you (like I) can munch on a pepperoncini then you are sure to enjoy this.
Pepperoncini Dynamite
The pepperoncini dynamite! Ta-daaah!!! You’ve likely eaten many pepperoncini in your life whether you’ve realized it or not. But I assure you, they’re nothing compared to Papa John’s Pepperoncini Dynamite. This goodness is bacon wrapped pepperoncini stuffed with cheese sauce for a melt-in-your-mouth surprise.
Personally, I think everything’s good with bacon. 😀
What’s new at Papa John’s?
A lot! Let’s see now… There’s
- chicken popper pizza
- mexican ole – for those who REALLY like it spicy!
- pepperoni buffalo
- fried chicken goodness – which is currently only available at the Jupiter branch
- vegetable stromboli
Not included in the pics above is the pineapple caramel stromboli, which, incidentally, is not yet available in stores but will be soon.
Does seeing all that food make you hungry? But at the same time does it make you worry about your wallet? Not to worry! Papa John’s loves the fact that Filipinos love to eat together and so they have a bunch of promos made especially for groups.
The Promos
I confess, I LOVE promos! Especially when the whole family comes together at home and everyone wants pizza … promos are there to save the day! 😀 Here are Papa John’s super duper awesome promos.
Grab 2 side items for free
Two is better than one! Buy any 14-inch pizza and get 2 sides for free from Friday to Sunday only. Choices for free side items are: 4 glasses of iced tea (dine in only), pepperoncini dynamite, cheese sticks, herbed parmesan breadsticks, single served featured pasta and season wedges.
This promo can only be enjoyed in the store and not for delivery.
Super Duos
Double deal! Get 2 Party Featured Pizzas for only P695.
SINGLE FLAVORS: Cheese Trio, Mexican Ole, Island Spice, Papa’s Deluxe, BBQ Bacon Lovers, Crabmeat Marinara, Pepperoni Buffalo, Bacon Cheeseburger Surprise, Honey Chicken Poppers Pizza.
HALF & HALF: Mexican Ole & Papa’s Deluxe are not available for Dine-In.
Pizza Holiday Mondays
Start your Monday with a bang! Grab our selected regular sized pizza for only P129 every Monday only.
Variants included are Bacon and Cheese, Simply Cheese, Italian Sausage and Cheese Trio. Not available for delivery.
P299 Pizza Party Tuesday
Come to our Happy Tuesdays. Experience our freshest pizza ingredients. Selected party sized pizza for only P299 every Tuesday only.
Variants included are: Chicken Bacon Ranch, Texas Heat, Simply Cheese, Garden Special, The Hawaiian, Pepperoni, Cheese Trio, Cheesy Bacon Melt and Cheesy Margherita.
Available for dine-in, take out, and delivery.
At the end of the day, though, I must confess, these are my favorites.
Creamy crab meat pasta
Pepperoni Pizza
Somedays, I just don’t want to think about what I will eat and these two are no brainers. Guaranteed happiness in every bite. 😀
But the best way to enjoy Papa John’s is with fellow foodies. 🙂
Papa John’s Pizza. Better Ingredients. Better Pizza.
I think I’m going to hop on over to Papa John’s now. Doo dee doo …
To make your gift extra special these Villa del Conte premium chocolates can also be specially curated in lavish gift crates with bottles of wine. After all, wine and chocolate are the perfect combination.
To know more about Villla del conte go to http://www.villadelcontecioccolato.com or follow them on:
Guevarra’s Christmas Chicken Liver Parfait
Guevarra’s Christmas Macaroni Salad
Guevarra’s Christmas Beef Morcon
Guevarra’s Christmas Fish Mayonesa
Guevarra’s Christmas Paella
Guevarra’s Christmas Pudding
Christmas Suman Fruitcake
Guevarra’s Bibingka
Guevarra’s Puto Bumbong
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