Craving for some Japanese dishes? Karaage, Ebi, Sukiyaki and more? You might want to check out and try Japan’s number one Tempura Tendon chain, Tenya, with their newly launched farm to table menu… TENYA LOKAL. I have tried some of it and they are 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼.

With TENYA LOKAL menu, it’s not just offering good and delicious Japanese meals, it was also made for a good cause too. That is to help local food producers may it be from poultry, vegetables, fish and meat sectors and use these as raw materials in their restaurants all over the Philippines.

I love to cook and eat.  Whenever I’m in our kitchen and there’s limited ingredients in our refrigerator, I improvise and experiment what I can do. For me it is just easy, as long as I have sauces available to add flavor to my improvised dish or at least a good sauce or “sawsawan” is a must. Then I will pair it with steamy hot rice? UHHHMM! YUMMMY!(Even though I’m limiting my rice intake already, I WILL DEFINITELY EAT! hahaha!)

On the other hand, us Filipinos, when we are eating a certain dish, even though it’s already flavourful, we would still add condiments and sauces to enhance the taste. And you what? got some cool news for you. Because Heinz, a global leader in condiments since 2012(same brand as the tomato  ketchup that we love), just made more of their sauces available here in the Philippines and Asia. Heinz goes Asian!

From simple meals to gourmet dishes, Heinz Asian Sauces provide enhanced taste and premium flavours to your cooking. Heinz has been serving up quality, taste, convenience and innovation like no other food company on Earth.  It has to be Heinz.

I tried using some of the Heinz Asian Sauces particulary the Heinz Blended Sesame Oil, Heinz Premium Oyster Sauce, and Heinz Garlic Chili Sauce during our food trip in a restaurant at Quezon City. I must say that I love them all. The extra flavor really blended well to my chosen ingredients. So excited to try other Heinz Asian Sauces and incorporate them to my cooking.

Heinz Asian Sauces are available in leading Robinsons Supermarkets, Unimart Supermarkets, Makatisupermart Alabang, All Day Supermarket, Citimart Supermarket, and Landmark Supermarkets. Check out the prices below.

For updates, recipe ideas, and other information, follow the official social media accounts of Heinz Asian Sauces: @heinzasianph for both Facebook and Instagram.

#HeinzGoesAsian 

If you’ve been to Taiwan, you’ll know that milk teas, fruit juices and street food are a thing there. Of course that includes the famous big serving of crispy fried chicken. And if you haven’t tasted it yet, you know what? good news because MONGA, a Taiwanese-style fried chicken, is now available here in the Philippines!

So… who’s excited to try it?.

Created and established by Nono, a well-known Taiwanese comedian, this newly opened food establishment in SM Megamall(near Toy Kingdom) will surely entice and fill up every foodie’s palate with its well-spiced, big serving chicken especially one of their best-sellers… the spicy Chee-Z Signature- a must-try!. If you don’t want the spicy variant, you may choose the regular one. You may also upgrade it into a full meal set(with rice and drinks).

The Chee-Z Signature was the only chicken main meal that I tasted during the opening and thankfully got the right choice(will choose it again and try other flavors when I go back). Very worth it!. It’s big, crunchy, and the way the spices burst its flavors in my mouth. YUMMMMMY!. The cheese on top compliments well with the chicken and balances the spices with every bite😍

Monga also got different side dishes like seasoned fries, fried mushroom, fried brocoli, and chicken skin(oooh sooo tempting!) just to mention a few. I super love the fried broccoli, even though it was deep fried, the brocholi itself is not overcooked. And the serving is quite big as well for a side dish. ❤️❤️❤️

Your Taiwanese food trip will not be complete without milk tea and fruit juices. In fairness, their milk tea is not that sweet compared to other milk tea joint. And since I’m cutting my sugar intake, I would consider it. Hahaha. Will try more of Monga’s refreshments when I go back.

Overall, from what I tasted, I would recommend Monga to be on your list for your next food trip. It may be a bit pricey to some, but it is worth your bucks. No need to go to Taiwan just to munch on these chicken goodness!

For more information and updates about Monga, you may follow them on their Facebook Page www.facebook.com/mongaphilippines.

Living a healthy lifestyle is not easy. It is clearly no joke. It takes a lot of motivation, patience, discipline, and positive mindset in order to surpass all the stuggles(cravings, inactiveness) and be able to achieve our fitness goals. When you want to lose your excess weight or just decided to become healthful, aside from exercise, hydration, and good sleep, eating a well-balanced and healthy diet is a must. Yes, A MUST! No buts and ifs.

A lot of us have some reasons(or maybe excuses ahaha!) when it comes to healthy food. Bland, lacks flavor, takes time to prepare, cluelessness on what ingredients to buy or use, just to mention a few. Aside from these reasons, if we were to dine out and look for restos or food hubs, we all know that it is kinda hard to find restaurants that serve healthy meals right?(I meant really healthy meals).

So here’s a good news. I just found a good place located at Timog Quezon City which serves wide array of good and healthy. But before anything else, I just want to let you know that everything that I will say about this restaurant were based on my honest observation and experience which I always do whenever I write reviews. Your experience may be different.

I was invited to dine in at HEALTHY MEALS PH to try out what they are offering. We were given the liberty to order whatever we want in their menu(oh yes!).

Let me tell you what I think about the place. I love the ambiance of this healthy food hub. It has a nature theme which is very visible to the furnishings and fixtures being used(wood, plants). The spa-like background music playing while you dine was very relaxing and calming. Love it!

The staff were very nice as well-serves with a smile, though they are quite spaced out- keeps on forgetting my requests(it happens) hahahah! But I understand because they were taking and serving multiple orders that time.

Pesto Pasta(Protein), Homemade Chicken Embutido(meal), Baked Chicken Hardinera(meal), Baked Fish and Tofu(meal, Baked Kare-Kare(meal), Beef Salpicao(plain).

Food presentation was good. And I love that they serve it on wooden plates. Really fits their theme. Look at the photos above. I did not order for these meals, these were orders of other guests(I only took photos) so I wasn’t able to taste these dishes. Just showing you how HEALTHY MEALS PH serving looks like.

HEALTHY MEALS PH has wide array of healthy choices that you can choose from( you may choose plain- a la carte or meal with rice/pasta), starting with appetizers, main dishes, vegan and healthy bowls, salads, drinks and even bread.

So here’s the first that I ordered. The Chicken Peanut Strips(Php150-Plain/Php190-meal). It was made of baked chicken rolled with  nuts, coconut and secret herb. It also comes with salad as side dish and dressing.

To be honest, the dish served was not heaty(I know we took photos of the meal for about 2-3 mins but its just a short time span for the meal to really cool down that fast). The brown rice was well cooked, the chicken was quite hard, dry, bland and I hardly taste the peanut(not sure though if that’s the way it’s supposed to be). But as I chew it more, that’s the time that I can taste the peanut a bit. I suggest you ask for an extra salad dressing, which I did(their salad dressing is really good!) and I used it as a sauce to this chicken dish. It worked. I enjoyed my meal after that.

This one was REEEEEEAAALY GOOOOOD! I will definitely come back to eat it again! One of their best sellers and my instant favorite… the High Protein Chicken Tacos(Php210). A very unique and well presented appetizer dish(please see photo above). They used chicken as the taco base holding all the veggie components. The taste of cumin really captured my tastebuds and compliments well with the vegetables and chicken meat itself. If you love eating Persian or Mexican food, you will surely love this meal. A really must-try!

For my refreshment, I oredered the Booster Moringa(Php 85). As we all know, Moringa is also known as “Malunggay” which is very high in calcium and antioxidants. I love it that it’s not that sweet and the leafy taste is not that dominant. You just have to stir it from time to time, because the Moringga sediments settles at the bottom of the glass. Will try others drinks when I go back there.

For dessert, I ordered Adam’s Ice Cream which is made of ALL NATURAL ingredients. I chose the Black & White(made of Coconut Milk and Dark Chocolate). At first, I find the taste a bit weird because of the coconut milk, not the usual creamy ice cream that is smooth inside your mouth. With this ice cream, it’s like there were small particles which eventually dissolve. The dark chocolate  is very dominant but the coconut milk kinda tapers down the bitter taste. Love it!

HEALTHY MEALS PH also sells different organically-made products(from local partners here in the Philippines) such as Coconut Cider Vinegar, Turmeric Powder, Fish sauce, Mushroom chips, Stevia Oatmeal Cookies with Malunggay and many more.

You should try their Banana loaf! It’s really good. It’s moist, chewey and not too sweet. Plus they use muscovado sugar for its natural color and sweetener.

Photo Source: Healthy Meals PH’s Facebook Page

Just in case you want to binge on healthy meals, HEALTHY MEALS PH offers buffet at their Torre Venezia Suites branch in Timog every Friday to Sunday for just only P399/Head!. Check out the schedule below.

Friday
6pm to 9pm (Dinner)

Photo Source: Healthy Meals PH’s Facebook Page

Aside from the restaurant, HEALTHY MEALS PH also has some “meal plans”. Each individual has his or her own caloric needs per day. For those who want to lose weight or just eat the right amount of nourishment, you may avail this. I must say, looking at the price list, they are much cheaper compared to other diet delivery services around the metro. How I wish they can also deliver in Rizal area huhu.

Who says healthy food tastes bad?. No… No… No… It’s just a misconception. You can actually enjoy delicious meals without that guilt feeling. Overall my dining experience was good and I enjoyed it so much. Would definitely go back and bring my boyfie for a healthy-dining date. Want to try more. For me, it is really a good dining place for those fitness enthusiasts, those who wanted to make the switch, or those just want to eat healthy meals.

You are what you eat. If you have unhealthy habits especially when it comes to what you are taking in your body, sooner or later will suffer. So better start eating right now and live a healthy lifestyle so you can enjoy life more.

Photo Source: Healthy Meals PH’s Facebook Page

HEALTHY MEALS PH BRANCHES

Timog Branch
Torre Venezia Suites
Timog Avenue, Quezon City
Contact us: ‭+63 917 183 1368‬

 Congressional Branch
#42 Congressional Avenue, Proj 8, Quezon City
Contact us: 0977-1725606

Follow their Social Media Account
https://www.facebook.com/healthymealsphBRT/
IG Account- HealthyMealsPh

It’s amazing how the world of desserts continuously create inventive delicacies for ultimate dessert devotees. Creatively crafting unbelievable flavors and unexpected combinations, there’s always something new to try!

And because there’s always room for dessert, here’s a list of excitingly sweet treats for you to enjoy this 2019!

1.Hokkaido Cheese Tart by Bake Cheese Tart

Photo Source: https://ph.cheesetart.com

Overflowing with dairy goodness in a deliciously flaky golden brown crust, the famous Hokkaido cheese tart is love at first bite.

Made from an exquisite blend of Hokkaido cheese, the filling has a perfect balance of creaminess, tartness, and an unexpected salty bite. But the filling is not just the start of the show, the crispy crust is also made to perfection by a distinct blend of flour and by using a unique baking method. Each tart is made fresh and absolutely addicting, you won’t be able to resist another one!

The original Bake Cheese Tart has branches at The Podium and Powerplant Mall.

2. Tiramisu Ice Cream by Kiss the Tiramisu

PHOTO SOURCE: www.facebook.com/kissthetiramisuph

Treat yourself like royalty and give your taste buds a delightful experience with Kiss the Tiramisu’s decadent tiramisu ice cream.

Specializing in tiramisu, the creative mind behind this dessert has innovatively created an exciting variation of the usual coffee cake and transformed it into a blissful masterpiece of creamy, mouthwatering ice cream with mascarpone cheese. Luscious layers of authentic Korean ingredients make this dessert absolutely worthy to be tried!

Adding more to its beautiful burst of flavors is the elegant acrylic goblet where its served. Which, by the way, you can take home as well!

There are four interesting flavors for you to choose from, the Classic Tiramisu, Matcha Tiramisu, Injeolmi Tiramisu, and the Midas Touch.

You can find this sweet treat at Three Central, Salcedo Village, Makati.

3. Matcha Float by Tsujiri

PHOTO SOURCE: http://ph.phonebooky.com

A true haven for Matcha enthusiasts, Tsujiri is the house of matcha infused desserts.

Tsujiri is an authentic Japanese brand from Kyoto, making its way to the adventurous flavor palette of the Filipinos. You’ll never go wrong with Tsujiri as they have been expertly serving the best quality green tea for over 155 years! They have perfected the technique on how to bring out the best aroma and flavor of green tea to ensure satisfaction of all Matcha lovers. 

They offer a delectable array of matcha desserts- from cakes to ice creams and pastries. But one of their most impressive creation is the Tsujiri float- literally the matcha lover’s dream dessert. A succulent combination of iced matcha topped with creamy vanilla ice cream. You can also add red bean balls or a gooey type of mochi called Shiratama. What a feast of sweet treats!

Tsujiri has certainly captured the hearts of the Filipinos as it has a lot of branches all over the Metro. You can find them at S Maison, The Podium, SM Aura, Vertis North, Greenbelt 5 and Rockwell.

4. Chocolate Dream Cake by Le Sucre Lab Chocolates

A sinful confection made of exquisite chocolate layers, topped with cocoa powder dusting, this dessert gives enough credence to its name, Chocolate Dream Cake.

Dressed in a beautiful copper tin can, this cake is not just a blissful feast in your mouth, but in your Instagram feed as well!

This showstopping cake is just six inches in diameter and two inches deep. But don’t let it’s size deceive you, this petite cake is filled with mouthwatering chocolate flavors and textures for an irresistible chocolate experience. Famous for its subtle sweetness and hints of bitter chocolate taste, you can finish one can on your own as every bite leads to another one!

You can check them on their Facebook page for inquiries and you may order in their walk-in store at Market Plaza Building, Sta Ana, Manila.

5. Bacon Brickle Rolled Ice Cream by Elait

PHOTO SOURCE: www.facebook.com/elaitph

Hands down to this fearless flavor combination of sweet and savory rich ice cream topped with pretzel, bacon, and caramel sauce.

What makes this even more worthy for your time is watching your ice cream dessert come to life in an artisanal masterpiece that tastes as good as it looks. Truly gives happiness in a cup!

Elait’s name was actually inspired by the word “Elate”, which means to make someone ecstatically happy and “Lait”, a French word for milk. A genius play of words for a genius ice cream dessert.

Elait is also actively supporting the Philippine Deaf Community by having deaf partners to serve you. There’s a guide posted in their store so you can conveniently order using basic sign language- giving you a new skill as well!

You can find Elait at Century City Mall, Makati.

If your taste buds haven’t landed yet on these amazing desserts, you’re missing a treat. So make sure to add these delectable desserts on your bucket list for 2019!

In the Philippines, there are a lot of noodle soup dishes in the food market. There’s Lomi of Batangas, La Paz Batchoy and Pancit Molo of Iloilo, and if you already visited Binondo in Manila I’m pretty sure you have already tasted some chinese noodle food there. We love these kind of dishes may it be on hot and most especially when the wheather is cold and rainy. 

Anyway, if you love these noodle soup dishes that I mentioned above, then you will definitely like those cart noodle-type being sold in the streets of HongKong like specifically in Wing Kee Noodles located at Sugar street Causeway Bay. We really added this to our itenerary when we visited Hong Kong since it is one of the popular must-try resto there.

Since this food establishment is quite small, it easily gets full with diners. Make sure that your patience is up if you want to eat here. And better be ready to line up because lots of tourists and even locals go to this place. Thank God we got there early and we did not have to fall in line.

Wing Kee Noodles practices a communal-style set up where round tables and seats are placed very close to each other. If you are in a group, expect to be seated on different tables, next to a stranger. You can bring your own utensils(chopsticks, spoon, and fork) if you are kinda sensitive about cleanliness.

How to order?

1. Choose the noodles that you want: Yellow Noodle, Egg Noodle, Rice Vermicelli, Rice Noodle, and White Flat Noodle.
2. Choose your topping/s(see photos above) You pay based on how many toppings you. So for 1-2 toppings plus your choice of noodles it is priced at HKD32, for 3 toppings plus noodles- HKD38 and for 4 types of toppings plus noodles-HKD44. Prices are subjected to change without prior notice. If you don’t want any toppings, just noodle and broth, you just pay HKD17.
3. ENJOY all your choices mixed together with a very flavorful broth in one bowl .

Wanna know what I ordered? For the toppings, I chose 3: Tripe, Octopus Slide and Dried Tofu. For the noodles, I chose the egg noodle. In all fairness, the toppings were really big slices. The soup broth tastes really good! my mom, dad, and sister(in eyeglasses) got 3 toppings too for their bowl of goodness. my gosh! Ang sarap! Promise, super sulit!

By the way, they don’t accept credit/debit card for payment. Cash only.

Overall, the dining experience was very good. And thank God my family get to seat beside each other during our turn and was able to enjoy every bite, every sip, every chew together. It’s really worth the try! You must try it too!

Wing Kee Noodles Branches:

G/F, 27A Sugar Street, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong Island- Phone: (852) 2808 2877

G/F, 43 Jardine Street, Causeway Bay

1 Tin Lok Lane, Wan Chai

CF 2, Lower Wong Tai Sin Estate Lung Lok House, Wong Tai Sin

Yuletide season is one of the happiest and busiest times of the year. Everyone is preoccupied attending parties here and there, shopping for presents, and buying stuff in preparation for the Noche Buena.

Speaking of Noche Buena, we usually don’t practice the “wait for midnight thingy Christmas celebration” like others. We usually do our celebration in the afternoon of the 25th where my family, together with my relatives (mother side), gather at the year’s host family’s house or venue (if they opted to have the reunion on other location).

Photo Credit: Hehersone Reyes

Compared to others, our main clan is just small which through the years grew to about 30 consisting of my aunts, uncles and cousins, our family also included. Wow! We are now getting bigger. Hahaha! Well, the more the merrier right?

We do games, gift-giving, the usual kwentuhan and tawanan and of course one of the best parts of the program… eating😂. It has been this way since I was little.

When it comes to food… each family brings an assigned dish/snacks/or drinks. This year, my family is tasked to bring roasted chicken and backed macaroni.

As for me, I would like to give my own share and I will be bringing something BIG for the whole clan to much on. Perfect for my clan’s growing number. Can you guess?

Our Jack ‘n Jill snacks favorites, now in big Party Packs that are perfect for sharing, especially for a growing clan like ours! They’re also easy on the pocket at P65 for Piattos, and P41.90 for Chippy and Chiz Curls. Truly, happiness comes in BIG packages.

These Jack n’ Jill Party Packs Jack n’ Jill Party Packs are available for a limited time only this holiday seasonThese Jack n’ Jill Party Packs Jack n’ Jill Party Packs are available for a limited time only this holiday season. Time to hoard and make sure I have enough for other get-togethers with friends and family!

I was in chocolate haven! That’s what I’m thinking when I entered the newly opened branch of Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, premium chocolatier and cafe located in Molino Lifestyle Center, Alabang. Their 2nd branch to date. They also have one in Shangri-la Mall in Mandaluyong.

Satisfying my sweet cravings will never be a problem in this place. Just by stepping in the store, I can already smell the sweet aroma from the wide-array of mouth-watering selection. That’s about 40 varieties of chocolatey perfection! YUMMMMY!

Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory is all about the experience. From the distinct chocolate-filled window display to the cozy factory theme where you can best appreciate the shop’s hand-dipped caramel apples, freshly dipped bananas, cheesecakes, cato truffles, chocolate covered potato chips and larger-than-life chocolates. They also serve their signature beverages such as, lattes, frappes, etc.

How Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory started?

It all started from the shop’s small town origins in Durango, Colorado, then a quaint Victorian-era town set amidst a backdrop of majestic, snowcapped mountains, where people are defined by their commitment to good craft and quality.

When founder Frank Crail moved his family from congested Southern California, he set up a 53, 000 square foot chocolate factory located on the tow’s outskirts.

From that store, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory was brought in by Royal Bear Confectioneries Inc. and has expanded to hundreds of chocolate shops throughout the United States, Canada, the Middle East, and now…Asia-Pacific.

Going back, at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Philippines Molito branch, there are new offerings which are exclusive to this first store in the south such as follows (I was able to try some):

1. Signature Triple Chocolate Soft Serve– Decadent soft serve made with real chocolate on a crunchy chocolate waffle cone.
2. Signature Chocolate Shots (available on weekends only)– Made with rich Rocky Mountain chocolate then filled with light cream and strawberry. I was able to try this one and it was really good. It’s really a nice idea for a chocolate which serves as an edible shot glass. If only I can have more strawberries hahaha!. The strawberry-cream-and chocolate combo were superb!
3. Chocolate Lava Cake and Brownie Ala Mode-both served with vanilla ice cream and a dollop of chocolate.
4. Sandwiches and Pies– Puff pastries with sausage, chicken curry, chili con came, or tuna toasted to perfection. For those not into chocolates, you can have these to savour.

Check out Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory Cafe Molito’s signature beverages menu above.

From 1981 until today, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory has built a loyal international following based on its high quality products. Knowing that, it would definitely be a very nice gift for your friends and loved ones in time for celebrations, gatherings and this Christmas season as well.

For more information and inquiries about Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, you may visit.www.rmcf.com or follow them onInstagram: @rockymountainph and Facebook.com/RockyMountainchocolateFactoryPH.