Monday, October 24, 2011

Banchetto: Food Trip Heaven Galore!


Sumptuous meals at an affordable price.


Enjoy good food, good company + good music in this quirky food bazaar where different cuisines abound. Banchetto is definitely the place to go! Foodies and gourmets will surely enjoy this food heaven. Imagine a hundred of food stalls to choose from! One will surely delight in what Banchetto has to offer. Not to mention, foods are cooked before your very eyes and in an al fresco setting.




Banchetto staff eagerly sells their stuff from morning til'  midnight.

Yummy foods only found in Banchetto were a hit!

One doesn't need to go to Ilocos to have Bagnet and Empanada.

Empanada from Ilocos were made right then and there upon order.

Banchetto shirts are also up for grabs.

Pizza Galore for food enthusiasts.

Come one, come all to Banchetto here we go!

An extensive array of food stalls for everyone.

From appetizers, main dish, to desserts—there’s definitely a lot to choose from. Have your fill of sisig bagnet, kare-kare, crispy roasted lechon, spicy Bicol express, grilled seafood, baked mussels and oysters, Italian pizza, calzone and pasta, Chinese chow mien, Japanese sushi and sashimi + ramen, Belgian chocolates, yummy sweet pastries and more! Making a pact with your friends, colleagues and office mates to make Friday your official Calories Don’t Count Day!


Monday, October 17, 2011

A Food Review on Jollibee Grilled Pork Tenders


I’ve always had this issue when it comes to eating grilled pork in certain restaurants (read my previous food blog post)—you see, there’s nothing worse than eating a supposed-to-be-honest-to-goodness marinated grilled pork but with the hardness of a rubber tree. I had gone through a lot of restaurants, sometimes even those that are considered as fine dining, but I am constantly disappointed when it comes to anything grilled—either they come out too tough for my teeth to sink into or too rare that there’s literally blood oozing out of the meat, and that to me is really yucky! Forgive me for using really disgusting details, but I believe it is really necessary for me to point this out so that restaurant and fast food owners/managers would be giving more attention to the quality of their food, in both presentation and good taste.
I had recently seen the Jollibee TV advertisement on their newest food product called Jollibee Grilled Pork Tenders. I had been looking forward in trying it out; unfortunately, it’s only available in selected Jollibee outlets for now. Last Sunday evening, my fellow blogger and friend, Darryl Dial-Villena of www.foodamn.blogspot.com had to catch up for the very late dinner after watching Polecats at the Philamlife Theater in U.N. Avenue. I’ve finally had one in Jollibee Rizal Park branch in T.M. Kalaw corner Orosa Streets in Manila.
When it comes to tenderness, true to its claim, the pork is indeed very tender. It’s consistently easy to chew and cut even with a plastic fork. It literally sinks into my teeth. Yes, the pork wasn’t a challenge to chew. The only downside, in my opinion, was the taste. I don’t know how it’s done, but it’s supposed to be well marinated either in a special sauce or it is served with a barbecue type of sauce. It had actually taste so bland and insipid. It lacks the caramelized color I’ve been looking for grilled pork tenders and it is served with only soy sauce and calamansi (Philippine Lemon). If not for the lack of flavor, this dish would have been a dentures’ dream.


I wish that the people from Jollibee, particularly those that are serving this dish in selected Jollibee food chain branches, would be able to improve the quality and taste of this Jollibee Pork Tenders because what good would a pork tenderness brings if it tastes so bland? The flavors had to sink right into the pork (that’s why it’s recommended to marinate them overnight) before you grill them so that when you serve them to the customers, it had that smoky honeyed barbecue taste. And please, serve a sauce on the side, so that the customer will have an option to either smothered his/her pork tenders with sauce or hold it out.
An order of the Jollibee Pork Tenders is available at P81 for a value meal with plain rice and an 8 oz. soda of your choice. 

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this blog post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own. 

Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Vitamilk: Soya Goodness!

On a sweltering summer afternoon, a cold beverage is your best weapon against heat-induced bad moods. Vitamilk’s Soya Drink is highly addictive—and great for bright, sunny days when it’s cold, but if you opt for a hot drink, then soak its bottle in warm water. Drink up! 



Vitamilk reminds me of my growing up years drinking another brand of chocolate milk in a bottle. But this time, it’s made of good soya. Your kids won’t be able to get enough of the kid-friendly Vitamilk Soya Choco-flavored drink. It’s absolutely delightful. It also helps if you serve these drinks with an Oreo cookie or any plain biscuit for an afternoon teatime or merienda in a cheerful atmosphere conducive to some family bonding.
Vitamilk Soya Drink is affordable at P23 in leading supermarkets nationwide. It is also available in Chocolate flavor. 

Monday, October 10, 2011

Moulinex You Cook Video Recipe Competition 2011








Moulinex Philippines invites currently enrolled culinary students and hotel and restaurant management students to join the Moulinex You Cook Video Recipe Challenge 2. With the Moulinex You Cook Video Recipe Challenge contest, culinary students from all over the Metro will have the opportunity to produce their own sumptuous recipes on video and have a chance to win amazing prizes not only for themselves, but also for their mentors and their schools. 

Contestants must be at least 18 years of age and currently enrolled as a student chef for a diploma or certificate course from any culinary school or a Hotel and Restaurant Management or equivalent from any college or university in Metro Manila.  Purchase of Moulinex products is not required.
Recipe Requirements: They must create an original recipe based from this year’s theme: Filipino and International Fusion Cuisine. And they must clearly show the food ingredients, standard measurements, complete preparation instructions, cooking time, temperatures and number of servings. It has to be prepared using at least one Moulinex appliance (Moulinex shall provide the appliances to participating schools upon request, at least 3 days before the day of use.) The video has a maximum allowable time of 10 minutes. 


The video must be sent on a CD format with the downloadable entry form (found on their website at www.moulinexyoucook.ph) + picture of the contestant + curriculum vitae and a copy of the contestant’s school I.D. (to prove that he/she is currently enrolled). There will be 16 semifinalists, 8 finalists and 1 Grand winner, 1 Runner-up + 6 consolation prizes. 
Criteria for the video will be the following:
Creativity + Originality—20%
Ease of Preparation—20%
Optimization of Moulinex Products—20%
Visual Appeal—15%
Video Presentation—15%
Pleasing Personality—10%
Prizes at Stake:
Grand Prize Winner:
Contestant: P40, 000 cash, Stay and Learn Program inclusive of an overnight stay of Intercontinental Hotel, Moulinex Master Chef Tour, gift packs from sponsors and a Certificate of Recognition.
Mentor: P5, 000 cash, P5, 000 worth of Moulinex products and gift packs from sponsors.
School: P25, 000 worth of Moulinex products and an F & B/Cooking Seminar for selected students courtesy of Intercontinental Hotel.


Second Prize:
Contestant: P20, 000 cash, gift vouchers from Intercontinental Hotel, gift packs from sponsors and a Certificate of Recognition.
Mentor: P4, 000 cash, P3, 000 worth of Moulinex products and gift packs from sponsors.
School: P15, 000 worth of Moulinex products.
6 Consolation prizes of P5, 000 cash each for the other 6 finalists and Certificate of Participation.
Submission of Entries: September 26, 2011-November 15, 2011
Deadline of Entries: November 10, 2011 (6:00PM)
Qualifying Round: November 11,2011 (Judging: 1:00-6:00 PM)
Semi-Finals: November 18, 2011
Grand Finals: December 3, 2011

Just to give you some ideas on how to make your own video cooking presentation, here's the video of last year's Grand prize winner, Ms. Nerissa Martinez from First Gourmet Culinary Academy.


During the contest launch, the judges had also given out a few tips for you to find out what are the things they'll be looking for from the students who will join the contests. Hear from the judges bits of tips and advices on how to make the perfect video for the said contest:





For more details and information, visit their website www.moulinexyoucook.com or email moulinexyoucook@gmail.com
Contact Mr. Marvin Mancera, Brand Marketing Assistant-Moulinex at 681-6161 or 681-6163.