Pinoy Food & Other Cuisine :: Food PhotoBlog and Events

7-Eleven Unveils Big Bite ® Match Hotdog Eating Contest.

Noemi — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 11:12:53 +0000

I never thought that Eating Contests was some kind of sport until today during the unveiling of the 7-11 Big Bite Match that is. From June-26 to August 15, Filipino eating machines can prove their gastronomic mettle by going to the nearest 7-Eleven outlets and finishing 5 hotdogs in the shortest time possible. The fastest eaters from 7-Eleven stores nationwide will compete in the culminating event. And in the final Big Bite Match, the champion gurgitator will receive Php 500, 000 in cash.

So you think that finishing a hotdog in less than 5 minutes is a big challenge? Not in my wildest dreams!

In 2007, 24 year-old Joey Chestnut won the 92nd Annual Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Contest. He gobbled 66 hotdog sandwiches in 12 minutes.

Joey Chestnut is but one of the rising superstars in the field of competitive eating. Competitive eating is an activity in which participants compete against each other to consume large quantities of food in a short time period. Contests are typically less than 15 minutes in length, with the person consuming the most food being declared the winner.

Competitive eaters or “gurgitators,” say that just like bodybuilders or marathoners, their success results from intensive training. But far from them requiring just physical training, they need mental preparedness as well.

7-Eleven Philippines flew in internationally renowned competitive eater Tom “Goose” Gilbert to serve as an inspiration to aspiring Filipino gurgitators.

Since Competitive Eating is a relatively new sport, 7-Eleven thought of showing an example on how the rest of the world is doing it. Of course, there is no better way to do this than by bringing in a champion like Tom Goose.

Tom Goose defeated several veteran professional eaters at the 2nd annual World Italian Sausage Eating Championship in 2006. Currently, he is the world record holder in chicken wings eating and has other titles under his belt. It was exciting to watch him gobble 10 hotdogs. I noticed that he ate the hotdogs first, then dunk the bun on the drink so it’s easy to slide down the throat.

Check this video out to see some tips on winning a Hotdog Eating Contest.

During the event, two sets with two participants each tried to compete with Tom Gilbert but still Tom finished it first in 3 minutes and 23 seconds. My gosh, I wonder if someone ever puked in these competitive eating matches.

I know I’ll never be a gurgitator but surely, I can have a photo op with Tom Goose Gilbert

And Manny…rather a Manny Pacquiao look-a-like.

Until August 15, Filipino eating machines can go to the nearest 7-Eleven store in their area and avail of the Big Bite Pack that contains five hotdog sandwiches of their choice and one Big Gulp. To start the journey to hotdog munching supremacy, participants should finish the five sandwiches in the shortest time possible. The fastest eaters from 7-Eleven stores nationwide will compete in a grand culminating event where only one will be proclaimed champion and will receive Php 500, 000 in cash.

7-Eleven is celebrating its 25th year of being the largest convenience store chain in the Philippines. For inquiries about franchising, please contact the Customer Hotline at 724-10-31 or the Mobile Hotline at 0920-945-2036. Big Bite ® Match is the biggest competitive eating event in the Philippines visit www.eatingmachinesphilippines.com/ for more information.
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You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

Winners of Krispy Kreme Dozen Doughnut Treats

Noemi — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 03:09:16 +0000

My gosh 123 comments!

Congratulations to the 12 Winners of the Father’s Day Treat from Krispy Kreme. I am in the process of contacting all of you but it would help me very much if you also contact me at noemidado@gmail.com if you didn’t receive my email. T o those that have emailed me, I am just waiting for the others to send me their email.

Send me your full name, postal address, cellphone number so that the gift check can be sent to your address. I need all your data in before I send the list of winners to the PR company of Krispy Kreme.

Congratulations to the winners!

June 19- Ria of http://yapatoots.blogspot.com/
June 20- Jocelyn Robosa of http://joyfulgiver.blogspot.com/
June 21- Churwyn of http://www.churwyn-mybloginvasion.blogspot.com/
June 22- ApplesH of http://kubiertos.com
June 23- Edelweiza of http://www.edelweiza.com/
June 24- AidiSan
June 25- Phaelun of http://www.phaelun.com/
June 26-Rechelle
June 27- Jologs Mommy- http://www.entrepremom.blogspot.com/
June 28- Pam
June 29- Grace de Leon http://sweetdreams-eighteen.blogspot.com/
June 30- Richard Mamuyac of http://astig316.blogspot.com/

You can only win once so others get a chance. I also reserve the right to remove you as a winner if you won in my other friends’ food blog holding the same contest.
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Tulipan Spanish Bar, The Establisment at The Fort

Noemi — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 05:33:16 +0000

If the Philippines is a “third world country in first world drag,” then The Establishment at the Fort is the country’s gaudiest and most pretentious accessory. Some people may be relieved that the country finally has a fine dining establishment that rivals those found in Singapore and Shanghai, but considering how only a handful of people can afford to dine here, it seems almost indecent to put up a place like this.

The Establishment is actually a restaurant complex made up of four establishments: the Tulipan Spanish Bar, the Hall Spanish Tapas Restaurant, The Crystal Room French Fine Dining, and the Oriental Chinese Restaurant. I would normally not go to a place like this of my own choosing but an event I attended several days ago was held at the Tulipan Spanish bar, where the food was served in tiny, fine dining portions.

For appetizers, we were served asparagus and a salad. Presentation of the salad is excellent.

Seared Salmon as my choice of the main course was alright.

Creme Brulee dessert was just too sweet. It tasted like packaged dessert from the supermarket shelves.

Perhaps this is how the elite like to enjoy their meals, but the service was unbelievably slow – and expensive. I checked the menu. The whole meal lasted an hour and a half, from appetizers to dessert. I attribute my crankiness and irritability because of the slow service. I had to call the waitress to feed me already because I was that hungry but she said they had to follow a sequence. I insisted that they bring me a meal and they did five minutes later.

Yes, I am a diabetic and the small portions just didn’t satiate my hunger.

Would I ever come here as a paying customer? Definitely not, and unless you care about being seen rubbing elbows with Philippine high society, I wouldn’t recommend going here especially for events. They can’t handle large number of diners unless you are willing to wait. The least they could do is serve generous portions of appetizers or side dishes while the customer is waiting for the next dish.

But don’t take my word for it, go ahead and check it out,

Contact The Establishment
Unit A, The Fort Entertainment Complex, 26th St. cor. 5th Ave., Fort Bonifacio
Taguig, Metro Manila
(02) 844-6364————————————

Brunch with Bobby Chinn at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

Noemi — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 06:59:40 +0000

Saturday mornings usually mean waking up late. No appointments, No events. Today was different. I already marked my calendar two weeks ago for today’s event. All I know is that I’d be feasting on brunch with Discovery Travel and Living’s World Cafe Asia star Bobby Chinn. Brunch is a practice I normally follow on weekends when I get to sleep in. I look forward to brunch as the best meal of the day. You don’t have to wake up early, you get to enjoy a leisurely breakfast. But who is Bobby Chinn? Honestly, I’ve just heard the name Bobby Chinn but never really followed the show.

As soon as he started talking of his journey from banker in Wall Street to waiter-slash-standup comic to celebrity chef in Vietnam, I got hooked. He is such an engaging speaker even made interesting because of the challenges that faced him as he set up his restaurants in Vietnam.

Bobby received a BA in Finance and Economics, moved to New York City and began working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange at 11 Wall Street. Quickly disillusioned, he left in search of something/anything that he loved. He tried a bit of everything – from attempting to sell seafood to the mob, to stand up comedy – and along the way, he also discovered his love and talent for cooking. To make ends meet, Bobby worked as a runner, busboy, and server in various restaurants. His culinary education began in earnest when, while waiting tables, he began hanging out in the kitchen of Elka, a cutting-edge, Franco-Japanese restaurant in San Francisco. Later, renowned chef Hubert Keller of Fleur De Lys took Bobby in and enabled him to further develop his skills. He would later work with chefs Jeffery Inahara, Traci des Jardin, and Gary Danko. After reading Burgundy Stars, he went off to apprentice in Bordeaux and Paris. Chinn has run several highly acclaimed restaurants in Vietnam before opening Restaurant Bobby Chinn, including Camargue, Saigon Joe’s in Ho Chi Minh City, Miro, and the Red Onion Bistro in the Hanoi Towers (formerly the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison).

(Source : Squidoo)

He has been through a lot and admire him for venturing out of his comfort zone and giving up a huge income opportunity. I also believe money is not everything.

Bobby run several highly acclaimed restaurants in Vietnam before opening Restaurant Bobby Chinn, including Camargue, Saigon Joe’s in Ho Chi Minh City, Miro, and the Red Onion Bistro in the Hanoi Towers (formerly the infamous “Hanoi Hilton” prison). Now he owns his own Asian Fusion restaurant in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Here is a video snippet on how he got discovered by, well, Discovery Channel:

Bobby also talked about the origins of the word “brunch” from Guy Beringer who says that “brunch is cheerful sociable and inciting. It is talk compelling and puts you in a good temper.” My gosh, if I had Bobby Chinn for brunch every weekend, that’s an added treat.

As Bobby continued on with his life story, the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s served us their brunch, Salmon Scramble which is my favorite because I avoid eating red meat. If that is not your cup of tea, they also serve other brunch selections such as Brek O’ Day, Muffins, Eggs Ben and an assortment of Tea Lattes. Chicago Cheesecake, Camembert Oreo Cheese Tart, Choco Fudge, Warm Chocolate Cake, Lemon Squares and Triple Berry Coffee Cake to satisfy your sweet tooth.”

My brunch at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and listening to Bobby Chinn definitely made my day.

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is located at TriNoMa, SM The Block, Gateway, Ortigas Park, Paseo Center, Bonifacio High Street, Mall of Asia, Convergys Ayala Avenue, Salcedo Village, Alabang Town Center, Rockwell, Robinson’s Ermita, Grreenhills Promenade, Robinson’s Galleria, eastwood, Tomas Morato and 2 more branches in Cebu. Visit their website at http://www.coffeebean.com.ph.

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Win Krispy Kreme Dozen Doughnut Treats Daily Till June 30

Noemi — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:21:27 +0000

No kid can resist donuts, especially when they’re topped with peanut butter cream and Reese’s peanut butter, like the new Krispy Kreme Classic Peanut Butter and Stripes donut. This limited edition donut is selling from June 9 until June 30 only – just in time for Father’s Day festivities with the whole family!

In line with Father’s day, Pinoy Food Blog is holding a contest daily and giving away treats till June 30. Here is how to join.

Contest Mechanics

Share your sweetest gesture you gave your dad and greet him online to get a Special treat from Krispy Kreme. Just leave a comment and you might actually walk away with a dozen doughnut treats from Krispy Kreme.

There will be one (1) daily winner of One (1) Dozen worth of Krispy Kreme Gift Certificates till June 30. . That means Pinoy Food Blog will be giving away 12 boxes of 12 doughnuts/box to 12 lucky comment posters. Now how yummy can that be?

Make sure to leave a valid email address so that I can inform you in case you win a box of doughnuts. I will then ask you to email me your full name and address for the delivery of the gift check.

Hope you take advantage of this contest. I lost my dad six years ago and miss him very much. The sweetest gesture I ever gave my dad was when I call him “daddy old boy”. He was so touched, he gave me a tight hug as I walked with him.

List of Winners to be posted here daily
Note: You can only win once so others get a chance. I also reserve the right to remove you as a winner if you won in my other friends’ food blog holding the same contest.
Winners please contact me at noemidado@gmail.com if you didn’t receive my email

Send me your full name, postal address, cellphone number

Krispy Kreme Rolls Out New Donuts for Father’s Day

Lauren — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 05:59:33 +0000

Everybody loves donuts! Whether they’re the glazed variety or loaded with lots of sugar, nobody will turn down a donut for this reason, donuts are the most versatile desserts for parties and special occasions. Celebrate Father’s Day with new offerings from Krispy Kreme – Classic Peanut Butter and Stripes donuts. These sweet ring donuts are made with Resse’s Peanut Butter and peanut butter kreme, then topped with graham cracker chunks. As a finishing touch, the donuts are striped with rich chocolate or caramel or caramel sauce.

Krispy Kreme’s Classic Peanut Butter and Stripes donuts are available from June 9 to June 30 only! Head over to the nearest store and try them out hot and fresh while you still can.

For more details, visit visit www.chocolatekarnival.com or www.krispykreme.com.ph.————————————

Ice Cream Cake at the Nestle Creamery

Lauren — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 04:05:31 +0000

Since I work right from home and deal with clients directly, I’m never aware of any holidays nor am I given the day off when there is one. Perks of going freelance: any day can be treated like a holiday if you know how to manage your time! After a heavy brunch, I spent Independence Day working at my boyfriend’s place. It was a warm sunny afternoon, too pretty to be stuck indoors, and halfway through work I started getting stir-crazy. My boyfriend suggested that we head over to the Nestle Creamery for some ice cream cake, which turns out to be a five minute walk away from his place.

I’m not actually supposed to be patronizing or encouraging people to buy Nestle products because they overwork their cows and treat their farmers poorly, but my curiosity made me cave and try out the Eskimo Decadent Cake my boyfriend has been raving about. For an ice cream cake, it’s pretty reasonably priced – only P95 for a slice. You’d be hard-pressed to find a slice of ice cream cake selling for that cheap, but I suppose you can still make a profit out of low prices if your employees are underpaid.

Besides an extensive ice cream menu that’s almost as large as I am, the Nestle Creamery offers a large selection of “real food”. A friend told me that their chicken with mango salsa was absolutely delicious, but we were simply too full to try it out. Next time, perhaps.

So what exactly is this Eskimo Decadent Cake? It’s two layers of chocolate ice cream sandwiched in between chocolate cookie crusts, then covered with chocolate and caramel sauce. They didn’t go cheap on the cookie crusts, which meant that a bite of the ice cream cake felt like you were eating an actual cake – except real cakes don’t contain creamy creamy ice cream in the middle.

The Eskimo Decadent Cake alone is enough to make me want to return to the Creamery for more. If only Nestle treated their laborers fairly!————————————

Gelato at Caramia Greenhills

Lauren — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 04:10:41 +0000

I remember the days when Amici was still the cafeteria run by the Salesians of Don Bosco. My old high school had a lot of interactions with Don Bosco Mandaluyong and Makati, and we spent quite a bit of time eating ice cream at Amici back then. I didn’t realize that Amici went on a major expansion boom after they had been bought by the former owners of Red Ribbon, resulting in a drastic improvement on the menu and food quality.

After hearing Sunday mass, I went to Amici at Greenhills with the boyfriend and his family for his birthday dinner. Though I wasn’t able to take photos of our meal, I was able to document our dessert. I didn’t know that the gelato (that’s Italian for “ice cream”, you uncultured lout) served at Amici got rebranded into the gelateria Caramia, the dessert wing of the restaurant. I remember they only had around ten or so flavors back then. Today, the gelato at Caramia comes in 18 mouthwatering flavors: pistachio, sans rival, strawberry supreme, mango jubilee, straciatella (nutella), mint with chocolate, espresso, choco with nuts, blueberry supreme, nocciola, guianduia, mango classic, vanilla, ube, macapuno, pineapple, banana, and cioccolato.

A scoop of ice cream costs P50 while a tub goes for around P490. If I weren’t so full from dinner, I would have tried two flavors, but now it looks like I’ll have to go back when the weather becomes warmer!

If you add P10, you can have your ice cream served in a waffle cone or a waffle bowl. I only ordered a scoop of ice cream but wow, they’re really generous with the servings.

Caramia also carries gelato cakes in six flavors: banana blast, spumoni surprise, choco sans rival, merry berries, mango sans rival, and choco tartulo. Why didn’t I hear of this place before my birthday??

Amici and Caramia can be found at Greenhills, Tomas Morato, Don Bosco Makati, and SM Megamall Atrium.————————————

Gigi’s Custaroons

Noemi — Tue, 26 May 2009 02:56:11 +0000

I love macaroons as much as the next person who enjoys sweets and coconut-flavored things. But you know what’s even better than macaroons? Custaroons! Specifically, Gigi’s custaroons. You will probably see a lot of Gigi’s Custaroons in food blogs. Gigi Gaerlan herself, surfed for food blogs offering food bloggers a chance to taste her Custaroons. Gigi claims to have invented the recipe and coined word Custaroons but you might ask….

What are custaroons? They’re essentially macaroons – tiny cupcakes made out of dessicated coconut – but instead of a milk, egg, and butter base, they’re made out of a soft and creamy custard and topped with a chewy buttery crust. Because the custard is rich and thick, one custaroon is enough for a satisfying dessert – or breakfast, if you like eating sweets first thing in the morning. Custaroons come in two flavors: original and cheese.

I don’t really think Custaroons is an invention. More of an innovation of the macaroons with a softer texture and less sweet taste. I must applaud Gigi for going out of her way to make her Custaroons be known to foodies.

Price List
ORIGINAL

box of 12:P 270.00
box of 24:P 490.00
bite-size|box of 54:P 400.00
bite-size|box of 108:P 735.00

CHEESE

box of 12:P 320.00
box of 24:P 540.00
bite-size|box of 54:P 450.00
bite-size|box of 108:P 835.00

(half original.half cheese) ASSORTED

box of 12:P 300.00
box of 24:P 520.00
bite-size|box of 54:P 430.00
bite-size|box of 108:P 790.00

You can also add some zing to your party with these Custaroon Poppers – soft, bite-sized custaroons covered in premium cocoa powder. Box of 36 is 220 pesos.

To order, contact Gigi at 0917-828-2929 or visit their website at custaroons.com.————————————

Sebastian’s Ice Cream at the Podium

Lauren — Fri, 22 May 2009 05:28:24 +0000

After our flavorful Indian dinner at New Bombay, my boyfriend and I had some time to kill before our movie began. While walking around the Podium checking out random clothes stores, my boyfriend suddenly stopped and asked if I wanted ice cream. Still full from dinner I said, “No, not really, why?” He told me that we just passed by a Sebastian’s, and that they have the best ice cream sandwiches around.

Sebastian’s, according to my boyfriend, was a well-kept secret of the Republic of Alabang he managed to sniff out when he once asked his friends about where he can find ice cream sandwiches. Seeing as he doesn’t go to Alabang at all, he decided he’d just have to find another ice cream place – until he saw a Sebastian’s at The Block in SM North. That was when he first tried out their huge ice cream sandwiches at P 120 per.

Since we were both pretty full, we decided to share one chocolate cookie dough ice cream sandwich. And as soon as I saw the size of this thing, I started half-wishing I had more room in my tummy!

The ice cream sandwich at Sebastian’s isn’t just plain ice cream placed in between two cookies – I’m talking about a rich frozen confection covered in all sides with crushed cookies and giant chocolate chips. But what makes eating a Sebastian ice cream sandwich so delightful – well, this particular one anyway – is that the texture of the ice cream is made rich by walnut bits and dark chocolate chunks. And once you get to the center, you get to chomp on buttery cookie dough! Since it’s so large, it’s perfect for sharing with a fellow ice cream/cookie dough lover, which makes the P120 well worth it. Sebastian’s also has regular ice cream scoops at around P60 per scoop, but I think eating an ice cream sandwich is more fun and dynamic.

Sebastian’s can be found at the third level of the Podium, Alabang Town Center Entertainment Center, and The Block SM North.————————————