Drink your way to good health with Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) newest beverage offering, Yin Yang cooling tea. Yin Yang Cooling tea is inspired by a Chinese belief that good health begins by maintaining balance in the body. According to a traditional Chinese belief, our body has a condition which is called “internal heat.

Yin Yang Cooling Tea

Yin Yang Cooling Tea is a ready-to-drink tea, freshly brewed from green tea leaves of Camellia Sinensis with three traditional Chinese cooling herbs, Mesona leaves, Camellia sinensis, Liquorice Root and Chrysanthemum flower. These herbs will definitely provide the balance your body needs to meet life’s daily challenges.

Yin Yang’s non-carbonated and deliciously refreshing flavor, of black gulaman, a local favorite of Filipinos, is the perfect drink for every meal. Conveniently packed in sip and seal bottles which are easy to carry around, Yin Yang Cooling tea is perfect for young and health conscious individuals who are on the go. Restore and refresh your body’s balance naturally with new Yin and Yang cooling tea. Now available in leading supermarkets, groceries and convenience stores nationwide.

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After the successful launch of their colorful bite-size Mini doughnuts, Krispy Kreme once again launched another first – The Krispy Kreme Pull Aparts and Kruffins.

Are you Sweet or Savory?

Introduced first in the Philippines, this mouthwatering baked creations will definitely satisfy your cravings.

I personally met Chef Rick Cavanaugh – the mastermind of the two new mouthwatering confections. He is very excited about the launch and he hopes to visit the country again to introduce new Krispy Kreme products and to dive in the Philippines best dive spots.

With Chef Rick Cavanaugh

Kruffins, an American style hand made muffin-with-a-hole filled with rich and delicious fruits, nuts or chocolate with varieties which include Double Chocolate, Apple Streussel, Blueberry and Classic Kruffin.

Foodies and Pinoy Bloggers

I was able to try their new Double Chocolate Kruffins and I loved it! Its not too sweet and since its freshly baked, It perfectly matched with my freshly brewed latte:)

Cheese and Cinnamon Pull Aparts

The Pull Aparts – the North Carolina original hand-rolled balls of dough, pulled apart and laid to form a doughnut like sweet bread, filled with sweet or savory varieties such as Cheese, Bacon & Cheese, Sausage & Cheese and Cinnamon.

Blueberry Kruffins

Unlike in the United States where Doughnuts are enjoyed as a breakfast meal, Filipinos loves eating doughnuts during snacks with Krispy Kreme’s freshly brewed Signature Coffee.

Apple Streussel Kruffins

“Krispy Kreme is a brand for sharing – which makes it a well-loved doughnut chain in the Philippines and the rest of the world,” says Mark Gamboa, Marketing Manager of Krispy Kreme. “The introduction of the Baked Creations of Krispy Kreme here in the country is our way of showing our eagerness to give Filipinos something delightfully new to share and enjoy everyday.”

Karla, Sha and Dante

In the Philippines, the popularity of the doughnut chain grew the moment it came in 2006 at its very first branch at Bonifacio High Street in Taguig. And with the fresh, mouthwatering pastries that come out of Krispy Kreme’s conveyor belt, its fame is destined to glaze everyone soon.

With KitchenCow.com

Grab the new Krispy Kreme baked creations soon to come in the dougnut chain’s Greenhills and Ayala stores. You may also visit any of the following Krispy Kreme Branches: Bonifacio High Street, Greenhills Shopping Center Drive-Thru, SM Mall of Asia, Trinoma Cinema Level, SM Megamall, SM Mall of Asia Drive-Thru, Ayala Avenue, Robinsons Galleria, Gateway Mall, Glorietta 4, SM City Annex (North EDSA), Annex 2 SM Fairvew, Eastwood, Marquee Mall Pampanga, SM San Lazaro & SM Manila (coming soon) or call 0917-8053000 & (02) 633-2313.

Also, be sure to log on to www.krispykreme.com.ph and be a Friend of Krispy Kreme to get updates

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When I think of Singapore, I always ended up craving for Laksa and Chicken Rice. Last week, I got an sms invite for a food tasting event in one of the newest fast food in Cubao – The Original Singapore Chicken Rice. Finally, the delicious White Chicken Rice is now available in a food chain and its really really affordable. Can you imagine a set meal of Chicken Rice, ginger and chili sauce, chicken soup and freshly squeezed Calamansi Juice for only P110?

Famous Chicken Rice

Singapore Chicken Rice all started in Mandarin Orchard Hotel in Singapore and made famous by Chef Steven Lim. Now this famous award-winning food from Chatterbox is now being served in almost all five star restaurants around the world. After Chef Steven Lim – the Food and Beverage director of Mandarin Orchard Hotel retired, Shyan Lim, his son continued the legacy by establishing a restaurant wherein everyone can enjoy the popular dish in a very affordable way.

Pancit Chino

I really enjoyed the Chicken Rice, It tasted almost the same as the one I’ve had in Mandarin Hotel couple of months back. Another interesting and a must try dish in the restaurant is the Pancit Chino, for only P55 per serving – you can now enjoy a delicious stir fried egg noodles hmmm It’s definitely better than Chowking Pancit Canton. It tastes like Chow Mien but Pancit Chino is stir fried with fresh eggs before being served, adding more aroma and delightful taste.

Dinosaur Chocolate Drink

I recommend that you try their sweet Dinosaur Drink – Its a cold Indian drink made from chocolate shake (Milo) with overflowing chocolate powder on top – truly one of the best chocolate shakes Ive had in years.

Oni Dessert

Shyan Lim also let us sample their soon to be available Oni – A dessert made from Taro and Purple Yam Ice cream. This dessert is usually served after a wedding in Singapore and Malaysia.

Singapore Chicken Rice Restaurant in Cubao

Its a fine dining food in a hawkers price!!!. I will definitely go back soon to tryout other the Asian dishes on their Menu.

Singapore Chicken Rice
Unit 51 Shopwise Arcade, Gen Roxas Ave., Brgy. Socorro, Araneta Center, Cubao Q.C. (right in front of the Araneta Coliseum)
Phone Number: (63 2) 440-3888 (FREE DELIVERY minimum of P300)
Price Range: P35 – P95
Cuisine: Fusion / Asian / Singaporean Cuisine

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Text and Photos by : Leona Nepomuceno

After enjoying the cool desserts and snacks around the Bedok Hawkers Center, I cannot resist trying out their warm to hot counterparts pictured in the backlighted menu of a vegetarian stall. It reminded me of my favorite comfort food, “guinataan halo-halo” and the rest of its variants like bilo-bilo ( sticky rice balls) mais (sweet corn), and munggo(green or red bean). Most of the items in the menu are too exotic for my taste. Can you imagine snacking on “ papaya fungal “ and “Red date fungi”?

Singapore's Hot Desserts

From the menu, I chose a mono-colored warm soup in black, the sesame paste. I was imagining the scent of toasted and crushed sesame seeds , nutty and buttery.

The sesame paste was served in a small Chinese soup bowl, warm and thick. The first slurp from the Chinese spoon was tasteless and lacking in aroma. But the texture was velvet smooth and then a hint of cacao flavour fills your palate. The bold black color of the dish is the complete opposite of its uneventful flavour.

After this first disappointment in my choice of warm desserts, I go to another stall with a similar menu. The item that caught my eye was the lotus seeds soup. My only encounter with lotus seeds is through the mooncake. I always look forward to the autumn moon festival because of the mooncake with its rich creamy and sweet lotus seed filling. With this thought, how can I go wrong ?

Best Desserts in Town

A small bowl with a generous amount of halved lotus seeds in an opaque and gooey soup was handed to me. I took a mouthful of the soup and it was comfortably warm and considerably sweet. The second spoon was filled with the light yellow lotus seeds. Each morsel was tender and smooth almost milky. Chewing was almost like processing lotus cream in your mouth. It was heavenly!

Lotus seeds soup: Soup made in heaven

Warm desserts are priced from SGD 1.20 -2 at the Bedok Hawkers Center, Singapore.

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Roses are red. Violets are blue. But they’re deeply unoriginal, and costly, too.

So instead, why not spread the sweetness of the season by indulging in a love triangle—all you have to do is log on to www.toblerone.com.ph for great ideas on how to celebrate Valentines Day in sweeter and more original ways.

What’s Not to Love?

Digital Love

Log on to www.toblerone.com.ph and check out the Toblerone Fanpage where a community of like-minded, chocolate lovers await. This interactive site invites users to share their thoughts on different V-day traditions and gift ideas making it easier for singles and couples to share the sweetness of February.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Nix the roses and go for the tried and tested: chocolates. Online, you can check out Toblerone’s gift giving application, which allows you to send virtual sweet treats to friends and loved ones this Valentine’s Day.

Mix and Match

Play a little game of Cupid this season by trying out Toblerone’s matchmaking application. This fun, online application lets you mix and match buddies online to check their compatibility and romantic potential.

Be Mine

There’s no denying that love is in the air—and clearly it’s on store shelves too. Spread the sweetness literally and figuratively and grab a limited edition Valentine’s Day Toblerone.

Speed Dating

For the single and ready to mingle, be sure to head on to UNO Pizzeria Restaurant and Bar at San Miguel By the Bay on February 11 at 7pm as Toblerone, in partnership with Thinkpadd and UNO Pizzeria, hosts a Valentine’s Day speed dating exclusive.

Whether you’re basking in unbridled romance or unbridled panic—Toblerone has got you covered. Be sure to log on to www.toblerone.com.ph and discover new ways to spread the sweetness on Valentine’s Day.

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Text and Photos by : Leona Nepomuceno

I don’t really mind that it’s hot and humid in Singapore most of the time. It gives me the perpetual excuse to look around for snacks and desserts to keep my body temperature and more importantly mindset , cool. This is not a difficult fete at all. These can easily be found along the sidewalk s of Orchard road , food hawkers stalls and food courts, from Chinatown to Holland Village. It is also budgeting savvy! From sliced fruits to “sliced” ice cream, move over Haagen dazs!

Fresh Fruits in Singapore

Ice cream is commonly served in scoops in Cup, cone, tumblers, waffles and buns. But have you seen ice cream sliced and served either in a piece of sandwich bread or in between rectangular wafers? Right across the Tang’s Department Store on Orchard Road is a mobile ice cream stall with “uncle” (Philippine counterpart is “manong”) slicing carton bricks of Selecta ice cream. Most of the flavours are Asian in origin like, mango, red bean, durian, coconut and sweet corn. For those who prefer western flavours there are chocolate, peppermint choco chip, blueberry, strawberry ripple, mocha and chocolate chip.

Ice Cream Bricks

My favourite flavour is coconut with wafers. My first bite is pure pleasure of semi -sweet crunchy delight of the thin wafer followed by the creamy yet firm confection brick with tiny bits of chewy coconut- chances are this is macapuno. Yummmm……… and I bask in the cool of the moment. The ice cream is priced SGD 1 per serving.

Singaporean Desserts

How many times can one hear about choosing fruits for desserts as a healthy option? More than enough, I guess. With people on the go and in a rush, they opt for fast food and food to go. In Singapore, fruits are also sold conveniently “to go”. Oh yes, they have these in Bangkok and Manila too. Personally , I find this idea very handy and economical. Why would you want to buy a whole dragon fruit when you only want a slice? And for tourists and travellers this is the most convenient way to get your daily dose of vitamins, fiber and fructose without having to buy a whole fruit that you can’t really finish. Fruit stalls which sell slices of fresh fruits from melons to sour sop (guyabano) and green apples(!) in sticks can be found in most food courts and hawkers stalls. Price range from SGD .80-3.

Kowloon Sliced Ice Cream

Ice kachang is a Malay dessert sweetened with red and green colored light syrup, condensed milk, red beans and palm fruit or kaong. It has evolved into a versatile dessert or snack with the use of fresh fruits such as strawberries, mangoes, pineapple and for the adventurous , pureed dragon fruit.

Lactose-intolerant people will not miss out on these cool concoctions. The black tea jelly (black gulaman) with palm fruit (kaong) with light syrup is very ideal for weight watchers as well. But the real treat in eating this snack is the sensation of chewing several kinds of texture and yet savor the refreshing flavour of black tea with the slight sourness of the palm fruit and just a wisp of cold sweetness .

Fruit Cocktail with Calamansi

Another light and refreshing version of these icey desserts is the fruit cocktail (canned ) and almond gelatine with crushed ice and served with calamansi. This would be the best dessert right after a fiery lunch of chili crabs. A bowl of this dessert will definitely clean your palate to get ready for the next gustatory adventure.

These icey desserts can be found in Bedoc Hawkers Center.

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What is the authentic Ilonggo cuisine that is sure to satisfy finicky palates?

This question will be answered by the Iloilo Hotels, Restaurants and Resorts Association (IHRRA) as it invites everybody and unfolds the four-day Dinagyang Food Festival on January 21-25 along Delgado Iznart streets here.

Lapaz Batchoy

IHRRA president Happy Abenir said the festival will showcase the truly Ilonggo dishes and delicacies, including food specialties of different restaurants and hotels in this highly urbanized city. Abenir said the food festival will be participated in by 28 IHRRA members all based in this city to show-off the best Ilonggo food to satisfy the palate of Ilonggos and their guests.

To be made available to the public are the “inasal” or barbecued chicken, pork, catfish or “pantat”, bachoy, “sinugba nga isda”, talaba and diwal, other Ilonggo dishes with European, American and Chinese influence, and the best of local delicacies, all at affordable prices.

Adding color to the festival area will be a nightly concert by bands from Metro Manila and raffle for customers and patrons of restaurants. Abenir said that the IHRRA has advised participating food outlets to cut off the pointed end of barbecue sticks and clean the tables immediately of beer bottles to avoid any untoward incident during the festival. (PNA)

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Everyone’s idea of a perfect morning is when the sun is up and you are  seating under the tree  fronting a beautiful scenery… while enjoying a cup of coffee. That was my recollection about our recent visit in Keppel Bay for our scheduled brunch at Privé Bakery Café.

Mushroom Soup

It was my first time to visit Keppel Bay and I was really impressed with the place. Picture this, You are in a quite place located in front of a scenic yacht club with friends while waiting for your brunch to be served.

Beef Pot Pie

While the food is being prepared, I ordered Affogato with Kapiti bourbon Vanilla Ice Cream while Jan and Wilson had a freshly brewed gourmet coffee. Perfect Isn’t it?

Beef Stew

For starter, Jan and Wilson ordered Mushroom Soup – it has button mushrooms, dried forest mushrooms, chicken broth, thyme and onions. I ordered Pumpkin soup – its super thick and delicious and its made from carrots, onions, vegetable broth, pumpkin and thyme.

Beef Pot Pie

For Main Dish, I ordered Beef Pot Pie – it has shin, tendons, mushrooms, carrots, onions and celery perfectly baked inside a Puff Pastry. The pastry was light and crispy and its really complementing with the delicious beef tendon filling. Jan and Wilson had Beef Stew – It is served with mashed potato, Shin, Tendons, Mushrooms, Carrots, Onions and Celery.

Pumpkin Soup

We were not able to tryout their desserts but I will surely find time to visit Privé to try it out:)

Desserts

The restaurant is popular for their good set of Breakfast, Lunch or Brunch but apart from breakfast items, Privé also serves fresh bread, gourmet sandwiches, gourmet milkshakes, fruit shakes and mouth watering desserts. You can have wide range of appetizer and best wine collection.

More Desserts

This place is is huge enough to accommodate eighty-eight people, offering superb and relaxed alfresco dining. The interior and exterior design is wonderful and will definitely give you a relaxing atmosphere.

With Wilson Ong (STB Tour Guide ) – (Photo Courtesy of Jan Shim)

The staffs were friendly including the Vietnamese-French Manager who always finds time to check us out and made  sure everything was fine. Theres no doubt, I’ll definitely go back for more:)

Privé
2 Keppel Bay Vista
GF Marina at Keppel Bay
Tel: +65 6776 0777
http://www.prive.com.sg/
Email : info@prive.com.sg

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Our second day was all about rediscovering Singapore’s culture and heritage. After almost half day of touring China Town, Little India and Kampong Glam, we went straight to Tepak Sireh Restoran to experience some of the best tasting Malay food in Singapore.

Achar Fish Fillet

The restaurant is just a stone throw away from Istana Kampong Glam fronting a stretch of colorful shophouses. The yellow colored building may look really simple in a glance but if you are viewing it from afar, you would know that it has a colorful past. Entering the beautifully refurbished two-storey restaurant will give you a different perspective, it was totally nostalgic and worth rediscovering.

I really love the idea of restoring an old traditional house to bring its original splendour. Thanks to Professor Madya Yacob who headed the complete restoration of the building before it was opened to the public as a restaurant on Christmas day of 2003.

Together with Jan and Wilson, we were welcomed by Ben of STB and Diana inside the restaurant. We were introduced by our tour guide Wilson while entering a small function room right beside the restaurant’s entrance. It’s really nice to meet new friends specially when you share the same interest.

Sambal Goreng Pengantin

After couple of interesting exchange of ideas and experiences about food, travel, music and gadgets, the food was finaly served. Since everyone is still busy discussing things about Blogging and how events are being handled in each country, I took the opportunity to take notes about each dish and took photos of the food as well.

The only dish I completely recognized was the Beef Rendang – this dish is also a popular Halal food in the southern part of the Philippines. A bit similar to Chicken curry, they also served Ayam Lemak Cili Padi – a chicken dish cooked in coconut cream with birds eye chili as one of the main ingredients.

For the appetizer, they served Cucumber With Sambal Belacan – Its a spicy and refreshing Pickled Cucumbers.

Beef Rendang

I like the Achar Fish Fillet – it’s much like fish fillet with a thick sweet and sour sauce that we usually enjoy in most Asian restaurants. Im not quite sure it its a Nonya food but Sambal Terong Balado looks like the Chinese spicy eggplant that we regularly order in some local Chinese restaurants but since its Halal – that means it doesn’t have ground pork.

If you want to minimize your rice intake, you can definitely try Begedil – its potato patties with ground meat. Among the main dishes served, I find Sambal Goreng Pengantin similar to Filipino dish called Higado but since its Halal, it only uses mixed beef parts like liver and heart.

Ayam Lemak Cili Padi

For dessert, a variety of rice cakes was served with several fresh fruits on the side. Oh yeah the rice cakes looks and tastes something like Suman, Biko etc..

Mixed Fruits

Each dish was served in a huge plate, I knew that we cant finish all of those but I guess I was wrong coz there’s only few left..

If you plan to visit the restaurant on your next Singapore visit, consider visiting the restaurant for dinner if you hate huge crowd for you to experience the great food and the restaurants historic ambiance.

Tepak Sireh Restoran

Overall, The food quality along with all other things was really very good and it definitely pleased me a lot. Will I recommend it? Of course YES!!!

Tepak Sireh Restoran
73 Sultan Gate
Singapore
Tel: +65 6396 4373
www.tepaksireh.com.sg

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I visited a friend earlier in DOT Kalaw to give my super late Christmas present. It was still humid although it was already late in the afternoon so I decided to drop by Robinsons Place to have some refreshments. While walking along the Padre Faura wing, I saw a long queue in Razon’s of Guagua – a Kapampangan resto popular for its Halo Halo and Pancit Luglug.

Ensaymada Bites P140

Knowing myself, I don’t really mind long queues specially if it’s for something that I’m craving for. It took me around 20 minutes before I finally reached the cashier, thanks to my iPhone for entertaining me while standing along the busy hallway of the Mall.

Halo Halo P78

The Halo Halo recipe is simple and yet so addictive. Unlike the usual sandosenang Halo that we normally order in Chowking, Razon’s version only has four main ingredients. A combination of sweetened ripe (saba ) banana, soft and creamy Macapuno and Dayap (native lime) flavored Leche Flan made this Halo Halo one of the best dessert in town.

I like the super fine shaved ice that they are using, It literally melts in your mouth and with the right amount of milk – It’s definitely the Halo Halo to beat.

Ensaymada Bites P140

I also ordered Ensaymada Bites – a container full of bite size Ensaymada’s topped with cheddar cheese. There’s nothing special with their ensaymada, aside from its not served heated, I also find it too sweet and too salty.

Razon’s of GuaGua
Level 1 P Faura Hallway
Robinsons Place
Ermita Manila
Tel : 521-2466

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