I hope they’d consider making the drink a regular offering. Although the ones they have now are also good. I’ve been visiting Bo’s Coffee for quite sometime now whenever I’m at Robinson’s Galleria. I am aware that this coffee company is a 100% Filipino enterprise, unlike other coffee shops in the country that were franchised overseas. But the bloggers event was quite an eye-opener for me because I learned more about how they operate.

Take for example their coffee beans which they source from Batangas, Cavite and the Cordilleras. Marketing Manager Ms. Ana Benitez, shared that they make sure that the beans are served soon after it’s roasted. Bo’s Coffee’s Logistics and Sourcing Department monitors inventory at their warehouse and stores so that they are able to maintain sufficient stock levels of coffee beans. They shared that although coffee beans expire in 6 months after roasting, it has been the company’s practice to serve coffee within a month after the beans are roasted.

With that knowledge, I understood why Biscotti Amaretto and the other coffee-based drinks offered at Bo’s Coffee has that bold coffee taste that I don’t get to experience elsewhere. I love coffee hot or cold and I love it strong. With other coffee shops, I had to order an extra dose of coffee just to get that strong flavor. With the company’s plan for expansion, I look forward to seeing a store near me. For the meantime, I’ll keep enjoying this summer treat — Biscotti Amaretto.

But little did we know that we’re in for some more treat — food, music, take-home goodies — all courtesy of Chef Hasset Go and the sponsors coordinated by Mediactiv8 headed by Mr. Mark Joseph Delgado. The event was hosted by DJ Churley of 101.9 Tambayan and Ms. Kathy Solis of ABS-CBN who did a great job in keeping the ball rolling despite a technical problem with the sound system. Chef Nando of Los Hermanos started it off with a cooking demo of his famous Paella.

Entertainment followed courtesy of Boyz Next Door and Aisaku who were present to support their friend, Chef Hasset.

The time came for the man of the hour to do his demo. He first cooked a pasta, then assembled his very own creation — the Tower Pastry — to which I had the chance to devour with other blogger friends.

We won the challenge! But more than that, I finally got to taste this famous Pastry Tower. That was my real intention for joining the game. I got the chocolate piece and it’s big, moist and chocolatey, well-complemented by the chocolate ganash that was poured over it. I wanted to savor every bite. But since I’m part of the challenge, I have no choice but to eat it as fast as I can. The night was capped with a fashion show with Chef Hasset Go’s cakes and pastries as the star.

Clockwise, from top left: Calamansi Meringue Pie, Ube Jackfruit Cake, Papaya Cheesecake and Malunggay Cake

These are just some of the cakes that will be part of Chef Hasset Go’s soon-to-be-launched recipe book “Cakes To Go” which are quite interesting, especially the Ube Jackfruit cake, Papaya Cheesecake and the Malunggay Cake. Everyone went home delighted with the sweet experience with Chef Hasset. As I head home, I was already thinking of dropping by his pastry shop. To get the latest update from Chef Hasset Go, visit his official website and their Facebook Page as well. You can also connect with him on Twitter.

I’m sure every mom receiving this cake will appreciate the extra sweet gesture of being recognized for her motherhood, and also the fact that her well-being is also taken into consideration. Bo’s Coffee will offer this special item from May 12 to 13.

Enjoy this guilt-free treat for you and your dear mom! This chocolate cake is sugar-free — even the whipped cream that’s glazed on it. And you can pair it with the coffee company’s sugar-free drinks as well like the Coffee Vanilla Primo, Strawberry Freeze, Vanilla Freeze, brewed coffee or an espresso beverage.

This delicious White-Frosted Mini Chocolate Cake will sell for P120 and will be available only in Luzon. Go ahead and indulge in some more sweetness as you celebrate Mother’s Day with Bo’s Coffee.

Photo by Dessert Strip. Poster by Gian Pisuena.

Chef Hasset Go Bloggers Night: The Il Mercanti Experience is to be held at Il Mercanti Food Bazaar (Metrowalk) on May 5, 2012 from 7:00pm to 11:00pm.

This event is strictly for food bloggers only who are committed to submit the blogpost about the event on or before May 12, 2012.

To sign up, please visit this link.

The place is big, with enough seating. it has a unique ambiance and is well lit. Upon entrance, you have the donut counter to your right and the other counter to your left for beverages and frozen treats. I honestly didn’t know where to go, but since I came for donuts, I proceeded to my right. It looked like a never-ending array of donuts and I wanted to try them all. Knowing that I will most likely be having heavy dinner later that day, I controlled my self and ordered Alcapone.

Alcapone is J.Co Donuts’ signature donut, topped with white Belgian chocolate glaze and toasted almonds. I liked the fact that there’s a lot of nuts on top that it almost covered the entire bread. Plus, the almonds are really crunchy to the bite, giving it a different character as you bite into a really soft bread. The chocolate glaze complemented the experience with it’s sweetness that’s not overboard. After consuming it all though, I felt something is lacking. Maybe I should have more than one. I should have, I thought to myself. The donut cost P42.00 and I think I’ll be committing a crime if I’ll have another.

I had Cappuccino Avocado for a drink — it’s actually an iced blended drink with a swirl of chocolate over whipped cream. It was my first time to encounter this flavor in a coffee shop and that prompted me to get the drink. The biggest cup they call “Due” cost P135.00 and that’s what I had. Unfortunately, when it was handed to me, it’s not like what I saw on the picture. One reason why I was drawn to order the drink was the avocado green color; my drink only had a very faint hint of green, but mostly brownish. I did shrug it off understanding that sometimes, we really don’t get exactly what’s on the photo. A sip of the drink though got me more disappointed. That’s because there’s almost no hint of avocado and the coffee flavor was pale. Well… that’s the risk that I had to take. I’m not saying it’s totally bad; I guess I was just expecting something like more avocado flavor.

I thought I will be spending my time alone inside. I was seated in one of their soft couches. With wi-fi access, this place is definitely a nice one to stay and blog or chitchat with friends, or both. Haha! I was trying to enjoy my food and drink and inspecting the place. I noticed at the far end of J.Co’s was a semi-private area separated by a glass with bigger tables perfect. The area is perfect for a larger group of customers. Then somebody sat in front of me, only to realize a group of bloggers were also there. I joined the group which made my stay better. A little later, one of them ordered frozen yoghourt.

I was delighted with this treat topped with fresh strawberries and KitKat. I will definitely check their selection of this product next time. I also wanted to try their other donuts. I was actually craving for that flavor they call chocolate caviar, and their savory donuts. Next time there will be no holding back, but I hope for a better experience.

Aside from an average food experience, I find their service slow. They only have two cashiers, one at the donut counter and the other at the beverages/frozen treats counter. It took me about 5-10 minutes at the donut counter before they told me to transfer to other to pay. And the line was not that long. It’s just a good thing that I’m really supposed to proceed to the other counter to order my drink, if not, this would be a total inconvenience for me. As I proceeded to the next counter, ordered my drink and paid for everything, I noticed that the crew manning the cashier was all alone and looking rattled already. That’s not a very cool sight.

I do hope that everything will turn out right and that they’d eventually find a way to run things smoothly. I am aware that their operation is relatively new, as such, there are birth pains. I’ve been hearing positive reviews with their food and I sure would like to give those a try, sweet tooth that I am. Plus, of course, their presence meant jobs for Filipinos. Let’s wait and see

I don’t remember seeing that billboard again, so I’m doubting if it’s still being offered by Max’s. I checked out their website and there it is — available for delivery for Php408.45! The description says it can serve 5-8 persons; that must be really huge!! It somehow reminded me of that huge bowl of ice cream from a hotel in Makati. I suddenly craved for this Giant Halo-Halo; it’s perfect for this kind of weather. What’s even better, I can enjoy this with friends, making it more affordable. A single-serve halo-halo with 2 scoop of ice cream usually cost more than Php100.00. This is perfect for sharing with a group of friends.

And speaking of sharing, I got invited to Max’s Scout Tuazon in Quezon City to attend an event. I really have no idea what this was all about, but the invitation simply hinted it’s for sharing. Eating is more fun when shared with family and friends, and that made the invite more interesting. It was a fun event too, with Chico, Delamar and Gino hosting the event.

Chico, Delamar and Gino hosted the Max's event

As executives of Max’s took on the center stage, we learned that the event was all about sharing. Sharing good food as the restaurant introduces Max’s 4Sharing Meals. The Philippines’ leading casual dining restaurant has been a favorite of Filipinos and the go-to place for gatherings with family and friends. I remember as a kid, we would go to Max’s to celebrate birthdays, graduations, et al. Just recently, we dined in one of their restaurants in Makati with a friend who arrived from the US missing Filipino cuisine.

The 4Sharing Meals is a spread of one whole Fried Chicken, a bowl of piping hot Sinigang, four servings of rice and four glasses of iced tea; perfect for customers dining in groups of four. Well, we know the restaurant’s signature dish — that sarap-to-the-bones, crispy fried chicken — that I so love. But here’s one that made me say “Whoa!”. Customers can choose from any of the Sinigang varieties — Sinigang na Baboy, Sinigang na Tyan ng Bangus, Sinigang na Hipon, and Sinigang na Tyan at Ulo ng Salmon. Salmon? Wohoo!

During the launch, we got to try the 4Sharing Meals and more! I shared the table with 3 pretty bloggers — Ness of Say It Nessie, Rhon of Food Hunger and Shekinah of Shekinah Photo Diary. We enjoyed the sumptuous meal, the chitchats, and the music as the program went on. It was perfect!

The bundled dishes cost Php799.00 or a total savings of PhP187. 4Sharing is the most affordable meal bundle that Max’s has offered to the public. But Max’s 4Sharing Meals campaign is not just about sharing these delicious spread. It’s also about the chance to win an iPhone 4S! The new generation of young, hip and tech-savvy customers has found Max’s as a favorite dining place. The restaurant recognizes that and has even made an effort to reach out and partner with bloggers. Pretty cool!

The hottest iPhone 4S units will be up for grabs, with 4 weekly online raffle winners, for a period of 8 weeks. During the event, they even raffled off 2 iPhone 4S which made the night more exciting. Too bad I didn’t win though. Well, I’m going to make sure to order the 4Sharing Meal when visiting Max’s, or calling in for delivery. Or even when I need to have food-to-go, just to have a chance to win this phone that I’ve been drooling for since it was launched. Of course, I’m going to order that Giant Halo-Halo to cap the meal.

To get more information about Max’s 4Sharing Meals, log on to www.maxschicken.com. Don’t forget to visit www.facebook.com/maxsrestaurant and be the first to know about the coolest offerings from the Filipino’s most loved brand.

It’s an accepted fact in the world that a person becomes weak and behaves differently when hungry. SNICKERS wants to remind everyone that we should never go hungry lest we turn into something that we’re not that will most likely affect our situation or the people around us. The chocolate bar is crammed with roasted peanuts, caramel, nougat and coated with milk chocolate. These are enough to fill a person up and avoid hunger and this could be the reason why in the Philippines, SNICKERS Peanut 55g is the best-selling single unit bar according to an ACNielsen Retail Audit in December 2011.

During the event, Aly, Phil and James attested to the fact that they either get angry, not in the mood to play or unable to perform well in their chosen sport when hungry. They played around and presented SNICKERS  latest television commercial. Check it out.

Aside from this TV commercial, SNICKERS is also launching an online contest until May 15, 2012. The “You’re Not You When You’re Hungry” online contest is a competition between three countries — the Philippines, Malaysia and Singapore. Want the Philippines to win? You can make this happen by participating in this online game. Simply upload your hungry faces on SNICKERS Facebook page www.facebook.com/SnickersPhilippines.

The country with the highest number of participants will win six months supply of SNICKERS for a prominent football club or team while runner ups will have 3 months supply of the chocolate bar for their own football club or team. But the online contest is not just in favor of these athletes. Four special prize winners with the most creative photo in each country will win US$300 and 100 bars of SNICKERS. The grand prize winner will have a trip for 2 to Poland to catch the European Championship live! Cool prizes huh?

Just remember, don’t let hunger make the worst of you because you’re not you when you’re hungry. Fight hunger and satisfy your sweet cravings with SNICKERS.

Check out our photo coverage of the event:

As usual, I was looking forward to a dessert but only saw a bunch of Chocolate mini-cakes and Blueberry Cheesecakes. I ordered the latter. In a short while the crew arrived and placed my orders on the table. Check out how nice their Blueberry Cheesecake.

But when I started to dig in, I was not delighted at all. The cake lacks flavor; would have been better if they poured a lot of blueberry mixture on top. As I bite into the dessert, it feels like I’m simply eating a gelatin. For the price of P135, this dessert is not worth the buy. It’s a good thing I was enjoying my drink — Taro Pudding Chiller Feast. I should have listened to the crew when she suggested the Tuna Pandesal.

This is not my first time to buy Magnolia Ice Cream this summer. A few weeks back, I tried Black and White — a vanilla and chocolate ice cream combination — but my experience was such a blah. Bumble Bee sounded and looked happy, so I gave it a go. Plus of course I was intrigued with the mango and caramel combination of flavors.

In all honesty, except for Strawberry, I’m not very fond of fruit-flavored ice cream. As a kid, my mom would often buy ube, macapuno, halo-halo, mango or even fruit salad. I’m a happy  camper when I’d see a tub of chocolate-flavored ice cream in any form. I am just a chocolate-lover! I was actually ready to pick a chocolate bar-flavored ice cream but was quite hesitant because of a frustrating experience from a previous purchase from the same label. Good thing I checked out Magnolia.

I grew up enjoying Magnolia Ice Cream. I know there are other brands, but no other brand was so much popular than Magnolia during my childhood days. One of my fondest memories were my visits to the Magnolia House — the biggest ice cream parlor where I enjoy my chocolate or strawberry parfait. YUM!! Then something happened. Magnolia was bought by another company and soon went to oblivion.

But life went on and we picked other labels. Good thing Magnolia is back! Bumble Bee is delicious. The creamy mango ice cream is well complemented by the caramel flavor. I also like that the packaging comes in a clean white reusable tub. And when opened, one can see that there’s effort in producing it as the top is well-presented with a swirl, the yellow and caramel color playing on top. Makes one want to dig in; and I sure did! So when you’re at the grocery, remember to take Bumble Bee with you. I’m sure you’ll be happy as you can be, just like me.

 It looked normal to me, but once i got a spoonful of it, I wanted to take it all just for myself. It’s creamy and felt like ice cream. It’s a tad too sweet but the hint of lime keeps it tamed. It was my first time to experience such because often, all the dessert ingredients would work together to sweeten the deal. The owner and queen of the kitchen Ms. Portia Baluyot noted that her desserts are made to cleanse the palate. After eating all those meaty stuff served as the main course, the pie helped me explore the taste of the rest of the food that was served on the table.

I’m not sure how much it’s sold per piece. Their menu quoted P200 for a key Lime Pie mini and P700 for Key Lime Family Pie. I’m guessing it’s a little over a hundred bucks. This dessert is definitely a must-order item to cap off a great dining experience at Isabelo Garden. For more of my experience, read my reviews at The City Roamer by clicking here. Don’t forget to visit the restaurant’s website and get updates from Facebook or Twitter.