January 29, 2022
6:18 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Hong Kong MX Shares Edible Gifts
for Chinese New Year 2022

Hong Kong MX’s Petite Happiness Gift Set

LOOKING for edible gifts to share with family and friends on Chinese New Year apart from the usual tikoy (more known internationally as nian gao)?

Hong Kong MX, through its exclusive distributor Double Down Import and Export Inc., makes its presence felt in Manila once again with its entire line of delightful cookies and pastries for special occasions.

Egg Rolls—Original Egg Rolls are a Hong Kong MX signature product. Prepared with only the finest French butter, fresh egg, high-quality flour, sugar and water, Egg Rolls come in Original, Coconut, Chocolate and Matcha flavors. Gift boxes include Original Egg Rolls Gift Box (32 pieces), and Assorted Petite Egg Rolls (36 pieces).

Cookies—Hong Kong MX’s cookie selections have been combined in the brand’s new Crunch Cookies Gift Box, which contain 8 pieces each of Oat Cookies with Raisin (crispy cookies with lots of oats and raisins, with a malty aroma, and no transfat), Oat Cookies with Apple (with plenty of oats and dried apples), Chocolate Cookies (made with Cacao Barry’s cocoa powder from France), and Coffee Cookies (coffee gives them an extra kick), for a total of 32 pieces.

Pastries—Besides Egg Rolls and Cookies, Hong Kong MX is very proud of its Original Hearty Butter Pastry and Maple Syrup Flavor Hearty Butter Pastry, which are both crusty on the outside and fluffy on the inside thanks to the use of pure New Zealand butter and a special double-baked method to get the right caramelized exterior. Then there is the Petite Almond Mille-feuille, which feature 192 layers of crispy almond-flavored pastry. These signature pastries are available in the New MX Exquisite Combo (33 pieces), MX Petite Joyful Gift Set (25 pieces of Petite Original Egg Rolls and Butter Cookies), MX Petite Happiness Gift Set (25 pieces combining Petite Original Egg Rolls, Original Hearty Butter Pastry, and Butter Cookies), Fat Choy Pastries Gift Box (18 pieces of Hearty Butter Pastry and Butter Cookies), and Jiu Jiu Choy Pastries Gift Box (12 pieces of Macadamia Nut Cookies and Petite Almond Mille-feuille). The latter two come in a beautiful and auspicious white tin can with rose-gold wrapping inspired by the Fat Choy tiles in Mahjong.

Also available for the season are Snack Packs with bite-sized treats. Variants include Original Mille-feuille, Chocolate Mille-feuille, Hearty Maple Pastry, Hearty Original Pastry, and Butter Cookies.

Posted in FoodBiz, Travel Tagged ,

January 14, 2022
6:07 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Now Available: Ubi Kinampay Cake
by Flour Pot Manila

Flour Pot Manila’s Ubi Kinampay Cake

FOR the fifth straight year, Flour Pot Manila is offering its special, limited-edition Ubi Kinampay Cake this January (2022). It makes use of the most prized tuber of Bohol, the Ubi Kinampay, whose harvest peaks in January and for some reason only grows in the town of Dauis in Panglao, Bohol. Come harvest time, the Ubi farmers bring their produce to Flour Pot Manila, and Chef Rhea Castro SyCip turns it mainly into halaya and incorporates it into all components of the Ubi Kinampay Cake.

This year, though, Chef Rhea thought that it would not happen, that her annual January tradition would come to a halt. After all, the destructive typhoon Odette had just wreaked havoc on Bohol, including Dauis, and left it in ruins.

Then the surprise came in a box of happiness, containing 38 kilograms of Ubi Kinampay that have been successfully harvested after the storm. And so the January tradition continues, and a limited number of Ubi Kinampay Cakes will be available from January 17 onwards until February 28 or until supplies last.

Old and new customers will be able to enjoy the 9-inch, three-layered naked cake. All three layers of sponge cake contain halaya, the base of which has been slathered a generous amount of ube whipped cream, topped with a second layer of ube sponge cake, this one crowned with a heaping amount of jam, with a third layer of ube sponge cake to seal the cake. A few fresh and dried berries sit on top as simple garnish.

“We want the Ube Kinampay to be the highlight, so we do not add too much frills,” says Chef Rhea.

Pre-orders for the Ubi Kinampay Cake are being accepted starting January 17 onwards until February 28 or until supplies last. The cake will be available at Flour Pot at The Inn at Cliffhouse (Nasugbu Highway, Tagaytay City), The Fatted Calf Farmhouse Kitchen (Silang, Cavite), and Flour Pot Pick Up Depot (Bel Air Village, Makati City). It is also available for delivery via 0916-4937488.

Each cake sells for Php2,500 and, this year, Php250 from each cake sold will be donated back to the farmers.

Posted in FoodBiz, Restos Tagged , , ,

January 4, 2022
6:25 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Lartizan’s Sourdough Breads
Available Until January 9

Lartizan’s Sourdough Panettone

IF you are the types who likes pure sourdough breads, then Lartizan’s sourdough creations might interest you. Introduced last Christmas season, the Sourdough Panettone Bread (Php495) and Sourdough Jalapeño with Asiago and Manchego Cheeses (Php495) are available until January 9, 2022.

Big, delicious Panettone

The Panettone is a traditional Christmas bread, a sourdough made with natural yeast starter. Loaded with citrus peels and almonds, it takes more than 36 hours to make a perfect loaf. At Lartizan, the panettone is made fresh daily, using Old World recipes and time-tested techniques, such as hanging the fresh loaf upside down for one night to ensure that the super soft dough maintains its airy structure and never collapses to the sheer weight of its add-ons.

Sourdough Jalapeno with Asiago and Manchego Cheeses by Lartizan

The Sourdough Jalapeño with Asiago and Manchego Cheeses, meanwhile, combines the appetizing heat of the Jalapeño with the sharp crispness of the two cheeses. Good on its own, it also goes very well with pancetta and Jamon Iberico and thus makes excellent canapés to be enjoyed with wine or cocktails.

Both breads are available daily in all Lartizan stores (Serendra BGC, Ayala Malls The 30th, Century City Mall, The Marketplace Shangri-La, The Marketplace Corinthian Hills, and The Marketplace Uptown Mall BGC) until January 9, 2022. They are also available for delivery via www.lartizanph.com.

Posted in FoodBiz, Restos Tagged , , ,

December 31, 2021
3:18 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

Cravings Celebrates New Year,
New Beginnings

Cravings’ festive potluck dishes

FOR the first time in two years, there is some semblance of normalcy in our Christmas celebration this year. The number of cases per day went down and majority of the country enjoyed a less restrictive Alert Level 2 (although the numbers are on the rise again and OCTA Research is predicting that it will go higher in January 2022), it is something to be thankful for as we get ready to welcome the New Year.

Cravings has been on its feet in assisting Filipino families prepare festive meals this entire Christmas season by offering potluck dishes that range from salad to a variety of main courses, pasta and even Charcuterie Board for fancier get-togethers.

For starters, it has been a toss-up between Cravings’ Classic Caesar Salad and Macaroni Salad.

For the main course, there are a lot more choices. First on the list is Cravings’ famous Roast Beef, which is slow-cooked to perfection with mushroom sauce and truffle mashed potato. Then there’s Lengua con Champignon, which has bell pepper and olives and is laced with spices. For something hearty, Callos a la Madrileña is a treasured family dish that everyone can partake of.

Roast Pork Belly

Pork lovers would enjoy Cravings’ American Baked Spareribs (tender pork spareribs baked in sweet and tangy barbecue sauce) and Roast Pork Belly (awesomely crispy and juicy in every bite, and can serve 12 to 15 people).

Roast Chicken with Paella Stuffing

Chicken selections include Chicken Galantine (steamed chicken breast roulade with Chinese ham, chorizo and pork stuffing) and Roast Stuffed Chicken (generously stuffed with aromatic paella rice or with raisins and chorizo, whichever you choose to order).

For pasta lovers, there are three choices: Pasta Amatriciana, Truffle Mac & Cheese, and Lasagna. Good for 12 to 15 persons.

And for those craving for fish and seafood? Prawns ala Thermidore, Almond Crusted Fish Fillet, creamy Three-Cheese Salmon, and Salmon Wellington are on the menu.

Cravings’ Charcuterie Board

For fancy items, Cravings is offering a specially curated Charcuterie Board that includes cured meats, cheeses, and accompaniments such as fruits, nuts and chocolates. Plus an assortment of spreads that can make the Charcuterie Board even more interesting—Chicken Liver Pate, Boursin, and Truffle Goat’s Cheese Dip.

Christmas Party Box

What’s more: Ready-to-eat Christmas Party Boxes created by chefs from CCA Manila. All five set menus.

All these made Christmas celebrations happy and bright this year, even as everyone gears up to welcome the New Year and looks forward to new beginnings.

Posted in FoodBiz, Restos Tagged

December 30, 2021
5:59 PM
by: Dolly Dy-Zulueta

MoniquecakesPH Embarks on
Chocolate Cake for a Cause

IT is never too late to support a good cause. The Christmas season may be on its tail end, but we can still make a noble effort to help our fellowmen.

Moniquecakesph, which is famous for its Helen’s Guava Cake, embarks on HOPE Christmas Chocolate Cake for a Cause this Christmas season. The cake is a moist, decadent chocolate cake filled with chocolate mousse, covered in chocolate ganache shavings and sprinkles, adorned with an adorable Christmas village décor that can be kept as a souvenir. Proceeds from the sale of this cake will go to an outreach celebration for street children together with Jesus Christ Global Outreach.

Monique Tancongco, the home baker behind Moniquecakesph

Monique Tancongco of Moniquecakesph will also be treating the kids to some hot meals, a bag of groceries, hygiene kits, 300 mosquito patches, Bible story books, toys, and, yes, a slice of the HOPE Christmas Cake to enjoy.

For inquiries and orders, send direct message on FB/IG page Moniquecakesph or Viber 0917-8417415.

Posted in FoodBiz Tagged , ,