Appetite Magazine and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls’ Gourmet Masterpieces: A Visual and Gastronomical Feast in One

I attended the Gourmet Masterpieces event last Thursday night (April 18) at the Plaza of New Port Mall in Pasay City. I was with my superfriend Nice and we both had a fun time. It was a small world, too, because we also saw some of our blogger, media and PR friends there (those we hadn’t seen for a long time).





Gourmet Masterpieces was a visual and gastronomical feast presented in one venue. Organized by Appetite Magazine and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, it featured a number of artfully-made summer dishes from chosen Manila-based restaurants as well as a collection of tasteful fashion creations from popular names in the local fashion industry.

Traditionally, the event started with cocktails, then the program proper hosted by Issa Litton, followed by a fashion show and concluded with a wine toast by the top guns behind the event.



Here are some snapshots of the dishes on display which we also had the pleasure to sample:


the laing dish above was very good!




the above creation of Eastwood Richmonde Hotel was a crowd favorite that night, Philippine flag-shaped puto varieties, FTW!







And here are photos I took of the fashion show in no particular order:











Special thanks go to Appetite Magazine, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and Ces Gahuman of One Mega Group for inviting me to this event. ‘Till next time! 


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Get a Taste of Asia at Crustasia Asian Bistro

Friday night last week was spent dining with fellow foodie blogger friends at Crustasia Asian Bistro**. The restaurant is nestled at the ground floor of Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati. I've heard of the dining place before but it was my first time to actually dine there to sample their various offerings: Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese specialties plus mouth-watering seafood. If you're a Pinoy like me, forget about your local cuisine for a few hours (because they don't serve any Filipino dishes here) and indulge in the distinctive cuisines of our neighbor countries. Now, lemme tell you about my awesome dining experience.



For starters, we had the Thai Catfish Salad and the Grand Javanese Sampler consisting of Martabak Telor (Indonesian bread stuffed with eggs and meat curry), Sambal Teri Kacang (spicy dried anchovies and peanuts), Kerupuk dan Emping (Indonesian assorted crackers) and Bakwan Jagung Manis (corn fritters).


Thai Catfish Salad, P245


Grand Javanese Sampler, P295

Taste wise, I found the catfish salad okay (tasted better when eaten with the chili-vinegar dip!) though the catfish was a bit oily. As for the sampler, I happened to try some of the spicy dried anchovies and peanuts and I loved them. It makes for a good pulutan, methinks.

To get things more exciting, we had a soup called Sichuan Boiled Catfish. It's one recipe taken from the Sichuan cuisine of China. It had boiled catfish, fresh mung bean sprouts, dry roasted chilies and other spices. The boiled catfish was divine, so soft, fresh and tasty. The soup itself, on the other hand, was tolerably hot and spicy.


Sichuan Boiled Catfish, P395

For the main courses, we had a few dishes to share:


All Meat Sate Sampler,P685 for 16 sticks



This All Meat Sate Sampler came with two sauces: soy-chili dip and peanut sauce. The tender and succulent pork sate tasted a lot like Pinoy pork barbecue (take that as a compliment!) to me while the chicken sate was too spicy for my liking (people who love spicy food will surely enjoy it!). According to Chef Nur (the resident chef who graced our dinner with his presence), it is best paired with rice to neutralize the spicy flavor.


the smiling-faced Chef Nur


Hunan Cumin Ribs, P465

I'm not a big fan of spices with very rich flavors (except curry) but I enjoyed this rib item that had lotsa cumin. The recipe, by the way, is from the Hunan cuisine of China.

I don't have a photo of the Thai Style Grilled Squid (P285) but I love squid and so I liked this dish a lot. The squid was grilled to perfection and the meat came out soft and succulent. It's perfect as is or paired with a chili-vinegar dip.

At Crustasia, the star of the night will always be the giant crabs cooked to the Asian dish of your choice. For our group, we had two orders of Kepiting Masak Sauce Mentega (Indonesian sweet soy and butter crab):


Indonesian Sweet Soy and Butter Crab, P145 per 100g.

Each order had one giant crab (more or less than a kilo heavy!) sitting on a slightly thick sauce with sauteed onions and fresh red chili slices. Oh boy was it good! I've tasted pepper crabs and crabs cooked in coconut milk before. But it was my first time to try this particular crab dish and it left a lasting impression to me. The flavors were so familiar yet so unique. Did I mention the crabs tasted really fresh, too?

True to its origins, our feast was paired with perfectly-cooked steamed rice and beverages like dayap mint cooler, pineapple shake and Thai iced tea.

Crustasia Asian Bistro is one posh dining place where you can bring your family and friends without worry. Some of the things I easily noticed upon entering the restaurant were the lovely 3D wall art, the leather-covered cushioned seats, the artsy light fixtures, and the high ceiling. I heard the place has had a makeover recently and I think they did well. The restaurant turned out to be modern-looking yet very cozy. And quite spacious, too.





That Friday night, the restaurant was half-filled (mostly yuppies and foreigners) and we even had some celebrity sightings (hello celebrity couple Bea Alonzo and Zanjoe Marudo!). All in all, it was a great dining experience for me at Crustasia Asian Bistro. I hope to be back soon! :)


our group


Crustasia entrance door

**Crustasia Asian Bistro is one of the concept restaurants under the Red Crab Group.

Crustasia Asian Bistro
G/F Power Plant Mall
Rockwell, Makati

(+632 728-5463)


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Dole Cook-Off at MIHCA-Makati

Last Friday was fun. I got the chance to witness the great Dole Cook-Off held at the Magsaysay Institute for Hospitality and Culinary Arts (MIHCA) inside Walter Mart Mall on Chino Roces Avenue, Makati. The event also launched the brand’s new line of tomato sauces.


event scene


cooking demo


the chef of the night

Chef Jeremy Favia, one of the rising young chefs in television today, did a cooking demo featuring several easy-to-make recipes using the new Dole tomato sauce. He also acted as guest judge in the cook-off among the guests (pasta cooking) which was eventually won by fellow food blogger Enzo Luna of JuanManilaExpress.com.


cook-off final moment


the new Dole tomato sauce in 200 g. doy packs


the winning pasta


the winner

Dole is the world’s largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables and packaged foods. For years, Dole has committed itself to furthering health and nutrition as is evident in their wide array of quality products such as canned pineapple solids, canned mixed fruits, canned beverages and packaged fruit snacks.

Have you tried the new Dole tomato sauce that rich in lycopene? I heard it's now available in leading supermarkets and groceries nationwide. Try it now and enjoy the healthy goodness of tomato in your dishes! :)


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A Yellow Cab Night with Food Bloggers

If there's one pizza chain that Pinoys should be proud of, it has to be Yellow Cab. Why? Because just like the popular Jollibee, it's a 100% Filipino-owned company that's gradually gaining a strong presence in both local and international food industry. Last Friday night along with fellow food bloggers, I had the opportunity to get to know Yellow Cab as a brand and experience first-hand how to make my own Yellow Cab pizza. It can't be cooler than that!



The blogger's night was held at Yellow Cab-Insular Life at the corner of Ayala Ave. and Paseo de Roxas in Makati. After getting introduced to and munching on several Yellow Cab pizza, pasta and appetizers, we had a quick tour of the kitchen and saw for ourselves how a Yellow Cab pizza is made. The Yellow Cab crew did a short demo, from the kneading of the dough to the time the pizza, complete with all the toppings, hit the oven for baking.


a Yellow Cab pizza is cooked in an electric conveyor double oven for just seven minutes!

Did you know that Yellow Cab uses only freshly-made dough and equally fresh toppings? Yes, it's true. I saw it with my two eyes. And the cheeses they used are naturally-processed, too. Fonterra, the Australian company behind Anchor, Perfect Italiano and Great Blend, has been Yellow Cab's supplier of fresh creams and cheeses since their opening year.





Several Fonterra people led by Chef Pauline Lagdameo joined us that night and did a "cheese" talk. They explained a lot of things about cheese production. Other interesting topics tackled were the difference between margarine and butter and how some cheese had holes in them. Gosh, I learned a lot from the discussion!



Yellow Cab was a gracious host. They stuffed us really well with all these food:



Yellow Cab's Barbecue Chicken Pizza was a revelation to me. It was my first time to try it and it was so good. The balance of sweetness and spiciness was perfect. And when dipped in the garlic ranch, the pizza became heavenly. I think I finished two slices and still wanted more. Haha.



This Chicken Alfredo Pasta is a relatively new product. It's actually spaghetti with chicken chunks in a super creamy white sauce. I loved it.



The secret to the distinctive creaminess of the Chicken Alfredo Pasta are these Anchor products from Fonterra:



Another item I liked was Yellow Cab's Dear Darla Pizza. The arugula and the alfalfa sprouts that go with the pizza and the way you eat the pizza itself make this a truly unique pizza treat.


Charlie Chan Chicken Pasta


New York's Finest


Fleet Starters (crisp hot wings, savory baked potato wedges & crunchy tortilla chips served with tomato salsa & garlic ranch dip)



Four Seasons in its 18" glory


my Minute Maid juice drink

It's amazing how Yellow Cab has survived (and is surviving) tough competition in the market and expanded to 86 branches in a span of 10 years. Speaking of their 10th anniversary this 2011, Yellow Cab has an ongoing promo wherein every 10th of the month, they give out a free 10" pizza for every order of an 18" pizza. This is available at all Yellow Cab branches nationwide.


my personalized Pepperoni pizza

Now I think I fully understood it when they said, "If you want great pizza, call a Cab." The Yellow Cab pizza is great because it's made only from the freshest ingredients and served to your table (or delivered to your doorstep) hot off the oven.

To get updated on Yellow Cab's latest products and promos, like them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. For Yellow Cab delivery, dial 789-9999.

P.S. Thank you so much to Yellow Cab, Fonterra Philippines and Chin Taguines for the invite. I had fun and I hope to meet with you again in the future. :)


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King Chef Fine Dining: Cantonese Food Fit for Royalty

King Chef Fine Dining has recently opened in Banawe, Quezon City. They had their grand opening last June 30 and I was one of the lucky ones who got invited to witness it and have a taste of their Imperial feast that was definitely fit for a king!


Basically, the restaurant serves authentic Cantonese cuisine in an elegant yet cozy setting. It sits beside Starbucks-Banawe and is quite easy to locate. I was with Superfriend Nice and Mee-I and we arrived tad early. After registering and having our photos taken at the nearby photo booth, one of the receptionists ushered us into the narrow stairs that led to a spacious dining area on the second floor. It was where the program was held and the Imperial feast consisting of King Chef's prized Cantonese dishes, enjoyed by the guests.


the night's menu

We started off our scrumptious dinner with a warm cup of tea. Minutes later, the waiters served plate after plate of yummy appetizers on our table to our tummy's delight.




Frid Prawn Dumpling and Malaysian Cake

The Fried Prawn Dumpling, which happened to be King Chef's best-selling dimsum, is best dipped in this hot chili-garlic sauce.



For the complete King Chef Imperial feast we enjoyed that night, let the food photos speak for themselves:


Shark Fin's Soup

The presentation of this dish was a winner! They heated it on a stove before serving to each guest in individual woks. It was steaming hot (as in there were bubbles popping out) and I loved it.


Cold Cuts Combination


Suahe Tea Leaves


King Fish Mango Sauce


Golden Fortune Bags


Imperial Spareribs


Crab with Sotanghon Hotpot


Herbal Lemon Grass with Mixed Fruits

There were so much food that night; I hard a time finishing the various dishes on my plate. My top choices were the two appetizers (Fried Prawn Dumplings and Malaysian Cake) served before the program started, the Golden Fortune Bags with its asado-like filling (except that it was chicken and had a slight soupy consistency which I loved!), the Suahe Tea Leaves (well-seasoned, plump shrimps were deep-fried and flavored with tea leaves) and the Imperial Spareribs (I super enjoyed this melt-in-your-mouth, porky goodness that left me wanting for more!).

I daresay King Chef's Yang Chow Fried Rice deserves a paragraph of its own. It's definitely a complete meal in itself! I loved the soft but firm fried rice with scrambled egg slices, small shrimps, pork bits, veggies and spices. A visit to King Chef (or any Chinese restaurant for that matter) is never complete without this rice dish.


King Chef's Yang Chow Fried Rice is made of awesome!

The truth is, you can never go wrong with any of King Chef's dishes. I'm not a big fan of shark's fin and sotanghon (glass noodles), but after looking at the Shark's Fin Soup and the Crab with Sotanghon Hotpot served on our table, I just had to get a taste of them. And what do you know, I liked both!

I can imagine the restaurant would be a great venue for birthdays, anniversaries, baptismals and other special occasions imaginable. The ambience that night was just perfect for an intimate yet fun celebration.





Having pampered by their attentive and friendly staff that night, I can say that aside from their delicious food and lovely ambience, their edge over the other Chinese restaurants in the metro is their impeccable service.

The food prices at King Chef are quite affordable. Their dishes are good for sharing, too. If you're dining as a group, I suggest you allot P300 to P500 per head to enjoy full meals.



** King Chef Fine Dining is owned by Michael and Marites Ang. They are also the tandem behind Cantonese Soup Kitchen and King Chef Dimsum Kitchen.


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