If the Philippines has Chef Tony's, Singapore has Garret. That's for a popular Popcorn I mean. Being enticed by its sweet, buttery pleasant aroma, I was tempted to try and discover this increasingly becoming Singapore's favorite popcorn. Since my palate is more geared towards savoury, I usually prefers the salty type of popcorn. Hence, induging into a sweet version is something new to me.

I noticed from the selection that most of the flavors Garret offers are nut based. Cashew, Almond, Pecan and Macadamia. I'm beginning to be partial on the later flavor. The crunchy - creamy taste of macadamia blends well with the caramelized popped corn kernels. Likewise, there are the usual classics such as Plain Caramel and Cheese. Overall, I find it too sweet. At times, the caramel note goes beyond satiating. I can only consume a handful. Nevertheless, it's an interesting snacking option.

Apart from the famous Chicken Rice, there's a similar Chicken Dish that will leave you wanting for more - Samsui Chicken . I kid you not, you will love it for it's succulent, juicy and meaty character. When I first tried it at Soup Restaurant, I knew from then on that I would be a convert from the typical Chicken Rice. It's comforting to know that finally, there's a ginger chicken that I could eat sans the very oily rice. The dish is basically a steamed chicken. It's usually eaten dipped in a fragrant ginger sauce then rolled into a lettuce with some cucumber. The ginger sauce is key to this appetizing dish. It's that note that defines its overall appeal. For a more healthy bite, I usually take out the skin. Though if you would consider its simplicity and the way the chicken is cooked, it's indeed a healthier alternative from other chicken meals.

Literally, ice cream on a toast bread.  I think this isn't new at all concept wise. Perhaps an upgraded version of the local favorite one dollar ice cream? It's offered as a set with a choice of any drinks. I tried the Peanut Butter and Kaya Ice Cream. While the former was too sweet to the palate, the later was just ok. The sweetened red mongo beans on top of the ice cream added an enjoyable texture dimension. It's a definitely filling combination and the smooth mouthfeel of the ice cream gave a rich, fatty impression. With a selling price of $5.80, I would rather go for a serving of ColdStone Ice Cream though.

Singapore has proven countless times that it owns a wealthy gastronomic pot. Yet, all good eats do not necessarily be pricey. A colleague introduced me to Teban Garden which apparently is quite popular for good and cheap eats. The place is a typical hole-in-the-wall eatery. The food offerings range from favorite local noodles to chinese dishes. Apart from the cheap tag price, the servings are pretty generous too. Here's what your S$5 or less can give you.

Straight from Japan, a colleague spotted and brought some samples of Kit Kat's new product innovation to the office. The chocolate that's positioned as a favorite "snacking item" now comes in more exciting flavors. Think of fruits, drinks and some classic savoury flavors infused into the wafer chocolate. Sounds odd, huh? Well, definitely not. Kit Kat has done it. And honestly, I was wowed by the product when I tasted it. Among those that I found really good from the range of flavors are the Cheesecake, Cheese and Green Tea. The Wasabi is a bit selective but acceptable too. Each flavor is being marketed as a specialty of a certain place in Japan. Say for instance Green Tea as Shizuoka edition and Cheesecake as Yokohama edition. These sweets are just perfect for the season and I do hope they will be made available world wide soon.

Green Tea

Cheesecake

Savoury Cheese

If you've been a regular here, you probably have noticed that much of my food posts and recipes talked about the world of Culinary and Savory. Blame it to a decade of work in this field, my taste buds were oriented in the meaty- savory notes to a great deal. Now that I'm beginning to explore the other half of the sensory pie which is Sweet, I'm missing the customary taste of salt and umami. Hence, I found myself one morning stirring a bowl of noodles for a comforting treat. Much to my (and the kids) delight, we even consumed it with the exciting flavour notes of baked goods (shown above). I can only care less whether the dining table carried a perfect breakfast match or not. Ultimately, it's my (and the kids') liking that's chief.

On to my exploration of my new interest, I roamed around the city to have a glimpse of the bakery landscape in the Philippines. In general, it's a growing and stirring industry locally. There are so much trends going on. From the typical, traditional pandesal, Pinoys' bread had evolved to abundant forms and novel ways of consumption.

For the Boutique Bakery concept, BREAD TALK leads the way. I particularly like the fusion of "glo-cal" concepts here.

Fortune Bakeshop obviously taps the mainstream market. I know of some previous colleagues who are loyal patrons of this store's "Pianono" (chiffon roll).

For the hotel category, I would rank Shangri-la and Manila Pen as market leaders. These two, have bread stations that showcase various great selections of breads and pastries. I was particularly enticed by Shangri-la's positioning of "Baked Fresh" goodies. The hours of baking for a selected variety of bread is shown at the counter's area. It's a you have it when you expect it kind of thing.

For the chocolates, pastries and desserts, Dusit Thani's glass case is a haven of rich assortments. Don't you think so?!

And for the packaged goods, obviously Gardenia owns the leadership. Their product range is even exclusively shown at the express bread station of SM Makati.

As a whole from what I've noted, bread market today is dictated by eating habits, meal occasions, taste, health and nutrition and balanced price. The consuming public is on a quest to any of these opportunities. Having the right item to put in the shelves is key to marketability.

When we have very limited time to spend in the kitchen, we often times wish for some magic to happen. That is to make everything easy and instant in as far as our cooking is concerned. This is but a universal want for time strapped individuals like me. We all want to offer something good on the dining table for our family to savor but likewise we don’t want to spend a big chunk of our time preparing for it. So it’s such a respite to find great cooking aids in the market. One of the newbies in the market shelves is CRISPEE Perfect Match. If you have little tots to feed at the dining table, whose favorite among many is fried chicken, it is a treat to have a cooking companion such as CRISPEE. Yummy, meaty notes are guaranteed in just a whip! Just a simple pour, measure, mix and voila! An instant crunchy, crispy chicken is up for a good bite. The breading mix is very aromatic in spices and herbs but the meaty character is what's left dominating when the food is fried. Overall, the product is acceptable. It's also important to follow the cooking instructions to achieve what the Perfect Match promises its consumers - "Cruncharap na, Sarsarap pa".
I particularly liked the idea of the instant gravy. At last, something that does not need heating or boiling to make one. All you have to do is add hot water. I just wish for a thicker consistency though, taste wise it's also acceptable. Sold for only Php28 per pack good for 1 kg of meat, this is a value for money grocery pick.

When I attended the AFEX 2008, Mulberry Mixed Juice Drink is the most interesting product I found. It's a ready to drink juice with No Artificial Coloring, No Preservatives Added health claims. It's made with natural mulberry juice and fruit concentrate available in two flavors - Apple and Strawberry, with the former being the more acceptable. It basically tastes sweet and refreshing especially when chilled or ice cold. A tannin taste typically perceived from tea is also noted but subtle and mild.

Mulberry tea is making big news around the world. It's recognized as the next big thing in the tea market after the much hyped black, green and white teas. Many food manufacturers and tea growers are claiming that mulberry has higher antioxidant levels than green tea. Furthermore, it contains almost all 18 amino acids essential for our body. True enough, when I looked at the nutrition facts pannel of the juice drink it states 17.3 mg of amino acid content per 100 ml. If you consume the whole drink in 500 ml bottle size, that's an 86.50 mg servings of amino acid!

A ready to drink (RTD) juice with antioxidants to eradicate the free radicals and toxins in our body, a good dose of amino acids for the growth, repair and maintainance of body tissues, a possible aid for lowering blood sugar and body weight, this is a must grab drink for a healthier lifestyle! But just like any new product in the market boasting of great health claims and benefits, it's essential for every consumer to check and validate prior to making a purchase and later becoming a loyal patron of it. I just couldn't over emphasized that it's also a consumer's responsibility to check and probe the validity of the claims and benefits of any food item prior to consumption . It's always better and safer to ask.

Frozen Yogurt is making a big buzz around town. It is probably the most talked about food trend these days. Because I have heard a lot and perhaps have read enough too, I was intrigued and wanted to try it myself. Frozen yogurt is a typical dessert item similar to ice cream in terms of physical properties only, the fat content is lower. Just like any usual yogurt, it may or may not have the live active cultures. When present, frozen yogurt is regarded as healthier than ice cream. The active cultures aide the digestion of food specifically for the lactose intolerant people thereby making the nutrients readily available for absorption without the discomfort. The nearest store to our place that houses this particular food item is White Hat. So that was where we went and sampled.

White Hat’s Italian Frozen Yogurt comes with great claims; "authentic, all natural, 98% fat-free, definitely guilt free and with live active yogurt cultures". Pretty good product attributes for a dessert item. With a selling proposition of being "so gooood, you can’t get it off your head"! How can you resist from giving it a try? With 21+ toppings to choose from like healthy citrus fruits, tempting sweet goodies such as cookies, chocolates and cheesecake, creating your own yogurt is made more exciting. Priced at Php 85 for a regular size (yogurt only) and Php 115 for the bigger size, this is relatively expensive compared to any ready to eat yogurt you can find in the market shelves. However, making a direct comparison may not be fair considering the "premium" tag attached to the product features of the frozen yogurt. But then again, the price sensitive segment might still have a thought about it. With that, it maybe more of an indulgence rather than a habitual type of food.

Taste wise, it has a distinch sourish after taste typical of yogurt, smooth and creamy mouthfeel even without much fat, milky and light at the same time. I had strawberry-kiwi toppings for my regular size. For this particular combination, I was overwhelmed with the overall sourness. The fruits added more of this note on top of the characteristic sourness that the frozen yogurt already had. That's why, my son's preference was more acceptable. He had strawberry-choco drops. The dark and sweet taste of the choco drops balanced the sour back note of the yogurt. Actually, I find the taste combinations quite tricky and ironic. To maximize the health claims of the frozen yogurt, one (like myself) would prefer fruits and nuts toppings over the sweet and fatty alternatives (e.g. cookies, chocolate, cheesecake etc). On the contrary, some fruits have inherent sourness that might prevent a good balance of taste as opposed to the other options. At any rate, it all depends on preference and taste liking. But still, I would encourage White Hat to create more healthy and tasty choices of toppings to push the acceptability and premium profile of the frozen yogurt further. More so, the maturity index of the fruits being used must be properly looked into.Other things notable about White Hat are image and packaging. The name itself simply states the product expectation. Talking about the presentation, it's visually appealing and innovative. The "customer picture taking" promo is also a catchy marketing tool. Overall, White Hat's Italian Frozen Yogurt is a gem among the many food finds at the SM Mall of Asia. Repeat trials or more frequent consumption of it will depend on the general liking, location and price.

When we had a Pampanga Taste Trek some time ago, one of the many great food finds we stumbled upon at this culinary haven, is Halo-halo. The province claims of creamy, rich and tasteful versions of this luscious dessert/snack. If you search Wikipedia, you'll find that Halo-halo is described there as “a popular Filipino dessert that is a mixture of shaved ice and milk to which are added various boiled sweet beans and fruits, and served cold in a tall glass or bowl”. With its recent commercialization and move to go onto the mainstream market, Razon’s currently tops this food category. When I had my first experience of its Halo-halo in Guagua, Pampanga, it easily got an 8 out of 10 sensory rating. It’s made of finely shaved ice crystals with macapuno, langka, leche flan and milk. Taste wise, it’s very creamy and milky. The overall taste is not overpowering with just the right amount of sweetness therefore, you can easily consume one serving. This version's advantage is its use of very fine ice crystals. Because it's so fine, it provides a creamy, smooth mouth feel and the taste of the other ingredients became distinct.

However, Razon’s is just one of the many good tasting halo-halos the town of Pampanga is proud of. There are also Corazon’s and Kabigting’s which are equally acceptable and popular. Corazon’s is made of shaved ice with a mixture of fruits (cooked sweetened banana and beans, corn, macapuno) and milk. It’s also creamy and milky with a noticeable corn top note. It has a thick mouth feel because of the macapuno. It is also rated 8 out of 10.

The third yummy Halo-halo is that of Kabigting’s in Arayat, Pampanga. It is made of shaved ice with sweetened beans that is cooked for hours, carabao’s milk made into pastillas and cream style corn. Likewise, it’s milky and creamy but very rich in taste. It has a slight beany note, not too sweet, thick consistency with grainy mouth feel coming from the beans. We noted that Kabigting’s version of Halo-halo “does not water”. As you consume it, the creamy consistency is retained. That’s why, it’s perceived very rich down to the last gulp. Because it’s very rich, others might find it satiating. But for a big fan of Halo-halo like me, it suits me just fine.

For these wonderful choices, evidently for a mouth-watering taste of Filipino’s most popular dessert that is Halo-halo, Pampanga is simply the place to go!

If there's one traditional noodle dish that's been popularized and made phenomenal in the Philippines, that would be no other than Iloilo's La Paz Batchoy. It's a noodle dish made with round egg noodles or miki , pork meat and organs, crushed pork crackling, egg and vegetables in a meaty soup stock . Ted's La Paz Batchoy claims to have the original taste of this noodle soup. In fact, it brought a significant number of branches in the Metro to carry its mission of giving Filipinos "the opportunity to savor the exotic and exquisite taste of the original La Paz Batchoy". I remember heading to one of its branches sometime ago to sample all the different types of batchoy it offers. Basically, what I found is one type of broth that can be served with different kinds of noodles. Depending on your own preference you can have misua, sotanghon, bihon or miki. Among all these, I liked best the Extra Super Batchoy that uses miki as noodles. The least however, is the Extra Miswa. The miswa absorbs the soup quickly that consuming it is synonymous to a marathon eating. Otherwise, you'll end up with a soggy noodle dish. Also, the strong taste of miswa masks the other flavors that only the umami taste is left lingering through your palate. But to prove that this noodle soup continues to conquer the noodle market, it's consumption has evolved in many forms. Very recently, a leading fast food chain introduced its own take of La Paz Batchoy at an affordable price of Php 25 per serving.

Who would ever think that a gasoline station would be famous for food? Specifically those to crave for - heavenly sweet, deliciously baked goodies? Shell Magallanes made it all possible. It owned this trademark with the infamous Ms. Polly’s Chocolate Cake. A proof that indeed it were able to set a new, promising business channel its rival company, Caltex Buendia, followed shortly with its own banner Chocolate Cake. With such trends in existence there are certainly too many sweet palates to please in all corners of the Foodie world.

It’s been quite a while since I last dropped by at Shell to grab its well-liked chocolate cake. Much to my delight in my next visit, there are new sweet stuffs to try. New names that put my sweet appetite into craving are Ceilin’s and Redado’s. After I mulled over this and that, my husband and I decided to bring home Cielin's Brazo de Mercedes and Redado's Choco Fudge Brownies. I was enrobed with excitement until these goodies get through to my taste buds. As I chomped through each of them; momentarily, my excitement collapsed. Honestly, neither tasted the way I expected it to be. The Brazo de Mercedes is beyond a creamy, eggy, tasty treat. The custard filling felt paste-like (soft gelatine) in consistency.

On the other hand, the brownies rests in between a bready and a gooey texture. It's a little tough actually. Overall chocolatey taste is less sustaining. I tried to refrigerate it for a while to see if some moisture will enhance the bite, luckily it did. However, largely this experience left me less contented. These goodies were priced competitively, in fact very affordable. But somehow, I refused to think that the price speaks of its quality. Anyhow, everything is about preferences. On my next pit stop to Shell Magallanes, and I feel like indulging, I'll grab Ms. Polly's Chocolate Cake and Sansrival without hesitation. But if I'm tickled by the adventure of trying new things, I must be set for the risk I'm taking. Anyway, how would I know unless I give in to the experience, right?