Food Delivery: Otter Breads' Sourdough Bread and Sourdough Pancakes

Manila's three-month lockdown has turned many into bakers. My social media feeds have been full of cookie, buns, and cake photos that I thought I was browsing through a bakeshop catalog. But one particular post caught my interest. And that was Otter Breads' sourdough pancakes. 

Hello, Otter Breads.

The power duo behind Fat Girls Day Out has been busy baking sourdough loaves for months before it officially launched Otter Breads last April. 

SBS Inkigayo Sandwich is in Manila

KPOP fans would be familiar with the SBS music show Inkigayo which is a similar concept to KBS's Music Bank. But one thing Inkigayo has that Music Bank doesn't is a famous idol sandwich. Inkigayo sandwich became a popular snack thanks to the KPOP stars who seem to be fond of it. And though the coleslaw, egg salad and strawberry jam combination sounds as weird as the English translation to some of our favorite songs, it surprisingly works!

Hello, Inkigayo (인기가요) Sandwich. 

The hottest Korean Idol sandwich Inkigayo is finally here in Manila! 

Revisited: Pepi Cubano

I heard of Pepi Cubano back in 2016 when a handful of friends couldn't stop raving about its pressed no frills Cuban sandwiches. I got to try my very first was when it joined  the Gourmand Market and understood the hype after finishing one of its filling sandwiches. It's not surprising for many to favor this as quick bite. And it also serves as a great afternoon snack for a catch up session. 

Hello, Pepi Cubano.

Pepi Cubano grew from a hole in the wall shop in Makati into a multi-branch brand in just a few years and it now has stores conveniently located in malls. 

J and I decided to meet at Pepi Cubano Trinoma branch one time and had a long overdue chat over some sandwiches. I went with Pepi Cubano (PHP190) while J got Torrejas (PHP170). I also got Guava Lemonade (PHP95). 

Supermarket Find: Stip's Chips

The salted egg craze started a few years ago and had most of our favorites covered in its thick flavorful sauce. And with barely any sign of it dying anytime soon, let's just say that this trend is here to stay. So, are you up for some salted egg potato chips?

Hello, Stip's Chips! 

The sudden popularity of anything salted egg flavored opened business opportunities to many. We've seen the boom of brands offering salted egg pizza, bread and what-have-you. But the most common product in the market is salted egg potato chips. 

Grocery Find: Cheez Whiz Mild

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day but most of us usually skip this as we rush to the office (or school) to beat the unbelievable Manila traffic. Thankfully, there are a bunch of morning hacks we can use to avoid having to leave our homes with empty growling stomachs. One of which is making a fuss-free sandwich. And cheese is usually my go to spread. 

Hello, Cheez Whiz!

I still remember grabbing a jar of Cheez Whiz every afternoon to snack on when I was young. I'd have it on bread or snack on it as is while watching my favorite television show. I couldn't indulge in more than 2 tablespoon though with its strong flavor. But Cheez Whiz introduced a new variant that might make me finish half a jar in one sitting. 

Love at First Bite: Papas

POTATO. Think of Gru's minions saying this word and you'd get an idea on how crazy I am with anything made with potatoes. And when I spotted this kiosk that sells fresh fried potato chips, I just have to give it a try. 

Hello, Papas!

I was walking around the south side of SM Mall of Asia looking for something to snack on while waiting for a friend when I saw this unfamiliar kiosk. The first thing I noticed were the cone containers on the counter which I figured would be for some small bites. And to my delight, it was for potato chips! I love potato chips!

Love at First Bite: Krispy Kreme's Bacon Cheese Doughnut

Krispy Kreme has been known for teasing us with its mouthwatering limited offerings. Remember the adorable Christmas doughnuts or the velvety Chocolate Glazed Doughnut? This time though, it made my heart skip two beats instead of one when I saw its newest offering... Bacon Cheese Doughnuts!

Hello, Krispy Kreme!

I've been rather off social media these past few weeks and I just found out Krispy Kreme's Bacon and Cheese Ring-Filled Doughnut (PHP65/piece) today when I visited its newest branch in Paseo de Magallanes.

First Bite: Pompoms

I can never resist French fries. As much as I would love to lessen my carb intake, I could never find myself saying no to some of these crisp and heavenly goodness. And when I spotted Pompoms, a casual restaurant that serves twice-fried, thick-cut French fries, I giddily skipped my way towards its cute shop. 

Hello, Pompoms.

Located at the Ground Floor of Robinsons Place Manila, one could easily spot this fries haven if you frequent Pedro Gil wing.  

First Bite: Banh Mi Kitchen

The Vietnamese sandwich banh mi has been around for years. However, it was just recent when foodies took notice of this. We have the likes of Bon Banhmi, Banh Nam and a few others but none created more buzz than what was known as #CrunchTest. And it continues to be talked about by foodies with its innovative take on the classic Asian sandwich. 

Hello, Banh Mi Kitchen.

Now with seven branches under its belt, there's no stopping Banh Mi Kitchen from turning Manila food enthusiasts into banh mi lovers. It has established itself as a go to place for crunchy and filling sandwiches. And last week, it released a new mouthwatering variant. 

My Healthy Fix: llaollao

We live in a world where eating healthy could be challenging. With so many tempting and sinful products in the market, most of us fall in the trap of unhealthy diets. Thankfully, more and more brands are finding ways to help us stay on track by offering healthy dishes and snacks are not only delectable but also pocket friendly. 

Hello, llaollao!

It's amazing how fast this well-loved brand from Spain has grown. Now with 5 branches, it now caters to foodies from the North down to South. 

First Bite: Falafel Yo!

Tired of the usual popcorn, chips, candy, soda and iced tea as your movie snacks and drinks? Then how about some Israeli treat? No, I'm not talking about moussaka, shakshouka or kebab. I was referring to a more easy-to-eat snack--falafel.

Hello, Falafel Yo!

Snack Time: Taters

Glorietta never fails to feel like a jungle to me. With its different interconnected buildings and numerous stores, I always end up feeling confused and overwhelmed. But there is one thing that I'm sure of, Taters chips make me happy. And that's why I opted to have lunch there one afternoon. 
 
Hello, Taters!

It has been a while since I last had my Taters fix. Sadly, there are no Taters branches in malls I frequent. But when I pass by one, I simply could not resist getting a bag of chips even when I have no plans of watching a movie. Yes, this store with a baseball inspired logo is irresistible.

First Sip: Recession Coffee

The pay what you want scheme doesn’t seem to be a very sound business model and it takes a lot of guts to implement one here in Manila. And to have multiple branches with such payment scheme takes more guts than when Maximus Decimus Meridius fought for his life when he was pitted against a tiger. Anyway, you get it; pay what you want empowers the customers to pay whatever they feel like for what they are getting or ordering. And with great power comes… abuse. Some would pay way below than what is expected. The upside though is that since it’s unconventional, it gets attention. 

Hello, Recession Coffee. 

I first heard of this café when it opened its first branch in Eastwood. A few foodies posted their experiences with some being pleasant and some ending on a sour note. I took note of the common thing I saw in each post… that the coffee was just so-so. The stingy bone in me wanted me to muster the courage of just paying PHP1 for my coffee; but I simply couldn’t if I were to buy a cup on my own. And so, when I dropped by its newest branch in S Maison, I ended up paying PHP20 as my next smallest change was PHP500 and I don’t want to ask for PHP499 as my change. (Well, it was a crisp bill.)

Stuck In Seoul: Subway Kimbap

What do you do when you are in Seoul, hungry and quite short in cash? Go to the nearest supermarket and have a buffet with all the free samples! But if you’re heading somewhere, your best bet would be subway food. And mind you, there are some good food finds in subways such as the coffee buns from Sadang. Oh how I miss it! But this entry is all about…

Subway Kimbap.

 

These small rolls saved my sister and I from hunger. We woke up early to head to Le Petit France and since we want to be home in time for dinner, we headed out early and skipped breakfast. But the long walks made us hungry before reaching our destination.

Thankfully, almost all, if not all, subways sell convenient snacks including kimbap.

My sister and I ordered one Bulgogi roll and another with Hamand Cheese (and radish for that Korean flavor).  Each roll cost about 1,000-1,500 KRW.

 

Taste-wise, it was okay. The bulgogi roll was slightly dry but was complemented by the soft and perfectly cooked rice.

 

The Ham and Cheese was better for me. The saltiness of the ham and cheese and the tanginess of the pickled radish were balanced by the beautiful rice. I liked this one more as there were more flavors and textures.

I can’t wait to be back!  

Café Love: Wildflour Café + Bakery

It has been a long while since I last visited Wildflour but I still remember its delectable desserts and scrumptious pasta. And since I had an appointment right across the lovely restaurant, I decided to have a nice afternoon snack here before heading to my meeting.

Hello again, Wildflour Café + Bakery.

I was assisted as soon as I stepped in but the table where I was being directed to had a LOT of mosquitoes flying around. I quickly told the server that I’d rather sit elsewhere and she ushered me to the seat at the far end of the café.

After reading through the menu and not feeling very hungry, I opted to get Wildflour Reuben (PHP420).

While waiting, I was given a loaf of bread and Wildflour’s delicious salted butter. I managed to eat half of the loaf before my order arrived.

I was greeted by huge multi grain bread sandwiching homemade corned beef coleslaw and crisp potato chips.

First Bite: Frittery

I absolutely love comfort food. I find myself munching on it 3 to 4 times a week. Not only is it easy to prepare, it’s oh so yummy! Bacooooon, pancake, fried chicken, more bacooooon! A few weeks back, R and I were so lazy but still opted to go out to celebrate our special day. We wanted to visit Ooma then but after seeing the crazy line to SM Megamall, we went to Promenade instead and discovered…

Frittery.

This little kiosk is owned by Slammin’ Sliders + Fries + Dips and it specializes in hot dogs and fries. Its fries’ menu reminded me of In-N-Out’s animal fries. Yes, I’m referring to that messy goodness.

R and I chose to get Beefy Supreme Loaded Fries (PHP125) and a bottle of Red Strawberry Iced Tea (PHP35).  

After 10 minutes or so, our freshly dip fried fries topped with ground beef, cheese, onions and tomatoes was ready and the tray was handed to me with forks. Guess that made it clear that their fries are not exactly considered as finger food.

Convenience Store Find: Chips Delight Chocolate Chip Brittle Brownie

I love to snack… a lot. I get so excited whenever I see new snacks in supermarket or friendly convenience stores. I have my fair share of cheap thrills and pricey happy tummy finds (which make me think THRICE before buying). And last month, I discovered a new snack. Well, technically, it isn’t new at all but the first brands that entered the market aren’t that wallet friendly. Anyway, presenting…

Chips Delight Chocolate Chip Brittle Brownie <3

I love Chips Delight’s chocolate chip cookies. I even find it better than Chips Ahoy. (But still, nothing can beat Famous Amos).  

Before you jump for joy, this brittle brownie of Chips Delight is not exactly as affordable as its cookie counterpart. I bought mine a bit over PHP80 at Family Mart. I tried looking for it in supermarkets but I couldn’t find it at all. *sad*

Nonetheless, I get to save PHP50 when I buy this instead of its imported counterparts. And the chocolatey taste and loveable crunchy texture are there. I still think it’s a good buy. :)

-Gluttonshopper 

Supermarket Find: Mini Meiji Products

The Philippines has been known to be a tingi-tingi market hence the popularity of sari-sari stores in villages and provinces; and growth in number of convenience stores in cities. Honestly, I prefer supermarkets as I get to see more things there and I always get excited whenever I see a new product (and believe me, you do not want to see my super giddy self in a supermarket). But I guess it has been quite a while since I last visited a supermarket. (Then again, it was just a few weeks ago.)

Look at what my mom bought from our local supermarket!

Mini Meiji products!!!

Hello Panda may not really look that small so here’s a pencil for scaling purposes. It’s only 18 grams.

 

Yan Yan also has a mini version (Yan Yan Kids). It’s only 30 grams!

Cute! <3

I guess I need around 5 of each to satisfy my grumpy tummy.

-Gluttonshopper

Cheap Thrill: Mini Stop Choco Strawberry Ice Cream

Remember the creamy and oh-so yummy Hershey’s Dark Chocolate of Mini Stop? Well, I do and I can still recall how my small eyes widen every time I get to have it for dessert. I could say that I’m lucky that my place is very near a Mini Stop branch and that I could buy it while wearing my pajamas.

After work, I passed by Mini Stop to buy some snacks when I noticed something new. NEW ICE CREAM! Choco Strawberry… hmm… sounds yummy. 

 FAIL.

No, it was not the ice cream that failed me. When I went to Mini Stop to buy one, it was out of stock. :( I guess that proves that the ice cream was indeed good. 

 

My second attempt to buy was a success. I still remember that it was right after my dental appointment. (Way to go, right?)

360 degree approach of Korea (part 1)

Korea has turned Manila into a tropical Korea with our fascination with the Korean culture. We can see, feel, smell, hear and taste it. There are Korean shows on television (and you do not even need cable to watch it. Remember Lovers in Paris? Okay, how about Kim Takgu?), K-Pop invaded our radio stations and even some television shows. Of course there is also the sudden increase of Korean restaurants. But I admit that I love Korean food. Bulgogi and samgyeopsal!!!

But I will not talk about those things in this blog. Instead, I will highlight the snack that saved me from hunger today… CHANCHYO (I am not good with Romanizing Korean text).

When I was still in Korea, I lead a very unhealthy lifestyle. My breakfast is something I could buy in a vending machine. Yes, SNACKS. To balance it off, I drink milk with it (so, it’s not so bad after all… right?).

Anyway, let’s go back to CHANCHYO, the Hello Panda of Korea.  As just described, it is similar to Hello Panda or Pucca. But for some reason it is better than those two because it does not have the grainy shell as Hello Panda’s nor is its shell too hard as Pucca’s. As Goldilocks would describe it, it is just right.

I miss this one particular snack though. It is in a yellow-orange foil pack and it has a bland taste but I got so addicted to it. I want to go back to E-Mart or Lotte Mart to do my grocery shopping. *sigh*

Comic strips inside. Just like Bazooka!