Chocolait: And Old Favorite

One of my favorite sweet drinks during my childhood was Magnolia Chocolait. I still remember buying at least two one-liter cartons every time we do our monthly groceries. What I like about the beverage is the rich chocolate taste. Every time I opened a fresh carton, I could immediately smell the tasty cocoa aroma. It really was a chocolate-flavored milk drink but I could tell that it contained more chocolate than milk and sugar. Whenever I pour a glass of Chocolait, I remember that it always leaves a brown stain or residue at the bottom of the glass. That's how intense and flavorful the drink was.

The chocolate drink then disappeared in the market for quite some time. It turned out that the company improved the brand and appearance of the product. They kept the name, launched a new design and created a variety of serving sizes. As you can see from the photo, it is available in 110mL cartons, which is about the size of my palm. So much for the new look. How does it taste? Sadly, Magnolia was not able to preserve Chocolait's original flavor. Now, it tastes like it has more milk and sugar than chocolate. The decrease in cocoa is probably due to the company's cost-cutting measures. This may also explain the tiny 110mL servings.

It has been years since I last had Chocolait and now it doesn't taste quite as good as I remember it. Then again, maybe today's generation approves of the drink's new recipe. Like my Hershey's review, I could have outgrown these types of drinks and my tastebuds are not anymore credible to conduct this review in the first place.

Goldilocks Polvoron

Polvoron is a dairy-based Filipino dessert. It is basically made from sugar, milk powder and some extenders. Goldilocks, the same bakery that created those tasty macaroons, reinvented this classic Filipino delicacy and created flavored versions. Some of the flavors are simple like peanut and chocolate while some are more unique like coffee, cookies and cream and choco-peanut. What makes the flavors intense is that the bakery uses real ingredients in the product. The choco polvoron has chunks of chocolate chip, the coffee variety has coffee bits (although I'm not sure if they are actual coffee beans or not), and the cookies and cream has, well, cookie crumbs. These flavors give the classic polvoron a new look and taste. It's a great innovation that can revitalize the Filipino's interest in their traditional snack.

Liquid Cookies

It's funny to think that manufacturing companies sometimes turn solid snacks into liquid products to give them a new twist. Take this new flavored milk drink from Hershey's. This time, they experimented with the cookies 'n' creme flavor. I was excited to test out the drink because the variety was new and one-of-a-kind. And knowing Hershey's reputation for making excellent chocolate products, I had high expectations for its taste.

Sadly, I have to say that I was more disappointed on the product's over-all performance. The beverage had a stronger essence of cream than cookies. There was a very faint hint of chocolate and the aftertaste didn't last very long. The milk is so sweet that I felt like I was drinking liquid cake icing. But don't all my negative feedback turn you off. Maybe I'm not credible enough to be reviewing this product in the first place. I could simply be too old for this beverage. After all, the product is intended for the younger target market. Maybe if I'm ten years younger, I will go crazy and addicted over Hershey's Cookies 'n' Creme.

Merry Christmas!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL!

Familiarity

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Now I know why the entire concept of Cream-O Deluxe looked so familiar. URC based it on the Dewberry Cookies. If you look closely, both snacks have the same "spiral" groove design on the biscuits. They also have a central topping. The only difference is that Cream-O Deluxe has dark chocolate biscuits and that it has a fudge topping. Dewberry, on the other hand, has a vanilla-cream cookie and a fruit-flavored jelly topping. Come to think of it, with the addition of the fudge and fruit jelly topping, the two snacks can be classified as tarts instead of sandwich cookies.

Dewberry's concept is a fusion of fruit and biscuits. And I must say that the developers of the brand did a good job in combining the two flavors. The cookies are addictive since it felt like I was eating cakes and pies instead of ordinary cookies. I remember buying an entire box of the strawberry variety and finishing two to three packs a day. I haven't bought another pack ever since, bi I guess I can control my addiction now. I haven't tasted the "Peaches and Cream" flavor yet. I should try it out sometime.

Cream-O Deluxe

Before, I really thought that Cream-O was just another local copycat of the imported Oreo brand. But URC proved me wrong when it began creating several varieties of the brand. One of these is Cream-O Deluxe. Normally, manufacturers would limit themselves to creating different cream and biscuit flavors of the product. URC, on the other hand, reinvented the look of the cookie. Instead of a solid circular pastry, the middle of the biscuit has a chocolate fudge topping. It may no look much, but the chocolate topping greatly improves the taste of the snack. There is a sudden burst of flavor when you bite the fudge center. It's a great alternative to Cream-O Premium if you want cookies with intense chocolate essences and, at the same time, have more value for your money. Remember, the Premium only has two biscuits per pack while the Deluxe has three. With such impressive reviews and the numerous choices its varieties can offer, I can say that Cream-O can easily topple down foreign competitors in the industry.

Jack n Jill Wafrets

I really find it amusing how URC has a quick answer to almost anything its competitors throw at it. Not only do they counteract the competition, they make their products better. I guess that's what is expected of a dominant industry player. Jack n Jill's new snack product is similar to Monde's Sumo Wafers in every way, except of one crucial thing. They are both individually packed in sets of four wafer sticks to preserve freshness. The wafers of both brands have the same length. The texture and taste are equally good. However, Jack n Jill Wafrets are infused with more chocolate cream. If you compare the two snacks, Wafrets is filled with cream up to the brim, while the interior of Sumo Wafers is lined with a thin layer of chocolate. Thus it has more flavor and it is more satisfying. It may be a slight difference, but it is significant enough to improve the product tenfold.

Sumo Wafer Sticks

It's nice to try out snacks other than biscuits from time to time. Now I'll be reviewing my childhood favorite, the wafer sticks. The market has been flooding with various brands yet only a few are able to keep the freshness and integrity of their products. The main problem with wafer sticks is that they are often packed in large jars in huge quantities. These "party-pack" sizes are usually intended for children and groups of people who share the food with each other. But what if you are only a single consumer? Oftentimes you are compelled to finish the entire jar in one sitting, or at least consume more than what you want or else the wafers will go stale fast. It's a good thing that Monde gave the product a new look. Sumo Wafer Sticks are individually packed with four sticks per plastic pouch. The new packaging is more sanitary, it keeps the wafers fresh, and it allows you to monitor and control how much you consume.

Aside from the packaging, Monde also revolutionized the usual hollow look of the wafer sticks. A new feature of the snack is that the wafers are infused with chocolate cream. While it generally has an impressive crunchy texture, the chocolate flavor is sugary-sweet as expected. However, the cream isn't as generous as I thought. The interior walls of the wafer is only coated with a modest layer of chocolate cream so the flavor isn't that intense.

Fried Bread Sticks - A New Look

Two Saturdays ago, I went to my godchild's baptism and naturally, there was a party afterwards. The catered food was terrific and it made the event an elaborate family gathering. What caught my attention was this curious-looking dessert. I was told that it was a kind of bicho-bicho or deep fried bread sticks. Normally, a bicho-bicho is soft, chewy and sprinkled over with white sugar crystals or powdered sugar. These bread sticks are dipped in pink candy coating and glazed with sprinkles. Needless to say that the pastry is extremely sweet. They look like donuts without the round shape but it feels like eating wafers or crackers. The bread sticks are brittle and very crunchy, unlike their traditional counterparts. The candy coating adds a sudden boost of flavor that tingled my taste buds. It's just a shame that I wasn't able to get the name of the caterer nor was I able to take home some of those delicious pastries since I need to watch my sugar intake. After all, I already had more than six bread sticks that afternoon. To the catering company who served that party, I congratulate you for such a wonderful and addictive pastry.

I Smell A Law Suit Here...

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It was that time of the month again to buy some groceries. I love this chore since I get to see new products in the market. For instance, I noticed that Cadbury, the chocolate manufacturer, launched Bourn Vita, a new chocolate beverage to rival existing coca-malt drinks. I thought that Cadbury only focuses on making chocolate bars but it turns out that the brand was already created way back in 1932 in England. I didn't get a chance to purchase a sample since Bourn Vita is currently not available in single-serve packs. I did notice something interesting.

The packaging of Bourn Vita has a lot of similarities with the label design of Ovaltine. They both have the same bluish lettering color, the bright red-orange background color and yellow design details. Call it coincidence but I smell a law suit here. This reminds me of the complaint filed by Nestle against Columbia for allegedly copying the label design of Milo, which caused "confusion among buyers" and was tantamount to copyright infringement. I don't know how the case turned out but I think Columbia won the case since they were able to continue marketing their Chocquick brand. I'm no lawyer so I'm not sure if imported brands like Cadbury are covered by the local copyright law or whether Ovaltine will react to Bourn Vita's label designs. Only time will tell.

Big M - Not Big on Flavor

Big M is a brand of flavored milk imported from Singapore. Unlike the other brands, the intensity of Big M's flavors ranges from weak to mild. It generally has a dominant dairy taste rather than an equal balance of flavors. The Strawberry flavor is faint and not that noticeable. On the other hand, the intensity of the chocolate flavor is much more moderate probably because chocolate is essentially compatible with milk. The has a thin, refined texture and taste. I believe skimmed milk is used and I wonder if it has anything to do with the weak taste of the flavors?

So if you want a milk drink with real cocoa taste or one with a rich, strong, fruit strawberry flavor, Big M might disappoint you. But if you want a milder dairy drink, then it is worth giving this beverage a try.

Vita Italiana Trattoria

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Being a small mall, Robinsons Metro East doesn't offer much restaurant options to diners. Of course, there are the ever-popular fast food chains like Jollibee and McDonald's. But sometimes, you just want a different, more special, yet affordable dining experience. Enter Vita Italiana Trattoria. It's a new Italian-themed restaurant, which opened last September of this year. At first the place seems to cater to the high-end market. But I was surprised that the items in their menu fall on the Php 200-400 budget range. It's very affordable alternative compared to other Italian restaurants that are within the Php 400-700 budget range.

[Bolognese Pasta Plate - Php 155]

Now, you may think that the food quantity is compromised by its price. It turns out that each serving of food is more than enough to satisfy the appetite of your average person. For under Php 200, you can get a generous serving of pasta with a slice of garlic bread on the side. Even their seafood pasta plates like the Garlic Shrimp and Marinara Pescadora, which are normally expensive, are only Php 190 each. You can even buy a pizza good for 3 persons for under Php 300.

As for the taste, the pastas are very flavorful. Not only are they generous in the serving portions but also generous in the amount of herbs and spices. They use big cloves of garlic, lots of basil leaves and juicy chunks of crushed tomatoes. The various mixture of flavors will certainly leave an impression on your taste buds.

Food price and taste are not just the things I commend this restaurant for. A great dining experience is only possible with great service. The restaurants staff are attentive. When they serve your meal, they offer freshly ground pepper to be sprinkled on your dish. They also refill your glasses with water even without prior requests. I just hope that management can maintain this A+ service.

Given all these positive reviews, Vita Italiana Trattoria still has some points for improvement. First is their payment method should also accommodate credit cards. They are currently accepting cash only but this could be inconvenient to large groups and families who hate carrying cash for large payments. Next, they can increase the items in their menu. Either they increase the variety of their pizzas and pastas, add new Italian-inspired dishes or both. Sometimes with very few options in the menu, customers can easily get tired of the food.

Overall, the restaurant delivers very well for a start-up venture. It currently has one branch only but you may find it worth your travel. With excellent food, affordable prices and great service, Vita Italiana Trattoria is really worth trying out.

Vita Italiana Trattoria

Upper Ground Floor Robinsons Metro East

Marcos Highway, Pasig City

Philippines

[View full directory details]

Oreo Strawberry Cookies

Now to review some strawberry flavored products instead of the usual chocolate ones. First up is Oreo Strawberry Cream. Surprisingly, the taste is not that very different from the classical variety. In the classical Oreo flavor, the cream is extremely sweet, which balances out the bitter sweet dark chocolate cookies. On the other hand, the strawberry cream is relatively much milder as it offers a more fruity flavor. But the taste doesn't seem to be that noticeable unless you really focus your sense of taste on that faint hint of strawberry essence. Then again, Kraft cannot make the cream too fruity or else the balance of flavors will be compromised. Still, Oreo Strawberry Cream is still a great variety worth trying out especially if you find the classical version to sweet for your taste buds.

Premium Cookies for the Upper Market

From product to packaging, Jack n Jill created a variant of Cream-O that targets the upper market class. The name "Premium" is an immediate indication that the cookies are creating its own niche, different from the other varieties. It has a glossy gold-colored packaging to give it a luxurious presentation. The appearance and taste of the biscuits themselves are also far from being ordinary. The cookies are filled with chocolate cream and they are covered in even more chocolate! I noticed that the chocolate is not the usual sugary-sweet type normally used in other cookie and biscuit products of URC. Instead, the cookies have a bitter-sweet chocolate taste. They capture the essence and rich flavors of pure cocoa. If I were to make a comparison, I would say that Cream-O Premium is close to eating chocolate fudge cookies. It is a really great fix for chocolate cookie addicts.

Sadly, the product is also luxurious when it comes to its price. At around Php 7.00, a pack of Cream-O premium contains only two cookies, whereas the classic Cream-O has three pieces for the same price. But if you want more flavor for your money instead of quantity, then Cream-O premium is really worth trying out.

Note: For those who want a milder chocolate sandwich cookies, Cream-O premium filled with Vanilla cream is also available.

From Circles to Rectangles

The Cream-O brand is normally associated with the cream-filled cookies. It is the favorite Filipino cookie of many local consumers. So I was really surprised when I saw a Cream-O wafer bar at Cafe Azul. It was the first and probably the only time I saw such a variety. I just had to purchase this rare product.

Among all the snacks I've reviewed, this has got to be the most mysterious. It's the most elusive item in the market. I've been browsing through different supermarkets around the city and this snack simply cannot be found. When I returned to Cafe Azul, their stock was not replenished. Apparently, I already bought the last wafer bar at that time. I'm not sure if this is a new product of URC, a limited promo or if the company intentionally produced a small quantity. Aside from its rarity, it is a "clone" or duplicate of URC's Hello Wafer product line. At first I thought it was like a cookie-wafer bar combination with a new rectangular shape. It turns out that it was no different from the Hello wafer bars in terms of its texture, appearance and content. Is URC planning to replace their Hello product line permanently? Why are there no Cream-O wafers in the supermarkets? Is this product simply experimental? The mystery continues...

Gourmet Pleasure

Chocolate is pretty much a foreign product. The Americans brought it here as solid chocolate bars while the Europeans brought it here as a beverage. Most of the hot chocolate drinks are expensive and currently imported from the United States, thus classifying them as luxuries. It's great that there are a few local brands that offer a more affordable alternative. One of them is Alfonso's Gourmet Hot Chocolate.

I'm happy to say that Alfonso really captured the essence of gourmet chocolate. The drink has a rich, deep and bitter sweet cocoa taste. It is slightly sweet and not at all creamy, but of course you are still free to customize it to suit your taste. The product is priced at Php 14.00 per cup. The bulk of the cost is most likely attributed to the Styrofoam cup and stirring stick (included inside packaging). But the price is practical enough if you're the type of person that is always on-the-go. So if you crave for a nice, instant and affordable gourmet experience, this product is excellent.

Real Leaf... Really Healthy?

There is a trend of a healthier lifestyle that is currently sweeping the market. Consumers are becoming more conscious of what they eat and they want food that offers the most health benefits. Companies such as Nestle and Coca Cola have been exploiting this trend. They are launching green tea beverages which would hopefully grab market shares from once popular soda industry.

Green tea is believed to offer the most benefits since it is rich in antioxidants and other disease-preventing ingredients. But are all of the green tea products in the market really that healthy? Let's take Real Leaf for example. The advertisement claims the product to be rich in Theanine, a type of amino acid that is proven to boost the immune system and reduce stress. But when I checked the nutrition facts, it has 28 grams of carbohydrates per 240 mL serving. Although it is not explicitly stated, I assumed that the carbohydrate count is equivalent to its sugar content. That is around 0.12 grams of sugar per mL of Real Leaf. It may not sound much but if you look at other green tea products, their sugar content is significantly lower. For example, URC's C2 original green tea variety only has around 0.04 grams of sugar per mL (or 10 grams per 240 mL serving). As for the calorie count, Real Leaf has 0.46 calories per mL while C2 has 0.19 calories per mL. So if you're calorie conscious, diabetic or just simply want to reduce your sugar intake, then you may want to give this beverage a second thought.

I'm not saying that Real Leaf is inherently bad nor is it inferior to C2. It's just that some of us may be led to believe some things and miss out on the other half of the story. This just goes to show that some products are not always what they are cracked up to be. We must be wise consumers and we cannot be persuaded to believe everything we see on ads.

Remeber the Magic

It's the comparison that started this blog. Which chocolate coated sandwich is better? URC's Magic Creams or Rebisco's Extreme? To my surprise, they are similar in a lot of ways and are only unique in a characteristic that may be not easily noticed by consumers.

Both products are equal in terms of size and quantity. They both have the same biscuit size and each have two layers of crackers. Magic is not topped with chocolate sprinkles, unlike Rebisco Extreme. But I believe the sprinkles only add aesthetic value and has negligible effect on the overall taste. The difference between the two biscuits is the type of chocolate flavor that they have. It may not be obvious to most but Magic Creams has a sugary sweet chocolate taste while Rebisco Extreme has a deeper bitter-sweet cocoa essence. If your taste buds crave for a sweeter delight, then Magic Creams is the better choice. But if you are searching for a snack with a more authentic chocolate flavor, like me, then Rebisco wins this round hands down.

Monde's Voice in the Competition

When a product becomes a hit in the market, its competitors are never far behind. They make their own version and brand of the product and try to outdo other players in the market. I remember Monde having an aggressive marketing campaign during its initial launch, yet I cannot say for certain which company was the first in creating this innovative snack. So far Rebisco is the only company that has an answer for Monde's wafer sandwich and with Combi's previous review, it's time to judge Voice Combo.

In terms of taste, Voice is pretty good. Each bite bursts with the sweet flavor of strawberry. Unlike Rebisco Combi which has one flavor only, Monde has released other varieties of the wafer sandwich. If I'm not mistaken, Voice is also available in butter cream and chocolate. At Php 36 for a 10-pack set, it is cheaper than Combi but it is considerably smaller in size. Despite these positive points, Voice still has its drawbacks.

The biscuit's texture is absolutely brittle. The cracker easily crumbles when a small amount of pressure is applied. It's best to eat Voice by the sink or over a plate since each bite scatters crumbs everywhere. In a word, it is a messy eating experience. The most frustrating part of the experience is opening the sandwich pack. The packaging is lined with a thin film of tough clear plastic which takes me forever to tear open. This is an annoying combination of packaging and product because when I tear open the pack with the necessary violent force, I destroy the brittle crackers in the process. Does anyone else have this kind of experience?

For an overall evaluation, I would say that Voice Combo Sandwich is a product decent enough for snacks and sharing with friends. But I recommend this product more to those with the patience and strength to tear open that blasted plastic seal. Probably it's best not to try this food when you are already weak from hunger.

Ovaltine 3 in 1

The industry trend of having fast and economical products and services led companies to re-engineer the packaging of their goods. Take the case of Ovaltine for instance. They launched a 3-in-1 drink sachet, which is great for people on the go.

But if you highly value food flavor like me, you might be disappointed with this product. The mix is a combination of Chocolate-malt exract, milk and sugar. The problem is that the proportions of those ingredients may not be suited to your taste. In fact, you have to be very careful at how much water you dissolve the powder into. I don't even know what the exact amount is needed to achieve the perfect balance between volume and flavor. Dissolving it into half a mug of water preserves its taste but does not produce a satisfactory volume. Add a little bit over that amount and the beverage suddenly loses its flavor.

I think this characteristic is also true for the regular Ovaltine Chocolate Powder Drink. I remember that I used to consume up to half a glassful or more of the mix just to get the strong cocoa flavor. Sometimes I just eat the powder raw since its liquid form is too weak. I'm not sure if this is really how Ovaltine is intended to be or if there is something in its ingredient that serves as a flavor retardant (could it be the malt extract?). All I can say that I find it difficult dealing with this drink and the perfect water to mix ratio is yet to be discovered.

Black Forest Bread Style

As I have mentioned before, I'm a big fan of the Black Forest flavor. So far I have seen it used as a variant of cakes, ice cream and coffee. And I thought the food manufacturers have already exhausted the kind of products they can use this flavor on. So I was surprised and excited to see Gardenia making a Black Forest bread. They have really out done themselves this time.

So how does the flavored bread fair? The pastry has a strong sweet, chocolaty scent. But to my surprise, the taste is very (emphasize on "very") faint. You have to focus on your taste buds' actions to notice the weak aftertaste. It claims to be made of cherries yet I sense no fruity sensations other than the ones in the bread's scent. There is a thin lining of, what I suspect to be, cherry jelly swirls on the slices. However, these swirls are not uniformly present in each loaf, probably because the breads are made in batches and not by piece. A good indication of a relatively heavy jelly content is the bread's dark color. The darker or heavier the color, the more flavorful it is.

Despite this feedback, I'm not at all disappointed with Gardenia's flavored bread. After all, if they really intended to create a pastry with a strong resemblance to cake, then they would have made cupcakes, muffins or pies. At Php 65 per loaf, it's quite expensive and it's no substitute for the real black forest cake. But the innovative idea behind its flavor still makes it, as it says on the label, AMAZING!

Rebisco Combi

A recent development in the biscuit industry is the cracker wafer sandwiches. Instead of having a flavored cream filling, it has a layer of sweet wafer in between the crackers. Rebisco is just one of the few companies who launched their own brand of such a snack.

At first glance, a single pack of Combi looks larger than your average-sized biscuit. That's because it is. It turns out that one pack contains two square pieces of cracker wafer sandwiches instead of one solid serving. It can guarantee hunger satisfaction and it can also be shared. Rebisco is already a veteran corporation trusted for the quality taste of its products so I want to focus on the texture of Combi. Compared to the other biscuits I have tried, this snack has the most stable structure. It is firm enough to preserve its form yet its crunchiness is not compromised. That's good news for consumers who hate losing biscuit and wafer crumbs to the ants. The product is priced at Php 41.50 for a 10-pack set. It is a bit more expensive compared to the average price of biscuits which is Php 36 per set. But given its bigger size and better texture, Rebisco Combi is really worth trying if you're not on a strict budget.

Just When You Thought It Couldn't be Anymore Filipino

The mamon is the Filipino version of a yellow sponge cake. I thought that the pastry alone was already a symbol of Filipino creativity and culture. But then Red Ribbon redefined the common notion of the sponge cake and turned it into an even more Filipino product. This is the Ube Mamon. It is infused with the flavor of Ube or purple yam, a traditional Filipino confection made from a type of root crop.

The sponge cake has a glossy surface because it is topped with a thin layer of the purple yam cream. The exterior has a deep purple color, which makes it more appetizing. The inside of the pastry is soft, moist and flavorful. It is like eating Ube Cake minus the cream so there is less fat. Also, the texture is firm unlike its cake counterpart, which crumbles down easily. For Php 20 per piece, the price is reasonable and the product's uniqueness is worth your money. So the next time you want to buy pastries, drop by Red Ribbon and have a purple dessert.

White Forest Cake

Presenting the White Forest Cake, the latest creation of Red Ribbon. Honestly, using white chocolate on cakes never entered my mind so this is really an innovative concept. I'm a big fan of white chocolate so this product is a must-try.

Since white chocolate has more milk and sugar than cocoa, the bitter-sweet taste is absent. This enhances the taste of the cherry jam lining the layers of fluffy chiffon cake. The cherry flavor penetrates deep inside the entire pastry. To be honest, the strong fruity taste slightly overpowers the milk chocolate. I'm not sure if milk chocolate is really weaker compared to its dark counterpart or if my taste buds are just indiscriminate to this kind of taste. It seems that the creamy characteristic milk chocolate is supposed to have is not that noticeable. I'm still impressed though, since the cake's concept is innovative and its cherry flavor achieves my standards of taste intensity. Cheers to Red Ribbon!

Band Name Fail?

I found this Australian dairy product in our local supermarket. I'm not sure what the brand managers are thinking but I definitely think the product name fails hard. If you're still clueless, click HERE to find out why.

Mongolian BBQ @ Cafe Azul

I love having the Mongolian BBQ bowl at Cafe Azul, a fine-dining restaurant in our university sports center. It has the traditional style of combining your ingredients of choice from rice and noodles to vegetables and condiments. What keeps me coming back for more is the variety of sauces. A customer can choose savory Mongolian sauce, sweet teriyaki sauce, spicy chili paste or a combination of them all. The best part is that you can get as much vegetables and spices as you like. That is, of course, as long as it fits in your bowl. The amount of squid and meat is rather controlled. 60 grams is the fixed weight for the mini bowl (see above photo) while the regular bowl has 100-grams. The choices are either beef, squid, chicken, pork or a mix.

For Php 100 per mini bowl that comes with a glass of iced tea, the price is reasonable but there are some things to remember:

1. Learn the art of compacting the ingredients into the tiny bowl. The value of your money depends on how much rich and vegetables you put in.

2. Choose more oranges than greens. For some reason the food always seems less after it has been cooked. The cabbages and onion springs tend to shrink and disintegrate when heated while the other s don't. So instead of getting a mountain of cabbage shreds, it is better go choose more tomatoes and carrots to minimize food loss.

3. A scoop of teriyaki sauce goes a long way. Unless you want a real sweet taste, go easy on this sauce. It easily overpowers the other flavors.

There you have it. I highly recommend trying the Mongolian BBQ bowl at Cafe Azul. Although it may be tricky in getting the perfect mix of ingredients right the first time, this dining experience is worth your time and money.

Going Large

Ever since the shift of consumer preference to healthier lifestyles, manufacturers have been boosting the volume of their products to satisfy the market's demand. Take these two beverages for example: Del Monte has recently launched a 1-Liter Fit'n Right juice drink in their product line. On the other hand, URC felt that their 1-Liter C2 Tea Drink wasn't enough to satisfy their customers so they launched a gigantic 1.5 -Liter variety. It was the biggest bottled ready-to-drink tea I've ever seen.

So, what are the implications of such quantity upgrades? First, it obviously means that the demand in consumption for such healthy products is so high that manufacturers can afford to create large-scale version of their goods. In theory, the number of heavy consumers makes it viable for companies to increase their product's volume per package and lower the costs. Second, the bigger quantities can also mean that the products have gone beyond personal consumption and spilled over into groups. The sense of a healthier lifestyle is now an ideal that is shared by people within communities and families. A bigger bottle of juice or tea shows more than just the magnitude of consumption. It exhibits the kind of lifestyle people want to share with each other and achieve together.

Fish Fail

I found this fish at the seafood section of the supermarket in our neighborhood. This type of fish is often caught with another smaller fish in its mouth. Kind of cannibalistic and messed up if you ask me... Now, does this picture look familiar?

It should

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Coffee Desserts: Black Forest

Here is another food twist from URC: Great Taste Coffee Desserts Black Forest Flavor. I was excited when the product was first released around November of 2008. In fact, I was even invited in a sponsored event to give a taste test and feedback. The unique selling proposition was promising since it was the first coffee to have a new kind of flavor. Coffee is usually mixed with vanilla, mocha or hazelnut extracts but this one is infused with the essence of cake! What made the product more exciting is that black forest is my favorite dessert. The sweetness of chocolate and cream complements the fruity taste of cherry jelly to dazzle the taste buds.

But is the product holding up to its promise? Unfortunately, the faint black forest flavor is only noticeable in the aftertaste. A single 20-gram sachet may be insufficient to give intense taste when diluted in a regular mug. Either one uses 2 sachets of coffee or dissolves 1 sachet in less water in order to enhance and bring out the product's true flavor. Great Taste Coffee Desserts is a great alternative to the classic instant coffee . It offers affordable flavored coffee at around Php 5.00 per sachet. However, if it is flavor that you are searching for, it's best to stick to expensive, restaurant-grade coffee.

Not Exactly Food...

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Yeah, I know. It's not exactly about food but it's just so damn funny. Food doesn't get any more fresh than this.

What Great Syrups Are Made Of

No reviews about chocolate drinks for today. I want to share something I saw at the supermarket. It's a box of red, luscious raspberries. That fruit is normally grown in countries with cold climates so obviously it is nowhere to be found in this tropical country. As an imported good, it carries a hefty price tag and it can be bought in A-market areas. I found this in a grocery in Makati City.

I love raspberry in its processed form like syrups, candies and fruit ice cream. The mildly sweet taste of this produce makes it a great additive or flavoring. The fruity essence of raspberry syrup complements the bitterness of drinks such as coffee and black tea. As for its raw fruit form I still have yet to try it, though. I bet it will pack a strong citrus taste, which is absent in its processed form.

I'm not entirely sure about the existence of raspberries grown in the Philippines. In Baguio, I saw a boxes of blueberries but they are only sold in small quantities. Probably the farmers there are in the verge of perfecting the cultivation of berries. Hopefully there will be locally-grown raspberries in the future instead of just strawberries. And speaking of strawberries, check out this box of fat suckers I found in the same grocery.

Nestle Premium (and a Glimps of My Fridge)

Welcome to... my fridge. As you can see I tend to try out a lot of beverages in the market from coffees to vodkas (see background). But for now, I'll be reviewing Nestle's Chocolate Pleasure. For starters, it is a commercial-grade chocolate drink, meaning it is readily available in supermarkets. This type of ready-to-drink beverage is trickier to keep around the house compared to its dehydrated, powder counterparts. It needs constant refrigeration and has a shorter shelf life so watch out for those expiration dates.

As for the taste, it has a very creamy texture. The drink is composed of more milk than chocolate. But I guess that is no mystery. After all, the product's name is Nestle Premium Dairy. It has a moderately sweet chocolate aroma. The kind of scent reminiscent of Magnolia's Chocolait. The aftertaste of the drink is similar to that of milk, instead of the usual bitter-sweet essence. However, after consuming an entire serving, it leaves my lips and throat quite dry. I have no idea what causes that effect and I'm not sure if it only happens to me. It could be the rich dairy ingredient but I cannot be certain.

Signature Chocolate - Starbucks

As you may have already noticed, I've been blogging a lot about chocolate drinks. I'm actually in search of the ideal cocoa beverage. One that has real chocolate taste yet at the same time has the perfect balance of creaminess and sweetness. Now, the Signature Chocolate of Starbucks is under the spotlight.

The first noticeable characteristic was its strong bitter-sweet cocoa taste. I strongly believe that the beverage was not tainted with sugar or any dairy products. Sure, it has whipped cream on top but it did not compromise the original flavor. The chocolate was so pure that I felt like I was drinking a water-diluted Hershey Cocoa Powder Mix, the type used for baking. I'll give Starbucks major credit for the authentic cocoa taste but the lack of milk and creamer leaves the texture of the beverage thin. The richness of its overall flavor did not meet my expectations. As for the price, the product gives you more value for your money. At Php 115 for a tall cup, it certainly beats the small-sized drink of Cafe Xocolat, which also has the same price.

September has passed...

The month in which I promised to blog about food items has come to an end. But I've enjoyed creating reviews so much that I have decided to continue this hobby. So from now on, expect more food reviews on Random Talk. It will be the main theme of by blog but don't worry. I will still post rants and raves of whatever I find under the sun from time to time.

The Perfect Macaroons

The butter macaroon is a product of Goldilocks, a famous Filipino pastry shop. Its bright yellow color gives emphasis on the butter ingredient. As for the taste, each macaroon explodes with flavor. The sweet butter complements the crunchy coconut coating. The bakery was also able to add a twist to the usual shape of the food. The macaroons are ball-shaped instead of the traditional cup-cake form, making them easier and more fun to eat. It is an excellent treat to bring home to the family. But I warn you, these butter macaroons are very addictive. You can't have just one.

Choco Lava

When I was a child, the two dominant chocolate drink products in the market were Ovaltine and Milo. Whenever I craved for cocoa drinks, those were the only options I had since they were and affordable available in every supermarket. The only problem is that they did not capture the rich chocolate taste that my taste buds were longing for. Other alternatives I had were cocoa mixes imported from America like Swiss Miss and Hershey's. However, they were expensive and were only available in specialty stores. All of my gastronomic dilemmas were solved with the arrival of Choco Lava in the market.

The product was recently launched by the manufacturing giant, URC. It has excellent quality since it is made by URC and best of all, it is affordable because it is made locally. As for the taste, Choco Lava captures the rich, deep, smooth essence of real chocolate. Probably because it has no malt, the ingredient that, I suspect, dilutes the cocoa extract in Milo and Ovaltine. Choco Lava is so rich that the taste doesn't become too bland even if you dilute it in 500mL of water (the recommended is only around 300mL). On the other hand, the balance between water and Milo/Ovaltine is so delicate that you could immediately lose the flavor if you get the mixture wrong. You end up instead with a dull, watery chocolate liquid.

I highly recommend mixing Choco Lava with coffee creamer to add more texture to the drink. But for those chocolate addicts who want the real, pure, untainted chocolate taste, then no alteration is necessary. Once again, I applaud URC for giving the Filipino consumers access to an affordable yet flavorful chocolate drink.

At Cafe Xocolat

Sunday mornings are usually the perfect time to drive to Katipunan Avenue and hang out at the coffee shops. There is no traffic and parking is plentiful. But today, I decided to try out the restaurant that I read about in business magazines. Cafe Xocolat, or simply Xocolat for short, is a Filipino-owned cafe/restaurant that serves, what else, chocolate products. From ice blended drinks to cakes and brownies, they always have something to offer the average chocolate addict. I've always been primarily curious about their chocolate drinks. Now, I had the chance to check them out for myself.

I bought the Xocolat Lava. It's one of their best-sellers. The title "Lava" gives justice to the richness of the chocolate drink. It tasted just like those hot coca drinks served in luxury hotels. What I can say about it is that the taste is very, very genuine as if the drink was made from freshly processed cacao beans. It's not over sweetened with sugar nor is it diluted with too much milk. The bitter-sweet taste captures the true essence of chocolate. But for a small cup (refer to picture above) priced at Php 115 it's certainly not a substitute for those expensive chocolate drinks made by multinational corporations like Coffee Bean and Starbucks. I personally haven't tried the imported counterparts of Xocolat so I can't give a conclusive comparison between Xocolat Lava and the other brands yet aside from their prices.