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

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