Certified Foodies
Certified Foodies - A food blog by siblings Mhel and Ken

Mexican Food

T.G.I. Friday’s Opens At Eastwood City

Written on November 30, 2011 by in American Food, Appetizers, Beef / Steak, Beverages / Drinks, Burgers, Chicken and Eggs, Chocolates, Cocktail Food / Dishes, Comfort Food, Desserts / Ice Cream, Food Place / Restaurant Features, Food Trips, Foodie Blog Reviews / Features, Foodie FYI / News, Mexican Food, Pasta, Salads, Sandwiches, Seafood, Snacks, Veggies

Most of us look forward to Friday. It’s the end of a busy week and, at the same time, the start of a well-deserved weekend for all those who hustle and bustle at school or at work. It’s the ultimate day for relaxation and enjoyment. But, guess what, we don’t really need to wait for Friday just to have fun. With T.G.I. Friday’s infectious energy and with their excellent food and customer service, everyone would feel like it’s Friday every single day of the week!

T.G.I. Friday's Sign - CertifiedFoodies.com

T.G.I. Friday’s Maxim: “In here, it’s always Friday.”

After more than 15 years since setting up their first in 1994, T.G.I. Friday’s opens a new branch in Eastwood City, Libis. This is their 13th and now considered as their new flagship branch since it’s the location where the brand has decided to implement major changes in architectural and interior design.

It is the first free-standing Friday’s branch. All of the other branches, as we all have known, are located in major shopping malls around the Metro.

T.G.I. Friday's Facade - CertifiedFoodies.com

Facade of T.G.I. Friday’s Eastwood City in Libis

From outside, the facade looks bright and very inviting. They have replaced the old canopies and awnings with movie theater-like sheds, giving the place a more modern feel.

Almost everyone who comes to Friday’s has their own camera, and surely they wouldn’t be able to resist having their pictures taken with these life-size models of Superman; the king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley; and the iconic, Marilyn Monroe.

T.G.I. Friday's Superman, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis Presley - CertifiedFoodies.com

Superman, My cam-whore sis, Mhel, with Marilyn Monroe, and Elvis Presley.

Friday’s is known for having an “artistic clutter” of memorabilia from decades as early as the ‘30s. Now they have decided to move forward in time by including pieces from later decades like the ‘80s, ‘90s, and even from the new millennium.

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Tupperware Speedy Chopper : Making Home-Cooked Meals Less of a Hassle

Written on October 24, 2011 by in Baking, Cocktail Food / Dishes, Cooking Techniques, Culinary Schools, Food Product Reviews / Features, Foodie Events, Foodie Tools / Appliances, Gift Ideas, Kitchen Tools / Appliances, Mexican Food, Pasta

Announcement: Tupperware will have an event for parents and kids on October 28th at Robinsons Galleria. For more info, check the bottom of this post.

I love cooking. Ever since I was 10 years old, I’ve loved staying in the kitchen, whether it’s to enjoy a meal or prepare something for myself or my family and friends. But, because of my very hectic schedules online and offline, I’ve left all the cooking to my bro Ken and our nanay. Thank goodness I found out about the all-new Tupperware Speedy Chopper.

Tupperware Speedy Chopper

Over a week ago, Ken and I were invited by Tupperware to take a Kitchen Discovery Class at Center for Culinary Arts Oceana at SM Mall of Asia. Of course, we gladly accepted mainly because Tupperware is a brand we believe in. We have Tupperware dinnerware and containers that have been with us for over 2 decades now. They make reliable and durable products that are made to last. :)

So, when we learned that they’re launching a new kitchen tool that should help prepping be less time-consuming, we knew we had to get our hands on it to try how it works.

Melody Yap, the brand manager of Tupperware Philippines, first showed us how it works. It’s so easy to use. Put in the ingredients you want to grind or chop finely in the container. Then, close it with the very sharp blades and start pulling on the cord to spin the three (3) blades inside. These blades, they claim, can equal 288 knife strokes in just 15 seconds. So we were all very excited to give it a try.

These very sharp blades can give you 288 knife strokes in 15 seconds

Tupperware enrolled us in the Kitchen Discovery Class in CCA and it started with 3 renowned female chefs (Yayyy! Girl power!) showing us how great the Speedy Chopper is in making your life easier in the kitchen.  They were all very delightful so we enjoyed watching them prepare these delicious dishes, Oh, and they used other Tupperware kitchen tools during the whole demo. :)

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Your All-Time Favorites at Flapjacks are Now Back… Better… Best!

Written on October 4, 2011 by in Beverages / Drinks, Burgers, Desserts / Ice Cream, Fine Dining, Mexican Food, Seafood

A good restaurant values its customers’ opinions and suggestions. A way of showcasing this is when a certain dish makes a re-appearance on the menu due to popular demand from their avid patrons. And this is exactly what Flapjacks is doing now, by re-introducing four (4) of their signature dishes with “Back…Better…Best!”

Flapjacks Back Better Best!

You can start your meal by experiencing a nice play of textures and flavors with a plate of Mango Exotica. It’s a light but quite filling meal with a delightful mix of Romaine lettuce, sweet bites of California raisins, croutons, succulent grilled chicken slices, with almond slivers for that extra crunch, all tossed in a tangy and sweet mango vinaigrette.

Mango Exotica - Flapjacks - CertifiedFoodies

Mango Exotica
Lunch Php 195   |   Dinner Php 325

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Very Easy Homemade Quesadilla with Salsa Recipe

Written on December 9, 2010 by in Certified Foodies Recipes, Cheese and Dairy, Chicken and Eggs, International Cuisine, Mexican Food, Recipes, Sandwiches

I am a big fan of Mexican food. I remember back in college, my friend and I would usually have lunch at this small Mexican food joint near our school in Quezon City. I forgot the name of the place (I’ll update this post when I remember Update: The name of the place is Miggy’s! Thanks to my college lunch buddy Garet for remembering) , but I so love their Churros and Quesadilla.

I so miss Churros! - CertifiedFoodies.com

The owner makes a really mean salsa that complements their chicken quesadilla. I never forgot how it tasted. And since then, I was always open for an any-day meal at any Mexican restaurant I can find.

I’ve already tried Mexicali and Taco Bell. But, I’m going to try them again just so I can write something fresh about them. I remember Taco Bell’s Quesadilla and salsa being too bland for my taste, especially when I compare it to that Mexican joint I used to frequent in college.

A few weeks ago, I was really craving for some Mexican food and I wanted to try to make quesadillas at home. So, we scoured the Landmark supermarket in Trinoma to find the ingredients I need. Unfortunately, though, not all that I wanted was available but I made sure that the salsa ingredients were complete. For me, that’s the most important part of the whole quesadilla experience – the slightly bitter-sweet and spicy flavors of the salsa mixed with the bit of saltiness of the chicken and the cheese in the quesadilla.

Here’s my own recipe of the chicken quesadilla. It’s so simple, anyone can make it at home. I’m proud to say that I got the right flavors on my salsa that my brother and I forgot all about our limits. It was THAT good… well, for us. And I know you’re going to enjoy this, too.

Some may prefer guacamole or sour cream for their quesadilla. I love salsa though, but I’m going to try these other dips/sauces next time.

For the salsa, you can take out the cumin or garlic powder if you’re making this for your kids since they might not like these strong flavors.

Chicken Quesadilla with salsa - CertifiedFoodies.com

Chicken Quesadilla and Salsa Recipe

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