October 2010 - Certified Foodies

Bigby’s Cafe and Restaurant : A Review

While scouring SM Mall of Asia for a place we’d dine in for lunch, we saw Bigby’s Cafe and Restaurant near the IMAX Theater / Entertainment Mall. I’ve heard about them from friends and so we decided to try their menu.

Bigby’s Cafe & Restaurant offers a diverse selection of food on their menu. We couldn’t really decide what to order, but we ended up with a salad for starter, two main meals and a dessert. We had other plans later in the afternoon, so we didn’t want to be too full for any more food trip.

Continue reading Bigby’s Cafe and Restaurant : A Review

Olive Oil : The Healthier Choice

I’ve mentioned on my other blogÂ that my brother and I are on a weight loss plan. One of the things included on our list is changing how we prepare our food.

We used to cook our food on regular oil. There were even times our food would really be oily, but it won’t matter to us even though we know it can cause some unhealthy things to our body like heart problems and severe acne. So, we have decided that from now on, we’ll be using olive oilÂ as much as we can because of its health benefits.

Olive oil is known for its good effects on health. It actually reduces the levels of bad cholesterol that can build up fatty deposits in arteries. It lowers cholesterol levels and reduces the chances of heart problems.

Olive oil is also known for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. It also maintains metabolism and helps in development of brains and bones. It’s also a good source of Vitamin E and can help maintain a healthy eating routine. I guess that’s why I’m able to reduce my food cravings after I started preparing my baked chicken breast with olive oil.

We bought this Olitalia Pomace Olive Oil. It’s not actually pure olive oil, but I only use it for baking. It has a high smoke point so I can cook it long enough to bring that smoky flavor on my baked chicken. I’m planning on buying Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) next time I grocery-shop.

How about you? Do you use Olive Oil for your home cooking?

KFC Chili Lime Chicken : New, Exciting Flavors!

We were invited to the launch of KFC’s new chicken flavor last week, but, unfortunately, we weren’t able to join. Aside from food bloggers, KFC also invited some of their Facebook fans who sent in the most creative guesses on what their new chicken flavor is. Ken guessed “Chicken Tocino“. That would’ve been good, too, right? He’s a tocino addict, FYI. *LOL*

After the event in Blue Leaf Events Pavillion in McKinley Hill Village in Taguig, I found out what their new chicken flavor is â€“ KFC Chili Lime Chicken.

I was pretty excited to try this new chicken flavor. I’m a HUGE fan of KFC, especially their Hot and Crispy chicken, California Maki Twister and their fries. So, their Chili Lime Chicken was really something I looked forward to tasting.

Last weekend, we finally got a taste of KFC’s Chili Lime Chicken at their branch near Gilmore. And, all I can say is the combination of chili and lime is really interesting.

First off, I just wanted to say this â€“ I don’t like sprinkled flavor powder on anything. So, I didn’t particularly enjoy the flavor powder on my Chili Lime chicken. BUT, I loved how these 2 flavors â€“ chili and lime â€“ gave KFC’s chicken a new twist.

They say that the Chili Lime Chicken is marinated in special Chili Lime spices. That part, I really love. The chicken meat really bursts with flavor. And, I’m pretty happy that the chicken meal we ordered was still very warm so you can really taste and enjoy the chili lime flavors.

I’ve read some comments from KFC fans who didn’t particularly like the Chili Lime chicken. They say it tastes weird. I say, it’s new and interesting. The first time I bit into my Chili Lime chicken, I immediately tasted the lime flavor. I love limes on anything so I really enjoyed it. The chili or spicy flavor of the chicken, though, got a li’l overpowered by the zestiness of the lime flavor. I can only taste the spiciness on the chicken skin. I guess I was looking for a li’l more chili flavor on the chicken itself.

However, I still enjoyed my KFC Chili Lime chicken because it was something new. I love the flavors combined with KFC’s tender chicken meat and, of course, their famous gravy (soup to other people *LOL*). I’m actually thinking of trying preparing chicken here at home using these 2 flavors to see how it’ll turn out.

By the way, we ordered the 2-piece KFC Chili Lime chicken meal. I didn’t know that you can actually choose from the 3 flavors for ANY KFC chicken meal. If I did, I would’ve ordered their Fully Loaded Twister meal instead with Chili Lime-flavored chicken. Kien and I had to order 2 separate California Maki Twisters *LOL* I know, we’re on a diet, but when we’re in KFC, we just can’t help but go on a food trip. We don’t need the best multivitamin to boost our appetite when it comes to KFC. We just love their food! ^_^

Have you tried KFC’s Chili Lime Chicken?
How did you find the combination of the tangy lime flavor and spiciness?

What’s Inside your Refrigerator?

Whenever I watch American shows or movies, I envy how the refrigerators they have at home are all filled with food like ingredients for a healthful sandwich for snack time or lunch, and fruits or vegetables for their dinner salads. I’ve always wanted to have an organized refrigerator containing only healthful ingredients for cooking, especially now that my whole family is trying to eat healthier. It’s a li’l hard to keep it all organized now because of what we have to place in there.

Here’s a peak inside our refrigerator and freezer. We own a Kelvinator refrigerator that has been with us for over a decade. The only problem with this refrigerator now is we have to really push the door to completely close it properly. But, it still works well.

Inside our trusty Kelvinator refrigerator - CertifiedFoodies.com

What you’ll usually see inside our refrigerator.

On the refrigerator door, currently, you’d see eggs,one-liter powdered juice sachets, sandwich spread sachets and bottles, and a bottle of mustard. We prefer to buy sachets to save space and money. We usually tend to use more sandwich spread or powdered juice than we should when we buy bigger packs or bottles.

There’s not much inside our refrigerator because we usually buy food supplies weekly. My mother goes to the market every weekend to buy meat. We’re also pretty much very independent here so we end up cooking for ourselves. So, she just buys ingredients that we could use for anything we might want to cook.

As you can see at the bottom of the refrigerator, we have a plastic container / box for our vegetables. However, I still prefer a more organized refrigerator. I want something bigger so we can stock more healthful ingredients for salads, sandwiches, etc. This is my dream refrigerator â€“ Whirlpool ED5LHAXWB refrigerator.

My dream refrigerator - Whirlpool ED5LHAXWB Refrigerator - CertifiedFoodies.com

Â Whirlpool refrigerator â€“ my dream ref!

I love its features, especially the ice dispensing and water filtration systems. And, you’ve got huge space inside plus the door bins. It also has a coldness controlled drawer to keep meats, cheese or beverage fresh longer.

I know, this refrigerator model is quite expensive. I’m not even sure if we have this here. I just saw it on Best Buy while I was searching for a refrigerator I want to own in the future. If I get to own a ref like this, I’ll post another photo of what’s inside.

How about you?
What’s inside your refrigerator?

If you have a photo of what’s inside your refrigerator on your blog,
share it with me in the comments section and I’ll link you up on this post.

Enjoy!

Yogiberry Frozen Yogurt : Self Serve Froyo

After I’ve had my taste of frozen yogurt (froyo) from different stores/stalls (Red Mango, White Hat, Yoh-Gurt), I’ve decided to try ALL the frozen yogurts I could find. There are a LOT, and I mean a lot, of frozen yogurt stores mushrooming all over the metro. And, my brother Ken and I discovered another froyo that really got us all interested because of how it’s prepared. I’m talking about Yogiberry Frozen Yogurt.

Yogiberry Frozen Yogurt in Greenhills - CertifiedFoodies.com

Â Yogiberry Frozen Yogurt in Greenhills Shopping Mall (Virra Mall)

The Yogiberry stall on the second floor of V-Mall in Greenhills, just below the food court, got us all curious. There’s this Yogiberry guy handing out cups to people passing by. When we saw the “pumping station”, I was like, “What’s up with this?!”. The guy, with a smile on his face, instructed us on how to prepare our own cup of frozen yogurt. It’s a self-service yogurt station, which really caught my attention. I like self-service stores or food places because I prefer to have control over my servings. *grin*

Yogiberry Frozen Yogurt self-service station - CertifiedFoodies.com

Â Yogiberry’s self-service station â€“ prepare your own cup of yogurt

Continue reading Yogiberry Frozen Yogurt : Self Serve Froyo

Big Daddy’s Crispy Chicken Chops at Greenhills

Last week, Kien and I went to Greenhills for some shopping. I needed a new mouse and I know I’d find what I’m looking for there at a more affordable price. He was also very eager to join me since he wanted to window shop for gaming consoles.

Aside from buying a new mouse (I bought a Logitech Trackman mouse to help ease the pain on my right wrist) and searching for great deals on Xbox and other video game consoles, we also wanted to try one of the chicken joints in Greenhills Theater Mall â€“ Big Daddy’s Chicken.

Big Daddy's Chicken in Greenhills - CertifiedFoodies.com

Big Daddy’s Chicken in Greenhills Theater Mall

Big Daddy’s Chicken claims to serve "Taiwan’s Famous Crispy Chicken Chop". I’ve heard a couple of my friends raving about them, so we decided to try them out. Here’s their menu:

Big Daddy's Chicken Menu - CertifiedFoodies.com

Big Daddy’s Chicken Menu â€“ Everything is really affordable!

Supposedly, I would be ordering Big Daddy’s Porky Chop and Kien will take the Chicken Chop. But, they didn’t have any pork chops ready for frying â€“ all were still really frozen. So, I decided to go for their Chicken Chop, too, but my bro and I chose different flavors and carbo to go with it.

Big Daddy's Chicken Chops, chili flavor with Creamy Pasta - CertifiedFoodies.com

Big Daddy’s Chicken Chops, chili flavor with Creamy Pasta â€“ Php 90.00

Kien ordered Big Daddy’s Chili / Hot Chicken Chop with Creamy Pasta. Because he’s cooked A LOT of pasta at home, Kien wasn’t blown away with the pasta he ordered. Yes, it was creamy, but we wanted more flavor. And there wasn’t anything with the pasta, just creamy white sauce. I guess that’s why they just call it "creamy pasta", eh? *LoL* The serving was big enough for Kien’s appetite so they get points for that.

Big Daddy's Chicken Chops, hot chili flavor with Creamy Pasta - CertifiedFoodies.com

Big Daddy’s hot Chicken Chops â€“ look at the coating and flavoring spread on top of the chicken chops. It was still good though.

Anyway, about the chili flavor, it was a bit spicy, but the flavor was more like chili powder spread on top of the chicken chop. HOWEVER, I still enjoyed it. At first taste, it could be a li’l salty, but that fades away as soon as you get to the crunchy chicken. Kien didn’t order rice so he had to use the soup that came with my order to lessen the saltiness.

Big Daddy's Chicken Chops, in lemon flavor with rice and soup - CertifiedFoodies.com

Big Daddy’s Chicken Chops, lemon flavor with rice and soup â€“ Php 85.00

I ordered Big Daddy’s lemon-flavored Chicken Chop with Rice and Soup. Like Kien’s order, there was pepper and flavor powder spread on top of my chops. The lemon flavor wasn’t that strong, but it was still good. We just expected a stronger punch of lemon flavor on my chicken chops.

Big Daddy’s Chicken Chops â€“ lemon flavor needs a li’l more punch, but I still enjoyed it because of the crispiness and juiciness of the chicken.

Even though we had a li’l issue with the saltiness and the not-so-strong lemon flavor of our chicken chops, I can say that Big Daddy’s chicken chops are really crispy and you’d get a lot of real chicken meat in there, unlike with other chicken or pork chops I’ve had from other food places where the crispy coating was thicker than the actual meat. PLUS, the serving was big considering the price. It’s really affordable and we were already filled after we’re done with our meals. We were pretty satisfied.

We give Big Daddy’s Chicken Chops at their Greenhills branch this rating (3 out of 5 smilies).

â˜»â˜»â˜»

We’ll try the other items on their menu next time.

Enjoy!

Chowking’s Orange Chicken and Tender Beef Broccoli

Ever since Chowking announced their newest additions to their menu, I’ve wanted to try them. And, a few weeks ago, we finally got the chance to have a taste of their Orange Chicken and Tender Beef Broccoli.

We were told to wait for 10 to 15 minutes for our orders. I was okay with it and glad they served the Black Gulaman I ordered, that I’ve been craving for.

The order took a li’l longer than we expected. We talked about a wide range of topics, from our next food trip destination, and even about SSS.Â 😀

Anyway, when our orders were finally served (the server apologized for the wait), I was a bit disappointed with the serving of my Orange Chicken. For the price of Php 89.00 inclusive of rice, I expected more slices of chicken.

We first tasted the Tender Beef with Broccoli. It was good, but didn’t really blow us away. I guess it’s because we cook beef with broccoli A LOT at home (one of my faves) so we expected something more from Chowking. There was too much sauce for us, but we’re glad the broccoli and carrots still had li’l crunch to it, since that’s how we like our veggies. And, yes, the beef slices were tender. The sauce wasn’t salty or too overpowering. It was just right, so we still enjoyed it.

Then, we tried my Chowking’s Orange Chicken. I was surprised, honestly. I didn’t expect it to be really yummy. The spiciness of the orange sauce added to my enjoyment of the whole dish. I can say they made up for the little serving with the delicious, spicy sauce. But, still, I would’ve loved more pieces of the chicken.

I love Chowking’s Lauriats, their Kangkong with Bagoong and, of course, their dimsum. And, now, their Orange Chicken is the latest addition to my favorite meals from them. I’d also love to make my own version of it, homestyle!

Have you already tried Chowking’s Orange Chicken or Tender Beef Broccoli?
How was it? And what’s your favorite from Chowking’s menu?

KFC’s California Maki Twister and BBQ Rods

KFC – It’s Finger Licking Good!

Last week, my brother and I had food delivered from KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken), my favorite chicken food joint. We were both craving for their chicken and BBQ rods, so we decided to have them for lunch. We also haven’t tried their new California Maki Twister yet so we added it to our order, plus two KFC Go-go sandwiches for my parents.

By the way, I wish KFC will bring back their Go-go Dragon sandwich. I super love it and I’ve been craving for it.

KFC BBQ Rods â€“ yum!
Php 27.50 per stick

The KFC BBQ Rods is currently Kien’s, my brother, addiction. I understand why because it’s good and the sauce really makes it more enjoyable. Not pairing KFC BBQ Rods with rice is like a waste of the sweet taste of the sauce. *LOL*

I ordered 6 sticks of KFC BBQ Rods â€“ five for my bro and one for me. And, I also ordered their two-piece chicken meal. As always, one chicken is Hot and Crispy, the other one’s in Original flavor. What was delivered to us was still warm, so I really enjoyed it even when a couple of customers at our internet cafe were having their photos printed while I was eating away. *grin*

KFC 2 piece Chicken Meal - Hot and Crispy, Original - CertifiedFoodies.com

KFC 2 piece Chicken Meal – Hot and Crispy, Original
Php 130.90 â€“ ala carte

A few minutes after we were done with lunch, my brother and I decided to have a taste of KFC’s California Maki Twister. We only ordered one since we can share it anyway. I haven’t had sushi ever (but I will, soon!!), so I didn’t really know what to expect. Good thing Kien is a sushi guy, so I told him to let me know if it really tasted close to actual California Maki sushi.

KFC California Maki Twister - CertifiedFoodies.com.jpg

KFC California Maki Twister
Php 86.90 â€“ a li’l expensive for me, but I loved it.

When I took my first bite, the mango filling gushed out of my half of the Twister. It was so good, I can eat another one without feeling guilty. Might need women’s weight loss pills afterwards, though. Hahaha. But, seriously, I loved it!

What’s inside KFC’s California Maki Twister – Mangoes, cucumber, wasabi

The KFC California Maki Twister is made up of cucumber, mango and a hint of wasabi wrapped in a toasted tortilla. Kien said it tasted close to the sushi version. That made me want to try sushi on our next food trip. Woohoo!

Again, KFC didn’t fail my tastebuds. I was quite full after everything we ate. It was like our last supper / meal before we start on our “gradual” diet. But, for now, I am really craving for another KFC California Maki Twister!

Have you tried KFC’s California Maki Twister already?

What do you think? Let me know if you enjoyed it, too.

Enjoy!

Continue reading KFC’s California Maki Twister and BBQ Rods

Chocolatey Goodness + Gone Chocco, THE Blog for Chocolate Lovers

I am a chocolate lover. Wait, let me rephrase that. I’m a DARK chocolate lover. But, I still enjoy other kinds of chocolates. Just like what we see in movies and on TV, chocolate is a mood-booster for me. It’s still my choice of comfort food.

Dark Chocolate – CertifiedFoodies.com
Photo credit: Sense & Serendipity

I had the chance to try different chocolates over the past years. Most recently, I’ve had these two new additions to the list of my favorite chocolates â€“ Lindt Pistachio and Ritter Sport Dark Whole Hazelnuts â€“ and, my long-time favorite, Ferrero Rocher.

Lindt Pistachio Chocolate - CertifiedFoodies.com

Lindt Pistachio Chocolate
I love that the chocolate is soft and the pistachio gives it a li’l crunch.

Ritter Sport Dark Whole Hazelnuts - CertifiedFoodies.com

Ritter Sport Dark Whole Hazelnuts
I usually don’t like chocolate with nuts, but I enjoyed this.

Ferrero Rocher Chocolates - CertifiedFoodies.com

Ferrero Rocher Chocolates
Different variants. I enjoyed the dark chocolate the most.

I know, some people may say I might need acne products for eating lots of chocolates. But, you should know that chocolates actually are rich in antioxidants called flavonoids that are known to improve the heart’s health. I guess that’s why eating chocolates is comforting.

I prefer dark chocolate over any other kind of chocolate. I love the bittersweet taste and I’m not really a fan of milk and chocolate. Dark chocolate is my favorite comfort food. I also prefer enjoying a plain bar of dark choco, without nuts or anything crunchy mixed, while enjoying movies at home or writing a blog. I’m trying to lessen my cravings for it since I’m trying to lose weight, so I limit myself to one li’l square of chocolate every now and then.

A few of the more affordable dark chocolate I’ve tried are from Hershey’s, Meiji and Goya. Of the 3, I love Hershey’s the most.

Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate - CertifiedFoodies.com

Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate
Photo credit: Meals and Miles

And, back in high school, I got so addicted to this very affordable milk chocolate â€“ Lala. It only sells at about Php 8.00 now at the market. It brings back a lot of memories for me.

Lala Milk Chocolate - CertifiedFoodies.com

Lala Milk Chocolate
The more affordable alternative.

Gone Chocco â€“ THE Blog for Chocolate Lovers!

While I was doing my daily rounds of bloghopping, I came across this blog that just melted my heart. As soon as I landed on this blog, I quickly browsed through past posts and I can’t believe at how much chocolately goodness I found. The blog I’m talking about is Gone Chocco.

The author, Kath Lockett, is the ultimate chocolate lover. And browsing through her blog, reading how she describes or reviews the chocolates she’s tried, really makes me want to try everything she’s featured on Gone Chocco. Really mouth-watering, especially the way she takes photos of the chocolates. Here are a few of the chocolates she featured on her blog that I’d love to try. I wonder where I can buy them here or if they’re even available here in the Philippines.

Lindt Dark Chocolate Bars - Photos from GoneChocco.com - CertifiedFoodies.com

Lindt Dark Chocolate Bars
Photo credit: Gone Chocco

Choceur Chocolate Bars - Photos from GoneChocco.com - CertifiedFoodies.com

Choceur Chocolate Bars
Photo credit: Gone Chocco

What’s your favorite chocolate?

Thanks for reading!

Chef Ramsay and Hell’s Kitchen Season 8

Renowned Chef Gordon Ramsay‘s cooking reality TV series Hell’s Kitchen is on its eighth (8th) season and it seems that the show is getting worse everytime. And that’s a compliment.

Even though Hell’s Kitchen is full of Chef Ramsay’s cursing and yelling, I enjoy it because of the food and cooking. When I started watching this series, I gotten familiar with some fine dining dishes that I haven’t heard of or might not even be interested in if they weren’t cooked in the show. One of them is risotto, which I’m planning on preparing myself at home.

For Season 8 of Hell’s Kitchen, there was this introduction in the first episode where they showed a couple of the aspiring chefs in their own elements, inside their restaurants. For the first time, I believed that the contestants are actual chefs in an established restaurant. They never did that in the past seasons so I’m glad they included an introduction for the new chefs.

LA Market in Los Angeles, Hell's Kitchen Season 8 - CertifiedFoodies.com

LA Market in downtown Los Angeles â€“ WInner will be head chef here.

There are 16 chefs vying for the title of head chef. This time, the winner will be the head chef of the multi-million dollar restaurant L.A. Market in LA Live complex in downtown Los Angeles. That’s a biggy because the salary of the head chef is at $250,000! Wow, right!? Plus, the winner will be the official spokesperson of Rosemount Estate Winery. A lot is at stake, really.

Sabrina Brimhall - Hell's Kitchen Season 8 - CertifiedFoodies.com

Sabrina Brimhall â€“ craziest female chef this season.

I’ve only watched the first episode, but I can already see how crazier this season is, especially because of the chefs competing this time. Take for instance Sabrina. She’s a li’l slow, and I don’t understand why she chose to wear high heels on the first day when it’s already expected they’ll be cooking their signature dishes. Then, she goes and yawns rather loudly and didn’t even know that Chef Ramsay was being sarcastic towards her. LOLz.

Raj Brandston - Hell's Kitchen Season 8 - CertifiedFoodies.com

Raj Brandon â€“ was it all the stress or he’s a bit cuckoo or something?

Then, there’s Raj. I had high hopes for this guy when I first saw him during the intro. But, he’s a li’l cuckoo, if you know what I mean. In a cute way though. I guess it’s because of all the stress and the nerves of being in Hell’s Kitchen. In fact, one of the women already was out of the season even before the service started. Antonia, she passed out and was shaking all over. Ahhh.. the things stress can do to you.

Jillian Flathers - Hell's Kitchen Season 8 - CertifiedFoodies.com

Jillian Flathers â€“ so far, the only sane member of the women’s team.

So far, the only chef I’m rooting for is Jillian. I don’t like that she likes Sabrina, but Jillian seems to be the only sane woman out there. A lot of the chefs already made careless, and most of the time, stupid mistakes like Trev overdressing the salad (Sheesh! Even I don’t commit such a thing!), Boris mimicking Chef Ramsay (Did you see that? What’s wrong with him?! LOL), and then, there’s Antonia who didn’t even taste her food before she served it to Chef Ramsay.

Hell's Kitchen Season 7 - CertifiedFoodies.com

Â A scene from last season of Hell’s Kitchen.

Watching the show the first time a couple of seasons ago scared me a li’l. Why? Imagine this â€“ chefs arguing while there are a lot of sharp objects and knives around them, hot ovens, pots and pans. I guess they went through psychological screening or something to prepare them for everything they’re going to endure during their running on the show.

I also wonder why there are still people who are dining in Hell’s Kitchen. Did they pay to dine in there or were they invited? I mean, I love Chef Ramsay so I’m guessing that’s one of the reasons why they still come to Hell’s Kitchen. I just can’t imagine enjoying a meal while I’m hearing cursing, a lot of yelling and food being thrown out in the kitchen. Can you stand that?! Hehehe.

Hell’s Kitchen is not really for everybody. But, to tell you the truth, I learned a thing or two while watching this series from Chef Gordon Ramsay himself like how to properly cook pasta so it won’t be too saggy (I love it really soft vs al dente), how to devein shrimps (I normally just take the shell out hehehe), and a lot more.