FruiTeaMix

Premium Milk Tea with additional egg pudding (PHP105+PHP15)

About the food:

Are you looking for something other than plain water to quench your thirst? But at the same time, are you concerned with all the sugars that come with every other beverage out there? 

Then you're in luck! You can try Fruiteamix. The good thing is, you can decide what sweetness level you want for your drink (from 100% sugar serving to none at all). In addition, you can have add-ons for your drinks (e.g. egg pudding, pearls). They also sell small fried snacks such as potato cheese balls and chicken strips. 

Where to buy and how much:

Fruiteamix is located at 57 Connecticut St., Northeast Greenhills, San Juan (beside Konbini Tokyo Market)

Below is a copy of their flyer (which contains the products they have as well as the prices)

Rating:  9.0/10

With the option to control the sweetness level, I'm giving this beverage a high rating.




Recommended links:

Simply Pie! at Mercato Centrale

About the food:

Are you looking for something that fits in your hand, yummy, satisfying, plus affordable? If yes, then you should try Simply Pie! It is a small quiche (i.e. open faced pie) that is full of flavor and texture and will leave you coming back for more. 

Some of their flavors include: Chicken Dijon; Spinach, Feta, and Sundried Tomato; and many more. Each of them is good and is worth trying.

Where to buy and how much:

One order (one piece) costs PHP38. Buying one box (of 9 pieces), however, costs PHP340. The box is very presentable and can serve as a gift box in itself. 

Rating:  8.0/10

This is a nutritious treat that you can consume anytime of the day. 

So, come on by and have a taste of pie!




Recommended links:

If you're going to Mercato Centrale, do it this week already! You get fabulous deals from several merchants 

Tilapia Skin Chicharon

About the food:

Are you looking for a much healthier alternative to crispy pork chicharon? Then have no worries, for there is now Tilapia Skin Chicharon by Chef Therese Tayag. The skin may look like a snake's, but this is really Tilapia. This one is already cooked and ready-to-eat. It is not salty at all and it is very crispy and crunchy. Even if you placed it inside the refrigerator for two days, it still retains its crispiness. 

Where to buy and how much:


Two small packs costs PHP160 and can be bought at Mercato Centrale, which is now located near MC Home Depot in Fort Bonifacio. They really taste good and you'll end up finishing two packs in no time. Its only available during Saturday morning. I am not sure about Sunday.


Rating:  8.0/10

This has much lower cholesterol as compared to the pork chicharon, hence I'm giving it a good health rating.



Recommended links:

Ramen Bar at Eastwood Mall

About the food:

When one is down with colds or flu, hot soup, or in this case, freshly made ramen, is something good to eat. A few weeks back, I tried a seafood ramen. The pork broth (cooked for 20 hours) was really full of flavor. Furthermore, the ingredients were fresh and abundant, given the price. Likewise, the serving size was quite big, and is more than enough for one person. If you have a weak appetite, you can share it to one more.

 

The seafood ramen had fish sticks, shrimps, seaweed, a lot of vegetables, and ramen noodles. It also had some red chili at the bottom so best watch what you eat.

I also tried their steamed pork gyoza. The taste was good. However, I find the dumplings to be too saggy. The slippery ceramic chopsticks made the eating worse. I should try the other side dishes instead.

Where to buy and how much:

The seafood ramen and the gyoza aren't always available, but if it is, you can see it written in their whiteboard menu. The seafood ramen costs PHP400 while the gyoza costs PHP150. The Ramen Bar is located at ground floor of Eastwood Mall, in Libis, QC. It's actually on the other side of the same building where you see Office Warehouse. The restaurant specializes in ramen only. They do not serve sushi, sashimi, as well as hot teas.


Rating:  7.5/10

If you're craving for ramen with an excelllent pork broth, this is the place you must try.



Recommended links:

Yumemiya Japanese Cafe

About the food:

Upon entering Yumemiya Cafe, the entire staff complement would bow their heads and greet you with 'Irrashaimase!' meaning 'Welcome!' or 'Come on in!". Though the entrance may seem small at first, this authentic Western-Japanese Food Fusion restaurant has a fairly big seating space inside.   

Moving on, Yumemiya's specialty dishes are Udon and green tea related desserts. They also have thin crust pizzas, pasta, and pastries. Above is the photo of their Kama-age Udon with Beef, Sukiyaki Style. It was placed on a grainy stone bowl. The noodles are thick and firm while the beef was soft. At the same time, the broth was fairly good. However, I find that, for its price, the serving was quite small (good for 1). The beef also had a lot of fat.

As for the dessert,  I tried the Green Tea Parfait. The green tea ice cream was made using real matcha green tea (powder form). On a positive note, the green tea did not taste sweet. However, with each spoon you take, you also felt the matcha powder in your mouth. In other words, the ice cream wasn't as smooth as I thought it would be.

Finally, they are the only store in the country that sells Key-Coffee products. I took home one Royal Milk Tea powder. This one, I like because the milk-tea ended up being thick and full of flavor, unlike other milk-teas available in grocery stores.

Where to buy and how much:


Yumemiya Cafe is located at the upper ground floor, NorthEast Square Building, Greenhills, San Juan. As for the prices, the Kama-Age Udon costs (PHP408.00), the green tea parfait amounted to (PHP229), and the milk tea was priced at (PHP65) per pack, each pack containing two smaller packets (one packet is good for one cup).





Rating:  6.0/10


The staff were very attentive and polite. I feel however, that the food can still improve a lot, in terms of serving size and taste. Perhaps as the store becomes more established (it only opened late last month), their food offerings would be much better.



As for the health benefits, I've mentioned in a more previous post, the benefits of consuming whole-leaf green teas. 

Recommended links:



to learn more about some japanese words: http://www.squidoo.com/essentialjapanesewords

Allies Dry Toasted Wonder Peanuts

About the food:

I recently went back to Mercato Centrale after a long break and was pleased to find new stuff being sold once more, even though they transferred to a location nearer to MC Home Depot.

One of these new food choices is the Allies Dry Toasted Wonder Peanuts. Normally, I'm not fond of eating any kind of nuts especially the greasy and salty ones. This brand however, changed my perception of peanuts forever. The texture of the peanut was excellent and firm. It's also easier to eat because there's no skin attached to the nut. Also, compared to other brands. this contains lots of dry toasted garlic, which also taste good. Best of all, both the peanuts and the garlic are not greasy at all.    


Where to buy and how much:

This is available at Mercato Centrale during Saturdays. I'm not sure if they are there on Sundays. The 450g pack costs PHP160. They have bigger packages being sold, which I am bound to buy soon.


Rating:  10/10

Peanuts are a good snack because they have low glycemic index, meaning your blood sugar won't spike when you eat this. It is also rich in niacin (Vitamin B3) and helps raise good cholesterol.



Recommended links:

to know more about the other health benefits of peanuts: http://healthmad.com/nutrition/10-health-benefits-of-peanuts/