Ayala Recyclables Fair: October 2011 schedule

**Revised schedule posted 9/29/11 For more information contact:
Maricar A. Dechavez
Development Associate- E&S
Ayala Foundation, Inc.
         dechavez.ma@ayalafoundation.org.
        (02)752-1084

Review: Cold Rock Ice Creamery

I bought a CashCashPinoy voucher for a sundae and a large cup of ice cream with two mix-ins. I'd specified the Trinoma branch but it closed before I could claim the voucher so we were forced to go to the last remaining branch at the Greenbelt 3 Cinema.

The servers were very helpful, explaining that for the sundae, we could choose three ice cream flavors and for the large cup, two flavors. We chose the chocolate indulgence and white macadamia for the large cup, with maltesers and cashews (I would have preferred almonds but cashews were the only nuts available) as mix-ins. For the sundae, we chose strawberry, green tea and macapuno.

I liked the large cup ice cream mix, served in a paper cup that wasn't really all that large. A scoop is around 2.5" across or smaller only. It wasn't too sweet and I really liked the cashews and maltesers. The chocolate indulgence flavor didn't have too much of a chocolate/cocoa taste. However, it was a bit too soft for me. I'd have preferred a harder, colder ice cream. By the time we were done with the cup, the sundae had started to melt. It was served in a banana split glass boat and had whipped cream, nuts and a cherry on top. The macapuno was too creamy for my taste while the strawberry did not have the intense flavor I wanted. But the green tea was pretty awful. The taste of macha was intense and it didn't go well with the creaminess of the ice cream. I wish there was pistachio ice cream available but the fruit flavors were just too tropical/Pinoy: langka, avocado, ube, etc.

For P280, the ice cream was an expensive treat (you can already buy half a gallon of supermarket ice cream for that amount!) but at P576? I doubt it! If I had dough to drop on expensive ice cream I'd prefer Haagen Dazs or even Dreyers. It's not like Ben and Jerry's is available in the Philippines!

Next thing to try: mochi with gelato!

American Idol Live! Tour Manila, Philippines September 21, 2011

The Idols seemed to enjoy their last show. It sounded as if their voices were at their last legs, and they were happy the tour's finally over. Speaking voices were low and somewhat hoarse. Pia, in particular, seemed languid and low energy--was she not feeling well I wonder?

Surprisingly (to me at least), the crowd seemed to love Stefano and Haley the most. Casey also had quite a number of fans. 

The view from the general admission bleachers was pretty awful and the screens weren't that big. I wish I did bring the binoculars. I am NOT in the future going to sit in GenAd if it's not a band I really like whose songs I can all sing. It's just not worth it.

More amusing than the people onstage were two very loud fans--one guy on each side of me. The guy on my left kept shouting "I love you Stefano", and "Pia, I'll take you home!" and he pretty much "I love you"d every single Idol. The guy on my right kept screaming at every single appropriate moment while taking videos and  pretty much deafened me. They both knew all the lyrics to the Idols' new singles (and their other songs, too).

People were shouting for more at the end of the show but naturally, nothing happened. That's what it's like at set shows like this.

It was ok as an experience but if I wasn't treating someone who wanted to watch and who never gets to watch concerts, I would think it was a waste of money. I would have preferred to watch the seasons of Jordin Sparks, the Davids, or Kris Allen if they'd come to Manila.

Review: Manang's Chicken and Bon Chon Chicken

I'd heard about about Bon Chon Chicken first then I heard that
Manang's is either the Pinoy version or the better version, depending
on who's giving the comment. So I decided to try both.

I ate a 1 pc chicken breast with mild spicy sauce, P75, at Manang's
Chicken in their first shop on Garnet Rd. in Ortigas. Service was
friendly and at 10 am, I was their sole customer. I guess that's why
the crew felt it was ok to talk rather loud and scold at the other.
Chicken tasted good although the neck was included and was difficult
to eat so there wasn't that much meat overall. The chicken was a bit
too sweet for my taste although the spiciness was just right for a
heat-wimp like me. I liked it overall but wouldn't be looking for it
anytime soon. I'd probably take KFC over it since they generally serve
meaty breast parts.

At Bon Chon Chicken in Robinsons Ortigas, service was friendly too and
the place was nice and cold even though it was packed. A single
chicken pc. with a drink was P95. Unfortunately, you can only get a
drumstick. I prefer white meat so I ordered the chops which come in
two pieces of breast fillet for P145. What a letdown! The fillets were
tiny, dry and worst of all, tasteless! I ordered the soy chicken
instead of spicy knowing the Korean predeliction for tongue-burningly
spicy food (even noodles!). The coating was crisp but the taste was
really bland. Next time I order Bon Chon, I will try the drumstick.
There's more meat in a drumstick than in their breast fillet.

Where Bon Chon won hands down was with the rice. The rice tasted great
and was cooked just right. On the other hand, the rice at Manang's
tasted like NFA rice and worse, there was one 1-mm stone, one insect
that looked like a large rice weevil, and one unidentified dark thing
twice as big as the weevil. I wish I had a camera so I could have
taken a picture of it.

Uncle Cheffy's Panizza Snack Treat!

Have a pizza snack with friends! Too bad it's only from 2 pm to 5:30 pm...

Review: Cafe Mori Caramel Flavor Cappucino

I've been wanting to buy instant coffee and whaddya think but I find some coffee on sale?

jardin Cafe Mori Caramel Flavor Cappucino

 ¡Ü Àðµ­ : 2010Ò´
 ¡Ü 20 ml,  \4900
 ¡Ü Cappuccino

Instant Coffee 7.7%, Sugar, Foaming Creamer[ Corn syrup, Skim milk pd.( Milk), Vegetable Fat, Acidity regulator], Vegetable Cream [Corn syrup, Vegetable Fat, Sodium caseinate]

A Korean webpage has these ingredients translated to English by Google Translate:

인 스턴트커피 7.7%, 백설탕, 포밍크리머[물엿, 탈지분유(우유),식물성유지, 산도조절제], 식물성크림[물엿,식물성유지, 카제인나트륨(우유), 산도조절제, 혼합탈지분유(우유)], 분말결정포도당, 덱스트린, 탈지분유(우유), 가공소금, 합성착향료(카라멜향) Instant coffee, 7.7%, Sugar, Foaming creamer [syrup, skim milk powder (milk), vegetable oil, acidity regulator], Vegetable Cream syrup, vegetable oil, sodium caseinate (milk), acidity regulators, mixed skim milk powder (milk)], decision powder, glucose, dextrin, skim milk powder (milk), processed salt, synthetic Flavor (karamelhyang)

The latter list looks more like it eh?

In 2009 the Wonder Girls endorsed this coffee brand:

How cute are the Wonder Girls endorsing the new Jardin coffee creation – Cafe Mori 'Stylish Coffee'.

Mori apparently, in the native australian language meaning "rising sunshine" and also comes from the old English "morish", which means "extremely tasty and willing to have more".

This doesn't make me more inclined to try it but I speculate it's something of a mass market brand in Korea.

Packaging review:
The Philippine packaging isn't as nice as the one pictured here. It's a dull dark gray box with 25 sticks of coffee and costing around Php250. At around P10/stick, it's a little bit more expensive than our local coffee brands. Great Taste Cappuccino comes at around P6.50/stick for example and Nescafe flavored coffees cost more than that. Neither the box nor the coffee stick has an ingredient list or "brewing" directions and I think this is something NexTrade Philippines should consider revising.

Coffee review:
A foam does form on top courtesy of the foaming creamer (what does non-foaming creamer consist of?) though it's not as foamy as a proper cap. I have a stick of Nestle Cappuccino from Australia which I'm saving for a want-to-be-indulged day and its ingredients consist of : Milk solids, vegetable oil, soluble coffee (15%) maltodextrin, sugar, stabilisers, salt, anti-caking agent. I can already tell it would have a better coffee taste and I like that it has real milk instead of just creamer. But that review is for another day.

It has a caramel-ly smell which is but proper but I think the mocha or

So how does it taste? Well, I gotta say local Nescafe coffee mixes have a better coffee aroma although Cafe Mori is a bit less sweet, which I like. You should use the regular coffee measure of only 160 mL of water instead of the usual full mug or it would taste too bland.

Conclusion? It's good at sale price but otherwise I'd rather buy local at full price.