Wine Accessories for the Wine Lover

Posted on May 2, 2013 by

Wine is more than just a drink. With its rich history and devout following, wine is part of a lifestyle. Wine clubs can introduce you to fine wines. But fully enjoying that wine typically requires more than just a great bottle. Consider the following accessories to help you increase your enjoyment of the hugely popular beverage:

Wine racks and coolers: If wine drinkers are part of wine clubs or otherwise acquire a steady supply of wine, having a high-quality wine rack is a must. Wine racks can range from a small rack that holds a few bottles to a larger rack that can store more than 40 bottles. Many wine lovers opt to invest in a wine refrigerator or climate-controlled cabinet, allowing them to store wine at optimal conditions.

Wine glass charms: Wine glass charms create a stylistic way for guests to tell their wine glass apart from others. Perfect for parties, wine glass charms are small charms that hook on the stem of a wine glass. Consider tailoring your charms to your party: Use Christmas-themed charms for a Christmas party, for example.

Wine glasses: The elegance of wine demands a specialty glass to do it justice. Many wine connoisseurs select a glass to match the type of wine they serve. The red wine glass is wider, allowing more room for swirling and aerating the wine. Sparkling wine is best enjoyed using champagne flutes: Tall thin glasses keep bubbles from escaping too rapidly and negatively affecting the taste of the wine. Consider stocking a variety of glasses to enhance your enjoyment of the wines you drink.

Bottle opener: A corkscrew or corkpull is one accessory every wine drinker must have. After all, if you can’t open the bottle, you can’t drink the wine (unless its a screw-top). Many wine drinkers also purchase wine spouts and wine vacuums, which assist in serving and preserving the wine.

As the old saying goes, “Life is too short to drink bad wine.” Investing in a few quality accessories can help make your good wine taste even better.

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Enderun College Summer Cooking Workshop Discounts!

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

ExtensionWorkshopSaleBlast

 

Visit this site for registration and more information.

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Baked Creamy Cheesy Penne and Apple Caramel Crumble Pie @ Banapple Kitchen, Market! Market!

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

Would you ever believe that it was only this year that I have tried Banapple Kitchen? LOL.

Yeah, it’s true. And somewhat, I think I’ll be coming back for more of their food. Here are the two dishes that I have ordered during my first visit:

banapple pasta

Baked Creamy Cheesy Penne (Php 185)

This is actually one of their bestsellers in pasta dishes. ?It’s al dente penne pasta smothered with white cheese sauce and meaty tomato sauce with sauteed Hungarian sausage. ?It’s pretty much filling for just one person and I guess, because it’s quite heavy in the tummy, two persons can split it and just order a side dish or a dessert to make it more filling for both. ?I wasn’t even able to finish this dish. ?I liked it, don’t get me wrong. ?But with two sauces going in there, it’s really quite heavy for me, even for a main meal.

banapple applie pie

Apple Caramel Crumble Pie (Php 100)

I’ve got a slice for my dessert and my, my, my it’s one humongous slice! ?It’s called apple caramel but I think there’s cinnamon in it too. ?I just love how warm and sweet the baked apples were. ?I was quite tempted to order a whole pie, actually (only Php 760 and I think, I could finish in a week).

This is quite a short blog post…but I’m sure I’ll be posting updates soon. ?I’m craving for more pies!

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Online Games with Real Money

Posted on April 26, 2013 by

In as much as I like spending free time going out with friends, eating out and having coffee, I also love playing games, both online and offline. And one of those “old-fashioned” games that I miss is Bingo. Kids of this generation probably never knew that this game was played with a bunch of pre-printed cards with numbers on it and numbered chips that are stored in a plastic bottle, shaken during the game to get a random number and called out. Players are supposed to take note of the numbers and see if it forms pre-agreed patterns on their cards. ?When a player has one of the patterns formed, he is supposed to say “bingo!” to alert all the other players that his card is a possible win. This, in turn, would be checked and then he would be pronounced a winner. Ahhhhh! Good ol’ days! It’s an opportunity for bonding with friends and even forming new friendships with total strangers, if played correctly.

Most of kids nowadays have probably experienced playing bingo online. There are a lot of online bingo gaming sites, mostly free-play. However, there’s a certain amount of excited added when real money comes to the game. One just has to pay a certain amount as a deposit and play several games. The conditions may differ from one site to another. But winnings usually can be paid through credit card or paypal. One of the more popular online bingo sites is Cheekybingo.com.

I haven’t tried to play games online with real money involved, although I have shopped online. But then, perhaps through paypal, transactions are fairly secure. Maybe I’ll try it sometime. ?A word of caution, though: ?Always check if the online gaming site operates legally.

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Food Writing Workshop with Ms. Amy Besa

Posted on March 15, 2013 by

foodwriting workshop

Those of you who might be interested in honing their creative food writing skills, this workshop is for you.  After all, food writing has to be one of the more difficult writing styles (in my opinion).  I don’t claim to be an expert (hell, I’m uneducated about this kind of writing style and I need to learn!) but if you notice, one just simply can’t overuse “tasty”, “delicious”, and “gastronomic” especially when writing articles about food for newspapers or any publication.  You also have to be knowledgeable in cooking techniques and the ingredients!  It takes some careful and practical use of words to be able to convey the experience that we sense through taste and smell.

I guess, for a 3-day workshop, with lunch and snacks, P5,400 isn’t too bad.  I just hope my schedule will permit me to join this workshop.

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Dakasi Bubble Milk Tea

Posted on March 12, 2013 by

dakasi 3

I have always been a coffee person.  But there are just times when I just want to take a break from the espresso-frappuccino-lite-with-irish creme-and-double-shot-espresso drink that I usually get.  That’s the time when I turn to milk teas for refreshment.  So far, I’ve liked Happy Lemon and Gong Cha.  But then I read in some blogs about this milk tea place that’s called Dakasi.  So, I went over to their Market! Market! branch to try it out.

dakasi 2

 

This milk tea place actually started in Taiwan.  But now, it already has a lot of branches in China and other southeast asian countries, like in the Philippines.

At first glance, the place kinda looked like Happy Lemon, because of the prominent bright yellow and white colors of the store.  I love that it’s very well-lit and that somehow makes the experience a cheery one.  Members of the staff are quite friendly and accommodating.  And the whole place looked clean.

dakasi 4

 

dakasi 1

 

There are a lot of varieties of milk teas to choose from like Jasmine milk tea and Taiwan Holly leaf milk tea.  I tried their bestseller, Dakasi Bubble milk tea.  It’s sweeter than I would have wanted it.  I’m not sure if I could ask them to lessen the sugar content, like what I do at Gong Cha.  But the tapioca balls are soft and easy to chew.  And they don’t get stuck in the straw like what happens sometimes which makes drinking these kind of drinks a little difficult.

Overall, I enjoyed my first experience at Dakasi Market! Market! branch (which is located near Lord Stowe’s bakery and just right in front of Serendra).  I’ll come back to try the other milk teas.

The other branches of Dakasi are:

Annapolis Carpark, Greenhills Shopping Center (02)871.5499
Ground Floor, Dela Rosa Carpark 1, Makati (02)401.4929
Level 1, Marquee Mall (045)304.1343
Level 1, SM Sta Rosa
Level 2, Harbor Point (047)306.5061
Level 2, The District (02)710.2561
UN Avenue corner Orosa, Manila (02)917.7077
Level 1, Festival Mall (02)775.6465
Level 1, Robinsons Place Otis (02)710.2562
17 P Tuazon, Cubao (02)945.2646
Level 1, Technohub Iloilo
Level 3, SM Calamba
Level 1 Padre Faura Wing, Robinsons Place Manila (0926)681.9698
Level 3, Trinoma (02)710.2547
207 Banawe St, Quezon City (02)546.8146

Dakasi Philippines FB page: https://www.facebook.com/DakasiPH/

Posted in Milk Teas | Tagged , , , | 3 Comments

IHOP (International House of Pancakes) at Bonifacio High Street, Taguig

Posted on February 26, 2013 by

ihop front
IHOP (International House of Pancakes) is the latest American franchise (it started as a family restaurant chain in California) to hit the All-Day breakfast scene and it has opened its first branch in the Philippines at Bonifacio High street.

I’m a person who loves to have pancakes any time of the day.  And so, having another restaurant that’s similar to Pancake House, which offers these dishes all-day, is such a good news.  I just wonder, though, whether it’s worth all the hype it has been getting.

My friend and I have to be wait-listed before we could get inside the restaurant.  As you can see from the photo above, they have even provided monobloc chairs for people waiting for their turn.  We waited for about 30 minutes before we could get seated.  I guess they have to put more chairs outside because the waiting list can reach even up to 90.

ihop place
The place looks clean and bright, but not the usual sunny white interiors that is reminiscent of how Heaven ‘n Eggs was.  I wanted to get closer to the cute ceiling paper-covered lamps.  But our table was located at the far end of the resto.

ihop serj
One happy IHOP first-timer waiting for his pancakes

ihop syrups
The special thing about IHOP is the variety of syrups they offer for your pancakes: blueberry, strawberry, old-fashioned, and butter & pecan.  Of the four, I love strawberry syrup.  But then, again, that would depend on the kind of pancake you have.  If you ordered the ones with blueberries, then, of course, the blueberry syrup would go well with it.  But, generally, I love the strawberry syrup more.

ihop new york cheesecake pancake
New York Cheesecake Pancake (Php 254)

This one is one of the most popular pancake dishes in their menu.  Two fluffy buttermilk pancakes loaded with cheesecake, topped with strawberries, and powdered sugar…it’s definitely one to satisfy any sweet tooth.  I love how creamy the pancakes tasted.  I drizzled more strawberry syrup on this one.

ihop blueberries pancake
Whole Wheat Pancakes with Blueberries (Php 200)

My friend had this pancake but I got to taste a few bites.  Now, don’t get fooled by looking at this photo that it’s just a plain pancake.  Blueberries can be found inside the pancake too!  Of course, the blueberry sauce goes well with it, but I find that the old-fashioned syrup and butter pecan also can be used in this.  We forgot to squeeze the lemon on it though.

ihop fruit and yoghurt
Mixed Fruit and Yogurt bowl (Php 218.75)

Now here’s something to break through the sugary sweetness with something more refreshing.  I love how they’ve made a dressing out of strawberry and yogurt.

Don’t be fooled into thinking that there are only sweet pancakes here.  Their menu offers a variety of dish like savory crepes, burgers, and sandwiches.  So, it’s not just breakfast food at all.

Overall, I enjoyed my first experience of IHOP.  Service is good, even if there’s a long line that customers have to endure just to be able to dine.  Restaurant crew is courteous and they always wear a smile, even at times when there are just so many customers.  Meals may be on the expensive side (budget of Php 400/person) but the food is definitely worth the price.

I’d definitely come back here.

 

IHOP (International House of Pancakes)

W Global Center, 30th St. corner 9th Avenue Bonifacio Global City, The Fort Taguig City
Telephone: +632 687-5611
Email: marketing@globalresto.com
Facebook: IHOP Philippines
Twitter:  @IHOP_PH
Operating Hours: 6am to midnight

 

Posted in Breakfast, Western cuisine | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments

Sebastian’s Leche Flan Ice Cream Pie

Posted on February 5, 2013 by

20130205_181111

So, apparently I’ve lost most of my blog posts.  There were still the 2010 posts, but I’m having trouble importing them here.  So it may take a while before this food blog looks more like the blog it was before.  Until then…

For my “first” blog post, I’ve finally met this new ice cream pie of Sebastian’s, the Leche Flan Ice Cream.  It caused some sensation when it was first launched this January (stocks being sold out even if it’s early in the day), and many scrambled towards the different branches just to have a taste of this intriguing new pie.  Now I understand all the commotion and the buzz.

It has cookie butter crust with orange zest, then a thick middle layer of leche flan ice cream topped with a thin layer of leche flan.  Sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?  For P125/slice, I think it’s worth it.  I love leche flan, although I’m not so much of a fan of leche flan ice cream.  But when the leche flan ice cream was put together with the leche flan itself and cookie butter crust to make a pie, I guess it all worked out.  I liked it, but it’s not really something that I’ll crave often.  Maybe a slice every now and then would suffice.  It’s a matter of preference, really.  I find it too sweet.

 

Posted in Desserts | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Under Renovation For Now

Posted on January 5, 2013 by

I’m sorry, but this food blog has recently been hacked and I’m trying to restore it to its former condition.  I hope you’ll bear with me and check back every now and then.  Hopefully, I’d be able to bring back Food Trip Tayo!  But, if in case I wouldn’t be able to, not everything is lost.  I can still continue posting, can’t I?  It will just be a brand new start, I guess.  :-)

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Order Your Favorite Resto Food Online Via Quickdelivery.ph!

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Prudence

Back in the days, ordering food via phone was the most convenient way of having our favorites right in the comfort of our own homes.  However, in the age of Facebook, what one can do over the phone can also be done online.  And with most people who often order their food over the phone having online access most of the time, it just makes sense that this same activity can be done also online.

But is online food ordering as reliable as the traditional phone ordering…or better?

I have recently tried quickdelivery.ph online delivery system and I find it convenient, and, so far, reliable. The nice thing about it is that one can also order online with friends and colleagues via the Group Ordering System (GOS).  One just have to create a group, with their email addresses listed, so that quickdelivery can send them the link to the ordering form via email.  Quickdelivery’s order system is also convenient for ordering food from different restaurants and have it delivered at a specific time and date.

Let’s take a look at how this can be done:

One needs to create an account with quickdelivery.  This is free and facilitates the delivery address to which orders would be sent.

After creating account, just click on delivery to begin new delivery order.

Next, specify the deliver address to which orders would be sent.

Also, select members of your group so that links could be sent via their email

Select restaurant which you’re going to order from and the date and time for the delivery.

A list of the available restaurant food items will come up and you just have to choose which items you’ll be ordering.  A running total of your order will also be shown.  At the end, you can choose among the payment options (gift certificate, credit card, etc.) which you want to use to settle this delivery.

Once order has been settled, an email will be sent to you so you’ll have a copy of the list of items ordered.  A CSR will be calling you to verify the list of items ordered and the delivery location.  If the restaurant in which you ordered is just near your location, no additional delivery charges will be made.

I find that the delivery is very much on time.  I ordered from Ha Yuan and requested the order to be delivered a day after and at noon.  And true enough, the food was delivered on time the next day.

I highly recommend that everyone try this new system of ordering food.

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