New Food Trends

I wasn't able to go to the NBC tent last May 17, but they have some new food discoveries here!

Over 50 concessionaires were handing out samples of their bestselling fare at the recently concluded Yummy Eats fair at the NBC tent last Saturday, May 17.

Those who were at the fair were handpicked by the staff of Yummy magazine, which mounts the annual event.

"Some of them are using the fair to launch new flavors," said editor-in-chief Liz Yap.

Among those that made their debut were Mochiko's blueberry cheesecake mochi, Merry Moo's Lemon Speculoos ice cream and Sebastian's Piña Colada Ice Cream Pizza.

Food trends

Though the booths offered different versions of pastries and meat dishes, some food trends were evident, like the ubiquitous presence of "pastry butters"—cookie butter, brownie butter, and Choc-nut butter.

The sweet-salty combination was also a huge hit, as evidenced by salted caramel macarons, ice cream and cakes.

Pork was chief of meats at the fair, as it was turned into thick, juicy slabs of homemade bacon; thin, crunchy chips; and roasted whole as a lechon but with a twist.

Favorite discoveries

Here are some of our favorite discoveries from the fair, ranging from the decadent to, well, the sinful.

SUGAR RUSH

Oink Salt from The Kitchen Slave. (Photo from The Kitchen Slave's Facebook)1. Nutella Mousse Cake.The creamy mousse melts in your mouth while offering a welcome hazelnut crunch with each bite. Contact Blue Toque on Facebook or email thebluetoque@yahoo.com.

2. Parmigiano Bites.Sugar cookies with Parmigiano Reggiano cheese with a crumbly texture and a sweet-salty taste. Contact The Kitchen Slave on Facebook.

3. Smoked Bacon Caramels (Oink Salt).A chewy, gooey candy that mixes the taste of caramel and bacon, another sweet-salty treat. Contact The Kitchen Slave on Facebook.

4. Brownie Butter . If you've always wanted crunch with your brownie, then make sure to grab a jar of Viveca's spreadable brownie in a jar. Spread it on a cracker, on icecream, on potato chips, or even on your finger, it's good any way. Contact Viveca's Handcrafted Cookies & Goodies on Facebook.

5. Sans Rival Chips. These bite-sized crunchy sans rival chips paired with the buttercream dip is Sugarbee’s version of a deconstructed sans rival. An awesome way to eat sans rival sans fork. Email Sugarbee at jennysilayan@gmail.com.

LOCAL FLAVORS

Hot Sauce from Aeta Organics. (Photo from the Aeta Organics website)1. Aeta Organics Hot Sauce. The fiery-hot sauce uses chilies proudly grown by the Aeta community. The sauces, which come in two variants—hot and hotter—pack a serious punch. Thesealso make great souvenirs for visiting guests from abroad or balikbayans. Visit the Aeta Organics website or Facebook page.

2. Choc-nut Butter.This gooey, spreadable riff on a favorite childhood treat is a must-have staple to spread on fresh-off-the-pugon pan de sal or crackers. Visit the Ritual website.

3. Legendairy cheese. These smooth cream cheese spreads are one of the products churned out by the Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm. Make sure to try the Keso de Moringa and Keso de Bawang. Email Legendairy at GK Enchanted Farm at gkenchantedfarm@gmail.com.

SINFULLY SAVORY

Crunchy Belly from Carlo's Kitchen (Photo from Carlo's Kitchen Facebook)1. Crunchy Belly. Thinly sliced pork belly deep-fried and cut in addictive bite-sized pieces. It's like a cross between chicharon and bacon and good enough to eat on its ownor with rice. They do home deliveries, perfect for your next drinking session. Contact Carlo's Kitchen's Crunchy Belly on Facebook.

2. M.A.D. Meats bacon . Cured for 7 days, the pork is home smoked using the wood of local fruit trees like santol and mabolo. Another must-try is the black pepper bacon, a smoky-savory slice with a slight bite. Contact M.A.D. Meats at +632 911 0222.

PARTY FLAVORS

1. Kitayama Wagyu Corned Beef. Cured and cooked for 10 days, this ultra-tender beef is rich and flavorful. Each order comes with boiled cabbage and mashed potatoes. Call ahead fororders. From—surprise!—Dulcelin, best known for their Mango Torte and Strawberry Cake. Contact Dulcelin Gourmet Specialties at dulcelingourmet@msn.com or visit their website.

Paella Marisco from Pio's Paella (Photo from Pio's Paella website)2. Paella Marisco and Paella Negra. Pio's Paella does not scrimp on the seafood. Their huge paelleras were scene-stealers at the fair and their sticky rice melange was one of the first dishes to run out. A full order (P5,600) can easily serve 20-25 persons. Smaller orders are also available and other dishes to complement your paella are alsooffered. Contact Pio's Paella at kitchen@piospella.com. See them on Facebook and visit their website.

3. Cavier Cake. This spreadable creamy caviar cake will surely impress guests at your next party. The generous caviar topping goes well with wine or champagne. Contact Kitchen Feather at +63 927 935 9494.

4. French Lechon. Take the crowd-pleasing lechon de leche and bring it to new heights by adding "international stuffing" to it. The French lechon is stuffed with truffle rice. The German lechon has herbs, garlic bulbs and marble potatoes, while the Spanish Manileña is filled with Spanish chorizo with taba ng talangka paella! Contact Pepita's Kitchen at pepitaskitchen@gmail.com.

Yahoo Philippines

Zark's burger along Taft Avenue

If your craving for a burger but its not Mcdonalds or Jollibee, try the Zark's burger along taft avenue, this place is packed with students and its got that value for money, its located at the 2nd floor, right above the Yellow Cab Pizza across the North Gate of DLSU-Manila.

the Zark's Menu

What to Eat here:
the king James tomahawk: a classic cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato, it goes well with the real natural fries that are cut bigger just like a Wendy's french fries.

total price:95 pesos

Rufo's tapa near DLS-CSB

this joint beside De La Salle College of St. Benilde, located at the Upad, basement location has a good interior and ambiance, the menus are displayed on the wall, they even have breakfast meals ranging from longganisa to corned beef.

a twenty four hour Rufo's restaurant

What to Eat here:

Try their specialty Rufo;s tapa, its got a sweet sauce served with garlic rice and a sunny side up egg, however the serving is not that much compared to the servings of other tapa restaurants like Tapa King. And at the price of 108 pesos with ice tea ranging from 20 pesos, it is a bit pricier than Tapa King.

Rufo's tapa 

They do have special arrangements for meetings, baptismals and their food service is quite fast.

Overall I would give it a rating of 6/10.

Wok Inn Restaurant beside Malate Church

Craving for Authentic Chinese food? try the Wok Inn restaurant beside Malate Church,

Wok Inn Front Facade

Its got some good "sipa" rolls and "mixed seafood veggies" goes best with a coke in can. While eating in this non-fancy restaurant you can get a glimpse of the fresh ingredients being cooked by the side while viewing passers by from Malate Church, a lot of employees near the site have lunch here.

SIPA Dish by Wok Inn

Overall, I would give it a rating of 8/10.

How to get there: You can take the jeepney from Harrison Plaza going to Malate Church, just tell the driver your getting off at malate church.

Malate Church map

Jollibee's Amazing Aloha burger and Coke Float

by Diana Guwapa

the Amazing ALOHA Burger

What's better than a BIG MAC or Wendy's BAcon Melt, its Jollibee's Amazing Aloha topped with juicy burger, cheese, top of the line bacon, lettuce and one big slice of pineapple. This amazing burger has been tested by Anthony Bourdain as one amazing original burger. Yes it beats the big mac anytime.

the only problem is that this burger is seasonal. Calling all Jollibee top managers, please bring this burger back just in time for summer and bring with it that Jollibee Coke Float.

Jollibee Coke Float

The float comes in two variants one in coke with chocolate toppings or the strawberry and sprite combination, these jollibee floats come only for a limited time.

Liempo grill at RAP's Taft Avenue

Eating at RAP's just across the Engineering gate of De La Salle University and beside Sinangag Express, this little restaurant joint serves Liempo at a price of 150 pesos and chicken lollipop at 155 pesos.

two pieces of pork liempo, best with rice and gravy

What to Eat here during lunch time

• Pork Liempo
• Chicken Lollipop

For dessert try the following

• Brownies
• Chocolate Crinkles

Its best to eat here at around 11:30 am, because by 12:00 noon its packed with students from De La Salle University and students from St. Scholastica's Area.

Overall I could give it a rating of 7/10 for food and ambiance.