Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : C2 Classic Cuisine

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C2 Classic Cuisine Philippines serves redefined Filipino dishes in big servings perfect for sharing among families.  Chef Oliver Gascon's Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 set is based around the Crispy Ribs Sinigang. Chef Oliver is a graduate of CCA in 2004 and is the head chef of C2 Classic Cuisine Philippines group of restaurants.

This particular branch is located at the Cravings center which is composed of  a coffee shop, the Cravings bakeshop and restaurant, different function rooms as well as a culinary school. C2 occupies the middle part of the ground floor and its decor is more modern compared to the white country design of the bakeshop and the dark wooden interiors of the coffee shop. Although all are different, they seem to meld together cohesively and compliment each other.

Crispy Ribs Sinigang. The sinigang (sour tamarind soup) is presented with a bowl of soup to the side, while all the other ingredients are removed and placed on the side. I munched on a crispy piece of beef while getting a bowl of the hearty sinigang and adding the vegetables. A unique take on a classic Filipino soup.

Adobong Sitaw. This vegetable dish is topped with lechon kawali giving it a contrasting crunch. I love lechon kawali and the ones topping this dish were very flavorful with tender meat and crispy skin. There are also medium sized shrimps mixed inside the vegetables

Dory Escabeche. Another different take on a classic, where the recipe usually calls for a whole fish instead of the fish fillets used in C2's version. The sauce was a nice mix of sweet and a little sour but not too much since I dislike vinegar. The fillets were still very crispy and tasted fresh despite being drenched with the sauce.

Panacotta. A nice sweet dessert to finish off the meal. Smooth custard with something like a chocolate ganache  in the middle.

C2 really takes carefully selected Filipino classic recipes and injects their own take gleaned from the owners travels around the world. Large servings are perfect for families and friends to enjoy while happily chatting away in a cozy, relaxing place.

C2 Classic Cuisine Philippines
Cravings Center
287 Katipunan Ave.,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : Pizza Hut Bisto

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Pizza Hut has long been a big player in the country's pizza and fast food industry. For this Christmas season they have chosen to merge a uniquely Filipino concept with their popular pizzas, thus Lechon Pizza is the result.

For Manila's Signature Dishes 2010, Pizza Hut thru its more fine dining approach to the pizza parlor, Pizza Hut Bistro assembled a set based on the intriguing Lechon pizza.

Olive Garden Salad. I was told that this was inspired by the Olive Garden restaurant chain in the US. Crisp, fresh greens, mixed with croutons, plump tomato pieces and lots of olives tossed in a silky Italian dressing. I like the cheesy taste of the dressing and the tomatoes and croutons. The salad served to whet my appetite for the coming pasta and pizza.

Seafood Supreme Pasta Perfetto Wrap. Squid, shrimp and scallops cooked in a tomato cream sauce then tossed with al dente pasta. After they cook everything, they then put in inside parchment paper and bake it. I could really smell the fragrance of the tomatoes and cream when I opened up the parchment paper. The sauce was smooth and tasty and I really love the mixture of tomato sauce and cream, a best of both worlds kind of thing like the Lechon pizza.

Lechon Pizza. I admit the first time I heard of the Lechon Pizza, I was really skeptical how they would combine the two. After having a taste, I have to admit I was totally wrong, Lechon Pizza is really very very good. The special liver sauce that replaces the tomato sauce in usual pizza matches well with the dough and cheese. The lechon skin on top are very very crispy, kinda like chicharon but not really like it. I was also surprised to taste bits of meat while munching on the delicious pizza.

This was actually the first time I've eaten or stepped inside a Pizza Hut Bistro store and the ambiance and the food really surprised me in a good way. I'll be sure to come back to taste some of the other interesting things on the menu.

Pizza Hut Bisto
G/F Glorietta 4
Ayala Center, Makati

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : Bordeaux Premium French Wine Bar and Restaurant

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Bordeaux serves only French wines, from 15 major regions. It has a relaxing atmosphere with many murals depicting the french countryside.

Chef Edge Narvaez introduced us to their Manila's Signature Dishes set based around the Boeuf Bourguignon, a very popular dish akin to our adobo. Chef Edge has tweaked the dish after having a taste of it in a café near the Eiffel Tower. It is now served with pasta instead of mashed potatoes.

Gambas ala Rochelle. Nice big shrimps sauteed in a spicy sauce, I just ate a few since the spiciness was getting to my taste buds. I feel this would be perfect with rice, I'll probably do that next time.

Boeuf Bourguignon. I've heard about this dish from the movie "Juli and Julia" but have never had a taste before. I love the vegetables like the long stick of carrot, was cooked just right, not soggy or too crunchy. The beef was really tender and you could feel it melting in your mouth. Mixed into the pasta, the beef imparted its sauce giving the noodles lots of flavor.

Pannacotta. The best looking desert.with the spun sugar on top of the light creamy pannacotta. You can really tell its not your usual pannacotta since its freshly made and while we were taking pictures the cream on the pannacotta was melting a bit.

Bordeaux might look intimidating because of the whole French country theme and we always associate expensive with anything French but that's not the case here. They served excellent food at reasonable prices.
Also, you should have a look at the ceiling decor on the 2nd floor, its made up of empty wine bottles, its really a sight to behold.

Bordeaux
Unit F, Bellagio II
Forbes Town Center
Rizal Drive cor. Burgos Circle 
Fort Global City
403.6554

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : Blu fish

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Blufish is located at the new Eastwood Mall, the side facing the fountain. The space is triangular like, since it shares it with sister restaurant, The Flying Pig. It specializes in coastal cuisine., so seafood is a staple in the menu.

Chef Peter Ayson, Corporate Executive chef of the Red Crab Group has assembled a set for Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 based on the Moroccan Sea Bass with Vegetable Couscous as their main dish. The dish roasts a whole Visayan Seabass in a medley of vegetables with Moroccan spices and couscous.

• Couscous is a popular North African dish made by rolling and shaping moistened semolina wheat and then coating them with finely ground wheat flour - (Wikipedia)

Pepper Spiced Tenderloin Tips served as the appetizer.Each piece of tender beef was generously coated with pepper spice giving it a nice little kick. The accompanying vegetables are also quite crunchy and served to temper the peppery taste a bit.

Moroccan Sea Bass with Vegetable Couscous. The fish was very fresh and cooked perfectly, each piece tender to the bite. The couscous and vegetables gave a contrasting texture to the soft flesh of the seabass

Creme Brulee. Smooth custard with burnt caramel on top. Nice sweet ending to a wonderful meal.

Blufish has a nice bright setting due to its large glass windows. The service staff was very attentive, quickly refilling our empty water glasses. A nice relaxing meal amid the chaos of the mall.

Blufish
G/F Eastwood Mall Veranda,
E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan, Libis

Quezon City

900.0886

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : Outback Steakhouse

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Outback Steakhouse is an Australian themed restaurant chain that has been in the Philippine restaurant scene for more than 13 years Outback has continuously delighting patrons with its wonderful steaks and
interesting entrees like the blooming onion. Boomerangs, kangaroo pictures adorn the walls of the restaurant.

I had a chance to sample their Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 set at Outback Steakhouse Glorietta last week. The dishes are part of their featured menu items for the quarter

Crispy Calamari Salad. I loved calamari, fried squid in batter, so this salad and appetizer combo really whetted my appetite for the main course. The calamari pieces were big and crunchy yet soft and tender inside. The crispy greens and plump tomato pieces were very fresh and the dressing was on the sweetish side,a definite plus for me.

Soup of the Day. French Onion Soup was the featured soup for that day. It was topped with melted cheese giving it a nice sharp flavor. The onion soup was very creamy and the rich onion taste was very evident

Beef Tenderloin with Mustard Demiglace and Bearnaise Sauce. The 6 oz. beef tenderloin steak was cooked a perfect medium well, not something all restaurants do well. It was perfectly seared outside but the inside is still pinkish, giving it the tenderness while retaining the smoky char flavor outside.The demiglace and bearnaise sauce was very good, and I kept dipping my steak in it. I also liked the pesto mashed potatoes, a unique take on the mashed potatoes and giving it a nutty and herb flavor.

A wonderful piece of steak paired with a nice seafood salad eaten together with friends over excellent conversation. What a nice thing to have on a lazy Sunday evening.

Outback Steakhouse
Glorietta 4
Ayala Center, Makati City
729-8459
Other Branches: Libis, Alabang,

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : Red Crab Café

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Red Crab Café at Araneta Gateway has the charm of a beach side hideaway, starfish decor on the floors, hanged pictures of ships and lighthouses further add to the ambiance. It been open for only a few months

Chef Jeff Diesmos picked Salt and Pepper Crab as the main dish for their Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 set since alot of their client's come for the crabs. Chef Jeff previously worked as Senior Chef de Partie at Shangrila Boracay before manning the helm of Red Crab Café.

Chef's Salad. A simple salad to whet my appetite and taste buds. Crispy lettuces sprinkled with cheese, light dressing surrounded with egg slices, croutons and olives.

Shrimp Bisque and Shrimp Ragout. Not part of the set but I just had to share this beautiful dish Chef Jeff had us try. I did not see it on their regular menu so it probably is part of their catering menu, and it really shows Chef Jeff training. An excellent soup and appetizer combo.

Raymund's Salt and Pepper Crab. The piece de resistance finally arrived, a perfect balance of salt and pepper coating the whole crab then fried perfectly. The succulent crab meat was maintained despite it being deep fried, it had us liking our fingers after.

We were supposed to be served creme brulee but Chef Jeff thoughtfully gave us a different dessert. It had a shot of kahlua, a piece of banana cake and a truffle fudge ball with kiwi sauce on the side. I love the banana cake especially with the kiwi sauce, a nice blend of sweet sand citrus flavors.

Eating at Red Crab Café is definitely a treat with the decor as well as the food transporting you to the beachside, the only thing missing is the smell of the seawater. If they could get an air freshener with that scent, that would take the cake.

Red Crab Café
1st Level, Gateway Mall
Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City
709.3663

Like this post? Subscribe here.  

Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : Crustasia Thai Shrimp House

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If you've been reading my blog, you would know that this is not the first time I've eaten at Crustasia (1st and 2nd). So I was ecstatic to be invited to try Chef Len Ingco's set specially crafted for Manila's Signature Dishes 2010. Crustasia's set is centered around their version of the Singaporean Chili Crab.

Crispy Baby Squid. Small squid fried to a crisp then coated with caramel sauce. It tastes like seafood candy because of the sweet and crispy combo. You won't resist getting piece after piece and before you know it nothing is left on the plate. Atop our must order list for every visit to Crustasia.

 

Singaporean Chili Crab. Cooked the way that Singaporean hawker's made famous. Served with "man tou" (friend bread), which you can use to dip the sauce with or better yet order a cup of rice like I did to mop up everything. The crab was just spicy enough that I could eat everything unlike those I had in Singapore where I had to have glass after glass of water. This one was just right to encourage me to eat more and more.

Pannacotta with Mango. A few slivers of mangoes topped the cupful of sweet and smooth custard.

Some of the other dishes we were given to try out, Fried Spring Rolls and Kai Hor Bai Teoy (friend chicken wrapped in pandan leaves). Both were very good since I've never had them there and I would definitely consider ordering again.

Crabs with more of an Asian flair like the Singaporean Chili Crabs and the Typhoon Shelter Crabs populate the extensive array of dishes on Crustasia's Thai Shrimp House's menu. We've come here a few times and will definitely be back in the future. Give the place a try and take advantage of the current Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 promo.

Crustasia Thai Shrimp House
6/F The Ledge
Shangrila Plaza Mall
910.4096

Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 : TYA Bar and Restaurant

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TYA Bar located at the same exact location where Ten Years After used to be since its owners were part of the original group but could not used the same name.

Chef Pia Abadesco has assembled a set dish based on mixing together classic taste to create new and exciting flavors. Chef Pia studied in CCA Manila as well as Culinary Institute in NY.

Velvet Shirmp Bisque. I love bisque, usually made from crustaceans like lobster, shrimp or crab.This one was chockful of flavor, you could really taste the shrimp in every spoonful.

Bacon Wrapped Fillet Mignon With Bleu Cheese Butter, Herbed Bread Pudding, and  Maple Glazed Carrots. The tenderloin was just right and not too soft, giving character to each bite. Eat a piece of beef with the blue cheese butter which adds a dimension of richness to it. The herb bread pudding goes really well with the maple sauce from the carrots, giving it a nice sweet taste, always a plus for me.

Vanilla Sundae. They were supposed to serve Creme Brulee but unfortunately did not have it available that night. Who could resist ice cream, I for one could not.

Do you like 80's music and love to unwind but want to nix the old tired bar chow. Head over to TYA Bar and Restaurant to try out their offerings plated fine dining style at reasonable prices.

TYA Bar and Restaurant
40 Sgt. Esguerra  St. 
Quezon City, 
(across ABS-CBN)

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (02) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.