Big n Tasty: The Magnum Burger?

             Forgive me for the fastfood post as I usually refrain from posting mainstream food  (fastfood) but I've been intrigued by McDonald's new burger since I've been reading local celeb tweets about it and a post by The Pickiest Eater back in summer. I haven't seen the tv commercial nor have an idea exactly when this new burger was released in the market but I have found an interest in burgers lately (like around last year. uh oh, there goes the diet!). I've actually been wanting to do a special burger post but haven't got the resources (moolah) and time for it yet. I'm sure you'll love it but I'll have to wait for the resources to be available til then.

             So... What's so special about this burger? Is it just another hype? Like a burger version of Magnum ice cream bar? I had it with McDo's vanilla iced coffee. The coffee's not bad. I like the balance of sweetness and bitterness to it -- bittersweet, just the way I like it. :)


             For now, the burger on top of my list is still Dong Juan's. It's been my basis for burger quality standards. 


             The Big n Tasty boasts of a quarter pound of pure beef patty, smokey sauce and creamy cheese. I've never tried the quarter pounder of McDo (as we Cebuanos fondly refer to McDonald's; I usually get the cheeseburger) but I was with Luis, who's an avid burger fan and has obviously tried the said burger, and he said it's slightly bigger than the quarter pounder. 


            The patty was too dry to my taste but we agreed that the sauce is the secret charm to this burger -- a seemingly bbq honey mustard sauce. I like the melted American cheese and I noticed that the inside of the buns are fried extra burnt compared to the usual burger buns which I think add texture and flavor to the burger. You can notice the light crisp as you bite into the buns with the patty and the buttery flavor of these buns that wonderfully add to the cholesterol count of this baby.  

McDonald's Big n Tasty - P120 a la carte

          I'm not a big fan of fastfood but I think this is more worth it than the quarter pounder and cheeseburger (though the cheeeseburger is a nice quick fix if your pocket's pretty tight). 


What do you think of this burger? :)

oink oink,

Babe for Food 

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :) 

Sweet Note!

           I was so touched I just had to share this! 

Louina Young-Taladua, one of the winners of my anniv giveaway, left me a sweet note to my surprise after claiming her prize from the lobby guard at City Sports Club since I couldn't meet her for it. Aaaww! It's readers like you who keep me going, Louina! Thank you so much! This means a lot to me -- my first hand-written blog love note! :D 

Hope you all would continue to read my blog and bear with me as I do my best to keep posting my food thoughts. I love you! :D

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

First Anniversary Giveaway Winners!

            So, my first anniversary giveaway promo ended on June 15, Friday. I picked out the winners manually yesterday (Saturday, June 16) and shot a video of it for transparency with the big help of my dear friend, Luis. :D


            Here's the video for you guys to watch or you could watch it on my channel on youtube -- babeforfood. 

Here's a run down of the winners:


Julet Baltonado & Mike Cui - P500 Cafe Elysa gift card 
Mike Cui - 3 Red Box tickets, a box of mini red velvet cupcakes, 4 triple choco brownies
Louina Taladua - 3 Red Box tickets, a box of mini red velvet cupcakes, 4 triple choco brownies 


CONGRATULATIONS!!! I hope you enjoy your prizes. I'd love to hear how that goes. :D


And much love and thanks to everyone who participated! More good news, there's a SECOND wave of giveaways! I'll be posting about it soon! :D


Special thanks to Luis Quibranza III of Bethany and Yellow Room Concepts for the video shooting and editing, Ms. Joy Uy and Stephen Aznar of Cafe Elysa, Evanjohnn Mendoza of The Center Suites and focalglass.com, and Richie Zamora of The Pickiest Eater in the World! :D


Babe for Food's anniv giveaway would not have been possible without you all. Thank you thank you thank you!!! :D

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

Treasured Recipes at Marco Polo Plaza Cebu

         On another culinary journey at Marco Polo, they bring us "Treasured Recipes" from two legendary culinary icons of Cebu, Madame Teresin Mendezona and Madam Tina Ebrada. 

         I was invited to the launching last Friday, June 8. Ah yes, another time to mingle with food bloggers and indulge in five star food. Nom nom! :D


         Guests were welcomed with fresh lemonade (I loved it and wanted more! So refreshing!) and carrot cake. 

          Before entering into the garden-like Cafe Marco, GM Hans Hauri made a welcome speech and passed on the introduction honors to Ms. Jessica Avila, the food consultant of Marco Polo. She introduced her dear friends who worked with the chefs of Marco Polo to give Cebu a taste of their heirloom recipes only at the hotel's buffet. 

Marco Polo GM Hans Hauri

Ms. Jessica Avila
"My grandmother once told me that cooking is an art and eating is a habit."
"Cooking is not only a fine preparation for marriage but an inheritance sthat stays on for generations to come."

I couldn't have agreed more. Very well said by Ms. Jessica Avila.

legendary culinary icons Madame Teresin Mendezona, Madame Tina Ebrada and Ms. Jessica Avila with GM Hans Hauri and the culinary team of Marco Polo

         Senyora Teresin Mendezona is a Cebuana with Spanish and Palestinian roots. She is known for her impeccable event organizing skills where traces of her intricacies are found even in the minute details such as the flowers to the table cloth.  


         Madame Tina Ebrada is an Ilongga by birth and Cebuana by heart. She is the founder of Golden Cowrie, one of the best Filipino restaurants in the country.  
        

             We were then encouraged to scour the buffet at Cafe Marco for the treasured recipes from these two amazing women, much like a treasure hunt for recipes supposedly exclusive to their own home kitchens. 

Mammol, the date cookie :D
Said to be an heirloom recipe from Madame Teresin's Palestinian grandmother

a lovely "date" with coffee

            My favorite among all the dishes had to be the Baked Tahong of Madame Tina Ebrada. There was just something about it that lingered in my tongue and is now buried in memory til the next time I taste something similar. It is now my basis for standards on baked tahong. 


            The rich Cassava Bibinkga of Madame Teresin Mendezona, which Madame Amparito Lhuiller enthusiastically encouraged me to try (since it was her best friend's dish), was also a sweet surprise. I have never tasted anything like it and I loved how it melted in my mouth. 


           My, was I awed by these women. Just the fact that I was tasting their dishes was so surreal and it was such an honor. How I wish I could be like them when I grow to be their age. 


          This is definitely a promo you shouldn't miss at the Marco Polo. It is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to taste some signature dishes from notable socialites and culinary legends of Cebu. Treasured Recipes by Marco Polo's Culinary Journey runs from June 8 - 17, 2012.




Marco Polo Plaza Cebu
Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Apas
Cebu City 6000


Contact:
Phone:          +63 (32) 253 1111
Facsimile:     +63 (32) 234 8170
Email:            info@marcopoloplazacebu.com

For promos and online booking at Marco Polo, log on to www.marcopoloplazacebu.com/. 


To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

Cebu Secret Chows: Surfin' Ribs

            HA! Finally found this place thanks to Tita Rachel who's been raving about it a few weeks ago. :D

            I actually read about this from one of the food blogs I follow, Cebu Food Spot, around two months ago. I've been curious about it since but never really figured out where exactly it is despite carefully scanning through Escario St. whenever I happen to pass by. But I was surprised when Tita Rachel was raving about it lately and she was so giddy about it, I just had to try it soonest possible. She told me it was the replacement of the old Flame It! branch at Escario. So there! Eureka! 

          She had forewarned me that it's not conducive for dining during lunch time because it's an open dining setting so there isn't air conditioning. I'm not a snob to these kinds of places though. I'm up for anything or anywhere with good food. 

            My best friend from culinary school, Kazoot had just finished her 10-month contract with a cruise ship and I couldn't wait to see her so I asked her out on a lunch date. We met up at Ayala and took a cab from there. 

             I like the logo of the resto. It looks catchy and I couldn't help but notice the hand washing area as well. I'd have to say, they have the most entertaining washing area I've seen so far. The wall was decorated with taunting signs that jokingly threatened customers who wanted to use the toilet. It is impossible to miss the supersized framed photos of their dishes hanging on the walls as well. Looking at the photos while waiting for your food makes you hungrier.  

 

              We ordered the original Pete's Ribs with mashed potatoes since the name of the resto seemed to imply that ribs is their specialty, and The Claw, which Tita Rachel was so giddy about. Pete's Ribs also comes in spicy for P159 with rice or P169 with mashed potato. The mashed potato was pretty dry for me.

                Service was swift. The ribs arrived first. I was impressed by the serving which contained not one but TWO slabs of ribs, a different cut from Casa Verde's (pardon the comparison), slathered with a generous layer of sauce and accompanied with a side of carrots and corn. It was tender but not as juicy as I like it. 

              I'm the type who prefers a moderate amount of sauce on dishes so I was a bit bothered by the thick amount slathered on the ribs and the sauce was also sticky and a little too sweet for my liking. I'd prefer a lighter coating and extra sauce in a separate container. Nonetheless, two thumbs up for the portion in contrast to the price.       

           The Claw... Oh, this was just lovely! The chili garlic sauce coating it was so flavorful and the ginger in it was pleasant, not too prominent. It was just a little overcooked though because the meat was quite adherent to the shell. Don't be deceived by the seemingly small bucket, there were around 8 pcs. I couldn't believe how affordable it was for the serving -- just P120! All crab lovers can get their quick fix here as long as it's available. So, make sure to give them a ring before heading there. :D 

Crab claws/pinchers have always been a fave of mine since my childhood when I'd eat huge, fresh steamed crabs in Surigao, Mother's hometown. 
  

            Brace yourselves, with this, you're sure to get messy. The sauce was dripping from my hands but I loved it. We were provided with a cracker to break open the shells. Kazoot said bibs should have been provided. I got a few droplets of stains on my shirt myself. 

            It was a successful date. We enjoyed the food and caught up with each other that we were the last customers. Actually, I was struggling with finishing my share of the ribs and claws and I eat pretty slow, too. I savor each spoonful in my mouth. :D

            I'd love to go back for those claws and the rest of the menu. I think gambas would be next on the list. And what's great about this place is that food is good and incredibly affordable for the serving. Guess that's why people flock here especially during dinner. Kazoot and I wondered why they don't stay open late nights though with the menu that they have that's perfect for beer nights (not that I'm a beer drinker). I actually think this would be a good franchise. ;)

           They serve beer by the buckets too so if you wanna drink and have good food along with it, you shouldn't miss this one.  


What We Had:
Pete's Ribs Regular w/ Mashed Potato - P169
Extra Mashed Potato - P25
The Claw (limited) - P120

Surfin' Ribs
G&A Arcade, N. Escario St., 
Corner Tojong St., Cebu City 6000
(formerly Flame It!)

Operating Hours:
Mon - Sun            11 am - 2 pm
                           5 pm - 10 pm

Contact: 
mobile   +63 917 937 1495
email     surfinribs@gmail.com

Like them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/surfinribs
Follow them on Twitter: @SurfinRibs

Map: 

To know Cebu, eat Cebu! :D

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)

BFF Anniversary Giveaways!

             So sorry for the much overdue post but I've just really been caught up with events. Anyway, here's the giveaway I promised for my anniversary! This is my way of giving back to my readers who have motivated me to stay around and keep sharing what I love. :D

So, what's up for grabs? I've got...

 - (1) P500 gift card from Cafe Elysa (click here to read a post about this place)

 - (6) free admission tickets to Red Box 

entitles the bearer to a free primetime performance worth P399 any day of the week from 7pm-12mn

  - (2) half dozen boxes of BFF's mini red velvet cupcakes

 - (8) BFF triple choco brownies

Just follow these three simple steps:

1. Like Babe for Food's Facebook page -- http://www.facebook.com/babeforfood (if you haven't).

2. Share your favorite blog post from BFF on Facebook and tag Babe for Food and two of your friends so they can also join the giveaway if they want.

3. Follow Babe for Food on Twitter -- https://twitter.com/#!/babeforfood and tweet "happy 1st anniv, babe!" with the hashtag #BabeForFood. :D

It should look like this: "@babeforfood happy 1st anniv, babe! #BabeForFood"

If you got all that, then you're all set! :D

         I will be segregating the prizes to 3 winners. The Cafe Elysa gift card will go to ONE winner and the two other winners will be picked out randomly and will each have 3 Red Box tickets, 1 box of half a dozen red velvets and 4 brownies.


         Since the Cafe Elysa gift card is only one, and special as it is, there'll be a slight modification in the mechanics for this. The reader should give his/her BEST REASON for wanting the gift card by COMMENTING ON THIS POST. I will then pick out the winner for the most deserving answer. :D   


         Special thanks to Ms. Joy Uy and Mr. Stephen Aznar from Cafe Elysa for the gift card and to Evanjohnn Mendoza of focalglass.com for the Red Box tickets! The support is much appreciated! 


         Cafe Elysa is a lovely pocket resto and art gallery in downtown Cebu that welcomes wanderers and guests with travel-inspired dishes that have a deep touch of locality. They use fine, fresh ingredients. I personally love their fresh tomato and basil pasta, Cafe Elysa spring rolls and I heard their pancit is a must try too! The ambience disillusions you away from Cebu and towards a somewhat Mediterranean atmosphere. Winning the giveaway would be a great way for you to try their interesting dishes. 


BFF is not THAT big of a shot yet so for now, this giveaway is only available to readers from Cebu City. 


Promo runs today til June 15. Winners will be drawn manually and randomly on June 16.  Hope you guys would participate! :D

oink oink,

Babe for Food

- your BFF in Cebu dining! :)