It’s summer time and Bos’ Coffee, a Cebuano-owned coffee chain, is proud to announce to all coffee lovers out there their much awaited summer surprise - The Bo’s Coffee Summer Cakes.

Bo’s Coffee Strawberry Cake

The photo above is Bo’s Coffee Strawberry Cake, one of their four summer cakes.  The other three are the Bo’s Coffee Mango Cake, Bo’s Coffee Macapuno Pandan Cake, Bo’s Coffee Strawberry Cake, and Bo’s Coffee Ube Cake.

Bo’s summer cakes are all layered chiffon cakes with creamy filling in between.  The strawberry and mango cakes have chunks of fruit in their icing.  The two other flavors, Macapuno Pandan and Ube, are entirely new.

One best way to enjoy your summer is to splurge yourself to a refreshing food trip.  Have a summer trip with your friends and don’t forget to drop by at any Bo’s Coffee shops to check their cool summer cakes. (:

To check more about Bo’s summer cakes, visit their blog here.

Flavored with my favorite strawberry, topped with nutritious Kiwi and Grape fruits and decorated by soft and colorful marshmallows, my personalized Frizberry Yogurt was wholeheartedly welcomed by my meticulous palate.  Frizberry, very, very yummy!

Frizberry Yogurt comes in two flavor, the original and the strawberry one.  You can also choose from various delightful and colorful toppings that would surely satisfy your glucose cravings.

If you are a yogurt lover like me, you would surely not miss the chance to check this healthy and delectable snacks which is not only an ideal food for health conscious individuals, but also great for the whole family.  And, for those people who have no idea yet why yogurt is more preferable than any other snack foods, you better check the following.

10 Reasons Why Yogurt Is A Top Health Food

• Yogurt is easier to digest than milk.
• Yogurt contributes to colon health.
• Yogurt improves the bioavailability of other nutrients.
• Yogurt can boost immunity.
• Yogurt aids healing after intestinal infections.
• Yogurt can decrease yeast infections.
• Yogurt is a rich source of calcium.
• Yogurt is an excellent source of protein.
• Yogurt can lower cholesterol.
• Yogurt is a “grow food”.

Frizberry Yogurt has recently opened their very first branch at 2nd Level, SM City, Cebu.  You can drop by at their cute pinky booth after hours of shopping and plunge into a relaxing, guilt-free, and pleasurable yogurt treat.

Photo Credits: Edd Buenaviajie and Wilhelmina Sarawi

Thousands of years ago, Mesopotamians made the very first yogurt.  There are actually evidence that these people had domesticated goats and sheep, and the milk that they got from those animals were stored in gourds, then later on the milk became a curd.  This curd was the early form of yogurt.

Thousands of years later and a few days from now, a new variety of yogurt will be introduced to the public.  And this is not in Mesopotamia, but here in Cebu.  Frizberry Yogurt will have its opening this 8th of March, 2010 at SM City.  Every yogurt-lover will surely not miss this event.

Quick Facts:

Yoghurt is nutritionally rich in protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.  It has nutritional benefits beyond those of milk. People who are moderately lactose-intolerant can enjoy yoghurt without ill effects, because much of the lactose in the milk precursor is converted to lactic acid by the bacterial culture. (Source: Answers.Com)

Photo by Atty. Ethelbert Ouano

There’s a new pizza house in town and it is located in the newly built lifestyle district  in Juan Luna Avenue.  Brasco Pizza & Pasta invited CBS to check their newly opened pizza store, housed inside the sophisticated building of The Gallery.  Ingrid, the sister of the owner, was the one who personally entertained us.

Brasco Pizza & Pasta is owned by Ingrid’s brother, Brian Espina.  Brasco is not actually an Italian word and it actually means Brian’s Aspirations and Company.  Brasco doesn’t only offer pizza and pasta, but home-made ice cream and desserts as well.

It’s their Crazy Bliss dessert which has surpassed my expectation.  It is a hot brownie topped with home-made vanilla iced cream.  The combination of these two luscious palatable mixtures is sweetly unforgettable.  La Marea’s version fades in comparison.

Photo by Atty. Ethelbert Ouano

Other than that, we also tried their Brasco (a must try pizza), Meaty Spaghetti with Pepperoni, Pasta with tomatoes and aligue (pasta with tomato sauce and and crab roe), and Four Seasons.  (I love their Pasta with tomatoes and aligue.)

Brasco’s thin crust pizza comes in three sizes: Big (10″), Bigger (14″), and Biggest (20″).  Each pizza toppings is Brian’s original recipe which he studied and researched for four years.  This goes as well to all their home-made desserts in the menu.

At the later part of our pizza trip, Brian came and told us why he ventured to a Pizza business.  He said that he’s a pizza lover himself, and it’s his dream to build a pizza house.  Since his family is already into the food industry (his parents are the owner of MyJoy formerly known as McJoy), it’s not that difficult for him to start one.

Brasco Pizza and Pasta is located at The Gallery, San Jose dela Montaña/Juan Luna Avenue, Mabolo, Cebu City, in front of San Carlos Seminary and IPI.  They accept delivery, and you can contact their store thru these numbers: 5057924 and 5114018.

Are you a food addict, a food worshipper who wanted to share your best food discovery?  It is now your chance to spread the delectable words and win 1000 pesos Ayala EGC from OVI by Nokia.  To join please follow the steps below.

1. Create an OVI Mail account at www.ovi.com.
2. You must put the following details in your email entry: (a) Name, (b) Address, (c) OVI Mail Address, and (d) Mobile Phone Number.
3. Send your entry to fooddiscOVIry@ovi.com.

Contest period is from October 27 to November 20, 2009. There will be 10 winners, and each of them will win P1000 Ayala EGC!  So what are you waiting?  Join NOW!

The mighty Brutus had just defeated the obese happy bee in a 24-hour long battle of wit, intelligence, and humor.  The fat happy bee surrendered and bowed never to challenge the aristocratic brute, and swore to stick to his business selling burger patties and sweet spaghetti.  LMAO!

Photo by Michael Sinjin Pineda

Cebu’s Orange Brutus, the home of the best sizzling burger steak and fresh fruit shakes, had invited 10 members of Cebu Bloggers Society to join their food tour activity last 19th of September, 2009.  This food tour aims to showcase their new budget meal products and their Christmas Papremyo promo.

I’ve been a silent patron of Orange Brutus since 2004.  In fact, I was a bit curious why there are more people who prefer Jolibee’s “stale” foods compared to Orange Brutus’ fresh and more affordable menus.  My list of favorite meals are their Lumpia Shanghai, Burger Steak, Chicken Brutus, and Brute Burger.  But, due to the scarcity of their outlets, especially in the vicinity of my workplace, I can’t visit their store more often.  Nevertheless, I still believe that when it comes to food quality and affordability, Orange Brutus has an edge compared to Jolibee.  (Jolibee’s massive advertisement campaign did make a big difference.)

Anyways, during our food tour activity, we met Mrs. Nina Kokseng - Misa, BFSI’s Executive Assistant.  She’s the one who entertained our questions and inquiries about Orange Brutus as a company.  Orange Brutus is a Cebu-based fast food chain restaurant that is managed by the Kokseng family.  The business is now in it’s 30 years of existence, and though the fast food market competition became tougher nowadays, Orange Brutus still has a stable influx of customers who are patrons to their salable products.  (There are still lots of people who can clearly distinguish quality from popularity.)

The Orange Brutus fast-food chain has a centralized management.  This means the absence of franchise owners and the likes.  The family who own the business is the one who run all it’s 20 outlets all over Cebu.  And, they are the one who manage their more than 200 employees in all their branches.  You can check the list of all their store outlets here.

For more information and details about Orange Brutus, you can visit their website.

Balamban Liempo

Bursting with that succulent flavor which distinctively pleases the tongue of every picky meat lover, Balamban Liempo is definitely Cebu’s tastiest liempo.  Juicy and flavorful grilled meat seasoned with local herbs and cooked to perfection, Balamban Liempo is definitely a Cebuano dish I can recommend to everyone.

Balamban Liempo Food Corner was established on July 2009 by native Cebuano couple, Jojo and Honey Vergara.  Both are from Abucayan, Balamban.  For those people who don’t know, Balamban is a farming and fishing municipality in South Cebu known for their ship building industry.

Jojo and Honey were inspired by Balamban’s method of grilling liempo using several local herbs and secret ingredients.  They first set up their business at Jojo’s father’s residence in Mabolo, Cebu.  Their first customers are the people in their neighborhood who spread the news to the locals about the newest dish in town.

Just recently, they opened their second branch in Salinas Drive, Lahug.  For this opening, they invited 12 members of the Cebu Bloggers Society to check their product and make an objective review about it.  And,  my verdict is…

Well, as what I said in the very first paragraph of this post, Balamban Liempo is definitely very tasty.  Well-cooked meat and heavenly crunchy skin dipped in a special local vinegar would make you crave for more.  The liempo is very meaty, no extra fatties.  If you have tried CnT’s lechon, then the quality of taste is in the same level.  The only difference is, you can buy a whole piece of liempo for only Php 160, and that’s already good for 4-5 persons.  It’s great for barkada, office, or family dining.

Balamban Liempo Food Corner has also opened their 3rd branch in Hi-way, Mandaue.  They aim to open five stores by the end of 2009 and 10 stores by 2010.  For orders and inquiries you can contact 09226205921, 09285022605, or 4158592 and look for Mr. Jojo Vergara or Mr. Gaylord Tingzon.

Reference: Balamban Liempo Profile

Photo Credits: Cebu Classifieds (I tried to search for its link, but can’t find it ):), Mark Tan, Prince

It was way back 2007 that I first went to this European resto with my colleagues.  We were actually with our Swedish boss that’s why we got no other choice, but to eat there.  I rarely go to this type of restaurant because I have limited budget, and also, I really find it impractical to spend my hard earned money to expensive foods.  I prefer to eat in carenderia (small local food stores) and pungko-pungko (street foods stored in carts or put up on small tables).

Honestly, I never learned to love eating European foods except pizza.  My first time eating a roasted lamb made me feel like I wanted to puke everything that I swallowed.  The smell really made me feel nauseated and I swore that I will never eat a roasted lamb again.  This may sound ridiculous to those people who are into European dishes, but may be, my taste buds are just so “Pinoy”.

It was last week of May this year that I had the opportunity of going back there again, since CBS had a small conference with Yehey.  The restaurant is now located at The Terraces inside Ayala Mall.  I noticed that its whole ambiance was changed and it’s more spacious than before.  Along with other CBS members, the Yehey team introduced us to its co-owner.  La Maison is teaming up with Yehey for their restaurant’s promotional campaign.

Among the courses on the menu that they served and that I could still remember were barkada ribs, classic gourmet platter, tostitos and seafood marinara.  There’s also a pizza, but I can’t remember what’s the flavor.  All the foods mentioned above didn’t make any impressions to me except the barkada ribs.  But still, while I was eating, I can’t help but compared it to Golden Cowrie’s.   Same with their tostitos that resembled Moon Cafe’s quesadillas, but can’t even be compared to its succulent taste and flavor.  And also, the fish fillet in their classic gourmet platter has this somewhat “non-salty” taste which definitely disappointed my very Pinoy taste buds.

And as for the quality of their service, I can’t really tell because it’s obvious that they were treating us well since we were there to criticize and blog about their place.  All in all, La Maison is an ideal restaurant for those people who loves and appreciates European dishes.  I won’t recommend it for true-blue pinoys like me whose taste buds are loyal to salty foods.

Photo Credits: Van, Miss Elaine, Doyzkie

La Marea at The Walk

NBI Special Defective Agents HUHU1 and HUHU2 went to La Marea yesterday to chill out.  They were disturbed by Team Darwino’s mobs while they were working at their hide out.  HUHU2 treated HUHU1 a warm brownie cup.  HUHU2 was telling HUHU1 that La Marea’s warm brownie cup is very delectable, but HUHU1 can’t agree after tasting it.

Warm Brownie Cups

The warm brownie cup which is for HUHU1’s estimation very expensive tastes like Ngohiong’s EXpress FOBI(Fried or Baked Ice Cream).  HUHU1 wanted to chill at that place again but won’t be eating any warm brownie cups.

A warm brownie cup tastes like champorado minus the vanilla ice cream

NB: This post was inspired by Mindless Self Indulgence’s The Retard Song.  Click here to watch the MV of this song.