Ultimate Taste Test 5.0 Overall Winners! (1 of 3)

Here are the winners of the Ultimate Taste Test 5.0 last November 5, 2010! Congratulations!

1. Risa Chocolates!  ^4.14

One of the coolest chocolates to give this Christmas made by a passionate Filipina chocolatier 🙂 Congratulations for having the highest rating in Ultimate Taste Test 5.0!

The Story of Risa Chocolates
by Pam Lim Cinco

It’s a journey of discovering one’s passion.

As a child, I loved to eat, but the kitchen was not a place I ever wanted to go into because, for me, it was hot and disorganized in there. Cooking was a chore and a bore. I preferred to read books and eat while doing so.

During my teens, I had my first taste of blueberry cheesecake which I could only buy in bakeshops. To satisfy my cheesecake craving, I had to wait when my parents had the time to bring me to a mall. We all know that cravings need to be immediately addressed or foodies like me get really cranky. : )

I had to end my unfulfilled cravings and crankiness, so armed with an oven toaster, makeshift baking tools, and my Maya Kitchen cookbook, I tried my best to whip up my version of blueberry cheesecake the way I liked it (Note that there was no exact recipe for this.). After a few disasters, I was finally able to come up with a decent version. Skimming through the other pages of my one and only cookbook, I began to try out other recipes, but was limited to cookies because of the size of my oven toaster.

The Power of Books
I began working for San Miguel Corporation, which was a 3 minute walk to Megamall, where
Powerbooks was. During my lunch breaks, I would hang out in Powerbooks to window shop and
plan which books I would purchase on payday.

I stumbled upon Francois Payard’s Simply Sensational Desserts. Though pricey at that time, this book opened up another world of desserts that I never imagined existed. It was from this book that I discovered sweet dough, rhubarb, muscadines, and truffles. This convinced me to save up until I finally bought my first La Germania small oven and I tried every recipe I possibly could make from his book. It was here that I noticed that I preferred recipes with chocolates in them.

What piqued my interest was how he kept emphasizing the need to use the best chocolate one could
find. At that time, the only chocolates available in the supermarket were semi-sweet chocolate chips
and chocolates for baking. I was still working at that time so the only way I could study about this was through books and this is where I found and once more saved up to buy Elaine Gonzalez’s The Art of Chocolate, where she explained the origins of chocolate and the numerous ways one can work with chocolate. I began to understand the importance of having fine chocolate, from being made from the best beans to using the best couverture one’s money can buy.

I then began asking and talking to every chef, food retailer, or food manufacturer about chocolates. I
would save up for every book I could get my hands on and every chocolate tool available in the market. I so enjoyed doing this, but would only get to do this during my free time as I was still working.

As my marketing career grew, so did my interest for chocolates. I was lucky to have worked in food
companies, so I met a lot of food stalwarts and experts who shared my interest in chocolates. Though I never got to work for chocolates, the people I met were as eager and as passionate and were willing to share whatever knowledge they had on chocolates.

I found myself working on chocolates every time I felt a needed a creativity boost or whenever I felt sad. I never got to making chocolates for other people because my relationship with chocolates was a very personal one. To give chocolates I made would mean giving myself away. I was not ready for that.

Turning Points
The turning point slowly happened when I needed to earn extra income. I zeroed in on baked goodies.

There was one Christmas season where I baked hundreds of oreo cheesecake at night and do my day job. After the high of getting to sell so much stuff, I began to toy with the idea of going into baking as a business. I quit my job but returned after a year because I realized that baking was not THE career I wanted to take. I still enjoyed my marketing job, but always, always, always, something was missing.

All through the years of working, I was trying to discover what it was that I really wanted to do and what was I good at? I could never find the balance between this two. A trip to Geneva to help out in my good friend’s wedding made the turning point go faster as she introduced me to the world of Swiss chocolates that were exclusively sold in Switzerland. My love for chocolates grew more and more and it was then that I realized how much I wanted to do this forever.

It was then that I started researching and planning for when I could go into chocolates as a career. Every vacation leave or break time I had, I would try to research about chocolates, even squeezing in trips to faraway places just to satisfy my curiosity. I could not decide on which part of chocolate would I start with as I had limited resources. My every supportive entrepreneur friend must’ve finally had it as she scolded me, “Come on, Best Friend. Stop planning and start doing it! Ano ba. Ang tagal tagal na. Narinig ko na yan!”

That really shook me up and so, once more, I saved up and took 2 short chocolate courses in The French Culinary Institute in New York City where not only did I leave with theoretical education, but seeing so many chocolatiers thrive in the bustling and sophisticated environment in NYC, finally convinced me that this can be done.

Just Do It!
When I came home, with just a month to prepare, I joined my first bazaar in 2008, and would only get to sell in December of every year. I decided to sell truffles because I loved them and would like other people to love them as well. Though receiving praises and wows from customers in the bazaars, I was disheartened by the low volume I got to sell in the bazaars. The St. James the Great Bazaar in Ayala Alabang in 2009 changed all that as my stocks were wiped out and orders started coming in once the bazaar ended.

Still, I once more fell into the trap of staying within the safety net of my day job. This time though, I
was no longer happy with what I was doing and would pour out my misery daily to my husband. Ever supportive, my husband encouraged me to figure things out and we prayed and prayed for God’s guidance until finally, I decided to stay for just 5 more years in my current job so I can save up for my growing family and the business.

God must have other plans for us as I had to quit my job due to a delicate pregnancy. While on bed rest, I was able to have time once more for my chocolates. And, after my baby was born, I knew that a corporate job would not give me the time I wanted to spend with my precious child and my chocolate passion. I finally took the plunge, gave up a flourishing career and a stable income, all to pursue this passion. Even on the hardest of days, I never look back and just keep moving forward, armed with faith in God and my family’s love.

And so the choice for the name Risa for our chocolates, which was taken from the Spanish word “Sonrisa (smile)” and the Italian word “Risata (laughter)”. For ours is a story of discovering one’s passion, which constantly brings a smile on our lips. We want our chocolates to bring that smile to whoever tastes our chocolates, and, if not too much to hope for, help others discover their passion, too.

What Foodies say about Risa’s Chocolate:

• Less Sugar, Healthy  
• best Chocolate
  
• Grabe! Masarap sobra!  
  
• Best Truffles
  
• Nice truffles, affordable 
  
• Smooth Chocolate 
  
• Super Sarap!
  
• So good! I give it 10 star! 
  
• Chocolate was great!
  
• Melts in the mouth yummy!
  
• Fabulous! Perfect gift!
  
• love the dark truffle!
  
• Very chocolate! Love it in a major way!
  
• Chocolate truffle best!
  
• Tung chocolate nila heaven 
  
• Like royce! 
• The truffles were good! No, Great!
  
• love the truffles!
  
• love the rich dark chocolate but can texture presentation
  
• the truffles were excellent!
  
• decadent!
  
• international truffles 
  
• yummy truffles 
• lovely soft, sweet, truffles 
• truffles were super yummy! 
• Truffles good!  
• it melts in your mouth! 
• Truffles is love! 
• Bigger portions please! 
• Really choco is yum! 
• Really nice! 
• Very rich chocolate 
• Truffles really good bitterness & sweetness well balanced 
• Super Yummy!  
• Hand-rolled heaven!

Risa Chocolates
Contact: Pam Lim Cinco
Email: risachocolates@yahoo.com   
Mobile: +63918 9424573

I Truffle You
Our bestseller! Decadently delicious chocolate truffles made from really fine ingredients.
Box of 20 bite size pieces Php345
Box of 6 bite size pieces Php120

Cuadro Chocolate Bars – NEW!!
Classic Favorites

• Bittersweet (Dark Chocolate) Php160
• Chocolate Creme (Milk Chocolate) Php170
• Lecheroo (White Chocolate) Php160

Favorites with a Twist

• TiraMissYou: Our version of everyone’s favorite tiramisu. Light and creamy goodness in every bite. Dusted with cocoa powder to complete the delight! Php170
• Let’s Rocky Road: The combination of peanuts, marshmallows, and chocolate swirls truly satisfies. It’s like having the ice cream in a chocolate bar! Php160
• White Chocolate Almondacious: How almond can you get? White chocolate laced with refreshing almond taste, dotted with real roasted almonds! Php160

2. Pepita’s Lechon 🙂
  ^4.13

Foodies love the stuffed lechon from Pepita’s Kitchen ever since their debut in Ultimate Taste Test 4.0. Congratulations for getting a high yummy rating from the foodies in the UTT 5.0!

The Story of Pepita’s Lechon
by Dedet Santos

For more than 5 years, I have always wanted to learn to make lechon. But every time I inquired with the cooking school, it’s either they just finished teaching “how to cook the yummiest lechon” a week ago or a month ago. I always ended up disappointed because they only taught “cooking lechon” once a year…until late last year, when I finally inquired at the right time! The schedule was 3 days from the day I called…but they did not have enough students to start the class. There were only 2 who signed up, and they needed at least 5! So I eagerly volunteered that the yaya of my daughter would be with me to at least make it 4 in the class. I asked — maybe pleaded is the more appropriate word — the secretary to push through with the class since I had been waiting for 6 years to learn how to cook lechon.

I remember the class was scheduled on a Monday. And during Sunday lunch, I was calling the secretary, asking if the class would push through. The instructor could not decide if she would go through with it and told me to wait for their text or call for confirmation. They texted 11 pm, Sunday night, that since I was so kulit, the instructor gave in and would hold the class.

We were taught the “little secrets” of making lechon. We also learned to improvise and add our personal taste.

We had many trials at home. After many “taste tests”, where the food critics were my “lucky” friends, we saw how they all loved our lechon. And since I call my daughter Pepita, and we love eating lechon, PEPITA’s LECHON was born.

What Foodies say about Pepita’s Lechon?

• Super meat! 
• Awesome skin 
• Very good but oil galore!  
• Super! The best lechon yet the only one  
• The best lechon ever and the only one which deserves ve commented 
• the skin is soggy 
• I don’t eat lechon but I like it 
• melt in the mouth!  
• Crispy Lechon 
• the best, if only I can rate it 10 I will 
• Get to comeback, Sauce Great 
• Oily! too much oil on it 
• My favorite of all 
• Kakaiba! 
• Super sarap! Lambot! Yummy! 
• should consider delivery please 
• Very good yummy! 
• Not much flavor, doesn’t resemble sisig at all 
• Didn’t got to taste its food 
• can lechon taste this good?! GRABE! 
• Love this 
• Yummy rice / lechon 
• Super love! 
• Cool idea, try stuffing it w/ something else 
• Champion! Best dish, hands down! 
• simple but worth every bite 
• Kanin pa lng ulam na! 
• Yummiest lechon I’ve ever tasted! 
• wild! Best lechon taste ive had! Amp! 
• Nothing special but lechon was good! 
• love the rice 
• Super yummy highly recommended 
• Yummy lechon rice 
• Not crispy 
• Too much liver taste! 
• Not as flavorful as sabroso
   
• Interesting lechon!
  
• Lasang chicken, no x factor!
  
• Not oily, taste like chicken!
  
• Great innovation sisig w/ rice inside!
  
• not that juicy but quite tasty
  
• Flavorful skin!
  
• The lecho skin & rice to die for
  
• meat is soft sauce is good, skin is heavenly
  
• The skin was perfectly crunchy!
  
• Lechon was flavorful!

Pepita’s Lechon
Contact: Dedet Santos
Telephone: +632 4254605
Mobile: +63917-8660662
Facebook: Pepita’s Lechon
Email: PepitasLechon@gmail.com

3. Mother Lee’s Hungarian Goulash!  ^4.11

A lot of foodies were raving about Mother Lee’s Hungarian Goulash because it has the right sweetness and spicyness tailor-fitted to the Filipino taste 🙂 Congratulations, Mother Lee!

The Story of Mother Lee Home Cooking
by Mother Lee

I’ve been cooking since my elementary days and just ventured into my own food order business after I retired from banking end of Feb 2010.  Food has always been a center of attraction in our family. Our friends and our children’s classmates have always raved about our home cooking, which is why our home often is a favorite hang-out of friends.  I never sacrifice quality of our food and mediocrity is unacceptable.  I do the cooking myself to ensure consistency in quality of the food.

What Foodies say about Mother Lee’s Home Cooked Hungarian Goulash:

• Definitely a favorite! Went back 4x!
  
• I want this as my xmas dishes!
  
• Why is this so delish?!
  
• The best
  
• different from the usual
  
• Lutong bahay talaga!
  
• HMmm! Nice
  
• Best thing ever
  
• Awesome Taste!
  
• One of my fave; excellent rendition
  
• so-so Parang Kaldereta
  
• Taste like chili con
  
• Love it! Perfect!
  
• Perfect for parties
  
• Delicious & Flavorful
  
• Too salty & spicy for my taste
  
• Remind me of spicy version
  
• Great dish, had to sneak to get 6 servings
  
• Reminds me of indian food
  
• Very filling
  
• The best!
  
• rockstar!
  
• fresh & worth!
  
• tasty but could have better presentation
  
• surprisingly good!
  
• soft tender tasty
  
• so rich and yummy! Full of flavor!
  
• Very good!
  
• Caldereta
  
• More calories
  
• Quite similac
  
• Parang caldereta lang
  
• Yummy! Yummy!
  
• First time to taste this, strong flavor will go well w/ rice!
  
• Comfort food!
  
• Spicy!
  
• Taste so good!
  
• Sarap! Like home cooked!

Mother Lee’s Home Cooking
Contact: Lee Ochoa   
Email: lpochoa@yahoo.com   
Mobile: +63 917 533-3005

Hungarian Goulash – P750 for 6pax in 1,500ml microwavable container or aluminum tray.

4. Chef Lolly’s Pork with Shrimp Siomai  3.97

Literally, the BEST Soimai we ever tasted! You got to try Chef Lolly’s Siomai, Congratulations!

The Story of Chef Lolly’s Kitchen
by Chef Lolly Co

What Foodies say about Chef Lolly’s Siomai:

• I love the siomai
• Is it Possible for siomai to be this awesome?
• I love the siomai 
• Very Nice
• Tastes like real pork ingredients
• soft & good sauced
• don’t taste the shrimp
• Better served hot
• don’t taste the shrimp
• Delicious dressing
• Love the sauce
• spicy but nice
• Big Serving
• Nothing Beats “Lutong Bahay”
• Big Siomai, Big taste
• Best Siomai I tasted
• Big sized not your average siomai
• you can really taste the shrimp!
  
• Super Yummy! 
  
• So good!
  
• The best siomai!
  
• The best siomai I’ve ever tasted!
  
• The best! 
  
• Really love shrimp
  
• Great size good taste
  
• Delicious & Juicy
  
• I like it
  
• best siomai ever!
  
• love it! Yummy up to my last bite!
  
• Panalo!
  
• fresh ingredients, a wiinner!
  
• good but w/o sauce not so much
  
• very tasty!
  
• Nothing special
  
• Very good siomai
  
• Juicy and flavorful!
  
• Matabang
  
• Generous serviing and delicious
  
• Siomai!
  
• a staple!
  
• I love it!
  
• Parang sa Binondo! Win!
  
• Had to get more! 
  
• Both siomai & sauce are good
  
• Taste ordinary but the serving is big
  
• best siomai ever!
  
• Perfect! I could eat 100!
  
• Generous serving, sauce was awesome
  
• Great siomai
  
• Good! Yum!

Chef Lolly’s Kitchen
Contact: Lolly Co | Krystle Co
Email Addresses: blueberry_lolly@yahoo.com | imkrystleco@gmail.com
Lolly’s Mobile Number: +63 917 550-1898 or +63 922 818-7781
Krystle’s Mobile Number: +63 917 550-1807 or +63 922 887-0427
We sell every Sunday in Christ The King Bazaar (along Greenmeadows Ave.) or
customers can pick up their orders at home (we live in Acropolis Subd.)

Homemade Pork with Shrimp Siomai.
(Less fat, No Extender, No Preservatives and with Fresh Shrimp)
Siomai (Cooked) – 10PhP/piece or 40PhP per oder of 4pcs.
Siomai (Frozen) – 20 pcs, 200 PhP per pack

5. YOH-GEE Premium Froyo 3.87

Yes, this is one of the best premium frozen yogurts we ever tasted. Congratulations!

The Story of YOH-GEE Premium Froyo
by Vincent Lim Fideles

YOH-GEE is the product of my passion of two of the world’s most opposing ideas – getting fit, and devouring desserts.

I admit I am a health buff, never trading gym workout sessions for anything else ever since I graduated high school. I am very much concerned with my health and my body, for me it is my biggest investment.

On the other hand, I never seem to discipline myself from digging in to desserts, especially frozen desserts like ice cream. How could you not when you live in the Philippines? The tropical weather is just my perfect excuse to snag a cup or two of sinful Ben & Jerry’s Cookie Dough ice cream. But of course, the guilt comes down after every cup.

With the sudden boom of frozen yogurts in the Philippines, I was more than happy to trade my devil cup of ice cream with something healthier. But after roaming around town in search of a better alternative, I was dissatisfied. All of these frozen yogurt chains seem to be just a pool cookie-cutter soft-served desserts.

And so I started out with my own concoction of incorporating ingredients into yogurt, fresh fruits in
particular. I was so determined to come up with something very healthy, something health buffs like me would enjoy greedily and not feel guilty about even after their nth cup. After hits and misses, I finally arrived at something so flavourful and yet so guilt-free, YOH-GEE. And as my tagline goes, it’s pleasure without the guilt!

It may come off as something totally out of my line of interest (I took up Computer Science!) but what the heck. It’s my passion. As they say, if your passion is your work, then it wouldn’t be work at all for you.

My dream for YOH-GEE? To be able to share this brainchild of mine to the world. Everyone need to stop feeling guilty about eating desserts! But more than that, my goal is very simple – to be Ben and Jerry’s of frozen yogurt.

What Foodies say about YOH-GEE Frozen Yogurt:

• not a lover of yogurt, sorry
• Good! Sweet!
• Mango Yogurt! FTW!
• Too sweet for a yogurt
• Yummy love it!
• Taste good
• Premium quality, real pure yogurt
• Mango taste like lassi! Very nice
• I have ever tasted!
• Mango flavor is the best!
• Mango!
• Love rice, wine, yogurt!
• Banana flavor taste weird!
• This is it!
• love the green tea & fruit punch w/ froyo!
• original taste!
• melt in your mouth goodness!
• Different & Very Delicious!
• I prefer tasty yogurt
• Creative! I like the flavor yoh-gee!
• Not as much the alcoholic!
• Yummy fruit punch
• Fruit Punch
• Alcoholic!
• Alcoholic froyo!
• I don’t like the alcoholic yogurt!
• Interesting flavors
• Unique taste
• the fruit punch flavor is a winner!
• Best Yogurt! Thicker that most
• Alcoholic froyo, the best!
• it was so good!
• Good! Sweet!

Fideles Food Services
Contact: Vincent Lim Fideles   
Email: yohgeeyogurt@gmail.com   
Mobile: +63 917 5271396

Classic – 100ml (P50), 1 Liter (P400), 1 gallon (P1,300)                
Flavored – 100 ml (P60), 1 Liter (P450), 1 gallon (P1,400)
Premium – 100 mL (P70), 1 liter (P500), 1 gallong (P1,550)

Flavored: Banana, Lychee, Mango, Strawberry
Premium: Green Tea

6. Dulcelin Gourmet’s Korean Red Rice Salad and Hickory Smoked US Pork Belly 3.86

Definitely one of the best gourmet foods in Manila. Consistently yummy! Congratulations 🙂

The Dulcelin Story

by Ricky Morelos

Dulcelin started way back in the early ’90s as a Christmas-only venture, selling mostly fruit cakes, ensaymadas, and pies. In 2001, we started selling mango tortes, which became such a big success that the business became a year-round affair. Our dessert line up includes such popular items as the Strawberry Cake, Chocolate Ganache Cake, Irish Cream Butter Cake, and many others. Our adherence to using quality ingredients such as dairy cream, butter, and real chocolate has ensured that our products maintain their true homemade appeal.

Aside from our desserts, Dulcelin also has an extensive savory food menu. Traditional dishes such as chicken relleno and galantina, lengua, callos, paella and cochinillo continue to be very popular all year round. The newer items like the Wagyu Tritips, Short Ribs cooked for 48 hours, Red Rice Salad and Cannelloni (using homemade pasta) also receive great feedback from our clientele. So if you’re planning a party at home, do consider Dulcelin for your main courses and desserts. All orders can be picked up at 36 Times Street, West Triangle Quezon City; Tiendesitas; Greenhills; or Glorietta. Call 374-2165 or 67 for details.

What Foodies say about Dulcelin Gourmet?

• I love it, I love shrimp
• I like this very much
• Super good combo!
• Love the taste..but I cant eat too much of this
• The best! Flavorful
• Preferred the fish & Shrimps
• Very bland taste
• Something new for me
• Melts in the mouth! Awesome
• good taste
• I don’t get the fuzz
• love this super!
• Great sauce, quality meat
• absolutely fun taste love the taste
• Really Really good!
• My favorite!
• Best quality of food / best gourmet
• The tune was great
• I love it!
• love the sauce
• Awesome
• Balanced & Interesting taste & texture, the  pork belly is very soft & flavorful
• The best! Flavorful
• Weird combination
• Sauce too strong
• Good taste perfect, don’t like it
• Awesome!
• The smoke taste is too strong
• Yummy as always!
• Winner, very filling
• the pork was  delicious
• Too much mayo… too fatty
• Very tasty, you can really taste the hickory flavor
• Fantastic
• Top choice!
• love it!
• love the salad, the belly is kinda silly
• a bit tasty
• yummy but could have better presentation
• Dulcelin never disappointed

Dulcelin Gourmet
Contact: Ricky Morelos   
Email: dulcelingourmet@msn.com  

7. Angelo Yaneza’s Honey Shrimp Paste 3.82

This is literally selling like hot cakes in Mercato Centrale. Definitely, the best bagoong we tasted so far because it is a bit sweet but still has that bagoong taste.

My Basket of Dreams
by Angelo Yaneza

Families are bound to produce either a good cook or a lover of cooking. In our family’s case, I am proud to say that I have both. I have my Lola, my Mom and my Tita – quite amazing cooks – who all used to run a canteen called “Adtenee’s” along Calle Azcaraga (now called C. M. Recto Ave.). They are quite known in our family for their signature Spanish and Filipino dishes. For my part, although I have always enjoyed food, it wasn’t until I studied in the US that I truly allowed the passion and appreciation for anything gastronomic to develop within me.

In high school, I worked part-time as a courtesy clerk at a gourmet supermarket in West Los Angeles. But it wasn’t like any other supermarket — it was the Harvard University of supermarkets!  Not only did I get to work with individuals of different nationalities, I was also able to see people in a different light. My colleagues were experts in their own fields – the French were very good with pastries, the produce section was dominated by Hispanics and Asians, while my American co-workers were the go-to guys when it came to meat. Working with them exposed me to different kinds of gourmet food and I am grateful because they taught me the basics on cooking foreign dishes. After my brief stint as a courtesy clerk, I was transferred to the supermarket’s coffee bar.  There, I was able to hone my espresso skills – I learned to mix and match 60 types of regular and flavored coffee beans, both for cold and hot drinks.

When I went back to Manila in 1992, I helped a friend put up “Coffee California.” For that venture, I developed the menu, trained the staff, picked the suppliers – the works, all this while I was still in college. After graduation, I decided to set aside any plans related to food and beverages and instead, I focused on pursuing a corporate career. I worked in the banking sector for several years, before moving to the telecommunications industry in 2002. 

Despite my demanding work schedule, I still felt a strong interest in cooking. Every time I tried (and liked) a new dish, I would try to figure out the ingredients so I can recreate the dish at home and serve them during special occasions.  At that time, however, I still wasn’t ready to take on my food interest full-time and make a career out of my passion for cooking. But that mindset changed in 2008. That year, I was on a strict diet (I used to tip the scales at 210 lbs), so a friend gave me this dip that she got from abroad and told me that it goes perfectly well with green mangoes and other fruits. That gift gave me the idea and inspiration to come up with my own version. I strongly felt that there was potential in the product and I was finally ready to share my love for cooking.  Initially, I started giving samples at the office to get feedback and insight from my colleagues. I then localized the flavor to make it appeal to the Filipino taste.  

At first, the product was called “Angelo’s Green Mango Dip” but my mentor at the company I used to work for and who also worked for Kraft Foods before suggested that I change it.  She helped me develop a name that has a good recall and more market appeal, hence the “Honey Shrimp Sauce” label.  The sauce can be used for casual daily cooking like fried rice, fried and steamed fish and even for binagoongan, but for me, it’s still best when served as a dip for fruits. The “Oriental Basket” brand was actually inspired from our very own bayong.  For me, it represents the staple food that Filipinos buy at the local market like fish, rice and vegetables.

Oriental Basket also symbolizes my decision to take on a new journey.  With the unyielding support of my family, friends and colleagues from the industry, I’ve decided to take some time off from the corporate world to spend more time with the people I care about and to pursue this exciting new endeavor. At this point in my life, I am so happy and contented to be surrounded by people who are supportive of my aspirations. Though I have a modest kitchen that is useful to me, I’m still dreaming of a space with all the modern cooking equipment that I can have and a beautiful home to go with it. My other dream? To create more sauces and condiments so people can cook delicious food everyday.

What Foodies say about Honey Shrimp Paste?

• Perfect for the almost ripe mango! Love! Love!
• A great twist to a classic!
• I love it
• I thought I’ve tasted he best bagoong alamang.. Speechless..export quality! Very good!
• Best alternative to bagoong
• Great pairing w/ gree mango
• Love, Love, Love, This!
• So special
• Too spicy
• perfect for the mango
• Spicy
• Bagoong has very tough competition here
• Super super good!
• Spanish Sardines!
• Winner!
• Nice sauce perfect for boiled veggies
• I have 3 plates of mango!
• Yummy!
• Texture wasn’t paste like at all liquid
• Not smelly at all
• a bit sweet
• I like it
• Prefer traditional Bagoong w/ bites!
• Very good!
• delicious.i love kuhol taste
• good product!
• new twist to bagoong
• Great!
• Something new!
• Good! Also a bit spicy!
• a bit spicy even if sweet!
• May Kulang!
• Great w/ mango! Sipcy one!
• love that there use no shrimp bits!
• Not Bad!
• Different but yummy!
• Okay!
• One of the best!
• would be nice if they cooked spicy!

Oriental Basket
Contact: Angelo Yaneza   
Email: angeloyaneza@yahoo.com   
Mobile: +63 916 494-0923

Honey Shrimp Sauce: 300ml (P169), 240ml (P149).

Honey Shrimp Sauce may be purchased at Mercato Centrale, Salcedo Community Market, Diao Eng Chay (DEC) Branches, Mozu Cafe (The Fort & Ortigas), Tin Hok Chinese Deli Virra Mall and other specialty shops and restaurants around The Fort, Greenhills and Ortigas Center.

8. Kitchen ala Ching’s Oatmeal Cookies 3.79

They are so good that they are sold out already for the Christmas season. All the products going out of their kitchen are sold already and they cannot supply Mercato Centrale anymore 🙁 Congrats!

The Story of Kitchen a la Ching
by Francis Tempongko

Kitchen a la Ching, Home-made Liqueur Cakes is specialty bake shop owned and managed by couple Francis and Myra Tempongko, who dreamt of creating a market niche in the cake and baked products industry by introducing a unique line of home-made liqueur cakes, cookies, bars and other pastries. Francis concurrently works as an accountant for PLDT during the day and as the product innovator, and pasta sauce chef at night while Myra manages the purchasing, production and sales side of the business.

Many wonder where the brand name was coined from. Kitchen a la Ching or “Ching’s Kitchen” was named from its original owner, Bobby and Ching Tempongko, the brother and sister-in-law of the current owners. When Bobby and Ching migrated to Canada, they turned over the business to Francis and Myra.

Kitchen a la Ching pioneered in producing home-made quality liqueur cakes, brownies, food for the gods, revel bars, dulce de leche bars, bottled gourmet pasta sauces and Oatmeal Cookies, the phenomenal product that started it all.

Kitchen a la Ching started joining bazaars in year 2000. Since then, yearly Christmas seasons have been very hectic for the business. Since then, Kitchen a la Ching already has twice the number of products when it was first established and all new products were introduced by its current owners, Francis and Myra.

In September 2009, the worst came for the business when Typhoon Ondoy struck and wiped out the ingredients, packaging materials, vehicle and baking equipment of the business. Now, as they slowly pick-up the crumbs (not the pieces=)), Francis and Myra together with both sides of their extended families are helping each other to slowly rebuild all they have lost from the flood as they temporarily moved to their in- law’s to continue their home-based business.

What Foodies say about Kitchen a la Ching

• the gods have a sweet tooth
• FFG = love
• YUMMY!
• oatmeal only(tried)
• Oatmeal cookies..yum!
• Oatmeal is very crispy
• Healthy, Sweet
• too sweet
• The Best oatmeal cookies I had awesome!
• love the taste! Excellent baking
• Too soggy 
• Tried & tested
• Excellent! 
• I love name for god but im one of them
• because of food of god! I remember the ex gf
• moist & spongy
• My husband favorite!
• The oatmeal cookies was good!
• a bit too sweet!
• kahlua’s really good!
• yummy!
• Food for the gods, yeah! Oatmeal a bit something weird!
• Espresso kahlua cake = dry tiramiso!, like a ball of sugar
• Taste nice
• Thumbs up for the kahlua cake!
• Kahlua is a sweet treat!
• Kahlua cake!
• Expresso kahlua cake- I like it!, but is too sweet!
• Kahlua cake is love!
• the oatmeal cookies rocks!
• Sweet!
• Oatmeal cookies enrich texture
• My bad loves their oatmeal cookies
• All products
• Tough cookie
• So delicious / memorable! Packaging 
• the oatmeal cookies!

Kitchen ala Ching
Contact: Francis Tempongko   
Email: kitchenalaching@gmail.com   
Mobile: +63 9189264675   

Oatmeal Cookies
P150 20 nibblers 
P190 jar of 20 
P225 jar of 24

Espresso Kahlua Cake
P270  regular
P370 with wooden giftbox

Food for the Gods
P150 box of 8
P210 box of 12
P310 box of 12 w wooden giftbox

Kitchen a la Ching sells its home-made goodies at the Eastwood Mall Gourmet Market, American Women’s Club Bazaar and at the newly opened Mercato Centrale at the Bonifacio Global City. It also consigns its cookies at Greenhills Tiangge and Select Convenience Store at Shell Magallanes.

9. Edible Option’s Sausages 3.77

She joined last minute, one day before the UTT 5.0 event. We are glad we accepted her application because she was among the highly rated sausages in the UTT event. Congratulations!

Congratulations Ging Regalado of Edible Options!

Edible Options
Contact: Ging Regalado       
Mobile: +63 917 8729301  

Products:
Hungarian, schublig and sweet italian sausage: 1 kilo (P380), half kilo (P195),

What Foodies say about Edible Options:

• all the sausages were yummy
• it takes too get a sample but very yummy!
• The served has an attitude
• the worst server
• Flavor weren’t distinct from each other, except for hungarian maybe
• Super Good!
• Love it!
• Sold ako sa hungarian, I bought a hotdog!
• Too salty, do not taste like the original german ones
• Spicy
• Great texture & flavor
• sausage was yummy & healthy
• great taste for processed food w/o MSG
• love it!
• yummy! Not too salty
• both are salty!
• Yummy tasty! Heaven!
• Sweet italian is delicious! Moist! Tasty!
• so oily! Hungarian was eww!
• Schublig really tasty
• Sweet italian!
• Nothing special
• Hunggarian sausage is yummy!
• Okay! Yummy!
• Tastes good but no oily, should have placed it on napkins
• All sausages!
• Loved the beer sausage
• Amazing! Love your product!
• Great taste!

10. XOCOLAT’s Bake-to-Order Cookies
3.77

I’m happy for Xocolat for successful expanding to their yummy baked cookies line 🙂 Congrats!

The Story of Casa Xocolat
by Pinky Yap

Some people seek adventure by taking up extreme sports, our idea of adventure, especially when traveling, always includes a cup of self-indulgent Hot Chocolate. It is accurate to say that we’ve scoured the globe in relentless pursuit of that ultimate cup — successfully so, but, sadly, always away from home. One cool Christmas night in 2004 altered the course of our so-called xocolate journey. It was then that the idea of Café Xocolat was hatched.

Café Xocolat was born out of the sheer desire to enjoy a good old cup in our own “backyard”. Influenced and inspired by the chocolate milk bars of Barcelona & armed with a BS in Xocoholism, my friends & I conspired to bring this old world love affair to the doorstep of fellow Xocolate lovers.

In the Philippines where coffee is king, Xocolat plays the devil’s advocate by offering an alternative to the usual, run of the mill caffeine fix. By introducing “Hot Chocolate” in all its glorious forms and flavors, we intend to revolutionize the café culture in this country.

We challenge you to tempt fate, live and love…take this xocolat journey with us and embrace your adventure in a cup! Our latest baby is the ultimate hot chocolate BAKED in small batch cookies.

What Foodies say about Xocolat Cookies:

• The First kiss it’s too sweet & soft
  
• Matamis lang ng konti
  
• Less than sugar
  
• Chewy! Tasty!
  
• Yummy but expensive
  
• Moist chewy cookies but lacking complexity
  
• Great with coffee
  
• Soft & creamy cookies you’ll be wanting for more
  
• never fails to satisfy me, good food!
  
• Perfect w/ Coffee
  
• Love the cookies!
  
• Too sweet!
  
• Insomia is good!
  
• So good!
  
• Insomia!
  
• Too Sweet!
  
• Purple one too sweet
  
• Just right not too sweet
  
• really good
  
• Heaven!
  
• Loved the cookies! Especially insomia!
  
• Moist, warm, yummy!
  
• First kiss is truly memorable
  
• Soft chewy just what like cookie
  
• Insomia was good!
  
• Chocolate was very good!
  
• The insomia was really tasty!
  
• first kiss and insomia are the bomb!
  
• Love the dark chocolate!
  
• chewy & moist not too sweet! Love it!
  
• Too sweet!
  
• Good! Melts in the mouth
  
• Insomia was the bomb!
  
• Love it
  
• Insomia!
  
• so yummy! To die for!
  
• Insomia is yummy!
  
• Good cookies!
  
• Insomia!
  
• Insomia & Brown cake!
  
• Super moist!
  
• can still feel taste sugar crystals in the bite
  
• Highly recommend the insomia
  
• Cookies are a bit under done
  
• Moist!
  
• Boring taste!

Casa Xocolat
Contact: Pinky Yap   
Email: pinkyyap01@yahoo.com

Insomnia, Smores, Cookie Monster, Plain Jane
(Baked in small batch cookies)
Box of 4 pieces (P275)
Box of 8 pieces (P500)

READ MORE:

• Ultimate Taste Test 5.0 Overall Winners! (1 of 3)
• Ultimate Taste Test 5.0 Winners! (2 of 3)
• Ultimate Taste Test 5.0 Winners! (3 of 3)

Live an Awesome Life,

 
Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com
Call or Text Me: +63917 5683-627 (LOVE-OAP)
Follow Me FacebookTwitterFlickrYoutube

Disclosure: All the suppliers who participated in the Ultimate Taste Test 5.0 event provided free samples to 1,000 foodies who rated them anonymously.

PS. Thank you to all our sponsors for Ultimate Taste Test 5.0!

Ultimate Taste Test Event Co-Presentor San Miguel Lifestyle Brews!

San Miguel Premium All Malt, San Miguel Super Dry, Cerveza Negra, and San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest Pale Pilsen.

Premium Baked Goodies from Luxe by Goldilocks!

Scala Printing & Packaging for the awesome carton trays for the taste test event!

Contact Scala Printing & Packaging for your yummy food product packaging.

Citibank! Our favorite Credit Card Company 🙂

Rio Cool Healthy Mints