Ultimate Taste Test 2022 is the Best UTT in a post-pandemic era featuring 22 food purveyors, 10 hot chili makers, and 250+ judges last thanksgiving day Nov. 24, 2022 at the beautiful Gallery Mira Nila. Also, it is one of the toughest UTTs with the best chefs, food bloggers/ influencers, and resto PH restaurateurs in attendance. This is now a food industry pre-Christmas Thanksgiving tradition in Gallery Mira Nila which started in 2020.
There were a total of 116 judges who rated the food purveyors from a scale of 1 to 5 (highest). Over the last 14 years in UTT history, if a vendor gets a rating of 3.8 above, majority of the foodies, chefs and restaurateurs rave about it and become sustainably successful in the food industry in Manila.
The winners of Ultimate Taste Test 2022 are (ranked based on average rating):
- @Flourpotmanila | Mazapan de Pili Cheesecake & Bleu Cheese Rolls by Chef Rhea 4.32
- @theblueapronph | Best Poke Tacos in Manila by Chef Ina 4.10
- @ticxs | Best Seafood Kare Kare in Manila! 4.06
- @karabelladairy | Best Liqueur Gelato Collaboration 4.05
- @Cocina.Murriel | Best Heirloom Smoked Ham in Manila! 4.04
- @croissantladyph | Best Croissaymada in Manila by Donnatela 4.03
- @cakes.bylouise | Best 80’s Chocolate Cake & Prune Cake! 3.99
- @cargofishph | Best Fish & Chips in Manila! 3.99
- @mangcesar | Best Angus Litson Baka in Manila! 3.95
- @homemadebyrita.ph | Best Pecan Pies in Manila 3.92
- @amarelacucinapizzaph | Best Pizza and Chili Honey Sauce 3.90
Drinks:
@destilerialimtuaco | Mint Cacao Chip and Barako Mudslide 3.99
@vidaphilippnes | Zero Calorie, Sugar, Coloring Drink 3.92
Thank you to all our sponsors and partners: Gallery Mira Nila, Bizu Catering Studio, SIP Purified Water and Philippine Hot Sauce Club!
@Flourpotmanila | Best Mazapan de Pili Cheesecake & Bleu Cheese Rolls by Chef Rhea Sycip
“I had a quick chat with Chef Rhea and mad respect for making this labor intensive cheesecake. It may be expensive but it is worth every centavo! You can taste the passion andlove mixed into each baked delight. I’m the Durian Doughnut customer, hehe.”
“Cheese rolls are to die for, brioche bread is soft and the cheese (d tinipid) !The mazapan cakes are also amazing! Perfect balance. Not too sweet, you can still taste the pili nuts and goes well with the cheesecake”
“I think the cheesecake was just too sweet for me. But the blue cheese roll was unique and good”
“The mazapan pili cheesecake is the bomb!!! The process of making this cake is verymeticulous that is why the end product really is outstanding. I also enjoyed the blue cheeserolls, not usually a fan of blue cheese but what made it interesting is when they torched the cheese on top to add a little texture”
“The cheesecake was too sweet but the crust was delicious. The cheese roll was wonderfully soft and had just enough Bleu cheese to give a delicious funk without being over or overshadowing the cheddar.”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 4.32)
About Flour Pot Manila
by Chef Rhea Sycip
Flour Pot Manila started with our love for cakes and premium local products. Started in 2017, our bakery flourished even more at the height of the pandemic where we were able to provide premium quality desserts to our clients at home. It started as an online venture in 2017
Mazapan de Pili Cheesecake
First, we slow cooked the pili into a thick and rich mazapan and used it into a crust as our base. Topped with caramel cheesecake, more pili and caramel drizzle. We travelled all the way to Naga to work with the farmers to make this creation into a reality.
Flour Pot Manila
Check out this year’s Holiday Collection Catalogue by clicking the link below 🎄👇
bit.ly/flourpotchristmas2022
📍78 Estrella Street Brgy Bel Air Makati, Makati, Philippines
📞 +63 916 493 7488
📩 hello.flourpot@gmail.com
FB: Flour Pot Manila
IG: @flourpotmanila
Cheddar & Danablu Cheese Rolls
Creamy Danish Blue and Local Cheddar Cheese Encased in Pillow Soft Brioche. Best drizzled with Australian Wild Honey.
DISCOVERY GIFT BOX OF 8 WITH HONEY POT AND DIPPER ₱ 1,375.00
BOX OF 6 ₱775.00
Mazapan de Pili Cheesecake
Buttery and decadent hand made Mazapan de Pili makes this stunning cheesecake a showstopper. Caramel Cheesecake complements the Mazapan crust. This cheesecake takes 12 hours to prepare and is the expression of our labor of love.
9 INCH CAKE ₱ 3,500.00
7 INCH CAKE ₱1800.00
@theblueapronph | Best Poke Tacos in Manila by Chef Ina
“Omgggg words cannot express how great this taco fusion is! Love it to the core! This concept is new to me and i love every bit”
“Chef Ina is amazing! I love the play on texture for her tacos! Would love to see her set up shop in malls one day”
“Beautiful to look at and Instagram ready. Unsure if because it’s not freshly fried but the greasiness of the tempura fried Nori was a bit much for the ingredients. The rice was glutinous not individual grains. The ingredients could use a bit more acid or spice to compliment the fatty wrap.”
“Very unique. Also game an idea what to do with nori :). I love their sampler specially the kani and the salmon. I would eat this all day!!! Super amazing”
“It’s tasty. I think i like the kani best. Love the cream on the tuna. Salmon was not spicy as I expected.”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 4.10)
About The Blue Apron PH
by Chef Ina Bilbao
The restaurant industry had to take a step back during the pandemic, and I had the chance to start my social media journey. I’ve always been into fusion food and texture. I love crunchy food, and my partner loves Poke; So I decided to combine these in a taco experience. The Poke Taco Experience was intended to be social media content, so I recorded myself doing it. I sent my friends the extras, and they encouraged me to sell them. We took a step of faith and posted it for sale. Friends and family ordered, and soon strangers started ordering as well. Because of excellent reviews, we have been featured by Rappler, The Philippine Star, Cosmopolitan PH, and ANC – and now we just opened our first store in SM AIR Makati!
The Blue Apron’s mission is to provide a gastronomic international fusion experience to daring foodies while providing jobs for Filipinos across the world. Anyone can cook, but not everyone will take it seriously. The apron is a symbolism that we take all things food seriously, and we mean it. Once the apron is on, we get down to business. We’re serious about giving the best gastronomic experience possible without breaking the bank. Why blue? The color blue calls to mind calmness or serenity and makes you go “mmm” just like when you eat one of our poke tacos.
Poke Tacos by The Blue Apron™️
🇵🇭Home of the Original Poke Tacos in the PH
🌮A fusion of Japanese, Mexican, Hawaiian cuisines in a TEMPURA NORI SHELL
IG: @theblueapronph
🔗Order Here: linktr.ee/theblueapronph
Poke Taco Menu:
Seafood Special (₱360)
Get all your fave seafood Poke Tacos™️ in one box! Each box includes a Krazy Kani TNT Poke Taco, Tempting Tuna Poke Taco, and Sinful Salmon Poke Taco. Comes in boxes of 3.
Poke Taco Sampler (₱560)
Try out all flavors of our Poke Tacos™️ in boxes of 5. 11/10 will give you a gastronomical
Sinful Salmon Poke Tacos – Bestseller! (Box of 3 – ₱375 | Box of 5 – ₱605)
Torched fresh salmon in creamy layu sauce, topped with tempura flakes
Tempting Tuna Pokè Tacos (Box of 3 – ₱350 | Box of 5 – ₱565)
Torched fresh tuna in creamy soy&sesame sauce with cucumber strips, and topped with scorched cream cheese
Krazy Kani TNT (Box of 3 – ₱310 | Box of 5 – ₱495)
Torched fresh kani strips in creamy crab fat teriyaki cider sauce, topped with ripe mango slices
@ticxs | Best Seafood Kare Kare in Manila!
“LOVE EVERYTHING HERE! Love the flavors, the homemade bagoong, and the ladies behindit. Awesome brand and food.”
“Winner bagoong. Winner peanut sauce. Amazing shrimps. What more do we need? OH, morerice. Love it super!”
“I love the sauce and how all-natural its ingredients are. Maybe you can bottle it up as well andalso the bagoong? I know i would want to try it with other protein choices.”
“Best of day for me!!! I love it so much I’m ordering for one of my potluck parties!!!! Well done!!!”
“Good quality ingredients with a good homemade sauce. Suggest to deepen the flavor of theshrimp so it can stand agaythe richness of the sauce. Maybe char grill it?”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 4.06)
About Ticxs
by Mirma Tica-Ortiz
My husband and I started Ticxs in 2013 serving torched speciality sandwiches at different bazaars in the Metro as a way to save up for our wedding. We then ventured to opening our home for private dining through Plate Culture. Our home kitchen served fusion dishes inspired by our travels. When the pandemic hit, everything stopped but our passion for food and making people happy with every bite did not. We started again in July of 2020, serving seafood dishes for delivery.
The pandemic forced all of us to stop and it was a struggle because a large chunk of our source of income was affected. We lost hope. Sharing our struggle our friends encouraged us to sell seafood, initially fresh seafood. We delivered to many places all over the Metro, parts of Rizal, Cavite, and Bulacan. We restarted our Facebook and Instagram advertising our fresh seafood which our hometown Malabon is very known for. A friend reached out asking if we’d be open to sell cooked seafood. Being in a family who loves to cook we experimented and did many taste tests until we were satified. Seafood has always been a part of our family since my great grandfather has been in the aquaculture business which was passed on to my grandfather and his children. I was taught by my grandfather and grandmother how to check for freshness and the best way to prepare and cook different types of seafood. Cooking and opening our home kitchen was like a channel of hope because we got to connect with friends and people from all walks of life through our food during the darkest times of the pandemic. Our food has created happiness in every bit for birthday celebrations, Mother’s day, Father’s day, Christmas Parties, Chinese New Year celebrations, business openings, gender reveal parties, and even funeral and celebration of life gatherings.
Ticx’s Gastronomic Adventure
Fresh Seafood 🦀🦞🦐🦪🦑
Cooked seafood platters 🥘🍲🍝
Charcuterie boards 🧀🍇🥖🍷
📍Malabon, Philippines
FB: Gastronomic Adventure by TICXS
IG: @ticxs
Seafood Kare-Kare
Family Size (1/2 Kilo) ₱1,100
Party Size (1 Kilo) ₱1,800
Served with Homemade Bagoong
@karabelladairy | Best Liqueur Gelato Collaboration
“Love the fun, whimsical, surprising even sexy flavors of karabella. Texture wise it’s fantastic,creamy, dense, smooth. Most of all not too sweet!”
“The carabao milk gives a rich mouthfeel and flavor. The liqueur adds just the right amount of spice to the ice cream. A lovely after dinner palate cleanser”
“Love the gelato infused with liquor. Refreshing taste! And i love that they source it locally, the carabao milk from cavite and the liquor is locally made.”
“The kalamansi was wonderfully refreshing”
“The gelato were perfectly blended with its flavors. I personally love the Paradise and Amadeo”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 4.05)
About Destileria Limtuaco X Karabella lines“
by Jan Buenaflor
Karabella is a social enterprise with the GK enchanted farm that offers fresh and real dairy products for everyone
As a social enterprise we greatly uphold and believe in our core values. These values act as our guiding principle in every decision that we make.
Established in 1853, Destileria limtuaco & Co., Inc. Is the oldesr distillery in the phils. Throught 5 generations of master blenders the company has amassed the widest range of spirits and liqueurs in the countrt. Experience the best of local flavors as KARABELLA brings you unique ice cream featuring Destileria Limtuaco’s line of Phils. Craft spirits.
Karabella Dairy
🍦 All Local, All Natural, Made from Carabao’s Milk.
🐃 In partnership with Gawad Kalinga Enchanted Farm.
📍308 & 310 Young Trade Bldg., Gen. Malvar Cubao, Quezon City
📩 infokarabelladairyicecream@gmail.com
📞 Globe +63 (917) 190-5797
FB: Karabella Dairy
IG: @karabelladairy
Visit www.karabella-dairy.com
Premium Flavors (Cup ₱150, Pint ₱450, Tub ₱1,300)
@Cocina.Murriel | Best Heirloom Smoked Ham in Manila!
“I felt like its Christmas Day bec the flavor brought back memories of Xmas mornings. A must try!”
“Right balance of sweet and salty. The added pineapple was a nice touch. Classic taste that the family would surely enjoy this holiday season.”
“Really love the balance of fat and meat. The ham was not too sweet and not too salty. Just theright balance”“A really honest to goodness ham who’s recipe has been handed down through generations.Right amount of saltiness and sweetness.”
“Very good. I think we have a new Christmas staple.”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 4.04)
About Cocina Murriel’s Heirloom Smoked Ham, Sausage and Bacon (Since 2009)
by Ma. Catricia Murriel
Started a few years back with my dad making ham with my lola’s recipe for friends as gifts during the holiday.
Because! We make our heirloom ham as a family. Everyone is involved. No other staff just us. So quality is always on top of our priority. We never overbook, we only do it per small batches at a time.
COCINA MURRIEL
📞: +63 995 907 6318
✉️: cocinamurriel@gmail.com
FB: Cocina Murriel
IG: @cocina.murriel
Heirloom Menu Pricing:
Whole Smoked Ham (₱1,000/kg)
500g Smoked Sliced Ham (₱580)
500g Smoked Bacon (₱430)
500g Imperial Sausage (₱380)
Heirloom Sauce 9oz (₱150)
Smoked Bone in Ham (₱1,400/kg)
@croissantladyph | Best Croissaymada in Manila by Donnatela
“Donna is just full of positive vibes and we’ve seen her playfulness and creativity through herCroissaymada. Really good!”
“Excellent! light, flaky, crumbly, puffy and nicely layered. Love the butter and parmesan combo. Donatella very personable too! Love her.”
“Now one of my favorite Croissant ever! This is my first time to try it. And I couldn’t wait to have more!”
I don’t usually buy croisant but having a pinoy twist made it more interesting for me. My fave isensaymada so this easily made me fall in love with the croisant. Kudos to croisant lady!
The first bite alone will make you tear up with joy. This will delight many a party or an individualany time.
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 4.03)
About Croissant Lady
by Donatella Chua
My specialty is offering BASICALLY GOOD CROISSANTS using all french ingredients with a promise of being baked ALWAYS FRESH FROM THE OVEN. I only bake them ala minute once the order is confirmed and paid. For example, you order now, we will confirm right away, then we will get it delivered to you fresh within one hour from it being freshly baked!
SIGNATURE: THE #CROISSAYMADA of Croissant Lady PH is an Ensaymada-Style French butter croissant topped with parmesan cheese, brown sugar, and butter. Last Aug. 24, 2021, in the afternoon, i was having my favorite Earl Grey tea then I craved for ensaymada. I was searching where to buy online (normally, I will conveniently just go to Mary Grace for my ensaymada paired with a cup of thick hot chocolate merienda set). Then a light bulb moment popped up in my head (ting ting ting!), why don’t I make my own ensaymada toppings with my plain butter croissant. I have all the ingredients in my pantry. So I tested just putting the toppings on before and after baking, so you actually get double toppings for double happiness. You are sure to get the trinity of SWEET CHEESY SALTY: crunch from brown sugar bits, the cheesiness from parmesan and the salted buttery goodness.
Croissant Lady PH
French croissant lover + seller🥐 BAKE IT@HOME. ENJOY 💯FRESH FROM THE OVEN!
Feel great baking from frozen & experience the freshest croissants ever!🥐💃❤
IG: @croissantladyph
Order here: my.forms.app/croissantladyph/menu2022
Croissaymada
Classic is the original french butter croissants topped with grated cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and brown sugar.
Classic, Mini, Box of 6 (₱450)
Classic, Mini, Box of 12 (₱830)
Classic, Regular, Box of 6 (₱950)
Classic, Regular, Box of 12 (₱1,850)
@cakes.bylouise | Best 80’s Chocolate Cake & Prune Cake!
“Chocolate cake was calssix but the prune cake was a surprising fruity delicious cake. Appreciated the thin frosting so it didn’t overwhelm the natural sweetness of the cake.”
“Delicious and Nostalgic! Nuff said. Took home a small bite home for my Mom to try and she loved it. I appreciate the small talk with Ms. Tiny. She was so nice and down to earth.”
“The Prune cake was excellent! Flavor intense, cake moist, premium quality and taste. Perfect sweetness. My favorite amongst all the cakes tried today.”
“Cake is moist & chocolatey. The prune cake was surprisingly delicious!!! Never imagined a prune cake to be this good!”
“Prune cakes are not very common but when i tried it, it reminds me of christmas so the flavor is really festive. Enjoyed it alot thanks!!”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 3.99)
About Cakes by Louise
by Tiny Guidotti
Hi! this is Tiny Guidotti from Cakes by Louise, our family was one of the founders, owners and original bakers of the Cookie monster bakeshop back in the day, The bake shop was established in 1977 and the first cookie monster bakeshop Opened in 1977 near makati medical center. Our chocolate cake became legendary, now 3 generations from the first one is baking it again, louise guidotti is the 13 yr old grand daughter of the owners/founders, she started baking her grandmas cakes with her during the lockdown and I started marketing it to friends and family then unexpectedly we dint realize so many remember our cakes from decades ago and got a lot of orders which kept us very busy during the pandemic. We are so happy to be back baking our cakes again which once upon a time, was the talk of the town and everyones childhood favorite treat.
Cakes by Louisse
THERE WAS NOTHING LIKE IT BACK THEN! From the original Founders & Bakers of your CHILDHOOD CHOCOLATE CAKE back in the 70’s. This Iconic Cake is back!
FB: Cakes by Louise
IG: @cakes.bylouise
Chocolate Cake (6″) – ₱650
Chocolate Cake (8″) – ₱1,100
Prune Cake (8″) – ₱1,200
@cargofishph | Best Fish & Chips in Manila!
“Classic British Fish & Chips. They have mastered the cooking techniques on timing and oil temperature to keep cod moist and batter crispy.”
“The bowl of goodness were perfect. Fish and Chips are surefire hit for me. The batter were soft and crispy and the salad added flavors to it.”
“FISH COOKED PERFECTLY, THE VINEGAR COMPLEMENTED THE CHIPS”
“Nice proper fish and chips with a douse of malt vinegar. Served piping hot . Will be visiting their shop soon for a proper taste.”
“The bowl of goodness were perfect. Fish and Chips are surefire hit for me. The batter were soft and crispy and the salad added flavors to it.”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 3.99)
About Cargo Fish
by Matthew Lim
CargoFish is a classic fish and chips experience from the UK and makes it fun for Filipinos by putting the choice in our hands. Offering a wide range of fish varieties to choose from, all coated in a light beer batter and perfectly fried using traditional methods, it is comfort food like we’ve always known it but with a little extra—bold, new additions in the sauces, great for dipping or smothering. We aim to be the best and legit Fish & Chips in the metro!
Co-owned by chefs Matthew John Hornsby-Bates and Matthew Kenneth Chan Lim, CargoFish brings English expertise to the local palate. It is the first to bring the iconic British chip fork to the country. Picture a wooden fork the size of a popsicle stick with tines that look like a pointy fish tail.
Cargo Fish PH
🐟 Authentic British Fish & Chips with a local twist
📍Uptown Mall, Taguig City
📞 +63 975 574 0762
IG: @cargofishph
Cod Beer-Battered with Slaw Salad, Proper Chips (₱390)
@mangcesar | Best Angus Litson Baka in Manila!
“The litson baka was cooked tender and tasty. I loved the sauce. I just had to buy a takeout to share to my kids. Dinakdakan was authentic, very good!”The litson baka was cooked tender and tasty. I loved the sauce. I just had to buy a takeout toshare to my kids. Dinakdakan was authentic, very good!”
“Wowww! The BEST LITSON BAKA in town! I can’t get enough of this Angus meat.”
“Tried their store in Makati first. Good service. The sisig was chunky, but the onions was overpowering. The angus beef was A+. I’m not sure if they had rice but it would certainly have paired well with it.”
“Loved the lechon baka. Intense flavor, melt in your mouth texture. My top favorite choice amongst the different entries.”
“I’m a fan. Love the soft tender and tasty litson. I often go to andoks to buy when i crave for it but now i have a new favorite 🙂 Also enjoyed the dinakdakan. Again, more rice please!!!”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 3.95)
About Mang Cesar
by Cesar Cuneta
The story for the business being called Mang Cesar was thought about by my wife as the name itself sounded very Filipino. We wanted people to experience and taste my food through my own perspective at first. It’s what would define or distinguish what kind of food we would want to share or be known for. A name that would easily be remembered or would stick to someone who’d gotten hungry but not perplexed when choosing which type of food brand to eat. A common name that distinguishes us and would be known for, hence Mang Cesar, quality Filipino food.
The story of our product coincides with our history of coming together to share a meal. Our products simple yet thought about, would be distinguished through comparison that identifies with Filipino cuisine shared by the masses through our tradition. Mang Cesar was born due to the pandemic, a name that ought to be remembered as Filipino, the bull logo representing strength to overcome difficulties, and yes one that resembles our most prized Angus Lechon Baka.
Mang Cesar Litson Baka
EST. 2020 Manila’s FIRST and original litson baka.
Sarap-Lasap! Tatak Mang Cesar!
📍 Yakal cor Talisay St., Makati
📍 Pioneer St. Market, Mandaluyong
📞 +63 917 132 3175
FB: Mang Cesar
IG: @mangcesar
Order here: mangcesar.pickup.ph
Angus Litson Baka – Small (₱429.00)
Our premium litson baka made with only 100% angus beef. Give this a try and taste the difference! Comes with beef drippings sauce. Good for 1-2 pax.
Angus Litson Baka – Medium (₱899.00)
Our premium litson baka made with only 100% angus beef. Give this a try and taste the difference! Comes with beef drippings sauce. Good for 2-4 pax.
💯Popular
Angus Litson Baka – Large (₱1,699.00)
Our premium litson baka made with only 100% angus beef. Give this a try and taste the difference! Comes with beef drippings sauce. Good for 4-6pax.
@homemadebyrita.ph | Best Pecan Pies in Manila
“Perfect balance of sweetness, nutty, and crumbly. These are perfect: small enough for 2 bitesto satisfy but you’ll want another one (or three) anyway!”Perfect balance of sweetness, nutty, and crumbly. These are perfect: small enough for 2 bitesto satisfy but you’ll want another one (or three) anyway!”
“These pecan pies were to die for! From the crust to its toppings. Truly heavenly in one bite.
“Loved that the filling was sweet but not too sweet. Would love for a larger pie to get more ofthe filling and less of the crust”
“Crust was beautiful! Pecan filling had the right texture and balnced sweetness. The size was perfect to”
“Craving for pecan pie!! This i love so much unfortunately i cant take home right now but I’ll definitely buy right after”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 3.92)
About Homemade by Rita
by Karen Godinez
We started selling our Mom’s Mini Pecan Pies in December of 2019 after years of us convincing her that other people outside of our family and friends would love them as much as we do. As soon as our Mom said yes, we spent our free time in our kitchen, making sure we learned her recipe and made it exactly the way she did. We created an Instagram account and began sharing it with everyone we know. Soon enough, through word of mouth and social media, we started receiving orders from people we didn’t know. In 2022, we joined our first pop-up bazaar.
The biggest takeaway that we got out of the pandemic is the realization that there really is a market for pecan pies. The fact that everyone and everything was online definitely helped us get our product out there. We’ve had a mix of customers —those who intentionally looks for pecan pies and those who have not heard of pecan pies. And we think since people were more open to trying out new food during the pandemic, we found it easier to share our Mini Pecan Pies with those who weren’t familiar with our product.
Homemade By Rita
The Original Mini Pecan Pies
📱+63 917 178 7567 (Viber)
📍 San Juan City, MM
IG: @homemadebyrita.ph
Mini Pecan Pies (Box of 12) ₱400
@amarelacucinapizzaph | Best Pizza and Chili Honey Sauce
“Amare pizza is always good and the crazy honey was a good addition especially with the gorgonzola pizza and arugula”
“Crazy chili honey!!!!!! Gaaaah!!! I love that it is very well thought of”
“Pork ribs nicely cooked, complemented by the honey based chili sauce. Pizzas are nontraditional but very good.”
“I’ve loved amare since I first tried them in baguio.i love how they were very generous with the arugula! Yummy as usual”
“I tried their pizza even before and i really like it. Also the crazy chili honey is really great topping complimenting the pizza”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 3.90)
About AMARE
Built from passion, creativity & diligence, Amare La Cucina has its roots in Baguio City, where it is currently known to be one of the best local restaurants.
With humble beginnings right from a small space at the ancestral home of its founder, Edmark Bustos, it has grown to become the destination for authentic Neapolitan style, brick-oven pizza. While on a holiday with his wife in 2013, Edmark drew inspiration from a fellow restaurateur to learn how to create the hand-stretched, uniquely flavorful dough that became the base of the pizzas served today.
Completing this formula is the use of a wood-fired brick oven, which at precise temperature and cooking time, adds more to the unique flavor and texture that the Napoletana pizza is known for.
Though the name AMARE is a portmanteau of the Bustos’ siblings names (Alvin, Marianne and Edmark), Amare La Cucina in itself means “to love the kitchen” in Italian. With the appreciation of the Filipino’s fondness for Italian cuisine combined with the commitment to elevating everything LOCAL, from fresh ingredients to exemplary service, the restaurant strives to consistently reflect its name, which means “to love.”
“Crazy Honey”
This Crazy Honey was truly a product of the pandemic. Last 2020, when the disease hardly hit the hospitality industry, as well as the restaurant industry, Mr. Edmark Lester Bustos as the president of the Amare La Cucina Inc. innovated something to help the employees continue earning despite uncertainties brought by the pandemic. The genuine intention of Mr. Bustos unexpectedly resulted in something crazy, new and different that compliments all types of food. Because of his crazy ideas, he suddenly perfected a condiment that is universal.
Crazy Honey is made of 2 types of sun-dried chilis; the bird’s eye chili (siling labuyo) and ghost pepper that is infused in honey that is harvested from the highland Province of Benguet. Balancing the perfect blend, it was added with a little lemon juice.
Bustos also considered ingredients that have the best benefits, for sili and honey are both good for the health.
Some people add their crazy honey to their salad, chicken or any meat like wood-fired ribs that is avaiable in the menu of Amare. This also blends with burgers, sandwiches, hotdog, ham, bacon and many more fried or even grilled foods. Pizza is one of the best partners of this crazy honey. This suits the people who love the sweet and spicy blend.
Gorgonzola Pizza
A cream-base pizza with mozzarella cheese, gorgonzola cheese topped with prosciutto, walnuts, sun-dried tomatoes and fresh arugula leaves. Also,
Pinoyboy Pizza
A tomato-base pizza with mozzarella cheese, cheddar cheese topped with fresh button mushroom, pepperoni, Italian sausage and minced garlic.
Alvin’s Pizza
A pesto-based pizza with mozzarella cheese and parmesan cheese topped with bacon.
Wood-Fired Ribs
A brick-oven grilled pork rib brushed with Crazy Honey
Amare La Cucina PH
The best wood-fired 🍕🍝🥩🍗
📍Baguio,Pasig, Nuvali ,Tagaytay, Naic, Cavite
📍Pangasinan, Pampanga, San Juan, La Union
FB: Amare La Cucina
IG: @amarelacucinapizzaph
Visit www.amarelacucina.com
DRINKS CATEGORY
@destilerialimtuaco | Mint Cacao Chip and Barako Mudslide
“Love the creative concoctions! These would make great gifts to friends for the holidays”
“Liqueurs are a bit sweet for me but love the Philippines forward flavors and creative application”
“Refreshing and unique mix of flavors. Loved every drop! Would have loved a crunch to it tho.”
“I dont drink really but I liked the taste of the beverages especially the mint cacao chip.”
“Am waiting for their pricing so I can offer to my clients! So good!”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 3.99)
About Philippine Craft Spirits by Destileria Limtuaco
by Aaron James Limpe-Aw
Philippine Craft Spirits by Destileria Limtuaco is something that would appeal to the market given the current world trend, but we gave it a twist by using tropical ingredients and flavors found in the Philippines.
Intramuros Liqueur De Cacao
As we all know cacao was introduced by the Spanish during their colonization of the Philippines in the 1800s and popularized a hot chocolate drink made from pure fermented cacao beans roasted, finely ground and mixed with sugar pressed into tablet moulds we call “Tablea Tsokolate” or Chocolate tablet. You can now enjoy the richness of tablea with tsokolate with Intramuros Liqueur De Cacao, an all-natural product using 100% roasted cacao. Each sip delivers full-bodied cacao flavour comparable to a fresh cup of Spanish hot chocolate.
INTRAMUROS LIQUEUR DE CACAO. (750mL) ₱1,316.00
Barako Mudslide (Amadeo Coffee Liqueur)
Amadeo Coffee Liqueur is named after the Philippines’ coffee capital, Amadeo, Cavite province. It blends four kinds of Philippine coffee—rich Robusta, Arabica, Excelsa, and Liberica, a.k.a. “Barako” espresso into a smooth concoction. There are no artificial flavors or colors in Amadeo Coffee Liqueur. It’s espresso in a bottle and the ultimate coffee liqueur. You can take it on the rocks, create different kinds of cocktails, or even add some cream or milk or pour it over ice cream.
AMADEO COFFEE LIQUEUR IN TIN CAN.(750mL) ₱882.00
Destileria Limtuaco
The Philippines’ oldest distillery
IG: @destilerialimtuaco
Visit www.limtuaco.com
Order here: https://liquorexpress.ph/
@vidaphilippnes | Zero Calorie, Sugar, Coloring Drink
“The Salty Lychee is superb. I’ll buy in the supermarket.”
“Your healthy soda! Its very nice and very carbonated. Love the fact that it is healthy”
“Oooooh forgot to buy a box! Love that it has your daily dietary requirement of Vit C covered with a can.”
“Its refreshing ….I feel like this product will make me reach for sparkling drinks from here on haha”
“Healthy drink!!! Love the salty lychee. I frequent vikings and they are unlimited there if you want drinks with vit. C :)”
UTT2022 Judges (Rating: 3.82)
VIDA Philippines
Vida C is the immunity-boosting Vitamin C drink🍋 Vida Zero lets you do more with none of the bad stuff.
FB: Vida Philippines
IG: @vidaphilippnes
Order here: https://vidaphilippines.com
VIDA ZERO- ORIGINAL CITRUS SPARKLING DRINK (325ML X 24) ₱960.00
VIDA ZERO- SALTY LYCHEE SPARKLING DRINK (325ML X 24) ₱960.00
VIDA ZERO- LEMON SPARKLING DINK (325ML X 24) ₱960.00
FINAL THOUGHTS
Congratulations to all the Ultimate Taste Test 2022 participants and winners!
Thank you to all our sponsors and partners: Gallery Mira Nila, Bizu Catering Studio, SIP Purified Water and Philippine Hot Sauce Club!
Let us continue to support our local food purveyors and the local food industry to help each other out during these tough recessionary times in Manila.
Live an Awesome Life with Christ,
Founder & Digital Creator, Our Awesome Planet
Disclosure: Thanks to Nikkei Team for the experience. I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
Disclosure: Ultimate Taste Test is the longest running taste event in the country founded by Our Awesome Planet in 2008.
P.S. If you have any questions, suggestions or if you want to join as a participant or sponsor for next year’s Ultimate Taste Test, you can contact Rache Diaz +63 917 531 8949 or message us rachediaz@gmail.com.
Hi Anton and Rache,
Appreciated very much for giving us the opportunity to share our Heirloom Smoked Ham recipe to the Public and let it be known what a traditional Filipino ham must taste…
God bless us all!