THE BIG BANQUET: And the Best Caterer in Manila is… @TheBlueLeaf

2/2/15 Update: The Big Banquet 2: And the BEST Caterers and Winning Dishes are… @TheBlueLeaf Filipinas

Audrey Tanco Uy of Bizu with Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara of Mesclun.

Congratulations to BIZU for winning the BEST CATERER and for getting the highest rating in every dish category at The Big Banquet!

Here are the Top 5 Caterers at The Big Banquet:

THE BIG BANQUET @ THE BLUE LEAF Series:

• THE BIG BANQUET: Battle of the Top Caterers in Manila! @TheBlueLeaf (A Photo Essay) 
• THE BIG BANQUET: Top 5 Best Appetizers, Main Dishes, Desserts & Drinks @TheBlueLeaf
• THE BIG BANQUET: And the Best Caterer in Manila is… @TheBlueLeaf

1. BIZU (Rating = 3.97)

About Bizu

We kiss one another to show gratitude, happiness, excitement, love, and affection. A kiss inspires. And this inspiration begets energy. This energy, in turn, begets creativity. BIZU was born out of this inspiration.

From this inspiration came the unique selection of cakes and pastries that were truly made to inspire. It all began with a dream to have an authentic Parisian Patisserie where the finest French pastries and European breads can be savored right in the Philippines. With much training and patience, our Filipino chefs have learned the magical art of the French Patisserie. Indeed, ensuring the most flavorful and artful products are brought to your homes is a labor of love.

From a kiosk/café at the third floor of Glorietta 4 that started operations in 2001, BIZU now has three more outlets in Greenbelt 2, Alabang Towncenter, and at The Promenade inside Greenhills Shopping Center. 

The menu includes all day breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner items. 

Customers are not to leave without the chewy pastel-colored Macarons de Paris that Bizu Patisserie is known for.

BIZU CATERING STUDIO

First Midland Building, 109 Gamboa Street, Legaspi Village, 1223 Makati City
Email: catering-concierge@bizugroupe.com
Telephone Numbers: +632 845-0590 / 845-0591 / 845-05-92 / 845-02-93
Store hours: 10:00pm – 7:00pm

Bizu Commissary 
Pacific Hardwood Building, 2158 Chino Roces, Brgy. Pio del Pilar, 1230 Makati City
Telephone Number: +(632) 843-6186

Twitter: @BizuPH
Facebook: Bizu Patisserie & Bistro
Website: http://www.bizupatisserie.com/

APPETIZER: Savoury French Toast (Rating = 3.80)

Savoury French Toast with Ricotta and Truffle Honey

Comments

• Creamy and delicious.
• Too sweet for appetizer.
• Best for breakfast.
• I love it so much.
• Very pretty setup and beautiful presentation.
• Love the mixture of strawberry in it.
• Needs more syrup.

 

MAIN DISH: Breakfast Medley (Rating = 4.00)

(Clockwise from top) Bizu Mini Eggs Benedict, Savoury French Toast with Ricotta and Truffle Honey, Smoked Salmon with Dill Pistachio Mousseline on Shortbread, and Three Cheese Spinach and Mushroom Ravioli Pasta

Comments 

• Liked the salmon and egg benedict.
• Ravioli Mushroom is good. 
• Salmon could be less salty and eggs benedict could be saltier.
• Salmon is great, ravioli is just okay.
• Super pretty and dainty setup.
• Smoked salmon was excellent. Eggs Benedict was tough.
• Eggs perfect, ravioli is a bit too heavy.
• Unique and stay eggs benedict. Mushroom ravioli = A+
• For the eggs benedict, I recommend a thinner slice of bread.
• Delicious and perfect for special events.

 

DESSERT: Nirvana Trife and Macarons (Rating = 4.36)

Nirvana Trifle with Dark Chocolate and Pistachio Creamer and Rocher

Macaron de Paris

Comments

• Love the macarons.
• Taste and texture are nice.
• I love the nirvana trifle.
• Their desserts made me smile.
• Chocolate cream is great. Cake could be better.
• Still lovely, trifle is amazing.
• Lovely desserts, love the lightness of the mousse and the texture of the macarons.
• Desserts were yummy, too sweet though.

 

DRINK: Cucumber Lemonade (Rating = 3.71)

Cucumber Lemonade

Comments

• Very refreshing. 
• Hits the spot.
• It has its health benefits.
• I could taste the cucumber.
• Pampatanggal umay.
• Best tandem, cucumber and lemon.
• Tastes like vegetable drink.
• Love the cucumber twist.

 

2. ALBERGUS (Rating = 3.56)

About Albergus

Albergus started almost four decades ago with the spirit of service, dedication, and sheer love for serving good food. The business was built on the principle of serving exquisite appetizers, savory and scrumptious entrees, and mouth-watering desserts, made from freshest ingredients and run through the highest standards, excellent and personalized service at a reasonable price. We value our 200 plus employees as the key to our competitive advantage.

ALBERGUS

Sales & Corporate Main Office
16 Capitol Hills Drive, Old Balara, Diliman, Quezon City 1109
Telephone: +632 931-FOOD (3663)
Email: reservations@alberguscatering.com
Hours: Mondays – Saturdays 8:00am to 6:00pm, Sundays 9:00am to 3:00pm
Website: http://alberguscatering.com/ 

Albergus (SMX) Sales Office – SMX Convention Center
Seashell Lane, Pasay City 1300
Telephone: (632) 556-4507
Email: smx@alberguscatering.com
Hours: Monday to Saturday 9:00am – 7:00pm, Sunday & Holidays CLOSED 

 

APPETIZER: Salmon Tartare (Rating = 3.45)

Salmon Tartare (Asian Salmon Tartare with Capers, Onion, Sesame Oil, Lemon, Cilantro, and Chili).

Comments

• Loved it, my kind of appetizer.
• I like the mixture of the fish and the crunch of the chips.
• Love the chili kick.
• Good mixture of seafood.
• Couldn’t taste the salmon.
• Good flavor of lemon w/ the onion, cilantro etc.

 

MAIN DISH: Slow Roast US Beef Belly (Rating = 3.88)

Slow Roast US Beef Belly with Rosemary & Garlic Crust served with Pesto Mashed Potato, Ciabatta, Horseradish Cream, Mushroom Gravy, Fried Onion, Arugula, Roasted Pepper.

Comments

• Liked it, tender and flavorful.
• Tastes good but my piece had too much fat.
• Gravy is good. Beef itself is kind of bland.
• Fantastic taste. Mashed potato and the gravy tastes great.
• Roast beef was just perfect.
• 11 points. It just destroyed your grading system.
• Yummy, best roast beef.
• Perfect doneness.
• Mashed potato, grainy , sweet, beef belly, too cold during serving, gravy – premix taste.
• I like the taste of roast beef, mashed potato and pesto, don’t like the combi.

 

DESSERT: Red Velvet Duo (Rating = 3.30)

Red Velvet Duo

Comments

• Very rich.
• Very sweet.
• Cake was a little heavy.
• It complements with the red velvet.
• Very doughy, too much really.
• More tanginess from the cream cheese frosting maybe.
• Base-dry, red velvet mushy.
• Chocolate overpowers the velvet.

 

DRINK: Pandan Lemongrass Juice (Rating = 3.59)

Comments

• Too sweet for me.
• Very refreshing.
• Good and different.
• Light and paired well with every meal.
• Unique taste.
• Refreshing healthy.
• Overpowering Pandan flavor.
• Lemongrass faint flavors, taste like lemonade premix.

 

3. CENTER TABLE (RATING = 3.46)

About Center Table 

Established in 1987 and incorporated in 1999, Center Table Inc. has been an active & innovative member of the catering industry in the Philippines. Aside from providing quality food and service for a multitude of functions, Center Table is also known for its beautiful, elegant, and lavish settings that rival the best florists & artist in town.

Client satisfaction rather than profit is what the company strives for. Through the years, the company grew through word of mouth. Every satisfied customer resulted in five or more prospective clients. 

Presentation is very critical to any event the company caters; it should represent the founder’s influence. Service should be elegant and the food, delicious and visually appetizing. 

Center Table, Inc. through its founder and president, Rosalie Natividad Valera, is an active and founding member of the Food Caterers Association of the Philippines (FCAP).

CENTER TABLE CATERING

60 Madrid St., Merville Park, Paranaque City
Telephone: +632 824-5179, 821-3797
Mobile Number: +63 917 626-7467
Email: info@centertablecatering.com
Website: www.CenterTableCatering.com
Facebook: Center Table Catering, Inc.

 

APPETIZER: Eastern Shrimp Spring Rolls (Rating = 3.77)

Eastern Shrimp Spring Rolls

Comments 

• I liked it, tastier than dimsum.
• Too fatty pork used.
• Crunchy and fresh.
• Tasty but ordinary.
• I tasted the extender, not the shrimp.
• Too thick wrapper.
• Nice and crispy but very salty

 

MAIN DISH: US Certified Black Angus Beef Shortplate (Rating = 3.68)

US Certified Black Angus Beef Shortplate with 3 Side Dishes: a) Corn Salsa, b) Baked Creamy Sour Cream Potatoes, and c) Baked Artichoke & Spinach

Comments

• So delicious, perfect taste. 
• Beef is superb. The sides are just okay.
• Yummy break creamy sour cream.
• Love all the side dishes esp the artichoke.
• Angus beef is 5.
• We liked the beef and baked potato.
• OMG! All components are perfect.
• Very simple yet comforting, more sophistication and no canned mushrooms.
• Angus beef is okay but all side dishes are great.
• Artichoke spinach is heavenly. Would want to ask for more.

 

DESSERT: Strawberry Sansrival (Rating = 3.10)

Comments

• Loved it. Very succulent.
• Sweetness and sourness blends well.
• Looks pretty but too sweet.
• Flavor tasted fake.
• Could do better presentation and less sweet.
• Processed cheese please, better wafers and texture contrast sana.
• This is really good.
• Crumbly.

DRINK: Green Apple Iced Tea (Rating = 3.26)

Comments

• Love the apple.
• Bitter.
• Interesting flavor.
• Tastes like instant iced tea.
• Refreshing.
• Hit my sweet tooth.
• Tastes like sugar.
• On the sweet side. 

 

4. MESCLUN (RATING = 3.43)

Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara with husband Marco, the couple team behind Mesclun.

About Mesclun

Mesclun (mes-klən) is old Occitane for “mixture” and in popular culture, refers to mixed greens. And what is gastronomy if not mixing? A creative blend of colors, flavors, and textures. A harmonious marriage of temperatures, techniques and even cuisines. Most of all, food is an exquisite point of convergence, regardless of interests or backgrounds. And that is what Mesclun celebrates.

What Mesclun Brings to Your Table.

We are passionate in creating new dishes. We are personal in designing unique experiences. We are professional in executing our events.

At the helm of our group is Chef Katrina Arce Kuhn-Alcantara, who espouses global culinary standards and draws from a rich array of flavors and techniques. Her family has been behind the renowned Arce Dairy since the conception of its rich ice cream style in 1935. She received formal training in France from the premier culinary arts school Le Cordon Bleu (Paris) and gained further professional experience in several restaurants in the country. Since her return to the Philippines, Chef Katrina has thrived as a caterer and restaurateur. Apart from Mesclun, she applies her wide array of expertise to other food ventures in Manila, namely, Chuck’s Deli — an American-style super-sandwich and burger shop boasting of homemade breads and cold cuts; and Paulene Chocolat Suisses — a premium line of made-to-order chocolate confections. 

MESCLUN EVENTS CATERING

Mesclun Bistro
G/F Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Telephone: +632 551 1626

Mesclun Events Catering
Telephone: +632 919 6216

Mesclun Restaurant & Café
2/F The Linden Suites, 37 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig
Telephone: +632 638-7878 loc 8207

Email: info@mesclun.ph
Website: www.mesclun.ph
Facebook: Mesclun Restaurant & Cafe
Twitter: @MesclunPh

 

APPETIZER: Andre’s Poke (Rating = 3.65)

Andre’s Poke

Comments

• Fresh, spicy, great.
• Just like poke in Hawaii.
• Fresh and very appetizing.
• Spinach was interesting.
• This is really good.
• Just the right amount of spice.
• Loved it, too full but I ate it.

 

MAIN DISH: Roast Pork Belly with Lechon Rice (Rating = 3.36)

Roast Pork Belly with Lechon Rice

Comments

• The lechon is so soft!
• Lechon rice is okay, belly the best.
• Nice native taste.
• The sauce is awesome.
• Pig skin is not crunchy.
• Very good even without sauce.
• Lechon wrap is a 5.
• Don’t like the white sauce. Lechon sauce best.
• Tough skin, has slight bad taste.
• Very good taste and tenderness.

 

DESSERT: Paulene Chocolate (Rating = 3.72)

Paulene Chocolate

Comments

• I love chocolate bites.
• I like how it melts in my mouth.
• Super good, melts instantly.
• Tastes like Royce.
• Great to finish off the meal.
• I like the green tea more than the chocolate.
• Heavenly, especially the mocha.
• more flavor from the liquor. spiced rum maybe?
• Love the tang and sweetness.

 

DRINK: Raspberry/ Tamarind Iced Tea (Rating = 2.99)

Comments

• Lacks flavor.
• Refreshing.
• Lacks tamarind taste.
• Tastes normal, despite combination.
• Unexpectedly good.
• Nice mix.
• Love the tamarind.
• Not memorable.

 

5. TJIOE (RATING = 3.35)

Edwin Tjioe Tan, owner of Tjioe the Caterer.

 

About Tjioe The Caterer

Tjioe The Caterer (Tjioe is pronounced as Chew) began as a quaint Chinese restaurant in Carvajal St. Known as Quicksnack, most of its customers were Chinese migrants & “Tsinoy” from Binondo. It was as it is still today famous for its oyster cake and dumplings. More importantly, it was popular because “eating at Quicksnack made it feel closer to home” – as Chinese customers have put it. The concept of fast-food wasn’t popular then but this hole-in-the-wall was positioned as such.

Quickly enough, the restaurant became a household name in the community and 40 years later, the “New Quicksnack Corporation” was incorporated, thus “Tjioe, The Caterer” was born and has become one of Chinatown’s best caterers.

Distinctively Chinese, yet Tjioe has managed to marry the taste that is uniquely Filipino, thus it has become synonymous to an authentic “Tsinoy tradition”. Tjioe’s heritage is rooted from mainland China. It’s well guarded recipes passed on from four generations. Its knowledge of Chinese cooking has made it the premier choice among the Chinese community in Manila.

Tjioe is regarded as one of the most sought after caterer. It boasts of the only Chinese caterer accredited in Manila’s top-10 exclusive venues. To date, Tjioe has handled corporate & wedding events of up to 1,000 guests, a feat that showcases not only good food but settings that can be lush with sheer elegance. 

Constantly innovating, recreating and infusing influences from the west, Tjioe’s menu offers a distinct Tsinoy experience dazzled in an aura of what can only be referred to as Tjioe’s unique palate. Today, Tjioe’s triumvirate casts a solid palate experienced from Beijing, Shanghai, New York and Manila. 

Tjioe the Caterer has placed the art of catering, deep in its passion.

TJIOE (pronounced as chew)

594 Quirino Avenue, Tambo, Parañaque City
Telephones: +632 854-6600 & 851-0226
Mobile phone: +63 918 903-0446
Facebook: Tjioe the Caterer
Twitter: @tjioethecaterer
Website: http://tjioethecaterer.com/

Contact: Chef Rey Lim
Mobile: +63 932 876 8148
Email: acoke109@hotmail.com

 

APPETIZER: Crispy Shell with Chicken Filling / Mini Rellenong Hipon  (Rating = 3.54)

Crispy Shell with Chicken Filling

Mini Rellenong Hipon

Comments

• Better if bitesize, crispy shell.
• Childhood favorite.
• Fresh, crunchy, soft.
• The breading is a bit hard.
• Good fusion, the crust is too thick.
• Bland chicken but really good shrimp dish.
• Yinyang shrimp very good.
• Maybe make the shell shorter.

 

MAIN DISH: Barbecue Pork Short Ribs with Chinese Sausage Rice (Rating = 3.27)

Barbecue Pork Short Ribs with Chinese Sausage Rice

Comments

• A little dry but good.
• Very good, love the variety of sauces.
• Awesome sauces.
• Dry, relies on the sauce for taste.
• Sauce, too mild taste.
• Love the ribs and the sauces. Moist.

 

DESSERT: Red Beans Macapuno Pannacotta (Rating = 3.12)

Red Beans Macapuno Pannacotta 

Comments 

• Sweet and smooth.
• I’m not loving the after taste.
• Creamy but not too sweet.
• Macapuno is better.
• Loved the creamy pannacotta.
• For the strawberry pannacota, the syrup should be lessened.
• The strawberry tastes too sweet.
• The strawberry pannacota is awesome.

DRINK: TJIOE’s Raspberry Iced Tea (Rating 3.44)

Comments

• Tastes like SOLA.
• Tastes like cough syrup.
• Nice drink to finish the meal.
• Tastes watered down.
• Tastes like medicine.
• Great, not too sweet.
• Very tasty raspberry.
• Balanced tea and raspberry flavor.

 

Congratulations to all the winners! See you at the next THE BIG BANQUET event at The Blue Leaf Filipinas!

THE BIG BANQUET @ THE BLUE LEAF Series:

• THE BIG BANQUET: Battle of the Top Caterers in Manila! @TheBlueLeaf (A Photo Essay) 
• THE BIG BANQUET: Top 5 Best Appetizers, Main Dishes, Desserts & Drinks @TheBlueLeaf
• THE BIG BANQUET: And the Best Caterer in Manila is… @TheBlueLeaf

Live an Awesome Life,

Founder, www.OurAwesomePlanet.com 

Disclosure: Our Awesome Planet in partnership with The Blue Leaf group co-founded The Big Banquet concept. Read Our Awesome Planet Complete Disclosure Policy here.  

P.S. Congratulations to Ma Cynthia & William Billones and Satin Villanueva for winning the The Peninsula Manila Club membership card in The Big Banquet raffle!