Tasty Finds at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen Preview

One of the country's long-running and much-awaited culinary events returns this September with five new merchants joining the weekend market. Think of it as your first five for more tasty options at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen...

The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen tempts the metro's palates once more from September 20 to 22, Friday to Saturday, at C1 Park, Bonifacio High Street Central in BGC. You can expect your favorites to return at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen, and discover new and tasty finds too...

UPDATE: Due to inclement weather, The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen has been rescheduled to October 4 to 6, 2019. Please be advised. 

Due to inclement weather, The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen has been moved to October 4 to 6, 2019.

San Miguel Beer partners once more with The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen (please note adjustment in schedule due to inclement weather, The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen has been moved to October 4 to 6, 2019) with its line of premium beers including San Miguel Premium All-Malt, San Miguel Super Dry and San Miguel Cerveza Negra. Dubbed as Oktoberfest Jammin', a Weekend of Pretzels, Sausages & Beer, this year's latest edition of The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen lets you ease down to the weekend vibe with San Miguel's premium beers. Let your palate explore and discover new flavors with beer pairings at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen with its wide variety of tasty offerings for a new and flavorful experience. And just like the previous editions of The Gourmand Market, the September run looks promising (more on The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen on my posts, Let's Feast! Starting the Year Right with the Return of The Gourmand Market, Sunday Afternoon at The Gourmand Market, An Outdoor Affair: Eat Well, Live Well at The Gourmand Market Preview and A Rhapsody of Flavors: The Gourmand Market Preview).

At the exclusive sneak preview at Mulberry Door by Nawwty's Kitchen, guests sampled tasty bites from the new merchants in one leisurely afternoon with the event's key mover, Trish Panlilio (for more on Mulberry Door by Nawwty's Kitchen, see my post, This Valentine's, Make It Mulberry Door by Nawwty's Kitchen).

The premium beers of San Miguel allow shoppers and diners at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen to experience the full range of flavors, each one ideal for a specific set of dishes. San Miguel Premium All-Malt is brewed using 100% pure malt for a refined and balanced flavor. The blend of hops and malt combines for a smooth, full-flavored finish with a mildly sweet hint. The lager is perfect with white meat and light seafood dishes. San Miguel Super Dry is an elegantly smooth premium beer with no bitter or hoppy aftertaste. Made from the finest aroma hops delivering a clean, crisp and dry finish, San Miguel Super Dry is best paired with red meat and savory dishes such as beef and pork.

San Miguel Cerveza Negra, a personal favorite, is a robust, full-bodied dark lager with rich caramel undertones followed by hints of coffee and chocolate. Brewed from dark roasted malt, San Miguel Cerveza Negra is a perfectly balanced brew with just the right level of bitterness woven with a subtle sweetness capped by a creamy and frothy head. San Miguel Cerveza Negra pairs well with desserts, including chocolate...

...leading us to the first of five first-timers at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen, Chocoloco. The country seems to be experiencing a renaissance in local artisan chocolate, and Chocoloco is one of the newest players in the emerging market (for more on Chocoloco, check out their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/chocoloco.inc/). And that's good news for chocoholics.

Founded in 2017, Chocoloco is a Davao-based food manufacturer using high-quality cacao straight from the source. It's mission is to promote the health benefits of cacao and elevating cacao products to world-class standards. And about time too. At the preview, tasting notes and pairing suggestions were discussed...

...with their line of premium Chocoloco Cacao Nibs. The vibrant colors set against a stark black background draws you to their modern packaging. That day, guests at the exclusive preview sampled five variants from Chocoloco reflecting the young company's innovative approach to all-natural chocolate flavors, ranging from traditional to playfully inventive expressions.

Deep, bold, earthy and nutty notes combined with countless health benefits make chocolate a winner. And Chocoloco joins the movement in promoting the country's finest to the world stage.

And once you start with a nibble, it really is hard to stop. Local cacao is slowly being rediscovered, tracing its roots as far back as the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade of colonial times. 

Take your palate on a wild ride of rich flavors with Chocoloco's Chili Cacao Nibs Coated with Coconut Sugar and Chili Choco Nibs infused with a subtle and comforting heat...

...or indulge in the elegant notes of dark chocolate spiked with the bright and tart notes of cranberry with the Dark Choco Nibs with Cranberry...

...and the rich and rustic flavors of Crunchy Cacao Nibs Coated with Coconut Sugar and Dark Choco Nibs. Chocoloco is one more flavorful story to the evolving and exciting tale of local cacao, and it's looking good.

Diners can also explore international flavors with the small batch, vegetarian and preservative-free varieties of Hummus by Alladin, another first-timer at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen.

Small batches are made fresh every Monday, and Alladin offers six tasty variants from the comforting Regular Hummus to the indulgent Basic B with Truffle Oil and Parmesan, the fiery Ooh Damn! with spicy peri-peri chili and Bangkok with peanuts and chili and the earthy Shroomed Out and Smoked Chipotle Hummus with hints of hickory smoke and chipotle peppers.

And just like the fairy tale character, Alladin flies with their flavorful varieties of hummus. Rich and creamy punctuated by vibrant notes, Alladin takes the traditional hummus out of the box with their inventive variants.  

Founded by three young brothers, Alladin takes their signature hummus, and then some, from their store in DLSU along Taft to a much wider market. At the preview, we loaded up on fresh soft pita with a generous dollop of Alladin's Hummus. And we couldn't help going for seconds.

The founders of Alladin also presented the tasty Chicken Satay of their other food concept, Green Grills. A full meal in itself, the Chicken Satay of Green Grills is served with rice draped in a thick satay sauce.

Richly seasoned with a secret spice blend, the delicate notes of the juicy chicken are kicked up and amplified even more by the nutty and sweet satay sauce. Green Grills also offers Tofu Satay and Tandoori Chicken, definitely another tasty find at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen.

How about some tacos and sandwiches? El Lobo Cubanos x Sandwiches shared their take on tacos and Cuban sandwiches at the preview, and it's another tasty find diners can look forward to at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen. And these Pork Belly Tacos are legit.

A tender and juicy slab of marinated pork belly on garden-fresh greens topped with cheese and sour pickled onions on a soft taco delivered both contrasting flavors and textures with each bite, yet everything comes together in a seamless blend. The savory richness of the juicy pork belly is perfectly tempered by the pickled onion and the special vinegar for fresh and clean flavors. This and a San Miguel Super Dry. Just can't get better than that.

The magical ingredient is the pickled onion, binding all the flavors together with its sharp and clean notes. The sourness of the vinegar used in the pickled onions completes the flavors. One more Pork Belly Taco? Absolutely.

El Lobo Cubanos x Sandwiches also served their signature Pork Cubanos with the subtle salty notes of pork layered with the rich flavors of spicy mustard. The different components of pork shoulder, ham, pickles, mustard and cheese on crisp toasted whole wheat ciabatta is a neatly packaged flavorful treat that shouldn't be missed at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen. 

Want more sandwich sorcery? El Lobo Cubanos x Sandwiches also served their newest sandwich creation, the Smoked Beef Brisket with Cheddar and Swiss Cheese on toasted ciabatta fresh off the hot sandwich press. The robust notes of the brisket add depth to the savory sandwich with its beefy richness, perfectly finished and rounded off by the sharp Cheddar and Swiss Cheese. The combination of tender and juicy beef brisket with the duo of cheeses is another masterful blend by El Lobo Cubanos x Sandwiches.

A tasty trifecta from El Lobo Cubanos x Sandwiches. And you'll find these at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen (for more on El Lobo Cubanos x Sandwiches, check out their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/El-Lobo-Cubanos-x-Sandwiches).

After some tasty bites in the first round, you're just about ready for heartier meals with the next first-timer at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen. Meet Six Spice Kitchen, a Paranaque-based food delivery business and its repertoire of comforting meals (for more on Six Spices Kitchen, visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/SixSpicesKitchen/). The Korean Beef Bulgogi on Rice was easily one of my favorites, with tender thin strips of marinated beef, carrots, spring onions and sesame seeds combining for a complete and satisfying meal. The sweetness of the sauce intensifies the savory richness of the beef, and you'll want some extra rice with this one.

A successful food delivery business, Six Spices Kitchen adds a touch of homestyle cooking to their packaged meals. From their Chicken Teriyaki...

...to Chicken and Corn on Rice, Six Spices Kitchen offers some of the best meal options at work or home without the fuss.

The tender chicken pairs well with the cream sauce, corn and mushrooms...

...while the Chicken Teriyaki has that distinctive smoky sweetness for a comforting meal. Check out their platters at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen, and bring home the homestyle cuisine of Six Spices Kitchen.

Don't miss out on dessert too. At The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen, Brownstone Bakery makes it debut with an indulgent array of fresh-baked treats...

...including an impressive cookie that proves once again, size does matter. More so when everything you love is packed in one large cookie. Based in Quezon City and specializing in made-to-order cakes, pastries and dessert tables, Brownstone Bakery ensures happy trails...

...with their Trail Mix Cookies loaded with nuts, chocolate chips and M&Ms. Just one cookie will power you up for the day. Have another, just for good measure.

The Alfajores, filled with rich and sweet dulce de leche, is perfect with tea or coffee making conversations a lot more interesting.  

Brownstone Bakery has more to offer to satisfy your sweet sugar cravings. Other decadent treats from Brownstone Bakery include the Choco Molten Cups with Caramel (L) and Cake Truffles (R) with cake crumbs and chocolate ganache draped in melted chocolate.

Brownstone Bakery revisits a traditional local favorite with the Polvoron in a Jar, transforming it with a modern spin. Available in Butter or Choco Chips, these jars are known to empty out in one sitting. One bite and you'll soon understand why.

The Hazelnut Kisses by Brownstone Bakery is another tempting treat...

...along with so many others.

See what else is baking from Brownstone Bakery at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen.

The Gourmand Market isn't complete without Nawwty's Kitchen (for more on Nawwty's Kitchen, see my previous posts, Luxe Comfort Food by Nawwty's Kitchen and A Matter of Taste: Nawwty's Kitchen Adds a Luxe Spin to Breakfast and Healthy Choices with Breakfast Corner and Wholesome Indulgence).

Trish Panlilio shares her lavish take on Luxe Comfort Food with Nawwty's Kitchen's signature Paella Negra and other favorites (for more on Nawwty's Kitchen, visit her FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/nawwtyskitchen/). Just leave it to Trish Panlilio to elevate comfort food with her elegant style. I've seen The Gourmand Market evolve through the years, and it just keeps getting better and better. This October 4 to 6, rediscover old favorites and find new ones...at The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen.

For more on The Gourmand Market by Nawwty's Kitchen, visit their FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/thegourmandmarket/.

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