Dining in the Next Normal: Elevating Familiar Dishes with US Lamb and US Kurobuta Pork Belly from Alternatives Food Corporation

Comforting homestyle recipes are transformed with premium US meats weaving fresh and bold flavors to any dish. Level up your home kitchen game this holiday season and beyond with the savory offerings from Alternatives Food Corporation...

Alternatives Food Corporation or simply AFC is your source of premium US meats including world-class beef, pork, lamb, chicken and seafood conveniently delivered to your doorstep. The new normal and changing consumer habits continue to define a challenging year due to the global pandemic as dining at home became the rule rather than exception. Home kitchens were fired up once more, and cherished family recipes graced our tables as families dined together. The quarantine experience may have changed the way we go about our daily routine, but it also brought us closer together with the kitchen re-emerging as the center of memorable family activities. Your home kitchen adventures are kicked up a notch with the impressive selection of US meats and seafood from Alternatives Food Corporation, transforming well-loved recipes with an indulgent spin. Ready to cook? Read on... 

Dining in the Next Normal: Celebrating Christmas on Zoom with Resorts World Manila

The new normal may keep us apart during the holidays, but there are countless ways to reconnect with friends and family in this most anticipated season of the year...

One is never too far away from loved ones, more so in these challenging times with the lingering threat of a global pandemic. In a novel and innovative approach to this new normal, Resorts World Manila celebrates the holidays online with "I'll be ZOOM for Christmas" bringing holiday cheer and a whole lot of good vibes to end the year on a high note. 

Dining in the Next Normal: Comforting Noodles and a Cold Beer on a Cloudy Afternoon at Menya Kokoro

Cloudy afternoons call for a cold beer. And comforting mazesoba...

Dining out under the General Community Quarantine is both different and the same, with the mandatory health and safety protocols in place. But an ice-cold bottle of beer and a hearty bowl of mazesoba on a cloudy afternoon still hits the spot even in this new normal. Menya Kokoro has adapted to the times implementing all the necessary steps from physical distancing to temperature scans and contact tracing so loyal customers can once again enjoy a bowl of their specialty noodles. One of the first to offer D-I-Y Kits of their signature Tokyo Mazesoba and Black Garlic Ramen during the quarantine (more on my previous post, Dining in the Next Normal: Unboxing Menya Kokoro's New D-I-Y Tokyo Mazesoba and Black Garlic Ramen Kits on the innovative ramen kits and my quarantine round-up of fresh noodle picks on my post at Dining in the Next Normal: Let's Talk Noodles...), Menya Kokoro ends the year with new additions on the menu like the Unagi Mazesoba. Read on for a sneak peek at Menya Kokoro's all-time favorites and new offerings...

Dining in the Next Normal: A Sumptuous Feast at Home with the Surf & Turf Party Platter from Meatsumo Premium Panay

Black Angus Aburi over Umami Steak Rice with Homemade Sweet Potato Chips and Aji Tamago paired with Ebi Tempura and Assorted Tempura, now that's a serious feast at home. Meet the Surf & Turf Party Platter from Meatsumo Premium Panay in Quezon City...

Meatsumo Premium Panay now offers Party Platters for take-out and delivery just in time the holidays. Each Party Platter by Meatsumo Premium Panay is a convenient and tasty savory feast option for the family at prices that's easy on the pocket. Following the same value plus variety concept of their Korean bbq dining experience with their signature "Seoul Meets Tokyo" Asian fusion culinary style, the Party Platters add a festive vibe to any family feast at home (for more on Meatsumo Premium Panay, see my previous post, Value and Variety Fresh from the Grill at Meatsumo Premium Panay).

Dining in the Next Normal: Spotted at the Ultimate Taste Test 2020 Master's Edition in Gallery MiraNila by The Blue Leaf

For over twelve years, the Ultimate Taste Test has become the launch pad for many successful home-based food businesses and entrepreneurs including the now famous Pepita's Kitchen by the Lechon Diva, Carmen's Best Ice Cream and Risa Chocolates. For the 2020 Ultimate Taste Test Master's Edition, the tradition continues in this new normal showcasing twenty-two food entrepreneurs that began their home-based food businesses during the quarantine...

The year began just like any other year with a lot of optimism and hope, but 2020 had other plans. A series of natural calamities followed by a global pandemic changed all that. The food service sector, and pretty much everything else, were put on hold as the new normal transformed the way we go about our daily routine. As a challenging year comes to a close, the Ultimate Taste Test 2020 Master's Edition by Our Awesome Planet ends the year on a high note with its long-running UTT series highlighting twenty-two food businesses born out of the quarantine. Creativity and resiliency shined bright in this new normal and just like the previous editions, the Ultimate Taste Test series provides a snapshot of the metro's latest culinary finds and trends. Take a peek at next year's rising stars in the culinary scene with the Ultimate Taste Test 2020 Master's Edition...

Dining in the Next Normal: SixTop Picks That Will Change The Way You Look at Bibingka, Brownies, Kutsinta, Siopao, Korean Pull-Apart Bread and Banana Bread

You'll probably never look at bibingka, brownies, kutsinta, siopao, Korean pull-apart bread and banana bread the same way again after a bite from these six top picks. Innovation and lavish spins transform the comfortingly familiar into refreshingly new flavor experiences with these inventive finds in this new normal. 

The quarantine imposed new practices and consumer habits that altered the way we go about our daily routine. And this new normal continues to change and transform everything we know and do forcing many to adapt with the times. For the hard-hit food service sector, pivoting to pick-up, take-out and food delivery enabled businesses to remain relevant while others chose to create and reinvent popular staples and elevate it to class of its own. Adie's Delight, The Drunk Baker, Aida's Black Kutsinta, MPantry, Lola Ester's and Chef Sau del Rosario offer their own unique and creative reinterpretations on the staples we love. Here's six top picks that changed the game during the quarantine...

Dining in the Next Normal: Legit Picks. Experience Authentic Flavors at Home with Spanish, Chinese, Korean and Regional Filipino Cuisine Delivered to Your Doorstep

Embark on a culinary journey with authentic flavors without leaving home with these legit picks in this new normal...

Authenticity wasn't easy to find even before the pandemic, but these legit picks allowed you to experience real flavors during the quarantine. In this new normal, we've seen quite a number of culinary trends emerging along with changing consumer habits. The rise of the food delivery culture, ease of preparation and convenience make these authentic picks rank high in terms of overall value. Here's eight legitimate culinary picks to add to your list of food delivery options for this year and the next...

Dining in the Next Normal: All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum Weekends at New World Makati's Jasmine

 This weekend, make it all-you-can-eat dim sum at Jasmine...

More and more establishments are slowly re-opening from a prolonged quarantine as the year comes to a close, including hotels and their signature food outlets. With the latest health and safety protocols in place, you can now enjoy All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum at New World Makati's elegant Jasmine for Lunch and Dinner on Saturdays and Lunch on Sundays for only P 1,088 net per person. Dim sum this weekend? 

Paint it Black: Kumori Japanese Bakery & Cafe and BLK 513 Team Up for the Charcoal Melon Pan

Kumori Japanese Bakery & Cafe ends the year with yet another creative collaboration adding to its long list of innovative offerings...

Kumori Japanese Bakery & Cafe and BLK 513 come together for a novel collab with the new Charcoal Melon Pan, an inventive spin on Kumori's popular bun filled with cream cheese and draped in activated charcoal cookie crust. Kumori Japanese Bakery & Cafe's specialty bun covered with BLK 513's activated charcoal cookie crust combine for an elegant variation and a new flavor experience. One bite, and you'll agree no other bun is like it. 

Keeping it Simple: Chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou Launches Simpol The Cookbook at Pandan Asian Cafe

"Lesson Number 1: Keep it simpol. Always prep and organize." 

Noted chef, author and TV personality Myke "Tatung" Sarthou starts with a basic fundamental in his fourth cookbook in a manner and style that endeared him to his fans, followers and subscribers on his social media platforms. Like any major endeavor or battle, preparation is key to the success of any venture. It's a universal rule that also applies in the home kitchen. 

Chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou recently launched his latest cookbook, Simpol The Cookbook, with a sumptuous lunch at Pandan Asian Cafe. In his fourth book, Chef Tatung encourages his readers to be inventive, resourceful and creative making cooking traditions more relevant and fun. With 101 recipes, each with a QR Code that links to a cooking video, Simpol The Cookbook is homestyle cooking that's as simple as A-B-C. 

Dining in the Next Normal: Fill Up Your Cookie Jar with These Cookie Picks...

The holiday season is the perfect time to pause and reflect on what matter most. It's been a challenging year, and we all need to take stock of all the changes in this new normal while moving forward. It's also the time to replenish your cookie jars...

This Christmas, fill your cookie jar to the brim with these indulgent fresh-baked cookie finds conveniently delivered to your doorstep. And it's a great gift-giving idea too, if you can somehow restrain yourself from grabbing a bite. Here's five cookie picks that I enjoyed in this new normal...

Dining in the Next Normal: Indulgent Grazing for the Holidays with the Holigraze Feast by Mrs. V Restobar

It's been a year of challenges and 2020 continues to reshape and transform our daily routine making the coming holidays unique and different. As social distancing remains the rule in the new normal, be creative and reconnect with family and friends in this season of giving with the specially-curated grazing boxes and holiday-set menu by Mrs. V Restobar...

Celebrating Christmas in the new normal takes on a special meaning as the lingering effects of the viral pandemic ends the year with a cautious note. The usual get-togethers with family and friends are now replaced with virtual reunions online via Zoom and social media, and now more than ever, giving the best gifts for the holidays becomes a meaningful form of connection. Redefining at-home celebrations in the season of giving, Mrs. V Restobar shares its limited edition handcrafted grazing boxes filled with gourmet cheeses, premium charcuterie, fresh fruits and wine and a lavish catering menu along with sumptuous platters with its Holigraze Feast. Wine and graze at home this holiday season with tasty nibbles to warm both the palate and body and begin the season of giving with an elegant spin from Mrs. V Restobar.

Dining in the Next Normal: Let's Talk Noodles...

Nothing says comfort food better than a bowl of noodles enjoyed at home. During the quarantine, we've seen both traditional as well as innovative expressions of the much loved staple warming both our palate and body in these challenging times. Here's a round up on my latest noodle picks in this new normal...

The new normal continues to change and transform consumer habits with dining at home and the food delivery culture emerging as the defining experience for the food service industry in a challenging year. The lingering uncertainty of the times left us isolated for most of 2020, yet a comforting bowl of noodles conveniently delivered to your doorstep would somehow make it all seem right even for just a moment. Restaurants, hotels and chefs have adapted to the new normal by offering their specialty noodles for pick-up, take-out and delivery. Read on and enjoy a tasty peek at some of the tastiest noodle offerings in the new normal this year...