Five Dishes. Five Winners. Bord Bia Announces Winners of the East Meets West Culinary Competition

Young upcoming chefs recreate their best dishes inspired by local flavors using world class Irish beef and pork and soon on their way to a memorable culinary tour of the Emerald Isle...

From hundreds of aspiring chefs and home cooks, the East Meets West Culinary Competition by The Irish Food Board or BordBia and the EU Pork and Beef PH culminated in the awarding of five talented young chefs last October 27, 2020 at the Grand Hyatt Manila and are now set for a memorable culinary tour of Ireland. The final five dished out their best with a creative and sumptuous array of dishes infused with local flavors and showcased how premium Irish beef and pork elevates any savory dish (for more on the competition, see my previous posts, Food News: East Meets West in a Culinary Competition by the Irish Food Board on the competition's launch back in August and Food News: Top Ten Semi-Finalists for Bord Bia's East Meets West Culinary Competition Revealed  on the semi-finalists leading to the final five). Read on for a tasty peek of the competitions...

Dining in the Next Normal: Serve Up the Pambansang Seafood For All at Home with the Seafood Bilaos of Dampa Express

Local seafood restaurants have always been popular with large groups and families serving the day's freshest catch. But the new normal changed all that, as it continues to transform every aspect of our daily routine. In very rare cases, seafood seems to be pandemic-proof as food deliveries and take-out continue to grow and compensate for lost dine-in revenues for one seafood restaurant chain. For this trailblazing seafood restaurant, it's all about affordability, accessibility and accelerated service...

Dampa Express, the country's largest seafood restaurant chain and the biggest end-user of fresh local crabs, remains top-of-mind when it comes to affordable, fast and convenient seafood a la carte specialties even during the pandemic. Owner Simon Lim, Jr., also known as the "Dampa King," successfully expanded and built on the "dampa" or seafood market-style concept by simplifying it. "Customers do not have to spend too much money on live seafood, worry about picking the right shellfish or getting the weight of crabs for your family and wait a long time for your orders to be cooked," said the Dampa King. You'll find none of that at Dampa Express. Instead, groups and families can opt for a tempting variety of family-sized seafood sets, a trademark of Dampa Express, like the sumptuous Seafood Bilao offering both fresh and rich flavors and value for money without busting your wallet.

To stay relevant in the new normal, keeping it simple works. "Our strength is that we've tried to do away with all the inconveniences and complications of most seafood restaurants and dared to go against the trend of posh high-brow exclusivity." It's a formula that's worked so well for Dampa Express as it continues to rack up its daily sales. And you can bring home the Dampa Express experience too... 

Dining in the Next Normal: Seize Your Slice of Life with Firehouse Pizza on its First Anniversary

Even in the new normal, we all need to seize a bigger slice out of life. Firehouse Pizza lets you have it as it celebrates its first anniversary with a cool value-packed offer.

Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila is soon becoming the dining destination of the south with its specialty outlets like Baker J (more on the French-inspired boulangerie and patisserie on my previous post, Dining in the Next Normal: Baker J Brings Classic Pastries and Artisan Bread with a French Flair to Your Home and Office), Cafe 8 (more on Cafe 8 from their earlier themed offering on my earlier post from 2017, Fresh: A Taste of Vietnam at Crimson Hotel's Cafe 8) and Firehouse Pizza, now celebrating its milestone first anniversary. 

Since it opened last year, Firehouse Pizza has established a reputation as the go-to pizza joint in southern Metro Manila. With its specialty pizza masterfully created from oven to plate, enjoy a bigger slice out of life as Firehouse Pizza celebrates its first year of pizza perfection with a value-loaded offer. Hungry? Read on...

Dining in the Next Normal: Celebrate Oktoberfest with a Local Vibe at Home with Resorts World Manila's TASTE October Fiesta Package

Good food and refreshing rounds of beer, it's Oktoberfest. Celebrate Oktoberfest in the new normal while staying at home with the value-packed offerings of Resorts World Manila... 

Starting October 9 to 31, Resorts World Manila celebrates Octoberfest with its TASTE October Fiesta featuring sumptuous Oktoberfest inspired dining packages for pick-up, take-out or conveniently delivered to your home. As the new normal changes and transforms the way we go about our daily routine, Resorts World Manila adapts and evolves with the times with themed offerings available for home dining. Raise a toast and roll out the barrels and celebrate Oktoberfest at home with cold brews and hearty bites in the new normal with Resorts World Manila's Taste October Fiesta...

Dining in the Next Normal: Bring Home the 22 Prime Experience from Discovery Suites Manila

As restrictions gradually ease, the grills are once again fired up and the steaks are back from one of the country's finest steakhouses...

22 Prime at Discovery Suites Manila reopens for dine-in and reservations serving their specialty steaks, seafood and other savory dishes. But if you prefer to bring home the 22 Prime experience and enjoy a sumptuous feast in the safety and comfort of your home, that can be arranged as well with just one quick call. Executive Chef Gerwin Bailon and 22 Prime will gladly prepare your favorite dishes and pack it in a box for take-out, pick-up or delivery. In the new normal, 22 Prime now comes to you...

Dining in the Next Normal: Bigger. Juicier. Tastier. That's How They Do It at Tito Paolo's Inasal...

How can you improve on a traditional local specialty? Pull all the stops and make it bigger, juicier and tastier...

That's exactly what they did, transforming the popular dish adding flavor, value and more bang for the buck with their specialty chicken inasal. Tito Paolo's Inasal elevates the chicken inasal game with bigger, juicier and tastier offerings for a refreshingly new home dining experience. Fresh off the grill and delivered to your doorstep, rediscover a local traditional staple fired up with a lavish spin from Tito Paolo's Inasal and you'll agree that bigger, juicier and tastier makes this probably the best inasal in the metro. 

Dining in the Next Normal: CCYG Il Terrazo Adds Chicken to Their Unlimited Pork and Beef Korean BBQ Samgyup Sets

A sumptuous beef and pork Korean BBQ feast gets even better with the addition of tender and juicy chicken for even more flavor and value... 

That's right. Chung Choon Yeon Ga at Il Terrazo in Quezon City, or simply CCYG QC, levels up the Korean BBQ dining experience with juicy chicken along with their specialty beef and pork offerings. Available for dine-in where you can enjoy unlimited servings or for take-out, pick-up and delivery as part of their Samgyup Set, CCYG levels up their Korean BBQ game with the addition of Galbi Chicken, Salt-Grilled Chicken and Gochujang Chicken to their line-up of savory pork and beef offerings. CCYG is a Korean brand, and authenticity sets it apart from the clutter of Korean BBQ joints in the metro (for more on CCYG Il Terrazo, see my earlier post, Dining in the Next Normal: Enjoy a Sumptuous Korean BBQ Feast at Home with Korea's Number One BBQ, Chung Choon Yeon Ga Unlimited Unlimited Korean BBQ). Now you can enjoy juicy chicken Korean BBQ at home too...

Dining in the Next Normal: Matteo's Kitchen by OCMommaPH Brings Comforting Favorites to Your Table

Cheesy Baked Macaroni, Baked Mashed Potato and Banana Crunch Loaf, comforting staples on everyone's list of favorites. One more home kitchen is fired up serving these tasty classics so you can enjoy it fresh from the ovens in the safety and comfort of your home...

Matteo's Kitchen by OCMommaPh joins the growing ranks of home-based food businesses in the new normal with its own take on all all-time favorites like the Cheesy Baked Macaroni, Baked Mashed Potato and Banana Crunch Loaf. As the quarantine experience continues to transform and change consumer habits, home kitchens like Matteo's Kitchen and the rise of the food delivery culture adds even more options to your home dining experience. 

Dining in the Next Normal: Build Your Own Pizza with The Nostalgia Lounge & Bar's Latest Offering

Following the successful introduction of their lavish Signature Pancit, The Nostalgia Lounge & Bar offers yet another tasty innovation conveniently delivered to your doorstep... 

The Nostalgia Lounge & Bar of Joy-Nostalg Hotel & Suites Manila introduces another tempting and innovative offering with the Build Your Own Pizza, baked fresh to your specs and delivered straight to you. Choose your preferred savory toppings, cheese and flavor boosters for your customized artisan pizza, fired up fresh from the ovens of The Nostalgia Lounge & Bar. The Nostalgia Lounge & Bar is constantly creating new dishes while adding its own creative spin to dining at home, like their Signature Pancit loaded with premium scallops, prawns, mahi-mahi, tuna, salmon and barbecued pork (for more on The Nostalgia Lounge & Bar's indulgent take on the local noodle dish, see my post, Dining in the Next Normal: The Nostalgia Lounge & Bar Elevates Your Favorite Local Noodles with the Lavish Signature Pancit). Ready to build your own pizza? Read on...

Dining in the Next Normal: The Pork Project Presents The Pupor and Kambing Na May K, Now Available for Delivery

Chef Redd Agustin's been busy at The Pork Project, picking up the pace in the new normal with new dishes...

A hearty crunch with a solid and flavorful punch and a comforting local classic, two more tasty options to add to your list of favorite food deliveries in the new normal. Chef Redd Agustin and The Pork Project introduces sumptuous new offerings available for delivery, packed and sealed and ready-to-heat and eat at home. With regular delivery dates posted on The Pork Project's Facebook Page, mark your calendars for the next round of schedules as Chef Redd Agustin brings his comforting offerings to the metro (for more on Chef Redd Agustin and The Pork Project, see my previous post, Dining in the Next Normal: Chef Redd Agustin's The Pork Project Rolls Out Savory New Offerings).