What's New: Max's Creates Barkada Bonding Moments with 4Sharing Meals

Max’s presents another heart-warming and tummy-filling campaign that engages great bonding moments between friends through delectable food.  How else can a dining experience become more meaningful? But, of course, with the company of friends dearest to our hearts sharing lip smacking dishes closest to our tummies.

So, now serving, hot off the kitchen, Max’s newest group meal offerings: “4SHARING MEALS”!

“Max’s 4Sharing Campaign is about understanding and responding to the needs of our customers, whether they are groups of teenagers hanging out together, young professionals meeting up for lunch, or seasoned Max’s customers craving for their favorite comfort dishes. With Max’s new offering, they get the best of everything – delectable dishes that are signature to Max’s at the most budget-friendly price, so they can enjoy and share these meals to their heart’s content,” enthused Edgar Allan Caper, Marketing Director for Max’s Restaurant.

At Php799, Max’s now offers a satisfying meal serving one whole “sarap-to-the-bone” Fried Chicken, a bowl of the classic Pinoy comfort food Sinigang (with an option to choose from these varieties: Sinigang na Baboy, Sinigang na Tyan ng Bangus, Sinigang na Hipon, and Sinigang na Tyan at Ulo ng Salmon), rice and iced tea for a group of four hungry diners.(Promo runs from April 15 until June 10, 2012. Available for delivery and takeout.)

“The sight of young people digging into their favorite Max’s Fried Chicken, the reverberating sound of laughter, the never ending stories about adventures, heartbreaks, dreams and milestones - these are the priceless components of Max’s 4Sharing Meals. We want to nurture these and create more unforgettable memories for our customers by offering the best food, the most welcoming ambience and quality service that comes from the heart,” Caper shared.

SVEND'S PIZZERIA RESTAURANT & SPORTS BAR | PUERTO GALERA

Don’t you just love spontaneity?! One night last November, after feeling so exhausted and almost burnt out from the daily grind of our nine-to-five existence at work, my compañeros and I suddenly felt needy of a well-deserved beach break! So, right after we cashed our paychecks, we hurriedly packed our backpacks to Galera for a much needed weekend retreat!   

And so there she was… mi amor el mar! Welcome to White Beach, Puerto Galera!

Surprisingly, aside from the beach and the booze (as in the infamous Mindoro Sling), I was amazed to discover that Puerto Galera has a lot more to offer.  Who knew that Puerto Galera could also be a culinary haven for us beach-lover foodies! One big sorpresa! While scouting for a decent food joint to fill our tanks up, we stumbled upon a quaint, island-inspired restaurant that serves yummy Italian and Danish food. 

I’ll bet… any foodies would agree that the core of a really good pasta dish is the macaroni—it should be cooked al dente! Well, Svend's Pizzeria Restaurant & Sports Bar certainly did not disappoint.  Off the menu, we ordered Tagliatelli Salmone—smoked salmon in tomato cream sauce over spaghetti (the tagliatelli noodle was out of stock at that time).  It was superb! The balance between the tangy flavor and the creamy taste of the sauce did not overpower the smoked salmon. I would definitely order this again.

 

Then, we had Spaghetti Carbonara. It was simple yet very tasty! One of the best Carbonara sauces I’ve tasted. You could tell that the sauce was made from scratch. The hint of butter, the creaminess of the eggs, the umami taste of the parmesan cheese, and the smoky flavor of the Italian bacon altogether blended well and made the dish a delightful gastronomic experience! Haha… Sobrang sarap lang talga, in short!

Of course, we had pizza. We ordered Beef Roma—thin crust pizza with mozzarella, tomato sauce, ground beef, onion, bell pepper, and mushroom.  Well, for me, it was just okay—quite ordinary for my taste. Haha… I’m sure that there are better pizzas on the menu. We just didn’t pick the best one, I guess.

So there fellow foodies, when you're in Galera and tired of the beach, give your abs a break and give your tummies a treat at Svend's Pizzeria Restaurant & Sports Bar. 

Happy eating! 

*Facilities: Pool Table and Dart Board  

SVEND'S PIZZERIA RESTAURANT &  SPORTS BAR

White Beach, Puerto Galera, Philippines

 

 

REWARD THY SELF!

Dark chocolate velvet cake with cream cheese filling

JT'S MANUKAN GRILLE TAGAYTAY

A few years back, Joel Torre, an artist by heart and a true-blooded Bacolodian, brought the taste of Bacolod to Metro Manila. Now, JT’s Manukan has gone up in high altitudes in the breezy highlands of Tagaytay!

Together with my two fellow foodies, we have strolled up to Tagaytay to check out JT’s new branch and reached our destination just in time for lunch.  And yes! As usual, we arrived very hungry, with clenched teeth and growling stomachs, so ready to devour! Ahhh… another gastronomic delight waiting to explode!

But we were awestruck by the airy atmosphere of JT’s Manuakan Tagaytay. We were for a moment drawn to the serene atmosphere of the restaurant and almost forgot about food! The place is just so relaxing with wide spaces, a coy pond, and a roof deck! Imagine that! The cool vibe just makes you wanna linger with an ice-cold drink on your hand while gently swinging in a hammock! This branch is totally different from the ones we frequently visit in San Juan and Ortigas!

Okay, time to order!!!!

I personally love batchoy and my foodie buddy was at that time craving for kansi! So, for starters, we ordered two soupy dishes -- the one I love and the one being craved.

Served piping hot, the kansi soup warmed up our tummies and filled us with instant delight.  Simply delish! According to the owners, the key ingredient to this yummy, savory soup dish is being sourced out directly from Bacolod. What gives JT’s kansi it’s authentic Bacolod flavor is the “batwan,” a fruit used as a souring agent similar to “camias,” “sampaloc,” and “caramay.”

Then, there was batchoy! Ahhh…. Batchoy, I love… my comfort food! A dash of sukang sinamak gives the soup an added depth of flavor! Try it! 

Now, for the main course, we ordered JT’s bestsellers:

The pecho was tender and grilled to perfection. It’s golden and toasted outside, and the meat was moist and tender inside.

And of course, we had our favorite street foods served probinsya-style!  We had barbequed baticolon (gizzard), isol (chicken ass, baby! Haha!), atay (liver), and corazon (heart)! Literally, “gout on a stick!” Yummy! Haha!

The inihaw na liempo is also a must-try! We couldn’t just resist the protein intake that we had to order for more carbs! Extra garlic rice with lotsa chicken oil drizzled on top please! Awesome! Haha.

As they say, every delightful meal always has a sweet ending! And so, for desert, we had JT’s lehe flan! It was firm and had that nutty, caramel flavor I liked! Another must-try! 

JT's Manukan Tagaytay certainly gets my seal of approval! Unlike other commercialized inasal food chains that have been increasingly cropping up in almost every street corner of busy Metro Manila, JT’s Manukan modestly keeps a few branches.  I think that is the secret behind how the restaurant is able to successfully maintain the authentic Bacolod flavor of the dishes they serve.

Getting there: click here for directions