A. Articles
6 Food Trends That Will Make Manila Drool in 2016
BY KRISTELLE BATCHELOR
Year by year, Manila’s local food scene progresses–with innovations ranging from one culinary hit to a newly-opened food joint to another. 2016 is already looking as promising and we round up six food trends that are looking to set a wave, not only in your tummies but also on your meticulously curated Instagram feeds.
Photo courtesy of Open Snap
#1 Fusion cuisines
The last quarter of 2015 witnessed the emergence of fusion-themed restaurants–French-Japanese, Japanese-Peruvian, and the list goes on. The added flair of these unions lures a more diverse market, and as the saying goes: you can hit two birds with one stone. This trend can carry over to this year because the possibilities of melding two (or even three) cuisines are endless.
Photo courtesy of SM Supermalls
#2 Unconventional desserts
Gone are the days when ice cream and cake alone can suffice sweet tooth cravings. These days, desserts are getting a revamp with the introduction of soft-serve ice creams (with over-the-top toppings like a colossal cotton candy,) croissant and cupcake crossovers, and custard and crepe cakes which will make us veer from the usual kinds. Even frozen yogurt is deemed to make a comeback this year with a recent opening of an outlet that sells “charcoal-enhanced” fro-yo.
Photo courtesy of Rich Rafael
#3 Food parks
While we have seen a vast improvement with mall food courts, people now opt for outdoor food parks for a newer ambiance and more choices. Just last year, a number of food parks opened across Quezon City alone like StrEat and Boxpark. Other neighborhoods such as Kapitolyo and BF Homes, for example, have already carved a niche in the same game and we won’t be surprised if they follow suit.
Photo courtesy of Inquirer.net
#4 International franchises
We Filipinos have the endurance to line up for hours just to get our hands on the latest global offerings. 2016 brims with an impressive lineup of big international franchises set to open, ranging from Japanese, Korean, Italian, and American food among many others. One of the latest foreign franchises that had people lining up for hours is The Halal Guys which opened just a few months ago. As if we have learned from the fad each foreign venture has brought, expect the same volume of patrons to flock.
Photo courtesy of imgarcade
#5 Organic food
Clean-eating is now more achievable with a few dietary restaurants popping up in the metro. Don’t expect bland and run-of-the-mill menu items from restaurants like Adaäm & Yves Organic Bistro because they actually have inventive palettes to offer. Eating organic food doesn’t just stop in restaurants, it can also be cooked at home. Markets and delivery services like The Organic Market in BGC and Fit Food Manila make sure that you get fresh food in the comfort of your own home. But while eating organic is still relatively pricey for daily consumption, this year mounts the hope that maybe, just maybe, they’ll be more achievable, too, price-wise.
Photo courtesy of Open Snap
#6 All-day breakfast
Night owls who have early bird stomachs can now relish the goodness of breakfast food with many restaurants like Single Origin and TAZA Fresh Table now offering them all-day long. This trend is most likely to continue this 2016 which will go hand-in-hand with an upgrade of our usual favorites.
http://preen.inquirer.net/20962/6-food-trends-manila
Philippine flavors among emerging global food trends in 2016
(The Philippine Star) | Updated January 18, 2016 – 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines – Global consumers are becoming bolder in their culinary adventures and looking at Southeast Asian flavors and ingredients – including those from the Philippines – as among tastes to be explored in the coming year, according to a new flavor forecast.
McCormick & Co. has identified six emerging trends and flavors in its new annual flavor predictions.
“For 2016 there’s a focus on untapped pulse proteins and discovering new tropical Asian flavors as well as versatile spice blends with good-for-you ingredients, and experiencing spicy with tangy,” said the spices and seasonings company.
The company said the speed at which consumers are adopting new flavors was surprising, and predicted it is a trend that will snowball in the near future.
The six “it” flavors for 2016 are heat and tang, alternative pulse proteins, blends with benefits, ancestral flavors, culinary-infused sips, and tropical Asian, said the report.
photo by McCormick
Heat and tang flavor is about western consumers growing “chili obsession,” especially pairing it with tangy flavors for contrast. Expected to gain popularity next year are Peruvian chillies like rocoto, aji amarillo, and aji panca paired with lime, rice vinegar, yuzu, tamarind, Meyer lemon, cranberry, kumquats, and ponzu “to elevate the eating experience.”
photo by McCormick
Alternative pulse proteins are seen to garner attention, too, as the United Nations has declared 2016 as the International Year of the Pulse. These pulses include pigeon peas traditionally paired with cumin and coconut; cranberry beans enhanced with sage and Albariño wine; and black beluga lentils accented with peach and mustard.
© Uncle Matt’s Organic
Blends with benefits are up-and-coming in the coming year because health and wellness are becoming top of mind with consumers. “There’s always that curiosity and interest in finding ways to really create flavorful meals that are good for you,” said the company.
photo by McCormick
Instead of just putting flaxseed or chia seed on salads or in milkshakes, consumers are creating healthy flavors by incorporating them into spice blends. For instance, ginger and citrus are added to balance matcha green tea’s slightly bitter notes; chia seed is paired with citrus, chili, and garlic for a zestier flavor; flaxseed is combined with Mediterranean herbs to enhance dishes; and turmeric is blended with cocoa, cinnamon, and nutmeg for “sweet possibilities.”
The rising preference for ancestral flavors involves using ancient herbs and greens in a modern way. It includes the rediscovery of ancient herbs like thyme, peppermint, parsley, lavender, and rosemary as well as amaranth, an ancient grain of the Aztecs, and mescal, a smoky Mexican liquor made from the agave plant.
photo by McCormick
Culinary-infused sips are part of the emerging trend to produce new tastes for beverages. This highlights the use of ingredients from kitchen pantries in making beverage and the use of cooking in making beverage. It focuses on three classic culinary techniques – pickling to combine tart with spice for zesty results, roasting to add richness with a distinctive browned flavor, and brûléed ingredients to provide depth with a caramelized sugar note.
photo by Getty Images
Finally, the tropical Asian trend involves the discovery of Malaysian and Filipino flavors and cuisine. These include Rendang curry, a Malaysian spice paste that delivers mild heat and is made from chillies, lemongrass, garlic, ginger, tamarind, coriander, and turmeric; and Pinoy BBQ, a popular Filipino street food flavored with soy sauce, lemon, garlic, sugar, pepper, and banana ketchup. – Philexport News and Features
10 Food Trends That Happened in Manila This 2015
BY DENISE JOSE ON JANUARY 4, 2016
In 2015, AlDub broke Twitter and gave the world #RelationshipGoals. It was also the year when man buns became a thing and almost every other guy sported the look. We can’t forget how Alma Moreno successfully made us LOL and cringe at the same time, and how the Miss Universe coronation fail gave us all a mini heart attack. Of course, Star Wars: Episode VII was the sweet cherry to all that good stuff.
From showbiz, to hairstyle, to social media trends, we can say 2015 was one eventful year. But we can’t say goodbye to it yet without first taking a look at the food trends that made it big in Manila. Happy reminiscing!
1. Matcha-Infused Desserts
Gone are the days when green tea was just something we drank to be healthy. In 2015, everyone started crushing these leaves and incorporating matcha into almost every dessert, from cookies, to cakes, to ice cream, to pastries. We’re surprised we still haven’t seen matcha-infused suman!
Matcha Lava Cake from Jin Cara S.’s looloo review for Green Cheese
Le Petit Souffle’s menu was definitely in on the trend with items like Matcha Parfait, Matcha Souffle Pancakes, and Matcha Soft-Serve Custard. St. Marc’s Cafe also contributed to the matcha madness with their Matcha Daifuku Chococro, and so did Cafe Shibuya with their Matcha Strawberry Toast.
2. Food Parks
Finding a parking spot will be the ultimate test of your patience. And lining up for your food could mean standing for a good thirty minutes or more. But despite these inconveniences, we were really into the concept of food trucks with permanent parking spaces last year. The thrill of choosing from a wide variety of cheap grub and getting pumped up by the lively crowd made these food parks hip hangout alternatives to restaurants inside malls.
Photo from Airah E.’s looloo review for StrEat: Maginhawa Food Park
Z Compound got the trend started, introducing us to now popular stalls like Bagneto, Burger Hub, Hijo de Pita, and Me Love You Long Time. Then came StrEat: Maginhawa Food Park and Boxpark to make sure we’ve got more choices come our Friday night pig out sessions!
3. Japanese Cheesecakes
The usual questions that come to mind when you take your first bite of Japanese cheesecake are: 1) How do they make it so fluffy?! 2) Is this how it feels like to eat a cloud? 3) Can I have a whole box of these to myself?
Photo from Jialing H.’s looloo review for Dean and DeLuca
Our whole lives, cheesecakes have always been dense and rich, which is definitely not a bad thing. But last year, places like Green Cheese, Uncle Tetsu, Kumori, and Dean and DeLuca introduced us to this dessert’s lighter side.
Because the Japanese cheesecake isn’t as indulgent as its western counterpart, the umay factor doesn’t kick in as fast, which means we get to eat a lot more of it!
4. Upscale Food Courts
If you’ve got a big barkada, then it probably takes you and your friends forever to decide on a place to eat. But that’s exactly what food courts are for. And luckily for us, they’ve never looked better!
Photo from Hole in the Wall’s Facebook Page
Hole in the Wall’s posh ambiance made us feel like we’re anywhere but in a food court. But what we loved more than its swanky interiors are its food stalls. Bad Bird, The Beef, and Scout’s Honor were just some of our favorites last year.
The SM Mega Food Hall also gave us plenty of food options we wouldn’t normally find in a food court like Frankie’s New York Buffalo Wings, Nav Modern Thai Cuisine, and most recently, The Halal Guys!
5. Cat Cafes
Last year, drinking coffee was a lot more fun for the animal lovers of the Metro because they got to sip from their cups of Joe while surrounded by a bunch of friendly and adorable felines! Cat cafes have been popping up all over the world and Manila didn’t have a shortage of its own openings.
Photo from Zia M.’s looloo review for Miao Cat Cafe
At Cat Cafe Manila, puspins (pusang Pinoy) take center stage. And if you find that you’ve gotten attached, you can take one home because they’re all up for adoption! Bengal Brew is also a new cat cafe and is the first one in the world to house the exotic Bengal breed! Check out the whole list of cat cafes in Manila here.
6. Ice Desserts
We’ve seen the weather get extremely bipolar last year. But whether it was hot and stuffy or cold and rainy, our cravings for ice desserts never waned. This time, the local halo-halo took a backseat to international cold treats like the Korean bingsu, the Italian ice, and the Japanese kakigori.
Photo from Nicole V.’s looloo review for Cafe Seolhwa Bingsu
While Cafe Seolhwa got us hooked on their Pat Bingsu, Injeolmi Bingsu, Mango Cheese Bingsu, and Brownie Bing Su, Rita’s Italian Ice had us going crazy trying to find the best ice and custard combination. Ikigai Kakigori Cafe then introduced us to another form of icy dessert, giving us kakigori in flavors like coffee, chocolate, mango, matcha, and kuromitsu.
7. Latin American Cuisine
2015 was the year our taste buds went beyond the usual tacos, quesadillas, and burritos of Mexico to embrace the cuisines of its other neighboring countries. Latin American chicken street joint Señor Pollo was one of the after-office crowd’s favorite tambayanspots, well-loved for its juicy roasted chicken and sides like patatas bravas, latin coleslaw, and spicy rice.
Photo from Yina M.’s looloo review for Nikkei
The Peruvian cuisine also made it big in Manila with places like Nikkei (Japanese-Peruvian), Don Andres, and Mantaro the Original Peruvian Restaurant serving up hearty and flavorful dishes like Lomo Saltado (stir-fried beef strips), Pollo a la Brasa (Peruvian chicken), and Arroz Con Mariscos (Peruvian paella).
Last year, we upped our drinking game and got a lot pickier with our beer choices. We traded in our bottles of San Mig Light and Red Horse for local craft beer, enjoying the latter for their richer flavors and higher alcoholic content. The Katipunan Signal No. 1 Stout, Pedro Endless Summer Wheat Ale, and Joe’s Brew were just some of the favorites.
Photo from Kevinross B.’s looloo review for The Brewery at the Palace
We got our buzz on in places like The Brewery At The Palace, Perfect Pint, Single Origin, and Smoky Bastard where there were options aplenty when we needed quality alcohol on walwal Friday nights.
9. Korean-Style Soft Serve Ice Cream
Soft-serve ice cream is the go-to dessert for when we want something affordable and simple. All it takes is a quick visit to the convenience store and you’ve got yourself a cone. But when two foreign brands came to Manila last year and introduced us to Korean-style soft-serve ice cream, we forgot all about the cheap stuff!
Photo from Nicole V.’s looloo review for Milkcow
Milkcow definitely wasn’t easy on our wallets but it was hard to complain given that it’s milky, creamy, completely organic, and sourced straight from South Korea. Milkcow monopolized the market for a while until Taiwanese competitor Honey Creme came into the picture, also serving up Korean soft-serve ice cream!
10. Crepe Cakes
Of course, this list wouldn’t be complete without a hybrid dessert! Last year, crepes were fused together with cakes to produce the ubiquitous crepe cake…and the rule of thumb is, the more layers it has, the better! How do we go back to eating just one crepe at a time after this indulgent trend?!
Photo from Isha S.’s
looloo review for Paper Moon Cafe
Paper Moon Cafe from Tokyo started it all when they opened their first branch in Manila last year. Other dessert places and cafes, like Kitchen Diaries Cafe, Mrs. Graham’s Cafe, Nomnomnom Happy Food, La Creperie, and even Starbucks, then followed suit with their own version of the multi-layered treat.
http://insights.looloo.com/10-food-trends-in-manila-2015/
Trend Watch: Filipino Food Heats Up
Long overshadowed by other Southeast Asian cuisines, Filipino food finally moves to the forefront.
By April Fulton, National Geographic The Plate
Filipinos have been immigrating to the United States in large numbers for more than a century. Today, there are nearly two million living in the country, with more than half of them settled in California.
But Filipino food has been relatively slow to catch on—especially compared to Thai, Vietnamese, and other Southeast Asian cuisines.
That may be because Filipino food is so hard to describe, says Joanne Boston, a writer turned advocate for the Filipino Food Movement, which promotes Filipino cuisine. Start with a tropical fruit and fish backbone, throw in some Spanish influence like pork and vinegar, stir in some Chinese noodles and soy sauce, and you start to get the idea.
Family loyalty is also strong. Many Filipinos still think their mom is the best cook, says Boston, so they prefer to go out for other types of food.
That may be changing. Around the U.S., Filipino chefs strive to pair homeland touches and techniques with foods more familiar to Americans—wings in adobo sauce, waffles with ube (purple sweet potato) ice cream, fries cooked with Spam and served with banana ketchup (no tomatoes, please) on the side.
Mealtime in Manila
Find everything from vegetables to religious objects in the Quiapo Market, one of the largest in Manila.
Vendors prep their produce during an early morning in Quiapo Market.
Gerry’s Jeepney restaurant offers Filipino Kamayan-style dining, which means the food is spread out on banana leaves and everyone eats with their hands.
Cooks at Ineng’s Special BBQ prepare chicken and pork skewers in the Market! Market! mall.
Kafe Batwan uses batwan, a sour fruit, as its signature ingredient.
A food cart offers late-night eats of grilled meat near the red-light district in Makati City, part of Metro Manila.
“In some people’s views, it may be a little watered down. But if it’s a gateway dish, why not?” says chef Yana Gilbuena, who started a pop-up Filipino food project, SALO Series, in March 2014. The project has now touched down in every state and most of Canada.
Today, Filipino chefs and others who have fallen for the flavors collaborate with each other more than ever, networking and hosting pop-ups in different cities to introduce diners to new dishes. “There used to be this belief that we can’t support each other,” Boston says. “But this generation, they like to feed off of each other’s energies.”
The customers are changing, too. “Kids now, they’re trying halo halo [a multilayer dessert cake], they’re trying kinilaw [Filipino seviche],” says Boston.
It also probably doesn’t hurt that Anthony Bourdain and his Parts Unknown team recently hooked up with a Manila-based rock band to point him to the best street-made sisig (stir-fried pork bits, hot pepper, and vinegar, topped with a runny egg)—the ultimate in comfort/hangover/breakfast food.
As Americans become more familiar with Filipino food, there will no doubt be more demand for ube, sisig, and halo halo.
Healthy Food Trends for 2016
posted January 13, 2016 at 07:16 pm by Manila Standard Lifestyle
Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen people becoming more conscious of healthy eating habits. From vegan-friendly restos to organic grocery deliveries down to healthier restaurant offerings and everything plant based and gluten free – almost everyone has tried out healthy food fads. There were also a lot of wellness centers that have started offering juice cleansing retreats and healthy detoxing with organic table menus.
This year, the highlight on certain healthy food and styles in preparing healthier dishes will be the talk among healthy food consumers. We’ve rounded up a few global trends and some that we’ve seen in our local market that are becoming word of mouth.
Throw nothing away
Chefs and home cooks are beginning to embrace stem-to-root, nose-to-tail, or even fin-to-tail food preparation. It’s not rocket science food style prep, it simply means no food is wasted as all parts of the meat, vegetable, or fruit are used to create different dishes.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization, a third of the world’s food is thrown away – that’s money down the drain. For vegetables, food prep usually involves snipping away parts of the produce that are still edible but not appetizing to look at on a plate. Certain vegetables like carrot tops and broccoli leaves are handy greens to add as garnishing to soups or as salad toppings, while the peel of some root crops can be fried to make crunchy and healthy chips.
Practically every green part of leeks, asparagus, cabbage cores, cauliflower and broccoli can be used to create vegetable stock. After juicing lemons or other citrus fruits, save up the peels as they can be used for candied fruits, or use the zest for juices and flavoring. In the province, moringa fruits are commonly used for pinakbet and sautéed vegetables or added to soupy meals, while leaves of kamias and tamarind are used to make sour broths.
Juju Eats
Healthy fast food
The rise of healthy offerings in restaurants has become a norm as more and more people usually ask for healthy options when dining, and business owners are catching on the trend and have started to put up healthy fast food joints. In Manila, there are so many healthy fast food restaurants popping up in almost every corner, making the fast food competition a little tougher for your usual burger or fries joint.
It used to be that you have to go all the way to a certain part of the Metro just to get a taste of fresh and healthy fast food. But today, there’s probably at least one or two healthy fast food joints near your office. It won’t be surprising if favorite fast food places like Juju Eats, Detoxify Bar, Sprout, Go! Salads are within striking distance to where people usually work or hangout. Even Singapore-based SaladStop already opened five stores since it started in December 2014. This year, we might be seeing some more of these healthy options ready for on-the-go healthy eaters. There’s no more excuse to say, “I have no choice but to eat these greasy fries!”
Chick (peas)
Look at healthy menus in restaurants and you will likely spot chickpeas as a main ingredient, and most common uses would be for hummus (chickpea dip), curries, soups, and salads. With the current trend of gluten-free produce, chickpea is being used more and more as a flour alternative that is not only gluten-free but also high in protein. It can be used to make chickpea fritters, breads, veggie burgers, as a thickener for soups and crust for meats.
Moringa
Super herbs
Move over superfood, herbs are making a comeback and they are indeed “super.” Super herbs are high in vitamins and are very nutritious. One of the super herbs that is getting some renown is ashwagandha, a powerful herb used in Ayurvedic healing and is reputed to strengthen the immune system, improve learning, enhance memory, and combat the effects of daily stress. Maca is also one of the supers; it is a root plant more commonly available in powder form and can be added to food or consumed for medicinal purposes to boost stamina, energy and, ahem – sexual performance and fertility.
Maca powder
Ashwagandha seeds
Maca powder is good for smoothies, salads, drinks, savory dishes, and juices. Another super herb is the nutritious plant moringa whose rise to stardom surprised us Filipinos years ago as we usually just ignore it in our backyards. This year, we will still see more and more moringa products (well, if they haven’t thought of everything moringa already) sold in the market for kitchen use, or as body care and skincare products.
Healthy snacks from Cocogreen and Co
Healthy snacking
We usually take snacks more religiously than eating proper meals. But like smoking, it is no secret that it is bad for our health, more so our figure as sporadic snacking causes excess bulge in areas where we don’t usually want them. There are currently so many options in the market and snacks are getting less and less sweet and salty.
Last year, everyone went gaga over kale chips as they became available in healthy food stores. Today, more snacks are being made from lentils, chickpeas, and quinoa. Healthy snack choices also include packed nuts, granola or muesli bars.
Cocogreen and Co has quite a selection of plant-based, gluten-free and whole-food alternative snacks. Visit the store at 2F Picasso Hotel, Leviste St., Salcedo Village in Makati or drop by Salcedo market every Saturday and indulge in its offering of Figs and Dates Power Balls and Fireball Chewy Choco-chips Cayenne Cookies (brown rice based, soy-free, dairy-free dark chocolate chips, cacao nibs, coco nectar and spiked with cayenne) among many other healthy snacks in the menu and are usually the favorite among local celebrities.
Pasta salad bowl
SaladStop Oh Crab Lah! salad bowl
Bowl food
So we went overboard with mason jars over the last couple of years, and yes, last Christmas we still opened packs of these jars. This year, we wish to see less and less of them in stores and in dining options. And speaking of food containers, a global trend might be a mix of different cuisines served in a classic or contemporary bowl. These are called “Globowls” – breakfast, lunch, or dinner in a bowl packed with nutritious dishes that usually contain a salad mixture of different influences, mixed grains with different toppings, noodles, or quinoa-based recipes crammed in a bowl. You can order these in restaurants or make one from home. SaladStop offers all these fun and playful salad options in a bowl, same as Juju Eats. The Wholesome Table also serves whole grain, nutritious meals-in-a-bowl, and one of the crowd favorites is the Protein Power Bowl made with quinoa, chickpeas, carrots, mixed mushrooms, herbs, and beansprouts in a tahini sauce.
Clean food
We’ve all heard of grass-fed animals and non-GMO produce served in newly opened restaurants last year. People are becoming more careful about where they get their food and if they can’t make it at home, they will head to a restaurant and bombard the establishment with so many questions as to the food origin of dishes offered. In the Philippines, there are a lot of organic produce already available for regular home deliveries and this has been going on for years. As for restaurants, we need more chefs willing to use seasonal organic produce for their daily menu rather than opt for regularly available GMO vegetables.
If you want fresh organic vegetables for cooking at home, you may subscribe to Good Food Community, an organization that uses a “Community Shared Agriculture” system that allows you to become part of the sustainable process of farming the produce by paying upfront and helping the farmers produce their crops. Subscribe and take part in co-producing your weekly basket of fresh, seasonal, organic produce for a fixed period. You may also opt to get your daily organic products from Holy Carabao. The products are available in select grocery stores or at Holy Carabao Farmers’ Market City Stop in a corner along Poblacion, Makati. You may also check out The Green Grocer Manila’s home delivery of fresh harvest organic produce, grass-fed and naturally raised meats, artisan breads and other gourmet grocery eats.
Nut milks
Cold pressed juices have reigned supreme over the last couple of years. This time, there is a growing trend in nut milks as alternative for milk and soy milk. A lot of over-the-counter bespoke brands have been popping up globally and it is just a matter of time before these brands reach our shores. There are combinations available in the global market though that show a playful side of nut milks without compromising the nutrition value. You may look for combinations made with almonds, walnut, cashew, macadamia, and pistachio.
Back-to-basics seems to be the theme of healthy food trends, and people are focusing on their holistic wellness more than anything. So, don’t be left behind. If being healthy is cool, then jump on the bandwagon as soon as possible.
http://thestandard.com.ph/lifestyle/wellbeing/196708/healthy-food-trends-for-2016.html
B. Videos
- Panlasang Pinoy Published on Nov 2, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m_bpa-eHNc, 13 November, 2016.
- GMA Network Published on Oct 22, 2013 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MS8i3F84gRE, 13 November, 2016.
C. Pictures
Photo from Yina M.’s looloo review for Nikkei
Photo from Nicole V.’s looloo review for Cafe Seolhwa Bingsu
FoodNet PH 