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COLD STONE CREAMERY PHILIPPINES: Ultimate Ice Cream Experience in Manila? @ColdStonePH

After an experimental market test in Rockwell in 2005, COLD STONE CREAMERY finally opened its first store in Manila at Serendra, Bonifacio Global City.

Its claim to fame is that it offers super premium ice cream made fresh everyday, which is mixed with flair on the spot on a cold stone. There's also a wide array of other ingredients for patrons to customize their ice cream.

But is it really the ultimate ice cream experience in Manila? Check out our Cold Stone experience:

What's New in BGC Restaurants in 2013?

• VASK: Traditional Basque Cuisine and Modern Gastronomy @VaskManila
• EARLY BIRD Breakfast Club: Start of the All-Day Breakfast Era in Manila?
• IHOP Philippines: Manila Goes Crazy Over IHOP? @IHOP_PH
• GYU-KAKU Philippines: World's No.1 Yakiniku Japanese BBQ Brand now in Manila :)
• MAD FOR GARLIC Philippines: Italian Korean Wine Resto (and Garlic Breath)
• MESCLUN BISTRO by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara in Serendra
• SABOTEN Philippines: The Original Tonkatsu Flavor Now in Manila!
• URBN BAR & KITCHEN: The Secret Yummy Food of URBN
• BRASSERIE GIROLLE by Chef Ian Padilla 
• COLD STONE CREAMERY PHILIPPINES: Ultimate Ice Cream Experience in Manila?

CUPCAKES BY SONJA: The Secret of Success, and the Future of Cupcakes in Manila!

CUPCAKES BY SONJA is the pioneering Gourmet Cupcakes brand by Sonja Ocampo, which started the Cupcake Craze in Manila back in 2006. Finally, they are building more concept stores around the metro to take the cupcake experience to a different level.

It was great to finally catch up with Sonja to talk about the success of her cupcake brand and the future of cupcakes in Manila.

I would like to share the highlights of our conversation, and our favorites in Cupcakes by Sonja:

JOHNNY STEAMS: Yankee Steamed Burger with Peanut Butter, Crispy Bacon and Oozing Mozzarella Cheese @MercatoCentrale

Text by Nikka Sarthou and Photos by Johnny Steams.

A fast-food bestseller, the burger is almost always present in diners and comfort food joints. In fact, the simple hamburger can be found in many street corners in the country. Even if the Philippines is an Asian country, locals have come to love this Western favorite as well. There are different kinds of burgers out there that range from the ordinary to the more gourmet. But have you ever tried a steamed burger?

It is not your average burger as it is cooked in a custom-made steamer that contains small trays, which hold either an individual hamburger or a chunk of cheese to be melted. In this cooking process, the meat is scooped onto a sesame seed bun and then the melted cheese is poured over the meat. Customary toppings are added after that. Steamed burgers are a healthier alternative because of its cooking method. 

If there’s one place you should try a steamed burger, it is Johnny Steams in Midnight Mercato.

Flavors of Mercato Series 1:

• CARLO'S KITCHEN: It's Crunchy Belly Time!
• CUISINIERS: Have you tried the Best BBQ Pork Skewers in Manila?
• MERRY MOO: One of the Best Artisan Ice Creams in Manila!
• WRAP BATTLE: The Pita Wrap of the Filipinos
• JOHNNY STEAMS: Yankee Burger - Peanut Butter, Crispy Bacon, Oozing Mozzarella Cheese
• OLVERA'S: Authentic Home Cooked Mexican Cuisine
• AUNTIE MAY's: U.S Beef Tapa, Angus Beef Salpicao and Home Cooked Meals-on-the-GO
• RICE POTS: The Real Fried Rice Stuff!
• MACHEESEMO: Cheese Stuffed Burgers!
• BUMBLE TEA: The Milk Tea Buzz
• NEW YORK MINUTE: Freshly Made Paninis
• @HEY_FISHY_FISHY: Fish & Chips with San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Batter

WRAP BATTLE: The Pita Wrap of the Filipinos @MercatoCentrale

Text by Nikka Sarthou and Photos by Kurl Marx Mendoza

Sometimes, inspiration strikes in the most unusual circumstances. For Paul Wenceslao, it happened during one of his coffee breaks. He let the idea of putting up a food business brew until he found the perfect product—pita wraps. There are only a handful of stalls that solely offer wraps so he thought of bringing it to Mercato Centrale. And that was where Wrap Battle was born. 

Flavors of Mercato Series 1:

• CARLO'S KITCHEN: It's Crunchy Belly Time!
• CUISINIERS: Have you tried the Best BBQ Pork Skewers in Manila?
• MERRY MOO: One of the Best Artisan Ice Creams in Manila!
• WRAP BATTLE: The Pita Wrap of the Filipinos
• JOHNNY STEAMS: Yankee Burger - Peanut Butter, Crispy Bacon, Oozing Mozzarella Cheese
• OLVERA'S: Authentic Home Cooked Mexican Cuisine
• AUNTIE MAY's: U.S Beef Tapa, Angus Beef Salpicao and Home Cooked Meals-on-the-GO
• RICE POTS: The Real Fried Rice Stuff!
• MACHEESEMO: Cheese Stuffed Burgers!
• BUMBLE TEA: The Milk Tea Buzz
• NEW YORK MINUTE: Freshly Made Paninis
• @HEY_FISHY_FISHY: Fish & Chips with San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Batter

@MERRY_MOO: Still One of the BEST Artisan Ice Creams in Manila! @MercatoCentrale

Text by Nikka Sarthou and Photos by Kurl Marx Mendoza

What if you mix a passion for food and travel? You get some sort of inspiration just like Kelvin Ngo, founder of Merry Moo. For those in the know, Merry Moo is an artisanal ice cream brand that creates fun, fresh and delicious ice cream. It is made with non-Ultra Heat Treated dairy and local ingredients, whenever possible. Aside from the quality of freshness, what makes the brand stand out from all the rest is its unique flavors that would excite any palate.

Flavors of Mercato Series 1:

• CARLO'S KITCHEN: It's Crunchy Belly Time!
• CUISINIERS: Have you tried the Best BBQ Pork Skewers in Manila?
• MERRY MOO: One of the Best Artisan Ice Creams in Manila!
• WRAP BATTLE: The Pita Wrap of the Filipinos
• JOHNNY STEAMS: Yankee Burger - Peanut Butter, Crispy Bacon, Oozing Mozzarella Cheese
• OLVERA'S: Authentic Home Cooked Mexican Cuisine
• AUNTIE MAY's: U.S Beef Tapa, Angus Beef Salpicao and Home Cooked Meals-on-the-GO
• RICE POTS: The Real Fried Rice Stuff!
• MACHEESEMO: Cheese Stuffed Burgers!
• BUMBLE TEA: The Milk Tea Buzz
• NEW YORK MINUTE: Freshly Made Paninis
• @HEY_FISHY_FISHY: Fish & Chips with San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Batter

CUISINIERS: Have you tried the Best BBQ Pork Skewers in Manila? @MercatoCentrale

Text by Nikka Sarthou and Photos by Kurl Marx Mendoza

In Filipino food language, barbecue or BBQ refers to grilled meat on a stick—usually pork or chicken. It is a popular fare in the streets, in malls, in parties and other occasions. It’s convenient, tasty, and has become a favorite of many. With all the different kinds of barbecue out there, the one brand that you must try is Cuisiniers. 

Chef RAYMUND C. FABRE of Cuisiniers has perfected his family’s barbecue recipe and developed his grilling technique to create the best barbecue in town. No bull. His recipe has actually garnered an award in Food Magazine’s Food Backyard Barbecue Cook-Off where he won “Best BBQ Pork Skewers Category” in 2012. 

Flavors of Mercato Series 1:

• CARLO'S KITCHEN: It's Crunchy Belly Time!
• CUISINIERS: Have you tried the Best BBQ Pork Skewers in Manila?
• MERRY MOO: One of the Best Artisan Ice Creams in Manila!
• WRAP BATTLE: The Pita Wrap of the Filipinos
• JOHNNY STEAMS: Yankee Burger - Peanut Butter, Crispy Bacon, Oozing Mozzarella Cheese
• OLVERA'S: Authentic Home Cooked Mexican Cuisine
• AUNTIE MAY's: U.S Beef Tapa, Angus Beef Salpicao and Home Cooked Meals-on-the-GO
• RICE POTS: The Real Fried Rice Stuff!
• MACHEESEMO: Cheese Stuffed Burgers!
• BUMBLE TEA: The Milk Tea Buzz
• NEW YORK MINUTE: Freshly Made Paninis
• @HEY_FISHY_FISHY: Fish & Chips with San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Batter

CARLO'S KITCHEN: It's Crunchy Belly Time! @MercatoCentrale

Text by Nikka Sarthou and Photos by Kurl Marx Mendoza

Singapore has its Hainanese chicken, Thailand has its Pad Thai, Vietnam has its Pho, and the Philippines has its… Well, how about some Crunchy Belly? 

Carnivores would crave for this unique creation by Carlo’s Kitchen. It’s a pork concoction that’s a cross between chicharon and lechon kawali, except it’s not made out of pork rind but the belly part of the pig. The only thing that it has in common with chicharon is the way it looks, and maybe the way it sounds once you get a bite of it. The crunchy belly is actually more of a bagnet—a finger food version of it.

Flavors of Mercato Series 1:

• CARLO'S KITCHEN: It's Crunchy Belly Time!
• CUISINIERS: Have you tried the Best BBQ Pork Skewers in Manila?
• MERRY MOO: One of the Best Artisan Ice Creams in Manila!
• WRAP BATTLE: The Pita Wrap of the Filipinos
• JOHNNY STEAMS: Yankee Burger - Peanut Butter, Crispy Bacon, Oozing Mozzarella Cheese
• OLVERA'S: Authentic Home Cooked Mexican Cuisine
• AUNTIE MAY's: U.S Beef Tapa, Angus Beef Salpicao and Home Cooked Meals-on-the-GO
• RICE POTS: The Real Fried Rice Stuff!
• MACHEESEMO: Cheese Stuffed Burgers!
• BUMBLE TEA: The Milk Tea Buzz
• NEW YORK MINUTE: Freshly Made Paninis
• @HEY_FISHY_FISHY: Fish & Chips with San Miguel Pale Pilsen Beer Batter

JAPANESE MOCHI CREAM: Authentic Japanese Mochi Now in Manila!

A food craze in Manila is never complete without the imported original versions opening up in Manila shores. 

The Mochi craze in Manila was started by Dezato (Read: Dezato Cafe - Home of the Yummy Mochi) and thenMochi Ice Cream was popularized by Mochiko when Mercato Centrale opened in 2010.  

Ever since then there  has been  a lot of Mochi offerings around the Metro and finally, an authentic mochi brand from the leading Japanese Mochi Deli opened recently – the Japanese Sweets Deli MOCHI CREAM.

Here are our Mochi Cream favorites: