UTT 8.0 NBC Tent

UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #1:
JAM FOODS

^4.58

217 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
  61 foodies rated 4- I love it!
  32 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
     2 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
     0 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

We’ve loved JAM Foods Tapa ever since we discovered it in Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 (read:  Oh, Tapa of My Dreams!), where it was the overall winner.

Numerous foodies regard it as the Best Tapa in Manila because of its flavorful, bacon-like taste. They also now have the lean tapa version, but we like our tapa with little strips of fat. 🙂

They introduced their latest innovation in UTT 8–the Angus Beef Salpicao, which are chunks of beef cube goodness. They are sold as pre-packed Salpicao that you can cook and enjoy at home with your family.

The foodies have spoken… It’s the best food in the Global Gastronomy Event! Congratulations to the two-time Overall winner of the Ultimate Taste Test Challenge! Congrats, JAM Foods!

Related Blog Post: Ultimate Taste Test 4.0 Overall Winner:  Oh, Tapa of My Dreams!

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #2:
MASATAMI SHAVE ICE

^4.39

194 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
  60 foodies rated 4- I love it!
  38 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  12 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
    4 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

Masatami Shave Ice offers really fine ice shavings (finer than the crushed ice used in snow cones). The concept was inspired by the shave ice desserts in Taiwan.

Their equipment creates flavored ice blocks, and the best I’ve tasted is the Swiss Cheese flavor. You can really taste the cheese and creaminess in the ice itself. It’s already like ice cream in consistency but with the texture of shaved ice. Kids would love the playful colors of the rainbow shave ice.

A lot of foodies enjoyed Masatami as evidenced by the long lines during the Global Gastronomy event. Congratulations to Masatami for winning the Top 2 spot in Ultimate Taste Test 8.0!

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #3:
HAPADOG!

^4.32

106 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
122 foodies rated 4- I love it!
  90 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  28 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
    0 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

 
CALIFORNIPPON DOG (P175 and P90 half-a-hapa). California roll toppings – avocado/mango, cucumber, tamago, kani, ebiko, nori flakes with a choice of Japanese or Wasabi Mayo.
TEMP-TATION DOG (P175 and P90 half-a-hapa). Tempura hotdog, grated Daikon radish, Tentsuya sauce, Green Onions.
KAT’S MEOW (P175 and P90 half-a-hapa). Tonkatsu hotdog, bonito flakes, pickled radish, choice of Japanese or Wasabi Mayo.

HAPA is “a slang of mixed racial heritage with partial roots in Asian and/or Pacific Islander ancestry“.  So, HAPADOG is a gourmet hotdog that is 50% Japanese and 50% American. The combination of Asian flavors and toppings with really good hotdog and bun can be very addicting.

We love the Californippon, which is a cross between a California roll and a hotdog, and Kat’s Meow because of the bonito flakes and tonkatsu-style hotdog. But we are just addicted to the taste of the hapa-pasta–and the best for us is the Shifudo, which is a seafood, Japanese cream-based spaghetti.

Congratulations to the Hapadog team of Khristine Ong, Karen Ong and Ray Serion for making it to the Top 3 in Ultimate Taste Test 8.0!

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #4:
THE CHEESE STEAK SHOP

^4.21

198 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
120 foodies rated 4- I love it!
  82 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  14 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
    0 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

The Cheese Steak Shop is our favorite Philly Cheese Steak place in Manila because of the tasty steak meat, topped with sweet and hot peppers, enveloped in Amoroso rolls. We think it’s just awesome.

Related Blog Post: The Cheese Steak Shop: Authentic Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich, Anyone?

Foodies at the Ultimate Taste Test 8.0 agreed with us. It’s no wonder then that the top 4 spot in the Global Gastronomy challenge went to The Cheese Steak Shop. Congratulations!

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #5:
BLUE TOQUE

^4.1

142 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
  98 foodies rated 4- I love it!
  66 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  10 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
   2 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

The Ultimate Mousse (a Blue Toque Special).

The moment I tasted Blue Toque’s THE ULTIMATE Gourmet Mousse Cake, I knew it would win a spot in the Top 10 of Ultimate Taste Test 8. It was so smooth; its Belgian Chocolate had a yummy nutty and chocolate-y taste; and it had a balanced creamy and crunchy texture.  Di nakakasuya — a great product indeed from Blue Toque!

Some foodies also liked their Cream Cheese Brownies that had a generous cream cheese topping.

(Read this back story from Anne: Anne’s Lab Life | Ultimate Taste Test #8: Global Gastronomy)

Congratulations, BLUE TOQUE, for winning the #5 spot in Ultimate Taste Test 8.0! Blue Toque is also the overall winner in the dessert/cakes category. 🙂

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #6:
BARNEYS BURGER

^4.1

188 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
158 foodies rated 4- I love it!
  88 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  26 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
    0 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

I first tasted Barneys Burger at Midnight Mercato. One thing that stood out about it for me was the burger patty — malinamnam.

There are a lot of burger sellers applying in Mercato Centrale, but most of them get rejected because of their mediocre taste, but not Barneys. (Although the burger bun they use can be improved. Right now, it resembles the local monay bread that can’t hold the patty well.) It has an interesting history, which started in 1988 in Guagua, Pampanga.

Congratulations, Barneys Burger, for winning Ultimate Taste Test 8.0: Global Gastronomy Top Spot #6!

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #7:
KRISTINA’S INUTAK

^4.1

136 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
114 foodies rated 4- I love it!
 64 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  14 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
    4 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

Kristina’s Inutak is an inspiring example of food entrepreneurs embracing their heritage by showcasing their own sweet local delicacy (in this case Taguig), packaging it well and marketing through local food markets and social media.

So, what’s Inutak like? Marry the smoothness of tibuk tibuk (but use coconut milk instead of carabao’s milk) and the flavors of sapin sapin, and you’ll get this wonderful treat that is best eaten warm and topped with homemade vanilla ice cream. 🙂 Most foodies prefer the original flavor.

It’s a two-time winner of the Ultimate Taste Test series (UTT7.0 and UTT8.0). Congratulations!

(Read: Ultimate Taste Test 7.0 Winner #10: Taguig’s Inutak! with 3.57 rating)

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #8:
BISTROLOGY

^3.84

110 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
114 foodies rated 4- I love it!
104 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  22 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
    6 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

3-Cheese Arancini Rice Balls (35/pc, P100 for 3pcs.). Parmesan Risotto with Molten Cheddar Mozzarella in the middle and topped with Yummy Aligue Sauce!

Foodies at the Ultimate Taste Test 8 loved these bite-sized, soft and tasty creations. The just-right aligue flavor went well with the molten cheese.

Congratulations to Bistrology for making it to the Top 10 of UTT8!

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #9:
MISONO EXPRESS

^3.83

150 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
136 foodies rated 4- I love it!
  96 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  56 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
    6 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

From the original Iloilo creators of the Crave Burger comes a budding Japanese quick-service resto concept offering beef cooked teppanyaki-style and fried chicken with a Japanese-inspired sauce.

I personally like the flavor of the sauces and the quality of the beef used. It’s no wonder they had one of the popular stalls during UTT8 Global Gastronomy.

Congratulations, MISONO EXPRESS!

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UTT8: Global Gastronomy Winner #10:
BAKED BITES

^3.80

58 foodies rated 5- Awesome! I would recommend it!
87 foodies rated 4- I love it!
85 foodies rated 3- We had a good time.
  7 foodies rated 2- It is OK.
  3 foodies rated 1- Thanks, but it could be better.

NUTELLA ROCKS (P45/each)

Sometimes you get sick and tired of bakers just copying whatever’s the “in” thing to bake and sell in the market — from red velvet cupcakes to different versions of brownies and food for the gods.

So, when you get to taste a unique innovation that’s yummy and unforgettable, you can’t help but rave about it. Just like how foodies at Ultimate Taste Test 8 kept on raving about Baked Bites’ Nutella Rocks!

My first impression was that it looked hard and would probably be the usual brownie (just in circular form). Well, that first impression didn’t last. It was moist and chewy; its hazelnut taste was spot-on; and its cute, rock-like cookie sandwich shape was charming. What’s not to love?

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