Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 - Chef Robert

The last restaurant I visited for the Manila’s Signature Dishes 2010 is the namesake of the chef whose brains is behind the restaurant, Chef Robert. Chef Robert’s is a modest restaurant along Banawe Avenue in Quezon City. The feel of the restaurant is homey, and the food selection is just right.


That night, we were to try the Lengua ala Pobre set by Chef Robert Tan. It’s composed of a Caesar Salad dish for starters. The Caesar salad was better than a lot I have tried. It’s simple yet it works.



Next is the Lengua ala Pobre. The ox tongue was soft and tender, and it easily breaks in your mouth. The sauce was yummy and it’s not too overpowering. The serving though could be bigger, especially for a big eater like me, but the price was just right with the serving we got.



For dessert, we had the Blueberry Panna Cotta, which was rich and really flavorful. The panna cotta base was creamy and the sugar level was just right. I say it can stand-alone. The blueberry gave accents to the dish, and was refreshing altogether.



Of course, the meal would not be complete without a glass of Casillero del Diablo Sauvignon. Perfect :)

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you’re a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 - Pizza Hut Bistro's Lechon Pizza

Pizza Hut Bistro's Lechon Pizza is included in the Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 line-up. The first time I heard about this, I simply cannot imagine how it would be presented. I became curious as how it would taste, and how the whole package of this dish would be. Therefore, given the chance to try the Lechon Pizza, I visited their branch in Glorietta a day before the launch of the much talked about addition to Pizza Hut Bistro and Pizza Hut.



We were served a family-size Lechon Pizza. To my surprise, it smelled really good, and it tasted good as well. The whole pizza is just sinful, I am sure. More so, it came with a lechon sauce, or sarsa, that complemented the dish. Props to Pizza Hut for introducing the Lechon Pizza, a truly Pinoy classic inspired dish.



With this we were served the Seafood Supreme pasta wrap, which was made of shrimp, squid and scallops blended with tomato cream sauce topped with capers and basil. As they say, it's a truly supreme Pizza Hut dish!



Not included in the Pizza Hut Lechon Pizza set, but we tried it anyway, was the Supreme Combo Platter which was a sampler of chicken tenders, tropical shrimp, onion rings, and steak fries. YUMMY!



For the drinks, I suggest you try out their Smoothies, fresh juices, Milkshakes or their interesting new coffee collection. You won't go wrong with that :)



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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Barcino Wine Resto Bar

The last stop we made that first day was at Barcino in Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati, where we were scheduled to try out the Paella Valenciana Set by Chef Jaume Viñallonga. We almost didn't get to try the set because no one knew that we were supposed to visit that day, but everything was fixed after some calls. Yay! We were there for a mission, and we proceeded with the task. :)



Barcino is located along the stretch of restaurants at the ground floor of Greenbelt 2. It’s easily spotted because of its well-lit façade and inside, and is well known for its quality wines, spirits and alcohol.



We were there to try out the Paella Valenciana Set for the Manila’s Signature Dishes of Unilever Foodsolutions. First we were served the Ensalada Catalan, a salad dish – greens, tomatoes, onion, Spanish sausage or chorizo, egg, with a balsamic dressing. It’s unpretentious, straight to the point and refreshing.



The star of the night was the Paella Valenciana. Luckily, the paella was really good. The rice was boiled with shrimp. Manila clams, mussels and squid, with a saffron mix, according to Chef Castillo, and simmered down to perfection. The tastes were infused well into the dish, and created a wonderful meal. Two thumbs up for this.



Capping off the set was Crema Catalana. It’s a Spanish dessert, a Catalan version of the popular French Crème Brulee. I think it’s too sweet for my taste, but people with sweet tooth would definitely love this dessert. A glass of Casillero del Diablo wine would be really good with the set.



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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Outback Steakhouse

Unilever Foodsolutions and Casillero del Diablo wines really picked out great restaurants to include in the Manila’s Signature Dishes 2010. Next up in our list was Outback Steakhouse. We were met by the restaurant’s managing partner Dan Co, and served us with the Beef Tenderloin with Mustard Demiglace and Béarnaise Set.



We were given complimentary Bushman’s bread, or more commonly known as honey wheat bread, which was served with cream and placed on top of a chopping board. We loved the bread so much because of its taste and texture. We wanted more, but we had to save room for the set we were to try.



For starters, they served the Creamy Onion Soup, and the Crispy Calamari Salad. I loved the soup because it had a lot of onion in it, and it’s really creamy with 2 kinds of cheese on top of it. It’s very tasty, and a good starter. The Crispy Calamari Salad is made of generous servings of crispy fried calamari drizzled with garlic aioli dressing and served over a mix of fresh romaine lettuce, cabbage, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes. It’s topped with sliced olives, parsley and Parmesan shreds. It’s a great salad dish.




Now for the main course, we were served medium well Beef Tenderloin with Mustard Demiglace and Béarnaise. It’s made of 6oz of Australian beef tenderloin medallion, seasoned and seared to perfection, served on a bed of mustard demiglace and topped with béarnaise sauce. It’s served with a side of oven-roasted seasonal vegetables and pesto garlic mashed potatoes topped with Parmesan shreds and thyme. The beef was tender, and the sauce pairing was perfect. It’s best enjoyed with a glass of wine, a cabernet sauvignon to cap off a tasty meal.



This set is perfect for couples, and is something I would recommend to those who want to enjoy good food this holiday season.

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Fish Out of Water

About two weeks ago, my best friend and I received an e-mail informing of a mission for us to complete in the next few weeks, probably leading to mid-December. The mission: Try-out Manila’s Signature Dishes 2010, prepared by Unilever Food Solutions, and our say on the different dishes served to us.

It’s no easy task, mind you. But for the love of good food and good wine, we accepted the challenge; the only thing that worries me is the uncertainty of whether or not my clothes would still fit me once our mission is complete.



To start our 5-week long gastronomic adventure, we visited Fish Out of Water at Greenbelt 5, Makati. It was hard to find at first, knowing that the whole 3rd floor mainly features furniture and home accessories. Hidden from the sights of passers-by and mall-goers, the first thing that struck us was the huge lit circular sign that was shouting the word “FISH.” The place was a good mix of simplicity, elegance, and creativity. We met the friendly and very accommodating manager Jude, and were given a “sitting tour” of Fish Out of Water.

The Food: Thang Nang Crab Set



The set presented to us included a plate of greens called Cebuano Danggit Salad, a fusion of fresh salad greens, fried to the crisp danggit in honey mustard dressing. I’d say starting the food adventures with the right set, with the right salad was probably a positive indicator of good things to come. The ingredients used were all fresh and the vegetables had a light, sweet taste found only in good produce. Also, the taste produced when chewing on a mouthful of veggies, tomato, and danggit is simply indescribable—in a positive way, of course.



The main dish was the Thang Nang Crab, the origin of the set’s name. The idea behind the dish comes from a variety of influences but it is mostly a Thai crab dish. The presentation of the dish is just as interesting as the taste: a huge crab of at least 1 Kg sitting on top of a mountain of pasta. The flavour of the garlic really seeped into the crabmeat, giving diners the option of eating the crab and the spaghetti separately. One thing I learned from this dish is that one can never take spaghetti so lightly; I found myself stuffing my mouth every five seconds! It was difficult to steal a twirl of spaghetti though since my best friend also had quite the appetite for this dish’s awesome pasta.



To complement the set, manager Jude gave us a glass each of their fine tasting Chardonnay. Having eaten salad, seafood and pasta, it was only fitting to cleanse our palates with good chilled white wine. “It is the perfect way to end the meal,” my friend said what with us being too full from eating all those food. To our surprise, Jude had a final treat for us.

As any other meal should be closed with a sweet dessert, we were served their famous Barako Cheesecake, a light and semi-sweet, semi-strong tasting treat with real kapeng barako sprinkles.



We recommend this dish to our friends who enjoy eating well-balanced meal sets, with extra emphasis on garlic and cream. The experience was simply superb!

What more is that given the quality of service and the undeniable hospitality of the manager and the staff, we’ll surely be back to try more of their Asian inspired renditions of Filipino dishes.

Another glass of Chardonnay please!


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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Blog post courtesy of Yuri of Lost Tsinelas

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Red Crab Alimango House

My bestfriend and I are trying out Manila’s Signature Dishes 2010, prepared by Unilever Food Solutions. The first restaurant we went to was Red Crab Alimango House which is located at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center in Makati. Apparently, it is also one of the sister comapanies of the Fish Out of Water, Crustasia, and part of the Red Crab Group of restaurants.


At first you might notice that the ambiance in the restaurant is a bit gloomy, but wait until you try out their food selection from the newly revamped menu. The distinct characteristic of Red Crab Alimango House, compared to the other Red Crab Group of restaurants, is that it sticks more to the original Pinoy or Filipino taste, according to Sheila Pingul, the restaurant manager. Red Crab Alimango House offers buffet meals for lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (6pm-9pm).

Originally, we were to try out the King Seafood Platter Set by Chef Arman Alvarez, but since Red Tide broke in Bataan, they didn’t have supply of fresh shellfish (claims, mussels, etc) that time, Miss Sheila decided to do away with the King Seafood Platter, and replaced it with the Typhoon Shelter Crab instead, one of the bestsellers in the restaurant, and one of the dishes the Red Crab Group is famous for.

The set includes an order of the Crab Relleno Salad, the Typhoon Shelter Crab, which weighed more than a kilo, Grandma’s Chocolate Cake and a glass of Red Iced Tea, with a complimentary refill.


The Crab Relleno Salad is made up of lettuce, tamiaw leaves, 2 pieces of crab cakes or patties which made the dish alive and tasty, topped off with a sweet tamarind based dessing. The crab cakes/patties held the whole dish together. The greens were fresh and the overall taste is more than good.


The star of the night was the Typhoon Sheltered Crab, which is made of deep fried king crab in olive oil on a bed of efu egg noodles, topped with lots of garlic, tausi and chili. Although we preferred the way of cooking of the Thang Nang Crab, which is only available at Fish Out of Water, the Typhoon Shelter Crab is equally fresh, humongous and appetizing.

If you ask my family, they would say that I do not know how to eat a crab, because I only eat the pincers. But that day was different; I felt that I already needed to learn how to eat a crab properly. I used my hands in trying to get the crabmeat out. Luckily, we were successful in finishing the whole king crab.


To cap off the meal, they served us the Grandma’s Chocolate Cake for dessert. It’s made of layers of chocolate which adds to the really rich and delicious texture of the cake. One problem though, it’s just too sweet for my taste. Personally, the presentation was simple yet it worked.

One thing is for sure, you can never go wrong with Red Crab Alimango House when you are craving for different styles of cooking of crabs. I would definitely go back maybe to try out their Crabs Martiess. Yummy!



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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 by Unilever Foodsolutions

Experience Manila's Signature Dishes 2010. Every artist has a masterpiece. Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 is a collection of childhood memories, unforgettable travels, personal treasures and exciting experiences of chefs and restaurateurs expressed in a culinary experience across Metro Manila. Have a taste of the metro's signature dishes exclusively created for you by 16 of its finest restaurants.

So follow me and Lost Tsinelas as we take you to all of the 16 restaurants, share with you their exquisite food, paired with a glass of Casillero del Diablo wine, and enjoy ourselves in a gastronomic adventure, made possible by Unilever Foodsolutions. :)