2011 best list: Holiday food-to-go
By Vangie Baga-ReyesPhilippine Daily Inquirer
Avoid the rush. Plan your Noche Buena feast with these holiday food-to-go dishes that Inquirer Lifestyle has carefully chosen for your dining satisfaction and, of course, convenience.
Food orders come in handy in this season of jam-packed supermarkets and traffic jams. Save yourself from the hassle of cooking and slaving in the kitchen. All you have to do? Choose your cravings and pick up the phone.
Chinese-Style Leg Ham
What: This succulent ham spread should be a staple on your Yuletide dinner table. The cured meats with their golden-brown glazing are processed with special herbs and spices, and naturally smoked, making them distinct from other commercial hams.
The Chinese-style leg ham has magnificent size and appearance, and savory salty-and-sweet flavors. It comes with a glaze that’s gooey, sweet and a perfect complement to the delicious fat of the ham.
The American ham, smoked honey-cured flavor, is ideal for sandwiches or pica-pica with a glass of wine. The chicken ham is for those who don’t eat pork ham.
Price: Leg ham, P750/k (available in three kilos and up); American ham, P390/k; chicken ham, P390/k
Packaging: Hams are packaged in colorful boxes. Leg ham is placed in a basket then wrapped with cellophane and tied with gold ribbons. Call two days in advance. For pickup and free delivery within Quezon City.
Where: Josefina’s Ham (Josie Sioson), Jolly Boy Best Foods Corp., 87 Kanlaon St., Sta. Mesa Heights, QC; tel. 0917-8448160, 7402024 and 4140109; visit http://jollyboy.bravehost.com
Mediterranean Chicken
What: This juicy, tender, spice-laden roasted chicken makes a delectable Yuletide centerpiece. It’s actually a complete meal package per order. The chicken comes with pilaf rice, eight-piece homemade tortilla and tomato salsa with cilantro.
Created by chef Jyn Monteverde, this savory chicken offers well-blended spices—paprika, cumin, garlic, onions, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves, etc. According to Monteverde, she has created this chicken dish simply because she wants to steer the Filipino palette away from the usual lechon manok. She believes Filipinos can enjoy a wider range of tastes and flavors. This meal package is good for potluck parties.
Price: P750/order good for four-six persons. Extra rice, P150. Extra tortilla P75. Extra salsa P75. For pickup only. Call a day in advance.
Packaging: The chicken is securely wrapped in aluminum foil, covered with Styrofoam. It has chef Jyn’s signature tag. All dishes are nicely packed in dainty paper bag.
Where: Chef Jyn Monteverde, No. 38 Valencia St., Quezon City, tel. 0917-5280563, 0922-8358588 and 6222521.
Mud Pie
What: Consider this meal finale an indulgence, because nothing says decadence like real chocolatey flavor. This Mud Pie is deliciously light and creamy, a dense and nutty treat made 
with a chocolate-cashew-based mixture (better than brownies, really), topped with chocolaty fudge and a mound of whipped cream before it’s crowned with another swirl of chocolate fudge.
Mud Pie is just one of the irresistible creations of owner Gay Vazquez, who’s also popular for her Macadamia Sansrival.
Price: Mud Pie, P600 for a 9-inch pie plate. Keep refrigerated, not frozen. Order a day in advance. Macadamia Sansrival at P950.
Packaging: In aluminum pie plate, packed in Christmas box with gift tag
Where: From the Kitchen of Gay Vazquez, No. 35 Firefly St., Valle Verde, Pasig; tel. 0917-3010615 and 6310125.
Lechon de Leche
What: Your usual lechon gets a fab makeover with this lechon de leche extraordinaire. Crunchier, crispier and more flavorful, with pugon-cooked lechon stuffing that ranges from 
German (herbs with garlic bulbs and marble potatoes) to Christmas (Castañas rice with mushroom and cashew), Filipino (spicy sisig rice and binagoongan rice), French (fragrant truffle rice with mushroom) and Hawaiian (mangoes and pineapple). The rice stuffing tastes more flavorful as the juice of the lechon goes all the way into the rice.
Dedet de la Fuente-Santos learned how to roast through Reggie Aspiras. Santos also holds lechon degustacion in her house, serving appetizers, dessert and three kinds of lechon in one sitting.
Price: P6,500/7 k, good for 10-15 pax (German, Filipino, Hawaiian); Christmas and French P6,800/7k. Also, 14-kilo lechon good for 20-30 pax
Packaging: Lechon is put in a carton box covered with manila paper to maintain its crispness. For pickup only. Call three days in advance.
Where: Pepita’s Lechon (Dedet de la Fuente-Santos), No. 6 San Pablo St., Magallanes Village, Makati; tel. 0917-8660662 and 4254605
Gourmet Sausages
What: Tender juicy sausages that are an ideal prelude to a rich holiday meal. These gourmet sausages have many interesting blends—salty
and spiced, sour-ish and garlicky. Corporate chef Jayme Natividad makes sure the variety of Dinelli’s sausages available is maintained. Gourmet sausages are available cooked
and uncooked.
Price: Pork Bratwurst (white) P400/k; Italian Garlic (with pepper) P450/k; Frankfurter (plain) P410/k; Vienna Sausage (thin and plain) P410/k; Smoked Cheese (with cheese) P450/k. Cooking charge is P100, inclusive of sauerkraut, olives, sun-dried tomatoes. Available daily.
Packaging: Cooked sausages are placed on a platter with sidings and covered in plastic wrapper.
Where: Dinelli Gourmet, Bellagio II, Forbes Town Center (Burgos Circle), Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, tel. 6663544; Executive Lounge, Hotel Rembrandt, 26 Tomas Morato, QC, tel. 3733333 loc 301.
Roast Angus Corned Beef Brisket
What: Beef up that holiday banquet with these classic masterpieces of Roast Angus Corned Beef Brisket and Premium Whole Leg Ham. The beef melts in the mouth. The 20-year-old 
Angus beef recipe never fails to impress guests.
The wood-smoked Whole Leg Ham is baked fresh every day with choice herbs and spices. Both goodies are served with a selection of sauces: premium glaze, gutsy garlic, wasabe mayo, sweet mustard and horseyradish.
Price: Angus beef, P2,500/k; leg ham, P1,300/k (with bone); sliced ham, P1,400/k. Available daily, but for bulk order or whole slab, call a day in advance. For pickup and delivery within Makati area for a minimum of P500.
Packaging: White box with gold-foil logo and gold ribbon
Where: Go Gourmet, The Plaza (Millie Reyes and Karla Marina Reyes), 4/F Home Department, Ayala Ave., Makati; tel. 0933-4638583, 7290003 and 8908446; Petron Square, Edsa cor. Dasmariñas Village, A. Arnaiz Ave., Makati; tel. 8434267, 0917-5874267; GF BJS Compound, 1869 P. Domingo St., Makati. Also call 0917-7912865, 0922-5790695.
Original Lengua with Mushroom Sauce
What: How to amp the holiday feasting? Add lengua to your list. The meat is blanketed in rich and creamy mushroom sauce, and covered with chunks of carrots, mushrooms and potatoes.
Price: P2,200 good for 12-15 persons. For pickup only. Call three days in advance. Also available upon request, full-service catering menus to suit any budget for a minimum of 50 persons.
Packaging: Aluminum pan securely covered with plastic wrap
Where: Kate’s Gourmet Catering (Kata Bellosillo), No. 10-B MV del Rosario St.,Varsity Hills, QC.; tel. 0918-9335404 and 4408437
Maggi’s East Coast Turkey
What: It’s not only for Thanksgiving, but also for Christmas feasting. The turkey—with gravy, corn, cranberry and delicious stuffing—can be your scrumptious centerpiece, paired with Chicken Relleno, Meat Lasagna, Barbecue Chicken Salad and Chicken Sandwich. Nic’s Gourmet offers a wide range of gourmet spreads for all occasions.
Price: Turkey—P5,400/6 k (6-8 persons); P6,300/7 k (8-10 pax); P7,200/8 k (10-12 pax); P8,100/9 k (12-14 pax); P9,000/10 k (14-16 pax); and P9,900/11 k (16-18 pax). Order at least two days before pickup or delivery. Minimum purchase of P2,000 for free delivery. Chicken Relleno, P1,500 (6-8 servings); Barbecue Chicken Salad, P750 (6-8 servings)
Packaging: Turkey is in a basket wrapped in cellophane, with Christmas ribbons. Call at least a day in advance.
Where: Nic’s Gourmet Desserts (Rina Go), 172 A. Mabini St., San Juan; tel. 5711818, 0918-8193279, 5718783
Lechon Kawali
What: This dish will make a delectable addition to your buffet table. A whole slab of pork belly is deep-fried to golden perfection for that nice, crisp bite. To balance the taste, the savory 
morsel comes with okra-mango salad with homemade bagoong and garlic-onion vinaigrette.
This 10-year-old kitchen also serves Fried Hito with Balao-Balao, crispy fried catfish served with a mound of balao-
balao, a Kapampangan delicacy of fermented rice and shrimp, and wrapped in mustasa leaves.
Price: P650 per slab good for six people. For pickup and delivery with a minimum order of P500. Call a day in advance.
Packaging: An order of lechon kawali comes with wooden board, wrapped in sinamay.
Where: O Kitchen (Offie Benavidez), 188 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis, QC; tel. 6337958 and 0917-8150822
Paella Valenciana and Pollo Iberico
What: The full-flavored paella is an authentic Spanish dish prepared exactly the same way when El Comedor was still around in the ’70s till early 2000. Paella Valenciana offers seafood favorites—crab, prawns, chorizo, fish, mussels, etc. The tender Pollo Iberico, or baked chicken, is prepared and cooked with baked potatoes, cherry tomatoes, baked garlic, wine and olive oil.
Also a perfect addition to the Spanish-theme spread are Pastel de Lengua and Bread and Butter Pudding.
Marilen Lopez also holds Spanish cooking classes for small groups of 6-8 persons. She teaches the specialties of El Comedor.
Price: Paella—P400 (good for 2-3 persons), also available for 50-100 pax; Pollo Iberico—P1,600/jumbo; Pastel—P900/medium-size; Bread and Butter Pudding—P390/small; P700/medium. For pickup only.
Packaging: Lopez can lend her paellera to customers, or they can bring their own paellera.
Where: El Comedor’s Specialties (Marilen Lopez), 9 Magdalena St., Magallanes Village, Makati, tel. 0917-8335842 and 8524995
Osso Buco
What: Enjoy the tender, slow-stewed beef shank flavored with tomatoes, white wine and carrots. The thick tomato sauce is already a viand in itself.
Price: P1,500 good for 10 persons
Packaging: The chafing dish can be borrowed for free, but if customers don’t want the hassle of picking up and returning the chafing dish, they can choose from an aluminum container or microwaveable container.
For pickup and free delivery within Makati. Call two days in advance.
Where: Kusina ni Maria (Ding Bustalino), 1162 Antipolo St., Rizal Village, Makati; tel. 0917-5115313 and 8976639
Crab with Sotanghon
What: The fatty crab is cooked with the noodles, offering a complete meal in itself. Two other tempting treats are Crispy Salted Crab with black pepper and Steamed Butter Crab.
Julie Te’s sweet, firm and refreshing crabs are flown in daily from Zamboanga, Bacolod and Capiz. About 30-40 live crabs are supplied every day. The crabs are also exported to Singapore and Taiwan.
Price: P160/100 g depending on desired weight
Packaging: Wrapped in aluminum foil and packaged in Styrofoam. Free delivery within San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasig and New Manila. Call a day in advance.
Where: King Crab House (Julie Te), 327 P. Guevarra St., San Juan City, tel. 7238820 and 7238821; 707 Naia II, Barangay Sto. Niño, Parañaque, 8535235 and 8520097; 411 NS Amoranto St., Retiro, QC, 7497108
Gourmet Cheese Dip
What: This classy cheese spread topped with pesto is a perfect accompaniment to your Christmas chow. The dip, consisting of cream cheese and kesong puti, cuts through the richness of the pesto with stewed tomatoes in olive oil. The flavor simply bursts in your mouth. The creamy cheese with croutons, crostinis or biscuits makes perfect pass-around nibblers. Also ideal with wine.
Price: P300 per order. For pickup and free delivery within Alabang only.
Packaging: Takeaway plastic containers and packed in colorful Christmas boxes. Call a day in advance.
Where: Agnes Sahagun Umali, Alabang Hills; tel. 0917-3835717 and 8092206
Taguig Inutak
What: The humble rice cake goes a notch higher with this dessert called inutak. Never mind the unusual name; the delicacy has very soft and chewy texture, almost resembling sapin-sapin crossed with guinataan bilo-bilo. Inutak is said to be a famous delicacy from the kitchens of Taguig. Made from basic ground sticky rice (kaning malagkit) with hefty infusion of coconut cream (gata), the inutak is slowly baked with charcoal fire and best eaten while hot.
Jave is warm or cold with ice cream. This delicacy is packaged by the Marcelino siblings (Meann, Lisette, Joy, Paul, Kristina, Matthew, Joel, Michelle and Michael).
Price: Classic—small P120; big P350; Quezo de Bola—small P150; big P380
Packaging: Microwaveable aluminum pan. Deliver within Metro Manila for a minimum of P1,500. The packaging comes with reheating instructions. It’s packed in labeled, beribboned boxes.
Where: Kristina’s Inutak by M Siblings, tel. 5025922 and 0919-9917989, Mercato Central, Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-2 p.m.; Soderno in Alabang, Saturday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
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