There’s a new store that teases and caters to our cravings; though small in size, it is filled with sinfully delicious merchandise.
The Food Bin opened two months ago and, from what I gather, it was an after-thought.
When cycling enthusiasts and brothers Joby and Kiko Oreta, along with their friend Jevis Aguila, opened the bicycle shop “Azione” in the Oreta compound (which is also home to Wham! Burgers, along Katipunan Ave. and Boni Serrano), their wives, Gabby, Ali and Mica, respectively, quickly thought of putting the unoccupied mezzanine floor of the shop to good use.
The ladies sought their husbands’ permission, hoping that they’d agree to the idea of opening a store, the kind, according to Gabby Oreta, “that we could fill up with food items that all three of us would certify as unique, good tasting and the best in its class.”
And like all good husbands do, they said yes!
Having friends and contacts in the United States, Japan and Hong Kong, the wives started ordering their favorite things. Slowly, their product line expanded to include Chorizo, Breakfast Sausages, Panda Express Sauces, Bacon Slabs from Manhattan, pickled green mango, homemade ice cream, rumcake, coffee—foodstuff both from overseas and local sources.
Cookie Butter
The store came to my attention when I got home last Monday to find the most delectable of spreads, a jar of Cookie Butter by Trader Joe’s—and even happier to have found out that The Food Bin has a steady supply of it.
Cookie Butter is similar in color and texture to peanut butter, though not quite, since the former belongs to a class all of its own. This ultra-smooth and overly silky spread tastes like a rich, perfectly spiced ginger bread cookie dough in über creamy form.
Absolutely sinful, it is difficult to choose from the two variants (the creamy and the crunchy). To stop the confusion, it is best to get both! To describe this product in words is difficult.
The spread is like Christmas in a spoon, so satisfying! The taste—the hints of spice, the sweetness, the creaminess, the crunchy bits—is like a spoon of happiness!
It can be eaten any which way: with bread, pancakes, waffles, over ice cream, or with pretzels as the bottle suggests. But spooned straight off the jar is just as good.
Japanese steaks
Another product that The Food Bin sells are the Japanese steaks that melt in your mouth. They are so delicious when grilled with salt and pepper.
The caramel biscuits are really nice, too, like graham with a deep caramel undertone. Crisp and perfect with tea!
The store, likewise, has the following items: Yancey’s Fancy Flavored Cheeses from New York (Roasted Garlic Cheddar, Champagne Aged Cheddar, Double Cream Cheddar); Flavored Sea Salts (Rosemary, Chili Peppers, Roasted Garlic, Lemon); Lemon Curd; Cocoa Batons; Panda Express Sauces; Fig Butter; and even Mrs. Stiffler’s Cookie Butter Ice Cream.
The products are interesting, ever-changing and always exciting. The ladies vow to keep it that way; they constantly search for tasty treats to delight our palates with.
A surprise and a challenge
In a nutshell, The Food Bin has something to satisfy any taste and flavor that you will come to fancy within the course of a day—be it sweet, salty, spicy or creamy. It is one of those places that pleasantly surprises you with more than you expected.
The three wives who, after opening their store recently, are now able to sell their products faster than they can display them. Gabby said that it has been quite a pleasant surprise as well as a challenge. People have been buying the products in a manner that is quite unbelievable.
Log on to www.facebook.com/TheFoodBin. Call tel. nos. 4375255 and 0922- 3566261.
Cutting boards
Last week, I wrote about my favorite Phytoncide Cutting Boards. The ones that are easy to use come color-coded and “are not just easy to clean but can be sterilized inside the microwave for a minute, to kill up to 99 percent of bacteria,” according to the literature on the package. (The word “just” was omitted from the sentence… The chopping boards are really very easy to clean.)
And for those curious about the process of having to sterilize it in the microwave, it is the heat that activates the antimicrobial organic compounds. But then there is no need to sterilize them after each and every use, as a good washing leaves them pristine.
The cutting boards are perfect for light kitchen tasks such as slicing and chopping. To get a set or two of these nifty cutting mats, call 3592821, 0917-8424140 or 0939-9292929.
My new cooking class schedules are out. For information or reservations, call 4008496, 9289296, 0917-5543700 and 0908-2372346.
