It’s Christmas! Do yourself a favor by spending more time with your loved ones—and leaving all the cooking to the kitchen experts.
Now on its fourth year is Lifestyle’s list of best holiday food-to-go dishes that will help make your Yuletide celebration less stressful. From healthy red rice salad to traditional roast lamb leg to chicken pie to bone marrow steak pie, these dishes taste just as good as they look!
Bone Marrow Steak Pie
What: It’s a to-die-for dish, literally and figuratively. This hearty pie is brimming with thinly sliced beef made richer with cheese. It’s served with mashed potatoes on the side to cut through the richness of the fatty marrow.
Another must-try is the Crispy Pork Knuckles prepared with three sauces—hoisin, gravy and bistek. It comes with warm tortilla wraps and is eaten similar to Peking duck.
Price: Bone Marrow Steak Pie with Mashed Potatoes, P550; Crispy Pork Knuckles, P450. For dine-in and pick up only. Call a day in advance.
Maker: Mudpie Heaven, owned by Chikky and Ashley Cayuca, Schinina Juban, Chris Lutz and Greg Slaughter
Where: Mudpie Heaven, Circuit Makati; tel. 7930479.
Pork Barbecue
What: Soft, tender and juicy pork barbecue marinated in chef Jessie Sincioco’s special aromatic spices and herbs, combining sweet, salty, smoky and spice-laden flavors in one bite. It’s best eaten with Homemade Atchara.
Trust Sincioco to create a complete holiday meal package to go with the meat dish—Heart of Palm in herbed crepe pouch, super moist Chocolate Orange Fudge Cupcake topped with cacao de bola and Crepe Samurai.
Price: Pork BBQ, P50/stick, minimum of two dozens per order; Homemade Atchara, P300/bottle; Heart of Palm, P50/pc, minimum of two dozens per order; Chocolate Orange Fudge Cupcake, P300/pc; Crepe Samurai
For dine in and pick up only. Call three days in advance.
Maker: Chef Jessie Sincioco
Where: Chef Jessie Rockwell Club, G/L, Amorsolo Square, Amorsolo Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati City; tel. 8906543, 8907630, 4502996.
Becky’s sweet treats
What: For 29 years, Becky’s Kitchen has been making dessert lovers happy with its best-selling Fudge Brownies, Lemon Squares, Food for the Gods, Rhum Cake Loaf and Fruitcake. What’s nice about these sweet treats is that they’re readily available all year round, and are consistently good in taste and flavor.
Price: Food for the Gods, P350/box; Rhum Cake Loaf, P350; Fruitcake, P440
Maker: Becky’s Kitchen, Rebecca Paras Villegas
Where: 1061 P. Ocampo St. corner Bautista St., Malate, Manila; tel. 5251648 and 5234245
Chicken Pie Deluxe
What: A very filling dish that will make a delicious addition to your holiday table. It has chunks of chicken, carrots, mushrooms, asparagus and hard-boiled eggs in creamy white sauce. A perfect snack before the clock strikes midnight is freshly baked ensaimada with salted egg, ham and cheese.
Price: Chicken Pie Deluxe, P650/family size 8-inch round; party size P1,200. Ensaimada with Salted Egg, P80/pc; Ensaimada with Salted Egg, Ham and Cheese P100/pc. Order three days in advance. For pick up only.
Maker: Rossana Hwang, Pink Mixer Bakery
Where: 2/F, Petron Gas Station, Edsa cor. Pasay Road, Dasmariñas Village, Makati City; tel. 5518456, 0917-8526791
Glazed Turkey Breast Ham
What: With traditional ham as your holiday centerpiece, you’re good to go. Take a pick from any of these well-cured, herb-spice-laden hams, such as the Glazed Bone-In Chinese-Style Leg of Ham that has extra-juicy, sweet-salty tender meat; Chicken Ham stuffed with homemade galantina; Glazed Chinese-Style Boneless Christmas Ham that’s a perfect accompaniment for breads; Smoked and Glazed Honey-Cured American Ham that’s ideal as party finger food; and Turkey Breast Ham that has a golden brown glaze and is naturally smoked. Also available are Galantina Rolls with herb-cream sauce.
Price: Chinese-Style Leg of Ham, P1,050/kilo (minimum of three kilos); Boneless Christmas Ham, P650/kilo (minimum of one kilo); American Ham, P450/kilo; Chicken Ham, P450 with additional P150 for chicken galantina stuffing; Turkey Breast Ham, P850/600 g; Galantina Rolls, P100/250 g. Call two days in advance. For pick up and free delivery for bulk orders within Quezon City.
Maker: Josefina’s Ham, Jolly Boy Best Foods Corp. (Josie Sioson)
Where: 87 Kanlaon St. corner Maria Clara St., Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City; tel. 7402024, 5144448, 7434238 or 0917-8448160.
Roast Lamb Leg
What: A well-thought-out dinner feast guarantees a superb Christmas celebration. So keep these dishes in your must-have list—Roast Lamb Leg, slow-cooked roast Australian Lamb Leg with garlic and rosemary served with mint jelly and lamb au jus; and Smoked Salmon Caviar, a mix of Norwegian Smoked Salmon lined with dill cream cheese and black caviar.
Cap the meal with any of these desserts—White Truffle Honey Cake, a mix of truffle and honey in between layers of white choco cake, topped with silver chocolate pearls; Gingerbread Cake, a sweet treat of ginger, dried cranberries and cinnamon frosting; Stick Date Cake with cherries, cranberries, pineapple and pistachios; and Carrot Walnut Cake with the right blend of carrots, walnuts and cream cheese frosting.
Price: Roast Lamb Leg, P7,800 for 10-15 persons; Smoked Salmon Caviar, P1,800; Truffle Honey Cake, P295 (personal), P1,100 (midi); Gingerbread Cake, P795; Stick Date Cake, P995; Carrot Walnut Cake, P795. Order a day in advance. For dine in and pick up only.
Maker: Bizu Patisserie (Annabel Tanco)
Where: Greenbelt 2, Ayala Center, Makati City; G/F, Corte de las Palmas, Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City; The Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City; G/F, Concession Area, St. Luke’s Medical Center, Taguig City; G/F, One
Rockwell-West Tower, Rockwell Center, Makati City; Robinsons Magnolia, New Manila, Quezon City.
Visit www.bizupatisserie.com; tel. 7572498, 8092498, 7242498, 7897700, 4787755, 6645904
Chicken Galantina
What: The traditional chicken galantina is usually a whole deboned chicken stuffed with ground pork, chorizo de bilbao, olives, carrots, raisins and boiled eggs, wrapped in cheesecloth and simmered in homemade chicken stock. It is usually served cold with potato salad, or as a sandwich filling.
Chef Dorothy Ferreria’s version uses the same stuffing, laid out in a loaf pan with a layer of marinated deboned chicken thighs in the middle, topped with bacon and served with raspberry sauce instead of the usual white or brown sauce.
Price: P1,100, good for 8-12 slices depending on desired thickness. Order three days in advance. For pick up only.
Maker: Chef Dorothy Ferreria
Where: Panay Avenue, Quezon City; tel. 9618682 or 0918-6260632
Fresh/Fried Lumpiang Ubod
What: Essential accompaniment to your meat-heavy holiday spread should be this plump, filling and fresh lumpiang ubod (julienned heart of palm). The
paper-thin, egg-enriched wrapper simply melts in the mouth. It comes with a strong garlicky brown sauce. The fried lumpia is also invitingly good with its crunchy skin and chewy ubod filling.
Price: Fresh Lumpiang Ubod, P1,000/25 pc; Fried Lumpiang Ubod, P750/25 pc; Frozen Lumpiang Ubod is also available at P550/25 pc. Call two days in advance. For pick up only.
Maker: Bud’s by Ana May de Leon
Where: No. 1 Manga Road corner Balete Drive, New Manila, Quezon City; tel. 7218231 and 0905-4775016.
Red Rice Salad
What: A healthy noche buena? Why not? This Red Rice Salad is your best bet for a satisfying and nourishing meal. It’s a Korean version of paella, seasoned with a mixture of Korean and Japanese ingredients and crowned with seared tuna slices, shrimp and shredded lettuce.
Another must-try is the Fresh Mushroom Pasta with Truffle Oil, fettuccini noodles fused with slices of fresh shiitake and button mushrooms, white cream and truffle paste.
Price: Red Rice Salad, P1,800 good for 10 persons; Fresh Mushroom Pasta with Truffle Oil, P2,000 good for 10 persons. Call a day in advance. For pick up only.
Maker: Dulcelin Gourmet, Linda Montenegro Morelos
Where: No. 36 Times St., West Triangle, Quezon City; tel. 3742165, 3742167, 0917-5352592 and 0917-5138822
Bone-In Christmas Ham Leg
What: Nothing feels more like a family fiesta than this Christmas classic—Bone-In Ham Leg especially created by Gilmore Gourmet. Owner Bunny Fabella says she uses hogs fed on fresh vegetables, rootcrops, fruit and other edible greens found only in the northern part of Bulacan. The hams, available all year round, are cured with nitrite-free rub made with Asian herbs and spices, without any chemical preservatives, and is then baked for hours.
The result is a rich but delicate, subtly sweet flavor that does not overwhelm. Each ham is dressed and plated handsomely on a ceramic platter, with a pot of homemade sauce and garnished with slices of seasonal fruit, so you can take it straight to your holiday table.
The juicy, spice-laden Whole Chicken Hams also makes for an impressive noche buena centerpiece. It’s well-cured with no chemical preservatives. An order comes with caramelized sweet potatoes and a pot of homemade sauce.
Price: Bone-In Ham Leg, P1,200/kilo, average ham size is 6-6.5 kilos; Whole Chicken Hams, P750. Call one week in advance. For pick-up and delivery. Free delivery within Mandaluyong City.
Maker: Gilmore Gourmet, Inc. (Bunny Fabella)
Where: 394 Shaw Boulevard, Barangay Pleasant Hills, Mandaluyong City; tel. 5325695 and 6554955
Blockbuster
What: Make more room on your buffet table for this special holiday package meal ideal for big families and groups of friends. It consists of Trio Cheese, hand-tossed thin crust pizza with creamy white sauce, mozzarella, cheddar and cream cheese with a combination of lettuce, alfalfa sprouts and tomato salsa; half slab of Baby-Back Ribs; creamy Carbonara with three kinds of mushrooms, ham and bacon bits; steamed rice and house-blend iced tea. These dishes can also be ordered à la carte.
Price: Blockbusters, P950 good for 4-6 persons. For dine-in, pick up and delivery. Available daily.
Maker: Café Nenzo, Chino Lorenzo Abacan
Where: No. 85 Scout Gandia St., Diliman, Quezon City, tel. 0915-5192233; Esperanza Mall, MacArthur Highway, Meycauayan, Bulacan, tel. (044) 3230182 and 0906-2332233
Vegetarian Feast
What: For a change, let these delightful vegetarian dishes take centerstage, starting with Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls with Peanut Sauce, followed by Lemon and Basil Cream Linguine.
For a more filling treat, go for the Meatless Pinoy BBQ, Korean Shredded Spareribs and a combo of The Good Tocino, Tapa and Longganisa.
Price: Fried Vegetable Spring Rolls, P600/tray (48 bite-size pc); Lemon and Basil Cream Linguine, P800 good for 6-8 persons; Meatless Pinoy BBQ, P650/12 sticks; Korean Shredded Spareribs, P900 good for 6-8 persons; The Good Tocino, Tapa and Longganisa, P200/pack for 4-6 persons. For dine-in and pick up only. Call three days in advance.
Maker: The Vegetarian Kitchen, Camille S. Acosta and Kiko Soliongco
Where: No. 62-B Mother Ignacia Ave., Barangay Paligsahan, Quezon City; tel. 5447733, 0915-8300511, 0906-4362533, 0920-8690221
Cheese Buffet
What: Craving for cheese of whatever variety? Look no further. Enjoy your fave cheese variants, presented beautifully in a buffet spread, such as Brie Bridel and Camembert (creamy); Mozzarella and Chevre (fresh); Gouda, Gruyere and Manchego (nutty); Cheddar (sharp); and Gorgonzola, Cambozola and Stilton (funky).
There’s also raclette buffet and cheese fondue. The cheeses come with crackers, crostinis, bread sticks, fruits, nuts and wines.
Price: Packages for assorted cheese buffet and raclette buffet start from P9,000, good for 30 people or more.
Maker: La Petite Fromagerie, Karla Marina Reyes
Where: Mandaluyong City; tel. 7256205 and 0917-7912865