Prompted by no one, but fueled by my job to try out new things to write about, I’m on a social media food hunt. There’s a thrill I get from combing through my feed for food.

Add to that how the convenience and the safer option of home deliveries injected some adventure into my food trips. Perhaps, it’s my way of compensating for the fact we can’t go out. Since I can’t explore physically, I’m going to let my palette travel. I also get a little kick knowing that I’m helping out home-based businesses and local brands as we navigate this new world.

These are what I’ve tried out so far and I’m sharing my recommendations with you.

Craving: Chicaron Bulaklak and Street Food Sisig

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDVYF76nU9M/?igshid=1arned8v4xj7d

Hit up Bulilit Kitchen. Stalk their Instagram account for their menu that consists of isaw, beef and pork sangers, and other gastronomical guilty pleasures. My favorite is the Street Food Sisig. Made up of bits from their isaw menu, lots of onions, and chili, I suggest you go for the 500g tub, especially if they’re a lot of you at home. I ordered it with their ready-to-fry chicharon bulaklak. All you need is to set-up your deep fry pan, and you’re in for a high-fat treat. Diet be damned.

Craving: Sweet Taiwanese Treats

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If you need a sweet merienda deal, check out how select branches of Yi Fang now have Grand Castella Mini boxes to pair with your milk tea. Grand Castella is by Master Baker Tai-Cheng Lu, who introduced Taiwan castella cakes to the Filipino commercial market. They’re filling and not-too-sweet. I like the Classic one, and I put a pat of my favorite jam on top.

Craving: Ube Cheese Ensaymada

https://www.instagram.com/p/CC8bgqqhL_C/?igshid=1abksruqiap1l

You’ve heard of ube cheese pan de sal. Have you considered how an ensaymada version could be better? I didn’t, too, until I took a bite of Ube Cheese Ensaymada/ Artisanal EnSHINEmada from Shine’s Scrumptious Creations. It’s soft, buttery, and that ube halaya inside gives it a unique sweet twist. Good with hot chocolate during rainy nights.

Craving: Milk Tea

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDQB8QPHywq/

If you want a DIY experience, there’s GallonTea. The name is due to how you can order from them a gallon of either milk or fruit tea. Yup! It’s like having a small tea shop at home, complete with your chosen sinkers. This is how you can mix your blend and experiment with as many combinations as you want. If they’re not a lot of you at home, one gallon can last you around four days as long as you keep it in the fridge.

Craving: Premium Brewed Coffee

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Tagged as “pourtable coffee”, Caldi Drip Coffee brings instant yet premium coffee at home. I notice how they’re often sold out, a sign that this gets a big vote from coffee aficionados. Caldi Drip Coffee is made from the best beans from Southeast Asia by a coffee lover who was inspired by the quality brews found in Japan.

Craving: Fresh Sashimi

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDqbDuVHYDQ/

At first, I was skeptical about how safe it was to order seafood from Instagram. I gave in when the algorithm always showed me the posts of happy Santino’s Seafoods customers. On a whim, I sent the account a DM and quickly found that their promises are true. They’re efficient and polite in processing your order, and they’re good on their same-day delivery schedule. I like how there is no need to book and pay a different delivery service. Most important of all, the product is fresh and delicious. I ordered the Mixed Tuna and Salmon Platter, a steal at PHP1,200 for 800g. I also got a tub of Kilawin and immediately wished I got more because it’s that perfect vinegar-ginger-chili delicious. Caution: It tastes better with lots of steamed white rice.

Craving: Fresh Aklan oysters

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDWKZQ6jOYG/

Similar to Santino’s, I was a little hesitant about getting fresh oysters online. As a responsible editor, though, I went ahead and investigated by getting 12 pieces of oysters from Lambat. I had fun shucking them (It can be tricky, so watch a tutorial and if you can, get a shucking knife) since they’re big oysters and some of them come with bonus baby oysters attached! Lambat also earns the stamp of approval from chefs like JP Anglo and Jacqueline Laudico along with Foodee Global Concepts’ Eric Dee and Department of Tourism Secretary Bernadette Romulo-Puyat. They offer as well clams and lobsters plus special sauces for your seafood recipes.

Photo courtesy of Bulilit Kitchen