Here are some food finds that rocked our taste buds recently. They could rock yours, too.
Savory ‘cremadettes’
Wildflour fans (us included) have gone crazy over cremadettes—flaky, crunchy caramelized puff pastries filled with all kinds of sweet goodness. They’re so popular, selling out really fast each day.
But Wildflour was just getting started. Now they’ve introduced cremadettes with savory fillings. That same perfect puff pastry stuffed with corned beef, cheddar, ham and cheese, honey chicken barbecue, and chorizo and cheese, creating a sweet, salty, crunchy, yummy gustatory delight. You have to try them. Just don’t ask us how many we’ve already eaten. (Wildflour is at Bonifacio Global City, Salcedo, Greenhills and The Podium; @wildflourmanila and @wildflourtogo on Instagram; Wildflourtogo.com)
Affordable fried chicken
“Have you tried Chicken Star?” my aunt asked me last week.
“You mean Hot Star?” I replied, referring to the Taiwanese franchise that serves enormous chicken fillets.
“No, Chicken Star,” she said, sharing how she first discovered the brand. Starving and desperate for a quick bite after a tutoring session, she spotted Chicken Star and bought fried chicken to eat in the car. After one bite, she was hooked.
The next day, she bought some for me to try. It took just one chicken wing to get me hooked, too. I ended up eating Chicken Star for three days straight.
Chicken Star, which has stores in different parts of the country, sells fried chicken for just P37 per piece (it’s P47 if you order from Grab or FoodPanda). They sell roasted chicken, too, and a host of other things but for me, the fried chicken is the star—it’s crunchy, juicy and crazy affordable. (facebook.com/ChickenStarPh)
Chilly burgers
For October, Filipino ice cream brand Sebastian’s is offering new flavors of its Chilly Burgers: Milk & Cookies (Chocolate Chunk Brown Butter Cookies, Fior Di Latte Ice Cream), Brownie Batter (Brownie Batter Chunk Chocolate Cookies, Milk Chocolate Ice Cream, more brownie batter), Berry White (White Chocolate Chunk Cream Cheese Cookies, Strawberry Ice Cream), Mango Salted Toffee (Salted Toffee Chip Cookies, Mango Ice Cream), and our pick, which is an homage to Coney Island’s Eskimo Roll, our favorite ’80s treat: Vanilla Classic (Chocolate Chip Cookies, Vanilla Ice Cream, rolled in chocolate chips and peanuts).
Their Ice Cream Cake of the Month shouldn’t be missed either: Blackout Cake—layers of devil’s food cake and chocolate pudding ice cream topped with chocolate frosting and Blackout Cake crumbs. It’s a rich treat that’s perfect for chocolate lovers. (sebastiansicecream.com)
‘Menudo seco’
Say menudo and I’d instantly think of the tomato sauce-based stew with pork, liver, carrots and potatoes. But The Pantry Project Manila’s take is different—this menudo isn’t red and it isn’t saucy. Theirs is inspired by recipes from Bulacan and Cavite (and what others might refer to as Menudo Tagalog) with a Spanish flair.
It’s so good it made me momentarily forget my aversion to raisins mixed in food. It’s meaty, rich and flavorful and will have you reaching for more rice. It’s good with pan de sal and egg, too, for a filling breakfast sandwich. (@pantryprojectmnl on Instagram)
Anniversary treats
When a friend was living in the States, on top of his pasalubong request list from the Philippines were Max’s Caramel Bars. Now, his favorite is available in new forms—Caramel Pocket Pie (caramel custard filling in a light, flaky pastry crust) and Birthday Caramel Bars, both introduced in time for Max’s anniversary.
Max’s is celebrating its 76th year with collaborations, freebies and new dishes. Apart from the reimagining of the popular Caramel Bars, there’s also the Sweet & Spicy Chicken, Buko Pandan Pocket Pie and the Pancit Combilao—a bilao that includes pancit canton plus seafood pancit canton, bam-i (or pancit Bisaya) and chami. The Combilao also comes with a dozen bread rolls and butter. (tel. 88879000; maxschicken.com)