Check out QC’s newest foodie hotspot: Four Seasons Buffet and HotpotCubao

Good news is in store for Quezon City—the newest foodie hotspot in town has opened its second branch at Manhattan Parkview, Araneta Center. The creators of Vikings Luxury Buffet and NIU by Vikings bring you Four Seasons Buffet and Hotpot. A restaurant that provides a customizable, fresh and healthy dining experience for celebrating special occasions, or for when you simply want to enjoy a top-notch meal.

Kick back and take in the ambiance as you enjoy one of the Philippines’ best buffets. Four Seasons Buffet and Hotpot has several impressive stations, and patrons can take their pick of their meat, seafood, vegetables, appetizers, desserts, Japaneseand bar options. Indulge your imagination and make the dish of your dreams with their wide selection of broths, noodles, meat, toppings and sauces. The Cubao branch also offers a pasta station and a carving station.

For P688 for weekday lunches and P888 for weekday dinners, weekends and holidays, diners can choose from chicken, pork, fish, vegetable and crowd favorite sinigang as a soup base. Combined with their selection of noodles, decorate your soup with fresh or frozen dumplings, specialty balls, your favorite protein and choice of vegetables. Select from Sate, Szechuan, Tomato and Chinese Herbs. Amp up the flavor with the many dipping sauces available. Cook it in your personal hotpot, andexperience being a chef for a day!

With so many components and combinations, the possibilities are truly endless.

Cubao’s dining scene just got a whole lot better with Four Seasons Buffet & Hotpot! Visit them at the G/F, Manhattan Parkview, General Roxas Avenue, Araneta Center, Quezon City. Open every day for lunch from 11AM to 2:30PM, and for dinner from 5:30PM to 10PM. Learn more about hotpot dining here, or visit http://www.fourseasonshotpot.com.ph/ for more details.

See you at Four Seasons Buffet & Hotpot!

Zomato: Bringing Restaurants to the Digital Age

The Internet has revolutionized our way of life by making access to information easier. Now, every bit of information is literally just a click away. With the internet being an integral part of our everyday life, consumers increasingly go online to research for options before making decisions, like deciding where to eat.

With this fact in mind, food businesses are now taking advantage of what the web can do for them. Today, the food industry is investing time and effort in creating and sustaining their digital visibility to promote their services and goods online. And because these avenues have wider reach, promotion has never been easier, faster, and more effective.

According to Zomato, an online and mobile restaurant search and discovery service, having websites and social media accounts allows restaurants to create more buzz in the online space.

“If you are visible online, especially on Zomato, the searcher will eventually find you, out of a great number of restaurants within an area,” says Anton Ojeda, Zomato Philippines country manager. “By the time you’re shortlisted, it will just depend on the food preference of the searcher to choose you.”

Being visible in the digital space is like hitting two birds with one stone for the food industry. Ojeda adds that having digital presence does not only promote a brand, it also opens the communication line between restaurants and their patrons. “Being present in the digital space is not just about letting people know about your brand. It is about reaching out to them,” Ojeda said.

Through comments and feedbacks, restaurants are informed of how consumers find their services and food. Today, because of social media, consumers can freely say what they think about a particular restaurant, both positive and negative. Zomato found out that reviews by food bloggers as well as everyday diners play an important part when picking out a place to eat. “Filipinos have the habit of researching about a restaurant before actually eating there, and they rely on reviews they find in the Internet,” states Ojeda.

On the other hand, consumers can also give negative feedback through social media, which, as Ojeda says, restaurants take seriously. “In Zomato, restaurant owners can reply to bad reviews,” shares Ojeda. “You’d be surprised how seriously they take these reviews and how quickly they would take actions to address them. And even those with a lot of good reviews would reassess their operations after just one negative feedback from a user.”

Generally, having digital visibility plays an important part in the success of the food industry. It can either make or break the business. One just really needs to be wise enough to take advantage of its benefits, and use any negativity as a catalyst to make the venture grow.

Building a restaurant’s online presence and promoting brands in the digital age will be one of the topics in the first local Zomato Restaurant Summit to be held on May 19. The event, which has the theme Conquering the Digital Age, will bring together restaurateurs and foodies to talk about how restaurants can level up their games in the digital stage. Other topics include the evolution of Philippine restaurants and food tourism. For more information about the Summit, visit https://www.facebook.com/ZomatoSummit.

For more information on how to use Zomato, click here to see my previous post: http://www.thereyoujho.com/2015/02/zomato-101-discover-great-places-to-eat.html

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About Zomato

Zomato (http://www.zomato.com/) is an online and mobile restaurant search and discovery service, providing in-depth information for over one million restaurants across 22 countries. Zomato's core content features include menus, photos, and geocoded coordinates for restaurants. It currently serves over 80 million monthly visitors globally.

Zomato was founded in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah. The company is present in over 100 cities across India, the UK, Ireland, Canada, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, UAE, South Africa, New Zealand, the Philippines, Portugal, Brazil, Chile, Turkey, Indonesia, Lebanon, Sri Lanka, and Qatar. Zomato recently acquired Urbanspoon, marking its entry into the United States and Australia.

Media Contact:

Shayne Gualin

Media Relations, TeamAsia

0917 881 3722

Maginhawa StrEAT Park: The Street to Eat

I have always wanted to try eating at Maginhawa Street in Quezon City because of all the noise it has been making recently. Some of my relatives have also nothing but great stories about restos in the area, so an invitation to visit Maginhawa Street was something I did not want to miss. Thanks, Sam for the invitation!

When I learned about Maginhawa StrEAT Park, I first thought of it as a STREET food park like a festival type they did before, so when we arrived in the roads of Maginhawa street, I was a little worried that we might have missed the event. Then I saw #91 Maginhawa street with lots of people inside and a bonfire! Yes, that was my landmark because the invite said there'll be a bonfire.

Before I share my experience, let me tell you about StrEAT Park first,

StrEAT: Maginhawa Food Park is a mother-daughter business run by Ms. Kitty and Chesca Del Castillo. Originally planned to be a building, they explored other options to utilize the space. Kitty's experience in food industry (creator of Starr's Famous Shakes) made for a perfect match with the concept and business model crafted by her daughter, marketing planner and graphic designer.

And can I just say, they make a great team because Streat is such a nice idea than a building. Once inside the food park you be transported to another world where people just enjoy food, company, music, and arts. They have four (4) food trucks and seven (7) food containers all with varied and different dish to offer. As Cheska said during the event they made sure that there will be no similar food offerings so that people can have more options and the sellers/owners will not have to compete with each other. The park offers specialty coffee, bread, ice cream, burgers, sizzling plates, secret sauces and cutlets and smoothies.

But StrEAT is more than just a Food Park. It aims to be a platform for and convergence point of budding, start-up, emerging community of artists and entrepreneurs. Food is just part of the actual experience. Built to be an actual 620sqm mini park, the space encourages cultural culmination through various socials and activities. It is an active environment that is all about celebrating artistic sensibilities. 

This is another unique thing about Streat Park because there are no commercial food/resto present, almost all of the  restos are owned by Filipinos either friends, families or business partners. There is so much diversity and passion for food and arts that it reflects in the whole environment. You'll see people talking to each other (they don't have wifi), people singing near the bonfire, kids running around, owners/sellers mingling with customers, and people just enjoying food and each other's company. 

 Here are a list of restos you might want to try once you give them a visit:

1. Me Love You Long Time

A gastronomic  tour of South East Asia from Bangkok to Ho Chi Minh, Kuala Lumpur, and the other neighboring countries. With a branch already existing in Malingap, MLYLT has expanded their  menu from Vietnamese to South East Asian cuisine especially for Streat.

IG: meloveyoulongtime

FB: @meloveyoulongtime

2. The Soulfood Truck

An all Creole and Cajun comfort food served with a spice of curated soul music. The husband and wife run the truck. The concept stemmed from their love for the Southern US.

IG: soulfoodtruckph

FB: @thesoulfoodtruckph

3.  Great Burgers

The best burgers in town with all meat and no extenders plus they have their own recipe for the patty and the sauces. 

IG: greatburgertruck

FB: @greatburgertruck

So among the 9 restos I can try there I only got the chance to try three which is not so bad because it got me full to my liking. I will surely go back and bring my family and friends because another thing that I love about it is that its a wholesome place where every member of the family is welcome and would have fun. No alcoholic drinks are served in the food park, and a spacious place is available for kids to roam around. Its really is just a place to create and share ideas. 

Have you been to Streat: Maginhawa Food Park? What did you like most? Or if you have not been there yet, what would you like to visit there? Comment away and share them with me!:) 

Zomato 101: Discover Great Places to Eat around Metro Manila

If you are my friend in Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook Page, you might notice me posting about Zomato and my food journey. As I have previously said in some of my posts, I'm not an adventurous type of person when it comes to eating.

BUT, when I found Zomato, I learned to be more curious and enjoy seeking good food and new restaurants. Zomato is a great place to unleash your FOODIE skills!

Why you'll love Zomato?

1. Reviews of a variety of restaurants in Metro Manila

2. Easy to use application, whether in the PC or Phones. 

3.It has Presenting Collections on the side like Trending this Week, Newly Opened, Super Sushi, etc. 

4. View scrumptious food photos. 

5. Meet foodies like you.

6. Be invited to Foodie Meetups

7. You don't necessarily need to be a blogger to do reviews.

8. You have a goal of being an expert on different locations.

9. Document your food journeys.

10. Enjoy great food!

Add me and let's enjoy our food journey!!!:) 

https://www.zomato.com/thereyoujho

PRESS RELEASE: Bierra Paluto Restaurant

From the moment you walk through our door, you can expect a warm welcome, lively atmosphere and a burst of exquisite flavors.  Take a look and you’ll find a host of authentic features, the freshest ingredients and mouth-watering delicacies that capture the very essence of all things Filipino in Tex Mex Style.  Put all of these together and you’ve got a vibrant and laid-back fiesta feeling that Bierra has become famous for.  So sit back, relax and enjoy as Bierra takes ordinary dining into an extraordinary experience.

Bierra’s extraordinary experience will take you to a good food experience that no other Paluto Restaurant   can do. Bierra’s must try dishes are the following: Buttered Shrimp with Garlic is sumptuous and very buttery with a hint of garlic. Sinigang sa Misong Tanigue will surely make your day, the soup is not too sour and the fish is very delectable. And last but not the least for their must try food is Sizzling Gambas has a lot of flavor and spiciness that you will ask for it every time you go to Bierra.

                The Bierra’s menu boasts a wide variety of delicacies of seafood, chicken and meat.  To excite your appetite, here is a glimpse of what’s in store at Bierra:

Seafood:

 Calamares, Buttered Shrimp with Garlic, Baked Tahong with Cheese, Sizzling Tanigue Steak, Prawn in Chili Sauce, Sinigang sa Miso, Halaan Soup and Ginataang Kuhol.

Chicken:

Sizzling Chicken, Tinolang Manok, Buttered Chicken and Fried Chicken

Meat (Beef / Pork):

Sinigang na Baboy, Pork Adobo and Ihaw Marinated BBQ.

Veggies:
Adobong KangKong, Chopsuey, Ensaladang Lato and Ensaladang Mangga.

Bierra’s décor  is engaging and have earth hues, it has Mexican feel and ambiance, but truly Filipino in taste. They have a nice wooden glass door, 4 wall light fixtures. The dining room can seat 100 plus people and they accommodate Baptism, Company Christmas Party, Debut and other occasions. They also have Live bands, Acoustic Nights, Stand Up Comedian, Videoke Nights and Rock Bands.

It’s all here waiting for you at Bierra Paluto Restaurant!

Bierra Paluto Restaurant is located at Unit 105 Seaside sa Ortigas, Brgy. Ugong, Pasig City is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.  Street parking and public lots are readily available. Visit the restaurant on their Facebook Page, facebook.com/BierraPalutoRestaurant.  For reservations, please call (650)367.7974.

Turning Japanese at Genji M's Unlimited Sushi and Roll

Do you love Japanese food specifically sushi and rolls? Well, you're in for a very very nice treat at Genji M!

Genji M Japanese/Korean Restaurant
Kalayaan ave., cor. Makati Avenue

Last night, we tried Genji M's unlimited sushi and roll for Php499.00 but with a free meal coupon I got from All Chucked Up. You can get the voucher in his site, print it and get the Php250 off your bill. It's that simple. One tip, I would recommend you to do is to reserve ahead of time so you can maximize the unlimited promo. We went there without reservation so we had to wait for 1 hour before we can get seated given that it was a weekday. Others who had reservation was given a seat immediately.

Although we didn't have a reservation, we waited because we had no more other time to go there, plus we we're really craving for maki, and rolls that night. So while waiting, we took photos of the place to amuse ourselves. Here are some of the photos we took:

The receptionist was so nice, she immediately gave me a chair to sit on because we brought Enzo along.


Sorry for the crappy photo. This is the chef's station where they make the sushi, rolls and sashimi.

Then we finally got seated. One of the things that caught my attention was the doorbell for every table.

This is used to call the waiters. Nice right!?!:)

Okay, once seated the first serving will be the Chef's recommendation. They'll first serve whatever the chefs want you to taste for, it's like chef's favorites, before you would order. So here's what we got!

Are you drooling already? It's drool-worthy, I tell you! These are the rolls, 2 of each were served to us.

Chef's recommendation of Sashimi and roll.

Next, they'll give you the sushi and roll list for you to order. We ordered modestly cause we didn't want leftovers. Note that leftovers are not allowed. There are other items not available but if you're really in for a Japanese treat order everything so you can try it. 

All were really yummy but my favorites are Cheese roll, Spam roll and Pork roll. I'm not really a sashimi person but I like Salmon and Tuna. 

Even our little boy enjoyed the food. He ate miso soup which is unlimited too, and the baked tofu. He even felt asleep afterwards. I would like to just suggest that they have a high chair for mommies like me that have babies with them. 

They also have Filipino dishes to also entice Filipinos to come to their restaurant and try their dishes. The restaurant is also very spacious and clean. It makes dining really fun. If you want they also have VIP rooms you can use for big events. And they also have private rooms, you need to reserve though to be able to use it. The staff were also very nice and friendly and they do their best to serve you as soon as they can. You only need to be a little patient cause its an unlimited resto so there might be some delays too. I suggest you order as much as you can eat on the first order so your waiting time will be less.

Private rooms

So, if you want to get a glimpse of Japan and its cuisine, try Genji M's unlimited sushi and rolls!! They also offer unlimited sashimi with unlimited sushi and roll, or unlimited premium sashimi that includes unlimited sushi and rolls, and tuna seafood shabushabu. 

And if you want to avail of the free meal coupon we got, print this coupon from All Chucked Up! A blogsite of Mr. Chuckie Dreyfus. Thank you for the coupon, Sir Chuckie Dreyfus!:) I'm spreading this meal coupon as well so you can try it. 

For reservations, call 804 2883. The coupon is until May 31, 2014. One coupon per person and as many as you'd like. It's Php250 off your bill. We ordered unlimited sushi and rolls for the original price of  Php499, with the voucher we only paid Php250. Great deal right? 

For others who are asking, you can print it in black and white and in multiple copies.

Enjoy and share with me your Japanese unlimited experience with me. 

What's your most favorite from the menu?