The New Starbucks Drinks Are Out: The Honeycomb Crunch Mocha Frappucino and Orange Honeycomb Crunch Frappucino

Once again, Starbucks Philippines introduced two new featured frappucino beverages ahead of the 2nd Anniversary of the Starbucks Card in the Philippines. The summer beverages, The Dark Mocha Panna Cotta and the Summer Berry Panna Cotta, were so good that they've set the bar quite high in terms of new, delicious frappucino beverages. 

I had the opportunity to try the Honeycomb Crunch Mocha Frappucino and Orange Honeycomb Crunch Frappucino earlier today. Do they live up to the hype?

As a Starbucks Card Anniversary Treat, Starbucks Philippines Is Having a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Promotion on August 6

To celebrate the 2nd Anniversary of the Starbucks Card in the Philippines, Starbucks Philippines will be having a Buy 1 Get 1 Free Promo on any Iced Espresso Beverage this coming August 6, 2015. Note that this is only for iced espresso beverages such as an Iced Americano, Iced Latte, Iced Mocha, Iced White Mocha or Iced Caramel Macchiato when purchased using your Starbucks Card. 

For the full promo mechanics, kindly check here. 

Five Essential Food Infographics That Will Help You Master the Kitchen

I know, I have already shared a ton of food infographics in past articles. These articles aim to help you, my readers, become better cooks at home. I'm a firm believer that learning how to cook takes education and practice, so I hope these articles help address the former. If they helped you overcome your kitchen struggles in any way, I'm happy.

From all the infographics, here are five that I consider the most essential to becoming a master in the kitchen. Read, understand, and always come back to reread these articles. The information contained in these articles are pieces of knowledge that should help guide you how to become a better cook. 

Just click on the images to see each infographic.

Not Sure How to Store Your Groceries? Here's a Guide to Show You How

We're all guilty of not properly storing our groceries at home. This bad habit leads to a kitchen full of spoiled, or worse, contaminated food. It's about time that you know how to properly store your groceries. This reduces wastage and can save you a lot of cash in the long-run. 

Here's how you should store your groceries and how long they will keep.

Habitual Coffee: Where You'll Find the Best AeroPress Hand-Brewed Coffee in Metro Manila

Habitual Coffee made waves in the Third Wave Specialty Coffee space when they opened a specialty cafe that only serves coffee brewed using an AeroPress - an somewhat ugly contraption that makes some of the best coffee you'll ever taste. The AeroPress makes such a great cup that it's one of the favorite coffee brewers for serious coffee lovers who brew their own coffee.

Habitual Coffee recently transferred from the Edition Lifestyle store in Ortigas to Don Chino Roces Avenue in Makati City. They are currently on a dry run and will officially open their doors soon. 

If you love specialty cafes, here's why you should drop by Habitual Coffee...

Stacy's: Where You Can Grab Breakfast and a Dose Sunshine in BGC

You can easily hand Stacy's the award for the most girly restaurant in Metro Manila. The pink and blue interiors, elegant wooden chairs and tables, and little playtime toys provides every little girl the tea party of their dreams. Stacy's is also featured in Zomato's Great Breakfasts collection, a testament to their delicious, well-prepared breakfast meals.

Here's why you will love brunch (or even dinner) at Stacy's.

Hernatto Food Hub: Bringing Gastronomic Delights South of the Metro

A night food bazaar is officially opening south of the Metro! Hernatto Food Hub is an upcoming night market that hopes to satisfy the culinary cravings of residents in the south this September. On top of providing great food, Hernatto will also offer activities such as food wars, games, and entertainment.

Hernatto Food Hub will open its doors on September 3, 2015 and a Kick-Off party will be held on September 4, 2015 with live bands and celebrities. Visit Hernatto every Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays of September from 6:00 P.M. – 3:00 A.M., located at H-District in front of SM Southmall, Las Pinas City.

See you in September!


Don't miss out! You can follow me on Facebook or subscribe to Chef Jay's Kitchen by email to get updates on new articles. To check out my restaurant reviews, follow me on Zomato.

Cheers, 
Chef Jay

Properly Grill Meats and Veggies Every Time with This Handy Guide

One of the best, and healthiest, ways to cook food is through grilling. It's done by exposing meats and veggies to direct heat over hot flame. Grilling also uses less oil and gives you a juicy and flavorful dish. If you're starting out, however, grilling can be a bit of a challenge.

This infographic will show you how you can perfectly grill meats and veggies.You'll know whether to use direct or indirect heat, the level of heat, and the total cooking time. 

If you have an induction stove, you can easily control the temperature so you can easily adjust it based on the level of heat recommended below. Although nothing beats grilling food over charcoal under the heat of the sun to get perfectly charred meat. 

Here's How You Can Cook Those Veggies Perfectly

Vegetables are considered to be an important part of an overall healthy diet and they even help prevent a number of diseases. They are so crucial that Harvard's healthy eating plate recommends that the biggest portion - around 40% - of your plate should consist of veggies.

It's very easy to cook vegetables. You can steam vegetables, one of the easiest and quickest ways to cook them. If you don't have a stove, then you can always use the microwave. If you always overcook those veggies, then you need to keep on reading.

Here is a great infographic that shows you the amount of time needed so that you can perfectly cook vegetables in the comfort of your own home. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper once they're done! 

Netong's Is Now Serving Their Original Special Lapaz Batchoy at the Atria Park District

Iloilo City is home to the delicious noodle soup filled with pork innards, chicharon, vegetables, beef loan, and chicken breast that we lovingly call the Lapaz Batchoy. While no one knows who made the very first bowl of batchoy, most people would agree that the best batchoy in Iloilo is a toss up between Ted's, Deco's, and Netong's.

It's used to be difficult for tourists to truly compare for themselves who makes it best, but now that Netong's Original Special Lapaz Batchoy is open at the Atria Park District it has become easier than ever,

Coffee Maker Inventions That Reveal a New Level of Coffee Culture Crazy

We all have a friend who we think is a bit 'kookoo' when it comes to coffee. You know, that guy who has a coffee bar at home - with complete pour-over set and a home espresso machine. Compared to the owners of these amazing toys, however, your friend's level of coffee crazy is still pretty mild. The world's quest for the perfect cup of coffee is starting to surface some pretty crazy inventions.

Here are some of the most outrageous (and expensive) coffee makers around:

Get a Half-Dozen Box of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts for Just P78 on July 13

It's been a while, but it's time to grab a half-dozen box of Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Doughnuts for just 78 pesos on July 13, 2015. All you need to do is screengrab or print the official 78th birthday celebration voucher from the official Krispy Kreme Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram page. You can also redeem the voucher from the Krispy Kreme mobile app.

A couple of important mechanics are as follows: 

• You can only redeem at most 2 half-dozen boxes per store.
• Only 60 Krispy Kreme stores will hold the promotion.
• The promotion is only valid on July 13, 2015 from 7am to 8pm.

For a full set of mechanics for the promo, just click here. 

Don't miss out! You can follow me on Facebook or subscribe to Chef Jay's Kitchen by email to get updates on new articles. To check out my restaurant reviews, follow me on Zomato.

Cheers, 
Chef Jay

Enjoy the Best Espresso Blends with Toby's Estate

Toby's Estate is an Australian specialty coffee shop popular for its delicious hand brews and espresso blends - made from high-quality coffee beans sourced from respected coffee farms across the globe. Some of these beans even came from Toby Smith's own farm in Panama. The beans are important because amazing coffee starts with the quality beans. Toby's Estate also has a variety of tasty dishes in their menu when you're craving for a nice meal.

Here's what you can expect from Toby's Estate.

With Zomato, You'll Never Have a Bad Meal Again

Zomato has taken over the food industry since it first began its operations in 2008. It is currently in 22 countries and has over 62.5 million users, making it one of the most popular food websites worldwide. You can't say you're a foodie and not use Zomato. The website itself has a number of handy features that allows you to discover restaurants and have a holistic experience by giving you the option to order online, pay cashless, and make reservations.

If you're not yet convinced, here are a number of other Zomato features I love.

Specialty Coffee Gear: The Starbucks Melitta Pour-Over Brewer

When Starbucks Reserve first opened their stores in the Philippines, they started brewing their exquisite selection of reserve coffee using the pour-over method. This pour-over brewer, manufactured by Melitta, was first invented by Melitta Bentz in 1908 and is one of the first pour-over brewers developed in the world. 

If you are considering this pour-over for you home, then this review is exactly for you. 

Kuppa Roastery and Cafe: Good Food and Coffee as It Should Be

Kuppa Roastery and Cafe, Bacolod's coffee darling, is one of the best specialty coffee shops in Bonifacio Global City  - known for quality coffee and delicious food. Kuppa, established in 2006, is the pioneer of the Philippine specialty coffee movement. All their coffee are considered artisan roasts and part-owner Karen Lo-Tsai, one of the Philippine's few Q Graders (coffee sommelier), makes sure only the best quality coffee is served. 

It's rare to find a specialty coffee shop in Metro Manila with both excellent coffee and food - Kuppa has both.

Yardstick Cafe: Where It's Always About the Coffee

Yardstick Coffee has often been cited as one of the best specialty coffee shops in Manila - and with good reason. Yardstick makes coffee that's really top-notch. They also have The Y.A.R.D. which stands for Yardstick Academy of Resource and Development, an academy dedicated to raising the quality of knowledge on specialty coffee in the Philippines with courses and workshops offered on a regular basis. These courses range from introductory workshops on specialty coffee to more advanced certifications from the Specialty Coffee Association of Europe (SCAE)

Now that we know how much Yardstick understands coffee, here are some of their delicious concoctions you might want to try.