MasterChef Asia Season 1 Episode 15: Recap and Thoughts on Episode 15 [FINALE]

Photo from MasterChef Asia FB Page

• It's finally the MasterChef Asia Finale! In this episode, Marcus and Leong will go on a head-to-head cook-off by competing against each other in three rounds of intense MasterChef challenges that will showcase their abilities as the two of the top home cooks in Asia. The contestant with the most points out of a possible score of 100 will be crowned the first MasterChef Asia champion!
• It's been very fun covering this show and I hope you continue to read some of the other articles we put out. I promise that I'll cover season 2 of MasterChef Asia as well next year. I can't wait!
• This will be an intense cook-off. I thought that Marcus, Leong, and Ha all had the skills, techniques, and creativity to win MasterChef Asia. Sadly, Ha was eliminated early on. I don't have any complaints against Marcus or Leong winning the title because they are both very talented cooks. They both deserve the crown. 
• It's Singapore versus Malaysia! I'm personally rooting for Leong because I think he's the better cook. Marcus, however, is so talented that he can beat Leong with how precise he executes each of his dishes. Marcus is very good with desserts, but I question how well he will do with cooking savory dishes in the finale. Leong, on the other hand, is an amazing savory cook. 
• Here are the MasterChef challenges for tonight:
• Mystery Box - 30 points - 60 minutes to cook 1 dish
• 2-Course Meal - 30 points - 2 hours to cook a salad and main
• Pressure Test - 40 points - 1 hour to replicate a very difficult dessert

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Toffee Nut Latte and Iced Blended: Masarap o Hindi Masarap?

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Philippines recently included the Toffee Nut Latte and Iced Blended in their line-up of Christmas drinks, replacing the very underwhelming Red Velvet Hot Chocolate. They're taking a page out of Starbucks Philippines, who has been serving the Toffee Nut every Christmas season for as long as I can remember. 

I was pretty excited about it because CBTL generally does coffee better than Starbucks. The Ultimate Vanilla is an amazing iced blended beverage and the White Chocolate Dream Latte is a drink I keep coming back for. It took some time (around a month) for them to start serving up the Toffee Nut drinks because of logistics issues, so pardon me for the late review. 

Here are my thoughts on the Toffee Nut Latte and Iced Blended;

Morganfield's Philippines: The Biggest, Juiciest, Fall-Off-The-Bone Pork Ribs Has Arrived!

Morganfield's, Home of Sticky Bones, has finally opened their doors in Manila! The American-style diner is an extremely popular restaurant in Malaysia known for their huge portions of succulent, fall-off-the-bone pork ribs. 

Funny thing is, they didn't start out in the United States. Morganfield's actually began serving their huge ribs in Malaysia and they have since expanded to Singapore, China, and now the Philippines - certainly one of the fastest growing restaurant brands in Asia. 

We had the opportunity to try out selected items from Morganfield's menu during their opening week, including a variety of dishes including the popular salads, appetizers, mains, and of course RIBS! Here's why you'll love it... 

Taza Fresh Table: Using Fresh, Organic Ingredients to Serve You the Most Amazing Food

Taza Fresh Table is a farm-to-table restaurant by Taal Vista Hotel located at The Ridge overlooking the Taal Lake and Volcano. The restaurant offers international dishes using only the best locally sourced ingredients: duck from Laguna, lobster from Batangas, mangoes from Cebu, coffee beans and black rice from Negros, and organic herbs and vegetables from Benguet, Cavite, Batangas, and the Taal Vista Hotel Garden.

With 95% of the ingredients sourced from different regions in the Philippines, you can expect organic, single-origin, and sustainable ingredients on every plate meticulously prepared by their world-class chefs. The chefs, led by Chef Jayme Natividad, take no shortcuts, serving slow-cooked smoked meats, handmade pasta, and made-from-scratch sauces to make sure you enjoy every dish.

We had the pleasure of trying out a number of Taza Fresh Table's delightful, organic creations and here are the dishes that you shouldn't miss.

MasterChef Asia Season 1 Episode 14: Recap and Thoughts on Episode 14

Photo from MasterChef Asia FB Page

• We're down to the final three MasterChef Asia Contestants! In this MasterChef Asia episode, the contestants had to cook a dish that's a often cooked by their mom but elevated to a MasterChef level with everything they learned in the competition. 
• The contestants had some inspiration at the start of the challenge with heartwarming messages from their mothers. The home, and especially our moms, serve as our first inspiration with the food we love to cook and eat so it's fitting that the contestants had to recreate and elevate their mom's signature dish. 
• The contestants had 1 hour to cook 4 portions of the signature family dish. They also have full access to an open pantry.

Experience a Holiday Food Crawl Like No Other With City Savor on December 5, 12, and 19

The same organizers of Valero Eat St., in partnership with Zomato, brings you City Savor - a holiday food fest - on December 5, 12, and 19 at the Sapphire Bloc (Ortigas), Signa Designer Residences (Makati), and Trion Towers (BGC). The list of concessionaires look great so you can expect delicious treats and unique food finds so that you can get a dose of inspiration for gifts that you'll be handing out this Christmas. 

I mean let's face it, food such an amazing gift. I wouldn't mind getting a huge tin full of freshly baked cookies, macarons, or specialty coffee beans! It shows that you want to feed someone, and that's always a great intention!