Buy One Take One on Amici Pizzas on July 27!

Weekends are considered a day to spend with family and friends, that's why on Saturday - 27 July 2013, in celebration of Amici's anniversary, they are having a Buy 1 Take 1 offering. For every pizza ordered, you get a free pizza among Amici's bestsellers - Tutta Carne (Italian sausage, ham and pepperoni) or Margherita (mozzarella cheese and fresh basil).

Pizzas on Amici's menu:

• Sausage & Three-Cheese - Italian sausage, cream cheese, parmesan cheese, cheese sauce topped with roasted bell peppers
• Meat Ragu -  Amici's signature meaty Ragu sauce, pepperoni, provolone cheese, parmesan and mushrooms
• Walnut, Arugula & Parmesan -  walnuts, arugula, blue cheese and shaved parmesan
• Spinach and Chorizo Top-Crust Pizza -  spinach cream, horizo and mozzarella embedded in a rosemary herbed pizza crust
• Chorizo Portobello - chorizo, Italian sausage and portobello mushrooms 
• Sausage Pesto Pizza -  pesto sauce, Italian sausage, mushrooms and roasted garlic cloves
• Bacon & Cream Cheese -  crispy bacon bits, caramelized onions, mushrooms and cream cheese
• Quattro Verdure -  zucchini, eggplant, mixed bell peppers and broccoli 
• Capricciosa - ham, Italian sausage, black olives
• Napoletana -  anchovies and olives
• Al Quattro Formaggi - mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and blue cheese
• Prosciutto e Funghi -  savory prosciutto with scrumptious mushrooms
• Quattro Stagioni - ham, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and black olives
• Frutti di Mare - squid, shrimp, mussels and clams
• Chorizo e Spinaci - Spanish chorizo and spinach in white sauce

If those choices are still not enough, Amici now has two pizzas on their menu:


Truffle Mushroom Pizza (430 pesos)
A luxe choice pizza with portobello, shiitake, and porcini mushrooms mixed with truffle oil, mozzarella cheese, and topped with arugula leaves.

Tomatoes, cheese, and mushroom sure go well together, and this one is a great alternative for people who would like to lessen their meat intake because the mushroom seems to give the taste and texture of meat. The arugula leaves provide a different flavor, but don't forget to drizzle a lot of hot sauce... this tastes better spicy!


Smoked Salmon Top-Crust Pizza (395 pesos)
An innovative pizza variety with smoked salmon, capers, black olives, tomatoes, bechamel sauce, and mozzarella cheese embedded in a crispy pizza crust.

At first glance, I exclaimed it looked like quesadilla, but unlike the quesadilla, this doesn't use tortilla bread, but two thin pizza crusts. Having two thin crusts sandwiching the fillings with intense flavors, this was a winner pizza in my books!

Amici's pizza crust is something I love. I always mention that I am not a big fan of thin crust pizzas, but this I liked because it is not oily and it has the chewy texture I prefer.

The Buy 1 Take 1 pizza offer on July 27th is available on all Amici branches - Don Bosco, Tomas Morato, SM Megamall, Greenhills, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Triangle Gardens, Venice Piazza, and UP Ayala Technohub - but can only be availed thru dine-in or take out transactions. Deliveries aren't included. Also, one can only avail of two pizzas (with two free pizzas) per transaction, so if you want to have more free pizzas, have separate transactions. :)

For updates and more details, please head on to the Amici Website and/or like their Facebook Page.

Mabuhay Palace Chinese Feast at The Maya Kitchen

On July 27, Saturday, 9am-1pm, The Maya Kitchen presents the chefs of Manila Hotel’s Mabuhay Palace who will prepare a sumptuous spread of Chinese cuisine.

Executive Chinese Chef Sun Bing and Chinese Operations Manager/Executive Chinese Sous Chef Josephine Yu Tanganco-Candelaria will demonstrate Vegetarian 'Peking Duck,' Shrimp Laced with Almonds, Anchovies with Water Chestnuts Fried Rice, Stir Fried Chicken Glazed with Soya Sauce, West Lake Fish Soup and Chinese Red Bean Pancake.

Chef Sun Bing graduated from Beijing Culinary School and joined the Beijing Hotel after graduation. He came to the Philippines in 1988 and for over 20 years has been delighting local diners at the Aloha Hotel, Mandarin Oriental Hotel and The Manila Hotel.

Chef Tanganco-Candelaria has been with Manila Hotel since 2009. She was previously with Mandarin Oriental Hotel and intercontinental Manila.

For more information on other courses offerings, log on to www.themayakitchen.com or e-mail contactus@themayakitchen.com or visit The Maya Kitchen Culinary Center every Tuesday to Saturday at 8F Liberty Building, 835 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road), Makati City or call 8921185 / 892-5011 local 108 / Mobile No. +63947 835 2290

Figaro Opens a New Branch at the Patriarch Building

Just a few days ago, a new Figaro branch opened - at the newly erected Patriarch Building in Chino Roces cor. Don Bosco, Makati.


That day, there were simultaneous celebrations - the opening of this branch, and the bank fronting the coffee shop, and the blessing of the Patriarch Building.



Part of the celebration was the ribbon-cutting ceremony, the blessing of the store, and the much-awaited coin and candy toss.


This Figaro branch is smaller than the other branches I have visited and only serves drinks and pastries - no hot meals and pasta dishes. Even so, every drink and pastries available at every Figaro branches are available here, too, so if you're in the area and you fancy some drinks and pastries, please do drop by this branch.



A catered breakfast buffet was served, but Figaro offered pastries and drinks to everyone who attended the event. It was my first time to see their newest cake - Blue Velvet - but for my choice of pastry, I went for My Little Oscar, which is basically their version of Sans Rival. I loved this cake because it was lightly sweet and packed with lots of cashew nuts! It was just a sweet ending to a sweet celebration.

Figaro at the Patriarch Building (Chino Roces cor. Don Bosco) is open from Mondays to Fridays - 8am to 5pm.