CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN DREAMING: THE NEW MENU!

          I am a huge fan of Italian food, but because of my hyper-acidity, I have to be careful when eating anything tomato based. Which is precisely why I'm always on the look out for Italian dishes that stray away from the usual use of tomatoes, and instead delves into experimenting with oils and creams as their sauce.

          Case in point was the day that I tried the new dishes California Pizza Kitchen had to offer, which much to my delight, featured a number of items that don't use tomato sauce!

DINING HIGH IN THE SKY! AIR ASIA'S SANTAN: FEAST OF FLIGHTS IN-FLIGHT MENU!

A photo posted by RichieZ (@pickiesteater) on Dec 5, 2015 at 12:26am PST

          A couple of weeks ago, some blogger friends and I were flown to Hong Kong, courtesy of Air Asia and Vikings Luxury Buffet. Apart from going on an epic Hong Kong Food Tour, we were invited to try the new In-Flight menu of Air Asia, dubbed, "Santan: Flavors of Asean". 

      My friends and I were in for a big surprise, because we discovered that Air Asia's food could stand toe to toe with a restaurant, any day!  

    Here is the first batch of dishes I tried on my Flight to Hong Kong!

COCINA PERUVIA IN BGC: A FLAVORFUL TRIP TO PERU!

      When I was in the United States last year, my cousins told me that Peruvian cuisine was all the rage at the moment. I was rather taken aback because I had heard nothing about the food of Peru. Truthfully, I was half expecting it to be burgers made with Llama meat or something. Nonetheless, given how the Philippines usually refuses to be left behind when it comes to food trends, I was confident that someone would sooner or later bring a Peruvian restaurant to the country. 

     It turns out I was right, the Peruvian food movement in the Philippines has begun, and I was ultra-excited to find out that it was Celebrity Chef Him Uy de Baron who would be at the forefront of one of the first Peruvian restaurants in the country, Cocina Peruvia. 

THE PICKIEST EATER GOES TO HONG KONG: THE TEASER

A photo posted by RichieZ (@pickiesteater) on Dec 3, 2015 at 9:26pm PST

         As you may or may not know, I, together with a few blogger friends, were flown to Hong Kong courtesy of Air Asia and Vikings Luxury Buffet, for an Epic Hong Kong Food trip! I brought my buddy Jeng of Food In The Bag along with me to help me take some videos for my Video Blog.. Take note these are Video Blogs, and NOT Webisodes.. So the videos we took are a bit more "raw" looking and not the Network TV looking shorts that we had hoped to achieve in the "Battle of Burgers and Brewskies" Episode.

    On the whole, It was a short but amazing trip, filled with amazing food, good vibes, and great friends!

The Alaska Merry Cremas Festival 2015!

        It’s that most wonderful time of the year! 2015 went by so fast.. One minute we’re celebrating the new year, and the next thing we know, brilliant culinary minds are back in their kitchen finding new and exciting ways to use Alaska Crema All-Purpose Cream for the  ALASKA MERRY CREMAS FESTIVAL 2015! And as expected, the dishes we got to try were fit for a glorious Christmas feast!

CUCINA AT MARCO POLO ORTIGAS OFFERS A FINE GERMAN FEAST

          In my life, I've had the pleasure of experiencing the world renowned Marco Polo Hospitality twice in my life. The first during a trip to Hong Kong almost 20 years ago (Geeze I'm old), and more recently in 2013, when we visited Marco Polo Davao for the Kadayawan Festival. Marco Polo Manila opened their doors in 2013, finding a home in the heart of the bustling Ortigas Center, walking distance from some of the country's most popular malls. 

     And nestled in the 24th floor of the towering hotel, is their flagship 24 hour restaurant, Cucina, which features themed buffets for their guests. 

        Given the amazing experiences I've had in my first two visits, I was curious to find out  how the Ortigas branch's food fared in carrying the prestigious Marco Polo name.

      To my delight, I discovered that Cucina's buffet is undoubtedly among the best in the metro today!

THIS IS MADNESS! THIS IS MAD FOR LOBSTER AT EDSA SHANGRI-LA'S HEAT!!

            Fresh off the success of the Heat Rises concept that featured 9 dishes from 8 world class chefs, Edsa Shangri-la continues to wow their guests with their latest Mad for Lobster dinner, happening every Friday Night!

       Already making waves with its much improved interactive buffet, Heat rises to a whole new level every friday, when the buffet is overrun with some of the freshest lobster you'll find anywhere, ready and waiting to be cooked by some of Edsa Shangri-la's finest chefs to your liking! 

Petron Gasul: Sakto, Sulit, and Safe!

        My wife and I love to eat. Obviously. But we are not cooks. Not me, definitely not my wife. But it doesn’t take a cooking expert to know that you need the proper tools to whip up a good meal for the family. And these tools can’t be just any tool. It has to be tried and tested to ensure its safety and effectivity... For peace of mind...

        The only thing I know is that homemaker’s worst nightmare is gas leak! This is why it is important to get a trusted brand to fuel your cooking creations in the kitchen. And when you hear the name PETRON GASUL, you know you’re in good hands! Because, of course, it’s Petron Gasul! A company that’s been in the industry for more than 50 years!

CIRCLES' BUTCHERS MARKET: A CARNIVORE'S DREAM!

          Makati Shangri-la Hotel recently unveiled their new dining concept for the popular Circles Restaurant. Every night of the week offers a different "Market Theme", giving you new and exciting, not to mention interactive dining choices every time you visit. When my friends from Makat Shangri-la asked me which concept I would like to try, it took me all of two seconds telling them my choice. 

        Seriously, it wasn't even close. 

        So one amazing Tuesday night, I headed over to Circles in Makati Shangri-la to do a little "Shopping" at The Butcher's Market!     

SEASONS OF LOVE: FOUR SEASONS BUFFET & HOTPOT CUBAO

        I never liked Hot Pot restaurants. That's the god's honest truth. Not so much because of the food, but because of my previous experiences. You see, when I the "Executive Assistant" of my boss who happened to be the owner of the company I worked for, he would love to hold meetings at this popular Hot Pot restaurant along Jupiter. Whenever people would tell him it would be better to eat somewhere else so they don't need to cook their own food, he would just reply, "Don't worry, Richie is there". Meaning everyone would grab slabs of meat, and it was my job was to cook it for them.

       They ate, while I cooked. By the time my boss and his guests were done eating, I had to settle for the cooked ala carte items in their limited buffet. In fairness, the food was good, but I always associated Hot Pot restaurants with those infuriating experiences.

        All those bad memories were erased when I visited Four Seasons Buffet and Hotpot in Cubao, giving me a new perspective to what a real hot pot experience should be.

THANKSGIVING AT VIKINGS LUXURY BUFFET

        We may not celebrate Thanksgiving the way the Cowboys and the Indians.. Wait.. PILGRIMS and Indians did, but who said we can't enjoy a feast the same way? Rina and I had fun celebrating Thanksgiving at Vikings Luxury Buffet! Nothing beats celebrating gratitude with your family and friends gathered around in a grand Thanksgiving meal! All Vikings Luxury Buffet is offering their own grand Thanksgiving menu this year. This is what we dined on at Vikings Jazz Mall Makati. 

      Get your mop ready, because you're about to drool!

THE NEW MENCHI KATSU BURGER FROM YABU!

       A few months back, Yabu released two dishes that Chef Lee Jose has been teasing me about for quite some time now.. Their Katsu Burgers. So being a huge fan of Yabu and Burgers, it was a no brainer that I trooped to the nearest Yabu to try the Hire Katsu Burger, which I ended up loving. The gorgeous flavor of Katsu that Yabu has become famous for was still highly evident in the Katsu "Patty",  and the toppings, such as Onion Jam and Tonkatsu Sauce ensure that it still had a distinct Japanese Flavor.

          I absolutely loved it and annihilated my burger within minutes. But regardless of how much I enjoyed it, I couldn't help but wonder how delicious it would be if they used the Cheese-infused Menchi Katsu instead.

         Well guess what? Wonder no more, because Yabu has finally answered my prayers (I think my hundreds of emails finally drove them crazy), and you can now get the Menchi Katsu Burger!!

POULET MANILLE: GAGNANT GAGNANT, POULET DÎNER!

A photo posted by RichieZ (@pickiesteater) on Oct 15, 2015 at 1:21am PDT

     Now that I'm trying to lose weight: (Key word, TRYING), I've been on the lookout for food options that are- not necessarily "Healthy", but definitely healthier than my usual fatty pork laden fare. Now the challenge here is finding food where the healthy benefits come in the form of delicious dishes- something that doesn't taste like "Diet Food". 

     Discovering Poulet Manille at SM Aura Premier was very timely for me, as it gave me a great alternative when i'm looking to go easy on greasy food for a change. 

IPPUDO RAMEN'S NEW GYOKAI TONKOTSU AND MORE!

            I dropped by Ippudo in SM Fashion Hall last week with some of my buddies from The KTG to check out the newest addition to their Menu. I was rather taken aback because it has only been a few months since I was last there, and there are already so many additions to the menu that I missed out on! So what better time to do a little catching up than now, especially since they released a brand new signature Ramen dish, the Gyokai Tonkotsu!

THE MAN WITH A £10M TONGUE: GENNARO PELLICCIA OF COSTA COFFEE

        Unlike other Coffee chains, Costa Coffee uses just one coffee blend which is the Mocha Italia. It is an original secret blend that the Costa Brothers made which led them to be the top Coffee chain in London, and now they are taking over the world. What makes it great is the perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. So all of Costa's coffee-based drinks are made from their famous Mocha Italia. And it has been Master Gennaro Pellicca's job to make sure that this exclusive recipe is consistent as it was since 1971.

        Master Gennaro Pellicca is the official Costa Coffee taster who is so good as his job that last 2009, his tongue was insured for a whopping GBP 10 Million. Incredible! That's why it's a privilege for the Philippines to have Mr. Gennaro himself visit us to conduct an exclusive Costa Coffee Masterclass! And so it was really a privilege for me and my wife to be invited to this session!

        We watched him as he did his expertise in tasting coffee. If you're a serious coffee enthusiast than you would really envy his job. He showed the class steps in how to pick good coffee from bad coffee. I never knew tasting coffee goes beyond smelling and tasting. It's really more tedious as one may think. I guess in a way it's like wine tasting, only a bit harder.

        These are the 3 coffee origins that the class worked with. Columbian, Indonesian, and Gennaro's favorite, the Kenyan.

        We sniffed the grounds as deep as we can to see if we can see the difference with the smell. The Columbian had a pleasant chocolatey fruity scent.  Kenyan was more citrusy, and then the Indonesian was more smokey and woody.

        Next was smelling with a wet aroma. The coffee grounds were submerged in hot water. Doing this amplifies the smell.

        Next was the skimming.  The goal is to clear the very top part of anything floating. With 2 big round spoons, Gennaro showed us how to skillfully remove the floating granules without disturbing the water too much.

        Gennaro did it so slowly and carefully so as not to create any water turbulence. You have to be careful in doing this so that the coffee granules on the bottom will not float back up. You have to be as "ninja" as you can. Sorry this is the only word I can explain it. He makes it look so easy but it's really hard! I guess also because our spoons were smaller then the bowls were a bit big. So it was hard to trap the floating granules.

        After skimming the coffee, he showed us how to caress the surface of the coffee with the spoon, make gentle circular movements with it while sniffing...

        And then smell the back of the spoon to get a whiff of the coffee's aroma. I've never seen a guy this in love with coffee!

        Next, slurping. When Gennaro says slurp, he means SLUUURRRP! It was really more of a very strong sucking. It's supposedly the best way to introduce the liquid coffee in your mouth.

        Being in Gennaro's Masterclass was really eye-opening on how serious coffee appreciation is. It opened up a whole new perspective for me when it comes to coffee. It's amazing that we got to be part of this class, especially considering we were joined by some of our favorite blogging legends, Leslie and Jin (Rare Occurence)!


 Thank you Gennaro for spending time here in the Philippines!

Follow Costa Coffee Philippines on their social media to get more updates!:
Facebook: Costa Coffee Philippines
Instagram: @costacoffeeph
Twitter: @costacoffeeph

VILLAGE TAVERN: A WHOLE NEW WORLD OF BURGERS (Dont you dare close your eyes)

         Since it opened three years ago, Village Tavern has been one of my go-to restaurants for awesome food. Whether it be a burger or a steak, I'm always assured that I'm in for an impeccable meal. I've always found The Bistro Group's Executive Chef Josh Boutwood one of the most brilliant culinary minds in the country today, so I'm always excited when he whips up new dishes. So as expected, I nearly creamed my shorts when I found out he came out with some new gastronomic creations for the "World Of Burgers" line of Village Tavern!

This was indeed A Whole New World of Burgers That Would Make Aladdin Proud (and fat).

HEAT RISES: EDSA SHANGRI-LA'S FINEST CHEFS ASSEMBLE!

Always good vibes going around with this crazy bunch!

            Nine dishes from different parts of the globe, all masterfully executed by some of the most skilled Chefs from around the world. All this, converging in a hotel whose reputation is the gold standard in hospitality. When you get an invitation like this, there is no way you could say no to that. So as soon as I was told that Heat at Edsa Shangri-la had revamped their buffet with 9 signature dishes from 8 of their foreign cuisine Chefs, I rounded up my closest friends at the KTG for a meal of a lifetime!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT: PAPARAZZI AT EDSA SHANGRI-LA HOTEL

           My appreciation for Italian cuisine has grown over the course of my being a blogger. Being hyper acidic, I would normally associate tomato, my number one enemy, with Italian Food. Think about it. The most recognized dishes from Italy - Pizza, Spaghetti. Lasagna - the basic ingredient when traditionally done is tomato. 

       However, I discovered that as I continued my relentless exploration of Italian Dishes, their cuisine is incredibly versatile. There are so many other entrees that aren't heavy handed with the tomato sauce, and they taste remarkable. 

      Rina and I were invited to dine at Paparazzi one evening for a romantic dinner, and I was surprised to find that in our entire five course meal, there was only one dish that utilized tomato in it.

    With Italian Chef Marco Ghezzi at the helm, it's no wonder that Paparazzi is perhaps the closest to Italy as you can get here in the Philippines. 

Costa Coffee Opens its Third Branch in BGC!

        London has landed in Bonifacio Global City! Yes, dear readers! The number 1 coffee chain in London has opened its third branch just along the 32nd street of Bonifacio Global City!

        It's Costa Coffee!!! Located at the ground floor of One World Plaza. The people working in BGC will really be thrilled to have London style coffee so close to them now.

Food Trip with the Canon Powershot G7X

        Though we’ve only had our Canon Powershot G7X for a couple of months now, I can safely say it’s been a godsend. Having a camera so compact yet with high quality photo and video capabilities has been a pleasure to bring around. In fact, we’d rather bring this with us most of the time compared to our old DSLR because of how light it is. It’s a perfect case of small but powerful. (Like me!)

        The other day I took my little family out to a nice lunch at Maisen because I really wanted my wife Rina to try it. So off we went to Greenbelt with our daughter and our Canon Powershot G7X in tow.

LET THE HUNGER GAMES BEGIN: DYCE N DINE!

          When I was a kid, I was totally into board games. Name it, I had it. Snakes and Ladders, Parcheesi, Sorry, Monopoly, Game of Life, and my all time favorite, Clue. Back in the day, playing any of those games were relatively simple. It usually involved the rolling of dice, perhaps a few cards, and moving of tokens around the board.

       Today, Board Games aren't what they used to be. Admittedly, it's gotten a whole lot more complex, but the level of fun has also been taken to new heights. Game play has become wackier and far out, with objectives becoming more challenging than ever. With board games emerging as an alternative source of entertainment, venues have been sprouting up around the metro, catering to barakadas looking for a place to play a few rounds. Not only do these board game cafes serve as a venue to some serious gaming, 

    The latest Board Game Cafe that I visit just happened to be Dyce N Dyne, which is perhaps one of the hottest hangout spots in the restaurant scene today!

HANGING LOOSE AT JOHNNY KAHUKU'S HAWAIIAN SHRIMP HOUSE

         I'm not sure if I ever mentioned this before, but I lived in Hawaii for a year when I was a child, and was fortunate to go back there in 1998. It truly is one of the most magical places on Earth. I distinctly remember going down from the plane and being greeted by an incredibly beautiful woman in a coconut shell bra and a grass skirt, before she placed a necklace made of flowers around my neck. (You can imagine how excited I was to tell all my friends that "I got Lei'd when I was in Hawaii!")

  However, something that I regret not really being able to do in Hawaii, was go on a food trip. In 1998, I was a 21 year old warm blooded male with only one thing on my mind, and I can assure you it wasn't the food. In fact, aside from Denny's, Zippy's and Tony Roma's, I can't think of where else we ate at during our week long stay there.   

      Though Johnny Kahuku's isn't a Hawaiian brand name, it does its best to bring the feel of the Polynesian paradise into our shores. And boy did we have a phenomenal time exploring their menu!

HANGING OUT WITH THE HALAL GUYS AT SM FOOD HALL!

        I have a confession to make. I wasn't excited about The Halal Guys coming to Manila.

         I mean, sure, I liked the thought of finally being able to try the dishes that thousands of New Yorkers line up for every day, but since pork is such a prominent part of my diet, I wasn't quite convinced on how much I would actually enjoy it. 

        As luck would have it, I was invited to the special taste test of the very first branch of The Halal Guys here in Manila. This was an incredible opportunity because only a select few foodies were invited to be the first to try The Halal Guys in the Philippines and for some reason, I was one of them hehe... 

     Anyway,  Rina and I went to the very first "The Halal Guys" outlet in the Philippines, located at SM Mega Food Hall. Like I said, I honestly had no expectations whatsoever, right?

    So I dug into my plate of Gyro Over Rice, scooped up some of the beef bits smothered in The Halal Guys trademark white sauce, with a spoonful of rice and nonchalantly chucked my pork-free dish into my mouth. 

   And just like that, I stopped mid-sentence and looked straight at Rina, and said to her, "Holy $***."

FIRING UP THE TEPPANYAKI TABLE AT YURAKUEN

       Despite the distance from my place, I always look forward to dining at Diamond Hotel. Although I admittedly had only been to Corniche, I had heard the stories of their amazing Japanese restaurant, Yurakuen. For some reason, I was under the impression that the Japanese entrees of Corniche was basically what you would find at Yurakuen (Kinda makes sense since it's the same hotel, right?). Considering I was actually quite pleased with what I've tried at Corniche, I never really found an urgency to try Yurakuen. 

  However, my friend, The Hefty Foodie swore that wasn't the case, and when he had the opportunity to invite me to experience a dinner at Yurakuen's Teppanyaki table, there was no way I was going to say no to that! 

BURGER KING'S NEW ENDORSER AND THE NEW ANGRY WHOPPER!

        Earlier this September, Burger King reminded us of the importance of grilling. And their widely loved grilled burgers remind us what makes Burger King burgers so special! And why they were the winner for The Choice 2015's Favorite Fast Food Burger!

TAKE YOUR BEST SHOT WITH THE CANON POWERSHOT G7 X!

        As you all may know, in this blog, it’s my wife who does the photos. I don’t really know how to work the DSLR camera with the huge flash. So in events when my wife can’t join, I sweat bullets, worried if I would be able to take decent food shots. So I have to rely on my awesome photographer to help me with the settings of the camera. 

CEBU'S FAMOUS KUYA J'S, NOW IN MEGAMALL!

        Kuya J was actually a former simple eatery in the streets of Cebu city. It’s one of those hole-in-the-wall restaurant that people just kept going back for because of their delicious and satisfying Filipino dishes. It was so popular that here it is now, operating in Megamall! And it is endorsed by the famous award-winning drama actor in the Philippines, (and also was Rina’s crush), Mr. Jericho Rosales.

KARAAGE KARAYZY!!: CHIBI'S KARAAGE AT SM LIGHT MALL

       I will admit that my fondness for Japanese food is limited to most of their Deep fried or stir fried offerings. Much to the delight of my wife, I don't touch any of the raw stuff (meaning more for her), But I instead feast on popular dishes, such as Teriyaki, Katsu, Teppanyaki and Tempura. 

      I have a few staple dishes when ordering at a Japanese restaurant, and one of those is Chicken Karaage. Rina thinks it's a "cop out" because it's technically just "fried chicken", and not very Japanese-y, but what can I say, the heart stomach wants what it wants. 

    I had heard good things about Chibi's Kitchen down South from my blogger buddy Hefty Foodie, so I was elated to find out that an incarnate, "Chibi's Karaage", had opened a branch in the new SM Light Mall along Edsa, because it was more accessible to me when compared to Las Pinas and even SM North Edsa. 

    What makes the arrival of Chibi's Karaage so exciting, is that it takes a dish that is known for its simplicity, and finds a way to elevate it to new heights. 

       

Healthy Goodness with Magnolia Brown Eggs

More egg, more fun!

        Next to More rice, more fun, this is the motto that my wife and my daughter lives in. Rain can’t get enough of eggs. That’s her default food. She can even eat it alone, without rice. She took after her mom who loves eggs as well. When we’re at a restaurant, she always goes for something with egg. And when we’re at a ramen place especially, she would order extra aji tamago.

        Anyway, we’ve been told before that consuming too much eggs are bad because of the cholesterol. Eggs actually carry good cholesterol. And this gives us peace of mind whenever we prepare Rain her favorite meal.

        But since we’re consuming a lot of eggs in our household, we might as well take it to the next level. As parents, we have to exert extra effort in making sure we feed our family a healthier choice. (Bacon exempted, of course).

That being said, did you know that brown eggs are actually tastier than white eggs?

SOMETHING BIG IS COOKING UP IN MANILA: APPLEBEE'S! - RINA

        My first memory of Applebee's was in New Jersey when we met up with my Aunt Eva and Uncle Tony. It was late at night and it was still open, and there were a lot of customers still hanging out and having a great time watching a football game.(See my post here) This was way back in 2013. And now, fast forward to 2 years after, Applebee's is finally opening here in the Philippines! In the heart of Bonifacio Global City, Taguig!

PEPPER LUNCH PAELLA FESTIVAL.. AND A GC GIVEAWAY!

           After wowing our taste buds with their successful "Taste The World" series, Pepper Lunch is back with a new set of sizzling plates that is undoubtedly going to be another hit! 

         Get ready for Pepper Lunch's new Paella Festival! 

              

The Nostalgia Dining Lounge's Indonesian Food Festival!

        We can't quite clearly remember if this was the first ever Indonesian buffet that we've tried but this is definitely the one that stuck! Oakwood Hotel's The Nostalgia Dining Lounge features a delicious Indonesian Food Festival which started last September 8 until the 18th, 2015. It's funny because Richie was supposed to just drop by that day because he had an important appointment. But he ended up staying for a while. That's how good the food was!

MACBOOK AIR PROMO FROM BEYOND THE BOX!

Exciting news for MacBook lovers!

        This whole month of September 2015, the MacBook Air 11” & 13” 128GB variants will be available in super easy Zero24 installments at Beyond The Box! And not only this. Along with the MacBook Air, you will also be choosing between three unique lifestyle bundles that will come with your MacBook at no extra cost!

        As we all know, MacBooks naturally has that WOW factor. Measuring 17mm in diameter, weighing at 1.4kg, the MacBook Air is gorgeously slim and of course really light to carry around. It's perfect to put in your bag, barely adding a lot of weight, but at the same time its got excellent quality so it won't easily break even if it's that thin.

        So, to really get the most out of your new MacBook Air, Beyond The Box is also adding in some lifestyle bundles that will fit every personality. Check them out here!:

A GASTRONOMIC JOURNEY AT CDP GLOBAL TABLE

Hi Everyone! 

A special shout out to everyone that watched the First Episode of the Pickiest Eater Web Series!

I said I would be happy if we could get 500 views, and so far we've got over 1,400 and counting! 

We are currently planning the second episode, and I hope you'll enjoy it as much as the first! 

In case you haven't seen it yet, you can watch it here: 

Pickiest Eater: Episode 1

Anyways, I wanted to once again apologize for the the decreased frequency of my posts. 

My family has ventured once again into the food business, and so I've been spending most of my time making sure it opens smoothly.

If you are in the area, please feel free to drop by The Grill Boy, located at 2nd Floor of The Spark Place, along P. Tuazon St. in Cubao (Across SM Cubao)! 

I'm there every day, so in case you see me, please feel free to say hello :) 

Anyway, back to regular programming.. For now.. 

     I've been a fan of Chef Katrina Alcantarasince my first trip to Mesclun Bistro a couple of years ago. Her food always exudes finesse, and impressive knowledge of classic techniques. It's always interesting hearing her explain how a dish came about (often using French terms that I have no clue what they mean, so I just nod along like I do, saying, "Uh huh") through her different experiences. 

     Her latest concept, CDP Global Table, is a collaboration with seasoned restaurateurs Malou Fores and Kristine Locsin, that takes your senses on to a culinary voyage through different dishes inspired from their travels together. 

    Luckily I was able to tag along for the ride!

AN EASY GOLDILOCKS CAKE SLICE KIDDIE TRIFLE DESSERT!

        Parents nowadays are usually all very busy. It’s funny because nowadays even if a parent doesn’t have a 9-5 job, there are still so many things that needs to be done and we have so little time to do it. So in this day and age, we try what we can to do things the fast way. For instance making a dessert recipe. This usually takes a while. But with simple ingredients you can find at the grocery store, and Goldilocks, making a fun dessert for your little one will be a piece of cake!

THE PICKIEST EATER, THE WEB SERIES - EPISODE ONE: THE BATTLE AT BURGERS AND BREWSKIES

      This has always been the dream.

      From that fateful day on June 25, 2010, when I first opened a blogger account and wrote the words, "Hello. My Name is RichieZ. And I am the Pickiest Eater In The World." this is was always the end game. 

      But let me make something clear.. I have no intention of being a food and travel show host of just any show. It had to be "The Pickiest Eater in The World" show, where I would have creative freedom to be me, and do the goof ball antics that you're used to seeing on my blog. This was always what I had wanted to do since I first saw Adam Richman take down "The Kitchen Sink" challenge in San Francisco (The very first episode I ever watched from Man V. Food), and food and travel was my calling. 

    I couldn't do it back in 2010. I didn't have the network of friends in the restaurant industry that I do today, who now made embarking on a production like this, relatively easy. Not to mention, I was not yet established as a food blogger, so my "followers" at that time consisted of me, my wife, my beloved Godmother in Long Beach (who always believes in me, no matter what venture I do. Love you Ninang!).   

   My partner in this Web Series, Muvo Media was not ready either. Mark Mijares, the man behind the Production AND Post Production of The Pickiest Eater Show, and I were working together in a Post House, whose busy schedule didn't allow for us to do very many side projects. 

     Thankfully, five years later, we came together at the perfect stages in our life to make this show a reality. Any blogger can make a Vlog. Hell, I've made quite a few myself over the years. But I can say in full confidence, that this is closer to a TV show than a Vlog, and I'm incredibly proud of what we've achieved.

    In fact, a bunch of blogger friends and I are going to be coming together to create more Blogger Web Series content for you all, which we intend to broadcast over a website we called, "The Band of Bloggers Network".. I think Episode 2 of The Pickiest Eater show will be aired there, so watch out for it!

     Thank you once again to Mark Mijares, Angela Sison, Rina Zamora, Chaika Barbero, and a very special shout out to the generosity of Marc Nocon and Donny Elvina of Burgers and Brewskies! 

    

   Anyway, enough with the talking! Here we go! I hope you enjoy!!