PBco: Everyday Happy Food

How far can you go with peanut butter? For some people who love peanut butter so much, there is one place in Pasig that offers an “out-of-the-box” gastronomical delight that serves the usual comfort food and everything with a touch of peanut butter. 

PBco is the rebranded name of Peanut Butter Company...

PBco, a rebranded food hub of a familiar name, Peanut Butter Company that were quite noticeable in some SM Malls before, is coming out  with a unique spin of the usual comfort food we love to eat. It offers sandwiches and other dishes blended with peanut butter that makes the ordinary comfort food transforms into a unique “Happy Food”. 

PBco is located at Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Pasig City

Last Friday, August 21, 2015, my wife and I were invited to the media launch of PBco, the newest food hub that hits the metro with their exceptional take of peanut butter. This restaurant, serves dishes from waffles, a selection of sandwiches, a wide array of pasta to the heavier meals, all with a blend of peanut butter. The food tasting event was graced by the owners Ms. Pam and Richard Chua who also hosted and detailed each dish that was served.  

A very refreshing healthy drink. Basil lemonade... 

In our list, there were 17 dishes that were presented for tasting and photo ops. The first batch were the Stuffed French Toasts and we were served bite sizes of each one so that we can accommodate more dishes later. The first in the line-up is the Crunchy Jamberry. It is a lite toasted bread, sprinkled with rice crispies stuffed with creamy peanut butter and Jamberry. 

Crunchy Jamberry...

Next is the Stuffed Monkey. It is a caramelized toasted bread with peanut butter spread, stuffed with banana slices, glazed in honey syrup. The toasts are generally sweet and I think it’s better to eat them after the main course or during snack in between meals. 

Stuffed Monkey...

After the two selection of toasts were the Sandwiches. The first one is the Marshmallow Dream which is made of caramelized bread toasts, with peanut butter spread and marshmallow spread which combines with peanut butter perfectly. This sandwich is served with PBco homemade fried potato chips. It is best enjoyed with black coffee. 

Marshmallow Dream...

The Roast Beef N’ Gravy is something everyone should try. This one is filled with PBco Cardamon spread on one side and cucumber mayo spread on the other. The beef are striploin, stuffed with white onions and lettuce. This one is also served with potato chips, which is homemade. For the lite eater, this can good for a one full meal because the serving is a big. 

Roast Beef N' Gravy...

The Cream Cheese Chowder is something that is very interesting. It is served in a “bread-bowl”, so one can actually eat the bowl after consuming the soup inside. The cream cheese are melted and then mixed with peanut butter that gives a zestful after taste. 

Cream Cheese Chowder...

According to Ms. Pam Chua, not all dishes can work well with peanut butter but amazingly, she creatively concocted five types of pasta dishes that blends with peanut butter perfectly. For the Cold Asian Noodles, the peanut butter is mixed with the vinaigrette sauce while the Mac and Three Cheese is a combination of three cheeses mixed with the bread crumbs that is sprinkled on the pasta. It’s also interesting how they were able to mix tomato sauce for their Classic Spaghetti with Sun-dried peanut butter sauce. For those who crave for a little kick of hotness, you might want to try their Fish Diablo Pasta with Chili flavored peanut butter. And last but not the least is the Creamy Curry Pasta. In the Philippines, curry fans are a bit few, me included, but this one is certainly an exception. The lite peanut butter seemed to act as an equalizer to balance off the strong flavor of the curry powder. 

Cold Asian Noodles...

Mac and Three Cheeses...

Classic Spahetti... 

Fish Diablo Pasta...

Creamy Curry Pasta...

PBco further extended their peanut butter creativity by coming up with burgers! So, you really need to try these, because when was the last time you put peanut butter on a burger? Probably never before, so these maybe a game changer for many. PBco featured two of their best burgers, the Pulled Pork Burger which has white onion rings, cucumber mayo spread on one side and creamy peanut butter on the other and the Sloppy Burger which has the same cucumber mayo spread but the peanut butter here is a bit chili, much like the ones you see in US burger joints, minus the peanut butter of course. 

Pulled Pork Burger...

Sloppy Burger with Chili Peanut Butter...

Among the full meals PBco offers are the Country Chicken Steak, marinated in peanut butter, coated in saltine crackers then deep fried to perfection and then served on milk gravy. It come with lettuce mayo salad and mashed potato. The Home Town Fried Chicken is dipped in soy garlic sauce. It is also served with lettuce mayo salad on the side. Cajun Fish Fillet is freshly grilled, but not too well-done, so you can still taste the tender meat of the cream dory. The peanut butter sauce is served separately on a cup so you can get just the right amount that will satisfy your desired preference.

  Country Chicken Steak...

Cajun Fish Fillet...

Hometown Fried Chicken...

A good meal would not be complete without a good dessert. And PBco didn’t left this one out to mix with peanut butter. The Ice Cream Toast is a combination of ice cream and toasted bread on the bottom. It also comes in three flavors, Apple, Banana Bacon and Marshmallow. Dark Chocolate peanut butter is glazed on top of the dessert. 

Ice Cream Toast...

If peanut butter is not your ideal spread, then you might want to try them on other dish you love to eat, and you might find yourself wanting for more of it when you visit PBco at Estancia Mall inside Capitol Commons, in Pasig City. 

Check out their other exciting dishes in their website: www.pbcoeveryday.com

Via Mare @ 40…

During the late 70s and 80s, when people would ask for a quality fine dining restaurant, everyone would always recommend Via Mare. In the olden days, Via Mare has become the epitome of fine dining experience which was very popular among VIPs, foreign dignitaries and some of the famous oligarch families that ruled the society at that time. 

Cafe Via Mare at St. Lukes Medical Center Ground Floor...

Cafe Via Mare is Located at the Ground Floor of St. Luke's Medical Center, Bonifacio Glabal City, Taguig

As for me, my fondness memories of this posh restaurant was when it became a reward-treat for me and my colleagues whenever we hit the sales target for the year. The president of our company at that time, Mr. Dante Arriola (may he rest in peace), would make a reservation for a long table at Via Mare Oyster Bar at Greenbelt or at Tektite Tower for a fine dining experience and would indulge ourselves with an “eat-all-you-can” Rockefeller Oysters. In the past, the Oyster dishes served at Via Mare were some of the dishes that made them the talk-of-the-town, which I beleive until now serves as the iconic dish of Via Mare's fame.

Via Mare's world famous Rockyfeler Oyster priced at P390 per serving (photo courtesy of foodspotting.com) 

I’ve been to a lot of restaurants for food tasting events and yesterday was the first time Via Mare harnesses the blogging community for their brand promotions. I never thought they would need one since their quite popular already when it comes to fine dining and quality food catering services. But according to Mr. Rany Rono, the General Manager of Via Mare, there has been some changes and improvements in the restaurant including the dishes and how it is being served. As much as they are noted for the fining cuisine, many of their loyal clients were asking for authentic Filipino dishes. That is why this restaurant created a Filipino Cuisine persona that they can also be famous for, and that lead to the creation of a new concept brand Café Via Mare. 

Mr. Rany Rono, Via Mare's General Manager and Ms. Addie Quiachon, Via Mare's Marketing Manager

In their 40th year, Via Mare wishes to tap the new generations to explore their food and how such simple Filipino dish can be transformed into a more classy cuisine. Through the help of the social media, Via Mare organized a food-crawl series that highlighted their menu from Breakfast, Lunch, Mirienda and Dinner. A set of food bloggers were assigned to a particular meal and I was lucky enough to be part of the Dinner group. 

Veggies Side Salad...

Ensaladang Bagnet...

The food tasting event was held at their St, Luke’s Hospital Branch in BGC, and we were welcomed by Ms. Addie Quiachon, Via Mare’s Marketing Manager and Sir Rany himself. It was an intimate dinner where they shared to us Via Mare’s inspiring history and about the five friends who started it all in September of 1975. Among the five pioneers, one person served as the visionary of the group, a driving inspiration of what made Via Mare flourished for 40 years, is no other than Ms. Glenda Barreto.   

Tiyan Ng Bangus Sinigang sa Miso priced at P295 per serving 

Rellenong Talong at P135...

Despite the absence of a formal culinary training, Ms. Barreto is the prime source of Via Mare’s culinary creativity. Her strength which is also imbedded in Via Mare’s culture is the unparalleled consistency of high quality both service and food creations. No wonder Via Mare has become the food catering service of choice by four Philippine presidents and has served in many historical momentous occasions such as two papal visits, the Ms. Universe Pageant, the International Film Festival and other state summits. 

Calcag Rice - Sun dreid shrimp with Bagoong and Scrambled egg...at P155

Adobong Pusit with Garlic Rice and Lumpia at P295

Unfortunately, due to some important engagements, Ms. Barreto was not able to join us but we were lucky enough to meet one of Via Mare St. Lukes Operations Manager Mr. Rosendo "Boy" Cano, who have been with the restaurant since it started in Makati. As we enjoyed the food being served, we were entertained by many of Sir Boy’s anecdotal stories and his experiences with some of the notable guests Via Mare has served through the years. Many of these stories were even tagged as “off-the-record” and wishes not to be mentioned in the blogs. Well, if Sir Boy has his share of stories, I also have my own first-hand account stories of personalities who have been frequented Via Mare many years ago. But will not share that here now. 

Cafe Via Mare St. Luke's Operations Manager Mr. Rosendo "Boy" Cano. Via Mare employee since 1975

Kare-Kare at P410

Sir Boy’s impeccable loyalty to the company is not unique to him alone because many of the staff of Via Mare have been in service for many years as well. A unique trait on how the company take care of their people and it is one quality that makes it very exceptional compared to other restaurant businesses.

Tiyan ng Bangus Asado at P325

Inihaw na Liempo at P295...

Our sumptuous dinner of some of Via Mare’s best-selling dishes like their version of Bagoong Rice and Crispy Pata, was culminated by its internationally acclaimed Filipino desserts like the Puto Maya with mango and the Special Bibingka. These dishes were also featured in the International Food Festival that gave the Filipino cuisine the long awaited global recognition. 

Crispy Pata at P735...

Pinalutong na Tilapia at P235...

Special Bibingka. Don't ever leave Via Mare without tasting this one...

For 40 years, every dish served at Via Mare conforms to the highest standards of Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP) to meet the discriminating taste and preference of its clientele. It aims to create a well-rounded menu that will cater to all ages and it will strive to continue to maintain that integrity in more years to come. 

The Blogging Community with Via Mare's Executives... 

Oppo Mirror 5: A Spark of Brilliance

Yesterday, August 13, 2015, Oppo Philippines launched another cutting edge model in the smart phone line with the latest Oppo Mirror 5. With a tag line, “A spark of Brilliance”, Mirror 5 highlights a powerhouse features that is quite exceptional and a head of its class. 

The media launch was held at the Atrium of SM Mall of Asia which was graced by its loyal vendors and members of the press and media from different print publications, TV and radio networks as well as online media. Despite of the rain and bad traffic, many didn’t miss out the opportunity of seeing first hand of what this new smart can offer to our discriminating consumers today. 

Well attended despite the rain...

Another highlight of the launch is the introduction of its newest brand ambassador, Ms. Sarah Geronimo who gave the crowd two entertaining song numbers.  After which, Ms. Geronimo and the Oppo executives officially forged the endorsement partnership that gave way to a short sneak preview upcoming Oppo commercial. The TVC will soon be aired in the coming days.

Welcome Sarah, to the Oppo family...

The "voice" of the new Oppo Mirror 5...

The event also presented some of its great features that is more than skin deep. Externally, the casing is made of diamond-like mirrored surface, designed with individual cut-glass segments consisting of different kinds of reflective properties. The Mirror 5 is available in two colors, the white and blue options. 

...it applies a suphisticated ultraviolet embossing technology.

The internal structure of Mirror 5 is also something everyone may find very interesting as well. The size of the phone has a 5’ frame that is not too big for Pinoy hands to grasp, but not to small that it compromises the visibility and functionality. Other features are as follows:

Powered by Qualcom Snapdragon Quad-core 1.2GHz in 64bit

SRP: P9,999.00
Display: 5”
Processor: Qualcom Snapdragon - Quad-core 1.2GHz in 64bit
Rear Camera: 8MP
Back camera: 5MP
Resolution: 960x540 Pixels
RAM: 2GB
OS: Colo OS 2.1 (Based on Android 5.1 Lollipop)
Storage: 16GB (Expandable to 128GB)
Battery Capacity: 2420mAh

Avalable in white and blue color options...

On top of its powerhouse features, the Mirror 5 also allows you to use it as a remote control of some household appliances like the television. The Mirror 5 offers a 3G with supper high speed connectivity, dual sim slots, and SD card support up to 128GB. 

These are just some of the qualities you’ll see in the new Oppo Mirror 5. Qualities that depicts much of the character of the company itself. “We choose Sarah as our endorser because we found a lot of commonalities in both the company and Sarah like our humble beginnings and strive for excellence. these are just some of the similarities we share” says Gerrick Huang, Oppo Philippines Country Manager. 

What is a Career Transition Service?

In my 20 plus years working with half a dozen companies and organizations, never have I encountered the terms Career Transition Service (CTS) and Outplacement Program. Have I known that there is such a thing, I could have asked about it along with all the countless interviews I went through all those years. Apparently, with all the Human Resource (HRs) Department of companies I worked with, a CTS service has never been a part of the benefits /assistance employees receive in anyone of them. 

Last week, I was invited to attend a very intimate round table discussion with a company called LEE HECHT HARRISON (LHH), which offers an exceptional HR “extension” service to companies that will undergo significant changes in their organization and that will greatly impact their employees. Institutional mergers, downsizing, organizational restructuring, redundancy or anything that will require laying off of employees are just some of the reasons that may cause these changes.

Mr. Vincent Kilayko, Managing Director, LHH

This particular media discussion was quite different from the usual media events I normally go to. The discussion was more of a simulation on what a group of employees can experience in the process of CTS itself. So, to simulate the actual program, we were asked several questions about our previous employment backgrounds. I was so surprised that many of the bloggers present, including myself, underwent less-than ideal experiences during our employment years that led to leaving the life of the corporate world and making career shifts.

Ms. Jo Ann Rosary Asetre, Operations Director, LHH