Full-Flavored Delights Fit for a Queen

I really must have been Italian in my past life (a past life reading confirmed this way back) because I love Italian food such as pasta and pizza...especially pizza!

Premium All-Meat Tuscani Pizza and Fettuccine a la King Pasta

The new Pizza Hut Supremo Tuscani Pizza

Whenever I would crave for pan pizzas, Pizza Hut is my definite destination. Something about the crust and the melted mozzarella makes pizza irresistible to me, more so when Pizza Hut began introducing innovations. From offering the usual toppings and flavors, Pizza Hut began to experiment and have come up with crazy and bold ideas that were translated into delicious pizzas. Since the plain old pizza crusts were usually left uneaten, Pizza Hut then became more creative and introduced pizzas with "improved" cheese or sausage-filled crust -- from Stuffed Crust to Sausage Stuffed, Cheesy Pops to Sausage Pops and the more recent Cheesy Volcanoes -- making eating pizza more fun and flavorful for kids and adults alike. No wonder Pizza Hut has stayed strong all these years despite the fierce competition in the pizza market.

Tuscani Pizza Supremo

Tuscani Pizza Premium All-Meat

Tuscani Pizza 3-Cheese Bacon and Spinach

Tuscani Pizza Gourmet BBQ Chicken

Tuscani Pizza Roast Beef

Because they cannot sit on their glory, Pizza Hut unveiled yet another batch of delightfully delicious pizzas. Introducing the Tuscani Pizza, described as "simple yet abundant, thin yet full-flavored," words that may well describe the young life and achievements of its endorser, Miss Universe 2011 third runner-up Shamcey Supsup. Thinner than ever yet bursting with flavors, Pizza Hut's Tuscani Pizza comes in a variety of exciting tastes -- Supremo, Premium All-Meat, 3-Cheese Bacon and Spinach, Gourmet BBQ Chicken and Roast Beef.

Shamcey Supsup giving me a slice of Tuscani Pizza

At the bloggers meet and greet with Shamcey Supsup, the beauty queen revealed that even though she is slim, she loves to eat and she prefers food that are full-flavored like the Tuscani Pizza, her favorite being the 3-Cheese Bacon and Spinach variant. "I love the soft and chewy crust that is just ideal and not too oily. Pizza hut's Tuscani Pizza's slightly crispy crust is just the right thickness that's easy to hold and doesn't overpower the rich flavors of the delightful toppings."

All smiles (l-r): Pizza Hut's Edgar Allan Caper and
Tuscani Pizza endorser Shamcey Supsup

Pizza Hut's Marketing Manager, Edgar Allan Caper, was also at the event and explained that the Tuscani Pizza line was borne out of careful research and sensitivity to the Filipino's changing tastes. "We came up with this product because the Filipino consumer palate has evolved and is constantly looking for more flavorful pizzas." Pizza Hut's new Tuscani Pizza come in 10-inch medium size and 14-inch super family size.

Pizza Hut began here in the Philippines in 1984 after Philippine Pizza, Inc. bought the franchise. For more information, visit Pizza Hut's website at www.pizzahut.com or be a fan of Pizza Hut on Facebook.

Filed under EVENTS/FLAVORS

John & Yoko: Modern Japanese with a Twist

Since being introduced to the John & Yoko restaurant in Greenbelt 5 a couple of years ago, I've been coming back to taste my favorites, either with friends or family. The interiors suggest early on that John & Yoko offers something more than the average Japanese fare -- modern Japanese with a twist. I love how they made circles a part of the design from the lighted wall decors, to the designs on the wood cabinets.

Recently, they replaced some of their ho-hum dining chairs with these funky Japanese themed chairs.

John & Yoko's menu boasts of a wild variety of maki, tempura and rice bowls plus salads, pizzas and more; and it does hurt that the prices are affordable and competitive. Among my favorites are:

Big Star Salad

A delicious mix of fresh crispy greens, mango slices, shrimps, cherry tomatoes and peanut brittle bits.

Spider Roll

Soft shell crabs wrapped in rice and topped with orange caviar and teriyaki sauce.

Ika Fritters with Cocktail Sauce

Crunchy squid rings with tomato-based cocktail sauce.

Bacon Enoki

Enoki mushrooms wrapped in smoky bacon garnished with spring onions and brown sauce.

Tofu Steak

Fried tofu slices in oyster sauce with beef slices and cubed carrots.

Chicken Teriyaki and Mango Pizza

Mozarella pizza topped with chicken teriyaki bits and mango cubes plus spring onions, toasted sesame seeds and orange caviar...a surprisingly good combination.

For drinks, they have the bottomless dalandan (blue), calamansi (red) and lime (green) that are equally refreshing and thirst quenching.

I have yet to try their other food offerings but I'm sure that my next visits will give me and my companions a truly unique dining experience every time.

Dreaming of New York...Pizza

Am a self confessed pizza and pasta lover and can easily survive on eating those for the rest of my life. I've tried Italian and Pinoy pizzas but never one from New York and so I was curious when I heard that a new pizza place just recently opened in A. Venue -- New York Pizza Palace (NYPP).

Inside New York Pizza Palace.

The feel of NY

The exterior is nothing unusual: all glass walls and doors, with an obscure lighted sign and alfresco tables. But once inside, I felt I was transported to a place that I've only dreamed about -- New York City, USA. I saw familiar street signs and NY icons (Times Square, Mulberry St., Coney Island, Grand Central, and Fifth Avenue, among others) on the walls of the interior but the main attraction was the LED ticker board splashed across the ceiling, showing actual New York Stock Market, sports scores and news that New Yorkers follow. Numerous TV monitors showed live footages, real-time happenings at Times Square and Fifth Avenue, being updated every 30 seconds. The "Empire State of Mind" video of Alicia Keys and Jay-Z plays at an hourly interval and every so often, the screens will show old movies that had the New York theme such as The Godfather series.

NY icons such as baseball player Babe Ruth, Yankee stadium and original yellow subway chairs, among others.

The LED board showing NY stock exchange results, sports scores and news.

Screens with real time NY scenes.

The ordering counter reveals more NY attributes -- the menu board looks like the ticketing panels of the Grand Central train station; colorful NY graffiti decorates the surface below the counter; and there were several manhole covers lining the pavement, mimicking the streets of New York.

Graffiti artworks and more NY reminders decorate the counter.

Surprise detail -- NY manhole replica.

The dream of NY

The tour stared with a story by NYPP chief operating officer Eric Orland, who introduced himself as a New Yorker by birth but lived in California. He has been on the hunt for great tasting pizzas but nothing can satisfy his cravings like New York pizzas. So he collaborated with Chef O'Connor to develop authentic NY recipes which he wanted to offer initially to the market in China until a Filipino-American friends suggested he try the market in the Philippines. The opening of New York Pizza Palace was the materialization of a dream that took 7 years to fulfill and this first branch in A. Venue, Makati Avenue, is just the beginning.

Their main offerings are pasta and pizza but they have a lot more for the discriminating palate of the working people of Makati City. Everything if made fresh (cooked as they are ordered as much as possible) and served hot. You can even view the pizza being made through a glass show window at the side counter and according to Eric, their pizzas are made with four different flavors each to ensure the quality as they are served.

Peek at the pizza show window to see how your pizza is being made fresh.

The taste of NY

For starters, their NYPP Sicilian salad was served -- a perfect combination of romaine lettuce, croutons, marinated steamed chicken, mango, grapes, diced tomatoes and cashew nuts tossed with their signature Sicilian dressing. The salad was delightfully refreshing and tasty, with the dressing made from the finest and freshest ingredients and did not come out of a bottle.

NYPP Sicilian salad

Next were their best seller pastas: Fettucine Alfredo Chicken, Penne with Grilled Chicken and Pesto and Seafood and Garlic Linguine. The alfredo white cream sauce was surprisingly light, not oily nor overly creamy but flavorful enough to offset the mildly salted chicken bits; penne pesto has fresh, earthy taste brought about by the roasted vegetables and mild garlic flavor; while the seafood pasta has strong garlic flavor and good mix of shrimps and squid rings.

Fettucine Alfredo Chicken

Penne with Grilled Chicken and Pesto

Seafood and Garlic Linguine

An interesting appetizer called Suppli, their signature rice ball stuffed with parmesan and cheddar cheese, fried to golden perfection and served with marinara sauce, is heavy enough as a main dish. Crusty outside and soft inside, the cheese and tomato sauce blend beautifully inside the mouth. Yum!

Suppli, originally an Italian appetizer

The Chicken Wings (NYPP's version of buffalo wings) are fantastic! The skin is crunchy like lechon skin and their very own sweet-chili winger sauce seals the deal.

NYPP Chicken Wings

Pizza is their main offering and so NYPP makes sure that every pizza is made right and every slice is served fresh. Eric told us that, "What makes good quality pizza is the crispness of the product. You can hear the crisp when they cut it." NYPP has 7 Classic Pizza flavors: New York Style Cheese, Pepperoni, Triple Meat Lover, Fire Grilled Vegetable, Wild Mushroom, Sweet Sausage and Hawaiian. The cheese pizza was mildly salty which is great because one gets to enjoy the chewy goodness of the cheeses without choking on salty flavor; the meat pizza, a triple delight pizza with ham, pepperoni and Italian sausage, was not greasy at all and the freshness of the tomato sauce can be tasted.

PIZZA!!! (clockwise from the top) Mini Meatballs, Triple Meat Lover, New York Style Cheese and Spicy Shrimp

As if the 7 classics are not enough, NYPP also developed their Signature Pizzas namely NYPP Vodka Pie, Spinach & Artichoke, Mini Meatballs, White Pie, Prince Street Clam, Eggplant Ricotta and NYPP Spicy Shrimp. My early favorites are: the spinach & artichoke, with mozzarella, romano, provolone cheese, breadcrumbs and basil leaves -- satisfying but light despite the thick spinach & artichoke mixture and cheese; the vodka pie, which actually has no alcohol but rather a mix of sauces including creamy tomato sauce and basil leaves; the eggplant ricotta, which has a rich cheese flavor from ricotta, mozzarella and romano cheese was made unique red bell pepper and breaded eggplant; and the white pie which has smoky herb flavor from the onions, bacon and thyme leaves toppings.

More pizza! (clockwise from the top) Spinach & Artichoke, White Pie, Vodka Pie and Eggplant Ricotta

NYPP may look and sound expensive but their prices are competitive in the pizza/pasta market. For those who can't have lunch outside their offices or for those who want to enjoy their favorite pizza, pasta, chicken, salad, appetizers and delicious desserts at home, NYPP delivers to your doorstep. Dial 720-5977 for delivery and feast like New Yorker.

Vroom! Vroom! Have your pizza delivered now.

Visit New York Pizza Palace for an authentic New York dining experience. NYPP is located at A. Venue, Makati Avenue, Makati City and is open from 9am - 4am daily. Please visit http://www.newyorkpizzapalace.com/ for more information.

Me and NYPP's 18" pizza