THE NEXT BIG FOOD ENTREPRENEUR 2014 start up in BGC

RJ Ledesma of Mercato Centrale

Those who attended the free seminar on How to Develop Your Business Food Idea got an advantage of possibly winning the coveted prize of the upcoming New Big Food Entrepreneur contest.

The free seminar on How to Develop Your Business Food Ideas during the  startup of Food Entrepreneur Weekend last October 25 (Saturday) in Mercato Centrale tent in Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City.

It was when the organizers of the event leaked the secret success formula of those who became successful with the Mercato Centrale.  The attendees were picking gems of valuable insights from the revealing presentation of RJ Ledesma.

Ms. Jill Gerodias of Manang's Chicken introduces the company profile and the inspirational success story of their food business that originated from a recipe of her Manang.

Chef Jun-jun De Guzman whips it up with his dreamy dessert, a marbled Cream Cheese Swirl Espresso Brownie now featured in YUMMY magazine's October 2014 issue.

Chef Jun-jun and his team doing the on-stage demo on how to concoct his dreamy dessert. 

Chef Junjun flaunts his marbled Cream Cheese Swirl Espresso Brownie that landed on the cover of the October issue of YUMMY magazine.

The October 2014 issue of YUMMY glossy food magazine

RJ Ledensma, the co-founder of the Mercato Centrale recently becomes the Globe MyBusiness Ambassador and shares his insights and experiences on how the Social Media influences the success of those who joined the Mercato Centrale and stressed a number of points on why Mercato Centrale is so ideal for entrepreneurs. 

RJ talks about some of  the secret formula that he and his co-founder and associates were able to establish that brought them success in Mercato Centrale.

Other  valuable guests speakers include Armando "Butz" Bartolome, the President of GMB Franchise Development , Inc. and Chairman of the Association of Filipino Franchisers Inc.; Chef Jun-jun de Guzman, a columnist of Yummy food magazine; Dave Khodr, the Associate Publisher for Entrepreneur magazine;  Maricris Carlos, the Managing Editor of the  Entrepreneur magazine; Jill Gerodias of Manang's Chicken; Suzy Lee of the Spring By Ha Yuan; Adrian Adreano, the CEO of Moonleaf Holding, Inc. and user of myShopkeeper; and Sheila Faytaren, a franchisee of Moonleaf and user of myShopkeeper

Surprisingly, RJ manifested that based on their observation and evaluation, the Pinoy flavors, ingredients, and food performers were the most trending and popular in those years of Mercato Centrale's experience. 

A lucky winner of on-the-spot Globe AdBlast reads the text message that won him Gift Check from Moon Leaf.

 

 

The winning text message and the GC from Moon Leaf

Those aspiring entrepreneur contestants of the upcoming Next Big Food Entrepreneur must take time to read this Official Application Form (below) of the 2014 Next Big Food Entrepreneur to have an idea on what are needed to join the contest and what to expect from you in the contest. This application form doubles as your guide to the contest. 

Related posts:

• 15 of 31 participants passed the 2014 New Big Food Entrepreneur Taste Test

• YourChance To Become The Next Big Food Entrepreneur Is Back!

• Free Seminar on Setting Up Your Food Stall Business at Mercato Centrale

Giant pork sisig featured in the opening of the second BIG BITE

In Pampanga, the Marquee Mall of Angeles City hosted again the BIG BITE!, a three-day Northern Food Festival.

The giant pork sisig being cooked in the Marquee Park by a team of chefs and CHM students from Systems Plus College Foundation.

On its opening last October 17, 2014, a big mass of minced pork sisig was cooked on a giant stainless steel pan at the Marquee Park by a team of chefs headed by a Capampangan celebrity chef, Sau Del Rosario. With him cooking the giant sisig are  chef Jam Melchor and chef Bong Sagmit with the help of  HRM students of Systems Plus College Foundation headed by Dean Rennier Perez.

The giant pork sisig was made possible by cooking up 225 kilograms of pisngi and tenga ng baboy (cheeks and ears of pig) in 11-feet-in-diameter pan with 60 kilograms of atay ng manok (chicken liver), 5 sacks of onion, 2 sacks of fresh calamansi fruits, 5 gallons of soy sauce, and 10 kilos of red ripe siling Taiwan - not siling labuyo (Philippine bird’s eye chili) as told earlier by the organizers. Siling Taiwan is a species of chili that is bigger but less pungent compared to the real siling labuyo.

RJ Ledesma of Mercato Centrale hosting the event.

The food festival lasted for three-days on the grounds of MarQuee Mall in Angeles City, Pampanga, from October 17 to October 19, 2014.

Mr. Mark Sablan, the Senior Division Manager and General Manager of Marquee Mall, formally welcomes everyone who attends the kick-off of the second Big Bite.

Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintua recalls how sisig originated in Angeles City, Pampanga as his way of formally capping off the opening of the 3-day BIG BITE! northern food festival.

(For the same story on how sisig originated, see my other related post) 

College of Hospitality Management (CHM) students of Systems Plus College Foundation (SPCF) who helped prepare the ingredients and cook the giant pork sisig are now holding plates of calamansi and sili (hot chili) as final garnishment to the sisig.

The Capampangan pisngi at balugbug babi (cheek and ear of pig) are parboiled then grilled  before they are minced into pieces.

The minced pork parts and sliced red chilies (siling Taiwan, not siling labuyo as inadvertently identified by the  organizers and host of the event), are manually readied for cooking.

The CHM students of SPCF chopping the pork into tiny bits and pieces.

The organizers, chefs, and guests of the BIG BITE perform the symbolic strewing of sliced chilies and calamansi fruits as the final missing piece to the giant pork sisig  

The pork sisig is now ready for sharing

Chef Sau del Rosario serving a helping of sisig to Mayor Ed Pamintuan and wife, Mrs. Herminia Pamintuan 

The cooked pork sisig being served on wooden plates appeared to be  tenderized  well and browned due to overcooking. But still yummy.

Related posts:

• Wonderful foods and culinary treasures I found in the sneak preview of the second Big Bite!
• PAG installed artworks to Marquee Mall's Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival
• BIG BITE! is back this 2014 in Marquee Mall, Angeles City
• How can you tell an authentic Siling Labuyo

There are so much beer to taste and know about in McKinley Hill Beer Festival

For the whole stretch this month of October 2014, the Venice Piazza of McKinley Hill in BGC is the place for Beer Festival where grand revelry is overflowing with fun and excitement for beer connoisseurs and enthusiasts. 

Over 100 craft and imported beers, beer-infused dishes and non-stop entertainment will surely gratify the thirst and food desire of partygoers. 

October 1 to 25, 2014 - Experience and enjoy the McKinley Hill Beer Festival with more fun and exciting beer promos.  From 7:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M., beer-lovers can enjoy unlimited beers for only PHP299.00 for local beers and PHP499 for imported beers at participating establishments. 

Take advantage and enjoy the month long limited-edition mouthwatering beer-infused dishes prepared by Wursty Wursty Beer Garden, Tratorria Poggio Antico, Marciano's, Main Street and Little Asia.

The kick-off of McKinley Hill Beer Festival formally commenced with a cheer and gulping  down pitchers of beer.  Karen Bordador (center), who serves as master of the ceremony, joins the initiation rite of unlimited beer drinking.

October 10 & 11, 2014 - you can regale in the German Octoberfest by Wursty Wursty Beer Garden, where you can enjoy great selection of imported German beers and popular German cuisine, along with live performance from KSM Jean and Joey, Kilda, and Xpresso.

Among the beers I've tried, I find this Pivo Praha excellent in taste. This microbrewed beer is crisp and getting more manly when chilled.

October 17, 2014 - Watch the best indie musicians and artists in town performing at the Indie Supreme. Performers would include Angelo, Mom's Cake, Engkanto Reggae, Megan Aguilar, Yosha, Lougee Basabas, and Wolfgang.

October 24, 2014 - Imago and Chicosci will perform on stage.

October 25, 2014 - The rock band, Urbandub, will close the Beer Tent with rock music.

Small players in beer industry, the craft breweries, like the Xavierbier, the  Pivo Praha (above), the Hand Craft (below) and the Great Island Craft Brewery (also below) are gaining exposure by participating in the Beer Festival.

Beer products now being manufactured in a local brewery in Bakekang, Baguio City.

Soon-to-be marketed are bottled versions of Xavierbier beer products. These four bottled craft beers represent Ifugao legendary complicated belief of the universe and system of deities. Their flat universe is composed of six worlds: Kabunyan (Skyworld), Pugaw (Earthworld), Dalom (Underworld), Lagud (Eastern World), Daya (Western World), and Kadungayan (Spiritual world).

Master brewer, Rose (with bull cap), bartending a tap in Venice Piazza on the kick-off of McKinley Hill Beer Festival  

Those who will avail of the promos will have the chance to win McKinley's giveaways of round-trip tickets for two courtesy of Air Asia to Seoul, South Korea and Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.  

To get the chance of winning the raffle, guests can presents their receipts at the designated redemtion booth at the Venice Piazza.   Raffle draw is on October 25, during the McKinley Hill Beer Festival's closing revelry.

Mr. Earl Palma's Sauceria offers not only good beers but also mouth-watering beer-infused dishes. Even if the beer festival is over, you can always have the best of Sauceria at the Tuscany, McKinley Hill.

For more information on McKinley Hill Beer Festival, you can call the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Concierge at 709-9888, 709-088, and 0917-838-0111. The area code for landline phones in Metro Manila is 02  for national calls and +63 for international calls.

A bunch of stand-up comedians from Comedy Manila with Karen Bordador (2nd left). The funny guys won the beer quiz and Cesar Cruz of the Daily Tribune holds a plane ticket he just won for a trip to Puerto Prinsesa City, Palawan.

The Bicol Express Wild Chili Ale is a chili-flavored craft beer, while the (+63) Single Hop IPA represents Philippines using the international telephone country code +63 of the country, and the Poto Pale Ale, are the craft beer manufactured by the Great Island Craft Brewery in aranaque City, Metro Manila.    

Filipino version of chili-flavored beer. It is manufactured in a  mini brewery in Paranaque City, Metro Manila by Allan Baldis Agala (I think, he is the guy peeping in the 10th photo, above) .

This can be your real tear jerker. Now, you cannot just pretend crying when you are broke.

A FRIENDLY REMINDER :  Be aware of RA 10586, or the  "Anti-Drunk and Drugged Driving Act of 2013," a new law that took effect recently. It penalizes drunk driving in the Philippines. Don't drink and drive, otherwise you will loss lots of things in your life. Your license to drive might be cancelled and banned you to drive for life. Isn't it worse when its too late to realize that your life insurance and car insurance will not cover you and your losses due to alcohol. If drinking is socially unavoidable, just drink moderately and responsibly. (Check this for your reference: The Official Gazette)