Last September 12, 2015, Saturday, a thousand of foodies participated in the Ultimate Taste Test 2015 at the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati. Organized by Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet and San Miguel Lifestyle Brews, this food tasting event gave food lovers a chance to become food critics for a day. Over 40 food suppliers consisting of home-based food businesses and new ventures joined and served mouth-watering new flavors to guests.
Ultimate Taste Test 2015
It was my first time to attend such an event, and I was floored with the many different selections of food available.
The mechanics are pretty simple. Each of us was given one plate and a spoon to be used for the entire food sampling duration, so part of the challenge was to keep the plate neat and clean after getting and tasting food from the first booth to the last.
We were also handed out the map of the activity area and the rating sheet where we had to rate the food supplier accordingly on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest):
1 – Thanks, but it could be better.
2 – It is OK.
3 – We had a good time.
4 – I love it!
5 – Awesome! I would recommend it!
The Ultimate Taste Test 2015’s official results are not out yet, and everyone is excited to find out who got the highest ratings. Meanwhile, here are my personal top picks that scored a perfect “5” and won my heart completely. 🙂
My Top 5 Picks at the Ultimate Taste Test 2015 (Glorietta Activity Center, Makati City)
1. Chocoliquor – Cakes by Maricar
“Imagine biting into a high quality chocolate bonbon then taking the smallest sip of excellent red wine, just enough to enhance the flavor. That was our inspiration.” – Maricar Reyes-Poon
The chocoliquor cake turned out moist and rich with a great chocolate flavor. It was delicately sweet with just a small hint of bitterness. The liquor’s taste was not too intense and overly done to overwhelm one’s tastes, so the cake can be quite friendly for both adults and children.
This cake has been featured before on Kris TV, and it rightfully deserved so. Presented in a gold tin/box, this alcohol-based cake is an awesome treat to the family or a gift for a friend. I’m surprised that prices are more on the affordable end:
3.5″ round gold tin – PhP 290 (required pre-order, minimum of 12 pieces)
6.5″ round gold tin – PhP 550
9″ × 8″ rectangle in gold box – PhP 850
To learn more about Chocoliquor – Cakes by Maricar, visit/like its Facebook page or contact 09178648282 to order/inquire.
2. Fisher Farms, Inc.
I knew I would love the Smoked Milkfish – Pure Belly Cut by Fisher Farms, Inc. just by the smell of it. 🙂 It was mouth-watering, especially with rice. What made it special are the facts that they use the most premium part of the bangus and virgin beechwood chips imported from Germany to create not only a juicy texture and robust smokey flavor of the fish but also make it chemical-free and safe.
This is also best recommended for those who don’t have the time to cook and prepare food, since the item is microwaveable and can be easily served in minutes. The Smoked Milkfish – Pure Belly Cut by Fisher Farms, Inc. doesn’t contain artificial ingredients and chemical preservatives. It’s healthy since it’s a good source of protein and Omega-3, has zero trans fat, and is free from gluten, casein, nitrites, and MSG.
Fisher Farms, Inc. also sells meaty fishy sausages without the strong fishy taste. Products are available in Rustan’s and S&R. For more info, visit their website.
3. Gelato Lab
The softness and smoothness of the gelato served by Gelato Lab definitely stood out. My favorite flavor was the Matcha Choco Chip. 🙂 Mixed with chocolate bits that added a contrast, the Matcha Choco Chip gelato was made from high grade Japanese green tea powder thus produced an authentic full-bodied flavor.
Others were also enjoyable and satisfactory. To achieve the Coffee Stracciatella gelato, Gelato Lab used premium Colombian beans to produce an intense, creamy taste of coffee without any acidity or bitterness. The beans were blended with thin bittersweet chocolate flecks, which perfectly complemented the richness of the coffee. To make the Mango Pudding gelato, real mangoes were used in the recipe and small mango bits were mixed in to add more juice to the bite. The Bailey’s Irish Cream had a unique taste of boozy flavor with just the right subtle touch of alcohol. Glorious!
Aside from these presented in the Ultimate Taste Test booth, Gelato Lab also offers a good range of flavors from classic favorites (like dark chocolate and strawberry) and interesting combinations (like almond mascarpone) to the unusual (like thai milk tea, or pumpkin spice) and liquor-based (like pina colada).
For more info, visit or like their Facebook Page.
4. The Beef Barn
My mom somewhat got addicted to going back a couple of times to The Beef Barn’s booth to relish their house specialty: the Roast Angus Beef with Wild Mushroom Sauce. Nothing could be more sinful and comforting than a huge chunk of fatty Angus beef smothered with a creamy wild mushroom gravy.
The beef was crusted on all four sides and it had that melt-in-your-mouth wow factor that’s worth a minor heart attack. 😛 Indeed, the roast angus beef by The Beef Barn is a winner in our book.
For more info, visit its website.
5. Chivy & Co.
If you want to get the famous Tian Tian hainanese chicken rice without having to fly to Singapore, Chivy & Co. can get you covered. Chivy & Co. created a recipe that’s inspired from the original and thought that they could make it even better.
I can tell that they got it right. 🙂 How? They were able to retain the moisture and tenderness of the Sous Vide Hainanese Chicken and cook it in its natural juices perfectly. Three different types of sauces (ginger sauce, sweet soy sauce and chili sauce) were served together with the fragrant Hainanese rice. Absolutely delicious!
Wrap Up
The Ultimate Taste Test has been a fun event with something for everybody—appetizers, mains, drinks, desserts—you name it. As stated by Anton Diaz of OAP, “it is impossible to taste all the food in one session.” My mom and I went back three times to the Ultimate Taste Test (UTT15) activity area to give rest to our stomachs and set a good pace. 🙂 In between, we walked from Glorietta to SM, SM to Greenbelt, Greenbelt to Landmark and then back to Glorietta.
We spent almost seven hours in the area and were happy to also spot some of our KTG friends. At the end of the day, we were able to taste and rate dishes from 40/49 food purveyors. Hooray! We can’t wait for the actual results. 🙂
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