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As part of Our Awesome Planet's continuing mission to promote the food entrepreneurs during this pandemic and home-based entrepreneurs in Manila, they successfully did it again this year at the recent Ultimate Taste Test 2021 Masters Edition on November 29, 2021.
OAP, along with sponsors and the foodie community have been organizing/attending this momentous event for the past 13 years. Meanwhile, Gallery MiraNila by The Blue Leaf has been hosting the activity for the second year in a row.
Among the Ultimate Taste Test babies are Pepita’s Kitchen, from the Lechon Diva, Dedet de la Fuente; Carmen’s Best, the Best Ice Cream in Manila; the internationally renowned Risa Chocolates by Pamela Cinco; and Bhest Lasagna, rated #1 Best Beef Lasagna in Manila.
We are also proud to be able to join UTT in 2020 where we re-introduced that classic Dark Chocolate and Orange combo to cookie lovers with MailChip, which was was also chosen as one of the crowd favorites. Yay!
As one of the many judges who dropped by to get a taste of what our local entrepreneurs offered at their respective booths, here is our quick list of our favorites during the event (in no particular order):
Croffles
by The Ugly Mug PH
Call it a hybrid, but this is a croissant dough that's made on a waffle iron, hence the majestic Croffle. The texture is everything we need: crispy on the outside and so tender on the inside. Have it with chocolate or fruits & cream, but we like it simple with a perfect dusting of powdered sugar on top. Really good!
Strawberry Cake, Helen's Guava Cake, and Grand Slam
from Artisanal Cakes by Monique T
Monique Tancongco is one of many individuals who discovered their knack for home baking during the pandemic, and since then her baked goods are considered one of the best this year. Her cakes are inspired by family, her love for tennis, and the classics. One slice isn't enough when it comes to Monique's Artisanal Cakes!
Gourmet Mussels
by Nom Nom Joy
We have a love-hate relationship with mussels, especially the local kind, so gourmet mussels by Nom Nom Joy is a lifesaver. They're so good, we imagine serving this over a hot bed of rice and that's it! Easy and delicious.
Chocoholic Ice Cream
by Kara Bella Dairy
Everything with chocolate is better with a little bit of alcohol. But seriously, this local rum-laced chocolate gelato is amazing - not too sweet and both ingredients melded together in one solid masterpiece. Not to mention, they use Auro Chocolate, which is one of the best local Filipino chocolates in the biz today.
Triple Chocolate Champorado
by Indulge by Daisy Marie
Indulge pioneered in sweet Filipino snacks available by the bucket. Their Triple Chocolate Champorado made waves of great reviews online, and we also tried their Ube Panna Cotta Champorado which is an elevated version of the usual local sweet rice porridge. Yum!
Mushroom Sisig
by The Kabute Farm
We can't believe that their sisig is not at all different from the real thing! Made only with mushrooms and spices, this is one of the favorites according to the other judges that we talked to during UTT.
We also know that most of them even got a second serving...it's that good!
Lechon Belly
by Belly Yummy
Crispy pork belly always goes straight to our hearts and minds, and Belly Yummy achieved this. They've got some delicious sauces to go along with their roasted pork belly too, so we bet this is a great addition to your next celebration at home.
Classic Fruitcake
by Jud's Fruitcakes
Not everyone knows that fruitcake is one of the oldest cakes in the world, and fruitcake in the Philippines during the holidays is so normal, much like when a lot of people are all about pumpkin during fall in the US. Jud's Fruitcakes is also based on a family recipe and is as nostalgic as it gets.
Congratulations to the rest of the winners! See the full list here: