20 items worth the space on your ‘noche buena’ table
Cereal Prawns by Ley’s Kitchen (@leys_kitchen)
Their crabs in Coco Curry and Crab Laksa, among others, are indulgent but for this season, Angel Ley offers another equally delicious crowd favorite. Her Cereal Prawns are fragrant and buttery that the use of bare hands, with the occasional finger lick, is necessary.
Grand Dimsum Platter by Suzhou Dimsum (@suzhoudimsumph)
Celebrating 20 years of authentic Chinese cuisine, this humble Mandaluyong hotspot has the best starters for your holiday feast: Dimsum! You have the option of getting a variety—siomai, hakaw, kuchay dumpling and steamed wanton—or 50 pieces of any of the four.
Christmas embutido by Mommy Dolor’s Kitchen (@mommydolorskitchen)
This home-based brand has been letting people into their Malabon kitchen for many years now, selling dishes like rellenong pusit and albondigas. This Christmas, they’re also offering their embutido made of ground pork, hard-boiled eggs, sausages, and the right blend of spices.
Bulakeńa Beef Stew by Crabby Goddess (@crabbygoddess.ph)
From the diva who’s been giving us stuffed lechon comes a brand that specializes in seafood. Dedet dela Fuente’s Crabby Goddess menu includes a cold lapu-lapu salad and pompano cooked in a golden coconut sauce. One item you can’t miss, though not seafood, is her beef stew cooked in coconut milk. It’s just sublime.
Diok Pit He by China Mommy (@chinamommyph)
Based on an heirloom recipe from a long-time client, China Mommy’s shrimp relleno not only preserves a Filipino-Chinese food heritage, but also brings nostalgia and utter satisfaction. Shrimp, pork, vegetables, and spices are wrapped in caul fat then deep-fried to a golden hue. No extenders used here.
Pulled Pork with Retro Rice by Eighteen Salts (IG: @eighteen_salts)
I love the thought of having sweet and refreshing fruits added to my savory dishes, such as lychees in duck curry or orange chicken. This set, inspired by Hawaii, falls under that category with buttered apples and pineapple thrown in the mix with pulled pork and a signature tangy sauce.
Soy Chicken Set by Soy Hainan (IG: @soyhainan)
Miguel Cu has a soy chicken recipe that has been passed down through generations. Wanting more people to enjoy their home-cooked food, they began taking orders for their set, which includes whole soy chicken that’s tender and moist, rice, soup, seasonal vegetables, pickled radishes and carrots, and condiments (ginger, chill and sweet soy).
Sushi and sashimi party trays by Cold Storage Seafood (IG: @coldstorageph)
The leader in the frozen food industry, with over 400 different products available in more than 150 supermarkets nationwide, now offers ready-to-eat dishes perfect for holiday get-togethers, such as unagi sushi, saba sashimi, tamago makimono as well as maki rolls.
Smoked ham by Gastronomodeli (IG: @gastronomodeli)
No Christmas is complete without ham. Gastronomodeli recognizes that, and so they came up with their own, made from real pork hind leg that has been brined and smoked to tender perfection. It comes with a packet of sauce to add another layer of flavor to the dish.
Poke Bowls by Infinity Gourmet (IG: @infinitygourmetfoods)
Poke bowls are here to stay. And yes, they can very well be a holiday favorite. Infinity Gourmet has a handful you can choose from—salmon, ahi tuna, and even chicken teriyaki. But if you want to impress, their heart-shaped salmon cake will surely do the trick.
Rostit de Nadal by Xancho (IG: @xanchoph)
“This dish has become a family favorite in recent years,” says Marco Rodriguez of his latest offering. It’s Catalan roast chicken that’s stuffed with pine nuts, prunes and aromatics, that’s traditionally served for Christmas dinner in Catalunya. It now makes it to many Filipino homes, thanks to him.
Chicken Pie by Adie’s Delight (IG: @adies_delight)
If you haven’t tried Adie’s Triple Cheese Bibingka Galapong, then you certainly are missing out. Aside from her sweet stuff, though, you also should include her Top Crust Chicken Pie. It’s a satisfying chicken pot pie with a sweetish crust that comes in a 9-inch pan.
Pancit Puti from Cabalen (IG: @cabalenph)
If you want to beat the mad rush to Cabalen’s buffet, a convenient option is to order their party trays and have them at home. Indulge in their Kapampangan specialties such as Pancit Puti, Sisig and Tibok-tibok. They also have Bilao Sets where Pinoy barbecue can come with pancit and crispy kangkong.
Crookies from Nono’s (IG: @nonos.ph)
Nono’s, with over 20 branches nationwide, always has items on the shelf that can be given as gifts, from sugar cookies to their popular almond crunch. You can add their viennoiserie (baked goods) to the list, which includes pain au chocolat, danishes and the trendy crookies, a croissant and cookie hybrid.
Craft Chocolate Clusters by True Chocolate Ph (IG: @truechocolateph)
Treena Tecson lets you end your holiday feasts on a rich and yummy note with two of her items—the Clusters, a combination of pretzels, potato chips, and wafer biscuits smothered in rich Philippine milk chocolate, a collaboration between her and chef Ely Salar of Patisserie Le Choux-Colat; and Tablea in a Bottle, which can be made into a drink or even spread on bread.
Croffles by Butter Butler (IG: @butterbutlerph)
Japanese pastry brand Butter Butler, which uses only premium butter from France, Switzerland and Hokkaido to make their confections, is now in Manila. And their maiden offering, the croffles, a croissant and waffle hybrid, is an instant indication of the other decadent desserts we can soon expect from the brand.
Christmas cakes by Butternut Bakery (IG: @butternutmnl)
Butternut Bakery came up with three cakes that befit the theme and colors of Christmas—the Oh Christmas Tree, which is a white chocolate tiramisu stunner; Snowman’s Festive Delight, which hides a carrot cake underneath the edible decors; and the Holly Jolly, a decadent chocolate cake topped with mini snowmen.
Nata Natividad Box from Masa Madre Bakehouse (IG: @masamadrebakehouse)
Aside from the return of their OG Bibingka Croissant, they have a variety of egg tarts dressed in holiday flavors. There are puto bumbong, tablea, bibingka, and hazelnut variants, and the classic pastel de nata.
Christmas Collection by Sebastian’s Ice Cream (IG: @sebastiansicecream)
It’s not only cakes and pastries celebrating the holidays—there’s ice cream, too! And Ian Carandang of Sebastian’s made sure of that by releasing these frozen delights. There’s the line of Crispwich, queso de bola crisps sandwiching ice cream flavors like latik and ensaymada; Fruitcake Chilly Burger, which is butter rum ice cream sandwiched between fruitcake cookies; and Bibingka Ice Cream Cake, rice cake layered with itlog na maalat and queso de bola ice creams.
Toffee Nut Latte Torte by Homemade by Roshan (IG: @homemadebyroshan)
“One of my FAQs when people order from me is, ‘What coffee dessert can I order?,” says homebaker Roshan Samtani. She already has quite a few like the Prince Albert Cake and Jamocha Fudge Walnut Torte, both of which are bestsellers. For this holiday, in anticipation of a popular cafe’s holiday flavor, she made a Toffee Nut Latte-inspired cake made of walnut meringue torte, cafe latte ganache, sticky toffee sauce and toffee bits.
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