3 food tastings in one day!

For the first time since I started coordinating, all my three meetings yesterday were food tasting sessions!

First meeting at was 11am at Hizon’s office. It’s for my January 5 wedding. After the food tasting, the couple, Dan and Tessa, and Dan’s uncle, Doc Jaime, were able to finalize the menu so we procceded with the mock up. Super nice the centerpieces made by Teddy Manuel!! Ang ganda! Two kinds of centerpieces para alternate. Venue is Glass Garden so mataas so kelangan may height yung centerpieces. I love the centerpieces! Very simple but very elegant.

Next meeting was at the Josiah’s office in Marikina. This was for my December 27 wedding. Since I was quite hungry na by the time we finished the meeting (I didn’t eat kasi during the food tasting), I stopped by to eat at Ilokos Empanada along Katipunan, capped by Starbucks’ Peppermint Mocha (weird na combination no?). I was taking my time kasi it was still early. By the time I called Mherlyn, my Josiah’s AE, at 230pm, andun na pala yung groom sa office nila! Ay juice ko! Anyway, I arrived a few minutes before 3pm (our meeting time… hahaha! defensive na hindi late!) and this time I ate with the groom, Dindo, and his sister (Karen, the bride, is Canada-based).  Their menu is what I called the Josiah’s best-seller list. Braised ox tongue in Red Wine with Mushroom Sauce, Grilled Chicken Teriyaki, Pan Fried Sole Fillet with Lemon Butter and Crispy Garlic, Roast Porkloin with Oyster Garlic Sauce, and Josiah’s Signature Mongolian Barbecue. Niloloko nga ako ni Mherlyn an bagong-bago daw lahat ng napili na dishes. Hahaha! For me naman, tried and tested so super okay. (Tsaka I had Josiah’s for two of my personal events and super hit these dishes!). After finalizing the details like centerpieces, linen color, layout, etc., Dindo and his sister left na. I stayed awhile to make chika with Tita Jet and Fresh (owners of Josiah’s). Fresh said that they’re coming up with new dishes next year and I’m excited kasi I saw a couple of the new dishes for the hot entree — Herbed Crusted Roasted Lamb and an Osso Buco dish.  By the way, Fresh is Tita Jet’s only daughter and is a pastry chef. Sarap her pastries! Her pastry line naman is called Amande – French word for “almond”.

Last food tasting was with Kay of K by Cunanan. This one is with my October 16 couple. We were supposed to meet Kay at 6pm but we were late. Charmaine and Jonathan came pa from Manila and super na-traffic. We arrived at Kay’s house around 645pm, almost 7pm. Kakahiya!

Appetizer was Chicken Hoisin Wrap. Soup was Broccoli and Cheese. Salad was Watermelon with Feta (This was my first time to try this. The sweetness of the watermelon combined with the tanginess of the vinaigrette, and then topped with Feta cheese and nuts, was interesting.). Hot entrees were Tenderloin steak with Mashed Potato and Roasted Vegetables, Sesame encrusted Salmon with Wasabi Mashed Potato (This one was another interesting dish. As Kay said, mejo boring yung salmon but the Wasabi Mashed Potato, mas sipa yung lasa), and Prawns with Honeyed Nuts (this one I loved!). Desserts were Strawberry Panacotta and Dark Chocolate Banana Fritters (Or at least I think yun yung pangalan ng dessert. Hehe!). The couple, with Jym (niece of the groom whose debut we coordinated 3 years ago) enjoyed the food tasting. We said goodbye to Kay super full.

After, we went to Starbucks to talk more about the wedding. Charmaine recently fell in love with damask so we searched for damask inspirations online.  Ang ganda talaga ng pattern na ito! Super kaka-in love. (I remember Jeng, one of my December brides, also emailing me several months ago na na in-love siya sa damask. I laughed when she said that kasi I could feel the emotions sa email eh.)

We parted ways super happy that we now have a definite pattern to use for the wedding.

I went home after that meeting. When I got home, Jojie and I feasted on Charmaine’s birthday gift of Diamond Hotel Ensaymadas. Hay! A productive day capped by ensaymada, heaven!