Delightfully New Bites at New Bombay

Visiting New Bombay at the Podium Mall was long overdue, with all the recommendations coming from friends. I'm not one for Indian cuisine, but I am an explorer when it comes to food and so when a lunch opportunity came, I purposively chose this place for a bit of wonderful change.

Naan Bread


Since it was our first time, we were at the mercy of our server's recommendations. A staple when in comes to Persian cuisine is the Naan bread and is best eaten with curries and other stews the place had to offer. This flat bread is typically made with flour, salt, yoghurt and leavened with yeast. It is traditionally cooked in ghee (clarified butter) or butter in a tandoor (clay) oven.

Nargishi (Vegetarian)Kofta

Other items we enjoyed in the menu is the Shrimp Curry and the Nargishi Kofta (vegetarian kofta). These highly seasoned items are surprisingly not hot and spicy as we would have expected, but is delightfully flavorful with a balance of fragrant spices New Bombay is known for.

Shrimp Curry

Chicken Tikka Masala



The Chicken Tikka Masala might surprise you with its bright red color - almost like the color of Chinese Champoy. These are boneless pieces of chicken that have been marinated in yoghurt and spices and cooked in the tandoor oven, then stewed in a blend of coconut cream, tomato sauce and masala (a variety of spices). It was said that this was created by a chef in Glasgow, Great Britain, as the locals found the Chicken Tikka too dry for their tastes thus they created a gravy to go with it.

While the food at New Bombay is not something I see myself having on a daily basis, the food is exceptionally interesting and is surely worth a try. Check it out sometime.

Heaven in Baguio

Food Showdown: Desserts
More from Baguio: While there, we also got to visit the Food Showdown at the Baguio Country Club. Dessert preparations were plated and presented and while not every entry was perfectly done, there were those who stood out. Here's sharing with you some of those;







Cafe by the Ruins: Never disappoints
Lunch with the team brought us to Cafe by the Ruins. My visit to this city will never be complete without having their delicious coffee and pastries. More than that, we sampled and savored not just the sweets but also their other delectable offerings.

Taho Soup

Imagine Taho served with dashi broth and made more rich with an egg. I personally call this the confused sukiyaki and miso soup in one. I like it though.


Tortang Talong

Anything with cheese always, always tastes better.


Gado-Gado

Sweet and salty, this dish was inspired by the popular Indonesian salad, but Ruins' take makes it a healthier bit with tofu served as its main protein.

Pinikpikan

This is one dish you shouldn't miss. Soft, tender and flavorful chicken pieces that is served with sayote leaves. Absolutely heaven.


Signature Red Rice


Lemon Chiffon Cake

I love this dessert with all its blissful textures - crunchy & spongy mouthfeel from the cake and sweet & slimy from the mango julienne pieces; a beautiful ending to a wonderful meal.


Ruins' Coffee

Served with Tira Tira, what more can you ask for?

Baguio's Giant Pizza

I was there. Surely, this one isn't just another handheld treat. It measured 28 feet in diameter and an inch thick. It's enough to feed thousands! Witnessing that great big pizza, my nostrils stimulated by the strong cheese and toppings aroma, being there was one great experience when over a hundred kitchen brigade worked together in order to make such a magnificent pizza.

We were there even before mall opened, the event being held at SM Baguio. With my team working with one of our big pizza clients, the assembly was done on the spot to ensure that everything would be perfectly done, up to the last piece of the pizza puzzle.

Media was early, covering each and every part of the preparation. The other teams brought in their pizzas piping hot, already baked in their respective kitchens.







We were the only ones who baked on the spot- which was a good thing, since the attention was all ours early on - as they all witnessed us putting the sauce, sprinkling the cheese and putting the toppings. After subjecting it in the pizza oven, (yup, we brought in one) it was like putting together one big puzzle. Piece by piece, it was arranged on the slice mold provided by the organizer - that is HRAP Baguio.

Prior to putting the pizza on the slice plate provided by the organizer, the plate was covered with foil and drizzled with olive oil to ensure that the crusts won't stick to the pan.


The pizza pieces are then put together to form the giant slice - each participant was tasked to form a slice with a size of about 11feet long and 8 feet wide.


When all the pieces are put together, the chefs re-heat the pizza using a blowtorch to ensure that the additional cheese and toppings are properly melted and heated.


It was then covered with cling wrap to ensure that it doesn't dry up while waiting for the unveiling.



Some of the participants were able to finish immediately, while some took time in finishing their creations. At the end of the day, it was not really about speed, but all about ensuring that the finished products were done perfectly - safe for consumption, full of flavor and of course, bursting with freshness.




When all participants were done with their slices, each slice was pushed to the center to create one magnificent pizza. The pizza featured 10 different flavors and was consumed in 10 minutes by residents of Baguio City. The feat is Baguio's way of celebrating its city's centennial.