Post Op on the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0

How many people can say they get text reminders from Mr. Our Awesome Planet himself? (ME!)

Busy with last week's BEST DEALS On SALE event, I almost forgot to visit the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 at the Rockwell Tent last Saturday if Anton didn't message me about it. And of course, off running I went to make it to the fantabulous food festival Anton has been organizing for years for home bakers, ingenue caterers, and specialty food goodies waiting to be discovered by foodies.

Here are some of my favorite food finds...

 Mang Pedro's Taho

I love taho, or silken tofu/soy bean curd with a sugar syrup and tapioca balls. They had flavors like chocolate, strawberry and pandan, but I stuck with the original

Gawad Kalinga Gourmet Keso Bar!

Did you know Gawad Kalinga now makes their own artisanal cheeses? From chevre to goat cheese with Truffle Oil & Cashews, truffled and herbed cheeses, their stall felt like a delicatessen in my mouth!

 The best part: You actually help the Gawad Kalinga communities with sustainable livelihood. For those not familiar with Gawad Kalinga, it's the Filipino version of Habitat for Humanity, and all the ingredients mixed into the cheese are made locally and in their community.

 De Original Jamaican Pattie Shop

Since the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0 moved from its previous location (NBC Tent) to the Rockwell Tent, restaurants and food vendors from the Powerplant Mall were there to introduce their fare to the hungry public as well. I LOVE Jamaican patties, as they remind me of my high school days when I would pass by Greenbelt 1 by the Jamaican Pattie stall to get a Pinatubo (Spicy) pattie as an afterschool snack. These are yummy for movie grub, too.

 Baked By Anita's Baby Cupcakes

A favorite at Mercato Centrale, Baked by Anita mixes ingenius flavor profiles with chic packaging to come up with some pretty incredible mini-cupcakes. Their new flavor, Roasted Strawberry, left me craving for more!

Merry Moo! Ice Cream

 Another Mercato Centrale fave is Merry Moo, interesting ice cream flavors made with TLC. Here's Kelvin of Merry Moo. Must try their salted caramel ice cream flavor!

Chef C's Paella de Andaluz

Chef C's Paella de Andaluz had a long line to their table, and I had to get my hands into some seriously authentic Spanish rice.

 Turns out, Koyen's is a neighbor at my village, hence I can just call her up for a Paellera when I need some good Paella de Andaluz. The rice was nicely cooked, al dente with a nice crunch from the bottom of the pan. It had all the makings of a good paella, chorizo, seafood, veggies, chicken and great olive oil. Great for parties and celebrations!

MY FAVORITE UTT6.0 FIND: ARIZONA ICED TEA!

As a California college kid, I would hoard Arizona's Green Tea by the GALLON, followed by the sugarfree version. I drank it like water and wished that my water filter would magically turn water to Arizona Iced Tea. I'm SO HAPPY that the Arizona brand is now available in Manila care of Bugle Boy Distributors Corp! I wonder if they deliver by the boxful to my house? Must try the Arizona Fruit Punch too... mmm.

 Cupcake Boutique by Klar Joseph

 More mini cupcakes to add to the list of cupcakeries sprouting up in the Metro. Their Green Tea and Red Velvet cupcakes were

 Daims Deli Farms

Daims had the meatiest food table for me, and I loved the BBQ Griller's sausage in the middle. Their Vienna sausage was also very filling even as a taste test.

Dek A Authentic Thai

 Thai food! They had a papaya salad, springroll and Thai Iced Tea. They ran out of ice, since it was almost closing, and so the iced tea was on the supersweet side.

5 Loaves & 2 Fish

This was an interesting booth selling Lavosh Chips... wha?

 Lavosh Chips are baked crunchy veggie chips that go well with homemade dips and spreads.

 Though I'm sure she was tired, the Lavosh Lady happily torched some pesto so she could make me try her chips and dips.

Farm & Deli's  booth had some bottled tinapa (smoked fish) as well as different kinds of Longaniza (breakfast sausage) from different regions in the Philippines. Tinapa was salty and smoky...

 The perks about arriving near closing time: generous vendors who would love for you to hoard their goodies so they can go home! This little lady was caught red (velvet) handed!

Congratulations to Anton D. for another successful Ultimate Taste Test! In less that 30 minutes, Mr. S and I were stuffed silly with bites and spoonfuls of goodies from all the vendors.

Did you visit the Ultimate Taste Test 6.0? Which was your favorite bite?