MANILA, Philippines — Few are given the gift to help launch small, home-based start-ups into full-fledged businesses the way the Ultimate Taste Test (UTT) of Our Awesome Planet has done for the past 15 years.
And so it continues to be the launching platform for some of today’s most promising food entrepreneurs with the staging of UTT 2023 at Gallery MiraNila by The Blue Leaf last November 29.
The exclusive event saw some 250 well-known chefs, culinary experts, food bloggers, media practitioners, and VIP guests coming together, in the name of good food, to taste and rate the innovative products of participating food entrepreneurs. Over a few hours of leisurely tasting and evaluation, the distinguished guests gave their scores on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest.
And 2023's Ultimate Taste Test winners are:
1. Honest Craft Deli (Score: 4.5-Savory) – Best Sausages in Manila
They produce juicy artisanal-quality sausages without extenders, MSG, preservatives, and artificial colorings or flavorings. Judges raved about the steak sausage, in particular, which is pure steak meat in sausage form, as well as the smoked bockwurst, smoked kielbasa, smoked Hungarian, and nürnberger.
2. Tsaa Pinas (Score: 4.17-Drinks) – Best Handcrafted Iced Tea in Manila
Handcrafted iced tea brewed with local premium quality ingredients, it comes in Classic (that goes well with your choice of alcohol), Peach, Lychee, Calamansi, and Raspberry flavors. Not too sweet; no bitter aftertaste.
3. Karabella Dairy (Score: 4.12-Dessert) – Best Filipino ice cream flavors this holiday season
They collaborated with Chef Sau Del Rosario to create a limited edition Sawsaw Champorado, with Chef Nathaniel Uy to come up with the Spiked Holiday Cake Gelato which is infused with Destileria Limtuaco’s Very Old Captain Rum, and with Clara Ole to invent Guava Cheese Gelato using Clara Ole’s Guava Jelly with kesong puti. They are made from carabao’s milk, just like the regular flavors of Karabella.
4.Cafe Uji (Score: 4.06-Drink) – Best New Matcha and Coffee Cart in Manila
Their Matcha is made with creamy Japanese milk, and they also offer Singapore-style cold brew coffee. Both are crafted with the finest ingredients from Japan’s matcha capital—Uji, Kyoto. Particular standouts are Uji Matcha Latte and Sakura Matcha Latte, and Signature Cafe Uji Coffee.
5. Tindeli by Chef Tatung (Score: 4.03-Savory) – Best Galantina and Morcilla in Manila
Chef Tatung Sarthou is at it again, earning accolades for his Galantina, which is a whole chicken stuffed with meat and other delightful ingredients. It is available in whole chicken or slices in a rice meal and in a Tindesal sandwich. The Morcilla, meanwhile, is one of the sausages available at the Filipino deli and cafe. Chef Tatung calls it Dinuguan Sausage.
6. Frozen Fiesta (Score: 4.03-Dessert) – Best New Halo-Halo in Manila
The judges found its Halo-Halo to be a cut above the rest, with a flavor profile that is true to Kapampangan style Halo-Halo. What makes it different is that it uses Korean-style shaved ice using frozen carabao’s milk. Variants include Pastillas Parade Halo-Halo and Mango Dream Halo-Halo.
7. Amare La Cucina (Score: 4.01-Savory) – Best Ube Pizza in Manila
Amare has taken pizza to a whole new level with its dessert pizza featuring the flavors of Baguio—Ube and Strawberry. These are combined with savory ingredients such as Prosciutto, anchovies and goat cheese, with balsamic sauce and spicy honey.
8. Cocina Murriel (Score: 4.01-Savory) – Best 1-year-old Cured Ham in Manila
They offer bone-in ham just the way bone-in ham should be. It is cured for a year, so imagine the flavors that are locked inside that ham, more so since it is made following an heirloom smoked ham recipe handed down through generations.
9. Lasa Tsokolate (Score: 3.9-Dessert) – Rebel Bites – Best New Chocolate Snack in Manila
Highly addictive is how judges described Lasa Tsokolate’s classic milk chocolate Rebel Bites, which are crafted with buttery puffed rice, marshmallows, and 48% milk chocolate. The distinct flavors of Filipino cacao beans come through in its bean-to-bar craft chocolates.
10. Mochi Creme (Score: 3.89-Dessert) – Best Mochi Ice Cream in Manila
They participate in pop-up bazaars, where their Mochi Ice Cream is always a hit. It is a soft, chewy mochi ball encasing a delightful ice cream filling. Flavor variations number more than 20. Standouts include Avocado, Sakura Strawberry, and Biscoff.
11. Sweet Camote (Score: 3.85-Savory) – Best Kamote Chips in Manila
Their kamote chips are thinly sliced, so they are light and crispy, and they come in seven different flavors, such as Plain, Honey Butter, Salt & Vinegar, Butter Cheddar, Barbecue, Chili Barbecue, and Sour Cream. The secret to these outstanding kamote chips is that they are sourced directly from farmers, who then deliver the freshest harvest of produce to them.
12. Garlicky (Score: 3.82-Savoy) – Best Homemade Caesar Salad Dressing in Manila
The main product is Caesar Salad Dressing, whose garlicky creaminess pairs well with fresh salads and croutons.