Ideal Choice is a food curator, focused on providing access to best quality ingredients and food items within the metro. To be honest, I initially chose them because they’re located SUPER CLOSE to my house LOL, so they agree to deliver for free if I spend a certain amount. Having said that, what I also really appreciate is how quickly their menu items increase. It feels like they have new items every week, which means I can order from them continuously – without feeling umay.

Without further ado, let me give you a rundown of my favorite Ideal Choice food products!

 

Kobe Chicken

Price: PHP 280 for one whole chicken (around 1.1 kg)

This was Ideal Choice’s very first offering, and I’ve already tried it twice since. Honestly, I had no idea what Kobe Chicken was before I ordered it. But apparently, Kobe Chicken is renowned for their flavor, tenderness and fatty well-marbled texture – all of which are enhanced by the traditional (and well guarded) method of raising Kobe chickens. Supposedly, these chickens receive regular massages and are fed beer with a mix of corn, alfalfa and barley. Wow, they have a better lifestyle compared to me!

Anyway, keeping all this in mind – I got one, prepared it (simply thaw, turbo broil for 10 mins at 350 deg Fahrenheit, then serve) – and I liked it! It’s very flavorful. In particular, I appreciate how the flavor really reaches the inner meat. Oftentimes, the skin tastes really good but the meat is bland. Happy to report this wasn’t the case here.

 

USDA Angus Ribeye Steak

Price: PHP 2520 for 1.68kg (around 3 slices, 3/4 inch thick)

Okay, to be honest, I don’t think this is prime ribeye cut.  Based on my friends who are steak experts, this seems to be from the very end of the rib near the shoulder. When you get to the shoulder, the muscles are tougher and there’s a lot of connective tissue that doesn’t get soft with fast high heat cooking. When I heard this, I was initially worried – but I figured I had nothing to lose.

Overall, I loved it! I used a cast iron skillet to cook these steaks and they turned out BEAUTIFULLY. Flavor was great, meat was tender – overall I’m a happy customer!

 

Ube Keso Pao

Price: PHP 150 for 9 pieces

These ube keso pao are made from premium ube halaya and cheese. What I like about it is its texture – definitely more tender and chewy compared to its ube cheese pandesal counterparts. Of course, you also miss out on the “airy” texture of the pandesal, and this definitely feels a bit more heavy on the stomach. Overall, I think it’s a nice twist to this local craze and makes for a great breakfast meal or snack!

 

Pork and Mushroom Siomai

Price: PHP 300 for 15 pcs

Ideal Choice has a couple of premium home-made healthy siomai, with free chili sauce and soy sauce. (Btw the chili sauce is HOT HOT HOT!). It’s MSG, chicken powder and preservatives-free using real shiitake mushrooms and no artificial extenders.

I paired it with these Sau Tao Black Truffle Abalone Dry Noodles, and it just went perfectly. The siomai added a burst of flavor, and was very meaty – so it paired well together.