K by Cunanan doesn’t hold grand food tasting events unlike other caterers. The one-on-one food tastings are held at her residence in Ayala Heights with Kaye herself. Though we didn’t know it at that time, you could actually request which dishes from the menu package you would want to taste test.

Rating Scale:
3 – Wow!
2 – Above Average
1 – OK Lang
0 – NULL

Appetizers – 2 for the Hoisin Chicken Wrap, 1 for Fritto Misto. To be fair, we were so focused on the Hoisin Chicken Wrap that we didn’t really eat much of the Fritto Misto. The Wasabi Mayo sauce it came with was very good, but the “breading” (flouring?) was a bit too heavy.

Soup – 3: Even better than Cibo’s.

Salad – 3: This was J–’s favorite. According to him, they got the barbecue sauce perfectly. I wanted to try the Medi salad next time for comparison, but J– said go for this one for our menu, if ever.

Beef – 2: I know a lot of other couples have raved about K’s osso bucco, but after having tasted Chateau Hestia‘s (see pic below), this pales a bit in comparison.

Chicken – 2: The chicken wasn’t dry and it was very tender. The flavor and tanginess were just right and were not overwhelming.

Pasta – 3: You wouldn’t even suspect that there was eggplant in there. Perfect for our vegetarian guest(s).

Carrot Rice – 2: Konti na lang, same level of yummyness na sya ng Nando’s spicy rice and Hawaiian BBQ’s Spam rice.

Dessert – 1 for the Lemon Creme Brulee because to date, the best one I’ve tasted is Cuillere‘s. 3 for the flourless chocolate as it was so divine! I finished this one. 2 for the white chocolate cake. If you turn Starbucks’ white chocolate mocha into a cake, this is how it would taste.

Sample setup:

We traveled all the way to Fernbrook in Alabang for the grand food tasting of Juan Carlo the Caterer. I didn’t enjoy this food tasting, not because of the food, but because the AE kept hovering and talking while we were eating. She wouldn’t just leave us alone to savor the flavor of the food set before us:

Rating Scale:
3 – Wow!
2 – Above Average
1 – OK Lang
0 – NULL

Soup – 1: Both good flavors, just a little bit watery.

Rice – 1: They tasted the same, except the Moroccan was spicier.

Pork – NULL for the Roast Pork because it was just so tough. 1 for the Porkchops, which was, surprisingly, more tender than the Roast Pork, and the herbs were good.

Chicken – NULL for the chicken cacciatore because it tasted like chicken cooked in tomato sauce. Seriously, these catering companies should not attempt to cook these classic dishes if they can’t get the flavor right. And I quote from that article:

The traditional chicken cacciatore is a combination of chicken, mushrooms and spices. The most common spices used are thyme, parsley, and oregano, as well as salt and pepper. The dish also receives flavor from the addition of garlic and onions.

As the chicken stews the result is a brown gravy. Many mistakenly think they are preparing chicken cacciatore by adding tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes. These do not make up part of the original version of chicken cacciatore, and result more in a meat sauce with chicken that might be a topping for pasta.

To continue, 1 for the Thai chicken because I like its curry flavor. J– didn’t though.

Beef – 2 for the ox-tongue: This is the best dish of theirs that I have tasted. The beef is tender, the sauce was just the right flavor.

Fish – 3 for the fish fillet in cilantro. Love this! 1 for the pink salmon because it was a bit malansa.

Pasta – NULL for both. Walang lasa at all.

Dessert – NULL. Very forgettable. Plus the brownie was so dry and flaky.

Setup samples from their website:

Likha was not originally on our shortlist of caterers, mostly because we haven’t heard of them mentioned before in wedding forums. One Friday afternoon, during petiks time at the office, I came across their name from a post in W@W inviting other W@wies to a food tasting the next day (Saturday). If memory serves correctly, this was the same day as the Hizon’s food tasting.

Since we were headed to Eastwood anyway to watch a movie, I persuaded J– to go to the food tasting. We were accommodated by their Banquet Specialist, Miss Claire and we were served the following:

Rating Scale:
3 – Wow!
2 – Above Average
1 – OK Lang
0 – NULL

Appetizers – 1 for the Ham and Spinach, 2 for the BBQ Pork Bites. The pork was tender and not difficult to chew and I liked it’s BBQ flavor. This would be perfect with some cocktail drinks.

Soup – 1: Not watery, but too flavorful either. I wish they had served the Roasted Pumpkin instead.

Salad – 1: Vegetables were crisp. I’m just not too fond of Thousand Island dressing.

Pasta – 2: The marinara flavor was alive. I finished this one even though I was still full from lunch.

Chicken – 1: This is supposedly their best seller, but J– and I agree that we found the taste a bit on the sweet side.

Beef – 3: Love this! So tender, and the salsa sauce was just perfect.

Fish – 2: The fish was also tender, and wasn’t dry, with just the right hint of mango salsa.

Veggies – 1: J– liked this, but there was something off with the chorizo bilbao taste for me.

Rice – 2: Very fragrant, cooked just right.

Dessert – No rating. We didn’t partake of the dessert any more because we were already so full and we had to leave for our movie.

Some setup pictures from their website: