PART ONE: I Ate Around the World for Valentines

Twilight is the perfect time to unwind with your dearest, specially to celebrate the day of love as dictated by St. Valentin..  It is when the heat of the day begins to wane and the first stars quietly emerge to decorate the evening sky, it's time to indulge in the goodness of love.  We had it masterfully planned, the kids with the babysitter at home, reservations for two at Manila Hotel and had a relaxed time at the salon.   But before it all started, the sky poured down as if it was telling us the day isn't perfect anymore to spend it for the pleasure of love and dining.
In spite of what had transpired just before we got out if the house, we braved the rain and the traffic,  and  what do you know, there is really  a rainbow behind every storm.  
We reached Manila Hotel by 7 pm, just in time.   A  tall man in green barong greeted with a smile, "Magandang Gabi!"   You can notice that Valentines is indeed a special occasion here, where chocolate truffles  in adorable shapes and  design, boxed up in blood red and sinamay, signifying love's fervor, welcomes you as step into the lobby.

An orchestra played at the end of the  romantic Grand lobby which was all aglow in yellow hues with the lavish chandeliers all over the ceiling.  All-together captivated us and coiffed us as we  walk towards the path to Cafe Ilang-Ilang.    Named after a very fragrant green-yellow flower also used as herb, Cafe Ilang-Ilang  has been serving gastrophile for more than four decades. 

Inspired by the flower's simplicity, it evokes subtlety in the decor with the clean lines of the furniture creating an atmosphere of serenity, providing the perfect background for the exquisite buffets  that must have been lovingly positioned  from the many parts of the room.
You heard me right buffets!
The cafe is a collection of  gastronomic delights from every part of the world.   They boast of their eight live cooking stations all orchestrating for  the dining whims of all the guests.
Here are the different cuisines presented.

Japanese Cuisine.   The cuisine is a true influence of  Japanese art, with the pureness of every dish, concentrating only on the main ingredient.  With which you will definitely indulge with the settling feeling after you enjoy it afterwards.

 Thai Cuisine.   Appreciate its lightness, its heat and its passionate smell long before it arrives at your dining table

 Indian Cuisine.   Rich and decadent, in inspiration. 

Our very own, Philippine Cuisine.   The wooden sculptures of a carabao and an Ifugao man will suggest the plenteous in the dishes but upon seeing  "Usa de Sierra Madre" (Roasted Venison) made me think otherwise.

 Easily recognizable, with the red lanterns, Asian emblem and steamer baskets full of siomai and all the opulence of the Chinese Cuisine.

The ban chan rich cuisine of Korea

 Italian cuisine, will awe you with their herbed and rustic style of preparing pasta and pizza, harmonizing everything with a variation of cheeses and home-processed meat, like my favorite, prosciutto.
Aside from the cultural inspiration of the different buffets, there are more, that includes the enigmatic beauty of the dessert buffet.

Here, a healthy option for a meal.  The SPA Healthy Dishes.

This has been quit an introduction for a night.  A discovered trip around the globe in a single flight, a one stop, eat all you can in all awesomeness.

Would you think this would be enough for me to say, " I ate around the world for Valentines?"

Follow the complete story on the next part...the next blog that is...

A Happy Love Month everyone...

EVENTS: World Vision Themed Jewelries by Naomi, Auctioned at the Genting Club

There are three major things that we Filipinos look up to in a celebrity.  Namely, their character in and out of the limelight,  their brilliance in the role-playing, finally, a heart that reaches out to the less-fortunate.
Undoubtedly, Filipinos have a penchant for the glamorous life of celebrities.  Thus all channels would have certain shows which talks abut them.  However, not all that glitters are gold.   These "stars" as we call them may have the X-factor on being known in TV and movies but not all of them possess a heart that surpasses their shine as "celebs." 
In the recently concluded event managed by Uno Magazine,  Naomi Jewelry  have presented a unique line of  beautifully hand-crafted accessories.   The event dubbed as Renaissance Woman Jewelry Fashion Show, showcased the design were UNO cover models, together with Lara Quigaman, Daisy Reyes, and Miss Eula Valdez, wore the jewelries and strutted with all finesse at the Genting Club of Resorts World Manila.
Two NAOMI World Vision Special Edition Pendant, an inspiration from World Vision Development Foundation's star of hope, was silently auctioned off, for the benefit of the children studying funded by World Vision.   The picture a top shows Eula Valdez wearing one of them.  
During the said event there were two things I was really excited about, of course the fashion show and well, you guessed it right the food prepared by Genting Club Catering Department.

The women had their eyes glued on the stunning jewelries, men all-eyes on the models, and me waited to get my eyes and palate on the stylish food on the buffet table.   Once again, Genting Club had mesmerized me with their forage and service.  

Congratulations to everyone who have been behind the event, it was a night of opportunities for everyone to take part on helping our down-trodden brothers and sisters, from the event-sponsors to the World Vision child sponsors.

RELATED POST:  

World Vision Benefits From "Renaissance Woman by Naomi

For the Love of Pizza and Nutella

 How can you say " I love you"  better?  How about with a jar of  Ferrero Rocher's Nutella?   Or how  about with pizza?   Since Valentine's Day is just  a few days away,  a certain local pizza chain has been creating them in heart shapes.  Sounds clever,  right?  How is this better,  Nutella Pizza?   

Last February 5,  lover's of Nutella celebrated  World Nutella Day.  So how do they celebrate?  In our house Nutella is everything.   You will never see it inside the pantry but you will always see spoons licked because of it, and it is always on the counter, on the computer table, almost everywhere.   So you know that a medium jar doesn't take us days to finish.   As part of that occassion, I have prepared a pizza, a different kind of pizza.   A gianduja pizza with healthy treats topped on it.

Here are the things you may need:

Small wholewheat Tortillas

Nutella 

walnuts, or any nuts

dried cranberries, or raisins

apple chips (non-fry, dehydrated)

To assemble it:

On a cookie sheet, put the tortillas, spread Nutella over it.  Top with nuts, and dried fruits.   You may put bacon or  mild  cheese, or just be crazy with what ever that struck your fancy .   I played Dr. Jekyll and Hyde part as I was doing this.   

Together with the other participants, Nutella is the major ingredient in all the recipes shared.   So there is a limitless way of devouring  or just enjoying the world's number one chocolate spread.   And this is my shot!

For Press Release:

  Thousands of bloggers and fans worldwide celebrate Italy’s edible treasure with online and offline tributes for the 6th anniversary of World Nutella Day on February 5, 2012.

Milan, Italy January 23, 2012 – On February 5, 2012, thousands of fans around the world will once again celebrate their love for one of Italy’s national, edible treasures: Nutella. This year’s event will be the 6th annual World Nutella Day honoring the chocolate-hazelnut spread; American writers in Italy Sara Rosso and Michelle Fabio began the holiday in 2007 to encourage Nutella enthusiasts worldwide to enjoy and get creative with Nutella.

Although many Italian and other European children fall in love with Nutella from an early age, the spread is just really hitting English-speaking markets and around the world; no matter how old you are the first time you try Nutella, though, the excitement is palpable and memorable. World Nutella Day is the perfect day for adults everywhere to experience a second childhood and discover Nutella.

Online tributes to the sweet treat in previous years have included homemade recipes, picture collages, and even haiku. Also at NutellaDay.com, the online home of the event, fans can find the top collection of Nutella recipes — over 700 ways to enjoy Nutella in everything from cookies and cupcakes to drinks and pizza as well as Nutella substitute recipes for those who would like to make their own homemade version.

“Thanks to World Nutella Day, we’ve seen a sharp increase in Nutella’s buzz online, and it’s all fan-driven! Google’s search volume for Nutella has more than quadrupled in the past 6 years, and there was no Nutella recipe search traffic before the launch of World Nutella Day. Now we’re the #1 source of Nutella recipes on the web,” said co-host Sara Rosso.

This year, hosts Sara and Michelle have several messages about real live World Nutella Day parties being organized by Nutella Day fans all over the world; more suggestions on how you can celebrate wherever you are can be found at NutellaDay.com.

“Although Nutella execs have long positioned the spread as a breakfast food, World Nutella Day fans have made clear that one of life’s sweetest pleasures is discovering new ways to incorporate Nutella into old recipes — and we’re here to encourage that,” adds co-host Michelle Fabio.

About World Nutella Day:

World Nutella Day, www.nutelladay.com was created in 2007 by Sara Rosso, an American writer living in Italy, and is currently co-hosted by Sara and Michelle Fabio, another American writer living in Italy. Lovers of Nutella get creative with the chocolaty-hazelnut spread and blog about their creations or send in recipes and photos.

Aside from the NutellaDay.com website, which boasts a list of more than 500 Nutella recipes from all over the globe, World Nutella Day can also be found @nutelladay on Twitter and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/WorldNutellaDay. World Nutella Day’s Facebook fan page has over 25,000 fans and growing quickly, with fans from all over the world: from Kuwait to France to the Philippines; 76% of fans are women and 68% of all fans are between 18-44.

About Sara Rosso:

Sara Rosso is an American digital strategist, writer and photographer living in Milan, Italy. She writes about food at Ms. Adventures in Italy, and about tech talk and growing your business at When I Have Time.com. Her photography has been featured in the Wall Street Journal, La Cucina Italiana and her writing can be found all over the Internet as well as in Fodor’s Italy guide.

Sara tried Nutella on her first trip to Italy in 1994 and tried not to gain the “Nutella 15″ when studying abroad years later (she’s also got a healthy living site called Food Blogger on a Diet). She’s been living in Italy since 2003. She also co-hosts an all-Italy podcast called Eye on Italy.

Sara can be reached via @rosso on Twitter and via email at press AT sararosso DOT com.

About Michelle Fabio:

Michelle Fabio (@michellefabio) is an American lawyer-turned-freelance writer who has lived in her family’s ancestral village in Calabria, Italy since 2003; she writes at Bleeding Espresso and at Goat Berries, about raising “kids” in southern Italy. Michelle offers a consulting service for aspiring law students called Personal Statement Artist. Michelle has written for the Education Channel of About.com, a New York Times company, as the Guide to Law School and is the official blogger of LegalZoom.com; she has had hundreds of articles and blog posts published in other places such as The Legal Intelligencer, Create Magazine, Italy Magazine, and easyJet Inflight Magazine.She tried Nutella for the first time in Italy in 2002 and wonders how she ever ate fresh bread without it.Michelle can be reached at michelle AT michellefabio DOT com.

Let the Food at TAPELLA and GAUDI be Your Love Language

Choosing the perfect location for Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Gaudi and Tapella Restaurant nestled at the cosmopolitan Serendra and Greenbelt 5, is the perfect place to enjoy a romantic evening  with a take on authentic Spanish cuisine. Share a cocktail in front of the bar area or enjoy an amazing prefix dinner whatever you desire, Valentine is definitely worth to celebrate.

Nothing could be more special than celebrating a delightful dinner with a sparkling Cava amidst a posh and chic ambiance. From February 10 to 15, take pleasure in a sumptuous 3 course meal good for a pair or more. Highlight of the menu is Gaudi’s best seller Chuleton Villagodio, a certified Angus Beef grilled Villagodio style and Arroz Manchego, paella bursting with manchego cheese, chicken, asparagus and shrimp paella. For those who do not fancy meat, Lomo de Mero a la Plancha, or simply grilled sea bass with asparagus paired with Arroz Sobresada, a chorizo enriched paella is definitely worth a try. Of course, before main a better way to start the meal is through a fresh salad or soup. Gorge with Ensalada de Tapella, tossed greens drizzed with house dressing or Gazpacho de Sandia, cold tomato and watermelon soup with fresh cheese and mint. And after all the indulgence on the main dishes, be sure to leave some space for Tarta de Lava, oozing with rich chocolate this cake is another Gaudi’s certified dessert contender.

Tarta de Lava.   Picture c/o  http://amonthestreets.com/

 Bask in the heart of Metro’s most sought venue, Tapella and Gaudi are surrounded by high end shops, top Business Offices and theatres, making it the best choice to ensure an ideal Valentine celebration. For more information or reservations, call 7572710 and 7572711.

Tapella 

Location:   Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5 Ayala Center, Makati, Philippines

Gaudi

Location:   Serendra Piazza, Taguig, Metro Manila, Philippines 

Phone Number:   (+63 2) 856-0473, (+63 2) 856-0474

My Love for Ferrero Brought Us to Maitre Chocolatier

This is the second on the series of my Valentine's celebration.   This month is raining chocolates.  The first blog about the Heart's month was my contest.  I had this idea of writing about cheesy things for the love month like more tips on how to make the celebration more sweet and full of romance.   So I thought of sharing  our experience here at Maitre Chocolatier.
But before I go further, may I ask you?  What do you like to receive on V-day, flowers or chocolates?  Oops, choose only one.   If you happen to vote for flowers, let me see if you still would like a bunch of it as compared to these lip-smacking, heavenly indulging sweet bites of these...

The Frey Lait Fruit Tartlet embodied an ethereal sweet endings - named Guiltless Crime.  The sliced fruits perfectly couched on a heart-shaped tartlet filled with Frey's Lait Chocolate.  The fresh mango, strawberries and kiwis gave a different  break to our choco-filled palate, as our eyes captured all European chocolate products such as Ferrero Rocher, Lindth, Ritter Sports and Guylian Belgian Chocolates.

So far the best hot chocolate drink I  have tasted, seriously.   This one isn't mine, I had to steal a moment from husbands craving for hot choco and have the first drink of it.   The Classic Chocolate drink made up to the top of my list for all the hot cups of choco drinks I had since time immemorial, even topping our regular Swiss Miss selections and Nesquik with molten dark chocolate.  I made the picture above bigger so you can notice the true European  chocolate floating on top.   The consistency is smooth and sinfully delighting, without any bitter after-taste.  Let me guess,  is this made up of Lindt?  It's something like the consistency of Chocolate Fire's where they use Belgian chocolates not cocoa powder.  sorry but it is way better to our traditional "batirol" style chocolate drinks.   Hubby initially ordered the Mint Hot Chocolate, but we were advised it has an alcohol in it, so opted not to.   Also, quit intriguing are their chocolate cocktails in wide selection.

My daughter Danie enjoyed every cold sip of their Ice blended Chocolate drink, wahaha, yes even with some brain freeze attacks, due to too unstoppable sipping.  Even Kuya Darren had his own blast with the same icy treat.  It has blended Nutella Hazelnut chocolate.
Not in the picture though are scooped Ferrero Rocher gelatto which the two girly D's shared.

If you are looking for a different and wild kick in your ice cream scoops, I strongly suggest you try the spicy chocolate, they have it here like Mio Gelati's and Paradis.

This is a chocolate boutique also where you can find the finest-quality European chocolates at a lower bid.  Maybe not my chocolate heaven though it may be yours.   Still looking for that Nutella jar.   Be eager to find lots of 'em here.   These experiences were all led by our cravings for dessert after a not so satisfying dinner at MJ's Cafe and Bar at Roxas Blvd.   MJ's Cafe served good Filipino style pizzas, such as Laing, Bistek, Menudo and kid's favorite, Sisig Pizza.

If they have Nutella, they better have these.  And yes they do!  In different amazing packaging.   You can even pick up a bouquet of it at a Valentine's promo price.
You see the art work at the top?  It will be the to welcome you into the boutique cafe.   It is actually made from wrappers of Ferrero Rocher Chocolate pralines.  Who wouldn't look gorgeous in it.  Kind of gave me the idea what to wear for Valentines...hahaha....what do you think?

Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe

Address:  2A, No. 28, Jupiter corner Astra Street,
               Bel Air, Makati City, Metro Manila
Contact  numbers: (02) 8978559 / 8962529 / (+63) 9228854107
Email: mchocolatier.manila@gmail.com

Opening Hours:
       Mondays to Thursdays    10AM to 11PM
       Fridays to Saturdays        10AM to 2AM
       closed on Sundays

EVENTS: FILA's Skele-Toes' Grand Launch at the Fila Polo Cup 2012

       I am not a sporty person, in fact, I'm lazy when it comes to exercising, well I also find it hard to excuse my self from the household chores that make my days.
       But because of this, I ran in the morning.  I got the idea from the couple we were with last night, they too decided to walk to the taxi stand to lose some pounds and get their nerves pumping.
       Though I'm not yet wearing their new line of sport shoes, I still ran...Why?  
        Here are the reasons  why...

and these...

        This concluded the Polo match con charity event of the FILA Skeletoes launch.  A grand march of Chefs, and food servers carrying what seemed to be a feast in the middle of the Enrique Zobel  field of the Manila Polo Club.    The sky grew dark but made a dusky background for an awesome fireworks display.   What  a party indeed, people were on the field, enjoying the feast  while watching the sky lit up with much color and spark all with the music from Articulo band.   Champagne, bottles of  wine,  food overflowing and friends mingling.

My two kids enjoyed the event specially the fireworks

 Oh and yes these guys also gave me the inspiration to go a mile or two, well I guess you know why.

L-R, Tessa Prieto-Valdez, Abs, Abdelkader, Borgy Manotoc, FILA's Pres. Cris Albert and Georgina Wilson

        Indeed,  all eyes are traditionally fixed on the action when the “sport of kings”was played, but at this year’s edition of the Fila Polo Cup, another feature stole a big chunk of that attention from the field.  As Fila launched  a head-scratchingly unique campaign at the event where fans of the revolutionary Skele-Toes four-toed shoes could stand to win a starring role in a travel and lifestyle documentary.  For a while a few extra heads turned away from the game and turned to Fila's event where Skele-Toes were seen  on the feet of endorsers and event hosts Tim Yap, Borgy Manotoc, Georgina Wilson, and  Abs Abdelkader.

Tim Yap spotted wearing Skele-toes, hosted with Georgina Wilson

        If you happen to be asking about Manila Club's polo games, here are a few monumental write-ups. Since 2003, the Cup has been one of the brightest highlights of the local sports calendar, not just for the action but also for the glitz and glamour.  The 2012 Fila Polo Cup  out-shined the rest once again with a fun-filled roster - aside from the Skele-Toes #whattheheckisthat campaign launch, there were performances by the band Articulo, a special Dexter Santos choreographed dance number, styled by Leeroy New, installation art by Denis Lagdameo, and JM Rodriguez sung the National Anthem.  Of course, FILA’s first couple Cris and Butch Albert graced  the occasion, along with FILA  VP of Advertising Ana Abad Santos.  Butch again led his team for the Low Goal Game while Tessa Prieto-Valdes and Cris Albert  did  the Ceremonial Toss for the High Goal Game.  Over-all event director is Rem Zamora.

 

JM Rodriguez

        “What the heck is that?”

 

         This isn’t a question usually heard in Fila-hosted parties, certainly not in the Fila Polo Cup, but the company is anticipating a few raised eyebrows, a bit of head-scratching, and a lot of #whattheheckisthat comments from the crowd with the launch of the unique Skele-Toes campaign. 

          So what the heck is #whattheheckisthat?  Simply put, all one has to do is look for the most amazingly strange, weird, odd, unbelievable, and what-the-heck-is-that reaction inducing photo, post it to the FILA Philippines Facebook page, and the Facebook community votes for a winner.  The top #whattheheckisthat submitter then gets to star in an exciting travel & lifestyle documentary wearing his or her favorite Skele-Toes.

       

           As always, the 2012 Fila Polo Cup pairs fun with social responsibility.  Sales of products during the event will benefit the iSport Life Ministries.  FILA President Butch Albert is calling people to support his project “500 For 500” by Operation Compassion.  With every purchase of Skele-Toes, 500 pesos will go to the 500 families affected by typhoon Sendong.  Additionally, guests may also donate at the registration area.

         Fila shops are located at the following branches:  SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM Cebu, Ayala Malls Glorietta, Ayala Malls Trinoma,  Ayala Malls Pavilion, Ayala Malls Market! Market!,  Ayala Malls Cebu, Ayala Malls Marquee Pampanga, Robinsons Galleria, Robinsons Ermita, Robinsons Cebu, Robinsons Iloilo, Robinsons Bacolod, Robinsons Lipa, Robinsons Metroeast, Robinsons Dumaguete, Robinsons Tacloban, Robinsons General Santos, Robinsons Ilocos Norte, Limketkai Cagayan de Oro, Island City Mall Bohol, Festival Mall Alabang, Ever Commonwealth, Ever Cainta, D’Mall Boracay,  Gaisano Capital Tacloban, Gaisano Capital Ormoc, Gaisano Capital Kalibo,  NCC Mall Davao,  NCC Mall Tagum, LCC Legazpi

          “What the heck is that?” has been  the catch-phrase of the day at the 2012 FILA Polo Cup.  And will be for the rest of the duration of the campaign and photo contest on Facebook.. 
           Class, cutting-edge, coolness, and charity are in the mix for the 2012 Fila Polo Cup, seasoned with a little wackiness via the FILA Skele-Toes #whattheheckisthatcampaign launch. This all happened yesterday, February 5, 2012, which started at 2 pm and ended at 7pm.

            For more information about Fila, log on to www.fila.com.ph.  Like filaskeletoesph on Facebook and follow @filaskeletoesph on twitter.

EVENTS: Adobo Nights at Opus

 Adobo Nights!  The first of its kind.   Who doesn't love Adobo?  Oh yes I definitely had it at Opus...and it was a blast. 

If you might be wondering what kind of Adobo had I had this time, it was incomparable.   Incomparable in the sense that it is internationally acclaimed for bagging  awards in advertising.   Known  to many of  our country's movers and shakers.   Quintessential  in the industry of communication both in the digital and media platforms.  It's not pork nor chicken, it's a magazine.    adobo magazine is a premier publication for advertising and marketing being the Philippine Advertising and Brand Communication magazine.   It covers news on advertising campaigns, current trends in the industry, popular people and their contributions and a  lot more.

Sweet Contest for the Love Month

Picture from Manila Hotel

   Yesterday was the start of the love month, February, when everybody look forward to Valentine's Day.   All over the world, whether you have a special someone, looking for that special someone or have been with that special someone but seemed not, Valentines Days is one of the most celebrated occasion.  Restaurants by now have been preparing degustation packages for two, have posted gimmicks with romantic-themed activities and have finalized how they're to sell products all for LOVE.
L-O-V-E . . .I would like to write about this more, but then I'm sure we all have different thoughts on how we view this according to our situations.   So I will focus more on how we can spark the moment more.   Why don't we redefine  how we see relationships and revitalize  the love we have, even though you don't see it that way.   Let's put off any  arguments, differences and disgust and tend to what we could do to help each other nurture the love ( for each other of course).

The Mystery Japanese Restaurant at Paseo de Santa Rosa, Revealed

Last week, I posted something about a Japanese Restaurant that Bhogs
discovered at Santa Rosa, Laguna.   We went back this time to celebrate my mother-in-law's birthday.
RYUMA Restaurant, is the name of the mystery Jap place we have been boasting about, for it's hefty serving of authentic Japanese cuisine without burning your pockets.
I took a lot of photos, because last time I was here, I wasn't able to bring any camera except for our cellphones and the shots weren't as satisfactory as I hoped.
I have been a blabbermouth all this time, so I will just let the pictures tell the story of how we all enjoyed our lunch at Ryuma and the whole Paseo de Santa Rosa.
For sure every member of your family will enjoy a dining experience here.