Marco Polo celebrates
MARCO POLO Ortigas Manila has launched its annual Mid-Autumn Festival offerings with Celestial Treasures, and this year’s featured mooncakes symbolize luck, prosperity, and honor. The Plum Blossom (set of four pieces) and Peony (half-dozen set) gift boxes are available at P2,588 and P3,588 respectively. Guests receive a 15% discount on orders received before Aug. 15. Meanwhile, as part of the hotel’s ongoing 4th anniversary celebration, foodies can feast on the flavors of the world with all-day dining destination Cucina for the discounted rate of P1,399 which applies to both the lunch and dinner buffet spread. Marco Polo Ortigas Manila is making the move towards becoming plastic straw-free — it now offers bamboo straws as an alternative to single-used plastic ones to reduce unnecessary waste. The hotel is working with socio-civic organization Bambuhay, which provides livelihood to communities in Central Luzon, to ensure all its restaurants and bars are without plastic straws. For details visit www.marcopolohotels.com
The Pen and Toyo Eatery
THE PENINSULA Manila and Toyo Eatery join forces for a months-long one-of-a-kind hotel staycation and dining experience called The Salu-salo Series Room Package. Each guest chef will partner with chef Jordy Navarra at his restaurant Toyo Eatery in Karrivin Plaza, Pasong Tamo Ext. in Makati City to create special, multi-course dinner menus two days each month, culminating on Nov. 14 at The Peninsula Manila’s Old Manila restaurant where Mr. Navarra teams up with Chef de Cuisine Allan Briones in a four-hands dinner. The dinners are: Nouri, Singapore with chef Ivan Brehm, four-hands dinner on Aug. 8 and 9; Restaurant Suhring, Bangkok with chefs Thomas and Mathias Sühring(No. 4, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants), six-hands dinner on Aug. 16 and 17; Meme, Taipe with chef Richie Lin (No. 18, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants; One-star Michelin Guide Taipei 2018), four-hands dinner on Sept. 26 and 27; JL Studio, Taichung, Taiwan with chef Jimmy Lim and Restaurant Labyrinth, Singapore with chef L.G. Han, six-hands dinner, October; Toyo Eatery, Manila with chef Jordy Navarra (Miele One To Watch Award — Asia 2018, Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants), four-hands dinner, Nov. 14. The package includes guaranteed seating for one person at a Salu-salo dinner in Toyo Eatery or Old Manila, on the night of the reservation and one welcome drink (additional fee of P5,000 per additional guest); accommodation in a Deluxe Room, Grand Deluxe Room, Club Deluxe Room, or a Premier Suite; a photograph with the featured chef on the night of the dinner; breakfast buffet for two adults in Escolta. Room rates start at P15,000 for a Deluxe Room. Valid for bookings on the following dates: Aug. 8 to 9; Aug. 16 to 17; Sept. 26 to 27; Oct. 6 to 7; and Nov. 14. Salu-salo Series Dinner seatings are at 6 p.m. or 8 p.m. only. For inquiries or reservations, call 887-2888, extensions 6630 (Room Reservations) or e-mail reservationpmn@peninsula.com.
Sisig with a twist
ROMULO CAFÉ reinvents a classic Pinoy dish, sisig, with its Chicken Inasal Sisig which uses Chicken Inasal strips instead of traditional pork meat mixed with spices and chicken skin chicharon on top. The dish is now available in all Romulo Café local branches: Scout Tuazon, Tomas Morato, Quezon City; Jupiter St., Makati; and Azumi Hotel in Ayala Alabang.
New dishes at Starbucks
STARBUCKS stores now offer new items from around the world. These include its take of the German pretzel, the Bretzel, which is topped with parmesan cheese and sea salt; a Ham and Cheese Toastie modelled after the French Croque Monsieur; a French Apple Tart; Chocolate Éclair and Chocolate Truffle Cake; Vietnamese Banh Mi, a wholesome sandwich layered with grilled chicken, ham and a rich smear of paté and a smattering of crunchy pickled vegetables on crusty Sriracha bread; and Chinese Char Siu Pork Baked Bao. Visit www.starbucks.ph to learn more.
Pancake House chicken
FOR FOUR decades, Pancake House has been serving tried and tested recipes. Recognizing Filipinos’ whopping appetite for chicken, it offers six affordable Classic Pan Chicken Solo Plates for as low as P185. Pancake House’s Classic Pan Chicken dishes are available until Aug. 31. The six combos are as follows: Pan Chicken with spaghetti, garlic bread and iced tea; Pan Chicken with taco, rice and iced tea; Pan Chicken with Golden Brown waffle and iced tea; two pieces of Pan Chicken with classic pancakes and iced tea; Pan Chicken with French fries, rice and iced tea; and, Pan Chicken with mashed potato, rice and iced tea. Visit www.pancakehouse.com.ph/ for details.
Japanese recipe book
IN JULY, a group of Japanese volunteers launched 10 Recipes to Stay Healthy, a recipe book on healthy food inspired by Japanese home cooking, to help address Filipino nutritional needs. The launch coincided with the Philippine government’s celebration of Nutrition Month in July. Japanese volunteer Ayaka Takagi under the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers Program (JOCV) of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) together with former Japanese volunteers Yui Uneme and Momoe Nishizaki spearheaded the recipe book project along with seven other Japanese volunteers in the Philippines. “The recipe book is our contribution to the efforts of the Philippine government to encourage parents and children to improve the nutrition status of more Filipinos so they may live healthier and productive lives,” said Ms. Takagi, who was dispatched to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist in Tagbilaran, Bohol. The recipe book introduced the health departments “10 Kumainments” — a set of nutritional guidelines for Filipinos — in the book to raise awareness on balanced diet and healthy living. The volunteers also showed how to use readily available local ingredients to come up with Japanese home cooking-inspired recipes. They also explained how to measure ingredients as some Filipino households do not have measuring implements. The book features recipes for okonomiyaki (pan-fried vegetable), oyako-don (chicken and egg bowl), udon (Japanese noodle), kaki-age (fried mix vegetable), and sweet squash. Copies of the book have been distributed to families, students, teachers, farmers, health centers, and government offices in the Philippines where the JOCVs are dispatched, including communities in Bohol, Samar, and Panay.
Oreo Thins newest flavor
OREO THINS entered the Philippines in 2017 with the classic vanilla and tiramisu flavors. This year the Oreo Thins launches its newest flavor in the Philippines: Lemon Cheesecake. OREO Thins Lemon Cheesecake, Vanilla and Tiramisu are available in all stores nationwide at P41.50 per box.
