Ensaymada Co. pastries available to the public
NOT all ensaymadas are made equal. One special recipe of the quintessential Filipino pastry can be found in upscale restaurants, posh hotels, cafes, and pastry shops nationwide — the secret Maglaya recipe used for the premium ensaymadas from Ensaymada Co. For the past few years, Ensaymada Co. has been in the background, but now it is stepping into the limelight. “After many years of serving our secret Maglaya recipe through partner establishments, we’ve finally decided to make our special ensaymadas available to more homes,” Ome Maglaya, Partner and Chief Operating Officer of Ensaymada Co., said. Starting Nov. 22, the classic ensaymadas will be available to the public. It comes in the Abuela Box, a package of 12 cheesy ensaymadas for P850, and the Abuelita Box for P425. Pre-order via the official order form. For more information on Ensaymada Co., follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
Café Virtuosi offers a Christmas serenade
TREAT yourself to afternoon Christmas Serenade featuring the scholars of the Cuerdas Cuadros Arts Program (CCAP) — Vittorio Vicenzo Vizcocho V, Kjian Musika Ladringan, and Joesef Shea Young — on Nov. 20, 3-4 p.m. at Café Virtuosi while dining on a full menu of appetizers, pastas, pizzas, desserts, coffee and a full bar. Enjoy a variety of house — special dishes such as the Zambaleno pizza, Pesto & Mushroom pasta, and more in the garden. Cafe Virtuosi is at CASA San Miguel Evangelista St. Barangay San Miguel San Antonio, Zambales.
Kitchen tools for the holidays
FROM kitchen tools that make cooking easier, to gadgets that keep living spaces clean and safe, Philips Domestic Appliances makes it possible for Filipinos to give themselves and their loved ones the gift of meaningful innovation this Christmas. From frying, baking, roasting, and grilling, the Philips Essential Airfryer XL opens up a whole range of culinary possibilities. Rapid Air Technology swirls hot air to create food that’s crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Capable of making meals for up to five people in one go, the airfryer ensures great tasting fries made with up to 90% less fat. Simplify food prep with the Philips Daily Collection Compact Food Processor. With a powerful 700W motor and a 2-in-1 disc, the food processor can slice and shred bread dough, cheese, chocolate, and hard vegetables with ease. It has in-bowl storage and a large feeding tube to minimize pre-cutting. Whip up smoothies, sauces, and soups, with the Philips Series 5000 Blender Core. It sports a unique four-star blade, energy-efficient 350W motor, and ProBlend Crush technology to crush ice. It also comes with five speed settings and a Quick Clean button for fast and easy cleaning. Designed to make up to 15 cups in one brew, the Philips Daily Collection Coffee Maker has an aroma twister that evenly circulates the flow of coffee for consistently aromatic and rich tasting coffee. These Philips Domestic Appliances are now available on Lazada and Shopee. For updates, follow the Facebook page (Philips Home Living) and Instagram (@PhilipshomelivingPh).
Shangri-la The Fort celebrates Christmas
CHRISTMAS has officially arrived at Shangri-La The Fort, Manila which welcomes guests with a 20-foot Christmas tree decorated with over 1,000 LED bulbs and 2,000 Christmas balls and ornaments. As part of the celebration, Ballet Philippines will perform The Nutcracker every Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m. starting Dec. 2. Eat, drink and be merry with the hotel’s selection of holiday feasts and festive offerings. High Street Café will have a Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dinner Buffet (Dec. 24 and 25) for P3,900 net per person inclusive of a festive alcoholic beverage package, a Christmas Day Lunch Buffet (Dec. 25) at P3,900 net per person inclusive of non-alcoholic beverage package, and the High Street Café Noche Buena (Dec. 24 from 11:30 p.m. to 1 a.m.) for P2,700 net per person. Over at the High Street Lounge, guests can enjoy the FestiviTEA Set, a themed afternoon high tea available from Nov. 10 to Dec. 31, for P2,500 inclusive of coffee, tea, or a glass of champagne. At Canton Road, guests can enjoy the traditional and modern Chinese cuisine with lunch and dinner set menus that cost P38,888 net for a minimum of 10 dining guests (nine private dining rooms are available for intimate gatherings. At the Raging Bull Chophouse and Bar, a Christmas set menu will be available at P5,450 net per person inclusive of a special themed festive cocktail for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Samba will serve a holiday lunch and dinner set menu at P3,750 net per person on Dec. 24 and Jan. 1. Guests can usher in the New Year with a poolside cabana dinner for two available at P15,000 net inclusive of a six-course menu and a bottle of Veuve Clicquot. Guests who are staying over can enjoy Filipino platters for their in-room dining which will be available from Dec. 22 to Jan. 1. A selection of savories and sweets are also available for gifting options, from chocolate bars, gingerbread cookies, do-it-yourself gingerbread house, fruit cake, stollen bread, homemade Glühwein, pralines, assorted winter jams, cookies, and hampers. For more information, visit www.shangrilafortexclusives.com. For restaurant reservations and bulk orders for Christmas hampers, savories, and pastries, call 091SLFMEATS (0917-536-3287), e-mail eats.slfm@shangri-la.com or visit the Enchanted Wonders festive counter in the hotel lobby at Level 2.
Marks & Spencer’s Christmas Gift Sets are out
THE FOOD, wine and beauty Christmas Gift Sets from Marks and Spencer (M&S) are now available. These special yearly gift sets are no-fail presents that are available at the nearest M&S store or through the M&S Viber Community. This year the offerings include: the Divine Pleasures, Lavish Luxury, and Sumptuous Selection which offer more food and wine choices that come in a golden metal tray. More specific gifts that show thoughtfulness for chocolate, coffee, and Italian food connoisseurs are available through the Chocolate Indulgence, Coffee Lover’s Surprise, and Italian Escape. The combination of wine and chocolates is available in two pairings: Swiss and Belgian Delights, packaged in a golden metal wire holder. Individual gift-ready food presents are also available like the festive Swiss Mountain Assortment Light Up Tin or the dog-shaped Waggle of Walters Chocolates. There are also cruelty-free and vegan-friendly beauty gift sets for men and women. The Men’s Duo 1 this year introduces the No Ordinary Day (NOD) body wash and spray bundle in a gold metal tray. The Floral Collection and Nature’s Ingredients have lotions, hand wash and shower creams or gels in four variants. These come in two duo sets and a trio set to choose from that’s also packaged in a gold metal tray. All these and more are available in Marks and Spencer stores now. View the full catalogue at adobe.ly/3WwHHnM. Order and earn Loyalty points through the M&S Philippines Viber Community at bit.ly/MSPH-VC. Avail of the Sparkling Offer which gets one a free P250 gift voucher for every P5,000 purchase of food and wine gift sets until Nov. 20. Shop selected lines online on www.marksandspencer.com.ph.
McDonald’s offers Holiday Treats
MCDONALD’s has started celebrating the holidays with a range of special items: the McCrispy Hamonado Sandwich, Coffee Caramel McFlurry, Speculoos Cookie McFlurry, and Speculoos Cookie Frappe. The McCrispy sandwich now has a special Christmas twist with the McCrispy Hamonado Sandwich that sees a McDonald’s Chicken fillet not only paired with a savory slice of Canadian bacon and hamonado glaze, but also topped with honey dressing. (In some branches of McDonald’s, this is available as a Honey Glazed McCrispy Sandwich.) For dessert, there is the Coffee Caramel McFlurry, and the Speculoos Cookie McFlurry — and, available in McDonald’s branches with McCafé, the Speculoos Cookie Frappe. They are now available at McDonald’s branches via Dine-In, Take-Out, Drive-Through, and McDelivery!
Honeybon has Design-It-Yourself Gingerbread House
FOR two years now, Honeybon has been making the holidays more special by offering Design-It-Yourself Gingerbread House kits. For P750, Honeybon’s DIY Gingerbread House is made with crisp gingerbread cookies. Various candies are also in the kit for further decoration. The Gingerbread House can be personalized and decorated in many ways. Customers can choose from the different candies in the kit such as the assorted sprinkles, chocolate Nips, long mallows, flower mallows, candy cane, jelly stick, rainbow belt, strawberry kiss, and jelly balls. Honeybon provides easy and simple steps to follow to making these Gingerbread Houses. First is to prepare the kit and to organize the decoration materials. Second is to pipe the icing along the edges of the house for that perfect base. Third is to get creative with decorating the house with all the candies available in the kit. Lastly, snap a photo of the finished look and share it with Honeybon through the hashtag #HoneybonHoliday. To order, visit their website at honeybon.ph, call 0991-300-8000, or visit their stores at SM Megamall, Festival Mall, and select Tokyo Bubble Tea stores. Pre-orders can be done via call, in-store, or social media through the following link, https://forms.gle/m4J8Kf4Pt2nXxWmG7. Customers can order it online starting Nov. 14 onwards and will only be available until Dec. 25.
Conti’s celebration specials
CONTI’S Bakeshop and Restaurant offers ready-made party platters that can fit everything intimate gatherings to grand events as their large food menu that comes in two sizes: Family (good for six to eight people) and Party (good for 12-15 people). Options include the Filling Appetizer Fest with a lineup that includes Baked New Zealand Mussels and Gambas y Champiñon al Ajillo (shrimps and mushrooms in olive oil), and pica-pica favorites like chicken lollies and calamari. There are Packed Meals for kiddie parties which are big on flavor and small on mess. Choose from a variety of packed meal sets that include favorites like Chicken Barbeque, Shanghai Bites, Lasagna, Chicken Lollies and pastries. Conti’s has hearty options without the guilt. The Vegetable Entrées party trays include Spinach Cannelloni, Mango Royale Salad, Lumpiang Ubod, and Tofu Steak. Then there are the all-time favorites: Baked Salmon, Roast Beef, Chicken Ala Kiev, and Garlic Sotanghon. For Noche Buena, there are the holiday specials: Porchetta, Chicken Relleno, and homemade Ham Roll (also available frozen) that’s cooked in a pineapple brine and glazed to perfection. For gifting, there are holiday gift sets: lemon square, ensaymada, oatmeal cookies, cheese rolls, and mamon nicely packaged in a reusable gift bag, ready to be delivered. Conti’s rooms are also available for special events. To know more about the large food menu and newly renovated function rooms of Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant, visit their website at http://www.contis.ph/ or check out their Facebook (@contisph) and Instagram (@contis_ph) pages.
Plaza Premium Lounge launched at Clark Int’l Airport
THE PLAZA Premium Group’s second Plaza Premium Lounge in the Philippines is located in Clark International Airport (CRK) in Pampanga. It offers holistic aviation hospitality services — the Plaza Premium Lounge, ALLWAYS (Airport Meet & Assist services) and TGM Root98 (airport dining outlet). The Plaza Premium Lounge is located at Level 3, International Departures and features space to work, unwind and recharge during transit or departures. Passengers are greeted by a welcome desk, and will find an inviting lounge space. A curated range of local products, materials, and artwork has been selected to provide a subtle layer of local personality. A variety of seating types, styles and configurations is available to ensure every traveller finds their perfect place within the lounge. There is a range of local and international food offerings alongside a self-serve coffee and drink station. Pay-per-use lounge services are also accessible to all travellers with shower facilities, VIP Meet & Greet services, in-lounge flight information and smoking room. The lounge admission is now available at P2,480 for two-hour use. Plaza Premium Group introduced an in-depth experience of menu customisation with the opening of TGM Root98 and Bar which is adjacent to the lounge. This is a global dining food concept which promotes JAKO — a fusion eatery of Japanese and Korean cuisine. With its locally sourced ingredients with plant-based and vegan food options, TGM Root98 encourages all diners to eat well and eat sustainably.
