AS THE holiday season really gets going, one starts to panic over the barely touched Christmas list. One of the easiest ways to remedy this it to give food — after all, who does not like a good chocolate or appreciate a fancy tea or olive oil. Even the much-maligned fruitcake has its fans.
Here are some ready-to-gift Christmas food options to consider.
The Christmas spirit fills the lobby of The Peninsula Manila, especially when choirs sing Christmas carols in the Lobby from 6:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. at certain evenings this month. One can enjoy this heavenly music while choosing from three festive food hampers at the giant gingerbread house set up at the Lobby or at The Peninsula Boutique. On offer are The Santa Hamper (P4,800) which is filled with a bottle of Lolea Sangria, some peanut crunch, a panettone, roast coffee beans from Sagada, a duck terrine, Peninsula white chocolate, a chocolate mendiant, and a medium sized chocolate Santa; The Sweet Indulgence Hamper (P7,800), which also contains sangria, panettone, Sagada coffee, and a medium sized chocolate Santa, plus Peninsula milk chocolate, Almendino turron, Banoffee spread, Crema De Morcilla, Rocher chocolate, pate de fruit, and a Peninsula Chef Bear key ring; and, The Peninsula Gourmet Hamper (P16,800), which, aside from two bottles of the sangria, panettone, Sagada coffee, and pate de fruit, also includes salted coco caramel, canard rillettes, Christmas jam, Modena balsamic vinegar, a Penguin Santa chocolate, hazelnut crunch, gingerbread cookies, Peninsula dark chocolate and white chocolate bars, a Peninsula silver-plated hat key ring, a Peninsula page bear mug, and a special Peninsula snow page plush toy. For every purchase of over P10,000, the hotel will provide complimentary delivery service to Makati City, Pasay City, Mandaluyong City and Bonifacio Global City.
There are also hampers at the Marriott Hotel, featuring holiday delicacies and Marriott signature items (the Premium hamper costs P3,988 while the Deluxe Hamper is P2,500). Or one can choose a Gingerbread Chalet in classic or a red velvet twist (P780) or a Gingerbread Man available in classic and red velvet too (P65) which one can hang it on the Christmas tree, serve it on a plate, or just give it to young carolers. For chocolate lovers, the hotel has a selection made with the creamiest Swiss chocolate available in white, milk and dark chocolate including some options that look almost too cute to eat like the Big Belly Santa (P330), the Santa Sleigh (P350), and Snowman (P430). The Marriott Manila is located at 2 Resorts Drive, Pasay City. For details, call 836-9998 or visit www.manilamarriott.com.
Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s bakers have also come up with a variety of sweet treats for the season like gingerbread snowflake cookies (P225/6pcs), Christmas cake pops (P255/6pcs), and a gingerbread train (P495). All goodies may be ordered with holiday packaging at minimal cost. Orders can be made at the Gingerbread Train display at The Lounge located at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, 17 Orchard Road, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City or by calling 570-7777, or sending an e-mail to erhfbsec@richmondehotel.com.ph.
Its sister hotel, the Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, has boxes of freshly baked pastries to give as gifts.
Available until Jan. 6 are goodies like pistachio double cream cheese bread (P225), bacon tomato cheese bread (P220), banana walnut bread (P265), and cinnamon cluster bread (P190) which are available at the Lobby Café. Also available are sweet treats like Craquelin cream puff (P100), chocolate cream puff (P120), coffee buns with cream cheese filling (P150/box of 4pcs), chocolate crinkles (P270/jar of 15pcs), Reese’s chocolate cookies (P260/pack of 7pcs), and Red Velvet cake at 4” (P250) and 6” (P350) sizes. Then there is its signature pastry — the oversized Richmonde Ensaymada which comes in plain, ube, salted egg, and quezo de bola flavors. The complete collection of holiday goodies can be found at the Lobby Café of Richmonde Hotel Ortigas. Bulk orders should be placed two days in advance. Call 638-7777 or e-mail rhofbsec@richmondehotel.com.ph to inquire or to order.
CHOCOLATES AND TEA
For something a bit simpler, Villa del Conte has come up with the Minusculo gift boxes — elegantly designed gift boxes are filled with its chocolates that everyone on your list would be sure to enjoy. The gift boxes come with either five pralines (P295), or six pralines (P340), and are available at all Villa Del Conte stores in Greenbelt 5, Century City Mall, Shangri-La Mall, Resorts World Manila, SM Megamall and Robinsons Magnolia or contact 893-2575. To order, visit www.villadelcontecioccolato.com.
The Sabino Leone Christmas Olive Oil takes the spotlight at Oliviers&Co. as this limited edition gold and green bottle contains an Italian Grand Crus — a creamy, velvety oil with hints of fresh herbs, and a floral taste profile with notes of fresh grass, bitter almond, and green pepper. Accompanying this Christmas olive oil is the Balsamic Vinegar Noel — a blend of cooked grape must, concentrated grape must, and wine vinegar, making it perfect for vinaigrettes, vegetables, poultry, or tuna. Also on offer is the 2017 Best Gift Set of five olive oils and condiments in an elegant gift box. To make gift-shopping easier, Oliviers&Co. also prepared gift baskets containing olive oils along with other kitchen essentials. There is the Balsamic Vinegar with Condiment Taster Set, the Limited Edition MeliMelo Set (which combines two limited edition balsamic condiment and three specialty oils or condiments), the Essentials Set (one basic oil, a limited edition condiment, and an olive paste), or the Starter Seasoning Set (with eggplant caviar, black olive relish, and mixes for meat, salad, and fish). As an ultimate indulgence, Oliviers&Co. offers a Truffle Collection which combines both white and black truffle specialty oils, a salt and white truffle mix, a Parmesan and truffle cream, a summer truffle in olive oil, and porcini mushroom cream with truffles in one gift box. There are Oliviers&Co. boutiques in Central Square, Bonifacio High Street, and Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center.
For tea lovers, you cannot go wrong with TWG’s specialties. For the ultimate bespoke gift, create your own TWG Tea hamper by choosing from a collection of over 400 loose teas from 41 tea-producing regions around the world, accessories and packed tins of tea, in addition to tea jellies, sugars, and macarons. There is the Joy of Christmas Tea which is part of TWG Tea’s seasonal Haute Couture Tea Collection, and there is also a range of other collections such as the World Voyage Christmas Tea Set, an exquisite offering in an elegant box and sleeve enclosing six TWG Tea mini tea tins, or the Red Christmas Teabag gift box with 15 hand sewn 100% cotton teabags, highlighted with burnished gold imagery of snowy sleigh rides. The Joy of Christmas Tea in Haute Couture Tea Collection retails at P1,600. The Red Christmas Teabag gift box is P1,200, and The World Voyage Christmas Tea Set is P5,995. They are available in TWG Tea Salons & Boutiques at Greenbelt 5, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Central Square, and S Maison Conrad Manila. TWG Tea Boutiques are also located in Okada Manila and Ayala Center Cebu.
For sweet treats, consider the Yuletide Velvet Collection from the kitchens of the culinary experts-mentored, student-run Andrew Café. The Velvet Christmas Cake Splendor is a blend of green and red velvet, packed and covered with cream cheese filling, then topped with green, white, and red dragees, M&M dark chocolates, and crowned with sugar cookies and mint Kisses. The Chocolate Cupcake Trio come in various designs: Christmas trees, wreaths, and Santa hats, all garnished with Swiss meringue butter cream, and adorned with dragees and fondant. Andrew Café is located at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Taft Campus, Corner of Estrada and Leon Guinto Streets, Malate, Manila.
Finally, there is the Red Ribbon HoliDozen which comes in three variants filled with Red Ribbon treats: the HoliDozenCheesy Ensaimada, HoliDozenAssorted Mamon with flavors like butter, ube, mocha, creamy, white choco almond, caramel, cookies and cream, and cheesy, and the HoliDozenAssorted Pastries which contains cheesy ensaimada, butter mamons, and choco cake slices. Gift-givers can also customize the HoliDozen boxes with different combinations to cater to every kind of person. Gift vouchers are also available.
