Lifestyle

Absolutely Fabulous Asians party @ Shangri-La (The Philippine Star) - December 16, 2018 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Last Nov. 22, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts in the Philippines hosted a thanksgiving party for the media of Manila and Cebu. It was a special occasion and reason for gathering the six properties as they formally introduced the new general managers of Makati Shangri-La, Greg Findlay, and Shangri-La’s Boracay Resort and Spa, Dave Junker. Greg Findlay, Grace Glory Go and Dave Junker. This year’s party was aptly called, ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS ASIANS Party at Shangri-La, inspired by the fun and glorious vibe of the popular novel and movie blockbuster, Crazy Rich Asians. The party started with cocktails at Sage Bar followed by a delightful gastronomic adventure presented by executive chef Nicola Canuti and the executive chefs of Inagiku, Shang Palace and Sage Bespoke Grill. Each dish was perfectly … [Read more...] about Absolutely Fabulous Asians party @ Shangri-La

How (and when) to drink Astis Scott Garceau (The Philippine Star) - December 16, 2018 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — So what Asti wine pairs with which dish, and which course? Astis run the range from 130 grams/liter of sugar for the sweeter wines, down to 90 g/l for Dolce and 17 g/l for Seccos (longer fermentation = less sugar). Serve them chilled (5-10°C). For instance, for our first meal at Michelin star Il Cascinalenuovo, the welcome wine was an Asti Secco, a slightly dry Asti served with breadsticks (incidentally, the first breadsticks were invented in Piedmont by a baker whose son could not eat soft breads; the elongated dough could bake all the way through, easier to eat, and it caught on). For the antipasti course, we were served a 2016 Barbera D’Asti, a red that pleased the palate next to paté macarons and a whole onion cooked and served with wonderfully pureed insides that felt like mashed … [Read more...] about How (and when) to drink Astis

Let's eat: A community of holiday feasts at SM Center Pasig Epi Fabonan III (philstar.com) - December 15, 2018 - 8:00pm MANILA, Philippines—SM Center Pasig is a well-loved and much-appreciated community mall along the C5 corridor. With a floor area of around 29,000 square meters, it is home to a large, well-stocked SM Hypermarket and a diverse array of service boutiques, making it a one-stop shop that caters to a wide variety of Pasigeños’ wants and needs. With its assortment of restaurants and snack stores located within one convenient level, SM Center Pasig has built a reputation for itself as a community where people from all walks of life can have a delightful and fulfilling feast no matter the time and occasion. Favor-eats Tong Yang Shabu Shabu Express Satisfy your craving for Shabu-shabu at Tong Yang. Mix an assortment of greens, corn, udon, sotanghon, black fungus, enokitake, shitake, mushroom balls, … [Read more...] about Let’s eat: A community of holiday feasts at SM Center Pasig

Belenismo: A spectacle of hope Inspired by a visit to the Holy Land where he’d been shown the traditional birthplace of Jesus, Saint Francis of Assisi, then a deacon, created the first nativity scene display at Greccio, in central Italy, in the 1200s. The exhibit, blessed by Pope Honorius III, was an attempt to place the emphasis of Christmas on the worship of Christ rather than secular materialism and gift giving. Capas Municipality’s 13-meter tall Belen takes on Eiffel Tower as the backdrop for their winning Belen, made of bamboo, recycled materials and decorated with LED lights. Saint Francis’ nativity scene, staged in a cave, was a living one with humans and animals cast in Biblical roles. It eventually grew to more elaborate affairs — humans and animals replaced with richly robed figurines against a backdrop of intricately decorated and landscaped static scenes. McDonald’s Capas’ Belen features indigenous … [Read more...] about Belenismo: A spectacle of hope

Italian honor for Marilou Alejandro (The Philippine Star) - December 16, 2018 - 12:00am MANILA, Philippines — Last Sept. 5 was a very special day for Maria Lourdes Fernandez Alejandro. On this day, she received the “Cavaliere dell’Ordine della Stella d’Italia” award given by the President of the Republic of Italy, Sergio Mattarella. Italian Ambassador Giorgio Guglielmino hosted at his Embassy residence a cocktail in order to confer the award, which paid homage to “her musical background and her passion to promote culture as a prominent and active member of the Philippine Italian Association (PIA), an institution founded to sustain relationship between the two countries, in the cultural field and on supporting humanitarian initiatives since 1962. She has held important roles in various cultural institutions in the Philippines and has generously given a constant commitment to the realization of … [Read more...] about Italian honor for Marilou Alejandro