IT’S a brand new year. Time to start anew and eat healthy after consuming all those calorie-laden celebration dishes of the just concluded holidays. Time to start thinking salads, soups, grills and fruit juices.
It’s the perfect time for Cravings’ Fresh Picks weekend buffet, which was recently introduced in the restaurant’s three flagship branches in Katipunan Ave., Shangri-La Plaza and Molito. Cravings is known for its Soup and Salad Buffet, which diners ordering a main entrée gets to enjoy for free. Fresh Picks is an expanded version of this treat that is available during weekends. Through this offering, diners get to experience Cravings’ Mongolian Buffet and Soup and Salad Buffet, plus unlimited juice and a choice of grilled item, when dining at the restaurant for lunch (from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.) or dinner (from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.) on weekends for Php550.
The Soup and Salad Buffet’s soup station
Egg Drop Soup and Cream of Potato Soup
The salad bar at the Soup and Salad Buffet
The Soup and Salad Buffet also comes with breads
Cravings’ head chef Jojo Derrada checking on the live cooking station of the Mongolian Buffet at Shangri-La Plaza
A Mongolian buffet station, featuring fresh greens and vegetables picked from the restaurant’s own organic farms in Antipolo, Rizal, and in Katipunan Ave., is set up every weekend, and diners availing of Cravings’ Fresh Picks weekend buffet can assemble their own bowls and have the chef assigned to the cooking station cook it for them. The cooking station also offers diners a variety of grilled items — Chicken Kebabs, Mini Burgers, Cream Dory, two pieces of Prawns, Pork Steak, Salmon with Malunggay Sauce, Stuffed Squid, Chicken ala Pobre and T-bone Steak — to choose from, which the chef will prepare a la minute upon order.
Chicken Kebabs
Mini Burgers
Cream Dory
Two pieces of Prawns
Cravings’ Fresh Picks weekend buffet includes unlimited juice
A double fruit juice station also forms part of the buffet spread so diners can choose between at least two flavors and enjoy bottomless juice.
Aside from these weekend treats, Fresh Picks diners can have their fill of Cravings’ usual Soup and Salad Buffet, which offers at least two types of soups, a salad bar and some prepared salads, as well as bread and butter or jam.
What’s more: Diners availing of Cravings’ Fresh Picks weekend buffet can avail of pre-selling coupons at Php495 per head or make reservations for a minimum of four persons at a discounted price of Php500 per head.
For inquiries or reservations, call 441-6529 (Cravings Katipunan), 635-6088 (Cravings Shangri-La Plaza) and 556-0927(Cravings Molito).
ONLY two days to go before the whole world welcomes the New Year, 2015, popping Champagne bottles, blowing horns and sending fireworks up to light the dark night sky with spectacular displays of color and light. Everyone is in a mad race to prepare for the New Year’s festivities to celebrate it with style — and so hotels and restaurants, masters of the trade, have laid out a whole range of food offerings, events and other services to make the New Year’s celebration so much more enjoyable for everyone.
GOURMET INDULGENCES
The countdown is on at Richmonde Hotel Ortigas, which starts the fond farewell to 2014 on December 31, 2014, with Richmonde Café’s New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Buffet priced at Php1,480 nett, inclusive of entertainment, party favors and a choice of bottomless iced tea or glass of red or white wine. The buffet spread features dishes such as Salt and Pepper Crusted Prime Rib with Sage Jus, Duck a l’Orange, Gianduja Mousse, Pistachio Sans Rival and Buche de Noel.
By 9:00 p.m., the Hotel Lobby gears up for a night of partying at the New Year’s Eve Countdown Party, which welcomes 2015 in high spirits. It’s a choice of drink (beer, cocktail, soda, iced tea or chilled juice) with pica-pica buffet items and an engaging live performance of favorite 70s and 80s retro tunes from the Big Bash Band and, as the year winds down and the countdown to the New Year begins, a glass of sparkling wine with fun party favors for the New Year’s toast. Party tickets go for Php750 nett.
For those who are availing of both the New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Buffet and the New Year’s Eve Countdown Party, Richmonde Hotel Ortigas offers a discounted rate of Php1,850 nett. Those who want to enjoy their first breakfast of 2015 at the hotel, the New Year’s Day Breakfast Buffet at Richmonde Café is priced at an affordable Php800 nett. And for party animals who, after enjoying an all-night celebration, want to stay overnight and enjoy New Year’s Day with recovery food and a festive breakfast, New Year’s Eve Countdown Room Rates start at Php5,800 nett and include two tickets to the Countdown Party.
Other promotions available are the New Year’s Eve Dinner Buffet Room Packages, whose rates start at Php6,500 nett, inclusive of buffet dinner for two and bottomless drinks to go with an overnight stay; and the New Year’s Eve Package Bundle Package, which starts at Php7,800 nett, with buffet dinner and tickets to the Countdown Party for two persons to go with an overnight stay. Both are inclusive of buffet breakfast for two, Wi-Fi access, and the use of the Health Club’s gym and heated indoor pool.
For inquiries or reservations, call 689-8419 or 638-7777 extension 3409.
A LAVISH AND COZY STAY
Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila make welcoming the New Year so much more meaningful and with its offer of a 5-star getaway in the Metro South — book two consecutive nights in a Deluxe Room for Php10,000 nett or in a Premier Room at Php11,000 nett, inclusive of buffet breakfast for two at Café Eight, and get a third night free. This promo is good until January 5, 2015.
For those availing of the hotel’s generous buffet spread on New Year’s Eve, the rate is Php1,500++ per person.
Executive Room of Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila
Crimson Hotel has also put together a special party to usher in the New Year with a buffet dinner, party favors and entertainment provided by Arpie and the Multivitamins at the Crimson Grand Ballroom on December 31, 2014, at Php2,015++ per person.
For room inquiries and reservations, call 863-2222 or 305-3000.
NEW YEAR’S COUNTDOWN
The newly rebranded Hotel Jen Manila, formerly Traders Hotel Manila, rekindles the Yuletide spirit of merriment with IndulJent surprises and special treats until January 14, 2015.
Style up and mingle all the way for a LeJendary night with the hotel’s countdown to the New Year 2015 party at Jen’s Club Lounge with an amplifying beat of funk, hip-hop, soul and electronic dance music by DJ Aryan Magat, one of the coolest musicians and resident spinners in top bars in the metro. At Php1,188 nett per person, everyone can enjoy free flowing pica-pica, unlimited local beers and non-alcoholic beverages, plus a 180˚ stunning view of the Manila night lights. A New Year Countdown raffle shall also take place, with prizes including overnight stays at Hotel Jen Manila, a two-night stay in Traders Kuala Lumpur, Hotel Jen Penang, Traders Puteri Harbour Johor, Shangri-La’s Rasa Ria Resort and Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa in Kota Kinabalu Malaysia, a two-night stay in Shangri-La Hotel Chiang Mai Thailand, Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa Cebu.
A special New Year’s Eve Buffet is also available at Latitude All-day Dining Restaurant and Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar for Php1,188 nett per person.
Buffet at Hotel Jen Manila’s Latitude All-day Dining Restaurant
Part of Latitude’s buffet spread
Buffet at Hotel Jen Manila’s Kitsho Japanese Restaurant and Sake Bar
For an overnight stay on December 31, 2014, the rate for a Deluxe Room is Php8,888 nett and for a Club Room is Php10,888 nett, inclusive of dinner for two persons at Latitude, tickets for two at the New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at the Club Lounge, all-day non-alcoholic drinks at the Club Lounge, and breakfast for two for guests staying in a Club Room or Suite.
For inquiries and reservations, call 795-8888.
A SPECTACULAR EVENING
As 2014 comes to an end, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel is preparing a spectacular evening to ring in the New Year with sumptuous cuisine, free flowing drinks, lively band entertainment and ecstatic vibes.
The chefs are laying out a delectable array of international dishes in a lavish New Year’s Eve Dinner Buffet at Eastwood Café, featuring freshly cooked items from the buffet’s action stations, plus a variety of mouth-watering dishes such as Oyster Rockefeller, Roasted Turkey with Stuffing, Roasted Prime Rib of Beef and Grilled Spiced Salmon for Php1,580 nett. Kids aged 5 and below get to eat for free, while kids aged 6 to 12 get 50% discount.
The hotel’s fun and filling New Year’s Eve Countdown Party, priced at Php1,080, takes place at The Gallery and starts at 9:00 p.m., with a bar chow buffet, limitless drinks from the bar’s selection of local beers, featured cocktails, iced tea and sodas, and awesome covers of the Ammo Band while waiting for midnight. The price is Php1,080 nett.
There’s also Eastwood Café’s New Year’s Day Bubbly Brunch Buffet, priced at Php1,580 nett, that includes a bevy of all-time favorite breakfast and lunch dishes, plus special carvings of Roasted Chuck Eye Beef and Homemade Glazed Ham, and a glass of Moscato and other drinks.
For inquiries and reservations, call 570-7777.
BOUNTIFUL SELECTIONS
Tidings of hearty Fil-Spanish delights await at Casa Roces, as this full-service metro resto-café offers its new and expanded El Bulto del Casa special to-go menu perfect for the rest of the holidays. This menu combines best-selling dishes with new additions for bulk take-out orders, so customers can create their own dish combinations that meet their own preferences for, say, Media Noche on December 31, 2014.
Crispy Lengua Caesar Salad of Casa Roces
Paella Valenciana of Casa Roces
Chicken Galantina
Cochinillo
Malacanang Souffle
For fresh, crisp greens, El Bulto del Casa Salad (good for 12 to 15 persons) choices include Crispy Lengua Caesar Salad and Russian Salad. Mouth-watering appetizers, such as Choritos en Balsamico, Quezo de Bola Croquettas and Paella Croquettas, can be combined with a Vegetable Lasagna pasta platter. For the main entrée, one can order Oven-baked Wellington, Chicken Galantina, Morcon Estofado, Pescado al Horno, Callos a la Abuelita, Lengua in Mushroom-Cognac Sauce, Cochinillo, Turkey with Stuffing, Paella Valenciana, Paella Negra, Paella con Setas, Roast Beef with Mushroom Sauce and Roast Leg of Lamb with Glazed Camote.
Luscious cakes — Twix Cheesecake, Key Lime Pie, Apple Pie and English Trifle — are just a phone call away.
Also available are Christmas Menu Packages, with each set priced at Php1,200+ per person and includes salad, soup, entrées and beverages. All packages come with Sangria Te and Coffee or Tea as beverage options. Then there are the boxed desserts and pastry selections, such as Holiday Bars, Christmas Pudding and Smores; as well as native Spanish delicatessen, including Turron Almendras, Spanish Sardines Empanada and Gourmet Tuyo in Corn Oil; and bottled delights like citrus vinaigrettes, pasta sauces, salad dressings and coffee beans.
For inquiries, reservations and orders, call 735-5896 or 488-1929.
(Richmonde Hotel Ortigas can be found at 21 San Miguel Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. Crimson Hotel Filinvest City Manila is located at Entrata Urban Complex, 2609 Civic Drive, Filinvest City Alabang, Muntinlupa City. Hotel Jen Manila’s address is 3001 Roxas Blvd., Pasay City. Eastwood Richmonde Hotel is located at 17 Orchard Road, Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City. Casa Roces can be found at 1153 J.P. Laurel corner Aguado Streets, San Miguel, Manila.)
Ribbon-cutting rites during the Hotel Jen launch, from left: Pia de Leon Ongsiako, COO, New Riviera Hotel Development Corporation; Kitchie Benedicto Paulino, chairperson/CEO, New Riviera; Gordon Aeria, general manager, Hotel Jen Manila; and Golden Whitehead, director of special projects, Hotel Jen Headquarters
YES, if you’ve noticed that Traders Hotel Manila along Roxas Boulevard near corner Vito Cruz in the City of Manila has taken its red-and-black logo down and the black-and-white logo of Hotel Jen has taken its place, Traders Hotel is now Hotel Jen.
The worldwide rebranding has transformed Traders Hotel Manila into the new Hotel Jen, whose brand caters to a new ‘Jeneration’ of independently minded business and leisure travelers. The Hotel Jen brand has been inspired by the virtual persona Jen, a professional hotelier who loves life, travel and the adventure of discovering new places. The hotel thus takes care of guests with efficiency and care while also giving them informed access to the best that a particular destination has to offer, as its concept is to provide travelers greater flexibility to blend the boundaries between business and leisure.
Club Room at Hotel Jen Manila
Latitude All-day Dining Restaurant
In the case of Hotel Jen Manila, its strategic location makes it fit the bill perfectly. It is not just only 20 minutes away from the airport and 30 minutes away from the Makati Central Business District; it is also within the vicinity of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Philippine International Convention Center, World Trade Center and SMX Convention Center, and is just 10 minutes away from SM Mall of Asia. Malate, the entertainment district of the City of Manila, is also within walking distance from the hotel.
“The rebrand is about changing our approach from the inside out to adapt to the rapidly changing needs of today’s ‘millennially minded’ travellers, which I believe should start at the very heart of our hotel — our staff. Our established team of loyal employees have spent the past few months embracing the Jen values: fun, friendly and fuss-free,” says Gordon Aeria, general manager of Hotel Jen Manila.
He adds: “Hotel Jen Manila will still bring guests the same level of quality as before but now with a more intuitive service attitude and relaxed, friendly style.”
Unveiling of the new Hotel Jen logo with Gordon Aeria, GM, Hotel Jen Manila; Paulo Paulino; Pia de Leon Ongsiako, COO, New Riviera Hotel Development Corp.; Mayor Julier Ferrer; Kitchie Benedicto Paulino, chairperson/CEO, New Riviera Hotel Development Corp.; Golden Whitehead, director of special projects, Hotel Jen Headquarters; Roger Rosales; Jhona Paulino; and Ruth Corcega, director, New Riviera Hotel Development Corp.
Roast beef at the carving station
Rosemary Garlic Chicken
Mini cheesecakes
An assortment of kakanins (native delicacies)
The launch of Hotel Jen Manila, which took place last November 2014, was highlighted by the unveiling of the Hotel Jen logo and ribbon-cutting initiated by Hotel Jen executives and owners. Doing the honors aside from Aeria were Golden Whitehead, director of special projects, Hotel Jen Headquarters; Kitchie Benedicto-Paulino, chairman and CEO of New Riviera Hotel Development Corp.; Pia de Leon Ongsiako, chief operating officer of New Riviera; Paulo Paulino; Christine Paulino; Juliet Ferrer; Roger Rosales; Jhona Paulino; and Ruth Corcega, director of New Riviera.
The formal unveiling and ribbon-cutting ceremonies were followed by a sumptuous buffet lunch at Latitude.
WHAT’S a Filipino Christmas celebration without lots of delicious kakanin (native delicacies)? Puto Bumbong, Bibingka… We’ve given you recipes of festive twists on these classic Pinoy holiday classics. Now, we share with you the recipe of yet another top favorite kakanin of all time not only during Christmas but also when there’s no occasion at all — Putong Puti. But even with your classic Putong Puti, you can make lots of exciting variations by incorporating different flavors and then tingeing the steamed rice cake with a bit of food color to go with its flavor. Then again, you can stick to your timeless Putong Puti and just put fillings or toppings on it to create something new and festive for the rest of the holidays.
Here’s a recipe from The Maya Kitchen showing how different ready-to-eat ingredients can be used for instant but impressive puto variations.
3 tsps. yeast
3/4 cup water
2 cups sifted Maya Cake Flour
1 cup sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 egg whites
1/4 cup sugar itlog na maalat (salted egg), as needed ube jam, as needed
chocolate spread, as needed
cheese spread, as needed
1. Prepare a steamer. Then lightly grease two pieces of 3oz. 12-hole muffin pans and line them with paper cakes. Set aside.
2. Dissolve yeast in water.
3. Combine flour, 1 cup sugar and baking powder. Add the dissolved yeast to the dry ingredients and mix together. Set aside.
4. In a bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Add 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff. Fold in yeast mixture.
5. Pour batter into prepared pans, allow to ferment for 10 to 20 minutes. Top some with salted egg slices or cubes, a few muffins with ube jam, some others with chocolate spread and the remaining ones with cheese spread.
6. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
POPULAR Filipino Christmas classic, such as Bibingka, Dulce de Leche and Tsokolate Eh, have been given a modern and exciting twist by IHOP this Christmas season with its special limited edition Christmas offers — Bibingka Pancake, Dulce de Leche Pancake and Malagos Hot Chocolate.
Imagine Bibingka in the form of a pancake! IHOP puts its delicious stamp on this Filipino holiday rice cake with its Bibingka Pancake, serving it with whole duck eggs, muscovado sugar, shredded Parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese and desiccated coconut, topped with a scoop of butter and served on a banana leaf.
Dulce de Leche Pancake and Malagos Hot Chocolate
Dulce de Leche, which is caramelized condensed milk often used in breads and cakes, now takes lends its delicious nutty, buttery flavor to pancakes with IHOP’s Dulce de Leche Pancakes. It’s two thick and fluffy buttermilk pancakes filled with fresh bananas, spread with dulce de leche, topped with a drizzle of dark chocolate syrup, and crowned with whipped cream.
And for the quintessential Filipino holiday drink, Tsokolate Eh, the hot chocolate drink is now available at IHOP — Malagos Hot Chocolate. Every cup is made with all-natural, single-origin beans grown and harvested by Davao’s relentlessly hardworking farmers.
“We are very sure that these items bring back childhood memories of a more traditional way of celebrating with family and friends. We are proud to celebrate this joyous season with our diners with a Filipino touch,” says Archie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Global Restaurant Concepts Inc. (GRCI), which owns and operates IHOP in the Philippines.
These three Filipino Christmas classics make the holidays truly exciting at IHOP, which also saw this festive season as a most opportune time to introduce a collection of new, mouth-watering burgers, pasta dishes and desserts to make the IHOP dining experience even more delicious.
The burgers, which come with IHOP’s own secret sauce along with a choice of seasoned fries or onion rings, include Western Hash Brown Burger, Philly Cheese Steak Burger, Cheesy Mac Burger and Sunrise Burger.
Western Hash Brown Burger
Western Hash Brown Burger adds, yes, hash browns to the burger, complete with American cheese, tomatoes and bacon, to unleash the inner cowboy in diners.
Philly Cheese Steak Burger
Philly Cheese Steak Burger gives a taste of the classic Southern burger with Provolone cheese, Philly steak, green bell pepper, onions, mushrooms and red potato seasoning.
Cheesy Mac Burger
Cheesy Mac Burger is another interesting item, as it compacts another classic favorite, Mac & Cheese, into a burger. Made with cheese lovers in mind, it’s a burger stuffed with Mac & Cheese, bacon, lettuce leaf, dill pickle and more cheese sauce.
Sunrise Burger
Sunrise Burger comes with all the works — sun-dried tomato pesto, red onion rings, American cheese and sunny-side up egg.
Three pasta dishes also made it to the new IHOP menu: Carbonara Pasta (fettuccine pasta tossed in velvety cream, mixed with crispy bacon, ham, fresh mushrooms and shredded Parmesan cheese, topped with sunny-side up egg, and served with garlic bread; Italian Chicken Pasta (grilled chicken over fettuccine pasta, spinach and mushrooms in a house-made tomato Alfredo sauce, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese, and served with garlic bread); and Pot Roast Pasta (which combines Pot Roast with pasta, with chunks of moist, slow-cooked Pot Roast in a bed of creamy penne pasta, mixed with sautéed tomatoes and a zing of sour cream, served with garlic bread).
Carbonara Pasta
Italian Chicken Pasta
Pot Roast Pasta
Then there is the Sriracha Chicken & Waffle, two pieces of fried chicken covered in a sweet and spicy combination of butter pecan sauce and sriracha sauce, served on a Belgian waffle with a scoop of whipped butter.
Sriracha Chicken & Waffle
Desserts on the new menu include Bread and Butter Pudding (a thick slice of warm bread pudding topped with a generous drizzle of banana caramel sauce, vanilla sauce, honey pecan nuts and a scoop of vanilla ice cream) and Stuffed and Rolled Chocolate Crepe (chocolate crepes filled with cream cheese and choco hazelnut spread, topped with vanilla sauce, dark chocolate syrup, chocolate chips, a side of strawberries, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream).
The even better news is: IHOP is open for long hours, every day, this Christmas season. Its stores in Bonifacio Global City, UP Town Center in Katipunan Ave., SM Mall of Asia, Century City Mall in Kalayaan Ave. Makati, Filinvest City in Alabang, and Araneta Center in Cubao are open from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. on weekdays and until 12 midnight on weekends, and will be accepting orders 24/7 from December 16, 2014, to January 3, 2015.
