SO you think you can only feast on waffles, pancakes and French toasts for breakfast at IHOP Restaurant? Not anymore. Beginning today, March 17, 2014, IHOP makes five Filipino breakfast meals available in three of its metro locations.
This special menu of five homegrown Filipino favorites include Savory Pork Longganisa, Breakfast Beef Tapa, Classic Chicken Tocino, Lean Chicken Sausage and Classic Pork Tocino. Each is served with garlic rice and two eggs, any style, with atchara and seasoned vinegar on the side.
“These Filipino breakfast favorites will be exclusively offered in the Philippines for a limited time. We’re proudly introducing a menu that expands our appeal just as we’re expanding our locations,” explains Archie Rodriguez, president and CEO of Global Restaurant Concepts Inc. (GRCI), the Philippine partner of IHOP Restaurants.
These meals were developed locally by the chefs of GRCI and approved by the mother company of IHOP, thus making IHOP Restaurants in the Philippines – located at W Global Center in Bonifacio Global City, UP Town Center in Quezon City, and Entertainment Mall of SM Mall of Asia in Pasay – not just American breakfast places serving pancakes, waffles, French toasts, omelettes and sandwiches, but also a haven for classic Filipino breakfast food. The idea is to cater to Filipinos who are craving for Filipino breakfast meals and to introduce Filipino breakfast food to foreigners who know IHOP Restaurants and are in Manila for a visit.
Savory Pork Longganisa
Breakfast Beef Tapa
Classic Chicken Tocino
Classic Pork Tocino
Savory Pork Longganisa (Php375) consists of two big chunks of juicy longganisa served with garlic rice and eggs. Breakfast Beef Tapa (Php375) is classic Filipino-style marinated beef tapa served with garlic rice and eggs. Classic Chicken Tocino (Php345) is caramelized chicken tocino served with garlic rice and eggs. Lean Chicken Sausage (Php295) has got four pieces of lean chicken sausage on the platter with garlic rice and eggs; while Classic Pork Tocino (Php295) boasts of deliciously caramelized pork tocino served with garlic rice and eggs.
IHOP Restaurant’s famous Waffle and Buttermilk Pancakes
Diners who order any of these five Filipino breakfast meals at IHOP Philippines restaurants can also opt to enjoy them with IHOP’s world famous Buttermilk Pancakes, Stuffed French Toast, Waffle or Brioche French Toast at a discounted price. Buttermilk Pancakes, originally priced at Php195, can be had for Php125 with a Filipino breakfast meal, for instance. The Brioche French Toast, whose regular price is Php285, is priced down to Php200. The Waffle, which is priced at Php225, shall be only Php200 with a Filipino breakfast meal; while Stuffed French Toast, which goes for a regular price of Php275, can be enjoyed at Php175.
Mango Peaches and Cream Parfait
Childhood Memories
Chocolate Decadence
Mixed Berry Parfait
With the introduction of the new Filipino breakfast meals also come four new ice cream parfait flavors that are now available in time for summer. Co-created with Nestle Ice Cream, these four new flavors are Mango Peaches and Cream Parfait (Php195), which has generous scoops of mango and vanilla ice cream served with peaches and IHOP’s special granola; Childhood Memories (Php195), a taste of childhood in a cup filled with vanilla ice cream layered with strawberry and blueberry syrups and topped with crispy golden hash-browns and cheesecake bits; Chocolate Decadence (Php245), which has IHOP’s very own butter pecan syrup with dark chocolate and white chocolate chips and maple candied bacon perfectly topped on scoops of decadent chocolate ice cream; and Mixed Berry Parfait (Php245), which is chocolate ice cream smothered with cool strawberry and blueberry toppings, drizzled with creamy yogurt and finished with oatmeal streusels on top.
Delightful Filipino breakfast items and new decadent ice cream flavors… It’s a stunning combination that’s just perfect for the summer season.
SEDA Hotel Bonifacio Global City takes pride in presenting its Italian Aperi-Dinner at the hotel’s Straight Up roof deck bar beginning today, March 14, until the 30th of the month. It’s the first time that any hotel property in the Philippines is featuring an Aperi-Dinner, which is a fun Italian style buffet of aperitivos (pre-dinner cocktails), complemented by a buffet of antipasti and other international appetizers, as prepared by guest Italian chef Giovan Giuseppe Ferrandino, assisted by Seda BGC’s Filipino-Italian chef Anna Finato Galzignato.
Guest Italian chef Giovan Giuseppe Ferrandino with Seda Hotel BGC’s Filipino-Italian chef Anna Finato Galzignato
“Seda is the first hotel to introduce this concept in the Philippines, and we are proud that Chef Giovan, who has worked in various Michelin-starred restaurants in Europe, is helping us present the event,” says Seda’s Italian group general manager Andrea Mastellone.
Based in Genova, Italy, Chef Giovan has worked not only in his home country Italy but also in Germany, France, Monaco and Switzerland. As guest chef of Seda BGC this month of March, he showcases an apericena buffet of tapas-style dishes, which include Stuffed Mozzarella, crostinis, pizzas, pastas, open-faced quiches and even Goulash and crepes.
The word apericena, according to Mastellone, combines the Italian word for appetizer, aperitivo, and cena, which means dinner. The concept of apericena started as a prelude to dinner, but, today, more than 16 million Italians flock to Italy’s upscale cafes to indulge in this buffet of light dishes as a substitute for dinner while they at the same time enjoy the company of friends and colleagues. Seda BGC’s version of the Italian apericena will feature some 40 appetizers and will serve these with an excellent array of Italian wines.
Creamy Marsala Spaghetti Served with Pan-fried Chicken Breast
During his guest chef stint, Chef Giovan will also be showcasing Italian classic dishes using modern methods of preparation, and these can be enjoyed at Seda BGC’s Misto restaurant. These classic dishes include Ragu, typically a sauce of minced meat cooked with vegetables in a broth, wine or cream. The pork ribs, sausages and beef are slow-cooked for about six hours so they become so tender that they “melt like butter in the mouth.”
In keeping with the Italian tradition of making pasta dishes only from fresh pasta, Chef Giovan will be making his own tagliolini and lasagna pasta from scratch. He shall also be dazzling diners by preparing the well-loved Carbonara using cream of cereal instead of the usual dairy variety. These will be available a la carte for lunch at Misto.
After March 30, Chef Giovan will be moving on to Seda Abreeza in Davao City and then to Seda Centrio in Cagayan de Oro City to run similar Italian food promotions. His guest chef stint in the Philippines culminates with a similar food promotion at Seda Nuvali in mid-May.
(Seda Hotel BGC can be found at the corner of 30th St. and 11th Ave., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, with telephone number 945-8888.)
Pinitasang Alimango ni Oryang, the favorite dish of Gregoria de Jesus, as presented in the Food of Our Heroes showcase during the launch of the My City, My SM, My Cuisine book at SMX-SM Aura
IT was one grand celebration that brought foodies in the metro together at the SMX of SM Aura Premier last February (2014). The occasion: the grand launch of SM’s My City, My SM, My Cuisine book, which celebrates the exciting flavors of Philippine regional cuisine as well as treasured heirloom recipes of some of the country’s most prominent personalities.
Published by People Asia, the book is a compilation of both winning and participating recipes from the My City, My SM, My Cuisine campaign that SM spearheaded from 2012 to 2013 in key cities around the Philippines where SM malls are located. The campaign made more than 20 stops in SM’s host cities that spanned from as far North as Baguio to as far South as Davao.
Cover of the newly launched book
SM Investments vice chairperson Tessie Sy-Coson receives the first copy of the book from People Asia publisher Hose Manuel Romualdez during the launch. On hand were SM VP for Marketing Communications Millie Dizon, People Asia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez, and Philippine Star’s SVP for Sales and Marketing Lucien Dy-Tioco
Some of the key people behind the book
In each stop, the SM team ‘discovered’ and got to savor some of the heirloom recipes of prominent families living there. These families, including the Lijaucos and Tiongcos of Santa Rosa, the Pastors and Montenegros of Batangas, the Escuderos of San Pablo, the Remullas of Cavite, the Aquinos and Yaps of Tarlac, the Aboitizes of Cebu, the Gastons and Puentevellas of Bacolod, and the Lazatins of Pampanga, opened their homes and shared their heirloom recipes with the SM team.
James Cooper’s Chami recipe can be found in the book
Olivia Balajadia’s Kiniing Soup is one of the heirloom recipes included in the book
Atching Lillian Borromeo’s San Nicolas Cookies
Nanay Luz Ocampo’s Inukit na Dayap in bottles and pastillas wrappers
Several descendants of Philippine heroes, such as Dr. Jose Rizal, Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo, Marcelo H. del Pilar and Mariano Ponce, also shared their own heirloom recipes and gave the team a taste of the favorite dishes of a number of Philippine heroes. Their recipes have thus also been included in the book. So with heirloom recipes of well-known chefs like Claude Tayag of Pampanga and Rafael Jardeleza II of Iloilo.
During the launch, some of the prominent personalities who contributed their recipes to the book were on hand to present their respective dishes to the guests as part of the formal launching rites. Highlight of the launch was the presentation of a copy of the book by People Asia publisher Jose Manuel Romualdez to SM Investments vice chairperson Tessie Sy-Coson.
Four exciting food showcases spread around the SMX gave guests a taste of their regional specialties – Suman Bar from Antipolo, Baraka showcase from Laguna, Food of Our Heroes display from Bulacan, and Chef Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung station from Pampanga.
Suman Adobo from Vieux Chalet of Antipolo’s Suman Bar
Sushi ni Susie (Suman Bar)
Manga con Caramelo (Suman Bar)
The Suman Bar of Antipolo’s Vieux Chalet gave everyone bite-sized samplings of Philippine delicacies, including a modern take on the suman itself (glutinous rice cake cooked in coconut milk) – Suman Adobo, Sushi ni Susie, Manga con Caramelo, and Tsokolate.
Puto Maya from the Baraka station of Laguna
Atole from the Baraka station
Lumpiang Hubad (Baraka station)
Pancit Grade 1 (Baraka station)
Mache (Baraka station)
The Baraka station from Laguna featured the legendary Mang Bok’s ice cream, which post-war migrant Felimon Bok-Beltran and his wife Caridad started, as well as delightful Puto Maya (sweet rice balls topped with freshly grated coconut), Sinukmani (boiled rice cake with coconut milk and sugar, topped with latik), Atole (boiled ground dried corn with coconut milk and sugar topped with latik), Lumpiang Hubad, Pancit Grade 1 (miki noodles with freshwater shrimps and kamias) and Mache (boiled ground sticky rice balls with sugar and roasted sesame seeds filling rolled in finely ground rice).
Arroz ala Cubana ni Gen Goyo from the Food of Our Heroes spread
Nilitsong Manok sa Saha ni Bonifacio (Food of Our Heroes spread)
Nilasing na Mangga ng mga Katipunero (Food of Our Heroes spread)
Pochero ni Plaridel (Food of our Heroes spread)
The Food of Our Heroes showcase, put together by the family of food historian Mila Enriquez of Bulacan, featured a unique tableau of favorite dishes of our heroes.
Mini Pan de Bagnet from Chef Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung of Pampanga
Chef Claude Tayag and wife Mary Ann
Chef Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung station from Pampanga had a queue of guests who lined up for generous portions of Mini Pan de Bagnet and Mini Bringhe.
Several copies of My City, My SM, My Cuisine book are available for sale at Kultura Filipino branches in SM Aura, SM Megamall, SM Makati and SM Mall of Asia.
Celebrity chefs at Taal Vista Hotel, seated from left: Chef Babes Austria, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation president Elizabeth Sy, area general manager Walid Wafik, and Chefs Jackie an Roland Laudico. Standing, from left: Chef Sau del Rosario, Bruce Lim, Fernando Aracama and Edwin Santos
THROUGH the years in my culinary journalism career, I’ve sat down to several lunches and dinners prepared by celebrity chefs. Although each one is always an exquisite dining experience, the press banquet lunch that my husband Raff and I attended in Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay last February in connection with its year-long 75th anniversary celebration turned out to be one of the most special and unique. Why? Because it was prepared not just by one celebrity chef but by six celebrity chefs – Sau del Rosario, Babes Austria, Fernando Aracama, Bruce Lim, and Roland and Jackie Laudico.
Scenic view of Taal Lake, crowned by Taal Volcano, from the Ridge of Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay
The setup of the Press Banquet by the Ridge…
The lovely lunch whose courses were prepared by six celebrity chefs
The parade of waiters
On top of that, the special 75th anniversary press banquet was set up by the View Deck of Taal Vista Hotel, with the scenic Taal Volcano as backdrop. The long table set under a white canopy tent was clothed with sack cloth as rustic table liner and dotted with various vases and pots of flowers. Orchids, gerberas, statis, carnations… They came in different colors and sent whiffs of refreshing fragrance with every blowing of the wind. The setup, with name plates and individual menus for each seat, felt like a high society dining scene straight out of a foreign movie. There was even live music rendered by a string quartet, playing during lunch service – and each course of the five-course set menu was preceded by a march of waiters. Two rows of waiters, each carrying two covered plates, marched down the entire expanse of the View Deck, all the way from the Magnolia Room end, and as they neared the canopy tent, two stationed waiters removed the covers from the plates held by the marching waiters, who then stationed themselves behind the seated guests. On cue, they placed the plates down before the guests, each waiter serving only two guests for each course. Guests couldn’t help but feel really special.
Lapu-Lapu Rillette Kapampangan
Chef Sau del Rosario
First course, Lapu-Lapu Rillette Kapampangan, was prepared by Chef Sau del Rosario. Chef Sau, who hails from Pampanga, received his culinary training in Paris, France, and has worked in top hotels and restaurants in Singapore, Shanghai (China) and France. He now serves as executive chef of F1 Hotel and A Taste of France by Alphaland.
The Lapu-Lapu Rillette Kapampangan Chef Sau prepared capitalized on the freshness of the lapu-lapu fish used. It’s light and refreshing, and it was successful in whetting the appetite and getting the palate ready for a full-course lunch. It was paired with a light Beringer Chenin Blanc courtesy of Happy Living, whose wine expert Katherine Yao Santos was among the guests during the press banquet.
Crunchy Cheesy Triangles and Ensaladang Tagalog
Chef Babes Austria
The second course was presented by Chef Babes Austria, former executive chef of Malacanang Palace and Taal Vista Hotel, and now a culinary consultant, professor of Asian and International Cuisine and owner of Garden Family Restaurant. Chef Babes served a combination of an aappetizer, Crunchy Cheese Triangles (rice paper filled with fresh water wild fern, prawn, water buffalo cheese, served with a creamy salted egg dip), and salad, Ensaladang Tagalog (shredded fresh green mango, smoked fish, salted water buffalo cheese, encased in phyllo dough).
Tasting it, you’d understand why Chef Babes was chosen as executive chef of Malacanang Palace during the term of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Her dish was accompanied by Beringer Chardonnay.
Sinanglay en Papillote
The Sinanglay en Papillote with the Coconut Milk Sauce already poured over the fish
Chef Fernando Aracama
Chef Fernando Aracama, who hails from Bacolod City and obtained his culinary degree from the New England Culinary Institute in Vermont, USA, was responsible for the third course, which was Sinanglay en Papillote (baked parrot fish in parchment paper, flavored with kamias and tomatoes wrapped in pechay with coconut milk sauce). This time, it was Beringer Pinot Grigio that rounded out the full flavors of the fish dish.
I loved the fish course prepared by Chef Fern. It was served in its papillote or parchment paper pouch, which kept the steam and heat in. And when the pouch was broken open, the waiters came around one more time to pour a coconut milk-based sauce over the fish.
Pork Napoleon
Chef Bruce Lim
The fourth course, Pork Napoleon (layered pork and laing served with kamote gnocchi and aligue cream sauce), was presented by Chef Bruce Lim, who has worked in California and Las Vegas before coming home to Manila to put up his own restaurant, Chef’s Table, in Bonifacio Global City. He is now a noted TV personality with a show on the Asian Food Channel.
Chef Bruce’s meat entrée was perfectly matched with Beringer Zinfandel.
Suman Rice Cake with Fresh Ripe Mangoes and Latik Sauce
Chefs Jackie and Roland Laudico
Finally, dessert came, courtesy of celebrity chef couple Roland and Jackie Laudico, Chef Roland being a topnotch culinary chef while Chef Jackie is a well-known pastry chef and chocolatier. Together, they established the Chef Laudico Group in 2000, and among the Group’s restaurants is Guevarra’s buffet restaurant in San Juan. The dessert they served at Taal Vista Hotel was Suman Rice Cake with Fresh Ripe Mangoes and Latik Sauce. It’s a modern, gourmet version of the popular native delicacy, suman, paired with Guimaras’ sweet ripe mangoes.
The press banquet served as a prelude to the series of 75th Anniversary Grand Buffets that Taal Vista Hotel has lined up in the months to come as part of the hotel’s year-long diamond anniversary celebration. The Grand Buffets will be featuring the cuisines of these celebrity chefs – Sau del Rosario, Babes Austria, Fernando Aracama, Bruce Lim, and Roland and Jackie Laudico, joined by Taal Vista Hotel executive chef Edwin Santos, himself a celebrity chef in his own right – albeit on separate days.
The schedule of the Grand Buffets at the hotel’s Café Veranda is as follows:
• Chefs Roland and Jackie Laudico – July 26 and 27, and August 2 and 3, 2014
• Chef Bruce Lim – August 9 and 10, 16 and 17
• Chef Fernando Aracama – August 23 and 24, 30 and31
• Chef Edwin Santos – September 6 and 7, 13 and 14
• Chef Sau del Rosario – September 20 and 21, 27 and 28
• Chef Babes Austria – October 4 and 5, 11 and 12
Walid Wafik, area general manager, Taal Vista Hotel
The 75th Anniversary Press Banquet, held last February 16, 2014, a clear and beautiful Sunday, was just a preview of the series of grand 75th anniversary celebration activities to come. It was also held to coincide with the press conference that preceded the Press Banquet by the scenic Ridge of Taal Vista Hotel. The press conference was held earlier in the day, where area general manager Walid Wafik briefed everyone about Taal Vista Hotel’s 75th anniversary activities. Elizabeth Sy, president of SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation, also joined the press conference and the Press Banquet.
Chef Edwin Santos had a number of Pinoy inspired pica-picas, served pass-around style, during the press conference.
Also to form part of the year-long 75th Anniversary celebration is the opening of the Magnolia Steakhouse in May this year. Located in the Magnolia Pavilion on The Ridge, the new dining establishment will be devoted to prime cut beef served with a selection of sauces, side dishes and fresh homegrown Tagaytay greens. Taking advantage of its scenic location, the steakhouse will feature an al fresco dining area with sweeping views of Taal Lake and Taal Volcano.
Neil Rumbaoa, vice president for marketing, SM Hotels and Conventions Corporation
Another activity to be held in conjunction with the 75th Anniversary celebration will be the unveiling of the 75th Anniversary Exhibit, a multimedia showcase of Taal Vista Hotel’s rich history, legacy of quality service, and stories of memorable experiences. Come to think of it, almost everyone, spanning different generations, have cherished childhood memories of Taal Vista, from the time it was officially opened as a Lodge in 1939 to the time it played a big role in the liberation of Manila in 1945 to its transition into a favorite vacation place in 1956 following the promotion of Tagaytay as a major tourist destination in the Philippines, to its acquisition from the Development Bank of the Philippines by SM Investments Corporation in 1988. The Lodge has since been renamed into a Hotel, and new wings, an additional ballroom and new guest rooms have been added to the original structure.
The hotel’s rich history will be the highlight of the 75th Anniversary Exhibit, which will tour select SM malls from September to October. The schedule of the tour is as follows:
• September 6 to 17 – Grand Ballroom Lobby, Taal Vista Hotel
• September 18 to 24 – SM Mall of Asia
• September 25 to October 1 – The Podium
• Otober 2 to 8 – SM Aura
• October 9 to 15 – SM Southmall
• October 16 to 22 – SM City Dasmarinas, Cavite
• October 23 to 29 – SM City Batangas
The grand 75th Anniversary celebration will culminate with the Taal Vista Hotel 75th Anniversary Gala Party scheduled on October 11, 2014, at the hotel’s Grand Ballroom. It will feature an Art Deco theme reminiscent of the 1930s, which was the decade when the historic hotel was born.
Cheers to Taal Vista Hotel!
(Taal Vista Hotel is located along Km. 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City 4120. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 (2) 917-8225, +63 (46) 413-1000 or +63 0917 809-1254. Manila Sales Office is located at G/F, One E-com Center, Ocean Drive, Mall of Asia Complex CBP-1A, Pasay City 1300.)
FIRE and ice. Hot and cold treats. Culinary favorites and ice-cold desserts. These are what Tokyo Tokyo has to offer in its Fire and Ice Festival which is debuting on its menu this summer.
For the ‘Fire’ part of the celebration, Tokyo Tokyo, a leading Japanese restaurant chain now on its 29th year, capitalizes on the popularity of tonkatsu (crispy, breaded pork cutlets) these days by offering its new Cheese Tonkatsu Bento in addition to its Pork Tonkatsu Bento (golden fried pork cutlets made more tender). The Cheese Tonkatsu, which is pork chop stuffed with a delightful twist of creamy cheese, has cheese oozing out with every bite of the golden, crispy breaded pork.
“Tokyo Tokyo’s Pork Tonkatsu Bento is a big favorite with a lot of our customers. This time around, we’ve made it even better with a yummy cheese filling and thicker, juicier pork slices. Diners get the same quality they can find at any specialty Tonkatsu restaurant, but at a really affordable price,” says Harvie Sering, product manager for Tokyo Tokyo.
The Cheese Tonkatsu Bento also includes a side dish of fresh cabbage strips served with a special roasted sesame dressing and unlimited rice. Tokyo Tokyo offers it in three variants: Cheese Tonkatsu Bento, the best-seller, by itself (Php145); Cheese Tonkatsu Bento (Classic Bento), which is Cheese Tonkatsu Bento, a glass of Red Iced Tea, an order of Miso Soup, and Dessert (Php195); and Cheese Tonkatsu Bento (California Maki), which is Cheese Tonkatsu Bento, Red Iced Tea and California Maki (Php195).
For the ‘Ice’ part of the summer offering, Tokyo Tokyo introduces its Snow Ice line, which is the brand’s new year-round dessert that is aptly being launched this summer season. Based on a classic Japanese offering, the Kakigori, a shaved ice delicacy mixed with various flavored syrups, Tokyo Tokyo’s Snow Ice comes in heaping bowls of shaved ice topped off by a medley of flavorful goodies. It’s a bed of vanilla-flavored ice, similar to fallen snow, with a smoother and lighter consistency than typical ice desserts, sweetened by a drizzle of milk. It boasts of tasty and refreshing toppings to satisfy diners’ cravings.
“We aim to provide our customers with quality Japanese desserts fit for the Filipino taste buds. Tokyo Tokyo’s Snow Ice is the perfect complement to our popular offerings, as it goes with everything on the menu, and it’s also great as a standalone selection,” explains Carissa Loresca, product manager for Tokyo Tokyo.
Choco Sensation Snow Ice
Halo-Halo Snow Ice
Mango Peach Medley Snow Ice
Tokyo Tokyo’s Snow Ice comes in three scrumptious flavors: Choco Sensation Snow Ice, which features yummy brownie chunks with sweet mini marshmallows and a generous helping of hot fudge sauce. Halo-Halo Snow Ice offers a twist of the timeless Filipino iced dessert, with lavish servings of ube, nata, leche flan and a sprinkle of crunchy cornflakes. Mango Peach Medley Snow Ice goes tropical with juicy slices of tangy peach and tart mango for a true taste explosion. Each order of Snow Ice, in whatever flavor, is available at Php79.
The Cheese Tonkatsu Bento is now available and the Snow Ice offerings will be available in select Tokyo Tokyo stores nationwide by April 2014.s
