IT’S December 30, 2013, a date sandwiched between Christmas Day and the New Year. The celebration for Christmas, including Noche Buena on Christmas Eve and most of the gift-giving, is done. But there’s still the New Year, particularly Media Noche on New Year’s Eve and the festive bidding of farewell to 2013 and a blasting welcome to 2014, to look forward to. Then of course there are also some holiday gift-giving chores that you haven’t been able to pay attention to before Christmas which must still be done. Well, now’s the time to do it. Why not head for the kitche, turn on your oven and start baking away?
Here’s an easy yet really delicious edible treat that you can make as you get ready to blow your horn to welcome the New Year. It’s from The Maya Kitchen and it’s highly recommended.
THE CRUST:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1-1/4 cups Maya All-Purpose Flour, sifted
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a 9-inch square pan with aluminum foil, then grease lightly. Set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar until light. Add in flour and mix until combined.
3. Press dough to cover the bottom of the pan. Bake for 10 minutes.
THE CHOCOLATE WALNUT FILLING:
1-1/2 cups walnut
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
2 tbsps. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1. In a blender, combine walnuts, 1/4 cup brown sugar and salt. Process until finely ground.
2. Beat eggs until thick. Beat in cocoa powder and vanilla until well combined.
3. Pour filling over pre-baked crust. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes more. Cool.
THE CHOCOLATE FUDGE:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tbsps. corn syrup
2 tsps. rum
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1. Melt chocolate chips in bowl over a double boiler or in a microwave oven.
2. Stir in corn syrup and rum. Spread over filling.
3. Sprinkle walnuts on top. Chill.
4. Cut into bars.
THE countdown is on. It’s two days to Christmas. So everyone is doing last-minute shopping and getting things ready for the grand celebration. But must you labor over what to serve when you can gift yourself with the convenience of simply ordering what you want and just relax and enjoy yourself?
Here are some Christmas treats to consider:
A ROYAL CHRISTMAS
Celebrate the holidays at InterContinental Manila and make it merrier with tempting offers. For holiday gift-giving, there are Sweet Gifts and Elegant Hampers. Choices include a fine selection of bakery delights, pastries, gingerbread houses and other holiday sweets from The Jeepney Bakery, such as Traditional Yule Logs in Pistachio, Chocolate and Coffee flavors, Marzipan Stollen, Panettone and Belgian chocolate confections. If it’s Christmas hampers you need, InterCon’s are made of elegant leather gift boxes and filled with carefully selected festive goodies, available in three sizes.
InterContinental Manila’s Christmas Hamper
If you’re planning to dine in on Christmas Eve, Prince Albert Rotisserie will welcome you with an exceptional 6-course set dinner paired with the finest wines put together by Executive Chef Alisdair Bletcher and his team of culinary experts. You can also reserve a table for New Year’s Eve dinner. For a more casual holiday dining experience, there’s a sumptuous buffet at Café Jeepney and set menu selections at Gambrinus Bar and Sol Y Sombra.
InterContinental Manila’s Honey Glazed Ham
Dukkah Crusted Lamb Cutlets on Vegetable Couscous with Grilled Artichoke Hearts and Moroccan Spiced Jus (InterContinental Manila)
Mille Feuille of House Smoked Salmon (InterContinental Manila)
Traditional Plum Pudding with Brandy Butter and Vanilla Sauce (InterContinental Manila)
InterCon has also made available savory Take Aways, such as Prince Albert’s signature Roast U.S. Aberdeen Angus Prime Rib, Roast Turkey, Honey Glazed Ham and Roast Chicken Relleno. You need to order 48 hours in advance, though, so if it’s what you want for Noche Buena or Media Noche, call 793-7000.
HOLIDAY FEAST
If it’s festive modern Filipino food you fancy for your Christmas food with family and friends, Sentro 1771 has just the right holiday take-outs for you.
Sentro 1771 Christmas Take-outs
Keso Flan (Sentro 1771)
Selections include Arroz a la Valenciana (Filipino-style paella, which is rice cooked with coconut milk, turmeric, pork, chicken, chorizo and bell pepper), available in regular size, which is good for 10, at Php950, and in large size, which is good for 15, at Php1,450; Sautéed Lengua with Mushroom Salpicao (tender-to-the-bite ox tongue slightly fried in olive oil and topped with seasoned mushrooms and a flavorful sauce), priced at Php2,200 for an order good for 10 and at Php3,300 for an order that’s good for 15; and Keso Flan (famous Filipino cheesecake that looks like leche flan, feels like cheesecake and tastes like bibingka when eaten together with salted egg and queso de bola), for Php510 (good for 10).
To order, call Sentro 1771-Greenbelt at 757-3941 or Sentro 1771-Serendra at 856-0581.
CLASSIC FETES
There’s no better way to keep the Filipino Christmas tradition alive than to feast on well-loved, festive native cuisine with family and friends, and so Richmonde Hotel Ortigas serves up classic Filipino-themed holiday buffets at the Richmonde Café. It offers Christmas Eve Dinner Buffet and Christmas Day Lunch Buffet for only Php1,200nett, inclusive of bottomless iced tea, with awesome savory selections on the buffet spread, such as Callos ala Madrilena, Lengua Estofado, Chicken Pastel, Bulalo Soup, Beef Caldereta, Steamed Lapu-Lapu, Paella and Lechon.
Richmonde Ortigas’ festive red table-setting
Richmonde Hotel Ortigas’ Roast Prime Rib
For its New Year’s Eve Gala Dinner Buffet, priced at Php1,400nett, scrumptious international favorites take over the buffet spread. These include Roast Prime Rib, Lamb with Beer Sauce, Broiled Salmon with Basil Cream Sauce, Risotto di Mare, Prune Clafoutis and Yuletide Croquembouche. The price already includes party favors and a choice of bottomless iced tea or glass of red or white wine.
The good news is that children aged 6 to 12 get a 50% discount and children aged 5 and below get to eat for free.
For inquiries and reservations, call 638-7777 extension 3409.
JAPANESE STYLE PARTY
Adding a touch of modern Japanese cuisine to the Christmas celebration is KarateKid, which offers new Party Platters set menus. Great choices for your own celebrations are Garlic Shrimp Ebiko Pasta priced at Php849, Japanese Bolognese with Meatballs Pasta at Php769 and Yakisoba Platter at Php449 (all good for 8 persons); Gyoza Platter for Php350 (18 pieces of fried dumpling goodness), Tonkatsu Platter priced at Php520 (which can serve up to 10 people), Mixed Maki Platter (50 pieces of mixed makis), and California Maki Platter (choice of 25 or 40 servings of California Maki). The Mixed Maki Platter can be had for Php599, while the prices for the California Maki Platters are Php379 for 25 pieces and Php494 for 40 pieces.
Garlic Shrimp Ebiko Pasta Platter (KarateKid)
Mixed Maki Platter (KarateKid)
Japanese Bolognese with Meatballs Pasta (KarateKid)
Gyoza Platter (KarateKid)
Tonkatsu Platter (KarateKid)
Yakisoba Platter (KarateKid)
All Party Platter sets come with a free 1.5L bottle of Pepsi beverages for every Php1,000 worth of purchase. These Party Platters are available in all KarateKid branches, except the Enchanted Kingdom branch.
FESTIVE CELEBRATIONS
Holiday Inn & Suites Makati brings color to the holiday season with festive offerings designed to bring happiness to the young and the young at heart, so available until January 5, 2014, are special room accommodation and food & beverage offers.
A Deluxe Room at Holiday Inn & Suites Makati
Those who are looking for a special place to spend the Christmas season this year, particularly on December 31, 2013, can stay at any of Holiday Inn & Suites Makati’s deluxe rooms and suites and get a 50% discount when the stay is extended for another night. The rate of overnight accommodation starts at Php8,888nett, inclusive of buffet breakfast, free Internet, tickets to the countdown party and guaranteed late check-out of until 3:00 p.m. the following day – and with the hotel’s Kids Stay and Eat Free program, it will be a great celebration for the family.
When it comes to F&B offerings, Holiday Inn & Suites Bakery has come up with a playful selection of edible holiday gifts, including Santa- or Bell-shaped Belgian chocolates, cupcakes, Krookies and Christmas cakes.
Roast Turkey for Christmas Eve (Holiday Inn & Suites Makati)
Roast Prime Rib for the New Year (Holiday Inn & Suites Makati)
Meat Pies (Holiday Inn & Suites Makati)
For special dining moments with family and friends, the hotel’s Flavors Restaurant presents an assortment of dishes from all around the world in one buffet feast for Christmas Eve Dinner and New Year’s Eve Dinner for Php1,500++ per person. You can also opt to watch the sky light up with multiple fireworks on New Year’s Eve at Holiday Inn’s roofdeck bar, Oz Bar, by joining the Countdown Party at Php950 nett, which is inclusive of unlimited drinks, pass-around cocktails and entertainment.
For inquiries or reservations, call 909-0888.
HOLIDAY CHIC
If you’re staying in Quezon City and don’t want to be too far away from home, you can still surely fill your festivities with flair at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel, which is offering a variety of room packages for the season: Holiday No-Frills Room Packages, which are valid until December 30, 2013, with rates starting at Php5,000nett for a Superior Room which includes hearty buffet breakfast for two adults and two children aged 5 and below; Christmas Holiday Packages, valid on December 24 and 25, 2013, in a well-appointed guest room, plus Christmas Eve Dinner or Christmas Day Lunch buffet, breakfast at Eastwood Café for two adults and two children aged 5 and below, for rates starting at Php7,710nett; New Year’s Eve Countdown Packages, with rates starting at Php10,200nett, inclusive of two tickets to the New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at The Gallery and buffet brunch for two adults and two children aged 5 and below; and New Year’s Eve Countdown Bundle, which offers a two-night stay, either from December 30 to January 1 or December 31 to January 2, two tickets to the New Year’s Eve Countdown Party and daily buffet brunch for two for Php12,795nett.
Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s Deluxe Room
Holiday buffet (Eastwood Richmonde Hotel)
Eastwood Café is also very much prepared to treat guests to a fat buffet spread for Christmas Eve Dinner, Christmas Day Lunch, Christmas Day Dinner, New Year’s Eve Dinner, New Year’s Day Champagne Brunch and New Year’s Day Dinner at Php1,590nett per person. What’s more: Kids aged 5 and below get to eat for free and those aged 6 to 12 get 50% discount.
New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s The Gallery
But if all you want to do is just join the glam New Year’s Eve Countdown Party at The Gallery, you can greet 2014 with a rousing welcome, complete with lavish choices at the bar and buffet while chilling to the live music of Jo and the Holy Notes Band, and toast to the New Year with a glass of champagne when the clock strikes 12. Tickets to the Countdown Party are priced at Php1,080nett per person.
For inquiries and reservations, call 570-7777.
TIMELESS FILIPINO TRADITIONS
Pan de Manila captures timeless Filipino traditions in its paper bag and box packaging for this Christmas season, as it features the festive artwork done by 29-year-old artist Amador Barquilla, who is born in Polangui, Albay, but is now based in Siniloan, Laguna. His Bisperas ng Pasko, a 30×75-inch oil-on-canvas creation, which depicts street sceneries inspired by the Christmas celebrations in Albay and Laguna, grace the paper bags and boxes of Pan de Manila this season.
Pan de Manila’s Christmas Gift Packs
Pan de Manila’s festive new product, Pan de Donut
Pan de Donuts in Pan de Manila’s festive holiday packaging
Pan de Manila also has a Christmas Gift Pack, which includes its specialty spreads and palamans in boxes and Pan de Manila’s famous hot pandesal in Barquilla’s festive paper bags for the season. These festive boxes are also being used to package Pan de Manila’s newest product, the Pan de Donut, which are doughnuts using pandesal dough.
Bromate- and transfat-free, Pan de Donut offers four exciting Filipino-inspired flavors: Chocnut, Polvoron, Ube and Pili. There are a total of 17 flavors, though, which are exclusively available at Pan de Manila’s Market Market Taguig branch.
Acuatico Beach Resort’s tree of hope for the people of Giporlos, Eastern Samar
ACUATICO Beach Resort in Laiya, San Juan, Batangas, may be a famous high-end resort development in the beach haven of Laiya – it’s most in-demand with both foreign and local tourists belonging to the higher social bracket, and reservations for rooms have to be made way in advance – but it has a soft spot in its heart for the poor, as well.
Every year, when it lights up its Christmas tree, it does not only light up a Christmas tree but lights up stars for a cause. This year, it lights up stars for the benefit of the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda in the lesser heard town of Giporlos in Eastern Samar. Typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc on places that stood in its path of fury and the destruction that it caused had been so massive that those who felt its wrath are still in the process of recovery, rehabilitation and rebuilding. Help is pouring in from different sectors of society and from different parts of the world but mostly for the highly publicized places whipped by Typhoon Yolanda, such as Tacloban and Guian, Eastern Samar.
Doing the honors of lighting up the tree, from left: Acuatico’s director of finance Belinda Ordonez, director of HR Manny Padilla and resident manager Noel Brandia, Batangas’ provincial administrator Frank Ilustrado, fashion ambassador Renee Salud, Giporlos Mayor Mark Biong, DOT’s provincial tourism officer Emilie Katigback, Acuatico’s Simonette and Engineer Noli Gusi, and frequent Acuatico guest Trichie Cabognaso
Acuatico’s GM Simonette Gusi: “With each other’s help, we can light up our lives again.”
Giporlos, Eastern Samar, Mayor Mark Biong: “The star we’re lighting tonight is the star of our people’s hope for a better future to come.”
Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral Choir sang beautiful Christmas songs
Les Miserables entertained the guests throughout the evening
Famous son of San Juan Batangas, Renee Salud (5th from left) and friends Joanna, Desiree Verdadero, Patti Betita, James Cooper and Lou Bunyi
Giporlos has been mentioned only a few times, but it’s sone of the most devastated places in the country. Giporlos is a coastal town in Eastern Samar that subsists on fishing and coconut trees. Unfortunately, 100% of fishing boats have been destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda, and 98% of its coconut trees have not been able to withstand the storm. At the height of the typhoon, winds of about 350kph hit Giporlos, swirling around its residents like they were in a washing machine and elements as minute as sand hitting them like punches. Storm surges of up to 12 feet high hit the place, so its 8-feet-tall sea walls failed to hold them back.
Giporlos, under the leadership of its 25-year-old mayor, Mark Biong, had been steadfast in its disaster preparedness, which helped keep the casualty count during Typhoon Yolanda to a minimum, but it still caused massive destruction. It destroyed roads and left debris everywhere, there was not enough food and potable water for everyone and there were 12,700 people who needed to be fed. Diesel prices shot up to P250 per liter during the crisis period that followed the great devastation. The local government did its best in restoring road access so business may continue to flow and help can come in. Mayor Biong took it upon himself to salvage food and water for the people of Giporlos, but, still, it was three weeks of pure agony, and the difficulty of rising from the ‘tragedy’ continues.
Giporlos was not receiving enough attention – and help – from anywhere else.
By divine design, Acuatico Beach Resort, headed by its general manager Simonette Gusi, got wind of Giporlos’ situation. The Gusis, Noli and Simonette, heard about the plight of Giporlos from the event coordinator of Simonette’s recent 40th birthday celebration who was a friend of Mayor Mark Biong. So, Acuatico heeded Giporlos’ call for help and decided to take up the cause and do what it could to help raise funds to help in the rebuilding of Giporlos. The Gusi couple, along with Acuatico employees who decided to do away with their usual Christmas activities and instead donate to Giporlos, gave a substantial donation. But the effort to help did not stop there. Instead, Acuatico decided to adopt Giporlos for its Light Up a Star program for Christmas this year.
Last December 10, 2013, Acuatico held its annual lighting of the tree at the Oceana Restaurant of the plush beach resort. Gracing the Light Up a Star event was Giporlos Mayor Mark Biong himself, as well as Batangas’ provincial administrator Frank Ilustrado (representing San Juan, Batangas, Mayor Rodolfo Manalo) and Department of Tourism’s provincial tourism officer Emilie Katigbak.
Roast Pork au Jus was one of the buffet fares that the guests feasted on
Crispy Shrimps with Aioli
Chicken Satay
The symbolic lighting of the tree officially launched the campaign to sell stars for Acuatico’s Christmas tre. Each star bought by supporters, friends or guests will go to a fund which will be turned over to Giporlos Mayor Mark Biong after the Christmas season.
“The destruction in Giporlos is so great that we have to continue to help. By lighting a few stars, we light hope in the darkness of destruction. With each other’s help, we can light up our lives again,” says Simonette Gusi.
“Giporlos is now on its second phase – rehabilitation and construction of the town to bring it back to normalcy. We are in the process of identifying lands where we can transfer residents of our coastal communities and provide shelter for them. We are now also in the process of creating livelihood programs for residents o Giporlos,” Mayor Biong says.
He adds: “No man is an island. We thought we were hopeless, but strangers are coming up to us and helping us. The star we are lighting tonight at Acuatico is the star of our people’s hope for a better future to come.”
Other guests of honor during the symbolic lighting of the tree included famous fashion designer Renee Salud, a native of San Juan, Batangas, his models and hair expert James Cooper. Serenading everyone with Christmas carols were members of the Our Lady of the Pillar Cathedral Choir of Cavite and Les Miserables. Also delighting the guests was a good buffet spread of sumptuous dishes prepared by Acuatico’s new executive chef, Richard Dancel.
Acuatico’s infinity pool that ‘pours out’ to the sea
The main building of Acuatico, which houses Oceana Restaurant
The Terrazas area
Main bedroom of the second-floor Terrazas room
The other bed in the room
Arrowroot cookies in the room for guests to enjoy
Corn Soup for lunch upon our arrival
Chicken Afritada, Pakbet and Breaded Fish with Rice Lunch Platter
Pandan Juice welcome drink
Breakfast of Crispy Ayungin and Dilis, Camote Cue and Pancit with Garlic Rice
Tomato, Mushroom and Cheese Omelette
San Juan Longganisa
Sinigang na Sugpo for lunch before we left for Manila the next day
Fish!
Chopsuey
Acuatico Iced Tea
My husband Raff and I were fortunate to be there and bear witness to the symbolic lighting of the tree. We were in the company of several other media persons. We stayed over at Acuatico that evening, roomed in a Terrazas Room that lined Acuatico’s famous infinity pool that looked out to the Sibuyan Sea. The Terrazas Room (there are four of them at Acuatico) is an attic-style second-floor room with an open balcony fronting the pool and a toilet/bath at the foot of the stairs. Other guests also stayed overnight and traveled back to Manila the next morning.
A merry, blessed and meaningful Christmas to everyone!
(Acuatico Beach Resort is located at Laiya, San Juan, Batangas. For inquiries or reservations, visit Acuatico’s Manila office at Unit 142, G/F, Mile Long Bldg., V.A. Rufino corner Amorsolo St., Makati City, or call 408-8383, 892-7577 to 79.)
‘Twas an evening of Bach and Baroque Christmas music over at The Cliffhouse Tagaytay, courtesy of the flute and violin duo of the Ten-Stringed Lyre
THE first time I set foot on Cliffhouse Tagaytay some four years ago, I fell in love with the place. Located right along the main highway of Tagaytay, the descending terrain opens up to a full, unobstructed view of scenic Taal Volcano. The stone steps from the spacious parking area lead down to a sprawling garden courtyard adorned with carefully landscaped trees and shrubs, lined on both sides by one-storey restaurants, snack shops and stores. The garden courtyard open up to a stone-paved viewdeck, where beautiful Taal Volcano sits perfectly in front of you. You can simply sit on the bench and enjoy both the view and the cold Tagaytay air, and when you get hungry, all you need to do is take your pick among the restaurants around you, all cozily set up with indoor and outdoor dining – whatever tickles your fancy.
Cliffhouse Tagaytay’s Jennifer Dee
Back then, my husband Raff and I were in the company of Jennifer Dee, whose family owns Cliffhouse Tagaytay, and we had shoots with some of the restaurants in the area. Then it was back to Manila for us, armed with fond memories of Cliffhouse, and whenever we went up to Tagaytay or took a trip to Batangas and passed this way, Raff and I would always smile as our eyes caught sight of the place.
On the first of December this year (2013), Raff and I went back to Cliffhouse Tagaytay, and I fell in love with the place all over again. The place and all the things that endeared it to me had not changed much, and the garden courtyard still opened up to a full, unobstructed view of lovely Taal Volcano. Only this time, there was so much more to fall in love with, as Cliffhouse Tagaytay’s Christmas Pops 2013, a seven-Sunday celebration of light, classical and popular Christmas music, got underway starting at 4:00 p.m. It had started the Sunday prior, November 24, 2013, with David Foster’s Charlie Brown Album and 20th century American composers Gershwin, Bernstein and Cepland, with the Ten-Stringed Lyre on strings, keyboard and vocals.
The viewdeck at Cliffhouse Tagaytay, which has the most breathtaking view of Taal Volcano
The Garden Courtyard is lined with restaurants on both sides
Bach and Baroque on December 1, 2013, a flute-and-violin duet celebrating the Christmas music of Johann Sebastian Bach and the Baroque period
In the afternoon of December 1, 2013, when Raff and I were there, it was Bach and Baroque day, featuring a flute and violin duet from the Ten-Stringed Lyre. The poignant strains of Johann Sebastian Bach’s music, plus other Christmas songs from the Baroque period, floated in the air from the Garden Courtyard, where Sunday revelers, mostly romantic couples and families, stopped and listened. Diners in the restaurants at Cliffhouse were also treated to live instrumental Christmas music as they dined. So did the people standing by the viewdeck, gazing dreamily into Taal Volcano as they sat on the bench or rocking chairs, feeling the cold winds of December brushing against their cheeks and feeding their souls with the music of Bach.
The festive reception area of The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay, all dressed for Christmas
Inside The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay’s reception
Cheese Platter with Frozen Grapes and Nuts
Smoked Salmon served with Crostini or Toasted Bread
Fruity cocktail drinks
Dukkah
Candied Orange Peel, Dried Berries and Nuts, and Dark Chocolate
The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay’s F&B consultant Chef Bel Castro
A little later, we retreated into the reception cum lobby of The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay and had cocktails – with Mimosa (orange juice and Champagne), Bellini (peach nectar and Prosecco) and Pear Apple Prosecco as beverage choices to go with great bites of Smoked Salmon on Crostini, assorted cheeses on the Cheese Platter with Frozen Grapes and nuts, cold cuts, Dukkah (an Egyptian side dish of mixed herbs, nuts and spices, usually served as a dip for toasted crusty bread after dipping in extra virgin olive oil), dark chocolate bars and candied orange peel. The food was prepared by The Inn’s F&B consultant Chef Bel Castro.
If you’re wondering what The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay is, it’s the newest development at Cliffhouse. It’s a very exclusive bed and breakfast place over at Cliffhouse that opened its doors to the public some three years ago. I say it’s very private and exclusive because there are only four rooms, and each room is huge and luxurious. Two of the rooms are 100-square-meter corner suites with two queen beds, a living room complete with sofa and couches, huge flat-screen TV, coffee and tea, an iPod station, 24-hour Wifi and a writing area, a spacious toilet/bath with double sinks, and a private terrace with outdoor jacuzzi that looks out to a private view of Taal Volcano. The two remaining rooms are 75-square-meter suites sans the outdoor Jacuzzi. And while there are only four rooms total, these are further split into two rooms per side, with separate entrances and foyers for each side. The entrances are aligned with the restaurants and snack shops that line both sides of Cliffhouse’s Garden Courtyard, and you’ll hardly notice that the rooms exist because they’re on the lower level, right under the viewdeck. The entrance is just that, an entrance, a door, within which a stairway leads down to the foyer that separates the two suites on each side. And the security is such that it takes only seconds after the room occupants push the door and step inside before the door locks by itself for the ultimate in privacy and security.
MInot’s Ledge Suite’s queen beds
The living room area
Double sink of the spacious toilet/bath with shower area
Private terrace
Outdoor jacuzzi in the private terrace
View of Taal Volcano from the private terrace of your room
The logo of The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay is a lighthouse because, according to Jennifer, “the lighthouse is a safe harbor for ships when they come to shore. So is it with travelers who come to seek solace at The Inn for a little rest and relaxation.”
Since lighthouses are the main theme, the four rooms of The Inn are named after famous, existing North American lighthouses: Minot’s Ledge, a historic lighthouse which is one of the first in Boston and is nicknamed The Lovers’ Lighthouse; Brant Point, located in Nantucket, Massachussetts; Montauk Point, located in Montauk, Long Island, New York, and is the oldest lighthouse in the New York State; and West Quoddy in Lubec, Maine, which is at the easternmost point of the contiguous United States and the closest point to Europe. “The first sunlight of every day in the United States is seen there,” explains Jennifer.
My beanbag reindeer
That night, Raff and I were staying in Minot’s Ledge! Jennifer had made all the arrangements to make sure we had an awesome stay. After cocktails at The Inn’s reception area and then a light dinner of soup and meatballs over spaghetti at the Lunchbox owned by the lovely couple Nowie and Odette Potenciano, we retreated to the room, where I found a cute, beanbag reindeer sitting on my bed. The little fella endeared itself to me instantly that I took it with me everywhere I went. I worked on an article on my laptop as Raff immersed himself with the day’s news on TV. But I couldn’t resist the lure of the nice, warm bed for long. I gave in to the temptation and, in no time at all, I curled up inside the nice, cozy blanket and was sound asleep.
I woke up refreshed and recharged the next morning, looking forward to breakfast prepared by Chef Bel. Bel and I had traveled together to Singapore years ago upon the invitation of the Singapore Tourism Board (STB), and we instantly hit it off and became friends. She wrote for the lifestyle page of Manila Bulletin at that time, until there was a changing of the guards, but all these years she has continued to teach at Enderun Colleges, where I frequently covered events of great culinary importance for FLAVORS Magazine. But she has never cooked for me. This time, she was preparing breakfast for us.
Triple Berry Yogurt Trifle with Homemade Granola
Eggs Hemingway
Butter Fried Banana Bread with Maple Walnut
Butter Poached Gala Apple
And what a breakfast it turned out to be! It started with a choice of Apple Juice, Peach Juice or Orange Juice along with Coffee or Tea. I first had a cup of Cappuccino, after which I slowly sipped and enjoyed my Peach Juice with Triple Berry Yogurt Trifle with Homemade Granola. Turns out that The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay serves exquisite artisanal Arabica coffee from the Cordilleras, where a couple harvests coffee berries only at the right time and roasts them in their garage especially for The Inn.
Jennifer and Bel had Baked Potato Egg, Maple Glazed Sausage Patties, Baked Beans, Roasted Tomato and Buttered Toast for their main meal, but since Raff and I lean more towards fish and seafood than meat, Chef Bel had us served with Eggs Hemingway (which is like Eggs Benedict, with the ham or bacon substituted with smoked salmon, but still on toasted halves of an English muffin, topped with poached eggs and bathed in Hollandaise sauce). Then we all had Butter Fried Banana Bread with Maple Walnuts. At times, Chef Bel said, dessert could be Butter Poached Gala Apple.
The fully satisfying breakfast jumpstarted the day for us. We walked around the Garden Courtyard, which we had almost all to ourselves on a Monday morning, enjoyed the cold climate of Tagaytay and the view of Taal Volcano by sitting on a bench by the viewdeck. I chose to sit on one of the S.I.L.Y.A. rocking chairs that TBPI/Artistshop lovingly provided for the use of the elderly. Well, I certainly am no senior citizen yet and would happily offer my rocking chair to one, but there were plenty of rocking chairs around, so I happily rocked as I stared straight at lovely Taal. Reminded me of my late Dad, who loved to sit on his rocking chair during his lifetime, and I felt warm and happy.
Just before lunch, Raff and I packed our things and got ready to leave. We said good-bye to Jennifer and Chef Bel, who were both getting ready to go back down to Manila, as well, and got underway on our leisurely drive back to Manila, straight to work in Makati. I’ve always loved Tagaytay, and The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay has given me even more good reasons to love it more.
And, oh, if you’d like to catch the rest of the Christmas Pops 2013 schedule, you can still catch Favorite Christmas Classics (trio on strings) on December 22, 2013; Love Songs and Festive Yuletide Music (trio on strings and keyboard) on December 29, 2013; and Wedding Music and Love Songs (double string quartet) on January 6, 2014. The first set of live performance starts at 4:00 p.m.
(For inquiries, reservations or bookings at The Inn at Cliffhouse Tagaytay or the next-door Clear Water House, which is The Inn’s events venue for such special occasions as weddings, call (046) 483-2093.)
YOU cannot visit Iloilo and go home without exploring and savoring the local flavors of the place. No matter how busy your schedule may be and how short your stay will be, you must squeeze in some time to savor the flavors of Iloilo. My husband Raff and I always do when we’re there. Just last month (November 2013), when we visited Iloilo again upon the invitation of Iloilo’s very own Chef Rafael ‘Tibong’ Jardeleza II to serve as members of the Board of Judges for the 3rd Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cuisine Cooking Competition, we embarked on another food trip around Iloilo in between our judging chores. Despite the fact that we have done many such food tours in Iloilo, it still surprises me that there’s always something new to discover in the province that I’ve come to love.
Three days in Iloilo – and our Ilonggo food cravings are satisfied well beyond our expectations!
Got in late morning of November 22, 2013 (Day 1) with the rest of the judges from Manila, including Philippine Daily Inquirer’s food columnist Micky Fenix and senior lifestyle reporter Vangie Baga-Reyes, Bandera’s Ige Ramos, restaurateur Chef Myke ‘Tatung’ Sarthou, food historian and culture maven Felice Sta. Maria, cookbook writer and magazine writer Angelo Comsti, Philippine Star’s food columnist Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi. Celebrity chef Pablo ‘Boy’ Logro had arrived in an earlier flight that morning, and we were to meet up with Cebu’s travel writer Boboi Costas later on. After checking in at Amigo Terrace Hotel along Iznart corner Delgado St. in Iloilo City and having a few minutes to refresh ourselves in our respective rooms, the food trip actually began – with lunch at Gloria Maris Seafood Restaurant on the ground floor of Amigo Terrace Hotel.
Amigo Terrace Hotel and Amigo Shopping Mall at the corner of Iznart and Delgado Sts. in Iloilo City
CHINESE LUNCH
An Iloilo franchise of the Gloria Maris restaurant chain, the restaurant treated us to a Chinese lunch. In the usual tradition of Chinese restaurants, we took our seats around a round table for 10, and the food was served lauriat style. Which meant one family-serving dish at a time, with the lazy Susan in the middle of the table being spun around so everyone can get some food. The seven-course lauriat began with Spinach and Seafood Soup, which warmed our tummies and got us all ‘psyched up’ for a hearty meal of Taro Puffs, Hot Chicken Salad, Birthday Noodles, Pata Tim, Scallop Rice and Almond Jelly with Lychee.
Gloria Maris Restaurant on the ground floor of Amigo Terrace Hotel
Spinach & Seafood Soup
Taro Puffs
Hot Chicken Salad
Birthday Noodles
Pata Tim
Almond Jelly with Lychees
Energized by a good meal, we were all ready for the first round of competitions, which was the Dessert Competition of the 3rd Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cuisine Cooking Competition, over at The Shops at Amigo, the shopping mall that stood right beside Amigo Terrace Hotel.
ILONGGO COMFORT FOOD
As the competition got on its way, we checked out all seven competing teams’ working areas and then gathered together in the next-door Judges’ Lounge for the tasting and scoring. The judging ended just as Chef Boy Logro started his cooking demo, and Chef Tibong had Raff and I whisked away to Esca’s Garden Restaurant for a shoot with its owner and executive chef, Miguel Cordova.
Esca’s, which was the venue of the 1st Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cuisine Cooking Competition back in 2011, started 11 years ago. It’s named after Chef Miguel’s great grandmother, Francesca ‘Esca’ Jardeleza. Its initial goal was to serve Ilonggo comfort food in a nice and comfortable garden setting, and its Ilonggo heritage dishes, such as Chicken Inasal, Binakol and Kansi, are to die for. Eventually, though, Esca’s became even more popular as a catering company, so that it now focuses more on catering, accepting as many as five to nine catering events daily, but the restaurant is still open for diners who like to come down to Esca’s for a good Ilonggo meal at any time of the day.
SWEET INDULGENCE
Then Raff and I met Chef Mae Pido and her artist-assistant Faith Guarra. Chef Mae’s the brains behind Dulgie’s, one of the top dessert shops to go to in Iloilo. Dulgie’s has a store along Delgado-Valeria St., in front of SM Delgado, and people really go there for its cupcakes, cakes and other delicious desserts. Chef Tibong once posted an appetizing photograph of Dulgie’s assorted cupcakes on Facebook, to which I couldn’t resist making a comment, so that the next time Chef Tibong came to Manila for an official function, he took it upon himself to bring me a box of exactly what I saw on Facebook – assorted Dulgie’s cupcakes, and they were so unique and so good.
Banana Carrot Cupcake by Dulgie’s
Japanese Cheesecake (Dulgie’s)
Cookie Butter Kahlua Crunch (Dulgie’s)
Mini Red Velvet Cupcakes (Dulgie’s)
Mini Chocolate Cupcakes (Dulgie’s)
But if you’re wondering who Dulgie is, she’s not a person. Dulgie is just short for ‘indulgence,’ which is what you’ll be doing if you find yourself unable to resist the temptation of its sweet goodies.
SEAFOOD FEAST
Breakthrough in Sto. Niño, Villa Arevalo, Iloilo, is another big name in dining when in Iloilo, and that’s where the group had dinner on our first night in Iloilo last November. It started as a small eatery at the Jaro Lopez Arcade in 1987 but after the place got burned down three years later, the family of Mia Robles, who now runs the business, acquired the property in Villa Arevalo and moved the business there. People thought the place was a jinx and no business would flourish there, but the family proved them wrong when Breakthrough became a big hit.
It’s like a turo-turo restaurant, with cooked food, mostly fish and seafood, ready to be served at the turo-turo station upon order. There are also different types of fish on ice which diners can purchase and have them cooked the way they like. Now, live seafood is likewise available, and despite the freshness and the service, Breakthrough’s prices are quite affordable. For a table of 4, for example, a budget of Php650 would be enough to feed everyone . Managat fish, which is a specialty in Iloilo, can be had for Php650 a kilo, and one fish can be made into two dishes – the head is cooked into a sinigang soup dish, while the tail can be grilled. Abalone, all 300 grams of it, is Php275 per order.
One of the spacious dining areas of Breakthrough
Shrimps (Breakthrough)
Sliced Abalone (Breakthrough)
Grilled Managat (Breakthrough)
For dinner, the group had Kinilaw na Isda with Tausi, Fresh Lato Salad (seaweed), Sliced Abalone, Managat Soup, Clam Soup, Stir-fried Crab, Grilled Managat, Shrimps and Pinangat, and everyone went home with a bloating full stomach.
A LOVELY NIGHTCAP
But a food trip isn’t a food trip without a nightcap, especially if the group is made up of chefs and food writers. So, from Breakthrough, we proceeded to Maridel’s at Plazuela de Iloilo, which is just next to SM City Iloilo.
Now, Maridel’s is another great place to go for desserts. Its cakes are well-known all over Iloilo, and although the shop is rather small and the indoor dining area is limited, people do not mind hanging out outside just to have a bite of Maridel’s Frozen Lemon Meringue, Snickers Pie, Potato Praline Cake, Banoffee, Frozen Mango Brazo, Salted Caramel Cake, Crema de Fruta and Chocolate Strawberry Cake to go with coffee or tea.
Frozen Lemon Meringue (Maridel’s)
Snickers Pie (Maridel’s)
Banoffee (Maridel’s)
Frozen Mango Brazo (Maridel’s)
BREAKFAST FARES
The next morning (November 23, 2013), we had light breakfast at the second-floor landing of Amigo Terrace Hotel, which was set up for a buffet breakfast for in-house guests. Raff and I went for the local flavors, and we found Puto Manapla. Our main breakfast was Scrambled Egg and Crispy Danggit with Garlic Rice, which was not really Ilonggo, but it didn’t matter since we were going to squeeze in a short, half-day food trip before the second day of competitions started at 1:00 p.m.
The breakfast area of Amigo Terrace Hotel
Crispy Danggit, Scrambled Eggs and Garlic Rice (Amigo Terrace Hotel)
We made a short stopover at Panaderia de Molo in Molo district, Iloilo City, which two sisters, Heather Joanne Maloto and Hyacinth Catral, own and manage. They’re now the fourth generation owners of Panaderia de Molo, which dates back to the 1800s. Then and now, it produces and sells authentic Ilonggo breads, biscuits and native delicacies, such as Otap, Lubid-Lubid, Ugoy-Ugoy, Paborita, Kimanonsil and Bañadas. It also retails other Ilonggo delicacies, such as Piaya and Chicharon. That morning, Panaderia de Molo had Tulapo, a special kind of chicharon which is made from pork skin whose fat has been rendered or extracted for lard and so it should be lighter and lower in fat.
Panaderia de Molo produces and sells traditional Ilonggo breads, biscuits and delicacies
Lubid-Lubid (Panaderia de Molo)
Paborita and Ugoy-Ugoy (Panaderia de Molo)
Different delicacies on the racks of Panaderia de Molo
Tulapo (Panaderia de Molo)
We didn’t stay long at Panaderia de Molo, since we were due at Kap Ising’s for Pancit Molo, which is a dumpling soup dish that’s very popular in Iloilo and originates from the Molo district. We went to the home of Kap Ising and enjoyed a big kaldero of Pancit Molo Soup in a delightfully casual outdoor ambiance. Kap Ising makes one of the best Pancit Molos in Iloilo, and people place regular orders for big kalderos, which can range from Php300 to Php500 per kaldero, depending on how many persons it’s supposed to feed. People usually call in their orders and have the kalderos picked up.
Kap Ising’s Pancit Molo
Making fresh molo dumplings at Kap Ising’s
ANOTHER HEARTY CHINESE LUNCH
Our never-ending breakfast graduated to lunch at Markims My Kitchen along Diversion Road in Iloilo City. It’s a Chinese restaurant that serves the full range of Chinese dishes. It’s owned and managed by Tintin Que, whose uncle, Claude Yap, manages another very successful restaurant in Iloilo called Roberto’s Siopao. Roberto’s Siopao is hugely popular in Iloilo, as it comes in huge portions and is packed with filling. It regularly sells King Siopao (with ham, Chinese sausage, chicken-pork adobo with egg filling) and Jumbo Siopao (with Chinese sausage, chicken-pork adobo with egg filling), although it has allotted certain days as Queen Siopao Day. Its Queen Siopao is immensely popular, as it has bacon strips aside from all the fillings that can be found in the King Siopao, and people call in their orders just to make sure they get some on Queen Siopao Day.
The famous Roberto’s Siopao!
Going back to Markims, this Chinese restaurant got its name from the combination of the initials of the names of Tintin’s siblings. It’s a Chinese restaurant, alright, but its interiors isn’t that of the typical Chinese restaurant’s.
Tintin was so generous that she served us Pork Barbecue, Squid BBQ, Scallops BBQ, Birthday Miswa, Pandan Chicken, Three Kinds of Mushrooms with Broccoli, Fresh Lumpia, Valenciana, Maki and Fried Pork Salt and Pepper for lunch. Nobody was complaining, though. We all had our fill.
Markims is a Chinese restaurant with hip modern interiors
The tables are set up for elegant casual dining at Markims
Squid BBQ (Markims)
Bijon with Pork Leg (Markims)
Birthday Miswa (Markims)
Valenciana (Markims)
Fried Pork Salt & Pepper (Markims)
Then it was back to Amigo Terrace Hotel for the work that we went to Iloilo for – to judge in the second day of competitions of the 3rd Tabu-an Western Visayas Ilonggo Heritage Cuisine Cooking Competition. It’s the Appetizer and the Main Course competitions today, and since there were two categories, the process of tasting and scoring took longer, too, so we spent the whole afternoon in the Judges’ Lounge and the evening in the dinner cum awarding ceremonies set up in the Grand Ballroom on the second floor of the hotel.
It was early to bed after the formal festivities were over, as we had a feeding program to attend to for the benefit of the Supertyphoon Yolanda victims in Concepcion, Iloilo, the following morning.
THE MORE SIMPLE, THE BETTER
We had a quick and simple breakfast at Amigo Terrace Hotel the following morning (November 24, 2013). Raff and I had Pancit Molo Soup, and then it was off on a three-hour road trip to Villa Gloria in Sitio Belen, Brgy. Kalamigan, Concepcion, Iloilo, for the feeding program, where we spent the whole morning and had lunch in the company of the recipients of our feeding program, the residents of the surrounding communities in Concepcion who felt the wrath of the supertyphoon.
The group of chefs and food writers shared their meals of steamed rice, stir-fried pork with squid balls and julienned vegetables, and meatloaf. The owners of Villa Gloria, Boy and Ruth Jarantilla, had also sent a platter of Paklay (ubod or heart of palm sautéed with garlic, onion and tomato).
The ride back to Iloilo City took about three hours, too. Along the way, we made quick stops to distribute Fudgee Bars and Tiger Biscuits (which our group member Angelo had brought along with him from Manila) to communities that we passed on our way back, and then most of us dozed off the rest of the way back to the hotel, where we made our last-minute packing for our flight back to Manila that evening.
CONTEMPORARY FLAVORS
The last meal of our trip was early dinner at Afrique’s, which is owned and managed by Tabu-an organizer Chef Rafael ‘Tibong’ Jardeleza II’s sister, Louise Jardeleza Cordova, who happens to be Chef Miguel Cordova’s mom. I had been judging in the Tabu-an competitions every year for the past three years, but this was the first time I was actually dining at Afrique’s in the happening place in Iloilo called Smallville, so I was excited.
The famous Afrique’s
Don Carlos Pizza (Afrique’s)
Sicilian Pasta (Afrique’s)
Fish & Chips (Afrique’s)
Pesto Pasta (Afrique’s)
Garlic Parmesan Wings (Afrique’s)
Afrique’s started some 11 years ago as a small restaurant in Chef Tibong’s house. It began as a 20-seater restaurant with a small kitchen, but through the years, it has grown, and now it’s one of the most popular dining places in Iloilo. It serves different types of pizza and pasta and hearty Western-style dishes such as Fish & Chips and Baby Back Ribs. Garlic Parmesan Wings is also a best-seller.
From authentic local dishes such as Pancit Molo, Grilled Managat and Chicken Inasal to contemporary Chinese, Italian and Western flavors… From traditional breads and biscuits like Otap and Piaya to modern cakes and desserts such as Dulgie’s Japanese Cheesecake and Maridel’s Frozen Lemon Meringue… Iloilo has all these to offer – and more.
The group, from left: Felice Sta. Maria, Micky Fenix, Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi, me, Vangie Reyes, Raff, Angelo Comsti, Boboi Costas, Ige Ramos and Chef Myke ‘Tatung’ Sarthou
IT’S December 30, 2013, a date sandwiched between Christmas Day and the New Year. The celebration for Christmas, including Noche Buena on Christmas Eve and most of the gift-giving, is done. But there’s still the New Year, particularly Media Noche on New Year’s Eve and the festive bidding of farewell to 2013 and a blasting welcome to 2014, to look forward to. Then of course there are also some holiday gift-giving chores that you haven’t been able to pay attention to before Christmas which must still be done. Well, now’s the time to do it. Why not head for the kitche, turn on your oven and start baking away?
