THE key to good health and well-being is simple: Eat five servings of fruits and/or vegetables a day. Different kinds of fruits and vegetables can be combined to comply with the 5-a-Day Rule recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), a serving of which is a fist-sized portion of a certain fruit or vegetable. WHO strongly recommends that every Filipino consume a minimum of 400 grams of fruits and vegetables a day to lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, obesity and other serious health problems.
And to remind shoppers and customers to adhere to the 5-a-Day Rule, Rustan’s Supermarket introduces its Goodness Gang, which is a set of cute, colorful and lovable stuffed toys that take on the shape of common fruits and vegetables. Taking off from its very successful Big Headz promo, the supermarket chain now puts the spotlight on the Goodness Gang.
The Goodness Gang, which reminds everyone just how important it is to eat right and exactly what certain types of fruits and vegetables can do for the body, is composed of Aubergine (reduces the risks of cancer, cardiovascular and eye diseases), Bananas (prevent muscle cramps and reduce blood pressure and heart attacks), Broccoli (prevents cancer and regulates blood pressure), Carrots (help prevent cancer and heart disease), Cherries (aid in the reduction of cancer and heart disease), Garlic (promotes the well-being of the heart and immune system), Pears (play a part in cancer prevention), and Strawberries (fight cancer and bad cholesterol).
Aubergine reduces the risks of cancer and cardiovascular and eye diseases
Banana prevents muscle cramps and reduce blood pressure and heart attacks
Cherries aid in the reduction of cancer and heart disease
Garlic promotes the well-being of the heart and immune system
How do you get hold of these fun and lovable health companions?
One way is through collecting stickers by shopping at Rustan’s Supermarket. Every Php300 single receipt purchase entitles a shopper to one (1) sticker. You get one Goodness Gang plush toy of your choice for free with 50 stickers. Another way to avail of a plush toy is by combining 25 stickers and Php299. A third way to get a Goodness Gang stuffed toy is to downright purchase one for Php999 without stickers. Stamps will be issued until November 30, 2013, while redemption of Goodness Gang stuffed toys may be done until January 30, 2014.
(Rustan’s Supermarket has stores in Greenbelt 1, Glorietta, Power Plant Mall in Rockwell Center, Paseo Center, San Antonio Plaza Arcade-Forbes Park, Paseo de Magallanes, Metro Pointe Center-San Juan, Shangri-La Plaza, Corinthian Hills, The Gateway Mall-Araneta Center, Katipunan Ave., Il Terrazzo Mall along Tomas Morato, Fairview Center Mall, EVIA Lifetyle Center along Daang Hari in Las Pinas, Ayala Alabang Village, Ayala Center Cebu, Arcenas Estates-Banawa in Cebu, and Centrio Mall in Cagayan de Oro City.)
The pine trees and greens surrounding SM City Baguio…
MY first judging assignment on the second day of the competitions during the 10th Annual Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Weekend held last September 5 to 7, 2013, at the Baguio Country Club grounds was the Table Napkin Folding-Student Division competitions at 10:00 a.m. yet, so my husband Raff and I took our time to enjoy the breakfast buffet at the Veranda. This was my only judging assignment for the day, so I was pretty relaxed compared to the day before.
For breakfast, our first course was again fresh fruits. Pineapple, watermelon, papaya, and there was rambutan. I liked the taste of rambutan, which is close to the taste of lychees, but I didn’t like the way its inner skin, attached to the seed in the middle, kind of ripped off with the fruit itself when you bit into it and some of it would get stuck between the teeth, but the half-peeled rambutans at the buffet table looked really appetizing, so I got some. Well, the inner skin still came off with the fruit when I bit into it, but the rambutan itself was sweet and delicious, so I enjoyed it just the same.
The breakfast buffet setup at the Veranda of Baguio Country Club
Fresh Garden Salad
Derecado Longganisa
Pork Tocino
Beef Tapa
Daing na Espada — my favorite!
Baguio Country Club’s famous Raisin Bread
Then I assembled a fresh garden salad with lettuce, tomato wedges, sliced cucumber and julienned carrots, and drizzled a vinaigrette dressing over it. I had it with Papaya Juice and then Raff and I proceeded to the main course. If there’s one thing you’ve got to admire about Baguio Country Club’s daily breakfast buffet, it’s the fact that all the breakfast staples that you’d look for are always there. There’s Corned Beef, Derecado Longganisa, Pork Tocino and Beef Tapa. But since I’m partial to fish and seafood, I went for the Daing na Espada. I always enjoy the Daing na Espada at Baguio Country Club because it’s perfectly cooked to a golden doneness, is crisp but not tough, and, most importantly, is not overly salty.
I found some Raisin Bread slices on the bread and pastry buffet and was pleasantly surprised to know that Baguio Country Club now makes a Multigrain variant of its famous Raisin Bread.
Before I knew it, it was almost 10:00 a.m., and so I rushed to the Multi Purpose Hall, where the contestants for Table Napkin Folding-Student Division, numbering 13 or 14, were already in place and ready to fold away. My fellow judges, Marie Garcia of Restaurant 9501 and Rowena Jose of Maribago Bluewater Resort-Mactan, Cebu, were also already there. So was Restaurant 9501’s Raul Ramos, who made all the judging assignments for everyone and who was an expert in table napkin folding and other details of restaurant operations.
Scenes from the Table Napkin Folding-Student Division competitions
So the contestants were asked to do 12 standard napkin folding designs – Birds of Paradise, Double Fan Fold, Ice Cream Fold, Clown’s Hat, Cardinal Hat, Pendant, Tulip Fold, Spear Fold, Pinwheel Fold, Cone Fold, Cap Fold and Simple Napkin Pocket – and see how many they can fold by memory within a three-minute time limit. The most anyone could finish was seven napkin folds but with only five correctly done. After that, each of them took center stage to show us how to make their original napkin fold, which they thought up themselves. Some of them were simple and elegant, others were elaborate and used multiple sheets of napkins and props, but in the end it was the simple and elegant designs that won the judges’ nod.
Creative Cake Decoration competitions taking place simultaneously
Marie, Rowena and I consolidated our scores and submitted the final score sheet to the assigned event OIC, and then we had free time before Raff and I had to shuttle over to the Atrium of SM City Baguio, where his events, The Filipino Carver on Stage-Professional Division and The Filipino Carver on Stage-Student Division, were to take place.
So we decided to hang around the Judges’ Room for a while. When we entered the room, everyone was raving about the Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies on the merienda buffet. Each was thoughtfully wrapped in Baguio Country Club’s signature paper wrap and lay nicely on a tray. “Taste it,” said the other judges, among them Philippine Daily Inquirer food columnist Micky Fenix and Restaurant 9501’s Myrna Segismundo plus Delize’s Chef Jill Sandique (who is also a FLAVORS Magazine columnist) and Tita Glenda Barretto of Via Mare fame. So we did. When I bit into it, I realized what the others were raving about. The Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies were really good. They were chewy but cooked through, they were not too sweet, really just right, and you could really taste the blueberries. Marvelous! I went out of the Judges’ Room and really looked for Baguio Country Club’s Executive Chef, Pio de Guzman, who was then supervising the proceedings of the Chef Wars Western-Student Division competitions, and asked him how the Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies were made. He gave the credit to Pastry Chef Art Nucaza, but, tough luck, Chef Art wasn’t around at that time. We had known both Chef Pio and Chef Art from years back when we all were invited to Ilocos Sur to judge in the Chefs on Parade-ISHORE culinary competitions annually staged in Vigan a few years back. The two chefs also had with them Baguio Country Club’s F&B man, Nap Arrieta, in Vigan back then. Too bad, though, the local government of Ilocos Sur had decided to stop staging the province’s annual culinary competitions.
In the Judges’ Room with, seated from left: Glenda Barretto and Chef Myrna Segismundo. Standing from left: Rowena Jose, me, Raul Ramos, Micky Fenix and Marie Garcia
Blueberry Oatmeal Cookie
Chopping the Lechon Baboy in the Judges’ Room
Cream of Watercress Soup
Beef and Vegetable Teppan
My lunch platter of Ebi and Fish Tempura, Vegetable Teppan and Rice
Chocolate Mousse
Fresh Mangoes and Strawberries
So, I went back into the Judges’ Room and had a good chat with some of the judges who were hanging around the place as well. We ended up some Blueberry Cookies for munching later before the Baguio Country Club wait staff came to take the tray away and replace it with a lunch spread. The judges’ lunch on the second day of competitions was lovely. Aside from the Lechon Baboy on the carvery (sorry, I really do not eat pork), the buffet offerings included Ebi and Fish Tempura, Beef and Vegetable Teppan, Cream of Watercress Soup, freshly steamed rice and lots of bread. For dessert, there were Chocolate Mousse cakes and Fresh Mangoes and Strawberries. I had a heaping bowl of Cream of Watercress Soup, then a platter of Ebi and Fish Tempura, Vegetable Teppan and rice for my main meal, and Fresh Mangoes and Strawberries for dessert. As always, mineral water and sodas were a-plenty. I got myself a bottle of Fiji Artesian Water to wash down my meal with. That’s a balanced meal!
After lunch, Raff and I made a quick stop at Raisin Bread, the coffee shop of Baguio Country Club, to make an advanced order of pasalubong items that I would take back home to Manila when we left morning of the next day. Competitions ran until afternoon of Saturday (September 7, 2013), with awarding ceremonies to follow, but Raff and I had to head back home to Manila already to honor other commitments. I had advised Raul about it ahead of schedule and was given permission to do so. Raff and I were planning to take the Deluxe Bus of Victory Liner, just like we did last year, but since Chef Sandy Daza and The Peninsula Manila’s Marissa Dowling, both judges, also asked to make an earlier trip back to Manila, Raul arranged for a van to take all four of us back to Manila on Saturday (September 7, 2013) morning. We had agreed to leave at 8:00 a.m. the following morning, so I had to make advanced orders of Raisin Bread for my sisters back in Manila, so I could just pick up my order at the coffee shop the following morning and go. I ordered Raisin Bread, Centennial Bread (Raisin Bread baked in half loaf size) and Banana Bread. Now all I needed to buy was Mountain Maid Strawberry Jam for my elder sisters Swanie (real name: Susana) and Mary, but I had no time to go all the way to the Good Shepherd store, so I was planning to look for some at SM Baguio later.
Images from The Filipino Carver on Stage competitions
We took the shuttle of Baguio Country Club at about 1:00 p.m. and headed for SM Baguio. When we got to the Atrium, event OIC Nap Arrieta was there, and judges of the earlier competitions held there, Chef Jean Pierre “JP” Migne and Cebu’s Maricris Encarnacion were still deliberating and consolidating their scores. Chef JP said he had moved The Filipino Carver-Professional Division scheduled at 1:30 p.m. down to 3:30 p.m., which was the scheduled time for The Filipino Carver-Student Division, so that both competitions could proceed at the same time. There were only two competitors for the Professional Division anyway, and the space at the Atrium was enough to accommodate everyone. The competitors would have two hours to finish their vegetable carving designs, and there was no point in spending four hours in competition when it could be done in two.
With this arrangement, Raff and I had time to go around the mall and look for Mountain Maid Strawberry Jam. We headed for the Cordillera Souvenirs area of SM Baguio, where stalls selling local pasalubong items – food, T-shirts, keychains, refrigerator magnets, bags, local weaves, etc. – were located. I found one stall selling Mountain Maid Strawberry Jam and bought two bottles. My pasalubong items for my sisters were complete, and I was happy.
Chef Jean Pierre ‘JP’ Migne, with the hosts at SM City Baguio, explaining the rules for The Filipino Carver on Stage competitions
We went back to the Atrium a little before 3:00 p.m., and since everyone was there – judges and contestants – the competitions started at 3:00 p.m., 30 minutes ahead of schedule. Raff was judging with Chef JP Migne, Rowena Jose and former Tourism Usec Edu Jarque. By the end of the competitions, it was raining really hard, and Chef Myrna was calling Chef JP to say that dinner was going to be at The Hill Station. The Hill Station was owned and managed by Mitos Benitez, who also served as a judge and who also hosted a dinner for the judges last year.
I loved The Hill Station’s food last year and would love to indulge on its Filipino-Spanish cuisine once again, but Raff and I were leaving for Manila with Chef Sandy and Marissa early the next morning, so we decided to beg off. I made a quick stop at the fast-food area of SM Baguio to buy food for my and Raff’s dinner as the judges were busy computing their scores and deciding on their final scores, and then I texted the driver of the Baguio Country Club’s shuttle van to come pick us up. It was still raining hard when the van picked us up, but we nonchalantly braved the rains to get to the van and headed back to the country club. Raff and I had an early dinner that night, I worked on a blog entry for a while, and then we decided to hit the sack early to wake up early for our trip back to Manila the next day.
Not wanting to make a bad impression on our traveling companions by being late, Raff and I were down at the Veranda for breakfast at 7:00 a.m., with bags packed already packed in the room. Breakfast was straight to the main course this time, with Garlic Rice to go with Daing na Bangus and Espada, and Mushroom and Tomato Omelette with a glass of Pineapple Juice. Then we picked up our bags in the room, checked out, picked up our order at Raisin Bread and headed for the van. Chef Sandy and Marissa joined us not too long after, and we started on our smooth and uneventful journey back to Manila.
By 2:30 p.m., we were in Manila. Chef Sandy heaved a huge sigh of relief, as he was hurrying back to make it to the silver wedding anniversary celebration of his sister and our colleague in the publishing industry, Nina Daza Puyat.
The last part of our journey was a short cab ride from Katipunan Ave., Quezon City, to our place in Cainta.
Krispy Kreme’s new Krispy Kroissant comes in four different flavors
THERE still seems to be no end to the cronut craze, and the latest to offer its version of the half-croissant, half-doughnut pastry is Krispy Kreme, which recently introduced its latest product innovation, Krispy Kroissant, to the local market.
The fully-baked Krispy Kroissant is made to take one’s cronut experience up a notch. Unlike its more popular fried version, the Krispy Kroissant melts in the mouth with crisp layers like a croissant’s and surprises the taste buds with aromas only associated with freshly cooked doughnuts.
The new Krispy Kroissant is the newest addition to Krispy Kreme’s Baked Creations line, and it is available in four flavors – Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla Cream. Apple Cinnamon boasts of the richness of apple chunks evenly distributed in the croissant-donut, Belgian chocolate ganache is heavenly in Chocolate, the exquisite taste of sweet strawberries come alive in Strawberry, and sugar glaze complete the taste and finish of Vanilla Cream. They’re all rolled in sugar, filled with pastry cream and smothered in Krispy Kreme’s flavorful mixes.
“Krispy Kroissant goes beyond the hype of the pastry mash-up. It is a testament to how Krispy Kreme has that art of providing confectionary indulgence down pat, and we are thrilled to hand the first taste to the Filipino market,” says Krispy Kreme Philippines chairman Jim Fuentebella.
Krispy Kroissant is available in all 40 stores of Krispy Kreme, including its flagship store in Bonifacio High Street and Hotlight stores in SM Mall of Asia, Greenhills Shopping Center, Cebu IT Park and The Annex of SM City Davao.
Waking up to the greens of the Baguio Country Club’s golf course the next morning…
OUR official duties as judges in the 10th Annual Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Weekend began on our second day of stay at the Baguio Country Club in my favorite vacation place, Baguio City, last week (September 5 to 7, 2013).
There was a grand opening ceremony over at the Atrium of SM City Baguio, where pastry chefs led by Baguio Country Club’s Chef Art Nucaza paid tribute to the heritage structures and tourist destinations of the City of Pines by depicting them in huge cakes. There were six cakes, and these cakes featured some of the city’s most popular and historical infrastructures: Baguio Cathedral, The Mansion, Baguio City Hall, Melchor Hall of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA), the Post Office and Baguio Country Club. Chef Art also led the unveiling of these giant cakes at 10:00 a.m. last Thursday (September 5, 2013) as well as the ceremonial tasting and distribution of cake slices to some 8,000 people who attended the opening rites.
Fresh fruits for breakfast at the Veranda
Fresh Garden Salad
My breakfast platter of Sunny Side Up Egg, Fried Squid, Daing na Bangus and Garlic Rice
Donuts on the buffet spread, but none for me
Danish pastries
I had wanted to witness this opening ceremony, but, like most of the judges who went up to Baguio for the 10th Annual HRT Weekend culinary competitions, my husband Raff and I couldn’t make it because we had 8:00 a.m. judging assignments to hurry off to. So we woke up very early last Thursday (September 5, 2013) and had an early breakfast at The Veranda of the Baguio Country Club. The Veranda happens to be one of my favorite places in the country club because it’s al fresco, casual and relaxed. Like we usually do, we started our breakfast with fresh fruits then proceeded to enjoy a small serving of Fresh Garden Salad. If there’s one thing you shouldn’t miss when you’re in Baguio, that is to enjoy the City’s abundant fresh produce. So we assembled our own salads while at the same time keeping track of the time. The other judges trickled in to The Veranda for breakfast, and it helped that breakfast was buffet style so everyone proceeded at his own quick pace. I quickly found the Daing na Bangus and Fried Squid, had a sunny side up egg cooked at the egg station, and then added a ladle of Garlic Rice to my plate. Found some interesting pastries on the bread and dessert buffet, including Danish Pastries and slices of Baguio Country Club’s famous Raisin Bread, but there was no time for dessert.
Scenes from The Housekeeper-Student Division competitions
Armed with our own Rule Books and Schedule of Competitions, Raff and I went separate ways – I to the Baguio Country Club Ballroom for The Housekeeper-Student Division competitions, and Raff to the BCC Multi Purpose Hall’s Center Stage for the Coffee Concoctions-Student Division competitions. Joining me as judges for The Housekeeper-Student Division were The Peninsula Manila’s Executive Housekeeper Marissa Dowling, Eton Centris Operations AVP Louie Caridad and ABS-CBN’s Property Management Head Charisse Amisola. A few minutes past 8:00 a.m., the competitions began.
The Housekeeper-Student Division was basically a bed-making competition. There were six competing teams, each made up of three students, who had to make a bed with all the layers of bed sheet, duvet, blanket, bed liner and pillows. They had to be quick because, in the real world, the housekeeping staff of hotels have to make plenty of beds within a limited time and make them look really nice and clean, but the competition wasn’t so much about which team was the fastest but which team was able to make their bed within the best possible time, make it the proper way, with a pleasing end result. The teams had their own designs for their beds and beddings, as well as accent furniture, and they approached their bed-making chores with their own styles. Most of the competitors turned out impressive results.
This was actually my first time to judge in a bed-making competition, so I really read up on it in the Rule Book and asked my judging companions, who were more knowledgeable about housekeeping than me, about acceptable time limits and other details. The six teams finished their bed-making chores within the acceptable time limit the four of us judges set for this competition, so they got good scores.
Coffee Concoctions action with Student Division judges Rowena Jose, Micky Fenix and Raul Ramos (above), judge Peter Co debriefing the contestants of the Professional Division, and Professional Division judges Rowena Jose, Marie Garcia and Raff (below)
After consolidating our scores to come up with the final scores and submitting them to the assigned Event Officer-in-Charge, the four of us took a short break before going back to the Ballroom for The Housekeeper-Professional Division competition scheduled at 10:00 a.m. We walked over to the BCC Multi Purpose Hall, where the Judges’ Room was located, and spent our break time there.
Just like in the past years, the Judges’ Room was set with dining tables and a buffet table, which is always stocked with bottled drinking water, sodas, a cooler for ice cubes, sandwiches and pastries for morning and afternoon merienda, and lunch. There was a platter of Danish pastries on the buffet, but I only reached for a bottle of Fiji Artesian Water and walked over to the Center Stage to see how things were doing with the Coffee Concoctions-Student Division competitions, where Raff sat as part of the Panel of Judges, which also included Maribago Bluewater Resort-Mactan, Cebu’s F&B manager Rowena Jose, Ferna Corporation’s president Peter Co and Restaurant 9501’s Marie Garcia.
The 10th Annual HRT Weekend culinary competitions attracted a large crowd to the Baguio Country Club Multi Purpose Hall
Two of the entries in the Plated Desserts category (above), an entry in the Cordillera Kitchen-Student Division competition, and part of the kitchen action during live cooking competitions
Also ongoing at the adjacent Cooking Station 1 and 2 were The Cordillera Kitchen-Student Division and The Pantry Chef-Student Division competitions, respectively.
Two of the judges in the Pantry Chef competitions – Chef Martin Kaspar and Chef Thomas Wenger
Then it was time to head back for the Ballroom for The Housekeeper-Professional Division competitions. There were only two contestants, so the competition went a lot faster and we judges were more relaxed. It was over in no time, and Marissa, Louie, Charisse and I went our separate ways for the meantime. We had our own judging assignments for the afternoon. I went back to the Multi Purpose Hall, checked up on Raff again and was told that they were still on their first category, Coffee Concoctions-Student Division, which was proceeding at a very slow and much delayed pace. I stayed in the Judges’ Room and chatted with Chef Jean Pierre Migne of Tuloy sa Don Bosco Culinary School. He had to take a quick, early lunch after his Amuse Bouche-Student Division judging assignment, so as he ate his Roast Beef with Gravy and Mashed Potato, I filled a small plate with fresh strawberries and ate them with a little whipped cream.
Judges’ attire
Danish pastries in the Judges’ Room
Fresh strawberries
Mini cakes for hungry judges
… and more mini cakes
Raff got off his coffee judging at almost 12:00 noon and we had a light lunch of Cream of Watercress Soup, mashed potato and vegetables at the Judges’ Room and ended our light meal with fresh strawberries and mini cakes. Restaurant 9501’s operations manager Raul Ramos had to substitute for Raff in the Coffee Concoctions-Professional Division because, since the student division competitions ran late, it would overlap with our next judging assignment, Mocktail Mixing: The Mocktail Host-Professional Division, which was scheduled at 1:00 p.m. This time, the two of us were judging together with Marie and top wedding and events planner Rita Neri.
Exciting Mocktail Mixing competitions!
Mocktail Mixing was a bit like the much-awaited Flairtending competitions, except that it was more subtle and had less of the performance and more of the cocktail mixing done within a three-minute limit. Mocktails, as you may already know, are cocktail drinks without alcohol, and are concocted basically by using fruit juices, water, fresh fruits and syrups. This batch of six contestants went well, but because the Coffee Concoctions event was delayed and we started with the Mocktail Mixing rather late, as well, our next event, Mocktail Mixing: the Mocktail Host-Student Division, already started rather late. With Louie Caridad and Marie on the judging panel with us, we had 12 competitors this time, so, by the time we finished, it was already around 6:00 p.m. Our event was the last to finish for the day.
Raff and I rushed up to our room to wash up and got back down to the lobby just in time to meet up with all the other judges, and we all walked up to one of the cottages also within the jurisdiction of Baguio Country Club. We were going to have a barbecue dinner!
Funny, but dinner was also delayed, so we tamed our growling stomachs with fresh tomato slices, jicama sticks dipped in blue cheese dressing, and bread rolls. Chef Sandy Daza opened the two bags of chicharon that he had brought along, and some of our group mates enjoyed part of the bounty. The karaoke kept us busy, as Chef Jill Sandique, Peter Co of Ferna Corporation, Chef Myrna Segismundo and Micky Fenix belted out Pusong Bato with much gusto before shifting to standards and dancing along, as slabs of steak, sausages and fish were slapped onto the charcoal-fired grills by some of the country’s best expat chefs – including ISCAHM’s Chef Norbert Gandler, Chef JP Migne of course, Chef Martin Kaspar of L’Entrecote, Chef Colin Mackay of People’s Palace and Sala Restaurant, and Chef Thomas Wenger of Enderun Colleges.
What an awesome barbecue dinner when you’ve got top chefs cooking!
Having fun at the Barbecue Dinner, clockwise from top left: Marissa Dowling, Micky Fenix and me; Chefs Colin Mackay, Thomas Wenger and Eugene Raymundo; the whole group; and Peter Co, Chef Myrna Segismundo and Micky Fenix having karaoke fun
Before we knew it, dinner was ready, and everyone, already comfortable with each other, had his fill. Then it was back to dancing, singing, animated conversation and a lot of picture-taking before we called it a day. With a full day filled with four judging assignments, I had real great fun on our second day in Baguio last week.
Back in the room, I struggled to work on an article for FLAVORS Magazine so I could email it to my art director, Danny Hernando, for layout, but when Raff, who was watching the news on TV, dozed off a little too soon, I gave up trying to fight my sleepiness and slipped my tired body into the nice and warm blanket and slept away…
Baguio Country Club was again home to The 10th Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism Weekend held this week in the City of Pines
WAS back in Baguio, my childhood vacation place, this week – this time to take part in The 10th Annual Hotel, Restaurant & Tourism Weekend, as part of the Manila-based judging team invited by Chef Myrna Segismundo for the organizer, the Hotel & Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) headed by Baguio Country Club general manager Anthony de Leon. Now, this is a fun group made up of some of the top expat and local chefs in the country as well as some members of Manila’s food media, and my husband Raff and I are privileged to have been part of it for the fourth time now. When it’s judging time, everyone’s seriously doing their respective jobs, as the competitions take place simultaneously for three days; but when it’s time for fun, everyone does exactly that – have fun – grilling barbecues for dinner, karaoke singing and dancing along to the music; exploring the local restaurants in Baguio for some gastronomic gems…
The entrance to Chef Claude Tayag’s Bale Dutung in Angeles, Pampanga
The exquisite dining area of Bale Dutung can be found on the ground floor
Where groups of diners share a delicious meal…
Claude Tayag’s dalandan-based welcome drink for the group
Pistú
Crispy Guagua-Style Mini Longganisas
Mini Pandesals
Dinaing na Hito
Pata Mole
Tamales
Side dish of chopped salted eggs, onions and tomatoes
Making a thick Tsokolate drink the old-fashioned way, using a batirol
Tsokolate drink served with pinipig for crunch and texture
Minatamis na Kamote
San Nicolas Cookies
Smaller area for entertaining and dining…
Walking out with Restaurant 9501’s Marie Garcia and Bale Dutung’s Chef Claude Tayag after brunch
‘Tikbalang’ sculpture by the pond at Bale Dutung
The main bulk of the group left Manila early morning of Wednesday (September 4, 2013) in vans and, as has become a ‘tradition,’ stopped by the famous dining destination Bale Dutung owned by Chef Claude Tayag and wife Mary Ann for brunch. Claude usually joins the judging team in Baguio, but this year, commitments prevented him from doing so. Even then, he was still ever the gracious host when the group got to his place. He prepared the same brunch menu that the group had been requesting for annually. It includes mainly Kapampangan dishes, such as Dinaing na Hito (sun-dried salted catfish), Pistú (ground meat cooked with diced vegetables and green peas), Pata Mole (pig’s feet in a rich tomato-based stew); a side salad of chopped salted egg, onion and tomatoes; mini Guagua-Style longganisas (which Chef Claude fries to a crisp); Tamales, Tsokolate Eh prepared with a batirol and served with crispy pinipig; mini pandesals; and San Nicolas Cookies. What members of the group likes to do is to make small sandwiches of Crispy Guagua-Style Mini Longganisas and Pistú with the mini pandesals.
This year, he also had Minatamis na Kamote, Tibok-Tibok (Pampanga’s version of MajaBlanca) and Ensaymadas for dessert, as well as a welcome drink of Dalandan juice.
Chef Claude patiently walked the new members of the group through his menu and explained each dish before everyone sat down and enjoyed a really good and satisfying meal.
From Chef Claude’s Bale Dutung, located inside Villa Gloria in Angeles City, Pampanga, the vans continued the journey up to Baguio, passing through the main highways of Pampanga, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union and finally, up the familiar zigzags of Kennon Road of Benguet that led to Baguio.
It was drizzling when we were negotiating the curves or Kennon Road, but we got to Baguio Country Club at about the same time we did every time we head for the City of Pines for HRAB’s 10thHRT Weekend – about late afternoon, just before the sun set. We all checked in and headed for our rooms for a short rest before dinner and judges’ briefing.
The golf course of Baguio Country Club
Cozy and comfy guest room at Baguio Country Club
The bathroom comes with exquisite Archive toiletries
Details, such as fresh flowers, make the rooms cozier
Fresh fruits in the room
Chef Jean Pierre Migne and Hotel & Restaurant Association of Baguio (HRAB) president Anthony de Leon preside over the judges’ meeting just before dinner
Deviled Eggs served during the judges’ briefing cum light dinner
Gambas Ajillo
Strawberry Shake
Bite-Sized Sandwiches
Mushrooms!
Baguio Country Club serves as the group’s home for the duration of the HRT Weekend and Culinary Competitions annually, and everyone looks forward to it because its rooms, which underwent renovations in recent years, always turn out to be cozy and comfortable. The bed lulls guests to a good night’s sleep, there’s a work space where official work that has to be done even while in Baguio can get done, the flat-screen TV provides entertainment, and the bathroom even comes with luxurious Archive toiletries.
The group ended the first day in Baguio with a judges’ briefing about the competitions that would begin the next day, with HRAB president Anthony de Leon and judging committee head Chef Jean Pierre Migne leading the discussions. Then it was time for dinner, where I had Strawberry Shake with Gambas Ajillo, fresh mushrooms, Devilled Eggs and Bite-Sized Sandwiches.
Tired from the long ride up to Baguio, the group called it a night to condition themselves to a full day of competitions the next day.
