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philstar.com - Food and Leisure

Finding Anne Rice in New Orleans

Jan 212015

After taking Cajun and Creole cooking at the International Culinary Education (ICE) in New York, I was charmed by its food. Since my daughter and I had been wanting to travel together for a few days on an adventure away from New York, our best bet was New Orleans, since we had on our lists Machu Picchu, London or Ireland, which would have required more expensive planning. I told her to search for the cheapest tickets that she could find. Lo and behold she found a round-trip ticket from NY to Louisiana for less than $200. So off we went to NOLA (New Orleans, Louisiana) I am glad we chose New Orleans. The hotel we stayed at is located in the French Quarter where the action is: restaurants and cafes, music, and shopping centers. It is, after all, the cultural heartbeat that New Orleans is known for. On our first day, I was already charmed. New Orleans has long been regarded as a major shopping destination. Our hotel was located along Royal Street, which for nearly two centuries ruled as an antiquing center with dozens of shops and a wide array of offerings ranging from rare French furnishings to Southern estate jewelry. It has witnessed a surge in contemporary art galleries, and has created a mix of old and new coming together as a unique subculture. Along the French Quarter the streets are lined with chic boutiques, especially on infamous Magazine Street, also known as “the street of dreams.” One Read More …

Cooking 16th-century recipes for 21st-century diners

Entertainment

Jan 072015

Cooking 16th-century recipes for 21st-century diners

Marco Yuchengco Santos, CEO of Boomerang Consultancy Pte. Ltd., with wife Carmen Romualdez Santos: They were also celebrating their 19th anniversary that evening. Singapore’s Boomerang Consultancy Pte. Ltd., headed by chief executive officer Marco Yuchengco Santos, in collaboration with Sphere (an events arm of Singapore Press Holdings, Inc.), brought to Manila a unique gastronomic experience. Borrowing the same idea that has brought delight to foodies and the culinary world in Singapore for the past four years, Epicurean Masters, presented by Banco de Oro (BDO), gathered world-class celebrity chefs last Nov. 19, 24 and Dec. 3. I was able to attend the Dec. 3 event with chef Diego Chiarini at Finestra restaurant in Solaire. According to Santos, “I am part of a project with the Singapore government to promote culinary events here in Manila since Asia has been increasingly enjoying the limelight as a success story, seen as the major force leading the recovery of the global economy in the aftermath of the last financial crisis. “One keenly watched aspect is the growing depth of rich and diverse offerings in exceptional dining cuisines across Asia. The records bear this out as the number of award-wining Michelin-star chefs in Asia has been steadily rising, from Tokyo, Osaka to Hong Kong and Macau. Indeed, Tokyo now has the largest number of Michelin-rated restaurants in the world.” Against this vibrant backdrop lies the creation of “Asian Masters” — a celebration of who we are to the world. It is a gourmet and lifestyle event Read More …

Rizal and the taho at The Goose Station

Entertainment

Dec 312014

Coconut, crab and fermented mango: Rizal writes, “One who does not know where he came from will never get to his destination.” MANILA, Philippines – Once a French chef had our 10-course Kapampangan menu in Bale Dutung, which hubby Claude aptly called “decathlon.” “This is degustation,” I said. “Non,” the Frenchman said, “this is an exaggerated degustation.” “Oh,” I said, “Filipinos will never be happy with your French degustacion. Nothing is more than a spoonful; no sauces on the dishes but instead brushed like rainbow of oil paint on the sides of the plate. That will never happen to Filipino food. We want our food oozing with sauce that we put on rice. We want to rip the whole quail and entire chicken wing. Never mind if there is still the barbecue stick on it. We want everything big like our American brothers. And somehow we don’t have the patience to sit and dine for hours nibbling. We want to gobble our food.” One of the most-asked questions about Filipino food is why presentation is not as “beautiful” as other cuisines. Many foodies have given their two cents’ worth about it but I like my historian friend Ambeth Ocampo’s answer most of all. He said, “It is because we have no court food to follow or imitate.” He further pointed out to me that the food for the family and food for the helpers are served the same way, except the family may be using porcelain or stoneware. Another often-asked Read More …

Top 10 fave foodie moments of 2014

Entertainment

Dec 312014

Home-smoked salmon with foie gras and goat cheese by chef Cyrille Soenen: Daringly but successfully paired with Chateau Figeac Food for me has never really just been about taste… my story with food is beyond simple eating but is a sensual and emotional encounter. Sometimes a dish is made better by good company, other times by good wine and on those rare occasions, something is just so amazing it transcends everything else and can hold its own. I have always been wary of claiming things to be the best, because taste is so subjective. Case in point, this year was a very special one for me, half of it I was extremely pregnant and as a result was a rather picky eater for its entire duration. As hormones would have it, my preferences changed, my taste buds morphed and I would be extremely upset if I was disappointed by my food rendering me a rather unadventurous diner. The other half was characterized by a voracious appetite with rather extreme food restrictions brought about by nursing my baby. Thankfully, however, I was able to create a frozen stockpile of milk, earning me a little bit of freedom. Despite all of this it was a good food year with some amazing highlights both here and abroad. Here are my Ten Favorite Foodie Moments of 2014 in no particular order and here’s to your 2015 being filled with good food and even better company! Happy New Year! 1. Sushi Yoshitake, Tokyo — A Read More …

8 delicious ways to cook leftover chicken from the holidays

Entertainment

Dec 262014

8 delicious ways to cook leftover chicken from the holidays

MANILA, Philippines – There’s a great deal of leftover food during the holidays. Given that budgets can be tight these days, leftovers should not be ‘left’ over. There are many ways in which you can cut down your food waste. By refrigerating, shredding or boiling leftover chicken, a new dish for dinner is ready to be served. Revel on your chicken previously served for Noche Buena. Here are some recipe ideas for left over chicken. Chicken Pot PieGet recipe here. Photo from onehungrymama.com Chicken Salad SandwichGet recipe here. Lifestyle Feature ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: Photo from chow.com Chicken and Chickpea saladGet recipe here. Photo from mymansbelly.com Chicken QuesadillasGet recipe here. Photo from chow.com Creamy Chicken Enchiladas Get recipe here. Photo from goodcheapeats.com Chicken and Cheese BurritoGet recipe here. Photo from goodcheapeats.com Chicken Fried RiceGet recipe here. Photo from goodcheapeats.com Chicken Noodle SoupGet recipe here. Photo from mmn.com

Holidazed for the holidays

Entertainment

Dec 172014

The holidays. Images of shiny, happy people, laughing with their mouths open, cozily clutching wine glasses or swishing martinis. The table is set beautifully, whether it be glam or rustic, plates and silverware casually strewn about, pinecones and poinsettias, tinsel and glitter. The food is perfectly imperfect, charred ends of roasted potatoes, sauce sexily dripping off the sides of the casserole, a turkey so golden it looks like it came from a summer in the French Riviera. In this day and age of Instagram and Pinterest, it seems that everything has to be picture-perfect. Casually putting things together on a table in their usual chafing dishes does not seem to cut it anymore. The reality is that the holidays are more often than not “holi-daze” — everything going so fast, a stressful jumble of work, family and festivity. When we host at home, we either resort entirely to a caterer or end up looking like a frazzled mess trying to provide anything and everything under the sun, in our traditional over-the-top Filipino way of serving 10,000 things in a buffet. I love to entertain at home but there is nothing more unwelcoming than a stressed-out host. So for the holidays I am sharing with you my favorite secrets and armes-de-guerre for throwing the perfect holiday cocktail with ease. • Mix and mingle. Forgo the usual dinner buffet and sit-down table settings for a more relaxed, heavy-cocktail vibe. It gets people moving around, talking and chatting. It creates energy. Make sure Read More …

Bistro du Vin: Not a French restaurant

General

Dec 102014

When I first moved to Paris I was thrilled to have my own apartment and to be able to host my friends. I used to throw these chic dinner parties complete with place settings and flower arrangements. There would be several dishes, a selection of meat or fish, several side dishes and several store-bought desserts. I would spend hours in the kitchen preparing, plating, then bussing and serving my guests tableside. I refused to let them clear their plates, thinking it was impolite to let them help in any way or even see my disastrous mess of a tiny kitchen. My French friends would ooh and ah, saying, “Je suis très impressionné!” Also almost always feeling underdressed and a little surprised, “Je ne savais pas c’était un dîner si chic!” It was always said with a sincere tone of appreciation tainted with a tinge of embarrassment. It was never my intention for it to be a particularly chic dinner or to make an extra effort to impress them; coming from the Philippines with a plethora of help and where buffet dining was the norm, frankly it was the only way I knew how to receive! Even dining out was a similar experience. My first few weeks there I would get dressed to the nines for dinner wearing a cocktail dress and heels, only to find myself like an alien wedged between black cashmere sweaters, torn jeans and Converse sneaks. It didn’t matter if there were escargots and a good burgundy Read More …

The Girl + The Bull go Japanese in 12/10

Entertainment

Dec 102014

The Girl + The Bull go Japanese in 12/10

Toro Onigiri beautifully topped with foie gras, negi, and balsamic maple syrup, but we all agreed that it could do with less rice! (Photo by Jin Perez of Jin Loves To Eat) I was actually trying to time this article to come out on Dec. 10. (You’ll find out why in a bit). But unfortunately, that date falls on a Wednesday, and our Philippine STAR food section comes out on Thursdays. My “Love Food!” group and I first visited 12/10 in October when it first opened. To be honest, while a lot of people want to be first in breaking a story, I’ve had several disappointments from writing about restaurants that were great in the beginning, but continued to deteriorate over time. So I decided to wait and observe for general feedback. From real-life recommendations — “Have you been to 12/10? It’s great!” — to Instagram posts from returning clientele, the overall feedback was positive. It was time. Tucked away in a nondescript neighborhood in Saguijo, 12/10 is located in a converted residential bungalow. The interiors, a collaboration with Serious Studio and Restock, are really — for lack of better word — cool, a slightly modern industrial feel of steel and wood, dressed with paintings (both framed and directly on the wall) and paper cutouts, which the owners describe as “an expression of ourselves.” There is a gorgeous long bar where you will notice that the folks behind the bar — as well as the servers — are so young! Read More …

Let’s meat at Outback Steakhouse

General

Dec 032014

The steak-lover’s steak: Outback Steakhouse’s rib eye steak is well-marbled, juicy and savory. While some entrepreneurs need to hunt for the right business idea that would set them on the path to success, there are those who luckily get theirs just by watching TV. “Crocodile Dundee to be exact,” says Outback Steakhouse Southeast Asia chairman Prasoon Mukherjee with an impish grin over lunch at the newly opened Outback Steakhouse in BluebayWalk, Pasay City. Prasoon is referring to Chris Sullivan, one of the founders of the largest steakhouse chain in the world, who at 48 took an early retirement to start his own restaurant named after the vast remote Australian outback. Contrary to popular belief, Outback Steakhouse is actually a popular American brand that originated in Florida where Sullivan comes from. An avid fan of Crocodile Dundee, Sullivan was inspired to put up a restaurant similar to the local pub owned by Dundee’s business partner Walter “Wally” Reilly. And so, he immediately called his friend, chef Tim Gannon — who was working somewhere else — and asked him to fly over to Florida to conceptualize the menu and get things started. “Unfortunately, Tim didn’t have enough money to buy a plane ticket. An ardent polo player, he sold his saddle for US$200 and booked a flight to Florida the next day. Tim and Chris are good friends. They trusted each other. I guess that’s the secret to the brand’s success. It’s built on trust and hard work,” adds Prasoon, who bought Read More …

Essential service plus comforts at Go Hotels

General

Dec 032014

Essential service plus comforts at Go Hotels

At the opening of Go Hotels in Ortigas Center are Robinsons Hotels & Resorts general manager Elizabeth D. Gregorio, Pasig City Mayor Maribel A. Eusebio, Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) president Frederick D. Go and Ortigas Center Association Inc. (OCAI) general manager Victor Buencamino. MANILA, Philippines – Can you get a pleasant hotel room with good service in a central business district for P2,388 or less? A block away from Robinsons Galleria is the eighth branch of Go Hotels, which is the chain’s foray into the Ortigas Center. The 198-room hotel is located at Robinsons Cyberscape Alpha building on the busy stretch of Garnet Road. It’s a comfortable and safe walk to corporate offices, banks and shopping centers, transport hubs and a few kilometers away from top hospitals. Go Hotels is the “essential-service” hospitality brand of Robinsons Hotels & Resorts, Robinsons Land Corporation’s leisure and hospitality arm. All the properties are furnished with Windsor beds that provide back support, high-thread-count sheets and duvets, chiropractic and fiberfill pillows to ensure the best sleep. When freshening up, the double hot showers come with a packet of soap and shampoo. Unlike other budget hotels that charge for additional conveniences, Go Hotels offer free WiFi, cable television on large LED screens and a safety deposit box as part of its hospitality. “We are known as a no-frills hotel, but we don’t compromise on comfort,” says Elizabeth Gregorio, general manager of Robinsons Hotels & Resorts. Ensuring the best sleep: The spacious rooms in Go Hotels are Read More …

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