A farewell lunch with friends

It was good to be with friends during the farewell lunch for us that was hosted by Raffles Makati managing director David Batchelor and marketing head Monique Toda, and organized by PeopleAsia editor-in-chief Joanne Rae Ramirez.

Mirèio — the upscale brasserie-style French restaurant of Raffles named after the Nobel Prize-winning poem of Frédéric Mistral — was a perfect backdrop with its elegant interiors and artworks that highlight Provençal influences. The cuisine was impeccable — sophisticated but simple, evoking the rich culinary traditions of the French countryside.

Raffles Makati has developed a reputation as one of the best hotels in the metro, the contemporary design complemented by an Old-World charm that at the same time evokes new world sophistication. That the hotel has become very successful in just a few years after its opening, holding its own against the more established hotels in Makati, is not really surprising considering that David and Monique are in the team.

We were joined by PeopleAsia’s good friends that include BDO Unibank chair and SM Investments Corp. vice chairman Tessie Sy-Coson, MVP Group head Manny Pangilinan, PAL president and COO Jimmy Bautista and Megaworld SVP Kevin Tan.

We also had with us The Philippine STAR chairman Atty. Ray Espinosa and president and CEO Miguel Belmonte, Philstar.com president and CEO Kevin Belmonte, fellow STAR columnist Sara Soliven-de Guzman, hotelier Art Lopez, PeopleAsia director Pepe Rodriguez, Philex SVP for corporate affairs Mike Toledo, Fritz & Macziol Asia chairman Lutz Kunack and PhlQat CEO Monch Cruz. - Photos by Ramon Joseph J. Ruiz