Food and Leisure

8 long weekend food adventures to try

Philstar.com

August 18, 2017 | 9:57am

Lengua Sisig and Crocodile Barbecue at Two Seasons Palawan. Released

MANILA, Philippines — Looking for something to munch on your way to your adventures this coming long weekend?

Check out these new foodie escapades and prepare for a wild ride!

New dining and entertainment haven in Pasay

Combining delectable dining and quality entertainment: That’s the idea of the newest destination in the metro that combines Chinese-Filipino cuisines and KTV entertainment that will surely make food lovers and singer wannabes go gaga.

Located on the 2nd Floor of Golden Phoenix Hotel at the MOA Complex in Pasay City, Ashark Club occupies 1,600 square meters of floor space divided into an expansive dining hall, four KTV rooms with modern sound systems and larger than life screens as well as seven VIP and Conference Rooms.

“Ashark Club is a combination of dining and entertainment,” said Ashark brand manager Amy Peng, adding “Chinese people, as well as Filipino people, love KTVs but in KTVs it’s hard to order food so we come up with the idea to combine the delectable dining and quality entertainment. So guests can dine and sing. It’s a perfect combination.”

The club is perfect as an event venue, company meetings, press conference, family gatherings and anyone who wants to relax, unwind and enjoy the company of friends for a full leisure experience. For its cuisine, all food ingredients came from China. Dining here is truly gastronomic experience as guests go on to discover China’s interesting variety of regional dishes with their own distinct flavours and origins like Szechuan, Cantonese and Hunan.

“In China there are eight main food groups, we have three here – Szechuan, Cantonese and Hunan. Hunan and Szechuan are spicy food, Cantonese is all about seafood and healthy soups. The chef is from China also. All together we have five Chinese and two Filipino chefs,” Peng said.

Must try dishes include Marinated O.X Shank, Deep-fried Juglans Resia, Assorted Vegetables with Salad, Abalone with Mixed Dry Seafood in Thick Soup, Deep-fried Pigeon, Steamed Red Grouper with Peanut Oil, Marinated Jelly Fish with Black Vinegar, Pan-fried Lamb Chop, Fried Rice with Salmon, among others. The club puts a five-star touch to the KTV experience with well-appointed rooms furnished with first class, state-of-the-art audio and video equipment including a touchscreen menu of songs and some massive flat screen TVs.

Ashark Club KTV room

Savor Palawan's exotic food amid stunning views

You do not have to leave your hotel to look for a place to eat especially when you have glorious beaches and sun-drenched landscapes enticing you to stay. Good thing you do not have to at Two Seasons Coron Bayside Hotel, the newest Two Seasons Resorts property and the only five-star accommodation in this scenic town in Palawan.

The third property to open after Two Seasons Boracay and Two Seasons Island Resort and Spa in Malaroyroy, the Bayside Hotel’s upscale facilities and spacious rooms are not the only thing that are making an impression on travelers. Its fantastic food is also worth making the trip for with dishes cooked up by chefs who work with locally sourced and fresh ingredients.

Most of the magic happens at the Baya Resto Lounge, the hotel’s signature restaurant and bar where dining is quite an experience. Just like the dining spots of barLO at Two Seasons Boracay and Sulu of Two Seasons Island Resort, Baya showcases beautifully designed interiors. Its ceilings are embellished with colorful jellyfish lamps that seem to sway softly as the light changes color. The lamps appear more enchanting at night when the whole place is fully lit up. Wooden seats bring the tropical island theme together, while the expansive dining area provide an airy and comfortable place to enjoy the restaurant’s culinary creations including a sumptuous, all-day breakfast fare.

Baya shares an almost identical menu with barLO and Sulu including the house specialty that has foodies buzzing with compliments. Albeit its popularity, the much talked about Four Cheese Pizza is surprisingly simple with only a few ingredients – a medley of blue cheese, cheddar, mozzarella, and parmesan layered on an Italian-style crust served straight from the oven. Sisig, with all the global attention it’s been getting lately, also makes an appearance on the menu. Boracay’s barLO serves oyster sisig while Baya is mighty proud of its lengua sisig. Enjoy it with a bottle of cold beer or a glass of mojito. Aside from pizza and sisig, Baya’s seafood offering is the freshest you can have in the island next to casting your own net into the sea. Choices include Crispy Fried Squid Tentacles, Fish & Chips, and Spicy Garlic Prawns.

For something exotic, order the Spicy Pugita, a native octopus that’s thinly sliced and cooked in coconut milk and spices. They also have seasonal lobster dishes cooked steamed, grilled or Thermidor while Filipino staples include the comforting Sinampalukang Manok, sinful Crispy Pata and Lechon Kawali served with bagoong fried rice. Dining at Two Seasons – whether at barLO, Sulu or Baya restaurant – comes with some serious bragging rights especially if you have the guts (and appetite) to try some of its croc meat dishes.

Chefs make creative use of this farm-grown meat source with such delicious creations like Crocodile Barbecue, Crocodile in coconut milk, or the Stir-fried Crocodile strips. And while it’s tempting to just hole up in the hotel and bask in the view and flavors of the island, there activities you can include in your itinerary. Just ask the front desk officer for guided tours within the island and they will gladly arrange a day trip for you and your companions to Culion, Kayangan Lake, Sangat Wreck, Siete Pecados, and Banol beach.

Lobster Sashimi at Two Seasons Palawan

Build your own food concept now at BGC

Looking for a casual dining place that will satisfy both your appetite and your creativity? Your search is now over with the opening of the newest branch of Project Pie at Bonifacio Global City (BGC), the only artisan-inspired bistro that gives diners the free reign to design and build their own pizza, pasta and salad.

Apart from its tasty offerings, guests to the new BGC branch will also enjoy the fresh, cool and Instagram-worthy vibe of this newest store. Project Pie has been a crowd favorite of Filipino foodies since 2013 and now boasts of nine stores throughout Metro Manila. Unlike other food establishments, it encourages guests to use their ingenuity and individuality by empowering them to create their own flavor combinations. Diners can customize the signature pizza crust using any of the 32 toppings and ingredients. That way, they can guarantee that their pizza is truly their own.

To complement their build your own pizza program, the restaurant chain has also introduced its newest product – the Baked Chicken Wings. It is available in Buffalo Red, BBQ and Pesto Parmesan flavors. Enjoy your pizza, pasta and salad the way you want it. Visit its newest branch at BGC or have food delivered via foodpanda.ph.

Build your pizza and salad bar

New inflight menu unveiled

Cebu Pacific takes a step forward in enhancing passenger experience with the launch of its all-new inflight meal selection, in partnership with Miascor Catering, a joint business venture between Miascor Holdings and the leading airline catering provider in the world, Gate Gourmet. Starting September 2017, all domestic and international flights of the airline company will be offering a fresh selection of pre-ordered meals, including 12 new dishes up for grabs.

Ranging from rice meals, pasta and noodles, and premium sandwich packs, the new inflight menu was created exclusively by Miascor Catering to cater to the varied tastes and preferences of the CEB flier.

For delicately-flavored offerings, travelers can choose from Chicken Caesar Croissant, Chicken Alfredo Pasta, Baked Dory Tropicale, and Hazelnut Banana Croissant. Passengers who have a penchant for light and balanced flavors are sure to enjoy these meals under the Western Fusion series selection.

The Filipino series, on the other hand, is a reinvention of local favorites like the Beef Tapa & Egg Burrito, Pancit Bam-I Guisado, Beef Laing, and Spicy Bangus Sisig. Asia’s winning flavors are also included in the menu with Beef Chelo Kebab, Chicken Satay with Cashew Nut Sauce, and CEB’s own spin to the salted egg craze—Salted Egg Glazed Chicken Rice and Salted Egg Chicken in Baguette.

"Guests can easily pre-order the new CEB Meals during booking, or up to 24 hours before their flights. These new inflight dishes are prepared only when pre-ordered, to provide guests with fresh and delectable meals at 35,000 feet,” said Candice Iyog, Vice President for Marketing and Distribution.

Cebu Pacific’s new on-board pleasers are all Halal-certified, and adhere to the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) system for international food safety. Moreover, these dishes come with nutritional and product information, as reference for an increasing number of health-conscious passengers on CEB.

Enjoy the full experience of travel with these newest offering of flavors on board Cebu Pacific.

Taste the world

Satisfy your cravings with a taste of the best dishes from all around the world, only at the newly opened Epilogue Fine Bistro at S Maison, Mall of Asia.

Epilogue, a concept rooted in kodawari, the Japanese dedication to craft and mastery, boasts of experienced chefs who all practice kodawari and have trained extensively in different parts of the world to become masters in their chosen culinary specialty.

Have a fill of delectable breads and pastries by head baker Tomohide Ono, who has been a pastry chef for 20 years, working in famous bakeries in Japan, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. Then, immerse yourself in Chef Hayato Mitsuhashi’s Italian cuisine that includes gnocchi, risotto, and pasta, made perfect by his extensive trainng in various Italian restaurants in Japan, Indonesia, and Italy for over 14 years.

You can also savor the Steak Master Chef Sorimachi’s excellent steaks and sides created to suit the Filipino palate. Chef Sorimachi has over 20 years of experience working in well-known teppanyaki steakhouses in Japan, and now runs his own steakhouse in Jakarta, Indonesia.

French cuisine expert Chef Hiroyuki Meno only brings Michelin-worthy dishes to Epilogue, as he has honed and perfected his craft working in various Michelin-starred restaurants such as the Domaine Les Haut Roches in Loire, France, Le Pont de Ciel in Osaka, Japan, and L’Auberge De L’ill in Tokyo, Japan. He was also the executive chef of Brasserie Paul Bocuse and one-star Maison Paul Bocuse in Tokyo.

Seal your extraordinary experience with mouthwatering cakes created by award-winning pastry chef Chef Ishihara who has 30 years of experience in France, Japan, and Indonesia.

Chef Kenji Ishihara and Chef Minoru Sorimachi are Epilogue’s outstanding Chef Directors. Epilogue is a homegrown brand under the Food Revolution Group. Dine at Epilogue at G/F S Maison, Conrad Manila, Ocean Drive, Mall of Asia, Pasay City.

Enjoying screen time with chocolates

Still cannot get over the recent blockbuster superhero flicks or already missing your favorite series on VOD? Call up your friends and loved ones because this calls for binge watching!

Fluff your pillows, turn on the AC and prepare blankets and tissues. Bring out the stacks of awesome movies and TV series that will have everyone laughing, crying, or leaving them in shock and get your phones ready to snap, post and share every fun moment.

But wait a minute, you must never forget the highlight of your screentime - the snacks! Not satisfied with a simple batch of buttered popcorn?Open up a bag of fun with M&M's, an ideal screen time graze-snack companion!

The brand is once again bringing you spontaneous fun through the M&M’s Screenbite Awards. Share your screen time moments and get a chance to win a trip for two to Universal Studios Japan, a lot of chocolates, movie tickets or exclusive merchandise.

All you need to do is to visit the Screenbite Awards website, Screenbiteawards.com. Take a photo or video of you and your friends’ reactions while watching a TV series, movie, or any video on any screen (e.g. TV, Mobile, Laptop) and snacking on M&Ms. Multiple entries are allowed so keep on posting to get more chances of winning.

Cookie and chocolate in one

A classic joyful treat, Cadbury Dairy Milk levels up your favorite smooth and chocolatey bar by adding a familiar crunch to your snacking time. Now in Manila, the brand welcomes Oreo into the mix and indulges your chocolate fixation.

This new flavor comes with the smooth and chocolatey goodness of Cadbury Dairy Milk and crunch of Oreo, creating a duet of two well-loved brands that will entice you to give in even more. It's definitely a perfect fit for chocolate and cookie lovers alike.

At times you want to break some dull moments or give yourself a quick pick-me-upper, have a Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo to change your day. Experience this delectable new offering from two of your well-loved brands now. Finally, free the joy with Cadbury Dairy Milk Oreo, available at supermarkets and convenience stores nationwide.

Brighten Mid-Autumn Festival with handmade mooncakes

Prepared using traditional molds by Chef Wong Sing To, these treats are a delicious symbol of unity and harmony in gatherings. Bite into New World Makati Hotel’s assortment of mooncakes in four flavors—White Lotus, Red Lotus, Red Bean, and Five Seed—elegantly packaged in stylish boxes, perfect for gift-giving and sharing with friends, family and colleagues.

According to ancient Chinese history, the moon stands out and shines brightest as the autumn harvest comes to a close. This signals the start of the Mid-Autumn Festival where feasts are widespread and the men are full of thanksgiving, love and happiness.

BrandSpace Articles

Food and Leisure

8 long weekend food adventures to try