30 new exciting treats at Vask Tapas Room

I have been eating many times at Gallery Vask that I’ve sort of neglected one of my favorite restaurants in the metro, Vask Tapas Room. These two restaurants are right beside each other in Bonifacio Global City.

I almost forgot how good the food at Vask Tapas Room was until I dined there again recently. I tried out several of its 30 new dishes.

Chefs Chele Gonzalez, Carlos Villaflor and Ivan Saiz have all contributed to the expanded new menu. Some dishes, like the Rabo al Vino Tinto, are made from the recipes of Chele’s mother. Pictured dishes here are what I liked the most. 

My favorite appetizers were the Txipirones Croqueta and Cochinillo Taco. The squid croqueta had the mild, salty sea taste from the squid ink that made me devour the tiny croquette and ask for more.  The spiced suckling pig went so well with the mango salsa and bean mousse.

The 62-degree egg with foie gras was another killer dish where the flavors blended perfectly with the flaky puff pastry crumbs and silky mashed potatoes. Highly recommended for dessert were the deconstructed carrot cake and the rose watermelon sangria. I didn’t get to try all 30 dishes but I trust these three chefs to serve only the best. I am certain all of them are excellent!

Vask Tapas Room also offers a Sunday brunch where a group can order Option 1 (three cold tapas, three hot tapas, three main courses and three desserts) or Option 2 (four cold tapas, four hot tapas, three main courses plus steak and four desserts). Add a certain amount and one gets unlimited Cava. What a deal!

Do check out Vask Tapas Room’s new dishes. Don’t worry, our old favorites are still there, too!

(Vask Tapas Room is located at the 5th Floor of Clipp Center, 11th Avenue cor. 39th, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

For inquiries and reservations, call 0917-8065292.)

Join the swim movement

Summer is definitely over. The road to fitness, however, knows no season.

Speedo recently encouraged everyone to dive in and join the swim movement at the Samsung Hall in SM Aura Premier. The campaign unveiled the brand’s newest collection and a roster of young ambassadors.

Speedo Philippines’ new fitness ambassadors include runner Lauren Lim and yoga practitioner Katrina Mercado. They have joined the swimwear brand in challenging fitness enthusiasts to achieve a higher level of fitness by introducing swimming into their routine.

Jamie Cornforth, vice president of product and marketing at Speedo International, said, “Speedo wants to champion the sport of swimming and show how anyone who aspires to have a fit and healthy lifestyle should consider swimming as a fantastic fitness activity.”

Olympian Jasmine Alkhaldi, who continues to inspire young swimmers, came home for the launch; she just graduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She said,  “Swimming played a huge role in shaping who I am today, not just because of the accomplishments in the pool but also the life lessons and skills that I have learned in the sport. Lessons like hard work and resilience that I not only apply in training but also in different aspects of life. I learned the importance of teamwork and respect amongst your peers and coaches that will help you towards achieving goals and also contribute in shaping your character.”

The Speedo Fit campaign challenges swimmers to choose Speedo as their partner in getting fit in the pool. The swimwear brand has collaborated with the world’s leading athletes, coaches, sports scientists and physiotherapists to design swimwear that enables its users to achieve the perfect body position when swimming.

What is new with the Swim Fitness suit is its use of technology and design from the elite racing suit — Fastskin LZR Racer X. The Fastskin suits aim to offer a range of racing suits that not only work with your body shape but also meet your personal swimwear preferences. The LZR Racer X is Speedo’s latest innovation, which increases targeted compression and streamlines the body while support seams hold you higher in the water making you faster. The LZR Racer Elite 2 features all-over suit compression creating a streamlined shape in the water.

A ‘Wicked’ return

Prepare to be held spellbound once again!

Lunchbox Theatrical Productions and Concertus Manila are bringing back Stephen Schwartz’s Wicked to Manila. The Broadway and West End musical phenomenon returns on Feb. 2, 2017.

The incredible original production, which is coming direct from a multi record-breaking tour of the UK and Ireland, flies into The Theatre at Solaire for a special limited engagement as part of a major international tour.

Already the 19th longest-running show in West End theater history, the London production premiered on Sept. 27, 2006 (with previews from Sept. 7) and has played 4,000 performances at the Apollo Victoria Theatre.

Set in a spectacular and colorful fantasy world of wizards, witches, magic and spells, Wicked tells the story of an unlikely but profound friendship between a popular blonde girl called Glinda and a misunderstood, green-skinned girl named Elphaba. Filled with wonder and enchantment, this magical stage musical follows their extraordinary journey from sorcery students to becoming Glinda The Good and the Wicked Witch of the West from L. Frank Baum’s beloved tale The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

I’ve seen this musical five times. It is extremely entertaining and something the whole family will definitely enjoy! Do catch it on its second Manila run. I surely will watch it again!

Visa Credit, Debit and Prepaid cardholders can purchase tickets first with 10-percent discount in the Visa Entertainment presale now until Aug. 25.

Performance schedules are from Tuesday to Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.

(Ticket prices are Emerald P7,000, A Reserve P5,800, B Reserve P4,500, C Reserve P3,350, D Reserve P1,750. Ticket prices are exclusive of TicketWorld fees and Ticket Protect. Tickets are available at www.ticketworld.com.ph and all TicketWorld outlets. For bookings and more information, call 891-9999.)

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)