Justice is served!

Hip, fresh, and fashionable US tween brand Justice opened its first flagship store in the Philippines. Moms and tweens had a field day going through racks of cool accessories and funky apparel at the packed store opening of Justice.

The brand was brought to the country by Retail Specialist Inc., which also owns Florsheim, Naturalizer, Bossini and Mayoral. It caters to girls from seven to 14 years old. The Philippine store is its first branch in Asia.

Rafael Dominguez, Retail Specialist Inc. senior vice president and general manager, said, “What attracted us to the brand were the amazing range of its products, its designs, the quality and value for money. Tweens didn’t really have a lot of choices before — what was only available to them was either too girly or too grown-up. When we first saw Justice in the US, we got that feeling of  ‘This is it!’ right away.”

During the launch, models sashayed in trendy outfits that revealed the brand’s unique and fresh approach to tween fashion — fun but feminine, cute but cool, sweet but stylish. Justice promises to be the ultimate shopping destination for tweens.

(Located at the 4th floor, East Wing, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City.)

For burger lovers

The Moment Group (composed of Abba Napa, Jon Syjuco and Eliza Antonino who own ‘Cue) launched BurgerBar in Greenbelt 2 and instantaneously word spread about how good the burgers were in this old-fashioned burger joint. Aside from freshly made burgers, it also serves milkshakes, truffle Parmesan fries, skin-on-wedges among others.

The group introduced the idea of custom-made beef blends at BurgerBar where all homemade patties are freshly prepared on site daily. These are the Beef Bomb (chuck and short rib), a great all-around fresh patty with nutty flavor; the Steak Cut (sirloin and chuck), which has a rich taste that pairs well with sharp and tangy toppings; the Big Game (hanger and brisket), a patty of bold and aged beef flavors; and the House Blend, a straightforward, meaty, juicy classic burger, which happens to be my favorite. The group also believes in the joy of the double patty, which the team has brought to the fore at BurgerBar. Abba, Jon and Eliza have made sure all the burgers at the restaurant come in single or double patty options.

Diners can make their own burger. They can also choose from an extensive list of add-ons such as bacon jam, crispy fried leeks, fried egg, Gorgonzola cheese, feta cheese, mushrooms, BBQ aioli, harissa and chili beef. The restaurant also aims to offer alternatives like a pepper gravy burger steak in a rice bowl.

(BurgerBar is located at the ground floor of Greenbelt 2.  Check out Facebook.com/burgerbarph or call

02-625-2792 or 0917-539-9661.)

Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

I recently left Manila one weekend to attend St. Patrick’s Day at La Laguna Beach Club in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. It was a good way to spend the weekend catching up with some Irish friends on the island… and it was one long weekend of drinking! 

The highlight, of course, was the sumptuous lunch and the endless drinks. I say endless because the drinking session lasted until the following morning; it has always been the case every year at La Laguna.  The place was full as expected, with several guests flying in from all over the region to join this yearly tradition. From what I heard, the place is already fully booked for next year’s celebration of St. Patrick’s Day!

That weekend, the garden of the resort was adorned with balloons depicting the colors of the Irish flag. Several Irish sayings were stapled on the trees. The men were all given free St. Patrick’s Day 2013 shirts with some guests lucky enough to get the leprechaun’s hat and beard, which they gamely donned for the day. The huge lechon (roast pig) was the highlight of the lunch, which was served with Guinness Stout from Ireland. 

As the lone Filipino in the event, I guess I was excused for not being able to drink as much as the Irish did that weekend. But that won’t stop me from joining the wonderful Irish festivities again next year!

(For reservations and inquiries, call 043-287-3181

or 0917-794-0323. E-mail [email protected] or visit its web page at www.llbc.com.ph.)