For the love of life & sports

With a rich past that speaks of boldness, color and design, Fila is also known for its unwavering support to social causes.

The company’s annual Fila Polo Cup at the Manila Polo Club was held recently to support iSport Life Ministries, a non-profit subsidiary of iSport Life Inc. Fila Philippines is headed by chairman Butch Albert and president and CEO Cris Albert.

This year’s Polo Cup was for the benefit of Operation Compassion and iFoster, a campaign that aids in the foster care of children who are waiting for their permanent home.

The event kicked off with an opening match for the low-goal that led to the victory of the Red Team composed of Butch Albert, Jun Juban, Jose Constantino and Anthony Filamor. Meanwhile, the match for high-goal game was won by the White Team composed of Jimboy Dulay, Tommy Bitong, Iñigo Zobel and Manot Montilla.

Guests enjoyed spring rolls, quesadillas, an assortment of bread and more while cheering for their favorite teams and players.

The program started with an invocation from Pastor Jun Camcam followed by the singing of the national anthem by Cris Villonco. Butch Albert gave the opening remarks while the ceremonial throw-in was by Cris Albert and Manila Polo Cup president Isabel Caro Wilson.

After all the games, a parade of waiters carrying various wines followed before the guests partook of a sumptuous dinner buffet. The night was capped with a beautiful fireworks display.

A gastronomic feast at Nobu

World-renowned chef Nobu Matsuhisa recently came back to Manila to host a one-night gastronomic event at his eponymous restaurant at the City of Dreams Manila.

Chef Nobu gained world attention for infusing Japanese cuisine with Peruvian influence. His culinary empire spans 37 restaurants across five continents.

I was excited about his special eight-course Omakase dinner. If you’re familiar with terms like “oyster tiradito” or “aji amarillo,” chances are you’ve read or possibly own one of Nobu’s cookbooks. I own three of them.  Frankly, they are some of the easiest to follow cookbooks ever published and the ingredients are easily available in Manila. I got my first (signed and dedicated) cookbook from my best friend in Dubai, my second cookbook was when I finally met him personally in Nobu Tokyo and my third was this time in Manila. All my books are signed and Chef Nobu has always been friendly to me, every time I see him.  Chef Nobu was in fact responsible for getting his business partner, award-winning actor Robert de Niro, to pose for a photo with me!

It was a joy to eat with my aunt Micky Fenix (one of my favorite eating partners) and City of Dreams PR asset Charisse Chuidian. That night’s menu consisted of Toro Tartar with caviar and wasabi soy sauce, Oyster Tiradito, assorted Nobu-style sushi — blue fin tuna, shima aji, shrimp with crispy head, and atsuyaki tamago; Cherry Blossom “sakura-dai” snapper dry miso, sashimi salad with fluke, kampachi, Tasmanian ocean trout and jalapeño dressing; roasted Chilean sea bass with truffle corn aji amarillo; grilled Japanese A5 wagyu with black garlic soy mirin reduction and roasted umami vegetables; Akadashi soup with asari clam and nameko mushrooms. All press releases claimed the dessert was supposed to be a Green Tea Bento Box but what came out was some sort of tiramisu, which was almost too beautiful to eat. 

The courses were paired with French wines Pol Roger, Brut Réserve, Épernay, France NV; Clarendelle, Blanc, Bordeaux, France 2012; and Clarendelle, Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France 2008.

Nobu Hotel Manila general manager Marlon Hirsh, assisted by Nobu Manila restaurant manager Kenny Hernandez, welcomed the guests.

To accommodate as many Nobu followers, two sittings were made available, during which Chef Nobu signed his coffee table books, which included Nobu: The Cookbook, Nobu Now and Nobu’s Vegetarian Cookbook.

Every Nobu restaurant is a visual and culinary delight. The restaurant continues to receive unprecedented praise and positive reviews from publications such as the New York Times, the Zagat Surveys, and the Michelin Guides. Speaking of visual delight, just check the beauty of the food presentation in these photos I took. Believe me, each dish tasted as good as it looked in the photograph.

(Experience Nobu’s cuisine at City of Dreams Manila. For inquiries, call 800-8080, 691-2882 or e-mail [email protected]. Visit www.noburestaurants.com.)

Photos by Pepper Teehankee on a Canon PowerShot S120

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)