Tuesday, August 12, 2025

7-Eleven x Mister Donut Collab: Ever Imagined Your Favorite Slurpee® In A Doughnut?

Your favorite kapitbahay does it again. An innovative reimagining of a classic transformed in the newest and perhaps most creative snack time treat yet awaits at your trusted and always dependable neighborhood convenience store...

It's the often unexpected yet delightful surprises that keep you coming back again and again to your friendly neighborhood hotspot just to check on what's new or simply satisfy your cravings. This time, 7-Eleven pulls out one more tasty surprise from its bag of tricks with a bold and sweet take on Slurpee® for some indulgent bites with the Slurpee® Donuts in collaboration with Mister Donut. Available in Cotton Candy and Iskrambol, the new Slurpee® Donuts are an exciting addition to the tempting array of treats at 7-Eleven. Ready for a bite? Then, read on...

Sunday, August 10, 2025

A Private Omakase Feast By Chef Daniel Ken Miyamoto At Kappo In The Exclusive PVT Members Lounge

Shhhh...can you keep a secret? Spilling the tea on one of the metro's best kept dining destinations, revealed one exquisite course and plate at a time high up the vibrant Ortigas cityscape...


Exclusive. Members only. Private. Located forty floors above Ortigas at the elegant Exquadra Tower, Kappo at PVT Members Lounge offers an intimate and elevated dining experience unlike any other. Think of it as your own personal sanctuary far away and high above the hectic urban pace. And that view changes with the shifting light accompanying each dish to complete the experience. Membership does have its perks...

Friday, August 8, 2025

Love Lamb? Meat & Livestock Australia Lambassador Chef Robby Goco Serves Five Savory and Inventive Renditions at Souv by Cyma

I love lamb. Though it remains low on the protein hierarchy following pork, beef and chicken in local consumption, there are certain establishments that are leading the way in serving up excellent lamb renditions. One of the most common meats in global cuisines, lamb offers unique and hearty flavors yet it is rarely part of the home table's repertoire of savory dishes. And that's where Chef Robby Goco comes in. Meat & Livestock Australia Lambassador Chef Robby Goco fires up the kitchen at Souv by Cyma presenting countless flavorful possibilities with premium lamb for a satisfying alternative.

Renowned culinary personality and acknowledged master of everything lamb Chef Robby Goco presents his exquisite renditions inspired by a variety of cuisines including Spanish, Mexican and even local flavors for a fresh take on savory lamb dishes. Recognized as the country's first "Lambassador" for Meat & Livestock Australia, Chef Robby Goco flexes his culinary prowess with five inventive lamb creations deviating from his signature Greek style to showcase the versatility of the premium protein at Souv by Cyma (for more on Meat & Livestock Australia and Lambassador Chef Robby Goco, see my previous posts Lambtastic: Meat and Livestock Australia Appoints Chef Robby Goco As The First "Lambassador" For The Philippines from April last year and Lambtastic Quartet of Savory Richness At Souv by Cyma from late last year).

Wednesday, August 6, 2025

A Fresh Chapter Unfolds At The New Location Of Sugi Japanese Restaurant in Garden Towers Makati

Few restaurants in the metro's local and constantly evolving culinary scene have endured the test of time, and fewer still have reached the four decade milestone serving their signature cuisine. One of them is a very familiar name. For over forty years and counting, Sugi Japanese Restaurant has always been on the top of any list for exquisite and authentic Japanese cuisine, and a new chapter unfolds bringing the freshest flavors of the season...


Timeless, nostalgic, classic. Since the eighties, Sugi Japanese Restaurant led the upward trend in Japanese restaurants anchored on both quality and authenticity deeply embedding itself in Manila's culinary mainstream. Everyone I know has a story from the revered Japanese dining establishment from many years back including my own fond memories. But like the changing of seasons, a fresh and exciting chapter in its continuing story begins at its new location in Makati's Garden Towers. Read on for a reunion of familiar flavors and discover new dishes at Sugi Japanese Restaurant...

Friday, August 1, 2025

Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 Day 3: Bring On The Beef At Sinta

My culminating dinner at the Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 caps a memorable and successful second edition of the annual event with an exquisite savory feast at one of the southern dining destination's picturesque  locations. It was a fitting ending to solid and immersive three-day experience of vibrant flavors, celebrated and anchored on community and local pride. Welcome to Sinta...


The dramatic setting effortlessly weaves the place, cuisine and service in one elegantly effortless and seamless weave with panoramic views of the lake below. Delicately perched on a hillside slope for unobstructed views, Sinta by the PYC Foods Corporation (the same group behind high-end dining establishments in Manila including One World Deli, One World Butchers, The Tattooed Baker and Pardon My French) is one more chef-driven restaurant that's elevating the dining scene in Tagaytay. A purveyor of world-class gourmet products including premium beef in their restaurants and retail stores, it's no surprise Sinta curated an all-beef menu for the Tagaytay Food Festival 2025. Read on for a peek at the savory dishes from Sinta...

Thursday, July 31, 2025

Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 Day 3: From Cebu To Tagaytay, Anzani Ville Sommet's Mediterranean Flavors Shines At The Premier Southern Dining Destination

Acclaimed and award-winning Chef Marco Anzani leads the latest wave of chef-driven restaurants in the southern dining destination with the opening of Anzani Ville Sommet in Tagaytay. The entry of yet another stellar culinary institution to the growing roster of Tagaytay's dining attractions reaffirms its undisputed and much envied position as the culinary haven south of Manila. 


From Cebu to Tagaytay, Chef Marco Anzani brings his modern and contemporary spin with his bright and vibrant New Mediterranean Cuisine to Tagaytay's colorful tapestry of diverse flavors at Anzani Ville Sommet. This is Day 3 at the Tagaytay Food Festival 2025, by far the most immersive experience yet while unraveling the region's many complex layers of exquisite flavors. Read on for a taste of the sunny Mediterranean high up in foggy Tagaytay at Anzani Ville Sommet...

Wednesday, July 30, 2025

Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 Day 2: Unveiling The Food That Binds At The Fatted Calf x Restaurant Fiz Singapore Dinner Collaboration

The rich, diverse and multi-colored tapestry of Southeast Asian cuisine with distinct threads of culinary traditions paint a vivid palette of bold flavors that define the region in the global table. Yet behind all the complex blend of spices, aromatics and indigenous ingredients lies a subtle even nuanced and seemingly invisible weave that ties and links our unique culinary cultures in a much larger more complex quilt. This is the food that binds, masterfully executed with each exquisite course at The Fatted Calf x Restaurant Fiz collab...

Chefs JajJay Sycip and Rhea Castro Sycip of The Fatted Calf and Hafizzul Hashim of Singapore's Restaurant Fiz take us on a deep and immersive exploration with Malaysian and Filipino cuisine finding common threads in an exquisite collaboration for the recent Tagaytay Food Festival. In a lavish multi-course feast, the chefs revealed threads of shared ingredients, techniques and flavors that ties Malaysian and Filipino cuisine together in a mutual homage and respect for tradition. Read on and find your seat for a unique one-time only dining experience at The Fatted Calf...

Tuesday, July 29, 2025

Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 Day 2: Food For Thought, A Heritage Lunch Buffet At Taal Vista Hotel's The Veranda and Sumptuous Sunset Sessions

The heavy fog and continuous rains up in Tagaytay failed in holding back the infectious enthusiasm of Tagaytay's tightly-knit community of chefs, restaurateurs, farmers and producers. Rain or even more rain, the organizers had a full itinerary lined up. 


The events of the day before still lingered as you wake up to another rainy day in Tagaytay. Not that I hate the rain, in fact the thick fog brings its own captivating spell to the southern dining destination. Today's festivities include an insightful session with industry stalwarts and yes, more feasts to celebrate Tagaytay Food Festival 2025's theme of The Food That Binds revealing even more complex layers in Tagaytay's ever evolving food and restaurant scene. But first, breakfast...

Monday, July 28, 2025

Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 Day 1: Celebrating The Food That Binds with Tradition and Creativity

How far would you go for the food you love? Three memorable days in Tagaytay proved that no distance is far enough to deter you from the food you love, not even the constant rains and fog could dampen your craving. More than nourishment, the food that sustains us also binds us together shaping and defining our culture and identity. In a celebration of creativity and community, the Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 edition reminds us once more how food reconnects us with the land, produce and local culture from the simplest staple to intricate expressions. 


From July 18 to 20, the famed southern region showcased its full tapestry of colorful flavors from traditional local and international cuisine to modern contemporary executions in a lavish display of regional pride. Chefs, restaurateurs, farmers, producers and brands eagerly responded to the call to represent the very best of Tagaytay as the premier dining destination down south of Manila in a unified and collaborative celebration. The first in a series of five posts, here's a look back at the Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 retracing the memorable events from Day 1...

Sunday, July 27, 2025

Boosting NextGen Tourism: PHILTOA Officially Launches 36th Philippine Travel Mart

The country's most anticipated travel expo is formally launched setting the stage with renewed vision and purpose and a continuing commitment to enhancing the travel experience. Driven by sustainability, digitization, inclusivity and health & wellness, this is your gateway to a more meaningful experience with the wonders of travel...


At the exclusive preview held at The Peninsula Manila, the Philippine Tour Operators Association (PHILTOA) reaffirms its commitment to innovation, sustainability, inclusivity and wellness redefining an industry that's more connected, responsible, future-ready and more in-tune to the new generation of travelers with the theme Boosting NextGen Tourism. These will be showcased at the 36th Philippine Travel Mart scheduled for September 5-7, 2025 at the SMX Convention Center. Make your travel plans, and let PHILTOA show you the way...