Dining In/Out (08/18/22)

New World’s Jasmine has handcrafted mooncakes

AS part of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jasmine at New World Makati Hotel celebrates the occasion with an assortment of mooncakes to give to loved ones and friends. These mooncakes come in four flavors — Red bean with double yolk, Red lotus with double yolk, White lotus with double yolk, and Five kernel (watermelon seeds, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, and peanuts) — encased in gold, yellow, and brown packaging with an embossed gold stamping. These come in a box of two for P1,488 and a box of four for P2,488 net. Jasmine is offering a discount of 10% for Club Epicure members and for bulk orders of 50 boxes or more. Pick-up of orders is until Sept. 30. For more information or to place an order, go to the online order form link: https://bit.ly/NWMJasmineMooncakes, call 811-6888 ext. 3679 or message on the Viber app at 0917-888-4194.

Experience Singapore at Sofitel

DISCOVER and explore Singapore’s diversity of food and culture at Sofitel Manila this month of August. Sofitel Manila brings authentic and widely flexible flavors of the Singaporean cuisine at Spiral and its cloud kitchen’s Spiral at Home and EasyPeasy. The month-long Singaporean fest at Spiral also highlights fusion dishes from China, Malaysia, and India with an elevated menu  Sambal Prawn, Singaporean Chili Crab, Hokkien Mee, and many more. Experience Singapore at Spiral for the whole month of August starting at P3,100 net for lunch, and P3,900 net for dinner. Enjoy a 20% pre-festive treat across Spiral’s 21 dining ateliers every lunch and dinner from Mondays to Wednesdays. Take the authentic flavors from the Singaporean coast and regions to the comfort of your home this month with Spiral at Home’s Singaporean DIY Laksa Kit, available for P750 net, with 50% off when you buy a second kit. Pre-order of at least three days prior to pick-up schedule is required. Try out Singapore’s famous Hawker dishes from Easy Peasy available for the whole month of August. Enjoy the Hawker Bundle set plate featuring Hainanese Chicken Rice and CharKuay Teow. Available for P1,000 net per bundle. For inquiries and reservations at Spiral, Spiral at Home, and Easy Peasy, call 8832-6988 or e-mail H6308-FB12@sofitel.com. You may also order via www.spiralathome.com. You may also order via easypeasymanila.com or via Grab, FoodPanda or Pickaroo.

Grand Hyatt Manila offers mooncake collection

THE GRAND Hyatt Manila welcomes the Mid-Autumn Festival with a luxury mooncake collection in five flavors, handcrafted by the hotel’s Chinese chefs from its premier Chinese restaurant, No. 8 China House. This year’s flavors include the traditional white lotus and red bean, along with contemporary confections such as black sesame, ube (purple yam), and white lotus with salted egg yolk. These sweet and savory creations are presented in an elegantly designed gift box, making it a perfect gift for family, friends, and business partners. The single mooncake is priced at P388 and the box of four is P2,388 net. Grand Hyatt Manila’s Mooncake Collection is available until Sept. 10 at Florentine, located in the hotel lobby. Guests may also order online through Dine at Home at bit.ly/DineAtHomeGHM. For bulk orders with a minimum of 20 boxes, 48-hours notice is required. Receive a complimentary delivery to one location within Metro Manila for 50 boxes and above. For inquiries and orders, call 8838-1234 or e-mail manila.grand@hyatt.com.

Poetry and craft beers at Sheraton Manila Bay

THE PHILIPPINES is a country rich in culture, arts, and cuisine. Sheraton Manila Bay showcases all these and will put the spotlight on all things Filipino with a one night-only event entitled “ALAB: Poetry, Craft Beers, & More,” happening at the hotel’s newest food and beverage hub, &More by Sheraton, on Aug. 25, from 7 p.m. onwards. The event highlights the beauty Filipino language through oral poetry performances by poets of Spoken Word Manila and the beats of the kulintang as performed by Filipina percussionist Tusa Montes. For P790++ per person, foodies and art enthusiasts can enjoy two craft beers from Crazy Carabao and a Filipino-fusion bar chow platter. Diners will also have access to the LikhAngono Painting Exhibition featuring select artworks from youth artists of Angono, Rizal, in cooperation with JAV Talent Unlimited Foundation. &More by Sheraton is located in the Main Lobby of Sheraton Manila Bay, M. Adriatico cor. Gen Malvar Sts. Malate. For reservations, call 5318-0788 or e-mail reservations.manilabay@sheraton.com.

Seattle’s Best collaborates with Beyond Meat

SEATTLE’S Best Coffee has unveiled its newest collaboration with plant-based meat purveyor Beyond Meat: the new SBC Beyond Big Plate, Beyond BBQ Chipotle Burger, and Beyond All-Day Breakfast Wrap. The Beyond Big Plate is a full meal that consists of a freshly cooked Beyond Meat patty served with egg, wheat bread, grilled tomato, and gravy sauce on the side. The Beyond BBQ Chipotle Burger is made with a Beyond Meat patty, chipotle seasoning, BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, and sliced cheddar cheese in a burger bun. The Beyond All-Day Breakfast Wrap is a tortilla wrap filled with sautéed Beyond Meat with cheesy scrambled egg and garlic aioli. Pair these with Seattle’s Best’s Cream Cheese Delight Collection: Hot Java Cream Cheese, Iced Java Cream Cheese, and Mango Cream Cheese Ice Blend. Available in select Seattle’s Best Coffee branches nationwide, these three new offerings can be ordered for dine-in, take-out, pick-up, and delivery through Facebook Messenger, Grabfood, foodpanda, and Pickaroo.

Coffee at the Shang

SHANGRI-LA Plaza mall in Mandaluyong has a plethora of coffee shops. Toby’s Estate (L2 Main Wing) is a favorite among many with its unique design. While there, savor some of their offerings from long black to flat white, or straight up get a single or double at their espresso bar. Then there is 26th Street Bistro by Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (L5 East Wing) which is conducive to hanging out, and has drinks that visitors keep coming back for, including vanilla latte, caramel ice blended, and ultimate mocha. Darker tones and a sleek design make Bo’s Coffee Primo (L3 Main Wing) a great spot to chill. The brand supports local coffee farmers and social enterprises, so drinking their homegrown brews and signatures like the cold white brew and iced creamy latte allows everyone to help as well. For coffee after dining, Café Lyon (L1 Main Wing) has a pretty extensive beverage list. Savor a macchiato or get something dessert-like such as an affogato once done enjoying their hot dishes or French-inspired menu items. Duck & Buvette (L2 Main Wing) has brought Intelligentsia coffee to Manila. This coffee from Chicago, Illinois, is hailed as one of the big three leaders of the third wave coffee movement. Everyone loves the homey atmosphere and comfort food of Mary Grace Café (L4 Main Wing), and what better way to relax a bit longer than getting a cup of their muscovado cappuccino. Lemongrass (L1 Main Wing) offers rich and flavorful Vietnamese coffee, a satisfying way to end lunch or dinner. In a hurry? Auntie Anne’s (L5 Main Wing) is famous for its pretzels but offers hot brewed coffee roasted by Figaro as well. For the classic pairing of doughnuts and coffee, Cello’s Doughnuts (L5 Main Wing) has every brew from Gibraltar to a dirty latte, while Dunkin’ Donuts (LG Main Wing) is as well known for their doughnuts as their coffee. Krispy Kreme (L1 Main Wing) has quite a line-up of coffee offerings to match their doughnut creations. Of course, there is Starbucks (L6 Main Wing) and Figaro Coffee (L5 Main Wing).

L’OR Coffee now in PHL

L’OR Coffee has officially landed in the Philippines, offering a wide range of products. These come in two formats: L’OR Essenso Instant Mix and L’OR Espresso Capsules. The L’OR Essenso Instant Mix Blends are made from 100% Arabica coffee beans, crafted with microground coffee. Meanwhile, the L’OR Espresso Capsules are especially developed for an intensely aromatic cup, made using airtight aluminum capsules. They are compatible with Nespresso coffee machines. Learn more about L’OR Espresso Philippines on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LOREspressoPH.

NLEX Drive & Dine updated

MPT Mobility, the innovations arm of Metro Pacific Tollways Corp., has transformed the NLEX Drive&Dine into a relaxing and must-visit Toll Service Facility (TSF) along North Luzon Expressway (NLEX). There drivers will find a wide selection of premium retail stores, restaurants, a convenience store, and a fuel station. Those who seek a unique retail therapy session will find the Philippines’ biggest Nike Factory Store, Levi’s, Giordano, Casio, A+ Premium Tech Depot, and more. The restaurants include Banapple, Hap Chan, Café France, Brother’s Burger, JT’s Manukan, Yellow Cab, Tokyo Tokyo, Kenny Rogers, and Chowking, and snack purveyors Dunkin Donut, Cinnabon, Macao Imperial Tea, ChaChaGo, Turks, Empanada Nation, and Famous Belgian Waffle. Motorists in a hurry can opt for drive-through fare from fast-food chains like McDonald’s, KFC, and Starbucks. Set to open this year are Subway, Tealive, Fiorgelato, Chimney Cake (the Philippines first branch), and Bloom & Baker. NLEX Drive&Dine also caters to travelers’ comfort with well-maintained and air-conditioned restrooms. It is also is the first TSF to be fully powered by Maya, allowing motorists and visitors to go cashless. The NLEX Drive&Dine is located in between the Valenzuela and Meycauayan exits along Southbound NLEX. Most establishments are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily with select stores open 24 hours.

Millennium Cooking adds a twist to cooking shows

KC Global Media Asiaannounced that the cooking reality show Millennium Cooking Philippines will premiereon Sept. 9, 8:20 p.m. on AXN as well as,AXN Asia’s YouTube channel. Millennium Cooking Philippines is the latest in AXN Asia’s local Original Productions in the Philippines, following My Hometown Is G.O.A.T. (2021) and Project GO (2020). Hosted by actor and celebrity restaurateur Matteo Guidicelli, the show will pit four inexperienced millennials against one another in a series of cook-offs. They will be challenged to recreate dishes demonstrated by three professional chefs. To complete the recipe for disaster and add more mayhem in the kitchen, the chefs will explain the whole process in their native foreign language. Presented by IKEA,Millennium Cooking Philippines was filmed at a kitchen showroom at IKEA Pasay City, the biggest IKEA store in the world. The competition’s winner will win P75,000 worth of IKEA home furnishings in addition to P25,000 in cash and a trophy. Competing are actor Raphael Robes, advertising and creative freelancer Michelle Yu, entrepreneur and vlogger Katrice Kierulf, and corporate executive Sonnie Guerrero. The chefs are Austrian Norbert Gandler of the International School for Culinary Arts and Hotel Management; Korean Lily MIn, author of K-Drama Cookbook (2020) and the entrepreneur behind Lily Lab Authentic K Food; and Swedish chef Andy Andersson, the Food Manager at IKEA Pasay City. Millennium Cooking Philippines will run for  six episodes. Each episode will be uploaded on AXN Asia’s YouTube channel an hour after its television premiere.