Dining In/Out (12/08/22)

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Holiday Inn and Suites Makati serves Starbucks

THE HOLIDAY Inn and Suites Makati is now the first hotel in the Philippines to serve Starbucks coffees within the hotel premises. This has been made possible with the introduction of the “We Proudly Serve Starbucks” Coffee Program at the hotel lobby bar, the Citron Café. The Citron Café has been a favorite spot for morning and afternoon meetings and even walk-in guests can enjoy their Starbucks coffee anytime of the day at the lobby lounge. The premium coffee brand will also be available for in-room dining and for meetings and events. We Proudly Serve Starbucks at Citron Café is open daily from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. from Sunday to Thursday, and 8 a.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday.

Holidays at New World Makati Hotel

NEW World Makati Hotel celebrates the holidays while giving back to the community through “A Season that Sustains,” which ranges from a 25-foot Christmas tree adorned with compostable wood, abaca rope, and paper ornaments, to room packages that come with upcycled coffee capsules as take-home tree décor. There are dining experiences as well as gifting options at the hotel, from hearty Christmas and New Year dinners at the Café 1228 buffet restaurant, to special set menus at the premium Chinese outlet, Jasmine, and gift-worthy sweets and treats at The Shop. Meanwhile, every room stay from December until Jan. 1 is equal to one raffle entry to the A Season of Stays Holiday Giveaway raffle. Among the prizes up for grabs are stays in the Rosewood Hotel Bangkok, Rosewood Hotel Phu Quoc, Rosewood Hotel Phnom Penh, and New World Hoiana Hotel. Stays and dining experiences at New World Makati Hotel are also being raffled off. Guests spending Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day at the hotel will receive customized tree ornaments made from used coffee capsules by NVC Foundation. Proceeds benefit the foundation’s feeding program for undernourished children from all over the Philippines. On Dec. 24 and 25, a Christmas activity and play area will be at the ballroom from 2 to 6 p.m. with inflatable games, a kiddie salon, and a cupcake and cookie decorating class. Those staying for New Year’s Eve also get a 10% discount to the countdown party at the ballroom. The hotel also has room packages from Dec. 1 to Jan. 8 excluding Christmas and New Year. All of New World Makati Hotel’s offers this holiday season can be viewed through the digital brochure: .��

Tagaytay Highlands holiday happenings

TAGAYTAY Highlands is gearing up to be the go-to holiday destination south of the metro. The mountain resort community is primed to let its residents, their families, and their guests enjoy a relaxing holiday break. Festive Club events await homeowners and their guests. There will be a Christmas Party for Kids at The Sports Center Hall on De. 17. On Dec. 27 to 31, a Christmas Bazaar will be set up in the Highlands Golf Parking Area. To welcome the year with a bang, Tagaytay Highlands will have a New Year’s Eve Countdown at The Sports Center Hall on Dec. 31. Several Chapel events will likewise be held. Aside from the final two celebrations of the Four Sundays of Advent on Dec. 4, 11, and 18; there will be the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Mass on Dec. 8; the traditional Simbang Gabi from Dec. 15 to 23, and Christmas masses on Dec. 24 and 25. To wrap up the year 2022, members of the mountain resort community can go to mass on Dec. 30, for the Feast of the Holy Family. The chapel will also welcome 2023 with masses on New Years’ Eve (Dec. 31) and New Year’s Day (Jan. 1). For inquiries and other information, interested buyers may access Tagaytay Highlands’ Facebook ; Instagram @tagaytayhighlandsofficial; and website, .

Rico’s Lechon opens in Festival Mall

RICO’s Lechon has opened its first-ever branch in the south of Metro Manila. The new Festival Mall branch opened on Dec. 3 to serve communities in the south, from Alabang, Parañaque, Las Piñas, and beyond. The Festival Mall branch includes a dining area that can accommodate up to 100 customers and also a take-out counter for those who wish to take their orders to-go and feast at home. Aside from its best-selling lechon (roast pig), Rico’s Lechon has other Filipino traditional dishes such as the fried rice trio featuring Filipino favorites — danggit, tuyo, and tinapa (varieties of dried and smoked fish). Other food offerings are lechon sisig (sizzling chopped pig face), monggo (mung bean soup), and seafood kare-kare (peanut-based stew), which are also a crowd-favorite. Currently, Rico’s Lechon is present in seven branches in Metro Manila and four sites in its hometown of Cebu. Rico’s Lechon branches will open soon at Zentrum Mall in Mandaluyong City and Il Corso Lifemalls in Cebu City. Pre-order for pick-up and delivery by contacting Rico’s Lechon Fulfillment Center at 0917-814-7648 or 7799-0810 or at the Festival Mall branch at 0917-112-8309.��

The Sheraton Latté Art Throwdown Manila

THE QUEST for the best latté artist in the metro commenced at Sheraton Manila Bay as it held the first ever inter-school Latte Art Throwdown Manila Competition at &More by Sheraton on Nov. 26. The Latté Art Throwdown aims to create a platform for student baristas to showcase their latté art skills and to establish &More by Sheraton as the premier coffee authority in Manila. Student baristas from Lyceum of The Philippines Manila (Christian Mitch Ricafort), Jose Rizal University (Jason Trono), Enderun Colleges (Marianne Antonette Zamudio), and the Philippine School of Business Administration (Godwin Arellano) competed for the championship. The panel of judges was composed of Ulyssa Visda of Allegro Beverage, Shamgar Braza of Pukaw Coffee Tools, and Saudi Latté Art Competition Gold Medalist Jose Lozano III. Godwin Arellano of the Philippine School of Business Administration won, taking home the Manila Latte Art Trophy along with a certificate for Pre-Dinner cocktail for two persons at Pacific Lounge and a two-day personalized coffee training with &More by Sheraton Coffee Master Ronnie Sararana. &More by Sheraton is at Sheraton Manila Bay, M. Adriatico cor. Gen. Malvar Streets, Malate, Manila. For reservations call 5318-0788 or e-mail r[email protected].��

Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria celebrates the season

CELEBRATE the season of giving with the Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria’s Christmas offerings. Sweet goodies, party trays and bountiful Christmas hampers, among other items can be found at the e-store at . Meanwhile, the hotel’s Holiday Package rate start at P8,088 net per room per night inclusive of Buffet Breakfast, Christmas Welcome Amenity, and P2,000 Food and Beverage Credits. For reservations and inquiries, call 8790-3100 or e-mail [email protected] .

SaladStop! Philippines marks 8^th year

THE SINGAPORE-BASED healthy food chain SaladStop! first opened its doors in 2009, eventually expanding throughout the globe with branches in Singapore, the Philippines, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Spain, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Spain. In 2014, SaladStop! opened its first Philippine store in Central Square in Bonifacio Global City and is currently operating over 10 stores in Metro Manila. On its 8th year, SaladStop! expands with more branches outside of the Metro and introduces new holiday products before the year ends. SaladStop! Has opened a new branch in Solenad 3 Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna, and will open this month at SM Grand Central, Caloocan. Making a comeback this month is the seasonal White Christmas, a salad of romaine, kale, walnut snow, chicken ham, grapes, green apples, croutons, and Quezo de Bola dressing. Available both as a salad and wrap, it can also be ordered as a party tray. This seasonal favorite is available at SaladStop! stores or via Grab, Foodpanda, or through a three-day or five-day plan from Daily Bowls by SaladStop! at saladstop.pickup.ph. Adding a sweet ending to the holiday menu are new pastries that are available for a limited time only: White Chocolate Cranberry Cookie and the first vegan cookie in the menu, the Dark Chocolate Almond Cookie. Get them by the piece or in assorted boxes of six.

Conti’s offers breakfast

FOOD chain Conti’s Bakeshop and Restaurant has several choices for breakfast for dine-in, takeout, or delivery. They are Homemade Beef Tapa Strips and Mom’s Garlic Longganisa, both served with fried rice, eggs, and atchara or pickled ubod. A new addition to the breakfast menu is Adobo Omelette Fried Rice, featuring fried rice mixed with adobo chunks enveloped in a scrambled egg mixture and topped with garlic aioli. To complete the meal, it’s served with fresh salad on the side. An alternative is the Chorizo Omelette Fried Rice filled with chorizo sausage bits. For more health-conscious diners there’s Salmon Belly in Olive Oil, served with lemon rice, eggs, and pickled ubod. Another international-style breakfast option is Berry Brioche French Toast, a mix of brioche French toast slices, mixed berries compote, crispy bacon and egg, topped with a light drizzle of honey and a dollop of whipped cream. To know more about Conti’s Bakeshop & Restaurant visit or check out the Facebook (@contisph), Instagram (@contis_ph), and tikok (@contisph) pages.

Oreo partners with Blackpink

OREO, the cookie by Mondelēz International, is teaming up with South Korean girl group Blackpink for a ground-breaking Oreo x Blackpink collaboration. Fans of the iconic Oreo sandwich cookie and fans of Blackpink (known as BLINKs) can look forward to bespoke products and a slate of activities and engagements across platforms in Indonesia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and South Korea in 2023. The collaboration will be rolled out across key markets in successive waves, and will feature two distinctively Blackpink-inspired cookie variants. These products will hit the shelves of major retailers and e-commerce channels from early 2023, for a limited time only. Details of special Oreo x Blackpink activities and contests will be revealed shortly. Oreo has had previous collaborations with showbusiness superstars, including Oreo x Lady Gaga, a campaign that ran in the US, Canada and Europe in 2021. Oreo x Blackpink is exclusively for Asian markets. For details visit the Oreo Philippines’ official Facebook page at .

New Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza is Pizza Hut’s cheesiest

THE NEW Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza from Pizza Hut is made with seven different cheeses — mozzarella, cheddar, parmesan, cream cheese, Hokkaido milk cheese, gouda, and Emmental cheese — made more flavorful with a creamy sesame sauce. It comes on Pizza Hut’s newest crust, the Melty Cheese Crust, bite-sized pockets filled with Cheese Fondue, making it the cheesiest pizza in the Metro. The Melty Cheese Crust can be enjoyed with other pizza flavors. The Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza is available for P549 for a Regular pizza and P799 for a Large pizza, available for dine-in, take-out, and delivery through the 8-911-1111 hotline, the Pizza Hut website pizzahut.com.ph, the Pizza Hut app, as well as through GrabFood, foodpanda, and Pick.a.roo. For the holidays, Pizza Hut is bringing customers seven different Ultimate Cheesy 7 Pizza Combos, available for dine-in, takeout, and delivery via the 8-911-1111 hotline, the Pizza Hut website, and the Pizza Hut app.

Jollibee releases holiday treats

JOLLIBEE makes the holiday season sweeter with the launch of the Jollibee hopes to encapsulate the kind of Christmas celebration that Pinoys love whenever they visit Jollibee stores with the launch of the Sarap ng Pasko campaign. The brand released its “Sa Jollibee, Sarap ng Pasko” jingle and video to kick off the holiday season. Aside from the staple Jollibee favorites customers share — Chickenjoy, Jolly Spaghetti, and Burger Steak — new limited time offer products have been launched for holiday gatherings. These include Garlic Pepper Beef (P95), Crisscut Fries (P75). Also this holiday, Jollibee will be serving Choco Mallow Pie and Choco Crumble Sundae made with Kitkat. Available for a limited time only, these desserts can be enjoyed solo or paired with Jollibee meals. The Jollibee Choco Mallow Pie, with its signature crispy golden brown pie crust, is filled with a combo of rich chocolate and fluffy marshmallow. The Choco Mallow Pie is also available in Three Pies To-Go and Six Pies To-Go options. The Jollibee Choco Crumble Sundae made with Kitkat is the latest addition to its line-up of sundae desserts. It is creamy vanilla soft-serve ice cream topped with Kitkat bits, Kitkat spread, chocolate syrup, and a crunchy chocolate coating. These limited-time desserts are available in Jollibee stores for dine-in, take-out and drive-through, and delivery via the Jollibee Delivery App, JollibeeDelivery.com, #87000, GrabFood, and Foodpanda! Jollibee has also made it easier for customers to share the joy of the season. From Nov. 16 to Dec. 15, customers who order any of the participating Family Pans via the Jollibee App will be able to donate pans of the same variant to underprivileged families with the help of Jollibee Group Foundation and its partners. Farmer communities, homes for seniors and the differently abled are just some of the groups that will benefit from Jollibee’s Buy One, Gift One delivery promo.

Stocking-stuffers: Cream-O Premium cookies

STUFF those Christmas stockings with the new Cream-O Premium, which is the Cream-O Vanilla cookie sandwich that is made extra premium with a rich chocolate coating. It comes in single packs and a box of 12 that’s perfect for sharing. Cream-O Premium is available on Lazada, and supermarket and convenience stores.

A sugar shortage? Try Stevia.

FILIPINOS have a big sweet tooth, with all types of food, from desserts to savory dishes containing sugar as a key ingredient. This year, the country faced a deficit in sugar production, causing sugar to skyrocket to P100 per kilo, nearly twice as expensive as its cost last year. Stevia, a healthy alternative to sugar, can help Filipinos keep their dishes and lives sweet. Stevia is a natural sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar but has zero calories and does not cause spikes in blood sugar levels. A teaspoon of Stevia is equivalent to three teaspoons of refined sugar. Stevia improves food and beverages naturally, unlike sugar which has been linked to obesity and diabetes. Moreover, Stevia is considered nonglycemic, meaning it does not affect one’s blood pressure levels. More restaurants and other food businesses in the country are now using stevia as sweetener, able to sustainably sweeten their drinks and dishes. Stevia is readily available in the Philippines produced by the country’s first FDA approved Stevia manufacturing company, Glorious Industrial & Development Corp. (GIDC), the Stevia Company. Sweet & Fit Stevia, from GIDC, The Stevia Company is used as a natural sweetener and present in all the Glorious coffee, choco and iced tea mixes. GIDC is tapping the hospitality industry as well as the bakers’ association to introduce as well as explore ways on how to use stevia in its various products and sweet offerings. For more information, visit and .