Home Arts & Leisure Dining In/Out (04/25/24)

Dining In/Out (04/25/24)

White asparagus season at Old Manila

EMPERORS and kings put a high premium on white asparagus, which is why it has always been referred to as the 鈥淔ood of Kings.鈥 King Louis XIV of France, the Sun King, was so enamored of the tender young spears of white as-paragus, harvested as soon as they appear above ground, that he built special greenhouses so he could have a ready supply year-round. 鈥淔ortunately, these days you don鈥檛 have to be a king to enjoy white asparagus,鈥 said Ga毛l Kubler, Old Manila Chef de Cuisine, in a statement. The White Asparagus Festival returns to The Peninsula Manila鈥檚 Old Manila restaurant starting April 26. 鈥淥ld Manila鈥檚 seasonal menu will feature white asparagus which we have flown in fresh from France鈥檚 Landes region. They are a true celebration of springtime,鈥 said Mr. Kubler. For inquiries or reservations, call The Peninsula Manila at 8887-2888, ext. 6694 or e-mail [email protected] for Restaurant Reservations, or visit peninsula.com.

Lobsters at Solaire鈥檚 Fresh

ENJOY the feast at Fresh which has a seafood cascade of steamed lobster claw, citrus-poached lobsters, lemon sweet shrimp, ginger-steamed blue swimmer crab, and poached New Zealand black mussels in its buffet. But there is more. Three international chefs have created special lobster dishes for Fresh. Xu Fan, the chef behind the Michelin-starred Xujia Cuisine in Chengdu, created a Szechuan Boston lobster adorned with a Szechuan spicy umami dress-ing. Cristina Bowerman, Chef Patron of Glass Hostaria, a one-Michelin Star restaurant in Rome, created a poached lobster salad featuring Boston lobster with mixed lettuce, celery, and green apples in seaweed mayo. And Goh Fu-kuyama, the chef behind La Maison de la Nature Goh, which secured a spot in Asia鈥檚 50 Best Restaurants list and boasts a Michelin star, prepared a twist on the classic Boston lobster dish with Homard Tom Yum sauce. These lobster creations by chefs Xu Fan, Bowerman, and Fukuyama are available upon request and for dinner any day of the week at Fresh. For inquiries, call 8888-8888 or e-mail [email protected].

M&S Foodhall adds tea and coffee varieties

JUMPSTART mornings and make afternoon breaks more interesting with new Fairtrade teas and coffees from the Marks & Spencer (M&S) Foodhall. New treats include unique shortbread flavored M&S Luxury Gold Shortbread Biscuit Teabags and M&S Sticky Toffee Rooibos Infusion Teabags. For a refreshing, naturally caffeine-free and tropical tea, try the M&S Mango Pineapple & Lime Infusion Teabags. Meanwhile, the M&S Defence Teabags is a warming blend of citrus, manuka honey, and turmeric and ginger (which comes with a boost of Vitamin C). M&S Dreamy Infusion Teabags are there for bedtimes with its cozy blend of chamomile, valerian root, elderflower, and rose. On the coffee side, M&S Lazy Weekend Ground Coffee has notes of lemon and hazelnut, while M&S House Blend Ground Coffee has notes of caramel and berries. M&S Jump Start Ground Coffee is a little bit punchier. Shop in-store through the M&S Philippines Viber Community at bit.ly/MSPH-VC, or shop selected lines online on www.marksandspencer.com.ph. Marks & Spencer has 20 stores in the Philippines.

Jollibee launches Iced Mocha

JOLLIBEE is releasing its new Iced Mocha drink. Their freshly brewed coffee, made with 100% Arabica beans, is now mixed with creamy chocolate. The Iced Mocha is available in both regular and large sizes. A new Iced Mocha Float is also available. 鈥淢ore than that kick of caffeine, we now usually drink coffee for that mood-boosting feeling, and Jollibee鈥檚 new Iced Mocha is all about giving you the two contrasting experiences of rich, freshly brewed coffee and creamy chocolate, blended perfectly for that much-needed coffee break vibe,鈥 says Luis Berba, Marketing Director of Jollibee, in a statement. Jollibee Iced Mocha is priced at P60, and P75 for the Iced Mocha Float. Available for dine-in, takeout, or delivery via the Jollibee App, JollibeeDelivery.com, #87000, GrabFood, and Foodpanda.

Sprite throws a party

Sprite is throwing 鈥渢he freshest party of the season鈥 on April 27 and 28 at Flotsam and Jetsam, San Juan, La Union. Sprite has a lineup of activities for the party that will blast your 鈥渋nit meter鈥 (they made one). Highlights include a giant 30-foot bottle of Sprite blasting water, inflatable Sprite slides, and a Sprite Cooling Chamber. Celebrity Joshua Garcia will also be there. The details are available on Sprite Philippines鈥 official Facebook and Instagram pages or visit www.coca-cola.com/ph/en.