Dining In/Out (04/07/22)

Bistro Group opening 17 new stores in Ayala Malls

THE BISTRO Group continues its 25-year partnership with Ayala Malls by opening 17 of its 30 target openings this year at Ayala Malls. “We have a successful relationship, notwithstanding the challenges brought about by this pandemic. In fact, now that the economy is on a rebound, we are ready to expand in different Ayala Malls with the opening of more stores in different locations,” The Bistro Group’s President Jean Paul Manuud, said in a statement. To date, the company has 18 local and foreign restaurant brands with over 100 branches nationwide under its belt. The new Ayala Triangle will be home to The Bistro Group’s high-end concepts like Rumba (a local Mediterranean Spanish restaurant whose menu was created by chef Alfredo Rodriguez); Helm (the group’s exclusive, fine dining, degustation restaurant by chef Josh Boutwood) as well as Italianni’s. Coming soon is Olive Garden, a popular restaurant chain in the US serving Italian-inspired dishes, at Glorietta 3. The Bistro Group’s corporate executive chef, Josh Boutwood, will open his new concept restaurant, Ember, at Greenbelt 3 this month. This is Boutwood’s first foray into a mainstream, high traffic mall. Plans are also afoot for the expansion of Bistro’s existing brands, including Modern Shanghai at UP Town Center (UPTC), Greenbelt and Glorietta 3; TGIFridays at UPTC; Fish & Co. at UPTC and Glorietta 3; Watami at Glorietta 3; and El Pollo Loco at Greenbelt, Ayala Town Center, UPTC, Ayala 30th and Trinoma.

Power of No campaign against drunk driving launched

ACROSS the Asia Pacific region, an estimated 2,000 people die each day in road collisions — a third of which involve alcohol consumption as a contributing factor, with young adults at the highest risk. In the Philippines, an estimated 12,000 people die every year in road-related accidents — about 25% of which are related to the harmful consumption of alcohol. Moreover, many Filipinos remain unaware of the risks of drinking then driving — and that the effects of alcohol could kick-in once the motorist is on the road. This is the reason why the Alcoholic Beverages Alliance of the Philippines (ABAPI) and the Automobile Association of the Philippines (AAP), with endorsement from the Philippine National Police, have come together to amplify the message regarding the harm caused by drunk driving through the “Power of No” campaign. The regional campaign will be implemented in six countries: Cambodia, Laos, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam. It aims to reach 10 million young adults of legal drinking age over a six-week period that includes teaser videos, commercials, and other educational content materials which will be posted on Facebook pages for each country. Across the region, the Power of No campaign is led by the Asia Pacific International Spirits and Wines Alliance (APISWA), representing global spirits and wine producers, the Automobile Association of Vietnam (AA Vietnam, a member of the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile or FIA), creative agency Orès, with support from the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) and the European ASEAN Business Council (EUABC). While the first phase of the campaign is geared towards awareness-building and education through social media, ABAPI and AAP plan to work with partners and stakeholders to continue to educate young motorists and measure the campaign’s impact on behavior change. To learn more about Power of No, visit the campaign’s Facebook page or website.

Emirates’ signature Ramadan service returns

WITH the official start of the Holy Month of Ramadan, Emirates will once again be offering its signature Ramadan services onboard and on the ground for its fasting passengers, helping them travel better and catering to their special needs during this time. Onboard, customers breaking their fast across all cabin classes to select Emirates destinations can expect specially crafted, nutritionally balanced iftar meals served in bespoke boxes. The meals consist of freshly prepared grain-based cold salads and sandwiches accompanied with a variety of proteins, seedless dates, laban, water, mini Arabic bread, amongst other iftar essentials. The boxes will be served on flights to select destinations during times that coincide with iftar or sohour, on flights to and from the Gulf region as well as flights catering to Umrah groups traveling to Jeddah and Medina during the month of Ramadan. In addition, cold meals will be served in lieu of a hot one on all flights to Jeddah and Medina, including Umrah day flights. The boxes have also been designed to conveniently take away if customers wish to do so. Emirates’ iftar box will be served to complement the airline’s regular hot meal service, which will include a traditional soup option for First Class passengers on select flights to break their fast. The box contents will be refreshed on a weekly basis. To ensure accuracy for fasting Muslim passengers, Emirates uses a unique tool to calculate the correct timings for imsak (the time to commence fasting) and iftar while in-flight, based on the times of the sunrise and sunset of the location the flight is passing by using the aircraft’s longitude, latitude, and altitude. When the sun sets, passengers will be officially informed of the iftar time by the captain. For customers on the ground boarding during iftar and sohour times, trays of dates and water will be available at gates for several destinations. At the Emirates lounges in DXB, dates and coffee as well as Arabic style sweets will be offered during Ramadan. Emirates lounges are also all equipped with dedicated prayer rooms and ablution facilities for worship.

Mimi & Bros goes plant-based with new fare

MIMI & BROS continues to diversify its menu and this time around, it is launching its Plant-Based Chicken Sandwich and Plant-Based Burger. The Plant-Based Chicken Sandwich is made with a crispy plant-based chicken patty that is served in between buttery brioche buns, topped by Mimi & Bros’ secret sauce, American cheese, lettuce, and house-made pickles. The Plant-Based Chicken Sandwich is priced at P350 and is served with fries on the side. The Plant-Based Burger is made with a plant-based patty, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, white onions, and Mimi & Bros secret sauce, in between slightly toasted brioche buns and served with a side of fries. It is priced at P450. The restaurant is at Crossroads, 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City and is open for al-fresco dining. Mimi & Bros also delivers — send an order via Messenger on m.me/mimiandbros, through Viber at 0945-798-5176, or find Mimi & Bros in Grab, Foodpanda, Dingdong, and Pick.A.Roo.

CBTL favorites for P100 on Mondays

MONDAYS Made Better is back at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) — try a new flavor every Monday for P100 until May 16. Among the featured drinks are The Original Vanilla Ice Blended, a classic version made from CBTL’s coffee and French Deluxe vanilla powder and skimmed milk, blended with ice, topped with whipped cream; Mango Ice Blended, made from ripened mango juice combined with French Deluxe vanilla powder blended with ice, topped with whipped cream; The Original Mocha Ice Blended, featuring coffee and Special Dutch chocolate powder and skimmed milk, blended with ice, topped with whipped cream; and Matcha Ice Blended, made with matcha powder blended with ice and skimmed milk and topped with whipped cream. Customers also get a chance to win a Special Unlimited Pass to avail of any Ice Blended drink for P100 for three months. The full mechanics can be found on Instagram at @CBTLph or on TikTok at @thecoffeebeanph.

Mang Inasal celebrates summer with promo

TO LEVEL up the summer fun, Mang Inasal treats its customers with a summer “phygital experience” wherein they can enjoy not only physically while eating in-store but also online through exclusive promos and challenges. The #SummerSarapAtMangInasal Groufie Challenge is now open for photo entries from April 1 to May 31. To join, dine-in, take a group selfie with family and friends, and share it in the official promo post on Mang Inasal’s Facebook page for a chance to win Mang Inasal gift certificates. Mang Inasal has also partnered with Grabfood for a free delivery promo. To join, enter the code MANGINASAL via Grabfood from April 1 to 13. This offer is valid for orders worth P500 and up and is available in the national capital region (NCR), Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna only. There will also be Mang Inasal Epic Deals in partnership with foodpanda, on April 11 and 22.

Ballantine’s 7 Bourbon Finish launches in PHL

LEADING Scotch whisky Ballantine’s launches Ballantine’s 7 Bourbon Finish in the Philippines, a seven-year-old blended Scotch that takes on the sweetness of American bourbon. Ballantine’s 7 Bourbon Finish is crafted from a selection of Scotch whiskies that are aged in oak casks for at least seven years before being finished in American bourbon barrels. This way, drinkers get the best of two whisky worlds together. The classic Ballantine’s tasting notes of honey and ripe red apple are enhanced with character and richness from the seven-year ageing process, and paired with the sweet hints of toffee, vanilla and caramel that are typical of bourbon whiskies. Ballantine’s 7 Bourbon Finish will be available in Landers and at other leading stores like Landmark, Pioneer, and online sites like Boozy.ph.

McDonald’s PH launches Sonic 2 Happy Meal toys

AS THE SEQUEL to the 2020 Sonic the Hedgehog film arrives at theaters, McDonald’s is releasing Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Happy Meal. There are 10 toys to collect, including fan-favorite characters Sonic the Hedgehog, Tails, Knuckles, and a surprise toy which will be revealed on April 9. As part of the tie-up with the film, a #SonicRingRun AR filter will be available on McDonald’s Philippines’ Instagram and Facebook pages soon. The Happy Meals and collectible toys are available at McDonald’s stores to dine-in, drive-through, and take out customers, and via McDelivery.

TELUS launches cookbook of winning recipes

THE DIVERSITY of the TELUS International Asia-Pacific team comes to life in the first A Taste of Diversity cookbook, a celebration of the winning recipes from 60 team members from India, Philippines, and China. TELUS International recently held a recipe competition for team members across the TELUS International Philippines, Chengdu (China), and India delivery centers. The prize was to be featured in the cookbook. “At a time when it is so easy to feel isolated and disconnected because of the restrictions brought about by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we wanted to create a cookbook that can be a catalyst for bonding with each other, even from a distance,” said Rajiv M. Dhand, Regional Vice-President for Asia-Pacific at TELUS International, in a statement. The recipes were chosen by a board of judges made up of Royal Indian Curry House’s chef Surat Rana, Chinese chef Sheng Tian, and Filipino chef RJ Ungco. The competition kicked off with a virtual recipe writing workshop and food photography 101 session facilitated by Mr. Ungco and DiscoverMNL founder Lucky Alabado. Over 150 team members responded to the request for original Indian, Philippine and Chinese recipes, with 60 emerging as winners across five categories: soups, salads, appetizers, main course, and desserts. TELUS International Philippines is offering a free download of this cookbook at linkedin.com/company/telus-international-philippines/. Readers can share their own take on these recipes with photos or videos, using the hashtag #TasteOfDiversity.