Locally sourced shopping at Robinsons Malls
ROBINSONS Malls, through the partnership between Robinsons Malls and Department of Agriculture, presents Locally Sourced V2, a rolling market that will visit select Robinsons Malls nationwide. Aside from a wide variety of fresh vegetables an seafood, this year, Locally Sourced also carries specially made food products by small and medium entrepreneurs (SMEs) such as organic smoothies, pure honey, dried fish, local red wine, dried fruits, and many more. The Locally Sourced roving market will be at Robinsons Place Santiago from June 10-16; Robinsons Magnolia from June 10-13 and June 17-20; Robinsons Galleria on June 22-27; Robinsons Angeles on June 24-30; Forum Robinsons on June 25-27 and July 2-4; Robinsons Starmills on June 29 to July 15; Robinsons Metro East on July 8-11 and July 15-18; Robinsons Place GenTrias on July 1-4 and July 15-18; Robinsons Place Antipolo and Robinsons Place Malolos on July 15-18; Robinsons Town Mall Malabon on July 22-25 and July 29 to Aug. 1; and, Robinsons Place Dasmariñas from July 30 to Aug. 1. For more information, visit www.robinsonsmalls.com or like Robinsons Malls on Facebook; follow @RobinsonsMallsOfficial on Instagram and @RobinsonsMalls on Twitter.
Grab to hold food safety training
IN CONJUNCTION with World Food Safety Day, Grab Philippines has announced new initiatives to raise the bar for safety, hygiene, and quality standards in the food delivery industry through its partnership with the Food Safety and Hygiene Academy of the Philippines (FoodSHAP), and additional measures to help ensure cleanliness, safety, and quality throughout the entire food delivery life cycle. These efforts add to Grab’s broader GrabProtect program. First there is food safety training for all merchant- and delivery-partners. Starting this month, Grab Philippines and FoodSHAP will conduct monthly food safety and quality training for its merchant-partners through the GrabAcademy Merchant platform and webinars. Grab Philippines will also conduct mandatory food safety training to its delivery-partners through the GrabAcademy platform, offering online courses developed by FoodSHAP. Apart from the food safety and quality training, Grab Philippines will also introduce new measures to help merchant-partners continuously improve their service quality standards. It will provide merchant-partners with real-time consumer feedback focusing on food safety and quality, allowing them to address key consumer issues and enhance their service quality and performance. This will be done through the introduction of the Merchant Quality Score where performance against key performance indicators and customer feedback on food safety and quality will be shared directly with merchant-partners in-app. Grab Philippines will hire an internal auditor to conduct food safety and quality audits to ensure that merchant-partners are able to continuously maintain the service quality and adhere to the food safety protocols.
Crimson Hotel offers Father’s Day deals
THE CRIMSON Hotel in Alabang presents “Delightful Deals for Dad” for Father’s Day. Plus, he gets a free Crimson Panama hat for every P1,500 purchase. The hotel’s Café Eight will offer the All Fired Up BBQ Bundle for P2,000 net. This hot BBQ takeaway bundle includes tomato burrata caprese, assorted BBQ with char grilled vegetables, Tart Tropezienne, and a free Alibi’s Iberico Whiskey Sour Cocktail Kit. The meal comes in a self-heating portable hotbox. Each order is good for up to four people. Meanwhile, Firehouse Pizza offers Pizza for Pops for P2,000 net. The bundle, which is good for up to four people, includes one signature pizza, one classic pizza, eight pieces of Parmesan fried chicken wings with garlic aioli, one pan of Truffle Pasta, and a Dessert in Jar of rice pudding with peach compote. For this Father’s Day special, place an order between June 1 to 17, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., or at least two days prior to the pick-up date. The pick up of order/s is between June 18 to 20, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Firehouse Pizza. Then there is the Gentleman’s Box by Baker J for P699 net. The gift box includes: homemade cold cuts (pulled pork rillette, paté en croute, cooked garlic sausage, country paté), sliced sourdough bread, one moringa croissant, and one chocolate banana croissant. For this Father’s Day special, orders may be placed until June 17, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or at least two days prior to the pick-up date. Orders may be picked up between June 18 to 20, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., at Baker J. Meanwhile, Alibi, the hotel’s soon-to-open Prohibition Era-style lounge and dining concept, offers a unique Iberico Infused whiskey sour cocktail kit for P550 net. The kit includes Iberico Infused Bourbon Whiskey, Laphroaig Single Malt, apple sauce, lemon juice, cinnamon syrup, and walnut butter. Avail of the kit separately or get it for free for every purchase of Café Eight’s All Fired Up. Orders are being accepted until June 17, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., or at least two days prior to the pick-up date. Orders may be picked up between June 18 to 20, 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., at the Ground Lobby of Crimson Hotel. For orders, call 8863-2222 local 1612, 0998-961-3409, or e-mail dining@crimsonhotel.com
Special Yum Cha for Father’s Day at New World Makati
AS FATHER’S Day approaches, the New World Makati Hotel presents an all-you-can-eat dim sum feast of Jasmine’s best-selling favorites including barbecued dishes, noodles, soup, dessert and more with free-flowing iced tea and one round of local beer. All dads who dine on Father’s Day will also receive a special gift. Among the savory selections on offer for the occasion is the Crispy pork belly — an add-on dish which is now part of the promo rate just for Father’s Day — complemented by an array of appetizers, dim sum, main courses, and dessert. Main courses are ideal for two guests to share per serving. The Father’s Day Yum Cha will be available June 20 for lunch and dinner, and priced at P1,288 net per person inclusive of free-flowing iced tea or one round of local beer. Meanwhile, Jasmine celebrates the annual Dragon Boat Festival with its machang (sticky rice dumplings), also called zongzi. This year’s festival falls on June 14. Jasmine’s machang is available in two flavors: traditional with pork, yellow bean, salted egg, mushroom and glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf; and red bean with glunitous rice also wrapped in lotus leaf. An option for single or double layered filling is also offered. Packaged in dim sum basket-inspired boxes with gold foil logo stamping, these flavorful treats are best enjoyed with oolong tea or any hot tea of choice. Single and double layer machang are at P798 and P1,388, respectively. Prices are net. Pick-up of orders is until June 30. Deliveries may be made for bulk orders within a 3 km distance. Bulk orders of 30 or more also get a 20% discount while Club Epicure members get 15% off. Guests may call 8811-6888 ext. 3679, e-mail fb.reservations@newworldhotels.com for reservations, inquiries, and orders.
Panda Express heading to Pasay City
FOLLOWING the launch of its first restaurant at the SM Megamall in 2019 and its second store at SM City North EDSA last February, American Chinese restaurant chain Panda Express will open its third restaurant at Double Dragon Meridian Park in Pasay City. The Panda Express menu includes a variety of entrées with influences from the eight traditional cuisines of China. Its bestselling the Original Orange Chicken, crispy chicken wok-tossed in sweet and tangy sauce, is inspired by Panda Express co-founder Andrew Cheng’s hometown flavors of Yangzhou, China. It recently introduced two new dishes to the Philippine menu: Honey Walnut Shrimp, which features tempura-battered shrimp, lightly coated in honey sauce and topped with glazed walnuts, and Mongolian Pork, made with pork shoulder and crisp vegetables, wok-tossed in a savory garlic soy sauce. Panda Express is also available via Facebook Messenger and food delivery apps GrabFood and foodpanda. Delivery locations are within Metro Manila only.
Filipino dishes Independence Day at Subic
THE SALT Bar+Restaurant in the ACEA Subic Beach Resort celebrates Independence Day with select Pinoy dishes. Indulge an all-day breakfast while enjoying the restaurant’s view of the ocean and Mt. Cinco Picos. Breakfast includes ACEA-made beef tapa, tocino, and longganisa, all made from scratch. The lineup includes sinigang na hipon, beef nilaga, beef sinigang in lemongrass and tamarind, kare-kare, crispy pata, ginataang sitaw, pakbet with hipon, and lechon kawali. Restaurant reservations and inquiries may be made at (047) 252-2232, and 0917-114-1111. Visit https://www.facebook.com/acearesortssubic and on Instagram @aceasubicbeachresort to stay updated. ACEA Subic Beach Resort is located at San Bernardino Road, Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Al fresco spaces for safe dining at Shangri-La Plaza
SHANGRI-LA Plaza continues to make mall guests feel well taken care of in the new normal by enhancing its al fresco dining spaces, giving every nook and cranny that signature Shang touch. Shang has now opened the enhanced Dine Al Fresco at the Ledge Level 6, which now features greenery and natural elements as well as string and mood lights, making it more conducive not only to dining but also to working. This space is fashioned in a way to make it a great spot for meetings, virtual or in person, intimate gatherings, or small celebrations. To provide a safer and better dining experience at every touchpoint, Shang has also implemented its new Safe Dining Made Easy protocols that aim to lessen interactions between people when mall guests are ordering food. Mall guests now have the option to scan their preferred restaurant’s QR code to check its digital menu. The QR codes also allows them to order from any of the Shang restaurants. For added protection, they can also request for their food to be served in takeaway boxes, and for acrylic barriers to be installed on their table. Diners also have the presence of their own Concierge or Butler services to ensure pleasurable dining experiences. As a safety measure, only the representative from the guest’s preferred restaurant can take their orders and handle their payments. All cards are sanitized and placed inside a holder before they’re handed back to the guest after processing payment. As diners can remove their face shields and masks only when they’re about to eat, they should wear both face coverings when dealing with the restaurant reps. Aside from Dine Al Fresco at the Ledge Level 6, guests can also dine at the Balcony at Level 5 and ground level Streetscape. Visit www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial or follow the Shang on Instagram: @shangrilaplazaofficial for more details.
Eastwood Café+Bar opens al fresco dining area
AFTER more than a year of serving solely takeaway food for pickup and delivery, Eastwood Richmonde Hotel’s Eastwood Café+Bar has reopened its doors to dine-in guests with the launch of the Richmonde Banchetto on June 4. The restobar’s al fresco area is set-up for fun, casual dining with seats arranged to accommodate proper social distancing. Diners can take their pick from the array of comfort food prepared fast and fresh by the hotel’s kitchen team at the live cooking stations. Kicking off Eastwood Café+Bar’s reopening, Richmonde Banchetto will serve up pork and chicken barbecue, isaw, pork and chicken satay, brick oven pizza, birria tacos, chicken inasal, Peruvian chicken, goto, tokwa’t baboy, plus beer and other drinks. Prices of the food items go for as low as P50. The Richmonde Banchetto is open every Friday and Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. All freshly cooked items are available not just for dine-in, but for takeout, curbside pickup, and delivery as well. Charges apply for deliveries within Metro Manila but deliveries within Eastwood City are free. For inquiries, takeaway orders, deliveries, and table reservations, call 8570-7777 or 0917-821-0333.
Father’s Day specials at Sofitel
SOFITEL Philippine Plaza Manila celebrates Father’s Day weekend with Brews and Barbecue at The Food Truck, featuring grilled specialties, food truck fare, and sizzling platters paired with free-flowing beverages. Dig in to foie gras cheeseburger slider, softshell crab taco, truffle bellychon, Hungarian sausage, and jerk chicken. DJ Mafia sets the tone for the al fresco celebration with a view of Manila Bay and its sunset. Brews and Barbecue at The Food Truck will be available on June 17-20, 6 to 9:30 p.m. for P3,500 nett. Over at the Spiral restaurant, indulge in an assortment of meats spread across 21 dining ateliers. Enjoy cassoulet toulousain from the French Stove, beef-wrapped asparagus from the Japanese Atelier, Peking duck roll from the Chinese atelier, wagyu beef rump from the Churrasco, and lechon from the Filipino atelier. The Father’s Day at Spiral is available for brunch (P4,500) and dinner (P3,900) on June 20. For inquiries and reservations, call 8832-6988 or e-mail H6308-FB12@sofitel.com.
DoT, TikTok promote local food tourism
THE DEPARTMENT of Tourism (DoT) and video making and sharing app Tiktok launched the campaign #SarapMagingPinoy to encourage locals to celebrate Filipino pride by sharing treasured dishes from all over the country and promote local cuisines. The campaign has garnering more than 35 million views since it was launched on June 1. Under the #SarapMagingPinoy campaign, content creators from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao were tapped to share clips of homemade recipes and dishes on the TikTok platform, with each video showcasing local produce and the diverse cooking styles found in the archipelago. Some videos featured home cooks preparing the dishes amidst the scenic destinations where these recipes were made popular. Users can still take part in the #SarapMagingPinoy campaign until June 15 by posting recipe videos that feature the best dishes from their cities. Video entries must contain a short introduction that provides viewers with information on the dish and its city of origin. The video introduction should also include the campaign’s thematic messaging of showcasing Filipino pride, and mention the key line, ‘Sarap maging Pinoy.’ In the video caption, users must include the hashtag #SarapMagingPinoy, along with a hashtag that indicates their city of origin, using the format #Lutong(city), for example #LutongCebu. To view the campaign, visit https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJHQf25c/
Max’s Restaurant holds Pinoy Fried Blowout on Independence Day weekend
Max’s Restaurant is celebrating Philippine Independence Day this weekend by treating customers with discounts on select whole chicken orders, while also bringing back All-You-Can Weekend, a long-time tradition of feasting on unlimited Max’s favorites. Max’s Pambansang Blowout: Pinoy Fried Para sa Pinoy Pride will be offering a P123 discount on its fried chicken from June 11-13 for every purchase of one whole Regular or Family Fried Chicken. Happening on the same Independence Day weekend is Max’s All-You-Can, with free-flowing Sarap-To-The-Bones Fried Chicken, Max’s Spicy Tofu, Chicken Sisig, Chicken Lumpiang Shanghai, and rice for P499 per head. Dine-in customers can Max Up their orders for a complete feast by adding P99 for unlimited Halo-Halo Solo or P49 for up to two drinks. Max’s All-You-Can is available for dine-in only, while the P123 discount can be applied for dine-in, delivery, and take-out transactions. Both promos are available in all stores nationwide. For more information, visit the official Facebook page at @MaxsRestaurant.
Nespresso’s latest limited edition collection
NESPRESSO has collaborated with Italian entrepreneur Chiara Ferragni who transformed Nespresso machines and accessories with her iconic style. The Nespresso x Chiara Ferragni collaboration includes a limited-edition collection, exclusive international events, summer-inspired coffee recipes, and behind the scenes access. For the Nespresso x Chiara Ferragni collaboration, the Essenza Mini has been updated with a vibrant colored pattern showcasing each brand’s distinctive visual signature. The limited edition Nespresso x Chiara Ferragni Aeroccino 3 offers a quick and sleek way to prepare hot or cold milk froth. Perfectly matching the Essenza Mini, this accessory can elevate espressos into a luxurious milky coffee. The collaboration’s Nomad Travel Mug comes in pastel pink color. The limited edition Nespresso x Chiara Ferragni summer collection will be available in selected Nespresso stores in August.
Ajinomoto launches new liquid seasoning
AJINOMOTO Philippines Corp. (APC) has come up with the new Sarsaya Liquid Seasoning, an affordable, easy to use, and tasty kitchen partner. As compared to soy sauce, the liquid seasoning has a well-rounded profile that blends notes of saltiness, sweetness, and savoriness. It can be enjoyed in many ways, either as a tabletop seasoning for fried dishes or an ingredient when marinating or cooking. The new liquid seasoning comes in 250 ml PET bottles and 25 ml sachets. The ₱8-sachet provides homecooks a more affordable and easy-to-use option.