Antipolo – It seems as though Antipolo, with its mushrooming housing projects and steadily increasing population is very much still heavily rooted on tradition. 

The restaurant scene in the Philippines often reflects how Filipinos have developed a palate that has an international flair. 

Let there be light.

It has been said that the idea of healthy fast-food has been one terribly sad and unfortunate oxymoron. While fast-food restaurants offer a quick fix for hungry people on-the-go, it’s not an ideal place for diet-conscious diners.

As I was doing my baking demos for Dan Vil Commercial, one of the more innovative introductions to the Philippine baking scene (It is now bringing quality Turkish flour to smaller producers and has opened up the rather closed or exclusive market it has maintained)

Inside the latest branch of Alba Restorante Español, you still feel the vibe of sunny Barcelona, with murals on the walls – one of a graceful flamenco dancer, another of La Mancha’s windmills (painstakingly painted by seven-year-old prodigy Maya de Alba).

The seniors among us still identify Ginisang Munggo (sauteed mung beans) with Fridays, having been raised to abstain from eating any meat on Fridays throughout the year.

It seemed like any other get-together. The house was filled with lively chatter and laughter, while friends and family members continue to arrive.

As a San Juan resident, it was interesting to almost wake up one day and find three shops serving fried egg batter balls with origins from the exciting street food scene in Osaka. 

Year after year, whenever Valentine’s Day comes, friends, couples and partners get together to celebrate love in their own special ways.

It was indeed challenging to cook at the Chateau Angelus dinner for Wine Story, having to execute it at Romy-Sia’s Wine Story outlet at Serendra and considering factors that are outside a chef’s comfort zone.

There is something magical about the Manila Hotel’s Champagne Room, the Philippines’ oldest and most historic fine dining restaurant. It casts a spell that has ensnared many generations of the rich and famous for longer than anyone can remember.

When on a date, it is important to be able to keep yourself comfortable enough to be able to do some wooing and schmoozing afterwards.

It has strawberry and chocolate, it comes in pink and red, morsels of sweetness lovingly baked.

Then one enters Hyatt's legendary Li Li restaurant, one gets the feeling that it is more like a jet setting tai tai’s house than a restaurant.

Just recently in San Pablo, I got to meet with our good friend, Dr. Ruel Reyes who has taken a respite from the wine and brandy trade to concentrate on being an educator and pursue his passion for agriculture.

Master Joseph Chau may be a renowned geomancer, but he probably did not predict that he would be seated at a table full of curious female writers. As soon as we arrive at Mandarin Oriental’s Tin Hau, we spy Master Joseph Chau being asked to sit at the table, and he happily obliges.

It is very seldom that I get to attend very intimate tastings that display a grandiose line of wines where the host is passionate in the message of the vintages he wishes to convey even if the bottles seem to triple the number of those people sampling the line (I just thought we needed reinforcements during that night)...

For Filipinos and most Asian, mung bean sprouts (known locally as togue or toge) are their first encounter with wonderful baby vegetable seedlings; they’re stir-fried with seafood, stuffed inside spring rolls, sautéed with meat, deep-fried into golden fritters, tossed with noodles or floated on soups.

 A lunch or dinner to welcome the Chinese New Year is the best planned, designed and prepared meal of the year in millions of homes around the world. Every dish is evaluated for symbolism; each ingredient is carefully selected and ordered weeks in advance.