A fanaticism for freshness

They say Vietnam, Thailand and the Southern regions of China share common waters. Their fish and other marine resources know no boundaries, at times swimming from the Mekong River all the way to the rivers of Guangzhou. These regions share two great things–common faiths and fanaticism for fish and freshness.

It is in this spirit that the reputable Red Crab chain came up with its newest baby – Crustasia Crab and Seafood House, the ultimate in Asian crab and seafood dining. Red Crab wants to create a rather different story from its same arsenal of crustaceans and other seafood. Crustasia is a haven for the freshest seafood and the best of Vietnamese, Thai and Chinese cooking.

Crustasia elevates the norm for freshness, this time making sure that most of its seafood is alive before reaching the grill or the wok. The freshest mud crabs, groupers, pearl fish, freshwater prawns, rock and pacific lobsters, clams and others are cooked using the most refreshing Vietnamese recipes, the boldest flavors from Thailand and the choicest recipes from Southern China.

The menu is extensive yet quite straightforward. Starters are made up of ala carte dimsum sets, Vietnamese spring rolls selections, simple yet satisfying tofu-based items and other best-sellers like the Thai Shrimp Pancakes, Chao Tom (fried minced shrimp wrapped around sugarcane sticks) and Deep-Fried Calamari with Chili Plum Sauce.

Most of Red Crab’s crab selections are maintained like Crab Maritess, Fidel’s Pepper Crab, Szechaun Crab (my all-time favorite) and the rest of the gang. Crustasia’s Thai chef adds a couple of crab selections – Pooja (Crab Shell stuffed with crab meat, ground pork and herbs) and the delectable Thai Crab Sotanghon.

Recipes featuring shrimps, prawns, freshwater prawns (ulang), rock lobster, pacific lobster, clams and mussels can also be enjoyed in Crustasia.

Live grouper, kingfish, tilapia, catfish and white pompano are also available and could be enjoyed with simple cooking – steamed, with soy sauce or white sauce. Others pefer more dramatic fish recipes such as Vietnamese-Style Sinigang and Grilled Fish in Banana Leaf with Lemon Grass.

A wide range of soups, salads and rice selections are also available on the menu. Soup selections include Seafood and Beancurd, Hot and Sour, Thom Yam and Vietnamese Sinigang. Catfish Salad, Kangkong Salad (either with shrimp or beef) and Vietnamese Chicken Salad are some of the choices for salads. For rice, there’s the captivating Thai Bagoong Rice, authentic Vietnamese Seafood Fried Rice, original Vietnamese-Style Paella and Cantonese-inspired fried rice selections.

Crustasia boasts of a formidable kitchen team of Red Crab’s veteran chefs, a talented Thai Chef and a lady consultant from Vietnam.

(Crustasia is located at the ground level of the Rockwell Power Plant Mall in Makati City. For inquiries and reservations, please call 728-5463).

Nu Divas 2004

What do Beyonce Knowles, Jennifer Lopez and Britney Spears have in common? Multi-million deals, beautiful bodies, top-selling albums and great charisma? That and more! And now, you’ll get a chance to own a part of them…their music!

BMG Records Pilipinas has released its newest compilation album titled Nu Divas 2004, a 19-track album highlighting the greatest female artists of our time. They are the new Divas who reinstated a woman’s place in the music industry and throughout the world.

NU Divas 2004 features songs like Me Against the Music by Britney Spears, Ain’t It Funny from Jennifer Lopez, Me Myself and I from Beyonce Knowles and other chartbusters like Avril Lavigne’s I’m With You, Christina Aguilera’s The Voice Within, Alicia Keys’ If I Ain’t Got You, Kylie Minogue’s Slow, Pink’s God Is A DJ, Dido’s White Flag and a whole lot more.

Each song has a story to tell, each a reflection of the artist and the world around her. If I Ain’t Got You is about, as Alicia Keys puts it, "how material things don’t feed the soul. The song was sitting there for a while and then with Sept.11, the passing of Aaliyah, different events in the world and in my life, the song took on a new meaning."

As for Britney’s Me Against the Music, Britney relates that "it is about the intensity that people approach music with, it’s about getting totally lost in the music and pushing yourself to the edge in every way you can imagine."

No wonder each of these songs have touched people’s lives and have connected with the heart and soul of every woman.

Great things do come in small packages and this album gives you just that. All the hits you want to hear from today’s amazing new divas have been compiled to create an amazing album you shouldn’t miss!

(Nu Divas 2004 is available in CDs and cassettes distributed by BMG Records Pilipinas.)