Keren Pascual hosts fabulous birthday dinner

Saturday, March 11, marked the first time in three years that Keren Pascual hosted a fabulous dinner party to celebrate his March 13 birthday.

I have known Keren for over 30 years, since we both lived in Los Angeles in the early ‘90s. When he came back to the Philippines, he became a PR maverick whose clientele include multinationals, cruise lines, and even politicians who needed his marketing savvy and expertise.

The last time he celebrated his natal day was the weekend before the COVID lockdown began in 2020, when he and 50 of his closest friends flew to the Dusit Thani Lubi plantation in Davao de Oro to mark the occasion.

This year, he decided to hold multiple celebrations and group his friends into even smaller subgroups to make the gatherings cozier and more intimate.

Bea Alonzo

The one I attended was at Kai Neo Japanese restaurant, which is owned by power couple Ricco and Tina Ocampo, both longtime friends of Keren. Though this well-appointed establishment with beautiful interiors is over 15 years old, it was my first time there.

Keren reserved the entire indoor dining section for his 17 guests, and the long table with a setting lovingly prepared by Tina was jaw-dropping. Aside from our usual eating group composed of Mr. M (aka Johnny Manahan), Mariole Alberto, Korina Sanchez, Enrico Santos, Law Tan, Joel Mercado, Robina Gokongwei and Roselle Monteverde. Keren invited Bea Alonzo as a surprise guest for Mr. M and Mariole. Though the three of them are in GMA now, it’s been over two years since Bea saw Mr. M and Mariole because of the pandemic. As expected, Bea sat beside them.

Another showbiz friend we were happy to see was Albert Martinez, who at 61 years old, has maintained his youthful looks despite his salt-and-pepper hair. I was so thrilled to have him sit next to me because it gave us a chance to talk about his love for the outdoors. Did you know that he belongs to a group that goes camping every weekend (when his taping schedule allows) using their off-road SUVs to explore the beautiful countryside?

Also joining us was Ces Drilon, who shared colorful stories about the people she features in Bilyonaryo, the TV show she hosts weekly on CNN about the country’s movers and shakers. We also asked about her farm where she grows the herbs and flowers that she uses for her business, @provenciana.naturals. She and Korina swear that using Ces’ smudge sticks help to ward off negative vibes.

Millet Mananquil, lifestyle editor of this newspaper, also joined us. Tita Millet, as I fondly call her, was busy that night taking photos and asking guests their birthday wishes for Keren. Lawyer Tunting Cruz-Matters, who had just arrived from the USA a few nights before, attended the dinner even though she was fighting jetlag. She sat to my right and was so eager to get updates on the latest showbiz gossip.

Though there were many opinions expressed about a broad range of topics that evening, we all agreed that the food prepared by in-house chef Gilbert Pangilinan was delicious. As starters, we were served soft-shell crab, spicy tuna salad served with kropeck, assorted sushis and edamame. This was followed by miso soup with a richer flavor than I’ve ever tasted. For the main course, there was Hamachi collar kabutoni, which was grilled perfectly and was my favorite dish of the evening. This was followed by braised pork belly and large ebi tempura with Japanese fried rice on the side. To end our belly-busting dinner, we had the halo-halo, which is a favorite of Kai’s regulars.

Keren with Ces, Ricco Ocampo, Korina and Tina Ocampo.

Then came the birthday cake, which was topped with Keren’s signature green plastic toy soldiers. I asked Keren if there was a toy story behind the tiny green men, and his reply was simple and heartfelt. “I just loved toy soldiers growing up,” he said, “and then as I grew older, I started collecting them. And so every birthday of mine, I use them because they remind me of my childhood.”

Albert, Millet Mananquil and Robina (From Left), The power couple Ricco and Tina own the Kai Neo Japanese restaurant, Keren with Enrico, Joel and Law and Chef Guilbert Pangilinan.