The launch of the new HSBC Live+ Credit Card was certainly an exciting experience. Upon arrival, we were greeted at the door by our first names. Knowing and remembering attendees to an event or even a guest at a hotel always leaves a lasting impression. We were given wristbands with a time slot for our “tasting experience.” I knew very little about the event, much less what the card being launched was all about. We mostly came to support my godsister, Anya Katigbak-Cajucom, head of Customer & Marketing of HSBC Philippines.
While waiting for our Dine+ tasting experience, there were a couple of activities to try such as the Shop+ photo booth where you could borrow shopping bags as props and take photos and the spin a wheel to join the raffle. We guessed where the wheel would stop and if we got it correctly, we’d get a chance to join the raffle for the new HSBC Live+ card. Mom luckily had a raffle entry on her first try! I missed my target by just one small nudge, and so the game attendant felt sorry for me and gave me a second chance, but I still missed! It felt like we were in a mini “sosyal” carnival at the Peninsula Manila Rigodon Ballroom nonetheless.
A few pass-around cocktails were served while waiting for our tasting schedule. The first one that caught my eye were the mini lobster rolls, with lobsters from Palawan, mayonnaise and dalandan gel. Next was the crab canape with shredded alimango on top of a brioche crostini and vanilla mango chutney. The third item I was able to try was the scallop ceviche with saffron sauce and caviar served in an oyster shell. And finally, the pork spring roll topped with crispy chicharon, which reminded me of a sisig lumpia sprinkled with chicharon crumbs. Soon, it was time for the tasting experience.
Part of the ballroom was enclosed to make space for a small, standing, mini tasting room. The video was projected onto the table, where boxes of a surprise item were in store for us. The five-minute presentation took us through the different dining options of the HSBC Live+ Card, offering a 15% discount all year round at over 200 restaurants across Asia serving a variety of cuisines. To start with, the eight countries are Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka and of course, the Philippines. On top of that, you get to enjoy 8% cashback on your dining bill. When it was time, we were asked to open a mystery box, and try the talong tortilla canape with a molded omelet, onion compote and eggplant confit.
Other items on the menu were the smoked beef tartare tartlet with mustard seeds and a salted egg mousse, French duck breast spring roll with a spicy peanut sauce, a mélange of fruits, pomelo, tomato, and mango on a rice cracker and a roasted cauliflower masala with hummus.
Chef Gael Kubler, the chef de cuisine of Old Manila in The Peninsula Manila, shared his inspiration for the menu. There was a time in his life where he backpacked and ate his way through Asia, from street food to high-end restaurants. Formally trained for culinary in French cuisine from the Lycée Hôtelier Alexandre Dumas in Strasbourg, plus his experience working with Michelin-starred chefs, gave him the backbone in creating the menu for the event.
The Peninsula Manila prepared a selection of exciting, bubble-enclosed, smoking mocktails. The Purple III with butterfly blue pea tea, lychee puree and lemon juice, and the All Frills with orange juice, passion fruit, grenadine and soda.
We were soon led to a theater-like setup within the ballroom and were handed out popcorn tumblers of truffle popcorn and s’mores popcorn. The s’mores were delicious! I found them hidden at the bottom of the tumbler and emptied the container even before it started.
The brief program hosted by JM Rodriguez consisted mainly of speeches and introductions to the new card and its features by Taylan Turan, CEO of Retail Banking of HSBC, Peter Faulhaber, head of Wealth and Personal Banking at HSBC Philippines, and Jeff Navaro, country manager of Visa. We learned that the card not only offers 8% cashback for dining, it also offers 5% cashback on shopping, including shopping apps and 5% cashback on entertainment such as cinemas or subscription entertainment such as Spotify, Netflix and Disney+, to name a few.
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For more details, visit https://www.hsbc.com.ph/credit-cards/offers/live-plus-dining.philippines.all-categories/.
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