Cabalen celebrates 23 years of Filipino buffet favorites

MANILA, Philippines – Cabalen Restaurant, known for its eat-all-you-can, eat-all-you want Filipino buffets, celebrates its 23rd anniversary with a promo ongoing until September.

Enjoy the wide array of choices of Filipino food like kare-kare, kaldereta, sisig and many others. For this year’s celebration, the new must-try dishes are the pako salad (blanched in olive oil and white wine vinaigrette with tomatoes and salted egg), pinaupong manok (stuffed with lemon grass and leeks steamed over banana leaves), gatang labong (bamboo shoots and chicken in coconut cream with sili leaves), torta Capampangan (minced pork marinated in calamansi and cooked with tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, bell peppers, green peas, raisins and chicken egg) pangat tilapia sa burong mustasa (a distinct Capampangan recipe cooked in hugas bigas and calamansi extract with tomatoes, turmeric and burong mustasa), tamales (ground rice topped with meat pieces, egg and peanuts wrapped and steamed in banana leaves), kilawin babi (vinegar-marinated pork meat, lungs and liver with pepper and bayleaf, sauteed in garlic and onions), adobong camaru (one of the best Capampangan’s native dishes), plus fruit and vegetable salads to complete the sumptuous anniversary month menu.

Guests can also join a raffle promo where they have a chance to win cool gadgets like a 37-inch Devant LCD/TV (home theater) plus any of the 18 cool gadgets like Devant eight-inch rotatable, portable DVD player with TV tuner, PSP3000, Olympus C25 digital camera, Creative Muvo T200.

For every one buffet plus a drink of Pepsi, Tropicana or Lipton iced tea a diner gets a raffle coupon.

Cabalen has branches at 67 West Avenue, Q.C.; third floor, Bridgeway SM Megamall; ground floor, Robinson’s Place Manila; ground floor, Robinson’s Starmills, San Fernando, Pampangga; ground floor, Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall; ground floor, SM City Clark; second floor, Chef’s Ave., Festival Mall, Alabang; ground flour, Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna; and ground floor, The Northwing, SM City Cebu.

For Filipino-Asian buffet selections, visit Cabalen at second level, TriNoma Mall; ground floor, Glorietta 3; ground level, SM Mall of Asia. For inquiries, call 372-3515 or 893-9884 or visit www.cabalen.ph.

For worry-free parties, call Cabalen catering services at 913-5522.

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Chick N Chips at Shakey’s

Shakey’s Chick N Chips is only available in Shakey’s. Shakey’s has mastered the art of cooking this dish such that the skin is crisp (not crispy) and the meat is juicy and flavorful. Add to that the all-time favorite Mojo potatoes.

 “We define crisp versus crispy because some people say their products are crispy, yes, they’re crunchy but they’ve essentially become tough and brittle. With other chicken, the skin is either soggy or the skin just breaks off. We want to establish that only crisp chicken skin can be pulled back and remain intact, all the while retaining that delicious crunch when bitten. Shakey’s has perfected the method through countless hours of research and testing,” says Shakey’s EVP-COO Vic Gregorio. “What makes our chicken even more unique is the delicious twist of pairing it with tasty Mojo potatoes.”

Shakey’s Chick N Chips now comes in four serving options: the three-piece solo pack, the five-piece buddy pack, the seven-piece family pack and, now, the 12-piece party pack, all served with mojo potatoes. Even better is that a delightfully delicious dozen is currently available at the introductory price of P777 only.

For on-time delivery, call 77-777 for on-time delivery.

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La Dolce Vita food fest at Mandarin Oriental

The Tivoli, Mandarin Oriental, Manila’s signature fine dining restaurant, presents Michelin-star guest chef Marco Pedrelli in “La Dolce Vita,” a glorious Italian Food Festival from Aug. 24 to 29.

Chef Pedrelli will create his gourmet specialties in special a la carte and set menus for lunch and dinner. The Italian Food Festival is held with the support of the marketing firm Greative, Inc.

Some of the noted recipes he will be preparing include ravioli di zucca (braised pumpkin stuffed ravioli with bacon, king scallops and white tomato foam), fegato saltato (pan-fried foie gras, with arugula Parmesan risotto and shallot balsamic sauce), merluzzo (cod fish fillet on bouillabaisse risotto, Ligurian vegetables and saffron fond), agnello in crosta (pan-fried crusted lamb loin with creamy thyme polenta, green bean gateaux and garden herb jus), and tarte di pere e gorgonzola (port wine poached pears with dolce latte gorgonzola).

On Aug. 28, chef Pedrelli prepares an elegant six-course Italian-themed menu at The Tivoli’s monthly Night of Wine and Fine Dining. Sample dishes include fegato grasso d’anatra (foie gras variation: mousse, parfait, and pan fried); scampi roiali (pan-fried langoustines with barley risotto, green asparagus and marsala truffle sauce), and filetto di vitello (veal tenderloin with melted foie gras, bacon green peas purée and Barolo-pepper jus).

On Aug. 29 at 9:30 a.m., chef Marco also conducts a special cooking demonstration of three courses: homemade tagliatelle with osso bucco ragout; pan-fried crusted lamb loin with creamy thyme polenta, green bean gateaux and garden herb jus; and sorbetto gratinato (crusted Tahitian vanilla sorbet with white star anise-flavored oranges).

The cooking class is at P3,500 inclusive of a light continental breakfast and lunch consisting of the dishes featured in the class.

For inquiries, call 750 8888 or e-mail at Tivoli-momnl@mohg.com.