City-based Ilonggos, and those who just love Ilonggo cooking, had a lip-smacking gastronomic experience at the “Diwal and Other Ilonggo Flavours” held at the Mandarin Oriental Manila’s elegant Paseo Uno restaurant. The 10-day foodfest was held in conjunction with the city of Makati’s 342nd Foundation Day, celebrating the sisterhood of the cities of Makati and Iloilo. For the sumptuous buffet spread of Western Visayan specialties, only the freshest culinary treasures were flown in by guest Ilongga celebrity chef Pauline Gorriceta-Banusing such as the must-try shellfish diwal or angel wing clams, and all-time favorites batchoy and chicken inasal. Even with the hefty servings and second helpings, there was still room left for such divine desserts like chef Pauline’s signature yema cake and ube brazo de mercedes. Joining Mandarin Oriental, Manila general manager Mark Bradford and director of communications Charisse Chuidian in savoring the delightful smorgasbord of grilled meat and fresh seafood delights were Makati mayor Junjun Binay, Teddy Locsin Jr., Dr. Elenita Binay, and Angola consul Helen Ong.
One happy baby
It was one engaging lunch during the birthday celebration of the affable and very civic-minded Baby de Jesus at the Circles Event Café of the posh Makati Shangri-La hotel. Baby was in high spirits as her close friends and associates joined her in celebrating her natal day. Baby’s guests enjoyed the affair as well as the fascinating open-theater kitchens and wide selection of specialty seafood, Western and Asian cuisines, and desserts.
Helping heal children’s smiles
The luxurious Dusit Thani Manila was home to important guests from Virginia, USA recently—the couple William and Kathleen Magee, founders of Operation Smile, an international children’s medical charity that traces its roots to the Philippines. The couple was in town to launch the organization’s 30th anniversary program dubbed “The Journey Home.” Operation Smile will conduct 10 missions in nine different sites across the country for three weeks, providing surgery and related health care to indigent children and young adults afflicted with cleft lip, cleft palate and other facial deformities. As part of its corporate social responsibility, Dusit Thani Manila, led by general manager Prateek Kumar, proudly supports Operation Smile through Dusit Smiles, an extensive year-round activity that helps raise necessary funds to support surgeries and increase awareness among its clients, partners, and employees via training, mission visits, public relations and other means.