Experience Cocina Marikit

At the five-star hotel Mondrian London, Filipina chef Jill Mendoza works for French head pastry chef Maxime Osmont. But in the Philippines, Jill takes the lead as she and Maxime work together in Jill’s Cocina Marikit, a food innovation atelier that specializes in developing innovative dining experiences and science-based premium food products. (Maxime was recently in Manila for a guesting stint at Cocina Marikit.)

In the past, Jill worked in various restaurants such as Marco Pierre White Steakhouse, Nordic/French restaurant by Helena Puolakka Aster, and the two Michelin-starred Tredwell’s by Marcus Wareing. Maxime, on the other hand,  worked in the two Michelin-starred Viajante with Nuno Mendes and the two Michelin-starred Sketch with Pierre Gagnaire.

(Left) The table setting for the dinner. (Right) Façade of The Henry Hotel.

Recently, Cocina Marikit held an exclusive three-night dinner pop-up at the chic The Henry Hotel in Pasay City. Appetizers were local Pinoy street food kwek-kwek with vadouvan spices, and tanigue kilawin (narrow-barred Spanish mackerel cooked in vinegar or citrus) with yerba buena (literally translated as “good herbs”). There were also special gin-based cocktails concocted by Ulysse Jouanneaud that paired perfectly with Cocina’s food offerings.

The five-course menu was a modern interpretation of Filipino  food using French techniques. I really enjoyed Maxime’s version of pandesal, which he had to learn in the few days he was here.  He served this with a candle, which was actually lard that melted and spread on the bread.

(Left) Sugpo with egg drop prawn broth. (Right) Tanigue kilawin with yerba buena.

Jill made a beautiful dish of sugpo with egg drop prawn broth. She also made her deconstructed version of kare-kare. There were three desserts plus a live dessert plating by Maxime, as Jill assisted.

The Henry Hotel compound (located at 2680 F.B. Harrison Street, Pasay City) was a perfect setting for this special pop-up by Cocina Marikit.

(Left) Maxime Osmont’s version of pandesal. (Right) Lime and macapuno jellies.

 (For inquiries on future Manila dinners, call 0977-0999278, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.cocinamarikit.com.)

Smart storage solutions

Food is a big part of the holiday celebrations, especially in the Philippines. With the abundance of glorious food comes the preparation and storage woes most of us have experienced during this festive season.

(From Left) Smile Train Philippines Foundation area director for Southeast Asia Kimmy Coseteng-Flaviano, Glad brand assistant Ian Jo Atendido and Pottery Barn marketing manager Justa del Rosario.

Trusted brand Glad, known for its food preparation and storage products, recently took part in holiday celebrations with the home collection of Pottery Barn and the lively festive night scene at Mercato Centrale in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

In line with these celebrations, the brand also teamed up with restaurateur and caterer Happy Ongpauco-Tiu for the Pottery Barn event, and actress Dimples Romana for the event at Mercato Centrale BGC food market.

During their respective events, the two moms prepared their favorite dishes to make a get-together extra special. Happy cooked salmon belly with olives using Glad Cook n’ Bake Paper, a perfect partner in the kitchen because it’s made from high-quality baking and cooking paper with a specially designed non-stick coating. Meanwhile, Dimples prepared shrimp and sausage boil using Glad Aluminum Foil, ideal for cooking, baking and for barbecues.

Glad booth at Mercato Centrale BGC.

Brand manager for Southeast Asia Daye delos Reyes said, “Glad has the food preparation and storage solutions to let the warmth of the gathering live on. We know that food safety is a very important aspect of every celebration.”

Meals are best prepared with the finest ingredients wrapped in seal-tight Glad Cling-Wrap, which now has tighter seal for long-lasting freshness and is even easier and safer to dispense.

Filipino celebrations always leave some room for leftovers and we only want the best storage solutions to extend the freshness of the food. I myself use Glad Wrap and Glad Ware. The brand has an array of storage bags, freezer bags and reusable containers that are BPA-free and safe to use for microwave.

Congratulations, HSBC!

(From left) Visa country manager for the Philippines and Guam Dan Wolbert, HSBC Philippines SVP for customer value management Jasmine Alansalon Gonzales and head of retail banking and wealth management Kris Werner and outgoing Visa country manager for the Philippines and Guam Stuart Tomlinson.

SBC Philippines was recently given the “2018 Highest Consumer Credit Card Growth” award during the annual awards event organized by Visa for partner issuing banks at the Manila Polo Club in Makati City.

Visa recognized HSBC’s ability to achieve the highest growth rate of total credit cards in force among issuers active in the Philippine market as of June 2018 versus the same period last year. 

HSBC head of retail banking and wealth management for the Philippines Kris Werner, who received the award on behalf of the company, said, “We thank Visa for this accolade. It is a reflection of our successful partnership with Visa, which continuously provides cardholders with products and offers that suit their specific spending needs. We are also grateful for Visa for providing secure and convenient shopping experience for our customers using innovative and best-in-class technology. I look forward to building on this strong partnership as we both contribute to the development of larger volumes of cards-led payments within the Philippines. We remain committed in supporting customers in achieving their ambitions, be they big or small.”

For his part, Visa country manager for the Philippines and Guam Dan Wolbert said, “At Visa, we recognize HSBC’s success in achieving the highest consumer credit card growth rate this year. We believe there is great opportunity in the Philippines to grow usage of digital payments and expand acceptance. We are thankful for our partnership with HSBC, which has worked tirelessly with us to help more Filipino consumers embrace convenient and seamless digital payments here in the Philippines and when they travel.”

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(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)