Monthly Archives: March 2014
Two sundays ago was the Global Port Polo event. Aside from the Polo game, there was an auction for the I Want to Share Foundation.
Thank you Sheila Romero for sharing your blessings and your time and effort to help others!
There were many beautiful things up for bid!
I was early and I love being early because I get to talk to some of the people involved before everything gets busy. I met Monica Guevarra dela Cruz, beautiful sister of our friend, Jessica Guevarra Everingham. Apparently she is married to Daniel dela Cruz. He donated a beautiful sculpture for the auction
Emi Jorge also donated a beautiful clutch
And the beautiful birthday girl, Nicole, had two beautiful items
They also have this solar light for P 2,800 for the Yolanda victims
Do contact them if you would like to help or be a part of their efforts 🙂
[email_link]
Around two years ago, we visited The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English at the Plaza Hotel in New York. We enjoyed very much
Previous entry: The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English April 25, 2012
I was happy to hear that they were opening here in the Philippines and it will be the first Celebrity Chef Restaurant in the country!!!
[wp_youtube]DWVU0vm3Fws[/wp_youtube]
Today they open to the public in Skypark in the 5th level of SM Aura! The first 100 customers will get a whole year supply of flatbread pizza!!!
It was nice to see Chef Todd English with his son, Oliver who is only 24 years old and a graduate of Cornell University. Not only handsome but intelligent too 🙂
Philippine partners headed by father Ricky Dee ( middle ) and sons Eric ( right ) and JR ( left). Eric met Chef Todd English in Kuala Lumpur two years ago and after many exchanges of emails and a visit to the restaurants of Chef Todd, they finally decided to bring it t the Philippines. Ricky Dee owns many other restaurant concepts namely Mesa, Cervezeria, Kai, Kitchen, Ebun and more. And soon to open Tim Ho Wan!
The beautiful ladies in the Dee family- Wife of Ricky, Beng Dee, wife of Eric, Kidd, girlfriend of JR, Bea, youngest daughter, China and another daughter Erica
A 900 square meter store in Skypark at SM Aura!
It’s a replica of the New York Food hall designed by Ivy Almario and team. The global architecture is reflected in the mosaic marble floors, elegant wood paneling, ceramic backdrops and stained glass windows.
We were able to sample a dish from every station, so the photos here may not be the actual portions or dishes
As soon as you enter, on the left is the pasta station
Veal Agnolotti
This is the most expensive pasta maker in the world! There are only three of these in the world – one in The Plaza Food Hall by Todd English in New York and one in Olive, a restaurant of Chef Todd English. They saw it costs like a BMW, I asked which class 🙂 Well whatever it is it’s an expensive machine and Chef Todd will only turn it over the a chef until he is fully trained in using it
Chef Jaime Mendoza is the Executive Chef. He will be the only one who will stay among the team who flew in from the USA. He is Mexican 🙂
Another chef from the USA training at the flatbread pizza station
Chef Todd is known for his flatbread pizzas so this is a definite must when in the food hall
Fig and Prosciutto, their bestseller
Truffle Fungi
Crispy Eggplant
Salad Bar
Asada Steak with Pear Salsa
Sushi Bar
The Raw bar where oysters will be flown in daily!
Tuna Tartare
Asian Station
Grill and Charcuterie
T.E. Slider
Seared Tuna loin and Miso Glaze Salmon
Dessert Station
with a moving carousel with cupcakes 🙂
[wp_youtube]lNj4EbHuUks[/wp_youtube]
The cupcakes are the recipes of the daughter or Chef Todd, Isabelle’s Curly Cakes in Boston
All desserts are made in house. The pastry chef Alfred Stevens who is here to open the food hall and will train the chefs
The OMG dessert!!! It’s really OMG! I love it! The milo touch I love!!
We had the chef write it down for us
Winery and Tapas Bar
Aside from eating, you can go shopping for Chef Todd English cookbooks, all kinds of salts, and many other gourmet things!!
The Todd English Food Hall is located at the 5th floor, SM Aura Premier SkyPark from 10am to 10 pm. Click below to go to their website
[email_link]
Aside from a lovely lunch, Margie took me to her resthouse in Tagaytay!! She has been telling me about this place for years and finally I invited myself over! 🙂
Architecture is of course by her sister in law, Anna Sy
The Master Bedroom is on the main level
Same view from the master bathroom
The main level has the main entrance, the garden with pool, Master bedroom, living room and kitchen
View from the living room
Wow! The view is beautiful!! And one thing with their house is that they are the only ones in the perimeter and it’s like they have the view all to themselves. The house is in an exclusive gated village and in that village only two families have built so you can imagine! The next four photos are all 4 angles of the view 🙂 From left to right
I tried to take a panoramic shot but this does not look as good as it really is
The pool which goes all the way from the balcony to the garden
The living room
My friend and lovely host 🙂
Beautiful artwork made by Margie’s mother in law
Straight ahead leads to the kitchen
Guest bathroom
Then the stairs going down to the rooms
It’s an open hallway leading to all the bedrooms- there are 4 which are almost all identical
From the lower level I was able to take the facade of the house
From the garden facing the lower level
There’s a den here but it is the bedroom for the grandkids ( kids of Margie )
I just can’t get enough of the view! I could not believe it 🙂
[email_link]
Margie wanted to take me to a Vietnamese place in Tagaytay called Bawai, but it was closed that day so instead I suggested Marcia Adams since this was recommended to me by my friend, Randy. Thanks to their directions in their Facebook page, it was easy to get there. It’s actually very easy just turn right from the rotunda and go straight till you see the Thank you Come Again sign 🙂 ( border of Tagaytay and Alfonso ) then after that turn right
We loved the place!!! They call themselves Tuscany in Tagaytay but for me I would like to think it’s a beautiful place in our very own country, the Philippines
We heard a dog barking and apparently that was where their house was. In the beginning they would only open their house for meals to friends and family in their house but soon after they decided to open to the public
Beautiful place. Marcia did all the interiors and design in the place
Love the floor tiles
There are two sides for dining – there is a Greek looking dining area
And this is the other side
A small pocket dining area
Main dining area
So nice to see that they are selling the items of Emily Campos
Previous entry: Touch of Craft by Emily Campos September 18, 2013
The famous angels of Emily Campos 🙂
Love the flowers all over the place
We love it so much, I just had to take a photo of Margie by the flowers 🙂
And another dining area – this is where they sat us
Beautiful view!!!! I love this window!!! And no that is not Tuscany – this is Tagaytay 🙂 and it’s beautiful!!
Me and my date 🙂 Thank you my dear friend Margie for lunch!
It was a weekday so the place was quiet. This was our table, we had the room to ourselves till a couple came and joined us, but it was relatively very private. We had a nice time!
The food is Mediterranean according to Neil Adams, the owner and husband of Marcia 🙂 At first the menu looks complicated but it’s actually very simple. The complicated part is us wanting to try everything on the menu! 🙂 The price of your meal will depend on the main course that you choose. There is a minimum cover charge per person of P 700.00. The meal comes with a choice of a starter, then the main dish and then dessert. There are additional charges for options such as salads or if you want to add sides or for some desserts
Choice of Soup of the Day or Amalfi Prawns. We both got the Amalfi prawns
For the main dish, Margie got the Beef tenderloin and bacon kebab! YUM!!!
I had the Classic Shish Kebab – YUM!!!!!!
We saw this in the kitchen and it looked so good! Italian Pork Chop!!!! Randy told us to order this!!! Another reason for us to come back!
For dessert
Fried bananas with Chocolate dip – How creative 🙂
Panna Cotta with Lemon sauce – beautiful and delicious 🙂
Our bill which came in this pouch by Emily Campos
Neil Adams!! The owner and husband of Marcia Adams 🙂 He is also the one who bakes the bread. He told us that he was supposed to retire but ended up working again when they opened the restaurant 🙂
I was very insistent to meet Marcia Adams and they kept telling me she was busy and she was! She is really hands on and is the one cooking the meals in the kitchen downstairs. I could not help it, I really asked and asked until they let me go to her and here she is!! She is such a simple and very soft spoken person!! I told her that I loved her cooking and she told me she whispers to her food to make it taste good 🙂 More power Marcia Adams!!!
Click below to go to their Facebook page
[email_link]
Recent Comments