Eating nothing but ice cream and raw seafood at HEAT

Prominent French cognac house Hennessy gathered some of the Philippines' bloggers and journalists to promote its drink mixing-cum-music festival on November 19 at The Fort's NBC Tent. (Read my article on abs-cbnNEWS.com here.)

The event, aptly called Hennessy Artistry, will feature 2 international DJs and bands (Pupil, Kjwan and True Faith) as well as 4 basic flavors (berry, citrus, ginger and apple) mixed with the velvety smooth cognac.

It's like an upscale version of the recently held Rockfest, where people were required to purchase a few bottles of Tanduay Rhum or Cossack Blue at selected 7-11 outlets to get tickets.

To be a part of Hennessy Artistry's guest list, you have to buy a bottle of the cognac at high-end spots such as Encore Super Club, Limbo, Amber Ultra Lounge or M Cafe.

Recipe: Royce and Toblerone chocolate cookie cake

Whoever said cookies can only be eaten as snacks?

These flat baked treats, when not cut into different shapes, actually make a great-tasting cake -- an ideal gift for those who prefer a no frills dessert, or those who live in small spaces (and have small refrigerators).

And unlike the usual cake with frosting, a cookie cake takes less time to make, does not get spoiled easily, and can be eaten anywhere with your bare hands.

Foodie profile: Marc Nelson

I got to sit down with Marc Nelson, half of The Amazing Race Asia 2′s Team Philippines (the other half is Rovilson Fernandez).

The host of Sports Unlimited, a popular lifestyle sports program in the Philippines, shared with me his food preferences, which are mainly healthy, home-cooked meals.

He does, however, make it a point to eat junk food once in a while — but only in small amounts. 

Nihonbashitei: Authentic, unpretentious, affordable

Compared to other cuisines, Japanese food is usually more expensive.

Even the not-so-good ones – those Japanese fastfood joints, eat-all-you-can spots and fusion restaurants with their Western-type sushi and over-the-top décor – charge a bit higher than, say, their Chinese or Italian counterparts.

It is, indeed, a sad truth. Here in Metro Manila, you’re always running the risk of spending too much for stinky sashimi, oily tempura or rolls topped with random ingredients.

Here’s one restaurant, however, that has never failed to please.

Nihonbashitei, located at Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road), has been my favorite Japanese restaurant for quite some time now.

The place screams Japanese without trying too hard – it’s no surprise that most of its patrons are non-English speaking Japanese men who order a tray of assorted sushi with beer, or a bowl of piping hot ramen (Chinese-style wheat noodles in meat- or fish-based broth).

The prices are quite reasonable, too, considering the quality of the food being served.