A meal fit for a King

The best time to be creative in the kitchen is when you're hungry, at least according to renowned chef Billy King, the man who brought the famed Le Souffle restaurant here.

True enough, King hasn't eaten anything when he showed his latest creations at The Manor's Le Chef restaurant in Baguio City late last month.

He's not the type who holds a pen and sits down to think, either -- the chef initially said he'll serve 6 new items, but he ended up with 13.

"It's best to be hungry. It's the best time to be creative. Let the gastric juices and imagination flow," he said.

King is a proud chef, one who's not willing to jump on the celebrity chef bandwagon. He said, referring to chef contests on television, "Some of it is nonsense. Why create something in an hour when you need 3 hours to do it? It's not right. It just cannot be good."

"It seems nobody can do anything without a blender nowadays," he quipped.

His seeming air of arrogance, however, fades away the moment we got to taste his dishes. From the savory dishes to the desserts and drinks, each item tasted divine, causing us food writers to close our eyes and call to God after every bite.

What the chef served us, indeed, was a meal fit for a king.

Romance on a plate

Oysters, chocolates, strawberries and saffron are only some of the world's known aphrodisiacs, or food items that increase sexual desire.

Eat all of these at the same time with your partner, and you may end up having a second date, or getting hitched.

Chef David Pardo de Ayala made this gentle warning as he gave us a culinary preview of his Valentine's Day menu, aptly called Passions*, at the picturesque Restaurant Verbena in Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay.

Asia Pacific's first Radisson Blu hotel is in Cebu

President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III always enjoys visiting Cebu, one of the country’s most developed provinces.

He called it “a place that brings together essential elements that make Philippine tourism so special” – from its natural attractions to world-class accommodations.

Last month, the country’s chief executive found his way in Cebu once again as he led the formal launch of the province’s newest gem – the first Radisson Blu Hotel in the Asia Pacific region.

The hotel, targeted mainly at luxury tourists and businessmen, is a result of a tie-up between Radisson Blu’s Carlson group and the family of mall magnate Henry Sy.

Asian Flavours: A culinary gem in Batangas

"Pinoy but upscale."

This is what Laguna-bred chef Paul Poblador, famous for his stint in San Pablo's Kusina Salud, said when asked to describe his latest creations at Asian Flavours.

The restaurant, tucked inside the Lima Park hotel in Malvar, Batangas, marked its first year last month with a 10-course all-Filipino lunch buffet.

Unlike his dishes at Kusina Salud, which Poblador described as "Lola's cooking," the dishes at the fairly new restaurant cater mainly to expatriate professionals, some of the locals, and hopefully soon, the Manila crowd.

It was a lot like refined comfort food -- from the kalderetang bakang Batangas generously topped with green and black olives and cheese to the extensive array of innovative ensaladas. 

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.