Praying for Safety

To all those affected by the earthquake in Vis-Min, our prayers are with you.

17th Edition French Film Festival

I love French wine and cheese!  French films? These I have to see as June 7 marked the opening of the 17th edition of the annual French Film Festival.  Dubbed Citi-Rustan's French Film Festival, it is part of the French cultural program, Francophil, organized by the Embassy of France to the Philippines and the Alliance Francaise de Manille.

The film festival opened with Michael Hazanavicius' Oscar Award-winning film, "The Artist", which is very appropriate as it pays tribute to the beginnings of cinema.  Furthermore, a selection of contemporary French films will be shown throughout the festival through the efforts of the Institut Francais and the Philippine distributor, Pioneer Films. 

Among the films chosen as part of the Citi-Rustan's French Film Festival are Filipino films that have been shown in festivals in France or whose directors have participated in French workshops or seminars -- "Busong" by Auraeus Solito, "Manila" by Raya Martin and Adolfo Alix, Jr., "Bakal Boys" by Ralstom Jover, and the short films "Little" and "Au Revoir Philippe" by Sigrid Bernardo.  These Filipino films will be shown the whole day of June 12 as a tribute to Philippines' Independence Day.  The festival will also showcase Brillante Mendoza's "Captive," a Franco-German-Filipino co-production, starring French actress Isabelle Huppert.  However, the screening is by-invitation only and organized by Star Cinema.

The French Film Festival is from June 8 to 17 at the Shang Cineplex of the Shangri-La Plaza and from June 21 to 23 at the Ayala Center Cebu, made possible by the ample support of Citibank and Rustan's, and the following partners Shangri-La Plaza, Total, Air France-KLM, Pernod Ricard Philippines, Mandarin Oriental Manila, Pioneer Films, Le Cellier Wines, Cultural Center of the Philippines, UP Film Institute and official media partners BusinessWorld, Highlife, Travel, Radio High 105.9 and Spot.ph.


For inquiries, please call 0915-3135891 or email at frenchfilmfest@gmail.com.

Back With Brian McKnight

Yes, American R&B and Pop singer/songwriter and musical arranger Brian McKnight is back in the Philippines and is staging a concert with Back with Brian Mcknight Live in Manila on March 16, 2012, 8PM at the Smart Araneta Coliseum and on March 17, 2012 at the Harborfront Hotel in Cebu. Known for his hits "One Last Cry" and "Back At One," Concert goers will be in for a treat as Brian sings love songs and more.

His special guest for his concert is Angeline Quinto, a relative newcomer, but Brian is confident that she'll give a great performance because he believes in Filipino talent and knows that, "everyone here sings good and knows how to perform."

Brian McKnight

Having been here three times before, he lists among his favorite Filipino artists Martin Nievera, Gary Valenciano and Regine Velasquez. "Martin because the very first time I came here, I guested on his late night show and we became brothers, I'm his black brother. We became very close. Gary, I worked with him. Regine, when I heard her sing Mariah's (Carey) songs, I told Mariah that if she (Regine) comes here and sings your songs, you're not going to sing it anymore. You're going back to the drawing board."

Presented by MJM Productions, this show is special to Brian since this will be the first time in a long while that he will be performing with his two sons, Brian Jr. and Niko, who themselves are in the limelight because of their hit song "Marry Your Daughter." Composed by Brian Jr., the songs video garnered about 27 million hits on YouTube.

Brian with sons Niko (left) and Brian Jr. (right)

Musicality is obviously running in the family. When asked if their father influenced them in their craft, Brian Jr. said, "Of course he's influenced us a lot in music and he's really supportive. I wanted to go into NBA and play basketball but when I was 16, I started doing my songs." A proud father of two talented sons, he advises them to research and improve their craft. "'Marry Your Daughter' is an awesome song. But at the end of the day, what's the next step? You got to improve and not be complacent."

Brian has been active in Twitter because he believes that social media is the way to go nowadays for artist like him to interact with fans. "I really didn't want to do social media. I was from the days when you just put out a record and they like you whenever you come out. But now, if you're not on top of social media, you're forgotten. Now, as an artist, you have to be the most proactive person for your career and not wait for the label to do it for you. Now you 'twit' and do what you have to do to stay relevant. At the end of the day, reaching out to the fans on a personal level may make them buy your album or concert tickets." He also plans to do a live web feed from his studio so his fans can watch him and other musicians at work.

With that said, fans can expect to see and hear more from Brian McKnight, and his sons, in the coming days. In the meantime, here's a video I took of their little sample of 'Marry Your Daughter.'

Marry Your Daughter by Brian, Niko & Brian Jr.

For the Manila concert:

Ticket Prices

PATRON (PT 101 & 103) (Reserved Seating) – PhP 4,770

PATRON B (Reserved Seating) – PhP 4,240

LOWER BOX (Reserved Seating) – PhP 3,180

UPPER BOX A (Reserved Seating) – PhP 2,120

UPPER BOX B – PhP 1,060

GENERAL ADMISSION – PhP 530

Call 911-5555 or log-on to www.ticketnet.com.ph for online reservations.

Filed under SHOWS

James Ingram Live in Manila

The singer behind classic love songs "Just Once," "Whatever We Imagine," and "I Don't Have the Heart" plus duets with Patti Austin "How Do You Keep the Music Playing" and "Baby Come to Me" is here in the Philippines to spend his birthday (he turned 62 last February 16) and post-Valentine's with the Filipino concert goers.

James Ingram will be having a concert tonight in Manila at the SMART Araneta Coliseum (February 17) and in Cebu at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino in Lahug City on February 18, with special guest Lea Salonga. Look forward to a night of great music by great talents.

Filed under SHOWS

Cafe Laguna: Filipino Cuisine Made w/ Love

Whenever I go on out-of-town trips, I always make it a point to seek out a homegrown restaurant in the area that I can try. It was on my 7th trip to Cebu that I "discovered" this classy but relaxed Cafe Laguna in Ayala Center Cebu. The well-lit restaurant interiors has a garden theme that makes you feel like you are dining al fresco.

Cafe Laguna menu

Light wood and green motif of the interiors

Browsing through the menu, I noticed that they offered traditional Filipino food that were created from the recipes of the Urbina family that Lita Urbina wanted to share to everyone. My friends and I went to Cafe Laguna for merienda and so we ordered light fares to gives us energy for the afternoon's sightseeing activities.

Me looking at the menu

High school friends Gesel and Emy

My favorite noodles dish is Sotanghon Guisado and this is what I ordered, along with a refreshing glass of very Pinoy cooler, Sago at Gulaman. The Sotanghon did not fail my expectations as it is so delicious and had plenty of chicken strips and vegetables for toppings. The noodles are well cooked and seasoned just right that I did not find the need to add patis (fish sauce) to the squeezed calamansi.

Sotanghon Guisado

Sago at Gulaman

Emy ordered Adobo Manok sa Pandesal that was light yet tasty. Not the usual sandwich, it has shredded pork cooked Adobo style (with soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, black corn peppers and laurel leaf)..

Adobo Manok sa Pandesal

Gesel tried the mouth watering Manggang Hilaw with Bagoong -- thin strips of green mango, tomatoes and onions, with yummy alamang bagoong (shrimp paste) on the side. Just typing this sentence made me crave for it.

Manggang Hilaw with Bagoong

For dessert, Halo-Halo won hands down. The colorful concoction made of red beans, boiled saba bananas, kamote, sago and gulaman, pinipig, topped with shaved ice, ube (sweetened purple yum) and leche flan, was a pure delight by sight and by taste.

Halo-Halo

Cafe Laguna also serves local food at reasonable prices such as lumpia, a variety of pancit, bibingka, puto bum-bong, palitaw, kare-kare, lechon kawali, and bulalo steak, among others. View the full menu here.

As described in their website, Cafe Laguna, formerly known as Mother's Best, began as a labor of love in 1979 in a rented apartment with just ten tables. Because business went well, they eventually bought the place, renovated and expanded the carinderia to become a "place of dining" in 1991. In just three years, Cafe Laguna opened in Ayala Center Cebu and five years more, opened another one as Laguna Garden Cafe.

Cafe Laguna facade at Ayala Center Cebu

Today, the hard work and culinary genius of Lita Urbina paved the way for Cafe Laguna to achieve its dream of becoming a "showcase of Filipino cuisine." Because Cafe Laguna was a labor of love, their customers loved them back enough to help them grow branches in Cebu, Dumaguete, Cagayan de Oro, Ilo-ilo, and Davao. Cafe Laguna, when are you opening in Manila?

Filed under FLAVORS

Casa Verde: A Homey Place to Dine In

Planning a trip to Cebu anytime soon and wanted to know where's a good place to eat? Most likely, people who know would recommend Casa Verde. No, it is not a vegetarian restaurant as the name suggests -- Casa Verde is Spanish for 'Green House'. Rather it is like the local version of TGI Friday's when it comes to the homey ambiance and interior decorations, plus the country cuisine line-up and serving size. The best thing about it though is the affordable price of all the sumptuous meals.

Casa Verde exteriors at the Ayala Center Cebu.

The interiors with red bricks and dark wood furnitures.

I have been to Casa Verde twice last year for my two latest trips to the 'Queen City of the South' and everytime it never failed to amaze me that this restaurant can really offer great food at such a low price. So am sharing a few shots and notes on what you can try, if and when you visit the place.

Fried Cheese

For starters, there's Fried Cheese (P110) just because I love cheese! Each roll is perfectly coated and seasoned, and fried to golden perfection. As you take a bite, once past the crunchy outer layer, the cheese inside is soft and flavorful. Mmmm...I could nibble on these all day, with or without the marinara sauce.

Ultimate Blazing Nachos

Another favorite of mine is the Ultimate Blazing Nachos (P188) and was I surprised to see the dish when it arrived at our table. The serving was huge, overflowing with crisp white corn tortilla chips, and it was good enough for four people to share. The toppings of meat sauce, tomatoes, onions and cheese were spicy because of the sliced jalapeno peppers but the creamy, semi-sweet buttermilk scoop on top helped reduce the spice a bit. I enjoyed eating this dish as it tasted different from other nachos I've tried.

Tingting's Tavern Shrimp

Tingting's Tavern Shrimps (P168) is a must-try for shrimp lovers. The delicious butterflied shrimps, lightly crusted in oriental breadcrumbs, are fried until golden and crunchy. One order is good for two and is served with their own tartar sauce on a bed of harvest rice. This is one comforting dish that will make you wanna come back for more.

Grilled Chicken Raffitas

Raffitas (P150) are fajitas served with warm tortilla, lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and sour cream. This one is like a assemble-your-own wrapwich with grilled beef, shrimp and chicken fillings to choose from.

Brian's Ribs

For the heavy eater, I recommend Brian's Ribs, Casa Verde's best seller baked pork ribs with sweet tangy piquet sauce served with rice and corn & carrots. The tender pork ribs is really a steal for its price (P198). The served portion is the size of regular notebook (yes, that big!) and can be shared by up to 3-4 people.

Classic Watermelon Shake

Classic Watermelon Shake is refreshingly good and helped clean my palate after trying each dish that we ordered. The Classic Chocolate Shake, on the other hand, is a sweet-tooth's temptation. Can you believe that these shakes served in tall glasses are way too good for their price (P90 each)?

Classic Chocolate Shake

Casa Verde has more good offerings that must be tried. Will surely go back whenever I get the chance to fly to Cebu again. For now, I highly recommend this restaurant to my friends so that they may get to try the wonderful dining experience I had. At Casa Verde, dine like a king yet spend like a peasant.

Filed under FLAVORS

A Life-Giving Project

Rags2Riches (RIIR) has launched yet another project that promises to give back to the community -- the TREE BAG project. It is an initiative of RIIR in collaboration with designer Rajo Laurel, Anthill Fabric Gallery, and three communities from different parts of the country. Together, they produced these wonderful and timely eco-friendly bags aptly named TREE BAGS.

Each bag is large and sturdy enough to allow you to carry everyday stuff and is great as shopping companion (reducing the use of plastic bags). The body is made from scrap threads weaved beautifully by the indigenous weavers of Bangued, Abra; the handle from scrap cloth stylized by the women rug-weavers of Payatas; while the button is from scrap wood lovingly carved by the wood craftsmen of Pardo Cebu.

So what makes these Tree Bags different from other ecobags? By owning one, "you breathe life into a new tree." Yes, you read it right -- for every limited edition RIIR Tree Bag sold, a new tree is planted (thanks to their tree-planting partner, the San Carlos Development Boards, Inc.). So what are you waiting for? Grab a Tree Bag now and "you not only become part of the green chain of eco-ethical style and sustainable movement for Earth, you also get to celebrate the tradition of Ilocano weaving, empower the women of Payatas and the woods craftsmen of Pardo, Cebu."

I've come to know of RIIR way back in 2008 and since then, I've come to love what they stand for and do for the environment and the communities they support. What started out as a project in college sometime in 2007 has blossomed into a full social business enterprise passionate about creating designer lifestyle masterpieces that embody the eco-ethical style. To date, RIIR has launched products in partnership with designers Rajo Laurel and Amina Aranaz-Alunan, who generously lent their time and creative skills to design RIIR products, and have been given hope and livelihood to a community of women rug-weavers from Payatas.

To know more about Rags2Riches, their advocacy and their products, visit their website

http://www.rags2riches.ph.

Tree Bag photo/artwork from Rags2Riches.