Kogi Bulgogi invades Promenade Greenhills

My first Korean food experience was in college when a friend brought me to taste the “kimchi”. For me, it was not as spectacular but it captures my interest to taste other Korean delis. In the Philippines, the Korean pop culture is conquering Pinoy youth by storm. Subsequently, so does religious groups from Korea are also populating the local Filipino Christian Churches. In Baguio alone, there about 25,000 Korean Families migrated there.  Of course, with their growing population, it will also follow the big growth of Korean food and restaurants.

Last two weeks ago, I was fortunate to be invited to grace the opening of another (starting to become) famous Korean Resto, Kogi Bulgogi Prominade Greenhills. Actually, it was my first time to be in an authentic Korean Restaurant in my life, and I’m glad to experienced other Korean food more than the Kimchi I tasted years ago. More than just the food, I was also immersed in the different Korean culture. It was fascinating to know that the word “kogi” means pork  and the word “bulgogi” is a dish. With the number of dishes that was served to us, I was surprised to know that the “Japchae”  is also a Korean origin.

Kogi-Bulgogi was first opened in Eastwood Mall, in Libis last 2010. Apparently, with their growing followers not just coming from fellow Koreans but also Filipinos who are starting to fall in love anything Korean, prompted the management to branch out in Lucky China Town and now at Promenade Greenhills.

Together with seven other food bloggers and member s of the media, Kogi Bulgogi Promenade served us some of their best sellers.

Japchae: Priced at P258. Stir fried vermicelli with beef beef, pork, and mixed vegetables

Kalbi Gui (US Prime) Priced at P385.  Grilled marinated premium beef

Bibimbap. Priced at P210, is a mixed of tenderloin US prime beef with mixed vegetables topped with sunny side up egg.

Tuk Bulgogi.  Priced at 

P395 (Bulgogi pot) well-marbled premium imported beef, golden mushrooms, tofu, vegetables, and glass noodles on light sauce. Cooked and simmered on your table

Tuna tataki. Priced at P320, is a seared tuna over hot flame with vinegar sauce sprinkled with chives and sliced lemons. 

Mr. Myk Soon, Brand Manager of Kogi Bulogogi being interviewed by Ms. Patricia Fernandez

of Solar News.

Dulcolax and CareWell Foundation launch LIFESAVER Campaign

Colorectal Cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer related death in the country and according to the Philippine Cancer Society, the reported diagnosed cases is 8,000 and it is alarmingly increasing every year. Surprisingly, as dreadful as it is, the disease is 90% curable if detected early.

Boehringer Ingelheim,  the makers of Dulcolax (Bisacodyl) partners with Care Well Foundation in launching the Life Saver Campaign.  The campaign is a public awareness advocacy that promotes periodic colon screening  for people 40 years old and up. According to Dr. Jaime Ignacio, practicing gastroenterology and digestive endoscopy, colon cancer can be prevented in early detection. This procedure is called endoscopy, where it can be perform on an outpatient basis.

Apparently, such procedure, would cost between P10,000 to P15,000 which quite costly for most of the marginalized people. It’s a good thing that the Lifesaver campaign is not limited only to awareness and educating the public but also provide free screening procedure for those who are considered indigent patients.    

Dulcolax, the leading laxative medicine in the country today, is noted to provide effective relief for people who are suffering from constipation. But many are not aware; Dulcolax is also an effective agent in colon screenings. Ms. Jo-Ann Ramos Brand Manager of Dulcolax share; “We wanted to partner with groups whose objectives are parallel with ours and that is to help those who are afflicted or affected by this dreadful disease, such as the Care Well Community”. 

The Care Well Foundation is a non-stock non-profit organization that provides support, education and hope to persons suffering from cancer and their loved ones.  For Dulcolax, it is a fitting partnership where the two entities has the power not just to save but impact the lives of many people. As Dr. Ignacio shared, the key is early screening through endoscopy. 

The lifesaver Campaign is also conducting series of presentation in various hospitals to gain support from medical practitioners to encouraged people at risk to get screened. This is for those who have reached the age of 40 and above. It said that those in that age bracket are more susceptible to acquiring to disease. The campaign has tapped experienced Gastroenterologist  in the country. The Campaign comes along with a lifesaver packs that are available in key drug stores all over the country. A portion of the proceeds of sales of the Lifesaver packs will be pooled to fund the costs of sponsored Colonoscopy procedures that will benefit marginalized patients. 

To know more about Colon Cancer and Colonoscopy, visit them on facebook.com/ColonCarePH.
You may also check the following website:

1. http://philcancer.org.ph
2. http://www.cancer.gov

Manna Café Re-loaded

Last 2012, Manna Café opened their first store and restaurant at Aguirre Avenue BF Homes, Paranaque. For the people in the south, BF homes is noted for being the “Korean Town” of Metro Manila. Many establishments along that strip, may it be Korean resto, spa, school and salon are owned by Koreans. The businesses along Aguirre Avenue prove to be very flourishing left and right. And so does Manna Café.

This 2013, just over a year of its inception, Manna have expanded their offerings by widening their choices of dishes veering towards Asian cuisine so as to serve the growing population of the market not just inside BF homes but also some outside Paranaque. Chef Auf, the resident chef of Manna café and Café Yen a number of celebrity frequent their visits in the café to eat the delectable dishes and enjoy the cozy atmosphere of the Resto. One in particular is Ms. Kris Aquino herself who loves the pastries and Café Yen’s own version of Tom Yum. Café Yen by the way is a Thai Restaurant, which is an off-shoot business of Manna café. 

Last August I had the invitation to re-visit Manna Café to try some their new dishes a lot of people are raving about. Since the two cafes are beside each other, our visit was more kind of a crossover of dishes of CafeYen and Manna. 

Green tea with a twist. Tipical in most tea in Thai Cuisine are iced may it be coffee or tea. Thai's are quite famous for their cold drinks. Another favorite drink most of their costumers order is the Earl Gray Tea. You can check out their iced coffee in their menu. 

Manna's Meat Ball Soup. Top-grade meat balls cooked in tomato paste with parsley and other special herbs. Okay, this is a soup. A sport of an Entre before the main course. But honestly, I was like craving for a pasta when I tasted this soup. For many Filipino like me, Its kind of "incomplete" without it. But it sure's quite tasty. An ideal light meal before heading out to the main dish. 

Manna's Anchovy Creamy Pasta. Definitely a must try dish. It defies an individual's expectation when it comes to pasta eating. The anchovy flavored breaks the customary taste of everyday pasta you eat. The herbs and spices sprinkled into it adds a different kind of twist with a flavor that is quite unique. The serving was quite interesting as well. But i don't think it is the same on the normal serving. 

Manna's Grilled Spicy Chicken Cheese Sandwich. For people who are on the go and just want to grab a quick meal, then this sandwich is just the right size for you. Even with the cheese and spices mixed, you can still taste the flavor of the chicken. I think this light meal best goes with the meat balls tomato soup a while ago. 

Crab Rangoon. At first sight, I thought it was just a typical dumpling, but its not. Wrapped in a very fine crepe is a mix of crab meat and cream cheese with herbs and spices. It is an ideal side dish, if you ask me. The sauce on the side makes it more tastier. But it is delicious even without. Your choice. 

Lotus of the Sea. At first glance it reminds me of the cocoon in the movie Aliens. :)

Wrapped in a aluminum foil, baked bread and cabbage and inside are mix of scrambled egg and tuna with herbs and spices. Not so much of my favorite, but this one is sure filling.  

Barbecue Spareribs. Manna cafe also serve heavy meals like this one. The spareribs are marinated in spacial sauce quite unique in Manna. Served with Thai Rice and side dish vegetables. Best devoured with their special sauce spiced vinegar mix. 

Cafe Yen's Tom Yum. Of course I will not leave a Thai Restaurant without trying a Tom Yum. I've tasted others before and each one has their own signature flavor and degree of spiciness. But this one fits my preference and taste and so does Kris Aquino. At least that's one commonality we both share. 

Chef Auf. The guy who is responsible for all of these insanely delicious food served at Manna Cafe and Cafe Yen. These two restaurants are located at Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque City. 

Safeguard Active 5150 Triathlon

Two years ago, I had the opportunity of doing a media coverage of the Subic International Triathlon – SUBIT. It was my first time to witness a triathlon event and I was so fortunate to see in action some of the best tri-athlete in the world. I've been a seasoned runner for quite some time now and did several full marathons and after that event my excitement as an athlete grew higher and made me contemplate to consider doing triathlon in the near future. 

This October 6, another triathlon event is about to happen and as always, this will be held in Subic, Zambales. In the last decade, Subic has been a favored sporting venue of many outdoor sports event both local and international. The vast complex that was used to be a US naval facility offers topographic features and landscape is perfect for multi-sports activity.

This triathlon event is no other than the 5150 Triathlon. For the past three years, this event has been gaining popularity among tri-athletes around the world both professional and for those who are just starting to be immersed in the sport. A bit shorter than the Ironman 70.30, this event will cover 1.5 Kilometer swim at Kamana Resort, then a 40 kilometer bike course around the scenic and rolling hills of Subic and it will end with a 10 kilometer run inside the Subic Jungle where tri-athletes will get a chance to encounter some of its permanent residents like monkeys and monitor lizards strolling around.

On its third year, the triathlon event will be co-presented by Safeguard and the event will called as Safeguard Active 5150. The initial partnership with Sunrise Events Inc. will be for three years but of course has the provision of extension if such partnership will be a success. Sunrise Events Inc. is the multi-sport organizing group behind Ironman 70.30 and Iron Kids. The 5150 is part of triathlon series and is also the largest Olympic race series in the world. 

Last August 18, 2013, sports enthusiasts, tri-athletes and members of the media gathered together at Dusti Thani Hotel to witness the official launching of the Safeguard Active 5150 Triathlon Competition. To get the fill of being a tri-athlete each one is given a patch number embedded to the skin just like the ones tri-athlete wore in a real triathlon event. The number on our arms also served as the raffle stub number. After the event raffles were drawn and unfortunately my number was not called.

Nonetheless, my day was very fulfilling because I was able to talk to a lot of tri-athlete friends who consistently encouraging me to go to the next level which is to do triathlon. Indeed, just being with them lifts up my spirit to pursue my next fitness goal and that is not just to cover a triathlon event but to become a tri-athlete competitor myself. 

LEAN: Remembering the life of Leandro Alejandro

Whenever September comes, a significant event in history reminds every Filipino about the era where our country have lived in a suppressed state when former President Marcos declared Martial Law. Presidential Decree 1081 was declared in front of national television on September 21, 1972. 

This year, UP Repertory, as it celebrates its 41st year has brought to the center stage of Tanghalang Aldaba, UP Diliman, one of Gary Granada’s musical masterpiece, LEAN. The play is a commemoration of the life of a student activist in the late 70’s and 80’s Leandro Alejandro. 

PRESS RELEASE:

The UP Repertory Company presents
LEAN: Based on Lean the Musical by Gary Granada

Quezon City, Philippines, July 2013 - "Huwag ninyong hayaan ang inyong pag-aaral ay maging sagabal sa inyong edukasyon." In between the harsh dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos and the triumph of the People Power Revolution, there stood an iconic student activist named Leandro Alejandro. His life of activism takes centerstage in Gary Granada's LEAN THE MUSICAL (1997), beginning with his experiences as a student in UP Diliman and ending with his untimely death at age 27.  Fighting for national democracy in the university and in the nation, Lean would prove his importance in history with his works as an activist, a politician, a friend, a husband, a son and a father. His life has defined an era of student activism and his work still inspires the youth today. 

Directed by UP Rep alumna Kathryn Manga and featuring new musical arrangement by Karl Ramirez, LEAN features powerful catchy songs that breathe new life to the many different characters and personas of the 1980s. Through song and dance, the musical not only tells the story of the influential student activist but also creatively re-imagines the loud cries of the masses and the lives of our so-called “iskolar ng bayan” during this era.

As part of its 41st anniversary celebration, The UP Repertory Company proudly presents LEAN, a musical that will surely get your toes tapping with an endless surge of LSS-worthy tunes and creative dances of joy and sorrow while provoking thoughts on our current society, leaving an important question to the audience – kung hindi ngayon, kailan pa?

LEAN runs on September 9, 14, 16, 21 (3pm and 7pm) and September 13 and 20 (7pm only) at the Dalisay Aldaba Recital Hall, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City.

Tickets: Php 250.00.
Online Reservation: http://bit.ly/ReserveLEANTickets
Contact Jenica: +63 916 321 0485

ABOUT THE UP REPERTORY COMPANY:

The University of the Philippines Repertory Company (UP REP) is a non-stock, non-profit student theater organization that has delivered performances to a variety of audience, in and outside of the University. The company aims to enlighten its audience on different social issues and to bring Philippine Theater closer to the masses. The organization is nearing its 41st anniversary.

Travel Industry gears up for the 1st Philippine Tourism Week

Traveling around the country is one activity many Filipinos are deprived with, because being an archipelago divided by 7,100 islands limits us to do it more often. Domestic ocean liners with questionable integrity is one cause of apprehension for most and airline fares can be a little above the budget for many. But one Irony of this is the 11 million OFWs who are now scattered all over the world.So it shows that Pinoys love traveling. 

The Philippine Tour Operators Association (Philtoa) in partnership with the Department of Tourism are relentless in making the Philippines to be a destination of choice for tourists, both foreign and local. Last September 1-8, 2013, They mounted the first Philippine Tourism Week which brought together some of the major players in the industry. In a forum, representatives of different delegations discussed some critical issues in the current tourism practices and laid down groundwork for the industry compliance and regional standards. 

A part of PHILTOA’s three year plan is the organization of Philippine Travel Exchange (PHITEX). It is a travel trade initiative to promote inbound tourism to over 90 buyers originating from Europe, US and Asia. This program is Department of Tourism best effort to reach the target of 10 million tourists by 2016. 

The Expo covered four halls of the SMX Convention Center. There were hundreds of participating industry mostly coming from the hospitality community and resorts. This only shows that resort and hotel business are starting to pick up, and many of the old time players have expanded their reach in other regions, showcasing the beauty of the regions. Provincial Tourism agencies were also at the forefront in displaying the features of a particular province, where places I have never had the chance of visiting yet. 

As expected airline fares from Cebu Pacific, ZestAir, TigerAir and others are beating each other in the rock bottom budget fares in any domestic destination. Resorts and hotels were also offering super discounted rates on off-season months. I also noticed that there were a lot of new players in the hotel and resort businesses, many new spas to check out and even posh hotels within Metro Manila. 

The expo will extend their promos and discounted rates until tomorrow, September 8, 2013. So make your booking early to get the best dates for your travels. Freebies from other participating suppliers of bags and other travel paraphernalia are also available in a much lowered prices. Check out Mares and Oxford booth and get the best quality bags and other gadgets on friendly rates. Truly, the Philippines is on “sale”! Each regions were offering special package tours that will fit any budget. Traveling is still more fun in the Philippines.

Rexona Run 2013: Run To Your Beat

With the growing popularity of running in our country, run organizers can’t seem to run out of creative ideas to turn a simple fun run into an extraordinary event. In the past years, we have seen a lot of innovations in the running circuit such as night runs, vertical runs, color runs, running with zombies, and some other crazy feats. Certainly, these running innovations inspired a lot of first time runners and seasoned ones jump into the party. 

And, speaking of parties, Rexona’s run this year is one event that will make the fun run a notch wilder than the last. Rexona Run 2013 – Run to Your Beat will heat up the running course on the early morning of October 20, 2013 as it features top DJs and live bands who will demonstrate the high trebles and chest thumping bass of their musical wizardry. The non-stop upbeat music will drum-up every runner in their paces coming from concert speakers scattered all over the race course.

Last August 28, 2013, friends from the running community and members of the media gathered in Club Haze, Bonifacio Global City to witness the launching of the event. The race is categorized in three running distances 21k, 10k and 5k. Coach Rio Dela Cruz of RunRio, the event’s race organizer, presented how listening to music improved his running over the years. He expounded that there are specific tempos of music that suit a particular distance. He gave several examples of music he loves listening to whenever he runs long distances. For those who will run short ones, he recommended to have music with a cruising tempo so that one can start slow before gradually speeding up. This is because most of the runners in 5ks are beginners. The 10k and 21k runners, however, require a much faster beat.  

Rexona Run 2013 – Run to Your Beat is definitely one running event every runner should be looking forward to.  With race distances of 5, 10 and 21ks, this race will serve all running levels whether you are a novice, or a seasoned and competitive one. Each category will have a set of live music performances scattered all over the race track. For the 5ks, performances will be rendered by Delta Street, Sandwich, The Diegos, DJ Maya Ayesa, Deuce Manila and DJ Nina. For the 10k runners, music will be served by Funk Avy and DJ Khai. For the 21ks, runners will get to see all the performances of the DJs plus a concert finale by Rico Blanco, Elmo Magalona, and DJ Mars Miranda.

To register, visit Riovana Stores located at Bonifacio Global City and Katipunan. Runners can also register at Toby’s outlets in SM Mall of Asia and SM North Edsa – The Block. Online registration is also open by logging on to www.runrio.com. Registration will close on October 16, 2013. For more details, visit the Rexona Men Facebook page, or call these race hotlines: 887-61-94, 0917-347 7700 (Globe) or 0929717864 (Smart).

AXE Philippines Selects Top Two Filipino Astronaut Hopefuls to Send To Space Camp in the U.S.

PRESS RELEASE:

The search for the first Filipino astronaut continues.  From over 28,000 applicants, 400 of the AXE Apollo Space Academy (A.A.S.A.) Philippines’ best battled it out at the AXE Apollo National Challenge, which happened last August 31st at Bonifacio Global City. The two winners of the rigorous trials will be sent to train at the international AXE Apollo Space Camp in the U.S. to prepare for the possibility of being sent to space.

The two AXE Apollo National Challenge winners will be joined by a 3rd candidate to be picked via an electronic raffle promo called the AXE Hyperdrive Promo, which gives every purchase of an AXE Apollo body spray a chance to win the last seat to Space Camp.  The three candidates from the Philippines will experience astronaut training in the U.S. this December together with over a hundred other candidates from all over the world.

“It’s been over 7 months since we started this nationwide search for the first Pinoy astronaut. Now that we are down to the Top 400, I think it’s really starting to sink in that pretty soon we will be sending one of these people to space,” says AXE Philippines Brand Manager Gem Laforteza.

A total of twenty three tickets to space are at stake, one of which is certain to go to a candidate from the Philippines making this person the first Filipino astronaut.

“I’m proud to have been involved in the selection process for the first Filipino astronaut. Naniniwala talaga ako na talentado ang mga Pinoy. We deserve this opportunity. And that’s why we’ve tried our best to make sure that whoever gets it really deserves the one-in-a-hundred-million chance to go to space,” says AXE Apollo National Selection Director Luis Manzano.

A test to find the space-worthy Pinoy

The AXE Apollo National Challenges, organized by Axe and cable channel AXN, tested the candidates’ skill, determination, and what AXE calls the “Hero-factor”. The first challenge was done in virtual space where over 4,000 of the top-voted candidates were invited to take an online test designed to select the top 400 applicants based on their intellectual prowess. The next challenge involved a rigorous test of physical fitness with the candidates undergoing a military-inspired obstacle course, from which the top 50 hopefuls emerged. Lastly, the candidates were asked to stand on pegs in a challenge called “the last hero standing,” a gruelling test of willpower designed to select the most determined candidates, the final two who will finally be sent to Space Camp.

“I think anyone would be happy with making it to the Top 3 who will be sent to the U.S. for astronaut training. Even if you don’t make it to space, Space Camp is still a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Pero siyempre, iba pa rin ‘yung masasabi mo na nag-bakasyon ka sa space,” says AXE Apollo National Selection Director Sam Gogna of the Boys Night Out.

The two winners from the Challenges were announced by A.A.S.A. National Selections Directors Luis Manzano, Gino Quillamor, Sam Gogna, and Ramon Bautista right after the event in a press conference held by AXE Philippines.  The two candidates await the announcement of their third compatriot who will complete the Filipino delegation to Space Camp in the Florida.

Log on to www.AxeApollo.com or the AXE Philippines Facebook page for more details about the search for the first Filipino astronaut.

HUAWEI Brings Christmas a little early this year...

PRESS RELEASE:

Manila, Philippines- Huawei, a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider, today announced  its early christmas promotion for Huawei Ascend P1, now priced at P6,990 from August 29 to September 8, 2013 only.

“Huawei Ascend P1 priced at P6,990.00, which combines smart features and a sexy design, represents a significant milestone for Huawei Device.  We are sending strong signals of our intention to transform into a consumer-facing brand and extend our market leadership by an early christmas offering,”  said Johnson Ma, Country Manager, Huawei Device Philippines.

The Ascend P1 is beauty meets brains – proof that technology and good looks can go hand-in-hand. It features a dual-core 1.5GHz TI OMAP 4460 Cortext-A9 processor and measures 7.69mm thin and 64.8 mm long, providing a very comfortable grip. With a 4.3-inch super AMOLED 960 x 540 touch screen with Corning® Gorilla® Glass, an 8-megapixel BSI rear-facing camera and Dolby Mobile 3.0 + 5.1 surround sound technology, the Ascend P1 provides a home theatre experience in the palm of your hands.

About Huawei Device:

As at the end of 2012, Huawei’s products and services are deployed in over 140 countries, serving more than one third of the world’s population. Huawei has also set up more than 20 R&D centers around the world in countries such as the United States, Germany, Sweden, Russia, India, and China. Consumer business is one of Huawei’s three business groups offering a range of products that include mobile phones, mobile broadband devices, home devices, clouds, and consumer chipsets.  With more than 20 years of rich business expertise in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, an extensive global network, vast global business operations and partners, Huawei Consumer Business Group, through Huawei Device, is dedicated to bringing the latest technology to consumers, offering a world of possibilities and creating extraordinary experiences for people everywhere.

For more information, visit Huawei Device online: http://www.huaweidevice.com.ph

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