Dining In/Out (12/15/22)

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Belmont offers edible Christmas gifts

BELMONT Hotel Manila has a handful of suggested items that are perfect for personal consumption or as a gift. First there is the Box Belmont Hamper, filled with homemade sweets and savories from Belmont’s culinary team. The package includes pineapple chutney, mango ginger jam, local pickles, one box of their signature pralines (nine pieces), Ferino’s Toasted Bibingka, and a 200 ml bottle of sparkling rosé for P1,990. For Christmas parties and reunions, there is the hotel’s Crackling Belly with Roasted Vegetables, their version of Cebu crackling pork belly, stuffed with fresh chilies, garlic, lemongrass, red onions, and roasted root vegetables. This is available at P2,000 for two kilos. To satisfy a sweet tooth, there is the logcake or bûche de Noël: a chocolate roulade enveloped in chocolate diplomat cream with chocolate bits and cocoa nibs (P1,200/cake). Another choice is the hotel’s Signature Pralines made of local ingredients and flavors. Each box contains nine assorted pralines (P390) featuring Pinoy flavors such as ube, green calamansi, macapuno, langka, chocolate coffee, and pineapple chili. Finally, guests will be happy to know that the legendary Ferino’s bibingka and puto bumbong has made its way to Belmont Hotel Manila. The booth is open from 2 p.m. onwards daily at the hotel lobby. Orders for the food items must be placed at least three days in advance by e-mailing dine@belmontmanila.com or calling 5318-8888, or visit Café Belmont at the lobby of Belmont Hotel Manila. To view the hotel’s full holiday offerings, visit https://heyzine.com/flip-book/5b29bd1f71.html#page/1.

Newport World Resorts’ New Year parties

END the year on a high note at Newport World Resorts, the country’s pioneer casino, hotel, and entertainment destination, where from Dec. 31 to Jan. 1, eight parties will be held, aside from those at the area’s hotels.  But New Year countdown parties are far more enjoyable after sharing a meal with the family and one need not travel far to find elegant spreads to feast on as Newport World Resorts’ signature restaurants, Casa Buenas and Silogue, are serving up festive feasts fit for the whole family. The Family-style Holiday Feasts from Casa Buenas features Smoked beef short ribs and at Silogue, the showstopper is the Lechon Manok, Beef Morcon, and more. After dining, there are multiple ways to welcome the new year. At the Newport Performing Arts Theater, Lani Misalucha with Mel Villena and the AMP Big Band will be joined by Gigi De Lana with the Gigi Vibes in the Power Divas New Year’s Eve Concert on Dec. 31, 8 p.m. At the Newport Grand Wing, The Grand Bar and Lounge sways to the rhythms of disco and funk with the sounds of VST and the Boyfriends. Over at the Newport Garden Wing’s Bar 360, The Eastside Band will play. Meanwhile, the Newport Mall presents the New Year Countdown Party at The Plaza, headlined by one of the hottest DJs from the metro’s newest superclub. International hotel brands at Newport World Resorts will also host countdown parties to kick off 2023. It’s a Reunion Soiree at Sheraton Manila featuring great music and even greater food. At Hotel Okura Manila, say sayonara to 2022 at the scenic SORA Rooftop. The future sparkles at Marriott Manila’s So Bright We Gotta Party event featuring a buffet and live entertainment. Have a splashing good time and ring in the New Year with family and friends at Hilton Manila’s New Year’s Eve Vega Poolside Countdown party. Make the most of New Year staycations, and have a merry time over lunch or dinner. At the Holiday Inn Express Manila-Newport City, the New Year’s Eve Dinner is served at Jardin and The Great Room. Marriott Manila’s Marriott Cafe has a New Year’s Eve Dinner and a special New Year’s Day Lunch Crossover. Okura Manila’s Okurimono brings a New Year’s Eve Buffet of international and Japanese cuisines. Sheraton Manila’s S Kitchen’s New Year Spread indulges every imaginable craving with international fare and local favorites. At Oori, there is a Korean New Year Set Menu. Kickstart the New Year in style with Hilton Manila’s New Year’s Eve Gala at the Ballroom. For more information on The World Parties at Newport World Resorts, visit www.newportworldresorts.com/new-year-2023 and follow @newportworldresorts on Facebook and Instagram, and @nwresorts on Twitter. Guests may call Newport World Resorts’ Contact Customer Contact Center at 07908-8888 to book their tickets.

Paskong Pinoy-inspired sweets and treats

THIS SEASON, chef Lovely Jiao of Sugarplum Pastries has whipped up Paskong Pinoy-inspired desserts. Dubbed as 12 Sweet Advent-Ure Awaits, the holiday series features an eye-catching Meringue Krismastri that promises to be the centerpiece in any Christmas spread. Approximately 15 inches tall, this tower of meringue is adorned with truffle ornaments, cinnamon cookies and chocolate bars. The all-edible Cri-smash Cake comes in Santa and Snowman shapes. This chocolate dessert comes with a candy smash head and a wooden mallet for a fun surprise. For those who opt for more traditional confections, there is the Tres Leches Cake, a sponge cake soaked in three kinds of specialty milk, with fresh peaches and mangoes. The chef has also combined two desserts into a five-inch Bro-ho-ho-wnie Cheesecake. Especially created for the festivities, the Merry-Do Kit encourages family members and friends to be creative as they decorate their own naked cinnamon cookies. An interactive activity for intimate gatherings, the package includes sugar cookies shaped like a Christmas tree, the traditional parol (Christmas lantern), and a gift. The kit comes with three icing packs in red, green and yellow, as well as Christmas smash balls. Those looking for holiday tokens or additions to their get-togethers may opt for the Apple Medley, a chocolate-coated apple topped with local childhood favorites, or the seasonal Giveawayay, a dainty gift box of Christmas-themed chocolate chip cookies and customized sugar biscuits. Completing the collection are some of the all-time favorites adapted for the holidays: Binge Cookies, Sugarplum Pastries’ version of chocolate chunk cookies; cheesy, buttery and fluffy Ensaimada; Banana Loaf filled with dark chocolates and topped with walnuts; Holiday Trio, a box full of Panettone Christmas bread, chocolate chip cookies, and banana loaf; and Cheesecups made from their family heirloom recipe. A culinary major graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Institution Management, Ms. Jiao decided to be hands-on with her growing son and launched a home-based brand instead of climbing the corporate ladder. For inquiries, contact sugarplum_pastries@yahoo.com or 0927-128-3876 or visit the social media channels on Facebook (@sugarplumpastriesph) and Instagram (@sugarplumpastries).

Gifts from Tefal

ONGOING until Dec. 18, get a hold of Tefal Cookware bundles on Lazada to score free Tefal gifts and 250 ml Contadina Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Exclusive vouchers, free shipping, and flexi combo deals also await with 5% off when one buys two items and 10% off when one buys three items, excluding bundles and Tefal Cook ‘N Clean. Tefal Cookware is exclusively distributed by Rustan Marketing Corp. and is available in-store at Rustan’s, Anson’s, True Value, True Home, and SM Home; online at Trunc.ph, BeautyMnl, Lazada, Shopee, and ZALORA.