Solaire unveils culinary brilliance with Michelin Star Chefs for an unforgettable epicurean journey

Solaire Resort Entertainment City, the premier integrated destination resort in the country, has made history by bringing Michelin Star chefs to the Philippines. In honor of its anniversary month in March, Solaire is proud to announce the arrival of these iconic culinary masters for an unforgettable gastronomic experience. 

This significant occasion will feature the culinary artistry of three renowned Michelin Star chefs, each presenting their signature dishes at Solaire's signature restaurants for dinner at Finestra, Yakumi, and Red Lantern on March 13-16, followed by a lavish buffet brunch on March 17.

Renowned for her culinary passion, Chef Cristina Bowerman elevates her craft through a lens of creativity and innovation. With a bachelor's degree on culinary arts and a specialization in flavor concentration, Chef Bowerman relocated to Rome to become the Chef Patron at Glass Hostaria, a bastion of contemporary Italian cuisine, which she has led for seventeen years. In 2010, she earned a prestigious Michelin Star standing as Italy’s sole female recipient that year. Experience Chef Bowerman’s culinary finesse at Finestra, where a six-course dinner awaits, featuring her signature dishes starting with a modern twist on vitello tonnato, followed by a classic risotto à la meunière, and sumptuous Italiangyoza. Delight your palate with marbled beef wagyu ribeye alongside mulberry reduction, celery root terrine, hot garlic, and oxtail foam. Indulge in a perfect dessert pairing of popcorn and passion fruit dulce de leche, ensuring a perfect finale to your dining experience.

 

Hailing from Fukuoka, Chef Goh Fukuyama delved into the world of French cuisine right out of high school. In 2002, he unveiled La Maison de la Nature Goh, a discreet yet stylish establishmentrenowned for its imaginative French Japanese omakase. This culinary haven achieved notable acclaim, securing a spot in "Asia's 50 Best Restaurants". Boasting a Michelin Star, the restaurant solidified its standing in the culinary world. At Yakumi, indulge in an eight-course dinner featuring a tantalizing array ofdishes such as Foie gras monaka, white asparagus creamFukinotou Blancmange, as well as tuna and fermented tomato. Experience the exquisite flavors of sake steamed abalone andshiitake mushroom risotto, and white fish wrapped in cabbage with the scent of ARIAKE seaweed. Indulge in the rich flavors of Kyushu Kuroge Wagyu beef, a spicy crab curry, and a delightful “white and red” strawberry for dessert.

 

Maestro of Sichuan cuisine, Chef Xu Fan, the visionary behind the Michelin-starred Xujia Cuisine in Chengdu, immersed himself in the art of Sichuan-style cooking back in 1991. Renowned for its excellence, his restaurant has been honored with numerous awards, including "The best50" of China's top 50 restaurants for six consecutive years and the Black Pearl 1 Diamond restaurant for five successive years. Specializing in the bold and vibrant flavors of Szechuan Cuisine, Chef Xu

 takes charge of the Red Lantern kitchen, curating an exquisite eight-course dinner. Savor on dishes such as deep-fried angus beef tenderloin with a tantalizing sweet and sour, spicy sauce,and homemade chicken ball served in clear chicken soup. Indulge in the rich flavors of wok fried rock lobster with litchi and sweet chili sauce and relish the flavors of steamed star garoupawith sichuan green chili, green peppercorn, and premium soy sauce. Savor the succulent braised USDA beef short ribs with sichuan bean paste, truffles, vegetables, and crispy gillardeauoyster served with ginger sauce. Experience the mastery of freshly crafted dan dan noodles and homemade noodles with minced pork. For dessert, delight on sichuan ice jelly as well as mixed nuts with jelly and brown sugar.

 

Elevate your experiences with thoughtfully curated drinks bycertified Sake Samurai and Sake Master Brewer Akihiro Igarashiand the esteemed Luis de Santos, the first and only Master Sommelier of Filipino descent. Beyond his role as a Master Sommelier, de Santos thrives as a prosperous entrepreneur, presently owning multiple bars and restaurants in Las Vegas.Joining them is Max Solano, one of the West Coast’s most respected and creative mixologists and spirits educators for his innovative and versatile creations. His expertise lies in crafting cocktails using fresh, homemade ingredients and premium spirits sourced from around the globe. His talent has earned him acclaim in various media outlets, coupled with three Las Vegas Bartender of the Year awards.

 

“As we celebrate our anniversary, we continue to deliver culinary sensations like no other, this rare opportunity to savor Michelin Star fare in the heart of the Philippines promises to elevate their dining experience to new heights. We would like them to experience a symphony of world-class flavors, by bringing inthese three Michelin Star chefs who will artfully craft their own menus to spotlight the distinctiveness of their culinary artistry, “says Sebastian Kellerhoff, Vice President for Culinary.

 

Book your seats now for an excellent Michelin Star anniversary celebration at Solaire. For details and more information, you may email: restaurantevents@solaireresort.com. You can also check out https://www.solaireresort.com or Solaire’s Facebook and Instagram pages.

KMC Savills takes a panoramic look on the PH Real Estate

As we move into 2024, there are emerging trends set to shape the real estate market signaling a shift towards more sustainable, adaptable and technologically integrated living and working environments. 

KMC Savills, the country’s leading real estate brokerage and consultancy firm, takes a panoramic look on the state of Philippine real estate as they presented the latest data and outlook on the country’s property market for 2024. 

The presentation was led by KMC Savills’ Research and Consultancy together with their newly-appointed CEO Joe Curran and COO Cha Carbonell. 

Starting the event, KMC Savills CEO Joe Curran looked back on the year that was before discussing the current situation of the Metro Manila Office market sector. 

“Upcoming office completions are set to invigorate leasing activities”, shared Curran as demand is seen to sustain for 2024 while increase in vacancy rates is expected due to the upcoming multiple office building completion for the year. BGC remains the favorable location for prime buildings, leading all submarkets with more than 2 million in office stock and an incoming office supply of about 182,000 sq m – the highest in all submarkets in Metro Manila for the past year.

However, noteworthy transactions also occurred in the last quarter of 2023, with about 110k sq m of space taken. Leading the charge are the new buildings in Makati, reaching high occupancy rates despite the competitive office landscape.

Metro Manila office lease rates have stabilized post-pandemic to an average of 858 pesos per sq m down by 6.7% from pre-pandemic rates. Remarkably, Iloilo’s lease rates have increased through the pandemic due to the constant demand from IT-BPM sector which is seen to continue its expansion outside Metro Manila where there is deemed to be a larger talent pool and relatively lower wages. 

In the Industrial sector, KMC Savills COO Cha Carbonell shared that “Manufacturing and Logistics are paving the way for industrial hubs” with Manufacturing accounting for nearly half—41% of the current tenant market. Laguna is reported as the primary location for over half of the warehouse stock. Elevated vacancies, however, may pressure warehouse rents. Particularly noteworthy are the significant decreases in the rental rates of Bulacan, which went down by 42% and Pampanga by 21%.

In the Residential sector, KMC Savills Research and Consultancy Associate Director Joshua De Las Alas discussed the shift on how the middle-market consumers are now leaning more towards PAGIBIG to finance their dream homes outside of Metro Manila. On top of rising interest rates, the need to live near the place of work has declined, leading to the slowdown in mid-market condominium sales. 

On the other hand, developers are now putting more focus on high-end and luxury developments, which make up 60% of the new launches for the past 2 years. Notably, the Metro Manila market has only sold 65% of the 113,000 units floated, both for pre-selling and RFO units. Around 40,000 units are still left unsold, half of which are from mid-market developments. 

The event ended with KMC Savills’ bullish outlook for2024, reporting that the real estate market will continue to pick up. In terms of specific market segments, KMC Savills is optimistic about the office, retail, and hospitality sectors.

On the other hand, they are wary of the mismatch between the demand and supply in the industrial marketand the potential saturation of the mid-end residentialmarket. 

They also mentioned the emerging markets to look out for such as the rise of renewable energy and the data center industry, which are currently in their early stages.

 

Join Goodday's 'Scan for Japan' Promo for an Unforgettable Experience!

Japan is one of the most popular destinations for tourists—especially for Filipinos. In 2023, the Philippines ranked first among ASEAN countries in tourist arrivals. Known for its majestic natural sites and fun experiences, many people dream of experiencing the country’s rich culture and amazing sights with their friends and family.

 

This February, you can get a chance to fly to Japan with Goodday’s “Scan For Japan” promo.  To join, just purchase and enjoy Goodday, which is available in original, strawberry, and mango flavors. Then, check out the special code under the label of the 80ml bottle and under the cap of the 350ml bottle. Use this code to register via a website that you can access simply by scanning the QR code on the bottle.

There will be multiple major draws, on February 15, March 17 and March, 28, 2024, where you can take home various healthy rewards from Goodday.

 

“Goodday always comes up with creative ways to encourage people to have a healthy lifestyle. We also want to reward our loyal customers for supporting our product, and we hope that ‘Scan For Japan’ can help make their travel dreams come true,” said Universal Robina Corporation’s (URC) Chief Marketing Officer, Mian David.

 

Lucky winners can get a chance to win an all-expense paid roundtrip flight to Japan, with accommodation for four days and three nights, one-day tour package, and spending money. This will be a great opportunity for you to visit iconic spots like Mt. Fuji, Shibuya Crossing, and Kyoto’s many temples and shrines, and try all the traditional Japanese food you want. If you’re lucky, you could even catch cherry blossoms in bloom.

 

Other major raffle prizes include a Nintendo Switch Lite from Toys R Us (nine winners) and P10,000 worth of e-wallet credits (nine winners). There will also be instant prizes such as P1,000 GCash credits (15 winners) and Goodday gift packs (50 winners).

 

Made with Japanese technology, Goodday is a cultured milk brand owned by Asahi Beverages Philippines and distributed locally by Universal Robina Corporation (URC). It’s a yummy immunity-boosting drink with Lactobacillus Shield paraprobiotics. It also helps with the production of antibodies to protect people against disease-causing microorganisms.

 

Asahi Beverages Philippines and URC partnered with creative tech studio Appetite Creative to create the interactive packaging experience for the “Scan For Japan” promo.  According to Asahi Beverages’ Chief Executive Officer, Hemalatha Ragavan, this partnership allows the brand to easily connect with customers. “This innovation offers a fun way to interact with customers who want to win rewards. Goodday is definitely keen on using this versatile tool for other exciting promos in the future,” Ragavan shared.

 

Goodday’s “Scan For Japan” promo will run from January 15 to March 28, 2024, per DOH-FDA CFRR Permit No. 1206 series of 2023. 

 

You can shop for Goodday 80ml and 350ml bottles online; and in leading supermarkets, convenience stores, and sari-sari stores nationwide. 

 

For more updates and information, follow Goodday on Facebook and Instagram.

Jollibee brought together enthusiasts of its well-loved fried chicken at the day-long “I Am A Chickenjoyer Fan Meet”

 

For the first time in Chickenjoy history, Jollibee brought together enthusiasts of its well-loved fried chicken at the day-long “I Am A Chickenjoyer Fan Meet” at Trinoma Activity Center last February 17.

 

This joy-filled event gathered families and friends adding up to over 1,500 individuals to celebrate their shared love for the iconic Chickenjoy.

 

“We are so excited to finally bring so many Chickenjoyers together in one venue and host an exciting day for them,” said Pamie Cruz, Senior Marketing Manager of Jollibee Philippines. “This is our way of thanking them for their continued support for Chickenjoy, and for spreading this love to their families and friends from all over the country and even all over the world.”

Guests engaged in a slew of activities detailed in their event passports. From conquering the Claw Machine to trying their luck at the Giant Gachapon and mastering the Ball Bucket Shoot Out, attendees collected points, won limited-edition Chickenjoy merchandise, and created lasting memories. To add, a professional studio setup awaited guests, capturing their moments through expertly taken photos and videos.

Jollibee endorsers and self-proclaimed Chickenjoyers Joshua Garcia and Donny Pangilinan also added to the fun during the morning and afternoon programs, respectively. When asked about his favorite memory with Chickenjoy, Donny recalled, “As a kid, I remember going home via expressway and ordering Jollibee via drive-thru because that’s really our favorite. In the car, my dad would ask us what we wanted and of course, we wanted Chickenjoy. We’d share it in the car before driving off again, feeling satisfied.”

Joshua added his own vivid Chickenjoy moments: “With my family, it’s always a tradition to order Jollibee when it’s someone’s birthday. My nephew loves Chickenjoy, so I would bring him a bucket on his birthday and we’d share it with Jolly Spaghetti or rice. My favorite part is the chicken wing—I love the experience of removing the bone and dipping the wing in the gravy. Sarap!”

 

This unique event showed how Chickenjoy has played a role in the lives of millions, from satisfying cravings to completing delightful bonding moments. Renowned for its crispy and flavorful skin, juicy and succulent meat, and signature gravy, Chickenjoy continues to make a lasting impact and be well-loved by the generations to come.

 

The Crispylicious, Juicylicious, best-tasting Jollibee Chickenjoy is available nationwide for PHP 82.00 (1-pc. Chickenjoy with rice and drink). Drop by your nearest Jollibee branch and treat yourself to its crispy, juicy goodness via dine-in, take-out, or drive-thru. You can also have it delivered via the Jollibee App, JollibeeDelivery.com, #87000, GrabFood, and Foodpanda.

 

For all the latest updates, like Jollibee on Facebook, subscribe to Jollibee Philippines on YouTube, and follow @jollibee on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok.

 

Darlene is ready to capture everyone’s heart with her debut single “Daydream'

She’s back and she’s better than ever. Darlene is ready to capture everyone’s heart with her debut single “Daydream''; striking a remarkable start with her journey, announcing that THIS IS HER NOW. 

The now 19-year old singer first captured people's hearts by participating in a popular singing competition show almost a decade ago. Showcasing her vocal prowess, she made an impact and touched people with her cover of “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys. She pursued her studies and in 2022, Darlene took another step when she debuted with SBTown’s first girl group, YGIG. She contributed her charismatic stage presence and power vocals with YGIG’s debut single, “Shaba Shaba” However, because of health reasons, Darlene had to leave the group to take a rest.

But this 2024, Darlene is ready to show everyone that this is her now! She is set to carve a new path as officially a solo returning artist with the release of her debut single “DayDream”. Darlene is under the supervision of SBTown’s CEO, Mr. Geong Seong Han, SBTalent Camp’s South Korean trainer, Ms. Adelaide Hong, and is co-managed by Ms. Kathleen Dy-Go of Universal Records.

"Daydream" narrates a compelling story of conflicting emotions, where doubt and denial intertwine with despicable feelings towards someone special. The song explores the interesting and complex point when someone is experiencing the stages of falling in love, capturing the essence of confusion and the adamant denial of these complicated feelings.

 

Darlene said that she’s grateful and honored to work with Korean producers for this bubbly song, which is a reflection of the whirlwind of emotions one goes through when love begins to blossom. It was recorded in South Korea, and has a notable hip-hop vibe with kitsch trap beats and hyperpop guitar chopping that showcases her versatile vocals, melodic prowess, and fresh, lively delivery. 

 

The “Daydream” official music video (Ver. 1) has been unveiled as well. (WATCH HERE)

 

You can now stream it on your favorite digital streaming platforms.

 

Don’t miss out on Ed Sheeran’s much anticipated + - = ÷ x Tour in Manila on March 9 at the SMDC Festival Grounds!

Ed Sheeran who is currently several shows into his ‘+ – = ÷ x’ Asia tour, promoted by @ AEG Presents, continues to break records around the world, this time, in Singapore with a sold out National Stadium tonight where he has broken the all-time capacity record for a single show with over 60,000 people heading to the iconic venue for the show. 

This unforgettable moment at Ed Sheeran’s + - = ÷ x tour in Singapore when JJ Lin joined him for an awesome performance of ‘Twilight’ 

Don’t miss out on Ed Sheeran’s much anticipated + - = ÷ x Tour in Manila on March 9 at the SMDC Festival Grounds! Who knows WHO else might join him on stage 

Secure your tickets now at ovationtickets.com and smtickets.com

#EdSheeran #MathematicsTour

Video credit: Liam Pethick

STARS OF ‘AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER’ ARE COMING TO THE PHILIPPINES

 

Gordon Cormier (Aang) and Dallas Liu (Prince Zuko), lead stars of the much-awaited Netflix live-action adaptation AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER, are headed to Manila on February 21, 2024! 

 

In an announcement video shared on Netflix Philippines’ Facebook account and other official channels, Gordon and Dallas extend the invitation to fans to join them at the Avatar: The Last Airbender fan event: “We will be in Manila for February 21st for the Avatar fan event!” Dallas, who plays Crown Prince Zuko adds: “It’s going to be amazing and so much fun, so please come and join us!” The announcement concludes with Gordon, who plays the young Avatar Aang, saying: “Let's go. Yip Yip!”

The Netflix live action adaptation marks the latest reimagining of the beloved Nickelodeon series. It follows Aang (Cormier), the last Air Nomad and the next Avatar, as he masters the four elements of Water, Earth, Fire and Air and wield them to protect the world threatened by the ruthless Fire Nation and its equally terrifying leader, Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim).

Through this fantastical journey, we follow the adventures of Aang and his friends–siblings Sokka (Ian Ousley) and Katara (Kiawentiio)–members of the Southern Water Tribe. Together, they must navigate the difficult journey to restore balance in the world, all while evading the pursuit of the Fire Nation and its relentless Crown Prince Zuko.

The series is helmed by showrunner and writer Albert Kim (Sleepy Hollow, Nikita) and executive produced by Jabbar Raisani (Lost in Space, Stranger Things) and Michael Goi, alongside directors Roseanne Liang and Jet Wilkinson. The ensemble cast consists of Gordon Cormier, Dallas Liu, Ian Ousley, Kiawentiio, Paul Sun-Hyung Lee and Daniel Dae Kim.

 

AVATAR: THE LAST AIRBENDER premieres on February 22, only on Netflix.

realme is rolling out a 4GB+128GB storage variant for the new realme Note 50

realme is rolling out a 4GB+128GB storage variant for the new realme Note 50 starting on February 21. The new variant will be available in the Midnight Black colorway which will launch exclusively first on realme’s Lazada Flagship Store for only P4,599. During this time, Lazada platform vouchers of up to P1,200 off and free shipping are available upon checkout of realme products, including the realme Note 50 (4GB+128GB).

The higher storage variant of realme Note 50 allows users to store more files, photos, and videos on their device. Aside from that, this can also have up to 8GB total RAM with its 4GB physical RAM plus 4GB virtual RAM thanks to realme’s Dynamic RAM Expansion feature.

Similar to the variant launched in January, the realme Note 50 (4GB+128GB) is still packed with premium features such as the 6.7” 90Hz HD+ Display, thin 7.99mm Ultra Slim Design body and is certified with IP54 Dust and Water Resistance to withstand everyday exposure and usage, as well as minor accidents. Additionally, the Squad can still enjoy the unique Mini Capsule feature to easily monitor their Charging and Battery Status, Data Usage, and Step Tracking.

Last month, the maiden realme Note 50 (4GB+64GB) variant was met with a successful first-selling during its launch on January 23. On TikTok Shop alone, it sold out 4,000 units in just a few minutes after its release. 

Following that success, the realme Note 50 (4GB+128GB) is eyed to set benchmarks as one of the most affordable and reliable smartphones in the Ultra Low-End price segment available in the market today.

Don’t miss out because this promo runs for a limited time only. Make sure to be updated with realme’s announcements and new releases by visiting its official Facebook page or website.