Food, glorious food!

MANILA, Philippines - People can’t live without eating.

That’s why restaurants continue to mushroom all over the metropolis because people are hungry all the time. But with the competition getting more and more stiff, restaurant-owners have to come up with the best to attract as many hungry clients as possible.

Showbiz stars know the need for food that’s why when they think of going into business, they put up restaurants (plural).

Marvin Agustin (with his partner Carlo Lorenzana) has just opened at the Abreeza Mall in Davao City another (the ninth) outlet of his SumoSam restaurants which he founded several years ago. He also co-owns John and Yoko, Mr. Kurosawa, Comrade, Johnny Chow and a forthcoming buffet Japanese restaurant at The Fort.

Sylvia Sanchez’s TJ’s Resto-Bar

Sylvia Sanchez and her good friend Bobby Casuela have decided to close their four-year resto bar in Greenhills, San Juan City, and open a new one called TJ’s Resto-Bar at the cor. of Scout Borromeo and Sgt. Esguerra streets in Quezon City, a stone’s throw from the ABS-CBN studios and GMA Network. Very convenient.

Opened only recently, the place still smells new. It has a bar offering a wide array of wine choices and a cozy meeting room upstairs, with a VIP Room that can accommodate a dozen people.

TJ’s offers everything a gourmet is looking for.

“Among our specialties is Bagnet which I myself prepare at a special cooking area in front of TJ’s,” said Sylvia who, like Bobby, is a food-lover. “It’s food among other things that brings Bobby and I together,” added Sylvia who has taken a culinary arts course.

Claire dela Fuente’s Asian Noodle Co. By Chef Off

So you think that Claire dela Fuente is focused only on making beautiful music? Think again!

Claire, who was one of the mentors in the GMA talent search Protégé, is also good at pleasing people’s gustatory senses. In addition to the seafood restaurant (along Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, Pasay City) named after her, Claire has just opened Asian Noodle Co. By Chef Off inside the Asean Power Station (in front of the new Department of Foreign Affairs Building) also along Diosdado Macapagal Avenue, her fourth restaurant.

Off is short for Nasawoothoff Thomapoon, a Thai, one of Claire’s partners who also include businesswoman Rosemarie P. Rafael (from Davao City).

The restaurant’s name is a misnomer. It serves not only noodles but also wide choices of Asian delights. Take your pick.

Claire manages not only restaurants but also talents, among them Bela Padilla and Sam Pinto.

(Note: Asian Noodle Co. delivers. Call 994-7821.)

Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta

As an archipelago, the Philippines has a vast definition of Filipino cuisine. Filipinos from different parts of the country have been honing their own recipes and experimenting with variations of dishes such as adobo and sinigang.

For years, most Filipino restaurants in the country serve only their perspective regional recipes. The north has the Kapampangan recipes (sisig and pinakbet, etc.) the south has Inasal na Manok and Kanin sa Puso. But not many Filipino restaurants offer these recipes under one roof.

Thus the idea of Archipelago 7107 (located at the second floor of Il Terrazo, near the Timog-Morato Rotunda, Quezon City) by Barrio Fiesta was born. The concept is to serve selected authentic recipes from the north, south and anywhere in the 7,107 islands. Aside from the well-loved Barrio Fiesta recipes, such as the crispy pata, kare-kare and pinakbet, the chef offers rare delicacies from time to time to keep the menu interesting.

The ambiance is casual and chic, distancing from the traditional wooden and bamboo décor most Filipino restaurants are known for. Menu prices range from P120 to P695 per dish, serving two to four people.

Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta is a brainchild of young entrepreneurs Aimee Tan Cosiquien, Katherine Uy Chan and Clifford Uy who teamed up with the third generation restaurateur Tyrone Ongpauco from the Barrio Fiesta chain of restaurants.

Archipelago 7107 by Barrio Fiesta caters to families wanting to dine out and celebrate, and to young professionals wanting to unwind with friends after a successful day at work. After dinner, Archipelago 7107 transforms into a lounge bar, eager to please the discerning partyphiles.