‘Rogue’ creates own gelato, interviews Mario Batali and David Chang

MANILA, Philippines -“It would be delicious!” replied star chef and restaurateur Mario Batali, from his Greenwich Village apartment, when asked by Rogue magazine how he would imagine Filipino-Italian cuisine. “You’d use ingredients from all the islands.”

In an exclusive interview with the high-end glossy this month, the 52-year-old culinary celebrity talks to Rogue about the hottest food trends of 2013, his true feelings about durian, and conquering the Southeast Asian market.

Now on sale in leading bookstores, newsstands, and through Zinio.com/Rogue for the digital edition, Rogue’s annual “Appetite Issue” also unveils the magazine’s own Rogue-flavored gelato at Bono, described as “roasted pecans and cracked homemade toffee on a buttery gelato base, spiked with butterscotch sauce and 12-year-old Elijah Craig premium bourbon.” This special-edition Bourbon Butterscotch Pecan flavor is available until May 31 at Bono Artisanal Gelato (2/F, SM Makati, gelatobono.com), which now adds “The Rogue Gelato” to its range of original flavors, such as “Prosecco with Strawberries” and “Taho with Tapioca.”

Also in Rogue’s food-themed May issue is “The Definitive Insider’s Guide to Eating in Manila,” a special 25-page feature on the city’s best-kept gastronomic secrets, edited and curated by the magazine’s respected food editors JJ Yulo and Teddy Montelibano, together with the Rogue team; “Mistresses & Martinis,” which recounts the controversial, untold stories of 1960s Manila’s glamorous restaurants and supper clubs (including Nora Daza’s Au Bon Vivant and Heinz Woelke’s New Europe) as told by former patrons Greggy Araneta, Vivian Yuchengco, Washington Sycip, Sandy Daza, and others; “How Adobo Made it in America,” a special report on the top Filipino restaurants making waves and headlines in the New York food scene, such as Jeepney, Pig and Khao, and Kuma Inn; and in another Rogue exclusive, David Chang — the powerhouse chef behind the Momofuku food empire — talks to Celine Lopez about his favorite things and secret indulgences.

On the cover is casino and shipping heiress Katrina Razon, daughter of ports tycoon and Solaire founder Enrique “Ricky” Razon Jr. DJ Katsu, as the Boston-based 22-year-old is known in international music circles, was photographed by Mark Nicdao and styled by Pam Quinones wearing Louis Vuitton, Roberto Cavalli, Hermès, Bulgari, Azzedine Alaia, Saint Laurent, Zara, Zadig & Voltaire, and Miu Miu.

One of the country’s highest-selling magazines, Rogue is a critically acclaimed homegrown title that has earned international praise from the likes of British essayist and novelist Pico Iyer; the 2013 jury of the New York Festivals Awards (Rogue’s interactive cover was a finalist last April); and ex-GQ Italia editor and current Rolling Stone EIC Michele Lupi, who has syndicated Rogue content in Europe, and describes the Philippine title as “one of the best, if not the best, magazines around.”

Rogue was recently redesigned since its bestselling March 2013 Travel Issue. “Market research in recent years has shown that almost half of our readership — a little over 40 percent — is in fact female,” says editor-in-chief Paolo Reyes. This dual male-female audience had to be addressed by introducing new sections. These include Space (a visual compendium of the best in architecture, home interiors, high-end furniture, luxury transportation, and the latest technology), Agenda (a well-curated guidebook of gastronomy, entertainment, culture, and travel), and The Eye (their revamped style section, covering premium fashion, grooming, watches, and accessories for both men and women).

“But the crux of the magazine — the investigative articles, the high-profile interviews, the thought-provoking covers and editorials — has not changed,” Reyes added. “The architecture of Rogue’s redesign clearly communicates our reinforced brand direction — that Rogue has and will always be a magazine that reaches a discerning, affluent and important audience. Our content, our design, our ads clearly reflect this. We have some of the brightest talents in the industry, and everyone here at Rogue has the access to, and an instinctive understanding of, this highly targeted readership. This has certainly been one of the secrets to Rogue’s success.”