A sense of place, a sense of taste

MANILA, Philippines - Where do you begin? You have an important event coming up — a conference, a product launch, an anniversary, a debut, your child’s first birthday party. Whatever it might be, the first thing you’d look for would be a venue. You need to find a special place most suitable to hold this special occasion.

Three sisters — Laura Lim-Rodrigo, Lorraine Lim-Aguila, and Lorlyn Lim-Almazora — the same trio behind the popular Casa Armas restaurants, had this in mind when they decided to launch The Function Rooms at the Active Fun Center on the corner of 9th Ave. and 28th St. in Bonifacio Global City.

“We want to be the total destination for events,” Laura, who is in charge of finance and marketing, says. Lorraine is in charge of operations and sales, while Lorlyn is in charge of purchasing. The three sisters have been working harmoniously together for the past decade, ever since they started Casa Armas in1999. This new venture is a natural expansion of their interest in the service industry, which answers a growing need of the market.

The Function Rooms offers seven rooms of varying floor area and seating capacity. “What sets us apart from other traditional venues such as hotels is our flexibility,” Laura says. A room can be set up for a small meeting of a dozen people or a conference with over a hundred participants. Two or three rooms can be combined to accommodate 160 guests for a sit-down setup, or 260 for theater-style. The layout can be classroom style or rectangular with buffet or simple cocktails.

“The air-conditioned rooms are equipped with built-in sound system, white board, projector and TV monitor. Wireless internet connection is also available,” Laura adds. â€œYou can book a room for one hour or one day, for evening events and parties, or conferences that can stretch for days.”

Connoisseur Catering takes care of your food and beverage requirements, with its team of veteran chefs specializing in fusion and international cuisine. With their years of experience as restaurateurs, the sisters are very much involved in this aspect of the business as well. â€œThe best part of our job is the food tasting,” Lorlyn says.

At the press launch, which was held recently at The Function Rooms, guests were treated to a sampling of the type of food and service that they offer. The menu included original recipes from Connoisseur Catering. Each dish was paired with the appropriate white or red wine.

An amuse bouche of Paté de Foie Gras was followed by a cold appetizer, Yogurt Infused Two-tone US Apples topped with Micro Greens (slivers of red and green apples and alfalfa sprouts). An entrée of Prawn Phyllo in Fresh Tomato Chermoula Sauce was served, then Velvety Porcini Mushroom Soup Scented with White Truffle Oil. The main entrée was Rosemary Crusted Lamb Rib Chop in Pinot Noir Reduction served with oven-roasted asparagus spears, Brussels sprouts, shallots and marbled potato au gratin. The dessert course featured Connoisseur’s 6-Hour Slow Baked Quezo de Bola Cheesecake.    

“From coffee breaks and morning snacks to lunch and merienda, to dinner and after-dinner cocktails, our in-house chefs can prepare a whole-day package set or buffet menus and other food requirements,” Lorlyn says. Every catered event is a reflection of their creativity, skill and professionalism. What differentiates Connoisseur Catering is their artistic food styling and presentation. For them, â€œhow food is presented is nearly as important as taste.”

“Connoisseur Catering works closely with the client and the set budget to sort out all the details for a successful event, complemented with very personalized service, from venue setup, menu planning, table centerpiece to color theme or motif,” Lorlyn explains. “From big functions to small ones, whether it’s a social event, a party or a corporate gathering, we are here to make your event memorable.”  

Since it started in December 2012, Connoisseur Catering has handled a number of events, including a sit-down dinner for 300 people, corporate meetings, as well as Christmas and children’s parties, among others. “This is evidence of our flexibility,” Laura says. In fact, among the first parties that were held at The Function Rooms were those of Laura’s and Lorraine’s own children.

“We are here to make your meetings and events easy. If you are planning a seminar, training or launch, just pick a room and a date and we’ll help get your meeting going,” Laura says. “At The Function Rooms, you won’t need to worry about anything else.”

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For more information, visit www.thefunctionrooms.com.ph, e-mail info@thefunctionrooms.com.ph or info@connoisseurcatering.com.ph, visit www.connoisseurcatering.com.ph or call 869-3327.