Rachy-Potter

"Rachy" is the famous floral architect of the Philippines, and the "Potter" is his nephew Hadrian.

Rachy Cuna, known for his masterpieces of flowers and twigs, and Hadrian "Adee" Mendoza, a master stoneware potter, will hold a two-man exhibit of sculpture, paintings, and pottery at Artspace, third level, Glorietta 4, from Nov. 16 to Dec. 5. They are relatives. They belong to the Zamora family, which used to own the old Golden Taxi fleet.

Cuna’s pieces of sculpture in steel look like gingerbread men, their outstretched arms and their head heavy with semi precious stones. They symbolize "balancing acts, which are very important in life," Cuna says. "The child in an artist can create the purest of forms," he says of his simple sculptural lines.

His Okir-inspired paintings of flowers are a "celebration of life," he says. Talking of his long-time inspiration, Cuna adds, "Flowers make our creative juices flow."

Mendoza, the potter, exhibits tall house-like square vases with small windows where flowers can be inserted. His bamboo-inspired vases have taken a new shape. They are bursting like a pregnant woman, in celebration of the pregnancy of his wife Camille, also a stoneware potter, and the recent birth of his daughter Banaue Marie last August. His recent works are successful shapes that he has exhausted from his old bamboo-inspired pieces.

Mendoza’s stoneware pots have surprising malleability as if they are not set in stone. "I’ve been trying to create movement out of clay, which is as hard as steel when fired. I have learned how to make my glaze move to enhance the surface of my pieces," he says.

Mendoza has been stretching his clay beyond its limit until it is about to collapse. "I have learned to arrest that moment so that my pieces don’t fall when fired at the kiln," he explains.

Cuna, a good curator, has recreated Glorietta’s Artspace into an enchanted place for art viewing. "At Artspace, I have re-created a place where people can interact with art objects. For me, it is important that people can interact with what they are viewing," he says.

The art works seem hidden by the overall richness that Cuna has created at the gallery, but the art works have a way of bursting with defiance and grandeur for everyone to appreciate them.

A once-in-a-lunchtime affair

After undergoing a two-month renovation, InterContinental Manila’s fine dining restaurant, Prince Albert Rotisserie, re-opened with a new look best described as understated contemporary chic and a nine-course lunch and dinner celebration that featured three renowned French chefs – one of them its own general manager, Christian Pirodon.

Pirodon is from Lyons, Patrick Fournes from Toulouse and Cyrille Soenen from Paris. Chef Christian, the hotel’s present general manager, used to be the proprietor-chef of L’Hirondelle, a restaurant in his native Lyons. He describes Lyonnaise cuisine as creamy and buttery with a lot of wine reduction and sauces.

Cured pork, he says, is a favorite ingredient. For Oct. 25’s unique lunch, he prepared his signature Lyonnaise Salad with Watercress Leaves, poached Egg and Burgundy Wine Dressing; Bouchaux Mussel Soup in Saffron White Wine; and traditional Cherry Tart. When guests clamored for his photo, Pirodon told PR director Jenny Peña, "Wait, I’m still busy scooping up mussels from the container!" With his bare hands, mind you.

Chef Cyrille used to be InterContinental Manila executive chef and Prince Albert Chef a few years back. He became known for his many creative culinary recipes that successfully melded French and Filipino ingredients. For the lunch, he served up two of his latest creations: a meat dish – US Short Plate pot-au-feu style with Truffle Cream Sauce and a fish dish – Spicy half wood-smoked Salmon with crunchy Cucumber in Sweet and Sour Sauce – one of the best-cooked salmon I’ve had ever, and I’m a salmon lover! It was firm, cooked medium well and yet was succulent enough to make your mouth water.

Chef Patrick is the hotel’s current executive chef. He whipped up a warm starter of Asparagus with Truffles Sauce and Crispy Lid and a dessert of wood forest autumn Fruits in Rum with White Cinnamon Ice Cream. To go with coffee or tea, he recommends his Canneles de Bordeaux.

Cheese lovers should try the three chefs’ Mesclun of Greens and Herbs with Walnut Dressing and warm Goat Cheese Toasta.

Though the lunch had several courses, each course was served in just the right portion, with no dish overpowering the next. It wasn’t heavy on carbs – except the dessert, which was laced with rum for that added kick.

(Diners may order individual items from the menu or opt to have the entire nine-course offering for only P4,500. For more information and for reservations, please call InterContinental Manila at 815-9711. It is best to book one’s table in advance for this once-in-a-lunchtime affair.)

And now, a ‘Chocolate’ phone!

The wait was long. But finally, LG Electronics is launching its multiawarded Chocolate Phone in the Philippines, along with its mobile phone line – with a bang! – at no less than the Max Brenner Chocolate Bar.

LG’s KG800 "Chocolate Phone" received the prestigious European 2006 Red Dot Design as well as the 2006 iF awards for excellence in design and user-interface. It was, in fact, ranked recently by Carphone Warehouse (Europe’s biggest mobile retail chain) as the "best-selling mobile phone."

"We decided to partner with LG because we saw so many parallels between our stylishly delicious chocolate products and the deliciously stylish Chocolate Phones of LG," says Ms. Lelet Acosta, operations manager of Max Brenner.

The "Chocolate Phone" is available in delicious black and white, just like the rich dark and white chocolates of Max Brenner imported from Israel, its varieties of cacao beans and ingredients sourced from different parts of the globe. The phone is slim, too, just like a chocolate bar.

As part of its local mobile phone debut, LG will be raffling off three KG800 Chocolate Phones from October to December at Max Brenner. Also up for grabs are Max Brenner gift certificates. Every P300 purchase at Max Brenner entitles one to a raffle ticket.

LG’s new "lifestyle phones" will be on display at Max Brenner Chocolate Bar during the promo period. Words usually used by critics to describe LG’s Chocolate Phones include "sexy," "head-turning," "delicious," "yummy," "sleek," "slim" and "charming." Find out why.

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