Intercon’s new look

The completion of InterContinental Manila’s renovation project was marked by a grand celebration. The hotel’s guestrooms, suites, restaurants, ballroom, function rooms and lobby now sport a more contemporary and relaxed look by architect Arlen de Guzman. Landscape designer Ponce Veridiano did the garden and surrounding areas. Photographic works of Don Jaime Zobel de Ayala brighten up the reception area at the lobby, the top floor’s foyer and the posh Club InterContinental Lounge. The lounge has its own conference room, Internet work stations, reading and dining sections.

On hand to welcome guests were InterContinental Hotels Group VP for Southeast Asian Operations Jolyon Bulley, VP for design and engineering-Asia Pacific Andrew Day, Southern Asia director of sales and marketing Damian Ten Bohmer, GM-Philippines Paul Rene Lee and InterContinental Manila GM Christian Pirodon. From the hotel’s owning company came Jaime and Bea Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Corp. president/COO Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Ayala Land president Jaime Ayala, Ayala Land SVP/CFO Jaime Ysmael and Ayala Hotels COO Marivic Añonuevo.

Silver and blue were the colors for the party done by floral architect Rachy Cuna. The hotel’s Christmas decorations by Tony Rodriguez were done along the same hues. Modern Christmas trees created by Impy Pilapil, Edith Oliveros, Rachy Cuna, Lito Perez, Mita Rufino, Gerry Gonzalez, Russel Simfuego and Tony Rodriguez are on display at the lobby.

Executive chef Patrick Fournes prepared dinner that included smoked scallop with oscetra caviar, duck liver with warm mango crisp, raspberry vinaigrette, wild mesclun leaves, sun-dried tomato and truffles as a starter; Provençal fish soup with saffron rouille and bacon-pineapple toast; roasted Angus beef tenderloin with truffle sauce, potato, scallion and chives duchess, aubergine and thyme compote, baby pumpkin and asparagus for the main course; and white and dark chocolate surprise for dessert.

Audie Gemora was the evening’s host. Lea Salonga performed American Standard classics and Broadway hits to a live band accompaniment conducted by her brother Gerard Salonga. The second part of the program had Philippine dancesport champions led by Blackpool, England Latin Dance champion Ednah Ledesma and TV host Regine Tolentino performing.

Seen at the party were French Ambassador and Mrs. Gerard Chesnel, Makati Business Club president Ricardo Romulo, Rustan’s president Rico Tantoco, Mercy Tuason, Albertito Lopez, Linda Panlilio, Fila’s Butch and Cris Albert, Anna Abad-Santos Bitong, Mita Rufino, Louis-Paul Heussaff, Gloria Diaz, Becky Garcia, Bambi Harper, Rudolf and Elizabeth Lietz, Department of Tourism’s Eduardo Jarque, HSBC’s Tessa Bautista-Cuenca, Chris and Katrina Feist and Gulf Air’s Bobby Hukom.

A taste of Argentina in Manila

Trillo Wines and Trivento Bodegas y Vinedos flew in chef Diego Coll all the way from Argentina for a special dinner prepared at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel’s Paparazzi restaurant. The food was paired with special reservas of Trivento, with the Golden Malbec Reserve as the highlight.

Guests were treated to watch the Argentine tango before dinner was served. Among those who partook of the special dinner were Argentine Ambassador Mario Schuff and wife Sylvia, Chilean Ambassador Jorge Montero and wife Joanna, Pepe Rodriguez, Bambi Harper, Cecille Mauricio, food critic Mickey Fenix, Bella Yuchengco, Sunshine Puey, Nuvo and Silk’s Louie Ysmael, Ines Cabarrus, Edsa Shangri-La’s F&B director Chad Davis, Juan Antonio Lanuza, Miguel and Christine Cerqueda, Tess Alsua and Raquel Delgado Garcia.

A divine dinner

Maverick real estate developer Delfin Lee and his daughter Divine hosted a dinner to celebrate their company’s (Globe Asiatique) latest pet project, the multi-billion peso complex, GA Sky Suites in Quezon City, a landmark structure that could possibly become the country’s tallest building.

The dinner in Pepato was personally attended to by Margarita Fores who prepared not only the food but the floral arrangements as well. Margarita prepared sea bass, muscovado glazed roast duck and lamb shank osso buco as choices for the main course.

News anchor Korina Sanchez arrived the earliest with agent-manager-corporate image maker Joji Dingcong, who, with his entry into corporate image-making, is developing a multi-hyphenated career! Star’s Mons Tantoco and husband Sander followed with Anton San Diego, architect Anton Mendoza, Maurice Arcache, Dennis and Tessa Prieto-Valdes, Asian Spirit’s Noel Oñate, Kino Cudala and Florence Chan to round up the intimate dinner.

Overflowing champagne kept the conversation going about the ambitious structure that is set for ground breaking by March next year.

To Divine and Delfin, keep reaching for the skies!

Tsukiji’s Ohmi beef

My good friend Malu Gamboa insisted that I try Ohmi beef, which I have never tried before. As a carnivore, I am always willing to try any Japanese beef served in one of my favorite restaurants, Tsukiji. Malu asked chef Toshiro Okajima to prepare kaiso (seaweed) salad and kani (special crab and mayonnaise) salad, assorted special sashimi (a selection of several kinds of premium sashimi) and assorted special sushi. As always, the food is consistently to die for. Then the waygu ohmi beef arrived and I went to heaven.

Tsukiji Restaurant serves the exclusive wagyu ohmi beef, whose roots go back 400 years to the foundation of the Shogun’s capital city, Edo. Wagyu ohmi beef, known for its "melt-in-the-mouth" quality, was developed exclusively for the Shogun and his family. To this day, wagyu ohmi beef is the official beef of the Japanese Imperial Household. Tsukiji Restaurant proudly serves the beef exclusively since it opened in 1989. Most items served in the restaurant are airflown from the Tsukiji Market in Tokyo, the biggest fish market in the world.

The restaurant has two outlets, one designed as a traditional Japanese restaurant with its own sushi bar, tatami tables and a new teppanyaki table serving grilled wagyu beef and seafood. Tsukiji is open Mondays to Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tsukiji is located at the 3/F, 900 A. Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road) corner Paseo de Roxas, Makati City. For inquiries, call 843-4285 or 812-2913.

Il Divo tickets make great Christmas gifts

A great Christmas gift to give would be a ticket to the Il Divo-Live in Manila concert scheduled for Jan. 20, 2007.

American Idol’s Simon Cowell handpicked four men he knew would become a global phenomenon – David Miller, 23, is a tenor from Denver, Colorado; 25-year-old Urs Buhler, also a tenor from Switzerland; 23-year-old Frenchman Sebastien Izambard; and baritone Carlos Marin, 38, a blend of German and Spanish make up the group.

Their first self-titled CD sold over five million copies and overtook Led Zeppelin’s 25-year-old accomplishment of being the only band to achieve the No. 1 status without a single release. Their sophomore effort Ancora lived up to its title, an encore of the group’s success. Siempre, their third CD, was just released recently.

The group performed with Barbra Streisand in her sold-out North American tour. They completed their World Tour in six months, covering 58 cities in 18 countries. In Manila, Il Divo, presented by Smart Infinity, will be holding this one night only show on Jan. 20, 2007 at 8 p.m. at the PICC Plenary Hall. Il Divo-Live in Manila is co-presented by Sun Life Financial, Rado Watches of Switzerland and Citibank. Co-sponsors are Sony BMG Entertainment, Philtown Properties, Montre Watch Shops, the Philippine Tatler, The Philippine Star, Crossover 105.1 and 92.3 Joey. Special thanks to Mercedes Benz, the official limousine.

Those who sign up with Smart Infinity Plan 5000 will be rewarded with a Nokia N73 and two VIP tickets to the concert. For inquiries, call the Smart Infinity Hotline 848-8889 or visit the Smart Wireless Center near you.

Get an exclusive 10 percent discount when you use your Citibank credit card to purchase your tickets through TicketWorld. Call TicketWorld at 891-9999. For more inquiries, contact Concertus, Inc. at 817-2431 or 813-2617.

(E-mail me at [email protected])