An authentic Italian experience

Spasso, the first and only Italian tapas bar in town, had a blast on its opening night as some 200 family, friends, partners and associates partied until the wee hours of the morning. Business partners Geni Psinakis, Nikos Gitsis, chefs Andrew Tan Chua and Jeremiah Go were on hand to entertain guests including Greek Ambassador Xenia Stefanidou, Chris and Katrina Feist, filmmaker Teddy Manotoc, former player and PBA coach of Coke Alex Compton, VP of Credit Suisse Mike Locsin and Ben Compton.

Guests feasted on Spasso’s finest wines such as the Beringer Stone Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon, Beringer Stone Cellar Chardonnay from Happy Living, Pepperwood Shiraz and Pepperwood Chardonnay in between bites of delectable tapas and mouth-watering hor d’oeuvres prepared by the chefs. Platters of risotto fritti, citterio prosciutto, pancetta, salami and tagliattelle tartufo were served non-stop to the partying crowd.

Gitsis (also the one from Seair) said entering Spasso is like exploring Italy, as it lets you experience a cornucopia of excellent food, fabulous wine, fun entertainment and warm company. Italian culture is truly evident in the museum-quality art of the interiors with the splash of bold colors like red, orange and brown.

According to workaholic Psinakis, the restaurant has an impressive custom-designed wine cellar, which accounts for the best wines from Australia, Italy, Chile, Spain and Argentina. There are actually 90 brands to choose from.

(Spasso Italian Tapas Enoteca is open Monday to Saturday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. onwards. It is located at Luxe Residences, 4th Avenue corner 28th St., Bonifacio Global City. For reservations, call 556-0070 or 668-7186.)

A showcase of innovations

Samsung Electronics Philippines Corp. (SEPCO) set an exciting course for continued growth in the Philippines as the annual Samsung AV Roadshow opened at the SMX Convention Center. The electronics company unveiled its breakthrough line-up of Full HD 3D solutions that showcased innovative new offerings in the areas of digital imaging and audio-visual technology.

A team of executives led by president KC Park showcased Samsung’s 2010 product line-up, highlighted by the company’s award-winning solution of full HD 3D entertainment products that was announced in Las Vegas early this year.

In 2009, the company created the LED TV category, selling more than 2.6 million units worldwide. This year Samsung is breaking new ground in 3D. Samsung is the first to deliver to the Philippines a comprehensive 3D TV and AV product line-up, which includes a range of Full HD 3D televisions (LED, LCD and plasma), 3D Blu-ray, 3D home theater systems, 3D glasses and even 3D content.

Guests had the opportunity to take a look at the rich features of Samsung’s new LED TV line-up — the C7000, C8000 and C9000 LED TVs. All of Samsung’s Full HD 3D products possess Samsung’s unique built-in 3D processor and emitter that enables compatibility with multiple 3D standards. Samsung televisions and Blu-ray players will feature Internet@TV, which provides access to the world’s first HDTV-based application store, Samsung Apps. Applications are available from leading brands such as YouTube, Twitter and Gameloft.

Business partners of SEPCO who attended the affair were entertained by Gary Valenciano.

A vegan dinner

International model and vegan advocate Milena Krahulcova has been based in the Philippines for two years already. She is a vegan advocate and explains it is not easy to find restaurants in Manila that serve vegetarian food. Because of this, she decided to team up with Establishment chef Godfrey Laforteza to create a vegan dinner monthly at The Establishment. They created a five-course menu for Thursday, May 27.

Tickets are reasonably priced. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to K.I.D.S. Foundation, Inc. of Diether Ocampo.

(Call 844-9093 for inquiries or reservations.)