Celebrating history & heritage

Taal Vista Hotel is embarking on a year of milestone events to commemorate its 75th anniversary. A year of celebration started last month to pay tribute to the hotel and its rich history. It was in 1935 when President Manuel L. Quezon expressed interest in developing Tagaytay as a tourist destination because of its cool climate, beautiful scenery and proximity to Metro Manila. 

The hotel, once known as the Taal Vista Lodge, was one of the leading attractions and it officially opened on Oct. 7, 1939 as the first hotel in the city of Tagaytay. It has remained a landmark in the city with its iconic Tudor-style architecture and panoramic view of the Taal Lake and Volcano.

The hotel’s Magnolia Steakhouse will be opened this May to complement Taal Vista Hotel’s awarded Café Veranda. The new dining establishment will serve prime cut beef with a selection of sauces, side dishes and fresh homegrown Tagaytay greens. It will feature an al fresco dining area and wonderful views of the lake and volcano.

July to October will highlight culinary excitement as Café Veranda features seven renowned chefs and their dishes at the weekend lunch and dinner buffet. Guest chefs include former Malacañang executive chef Babes Austria, celebrity chefs Jackie and Rolando Laudico, chefs and restaurateurs Fernando Aracama and Sau del Rosario, chef and TV personality Bruce Lim and Taal Vista Hotel executive chef Edwin Santos. 

Taal Vista Hotel will also be unveiling the 75th Anniversary Exhibit, a multimedia showcase of the hotel’s rich history, legacy of quality service and stories of memorable experiences. The exhibit will tour SM Mall of Asia, SM Aura, The Podium, SM South Mall, SM City Dasmariñas and SM City Batangas. The mall tour and exhibit will run from Sept. 6 to Oct. 29.

The year-long celebration will culminate with the hotel’s 75th Anniversary Gala Party on Oct. 11. The event will feature an art deco theme reminiscent of the 1930s.   

(Taal Vista Hotel is located along Km. 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City.

For inquiries and reservations call (02) 917-8225, (046) 413-1000 or 0917-8091254.  Visit www.taalvistahotel.com.) A tribute to Filipino artistry

In celebration of the Filipino artistry, Mandaue Foam Furniture Store hosted the Philippine Institute of Interior Designers (PIID) annual assembly, which convened its top officers and members including some of the country’s established and upcoming interior design talents.

One of the event highlights was the unveiling of the dining room, living room, bedroom and outdoor showcases designed by PIID members Patrick Henri Caunan and Cherry Fule, who are also founders of Blueprint 102 Designs Co. The designers utilized Mandaue Foam Furniture Store’s wide array of furniture and home accessories to create new interior decorating trends.

PIID presented a plaque of appreciation to Mandaue Foam Furniture Store for its continued support for Filipino talent and design.

Mandaue Foam Furniture Store managing director Ryan Uy said, “We are honored that PIID chose Mandaue Foam Furniture Store to be its partner and we pledge to continuously support and celebrate the ingenuity and artistry of Filipino talent.”

(To view the exceptional showcases of PIID, visit the store’s Shaw Boulevard branch.) For the French wine lovers

A great match to Asia’s tropical climate and exotic cuisines are the wines from Alsace. Wine, indeed, has assumed a particular role in Asian fine dining.

Wine Story, a Philippine retailer of fine and rare wines, orchestrated special dinner events highlighting the splendid wines of Alsace called L’héritier d’ Alsace. The venues for the dinners were Senju in EDSA Shangri-La Manila and then at La Veranda and Spiral at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila a day after.

Flying to Manila to continue a friendly affair with French wine lovers were Hugel & Fils commercial director Etienne Hugel and his wife Kaoru. Etienne has successfully introduced the Hugel brand in key markets overseas. The occasion also served as a celebration of the legacy of Alsatian winemaking as this year Hugel & Fils marks its 375th anniversary.

Etienne Hugel is the 12th-generation co-proprietor of the venerable winery Hugel & Fils. The winemaker makes it a point to travel far and wide to support his international distributors. Hugel & Fils was established in Riquewihr, Alsace. Etienne’s forebears devoted much of their lives to the promotion of high-quality wines from noble grape varieties. The next generation continues to faithfully implement the major principles inherited from the ancestors. Jean-Philippe, Marc and Etienne Hugel’s main goal is to make Alsace wine the great white wine of the 21st century.

Uncorked during the dinner occasions were the Gentil 2012, followed by the Hugel Riesling Classic 2011, Hugel Riesling Jubilee 2007, Hugel Pinot Gris 2009, Hugel Pinot Noir Jubilee 2008 and the Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2006.

Hugel Gentil 2012 is characterized by pure, fresh aroma. It is quite fruit-driven and floral, expressive, and has a refreshing, scented finish. Hugel Riesling Classic 2011 is an elegant, flavorsome wine with an agreeable fruit character of green apple, white peach, citrus, grapefruit and spring blossom. Hugel Pinot Gris 2009 is a pale straw yellow wine that is rich and rounded.  The Hugel Jubilee wines represent high-quality wines because they come from grand cru sites. The Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2006 is a white wine with a very expressive and complex bouquet that is perfectly balanced and flavorful on the palate.

As Hugel wines took center stage, guests equally enjoyed the sumptuous full-course dinner whipped up by chef Kiyoshi Ogawa of Senju. Some of the dishes served were fatty tuna belly, amberjack, spotted prawn and monkfish liver served with marinated seaweed and ponzu sauce, which were perfect matches for Hugel Riesling Jubilee 2007. Steamed mushimono and French sea bass with thick seaweed sauce married well with Hugel Pinot Gris 2009.  The main dish with golden mushrooms and asparagus rolled in Wagyu beef was delightful with Hugel Pinot Noir Jubilee 2008. The dessert of water chestnuts with green tea ice cream and red bean was savored well with Hugel Gewurztraminer Vendange Tardive 2006.

Hugel wines are exclusively available at Wine Story, which aims to raise the bar of wine learning and inspire a new generation of wine lovers.

 (Wine Story branches are located at G/F, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, (633-3556); G/F, Serendra, Bonifacio High Street

(846-6310); and G/F, One Rockwell West (869-0932).

For more information, visit www.winestory.com.ph.) (Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)