Finding 8cuts in Salcedo

Guests recently enjoyed the tastiest burgers in town at the opening of 8cuts in Salcedo Village in Makati City. Aside from chomping on their mouthwatering burgers, they also drank mojitos, margaritas and beer and participated in (a quite fierce) Quiz Night. 

During the opening night, I enjoyed the very juicy Bacon Shroom Cheeseburger and spicy chicken wings. The bacon maple milk shake was a killer, too! Old school rock and roll music filled the air before lowering the volume to give way to Quiz Night with prizes ranging from 8cuts merchandise to bottles of Don Papa Rum. 

8cuts has the elements that made The Moment Group’s first concept-driven burger joint, Burger Bar, the go-to spot for burger lovers. It has the open blend kitchen that showcases the freshness of its burgers. 

The Salcedo menu boasts of new offerings sure to delight loyal diners and new ones. There is the bestselling classic Cheeseburger No. 3 with the house blend patty and the Bar Burger 2.0, a 1/3-pound house blend of short rib and rib eye, crisp bacon, smoked scamorza and blue cheese, watercress spiked with Sriracha aioli, pickled onions, crowned with crisp onion tanglers, all on a toasted brioche bun. 

I am so happy that 8cuts opened in Salcedo Village, which is just a walking distance from my place!

(8cuts Salcedo is located at the ground floor of  Infinity Towers, LP Leviste St. (near the corner of HV Dela Costa). It is open daily at 11 a.m. and closes  at 11 p.m. on Sunday to Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday and Saturday.)

‘Seeing the World Better’

To promote healthy vision for Filipinos, Essilor, a global leader in ophthalmic lenses, launched “Seeing the World Better,” a public awareness campaign featuring its brand ambassador Piolo Pascual. The campaign was organized in response to reports that over 20 million Filipinos are in need of vision correction.

Essilor general manager Dr. Emelita Roleda said, “The alarming condition of the state of eye health in the country gears Essilor to help raise awareness on the importance of good vision. Through Seeing the World Better, we can make everyone act upon protecting and valuing their eyes.”

At the launch, Piolo Pascual beamed with pride to represent the brand. Guests were delighted to have a sneak peek of the eye check-up session and were surprised to learn that Piolo has 20/20 vision.

In line with the campaign launch, Essilor also unveiled its latest TV commercial that shows Piolo performing various activities — swimming, reading, driving — and how good vision helps him accomplish these tasks effectively. The TVC airs on primetime slots on select cable channels nationwide.

Through Seeing the World Better campaign, Essilor hopes to improve the lives of every Filipino by helping them see the world with healthy vision.

Add colors to your world

A whole new chapter in paint and colors has begun as Nippon Paint unveiled three themes under the Trend Beyond Colours 2015/2016 initiative, a collaboration with the Color Marketing Group. During its launch at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel, Asia’s top paint coatings manufacturer introduced “Just Me,” “Sacred Love” and “Revo-Evolution.” These are inspirational themes that represent the evolving consciousness sweeping across Asia today and promote Asian sentiments and diversity.

Nippon Paint Malaysia Group general manager Gladys Goh said, “Trend Beyond Colours was organized as an endeavor to spur one to rethink the use of paint and recreate new works of art that truly stand out. At Nippon Paint, we strive to push the boundaries of paint; going beyond the aesthetics of colors to also include the sensorial effect of textures — even taking it beyond walls onto many different surfaces.”

Joining Goh in unveiling the nine colors under the three themes were Nippon Paint Malaysia Group sales and business development general manager Michael Chung, marketing assistant general manager Alex Yoong and Nippon Paint (Coatings) Philippines deputy general manager Ken Ng Teck Nam.

Things got more interesting with the insightful talk of Color Marketing Group representative Serene Pang, who elaborated on what each color theme represents. Inspired by gifts of nature, the “Sacred Love” theme features Persian Blue, Dinosaur Gray and Esperina. “Just Me” has Yellow Jasmine, Pretty Box and Carrothead. The “Revo-Evolution” theme includes the Blue Award, a color that symbolizes a sense of hope; Painted Frame, a loud statement of sophistication; and Olde Rose, which represents the internal search for admiration as well as respect.

After the talk, guests had the chance to experiment with these paints as they applied their creativity on a blank graffiti wall. They also got to personally experience mixing and enhancing the nine colors with Nippon Momento Special Effect Paint. (Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)

Discover Thainess

The Thai government has declared 2015 as “Discover Thainess” year. Some representatives from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) visited the Philippines to launch the “2015 Discover Thainess” campaign with the aim of making “Thainess” a globally recognized brand. TAT is encouraging tourists to experience “Thainess,” which can be characterized in seven unique aspects namely Thai food, Thai arts, Thai way of life, Thai wellness, Thai festivals, Thai wisdom and Thai fun.

Thailand is one of my favorite countries. I have been there countless of times because of my fondness for the country and Thai food! There is just so much to do in Thailand and so many cities and islands to visit!  Shopping is excellent and the arts and crafts of Thailand are well worth seeing (and buying) as well. 

If you plan a trip to Thailand, check out the upcoming Songkran from April 10 to 15, the Thailand Music Festival from May 23 to 24 in Petchaburi, the Thailand Grand Sale Festival from June 15 to Aug. 15. Also happening are the ASEAN Music and Arts festival in Chiang Mai on July 17 to 18, the Thailand International Food Festival in Bangkok on Sept. 18 to 20 and the Loi Krathong Festival on Nov. 25.

(Check out www.tourismthailand.org.)