The wonderful world of Crate & Barrel

With its unique offering of quality and top-notch customer service, international retail chain Crate & Barrel opened its flagship store recently at the SM Annex in Makati City. The flagship store is the brand’s third store in the Philippines after it opened at Mega Fashion Hall and SM Aura Premier.

Crate & Barrel opened its doors to the Philippine market in November 2014 as a franchise through SM Retailer subsidiary HMS Development Corp.

The store at SM Annex in Makati is the largest in the Philippines at 2,800 sq.m. It showcases the brand’s “Shore” Spring Collection and other signature collections of houseware, seasonal accessories and a complete line of indoor and outdoor furniture.

The flagship store’s architecture features understated materials like warm-toned wooden sidings, glass and brick for the exteriors complementing the cedar, pickled pine and white painted interior. Abundant entry windows provide the store with natural light providing a dramatic setting for its collections.

For more than 50 years, Crate & Barrel has been the leading home furnishings destination for timeless style, vibrant design and great value. Blending inspirational designs with practical home solutions, it offers high-quality products at an affordable price.

With stores in the US, Canada, Mexico, UAE, Turkey and Singapore, the brand has become a source of inspiration for contemporary design enthusiasts worldwide.

Staying connected

The Visit the Philippines Year 2015 (VPY2015) campaign of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) aims to promote the country as a top tourist destination. To further strengthen this campaign, TPB and Globe Telecom offer tourists and balikbayans the Globe Traveler SIM for free!

The Globe Traveler SIM is a prepaid SIM card that offers local rates for calls, texts and mobile data services, giving tourists and visitors a more fun, convenient and affordable way to connect with their contacts from around the world.

Welcoming guests at the launch were Globe senior vice president for international business Rizza Maniego-Eala and TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III.

Enerio said, “I would like to thank Globe for supporting the Visit the Philippines 2015 by enabling our beloved balikbayans and tourists to stay connected with their friends and families. This is definitely a great offer that could give visitors to the country a worry-free and more fun experience in the Philippines.”

Eala added, “We are happy to be the first telco partner of the TPB in its thrust to make the Philippines the ultimate destination for tourists worldwide. Offering free SIMs is our way of helping travelers further enjoy their stay by enabling easy, affordable and hassle-free communications.”

Tourists, balikbayans and OFWs can claim their free Globe Traveler SIM by presenting their non-Philippine passport, foreign resident card, Seaman’s book or OFW E-card at any of the Globe booths located at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Terminals 1 and 3) in Manila; Clark International Airport in Pampanga; Mactan-Cebu International Airport; and Francisco Bangoy International Airport in Davao.

Delightful rewards

Celebrating its 25th year of leadership in the industry, Citi Credit Cards has partnered with renowned buffet dining restaurant Vikings to reward its clients with the ultimate gastronomic experience and unforgettable memories. This partnership was launched at the SM Jazz branch  of Vikings in Makati City recently.

Citi credit payment products director David Stoughton, said, “It’s been an exciting year — we started off with the launch of the ‘My Unforgettable Story’ promotion. And while this is still ongoing, we decided to up the ante, and give our cardholders more reasons to spend with Citi and share in our celebrations.”

Until Sept. 30, Citi is giving a 25-percent discount on daily buffet at select Vikings restaurants when cardholders dine in groups of five adults or more and pay using their Citi credit card. Participating Vikings branches include SM Jazz Mall Makati, SM Marikina, SM City BF Parañaque and SM Davao.

Vikings marketing director Charles Lee said, “It is a privilege to tie up with Citi, the country’s leading foreign bank, which shares the same thrust in providing rewarding dining offers to its customers, in the same luxurious manner as we do. This partnership brings a lot of opportunities for us to reach to a wider market and offer our wide variety of delectable dishes from around the globe. Apart from offering great food, we take pride in providing top-of-the-line service and fine ambience, ensuring that every guest will have a delightful experience in our restaurant.”

(For more information, visit www.citibank.com.ph or call the 24-hour CitiPhone hotline at 995-9999.) One gastronomic adventure

The successful Madrid Fusión Manila (MFM) will return next year with the support of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB). It is set from April 7 to 9, 2016 and is expected to draw Michelin-starred chefs from all over the world including both three-Michelin-starred Spanish chefs Joan Roca of El Celler de Can Roca in Spain and Eneko Atxa of Azurmendi and two-Michelin-starred chef Yoshihiro Narisawa of Les Créations de Narisawa in Japan. The contract signing for MFM 2016 was held at Fairmont Makati Hotel.

Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. said, “We are excited to host the second edition of Madrid Fusión Manila, which brings international culinary experts from the East and West and provides our local chefs a significant platform to perform for the international audience. This is not an accidental occurrence, but the continuation of an activity that will put Manila to its rightful place as one of the centers of culinary excellence in the world.”

Secretary Jimenez also awarded plaques of appreciation to the sponsors, industry partners and local chefs who contributed to the success of the first MFM, including chefs Margarita Fores, Myrna Segismundo, Claude Tayag, J. Gamboa, Fernando Aracama, Juan Carlos de Terry, Chele Gonzalez, Pepe Lopez, Rob Pengson and Bruce Ricketts.

TPB chief operating officer Domingo Ramon Enerio III added, “Madrid Fusión Manila 2016 will hopefully reaffirm the Philippines’ place on the global culinary map and will help attract more foreign tourists to come and sample our dishes. With Filipino food being heralded by foreign food reviewers as the next ‘it’ in international cuisine, expectations are high. The whole culinary world is looking forward to the event.” (Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)