Jeepney Sinfonia

Master abstractionist Edwin Wilwayco recently held a massive show titled Jeepney Sinfonia at the Manila House Private Members Club in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

Wilwayco’s five-decade career is filled with numerous awards, citations and countless local and international exhibitions.

Jeepney Sinfonia marks Wilwayco’s second semi-figurative abstract exhibition with jeepney, a Philippine icon, as a subject matter. The first exhibition was a homecoming for him after his sojourn in England, celebrated by deconstructing the national icon for transportation.

The current exhibition comes at a time that the jeepney is about to be phased out. Wilwayco pays tribute in an exciting, kinetic fashion. His works are never tiresome and they tend to increase in intensity over time.

The show was presented by Manahan Art Projects Inc. — a new player in the Philippine art scene that engages in independent professional representation of visual artists. The company’s managing director Toñico Manahan presented the artist through a short talk in the show’s cocktail reception.

The walls of Manila House were also adorned by select pieces from Wilwayco’s other series, which included Octo Gravitas, Symphony Like No Other, Circles On and On and Fractals series.

All about divine dinner

Rambla’s Sergi Rostoll, Dani Aliaga and Uri Singla.

When Dani Aliaga of Rambla called me and said that the restaurant was having a  one-night-only four-hands dinner with Singapore’s Esquina, a Spanish tapas bar, I got really excited. I always wanted to try Esquina but never had the chance to do so.

Dani and his business partners Sergi Rostoll and Uri Singla warmly welcomed a select group of guests for lunch to preview what was to come for the sold-out dinner that same night. I met Rambla’s new chef Ruben Beltran and Esquina’s chef Carlos Montobbio. The amiable chefs explained in detail what was to be our 10-course menu.

Appetizers are always something I look forward to in a meal and for that dinner, we had three! It started with a royal of foie gras, parmesan, Iberian ham, pine nuts, and sugar apple. The taste was interesting, with so many ingredients that worked quite well. Next was a Spanish nigiri in the shape of a nigiri sushi but the “rice” was made of brandade (a Spanish salted cod mixture) topped with the “tuna,” which was a roasted red bell pepper brushed with glazed soy. I must admit that I don’t like bell peppers in general but the Spanish nigiri was one of my favorites that night.

Those that followed were excellent dishes as well — the octopus, grilled corn sauce, chimichurri and the deconstructed salmorejo (a thicker type of gazpacho).  My favorite main dish had to be the Iberico pork jowl with chipotle mayo, pickled pear, and togarashi. The dessert that stood out for me was the watermelon, sangria, mint, lime and cardamom dish, which was light and totally refreshing.

It was a meal that was prepared by two people truly passionate about cooking. Not only was it delicious, it was divine.

(Rambla is located at the ground floor of Joya Lofts and Towers, Joya Drive, Rockwell, Makati City. For inquiries, call  823-6468.)

Get fit!

Digits Trading’s Howard Paw and Gelyn Custodio (first and third from left) with Fitbit Asia Pacific product marketing head Alex Healy and Fitbit Southeast Asia regional director Louis Lye.

Health buffs, listen up!

Fitbit recently launched its latest and lightest smartwatch, the Fitbit Versa, at the largest indoor sports club in the metro, Kerry Sports Manila.

The Fitbit Versa is a modern, intuitive smartwatch that is stylish to boot. I love how I can reply to messages using its Quick Reply feature (now available in Android and soon in iOS). It also has advance health and fitness features, which one can maximize with the Fitbit Versa’s four-day battery life.

This smartwatch is swim-proof, perfect for your escapades this summer. And this May, a Female Health Tracking feature will be available on the device where ladies can track their menstrual cycle and symptoms.

Fitbit Asia Pacific product marketing head Alex Healy and Fitbit Southeast Asia regional director Louis Lye flew to Manila to introduce the product. Also present at the event were Dr. Angel Tan-Espiritu, an OB-GYN and president of the Philippine Society of Reproductive Medicine, who talked about the effects of a woman’s menstrual cycle to her over-all health, and fitness trainer Kat Garcia, who led a quick yet challenging open workout at the launch.

Fitbit also announced its first ever activity tracker for kids, the Fitbit Ace, which will be available in the Philippines next month. Watch out for that!

The Sunday Side of Heat

Executive chef Scott Brands showcases his 20-hour slow-cooked Black Angus leg.

Sundays got a whole lot more fun at Heat in EDSA Shangri-La, Manila with “The Sunday Side.” It features a lineup of signature recipes by the hotel’s international specialty chefs, plus a spread of specialties from your most loved cooks of the Philippines.

Guests who dine at Heat may enjoy swimming and lounging at the pool area until 6 p.m. There will be food carts, music and fun water activities. A lineup of kiddie activities are also accessible at Heat’s private play area, Rankine, where kids can have fun while other members of the family enjoy recreational facilities and wellness programs by CHI, The Spa and the Health Club.

The buffet includes executive chef Scott Brands’s 20-hour slow-cooked Black Angus leg at the grilling station, while executive Chinese chef Tony Sum and dim sum chef Andy Liew showcase their Malaysian chicken curry and salmon and prawn dumplings at the Asian station. Special aburi sushi by Senju’s new Japanese chef Hiromi Yonekewa, Italian chef Luca Angioletti’s creamy tagliatelle truffle pasta, Indian chef Raghu Singh’s ube-spiced, yam-filled paratha will also be there.

The Sunday Side buffet also features homemade specialties from local cooks like Lozini’s lechon Cebu, Eight Wonders’ heirloom rice, boneless lechon belly by Antonio’s Bellychon, banana pudding by Bananarama, mango torte, and honey cake by Cuerva’s Bakeshop, ginger ale butter beer by Stanford Shaw and cream cheese leche flan by my sister, Ginger Teehankee.

(For inquiries, call 633-8888 ext. 2740 and 2741 or email [email protected]. )

(Follow me on Instagram @pepperteehankee.)