Best Restaurants Guide & Philippine Tatler Charity Week: Dining with a Heart

On it’s 8th year of publishing the Philippines’ Best Restaurants Guide, premiere society magazine, The Philippine Tatler, with partner San Miguel Corporation, is once again organizing its annual Charity Week for a chosen charity.

Philippines' Best Restaurants

Philippines' Best Restaurants

Philippines’ Best Restaurants Guide

This handbook is a product of months of reviews of the current 157 restaurants and finest dining places in the country. It has served as a pocket guide for foodies, gourmands, and discerning diners for the best 100 restaurants.

Restaurants are evaluated on their cuisine, ambiance, service standards and price. The reviewers follow a standard rating procedure that encompasses the different facets of a restaurant – from the range of the menu and the wine list, as well as the competence and etiquette of the wait staff.

The Philippines’ Best Restaurants 2011 also included new sections such as the Best lists of restaurants excelling in various categories such as the Best for Tourists, Best for Wine Lovers, Best Chinese, Best Vegetarian and Best Steaks, among others.

Philippine Tatler's Best Restaurants Guide

Philippine Tatler's Best Restaurants Guide

Seven of the country’s best chefs were also featured in “Chef Talks.” They are Juan Carlos de Terry of Terry’s Bistro, Tonyboy Escalante of Antonio’s, J Gamboa of Cirkulo, Colin Mackay of Sala, Sala Bistro, and People’s Palace. Add to that Jessie Sincioco of Chef Jessie Rockwell Club and Chef Jessie Top of the Citi, Tippi Tambunting of Masseto, and Tomo of Taka.

Philippine Tatler 10th Anniversary Issue

Philippine Tatler 10th Anniversary Issue

Charity Week

This year’s chosen beneficiary of the Charity Week is the Virlanie Foundation.

Virlanie Foundation Officials & Volunteers joined by Philippine Tatler Officers at Shang Palace

Virlanie Foundation Officials & Volunteers joined by Philippine Tatler Officers at Shang Palace

Thirty-six (36) restaurants from the Philippines’ Best Restaurants list will donate a generous portion of their proceeds from September 22-30, 2011 to Virlanie. The funds will support one of Virlanie’s projects – the Mobile Unit. It is Virlanie’s outreach program for street children living in Divisoria through a mobile classroom and good nutrition through a feeding program.

Here is a list of the 36 participating restaurants:

  • Aubergine
  • Azuthai
  • Banana Leaf
  • Cafe Ilang Ilang (Manila Hotel)
  • Cav Wine Shop – Café
  • Chef Jessie Rockwell Club
  • Cibo
  • Circles (Makati Shangri-La)
  • Cru Steakhouse (Marriott Manila)
  • Crystal Jade
  • Escolta (The Manila Peninsula)
  • Felix
  • Indigo (Discovery Shores Boracay)
  • Kai
  • Keizo
  • Kimpura
  • Kirin Chinese Dining
  • L’Incontro Ristorante Italiano
  • Le Bistro Vert
  • L’entrecote
  • Lili (Hyatt Hotel and Casino)
  • Lusso Gastro Bar
  • Mabuhay Palace (Manila Hotel)
  • Mamou
  • Masseto
  • Ninyo Fusion Cuisine
  • Opus Restaurant and Lounge
  • Palermo
  • People’s Palace Thai
  • Restorante Y Damaso
  • Sala
  • Sala Bistro
  • Sugi
  • Thai Patio
  • The Tivoli (Mandarin Oriental Manila)
  • Umu (Dusit Thani Manila)
36 Best Restaurants Charity Week List

36 Best Restaurants Charity Week List

Interestingly, I have also just published a few weeks ago about Golden ABC‘s similar advocacy which donates parts of their proceeds purchased from their clothing shop entitled Get Up: Fashion for Advocacy.

Maurice Arcache also joined us in the lunch launch @ Shang Palace

Maurice Arcache also joined us in the lunch launch @ Shang Palace

Philippine Tatler and Virlanie Foundation invite you foodies to dine with advocacy and enjoy a meal or two at any of Philippine Tatler’s Best Restaurants included in the Charity week from today until September 30, 2011. You still have five days to go dine and at the same time help the needy! 🙂

Of Birthday Treats and Donations

I celebrated my personal birthday a few weeks ago and a Jollibee cake made by Red Ribbon found its way into our home.:)

It was a big fondant chocolate cake with a big and cheerful printed Jollibee mascot on top. A fitting cake for a day of merriment.

Jollibee Birthday Cake by Red Ribbon

Jollibee Birthday Cake by Red Ribbon

Chef Laudico

Chef Laudico

However, I was further surprised when I came home to our QC house last Sunday (two days ago) and found a Chef Laudico brownies box in our refrigerator. It was accompanied by a birthday greeting card saying:

Happy Birthday. Hope you’ll enjoy this box of brownies especially and exclusively prepared by Chef Jackie Laudico

Wow, that sounds special, albeit belatedly.:)

I opened the box and found a set of ten elongated brownies. Something different from the usual square ones we see. And indeed, the taste was exquisitely premium. More than just the average brownie, it was a luscious mixture of the brownie; plus the roasted nuts caramelized cashew on top. I can’t exactly distinguish what kind of nut but it’s most probably cashew.

Chef Laudico Brownies - the Best!

Chef Laudico Brownies - the Best!

It was so good. This is one of the best brownies I’ve had. I think this due to the good chocolate mixture highlighted by the crunchy and premium-tasting roasted walnuts caramelized cashew on top. Yum!

Birthday Card

Birthday Card

I searched the Net including Chef Laudico website (http://www.cheflaudico.com.ph/) but didn’t find the brownies, not even its name.

And lastly, the card indicated:

We have made a donation under your name to the Virlanie Foundation and the Autism Society of the Philippines.”

NomNom Club

NomNom Club

What a warm feeling of goodwill done in your behalf for your birthday. Thank you GeiserMaclang, Stratworks, and Jollibee, you have made my birthday this year more special.