August 2015 Volume 9 | Issue 12
STILL LIFE
7.25 x 10.indd 1
6/23/15 3:36 PM
CONT ENTS 30 COVER STORY Patty Eustaquio’s reverence for the mundane
25 FEATURE Your everyday toast but better
Cover photo by Patrick Diokno
AUGUST 2015 04 HEALTH
21 FEATURE
06 BEAUTY
56 EATS
08 FIXTURE
62 RECIPE
Seeing past the controversies that surround gluten
Countertop ingredients that solve skin problems
Detachment from technology and its benefits
Making air clean indoors with plants and flowers
42 STYLE Timeless chronographs
When heirloom recipes become artistic expression
A comforting sour remedy to combat bad days
EDITOR’S NOTE Where Are You From? There is a reason why, after we specialty bakeries. We also looked meet someone, we ask them where back to cooking traditions from local they’re from. Where we live and ancestors that create that memory of how we live is a reflection of who home. When we miss home, the very we are. This issue delves into the thing we turn to is our palate. space that we call home. We must take into account, We dedicated several pages of our that there is no format in making August issue to house plants that a house a home. Like artist and purify the air because decorating a designer Patty Eustaquio featured room shouldn’t just be on the surface in our cover story, her home is of pretty. It should be functional never arranged like a typical house. and beneficial. And what of the “We can’t live with all the nice kitchen? Food definitely plays a big things we pin in Pinterest,” she role at home. Something to share says. However you choose to live, with family and friends for a house make it good and true to who you gathering is a unique selection are. And we hope you find a little Panerai Luminor, Lucerne, Mall. here in our Home issue. of bread we’ve come Shangri-La across fromPlaza of yourself
NORTHERNliving
01
Northern Living is published by Hinge Inquirer Publications. 4F Media Resource Plaza, Mola corner Pasong Tirad Street, Barangay La Paz, Makati City. Visit www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine now. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter at @nlivingph. We’d love to hear from you. Email us at nliving@hip.ph. For advertising, email sales@hip.ph. This magazine was printed responsibly using recycled papers with biodegradable inks.
FEEDBACK
FAMILIAR GROUNDS
NORTHERNliving
I’ve got a copy of this less-than-50pages magazine. Art and culture, food, fashion, health and beauty, and new discoveries that talked about local people and of course, must-visit local destinations are just a few things packed in every issue. Kuddos to the team of Northern Living. Worth every peso of my subscription.
Joveth Ong
GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA MANAGING EDITOR BEVERLY DALTON ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS LEX CELERA, PRISTINE L. DE LEON CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM GRAPHIC ARTIST MAYSIE LECCIONES STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER PATRICK SEGOVIA INTERNS RENZ MART REYES, KARINA SABINO, CARLOS TABUNDA CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS CHARLIE CARBUNGCO, CHINGGAY LABRADOR, INA AMOR MEJIA ILLUSTRATORS MARTIN DIEGOR, TRISTAN TAMAYO STYLISTS CHARLIE CARBUNGCO, CHUCHIE LEDESMA, INA AMOR MEJIA, BULLET REYES, CHAVI ROMAWAK, MIKEL ZAGUIRRE PHOTOGRAPHERS GABBY CANTERO, PATRICK DIOKNO, INA AMOR MEJIA, SAM LIM, ARTU NEPOMUCENO, JOSEPH PASCUAL COPY EDITOR SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PROOFREADER CESCA VIZCONDE EDITORIAL CONSULTANT RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO CUSTOM ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITORS PAM BROOKE CASIN, ANGELA VELASCO EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS TJ BILLONES, PAM CARLOTA, PAULINE MIRANDA, CHRISTELLE TOLISORA ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES SHANNA MALING, INA MATEO, GENE PEREZ GRAPHIC ARTISTS ROI DE CASTRO, TEJ TAN, YAYIE MOTOS, JAYCELINE SORIANO, JANINE ALCANTARA PRODUCTION MANAGER NOEL CABIE PRODUCTION ASSISTANT MARICEL GAVINO FINAL ART SUPERVISOR DENNIS CRUZ FA ARTIST JR LAROSA BOARD CHAIRPERSON ALEXANDRA PRIETO-ROMUALDEZ FINANCE ADVISOR AND TREASURER J. FERDINAND DE LUZURIAGA LEGAL ADVISOR ATTY. RUDYARD ARBOLADO HR STRATEGY HEAD RAYMUND SOBERANO VP AND CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER IMELDA ALCANTARA SVP AND GROUP SALES HEAD, INQUIRER GROUP OF COMPANIES FELIPE R. OLARTE AVP FOR SALES MA. KATRINA MAE GARCIA-DALUSONG SALES SUPERVISOR POLO P. DAGDAG KEY ACCOUNTS SPECIALIST ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ABBY GINAGA, THEA ORDIALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES ANDIE ZUÑIGA, SARAH CABALATUNGAN, CHARM BANZUELO SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, MARA KAREN ALIASAS
@nlivingph
HEAD OF MARKETING AND EVENTS ROUMEL ITUM MARKETING ASSISTANTS ERLE VIRGILIA MAMAWAL, JANNELLE TURIJA GRAPHIC ARTIST LEE CACES
@nlivingph www.facebook.com/ northernlivingmagazine nlivingph@hip.ph
AVAILABLE ON DIGITIGAL NEWSSTANDS
Share your thoughts on our latest issue through comments on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and get a chance to win this tote bag. Call 403-8825 to claim your prize.
NORTHERNliving
02
FIND NORTHERN LIVING AT
STARBUCKS COFFEE, EDSA SHANGRI-LA HOTEL, VALLE VERDE COUNTRY CLUB, SALON DE MANILA, AND FULLY BOOKED FOR EVERY MINIMUM P1,500 SINGLE RECEIPT PURCHASE OF ANY BOOK.
HEALT H
AGAINST THE GRAIN
Gluten has become one of the food world’s biggest buzzwords—hype or real? TEXT CHINGGAY LABRADOR ILLUSTRATION MARTIN DIEGOR
For a while, carbohydrates were considered the supreme faux pas on anyone’s menu, but these days, a certain protein has crept up on the notoriety list. Gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, and barley, has become linked to a wide array of diseases. It has also become the perpetrator of much bodily discomfort like muscle pain and weight gain, mostly because gluten intolerance and celiac disease frequently go undiagnosed and undetected. Removing food you’ve been consuming your entire life could also result in nutritional deficiencies that could do more harm than good. It’s best to take an intolerance test and know the how’s of your body and the why’s of your diet. Check how you digest. Gas, bloating, diarrhea, and constipation may be related to a gluten allergy. While these stomach issues are common, not every one of them is a sure sign you’re gluten intolerant. What really happens when you have celiac disease? Your small intestine’s lining becomes inflamed and damaged when you consume gluten. The body is unable to absorb nutrients. This can lead to diarrhea and weight loss, although an upset stomach and a drop
in your weight in and by themselves don’t necessarily mean you have the condition. Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity? Before you jump to conclusions and give your diet an unnecessary overhaul, get tested. Celiac disease equals intestine damage; gluten sensitivity equals its legitimate side effects like fatigue and headaches. Sometimes, gluten sensitivity is manifested in symptoms wholly unrelated to the abdominal area—aside from fatigue, other common indicators are rashes and itching, or anemia and nausea. What’s involved in a gluten allergy test? A blood test that measures the presence of antibodies is standard. A gluten-free diet can help with the symptoms. Keep in mind that avoiding gluten isn’t necessarily the final solution for improved health or weight loss either. You could wipe out gluten, but still have an unhealthy ratio of sodium, fat, fiber, and carbs in your diet, or be missing out on food that’s actually good for you (steel cut oats, for example, make for a generally “healthy” breakfast). Whole grains, aside from containing gluten, also play host to some valuable nutrients and vitamins that you could be skipping when on a gluten-free diet.
NORTHERNliving
04
CR AF T
STORED VALUES
Repurpose old leather into a space for keepsakes TEXT, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND STYLING INA AMOR MEJIA
VANITY TRAY
What you’ll need: Sheets of soft faux leather from an old bag or purse Stapler with gold staple wire Piece of hard cardboard Large needle and thread (optional) Pencil Ruler Scissors Craft glue
Directions: 1. Decide how big you want the tray to be and cut out a square on the cardboard for the base. 2. Lay the cardboard square on your leather sheet and trace its shape lightly with a pencil. Cut it out. 3. Repeat step number 2 on another leather sheet, but before cutting, trace a 1-inch border on all sides of the square. Cut it out. You’ll now have 2 leather squares. 4. Glue the smaller leather square on top of the cardboard square, centering it well so the card is concealed. 5. Glue the cardboard with the
NORTHERNliving
05
leather side up onto the center of the larger leather square. 6. When the glue has dried, pinch one corner of the larger leather square and staple. Repeat on all corners to form the sides of the tray. 7. You can leave the staples or you can roughly sew the corners to secure them and then carefully remove the staples. 8. Use the tray to store jewelry, keys or small cosmetic items. Tip: If you’re using thicker, harder leather, use copper rivets to secure the corners.
BEAUT Y
RAW BENEFITS
Excess ingredients in the kitchen become skincare staples TEXT CARLOS TABUNDA ILLUSTRATION TRISTAN TAMAYO
Organic items have, for so long, taken a backseat in favor of chemical-ridden skincare goods and luxe cosmetic brands. Ordinary food products, however, can remedy skincare problems we don’t commonly know. Other than giving nutrition to the body, kitchen ingredients applied on the skin can equally have you looking in the pink of health.
coconut oil and cinnamon for a delicious, all-natural scrub that can reduce the appearance of dimpling on the skin.
Oily skin Most people turn to apple cider vinegar to treat oily skin but surprisingly, honey can also treat this skin problem. The natural antiseptic properties of honey can Dead skin cells sufficiently moisturize the skin without making it oily. Baking soda is a natural exfoliant because it’s coarse It smells better than apple cider vinegar, too. Apply a enough to slough off dead skin cells, but not too coarse thin layer of honey over the face and leave it on for 15 to ruin the skin. Simply mix a small amount with a minutes. Gently massage the skin before rinsing off. little water and scrub onto your face gently for a few minutes to reveal a fresher and healthier complexion. Chicken skin Clinically known as keratosis pilaris, chicken skin can be Cellulite treated with lactic acid; a sugar and sour cream mixture Caffeine helps improve circulation, which can remove contains enough lactic acid to lessen the appearance of excess water from the skin and make it appear firmer. this skin condition. Take a tablespoon of granular sugar Drinking coffee is already helpful, but scrubbing and add this to two tablespoons of sour cream. Stir well coffee grounds on cellulite-affected areas of the skin and apply on the affected area using circular motions. can also help. Mix ground coffee with a little bit of Do this regularly to fend off chicken skin.
NORTHERNliving
06
7.25 x 10.indd 1
7/28/15 5:16 PM
FIXT URE
GOING UNPLUGGED
Re-establishing the boundaries between real life and digital life TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA ILLUSTRATION MAYSIE LECCIONES
Have you experienced reading a book then getting interrupted by your vibrating phone? You check your phone and see that your friend has sent a funny video of cats—and you end up watching 27 cat videos in a row. Then you realize that an hour of your life has been used for something far less productive than what you had hoped for. Have you ever experienced planning to catch up with a friend you haven’t seen for so long, but the reunion ended with the two of you just checking each other’s posts on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram? Your conversations may seem new, but the thrill of updating your friend about personal happenings has dwindled. Have you ever experienced watching a really good movie but you can’t help scrolling down your Instagram feed, because you think you’ll miss out on life if you didn’t check in for an hour and a half? Do you and your friends play a game of who-can-standnot-using-your-phone-the-longest? We are constantly bombarded with so much information and images, both useful and useless, that we lose the ability to discern what is really important. Honestly, everything we see on our screens feels important: the click-bait links, compounded with
our fear of not knowing what’s happening now and what’s in. According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span of humans in 2015 is only 8.25 seconds; that’s 0.75 seconds shorter compared to the average attention span of a gold fish, which is 9 seconds. With the increase in external stimulation due to various factors like technology, our average attention span has dropped from 12 seconds, which is based on the data recorded in the year 2000. Here are a few notes on how we can try to live a life similar to the time before the technological surge: Attend to a task without distractions. The art of paying attention involves two things: ability and willingness. It is still possible to disconnect. Studies have shown that excessive text messaging, playing games, and surfing social networks are addicting. We treat them as mindless and automatic tasks, but at the end of it all, it is a conscious choice to respond to every ping and buzz of your smartphone. Schedule the time you check your social media accounts and answer e-mails and text messages; they
NORTHERNliving
08
FIXT URE
can wait. Make a list of tasks and corresponding “phone/surfing breaks” using pen and paper or time-tracking apps. It will make heaps of difference productivity-wise.
have shown that delivering the best at work requires having downtime. Time away from work produces new ideas and fresh insights. Creativity, inspiration, and motivation are your competitive advantages, but they are also depletable resources that need to Leave work once you step out of your office. be recharged. The solution: turn off your e-mail The rise of messaging apps has shaken up our so- notifications and mute all work-related messaging called free time. How free is free time nowadays, apps during after-work hours. anyway, when you’re bound to respond to work messages even outside office hours? Technology has Focus on the mundane during weekends. kept us connected 24/7, not only with friends and Do you still remember those days that passed by family but also with officemates and bosses. so slowly even when you’ve accomplished so much According to an article published by the Harvard already? Those were the days when there was either Business Review, “Your Late-night E-mails Are no electricity, wi-fi, or cellular data available. Recreate Hurting Your Team,” after-hours e-mails speed up them by putting your phone on silent mode and corporate cultures—and that, in turn, chips away at turning off the vibrate feature. On weekends, spend creativity, innovation, and true productivity. If one time with family and friends. Make time for hobbies. doesn’t disconnect even on late nights and weekends, Read a book. Bring out an old recipe book and try to you are not necessarily a workaholic; you’re simply cook something new. Be amazed at how productive keeping yourself from being recharged for Monday’s you can be during your leisure hours. work battles. There is a good chance that you are Every day, we try to convince people online that not 100 percent focused on the tasks ahead because our real lives are as interesting as what they see on you’ve been preoccupied with work even during your screen. Try to remind yourself what the quality of life free time. The same article notes that experiments means by actually spending time offline.
NORTHERNliving
09
NORT HERNER
MAKEUP CHUCHIE LEDESMA.
NORTHERNliving
12
NORT HERNER
A SECOND TAKE
A young filmmaker examines the offshoots of fantasy TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY JOSEPH PASCUAL
“What if,” I ask 22-year-old Cannes-featured director Lyka Gonzalez, “someone tells you your existentialism does not sell?” Gonzalez, with a playful expression evident whenever she’s lost in thought, blurts out lightheartedly, “I’m stubborn. I still want to humanize people.” What most would dismiss as the common idiosyncrasies of the young—their impractical idealisms and their seeming refusal to conform—were what likely afforded them to achieve much at such an age. Even prior to graduating, 22-year-old Gonzalez has contributed her photos to magazines published locally and has worked with the likes of singer and TV-host Nonoy Zuñiga and acclaimed screenwriter Roy Iglesias. Her early career culminated last May when Agos: the Manila Dream, a thesis film produced by Gonzalez along with thesis partner Yumi Catabijan, was screened in Cannes’ Court Métrage Short Film Corner, where shorts by industry professionals and newcomers are ushered into the global limelight. “I was like a child! It was the Disneyland for filmmakers,” shares Gonzalez, describing the scene in Cannes where filmmakers crowded the cafés, producers held meetings over wine, and hordes of paparazzi populated the palais. Her film, likewise, follows this sort of dreamlike sequence. “Our film was very visual. Although [the characters] were conversing, [we showed] the difference in the images: how intimate it is in the province and how isolating [it is in the city].” Lending substance to the film, Gonzalez fleshed out various stories of individuals who migrated from the province. “They had this [overblown] vision of
Manila,” she relates, fantasies pieced from urban stories of balikbayans and exaggerated portrayals of Manila in the media. With subtle touches of fantasy, Agos tackles themes of diaspora and alienation, depicting the rural folks’ Manila dream and its consequential disenchantments. “I feel that Filipino [films] have always been [exploring] stories about poverty, hardship, suffering,” she says. “I want to deviate from that.” Past the common inclination to capitalize on the country’s noir and gore, Gonzalez examines the destructive upshots of an innocent urban fantasy. With Agos, she touches on more abstract, existential concepts—yet this is where we’d naturally have our reservations. Humanize in what way, exactly? “We tend to focus too much on how we look, how we talk, our career, our status. I can’t generalize but I can observe that. Just look at Instagram,” she muses. Come to think of it, the real world arguably wields as much absurdity as scenes in a fantasy film. Of course, Gonzalez’s idealism will be tempered in the coming years but the image I had of her as a graceful, pseudo-Internet celebrity is replaced by this playful, contemplative girl, holding her skirt in a pose with charmingly awkward gestures. She shares she could be a character in the film Across the Universe, swirling amid the dreamlike trance of a Beatles song. “People tell me that I am also light,” she ponders. True enough, Lyka Gonzalez gives off what people say is the charm of youth: a taste for unreserved reflection and a necessary lightness.
NORTHERNliving
13
FEAT URE
EDIBLE HERITAGE
NORTHERNliving
14
FEAT URE
The ancestral approach to diverse Filipino cuisine TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA FOOD STYLING CHEF MIKKEL ZAGUIRRE AND CHAVI ROMAWAK PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
NORTHERNliving
15
FEAT URE
Chicken adobo with coconut milk Some people will assume that this dish is a modern take or a Bicolano twist to the renowned Filipino adobo. Using the first squeeze of milk from dried coconut shavings to temper the acidic nature of the vinegar base, the resulting gata creates a creamy richness to this dish. The sauce becomes thick and velvety from the milk.
NORTHERNliving
16
FEAT URE
SHOT ON LOCATION LOCAVORE
Minatamis na tahong Shellfish, usually baked with garlic and butter, is now made into bar chow or dessert. The technique used in your favorite banana-Qs can be applied to mussels. Caramelize white sugar perfectly and let the inherent salty brine of the mussels contrast with its sweetness.
NORTHERNliving
17
FEAT URE
Shrimp halabos There are numerous ways to prepare shrimp. You can sautĂŠ it in butter, grill, fry, or make a stew out of it. A simple technique called halabos, where you scald or half-cook the shrimp usually with salty water or its own juices, is used in many households. This method brings out the natural flavors of the shrimp: savory but not overwhelming.
NORTHERNliving
18
FEAT URE
Pinikpikang manok A dish with origins in the Cordillera mountains has reached different parts of the Philippines. Pinikpikan literally means beaten alive. This method clots the blood and is said to make the chicken more flavorful and tender. The preparation of this native chicken stew is considered a ritual or a symbol of celebration among the locals. The dish resembles tinola and is made special with the addition of rice wine and thin slices of liver.
NORTHERNliving
20
FEAT URE
VERDANT VENTILATION Arboriculture at home can be beneficial, especially if the plants’ air-cleaning properties are NASA-approved TEXT BEVERLY DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA ILLUSTRATION MAYSIE LECCIONES
NORTHERNliving
21
FEAT URE
Peace lily Don’t be fooled by the flower’s small size because the peace lily packs some major aircleaning abilities. Apart from filtering benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, it also removes ammonia present in oven and floor cleaners and metal polishes. Just be reminded that, like all flowers, it contributes some pollen in the air that may cause allergies. Avoid having a room full of them.
NORTHERNliving
22
FEAT URE
Golden pothos This fast-growing vine with yellow gold marbling on its green leaves targets carbon monoxide and benzene. Plant it in a hanging basket and place it in the garage where car exhaust fumes abound. Maintenance is easy because this plant can tolerate low light and can survive in dry soil or in vases of water. Snake plant Known as the bedroom plant, the snake plant turns carbon dioxide into oxygen at night. This low-maintenance plant also filters formaldehyde, trichloroethylene, xylene, and benzene in the air. It is recommended to have around six waist-high plants in the room for optimal oxygen output at night. It’s like dreaming with clean air.
NORTHERNliving
23
FEAT URE
Gerbera daisies Floral accents can easily brighten the home, but for those who live alone and who send out laundry, place gerbera daisies in the room near your closet or the laundry room. This flower plant is effective in removing trichloroethylene, a solvent used for cleaning which is found in laundry detergents. High doses of this chemical can cause nausea and unconsciousness. Be sure to water the flower daily and to give it some light in the morning.
NORTHERNliving
24
FEAT URE
BREAKING BREAD
Unique offerings from local bakeries that make a difference on your daily toast TEXT BEVERLY DALTON PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM
Salted Egg Brûlée Croissant Wildflour’s croissant is light, moist, and airy inside, and the smell of butter is very evident. Recently, the bakery made an Asian rendition with a thick brûlée at the center using salted eggs as the base. The result: a flaky pastry with a sweet and savory surprise. Wildflour Cafe + Bakery. GF The Podium, Ortigas.
NORTHERNliving
25
FEAT URE
Multiseed Loaf For a midday snack, toast Trigo’s multiseed loaf first then spread a little butter or PB&J. It’s doughy in the middle, with a light and crunchy blend of white sesame, flax, sunflower seeds, and oatmeal grain on the crust. Rustic Baguette Trigo’s rustic baguette is made of wheat and brown flour. True to its French origins, you’ll find that the crust is tough with a soft middle. To make the center crunchy, slice thinly, drizzle a little olive oil, then bake. Trigo. 9629 Kamagong St., San Antonio Village, Makati City. Salmon Bonito The takoyaki ball is reincarnated in a different vessel thanks to Kumori Japanese Bakery’s innovation. The soft dough is rolled with a savory salmon filling, drizzled with homemade teriyaki sauce, and then sprinkled with smoked bonito flakes. Kumori Japanese Bakery. The Landmark, Makati City.
NORTHERNliving
26
FEAT URE
SHOT ON LOCATION TRIGO.
NORTHERNliving
27
FEAT URE
Cherry Brioche Kumori Japanese Bakery’s delicate brioche dough is made with a rich custard filling and topped with sweet cherries and desiccated coconut sprinkles. It’s best paired with black coffee as a delicious saccharine end to a savory meal. Kumori Japanese Bakery. The Landmark, Makati City.
NORTHERNliving
28
7.25 x 10.indd 1
7/29/15 1:30 PM
COV ER STORY
NORTHERNliving
30
COV ER STORY
OBJECTS OF REASON
NORTHERNliving
31
COV ER STORY
Patty Eustaquio elevates everyday objects into elements breaking convention and provoking thought TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK DIOKNO
“We’re moving, so the house is a mess,” cautions Patty Eustaquio. Clad in a blue dress when I meet her on a rainy morning in July, Eustaquio’s small frame is as delicate as she is firm and authoritative. “Pablo, sit!” she commands the dog who, in an aggressively playful gesture of hello, attempts to eat my shoe. She rarely has strangers coming over at her house, mostly just friends, a group of three at most. Beside us, two enormous blank canvases lean waiting on a wall; on another, there’s neon cursive text which reads: “They stood in front of my only blooming shrub and hid the flowers.” You could call the stillness almost whimsical in a sense. Save for her dogs whose unrestrained frenzy contrasts the general feeling of a frozen time, you’d think this was a gallery housing memory, made material. “It was never arranged like a typical house in the first place,” explains Eustaquio. “We’re not formal people, we can’t live with all the nice things we pin in Pinterest; I don’t have the attention span for it.”
If we try to consider it, there are certain things that bind our interest in most artists: their knack for breaking apart convention, their jolting ways of seeing things, and, in this case, their distaste for furniture we usually revere as nice. We’d be apt to think that art is always going beyond the normal; yet even past the fascination enjoyed by Duchamp’s Fountain or Warhol’s works, high art is still prey to a host of unrecorded standards—conventions that Eustaquio seems to challenge with her craft. Winner of the Ateneo Art Awards in 2009 and recipient of the 13 Artists Award from the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the same year, Eustaquio has likewise exhibited her works to a global audience: in the Singapore Art Museum, Valentine Willie Fine Arts in Malaysia, Hong Kong Arts Center, and Tyler Rollins in New York. “What drew me to her as an artist many years ago was that she was fearless and smart,” says Silverlens gallerist Isa Lorenzo. “Throughout the different media, her work is cohesive, consistent, and incredibly strong. You know you are looking at a Patricia Eustaquio.” The artist now launches her latest exhibit; “The Hunter Enters the Woods,” shows in Silverlens this August, and in Tyler Rollins, first thing in the coming year. “[The] work [is] loosely based on the idea of landscape,” explains Eustaquio, “the idea of sedimentation, the accumulation of debris, and their subsequent formations.” As she has told Art Asia Pacific in an interview earlier this year,
NORTHERNliving
32
COV ER STORY
NORTHERNliving
33
COV ER STORY
one plus one amounts to three—thus, here, individual concepts ultimately equate to what she calls “the furniture of our visual culture.” To celebrate materiality or even to subject it to critique, Eustaquio’s pieces have always been culled from a host of homespun objects: plastic, lace, ceramics, and metal, to name a few. Fabric, of course, has figured strongly in the artist’s previous foray into fashion. “[Her] predilection as a designer of clothes is important in understanding her,” writes Patrick Flores, curator of the UP Vargas Museum. “It crosses the gaps between a feminine everyday life and an ethical zone in the art world: virtues of rationality and indifference to hand-made [and] labor-intensive things.” While fashion, then, came only as a detour and the artist has stopped making clothes eight years since, Eustaquio persists in exploring art by way of cloth, and examining narratives formed from patterns and the work of hands. “She meticulously fashions these delicate objects out of ‘lowly’ craft materials, which are often relegated to the ‘decorative arts’,” writes critic Donna Miranda on one of Eustaquio’s previous shows—and while hierarchies still govern our perception of design and art, where music seems to have taken the first place while craft is, as Eustaquio puts it, “still a rung below to most people even 50 years after Warhol’s Campbell Soup,” her artworks have offered a subtle subversion of this line of thought. The artist shows how the undervalued material may likewise essay narratives more abstract. “I’d like to blur the boundaries between what people regard as art,” she says. “I’m the champion of the
underdogs. I paint still lifes because people have dismissed it as un-contemporary. I use crafty things like fabric and crochet because people distinguish between fine art and craft. I paint flowers because minimalism is ‘it’ and I just want to question why, and why not these other things?” Eustaquio weaves narratives using objects so deemed as commonplace, yet we don't normally come across crocheted white lace—covering a piano that isn’t there— convey ideas of memory and desire, or her human forms woven with rattan triggering notions of taste and time. “Objects are created, or rather fabricated with a purpose in mind,” explains Eustaquio. “And in the end, a certain vanity is [embodied] and demonstrated by that object.” The artist lets the materials speak freely for themselves and more than toeing the line between art and craft, Eustaquio ultimately prods us to interrogate the divide. “I make a bunch of things and put them together in one space,” she says, and we immediately recognize that works needn’t be set in music or conventionally regarded as fine art for them to matter at any rate. Right now, the horned white animal from her past exhibit rests in her studio while a half-finished painting leans casually on a wall. One plus one equates to three. At the sala, Patty Eustaquio sits on the table, while her dogs, Matisse and Pablo, prowls the room in a frantic hype. “Pablo, mister autistic child, sit!” she orders and it’s a treat to watch the intimidating dog, which we presume is named after the great Picasso, instantaneously obey. Eustaquio lets out a laugh. “Actually, it’s named after Pablo the Pelican from Finding Nemo.”
NORTHERNliving
34
COV ER STORY
MAKEUP CHUCHIE LEDESMA HAIR BULLET REYES.
“Objects are created, or rather fabricated usually with a purpose in mind.”
NORTHERNliving
35
M EATS ARKET
QUIRKS IN THE GALLEY Contemporary pieces of form and function add color to an uninspiring kitchen PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
1. Espresso cups (set of 6), P798, Pylones, SM Aura Premier. 2. Atomium egg cup, P1,410, Alessi, TriNoma Mall. 3. Cutlery (set of 24), P7,813, Alessi, TriNoma Mall. 4. 8-piece measuring cup set, P910, Joseph Joseph, True Home by True Value, Robinsons Magnolia. 5. Sommelier cork screw, P3,366, Alessi, TriNoma Mall. 6. Ikat pad bowl, P595, West Elm, Estancia Mall. 7. Serving bowl, P995, West Elm, Estancia Mall. 8. Plate, P595, West Elm, Estancia Mall. 9. Grater, P1,098, Pylones, SM Aura Premier. 10. Mr. and Mrs. Muse salt and pepper shaker, P2,798, Jonathan Adler, Dimensione, SM Megamall. 11. Espresso cup, P1,100, Revol, Dimensione, SM Megamall. 12. Toothpick holder, P530, Seletti, Dimensione, SM Megamall.
12
1 2
3
NORTHERNliving
36
M ARKET
7
9 8
10 6
11 5
4
NORTHERNliving
37
7.25 x 10.indd 2
7/20/15 11:20 AM
7.25 x 10.indd 3
7/20/15 11:20 AM
7.25 x 10.indd 4
7/20/15 11:20 AM
7.25 x 10.indd 5
7/20/15 11:20 AM
ST YLE
CALCULATED TRADITION Unrivaled precision, handed from one generation to the next PHOTOGRAPHY ARTU NEPOMUCENO
IWC Portofino, Lucerne, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
NORTHERNliving
42
7.25 x 10.indd 1
7/22/15 6:59 PM
ST YLE
Hublot Classic Fusion, Lucerne, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
NORTHERNliving
44
7.25 x 10.indd 1
5/22/15 3:12 PM
ST YLE
Panerai Luminor, Lucerne, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
NORTHERNliving
46
ST YLE
Breitling Superocean Chrono, Lucerne, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
NORTHERNliving
47
ST YLE
Baume & Mercier Capeland Flyback, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
NORTHERNliving
48
7.25 x 10.indd 1
7/27/15 5:46 PM
ST YLE
Jaeger-LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin, Lucerne, Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
NORTHERNliving
50
ST STYLE YLE
living5151 NORTHERN NORTHERNliving
EATS At The Lost Bread, the French toast version of the classic banana split is called Arctic Bananas.
SWEET REVOLUTION
An experimental reinvention of the days-old bread and milkshake in one store TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM
Did you know that French toast did not originate in France? These warm, buttery, and milky slices of bread existed long before the country was born. With the exact origins a blur, it was said to be invented because of man’s natural instinct to save on resources, thus putting stale bread to good use: soaking it in milk and egg and cooking it with butter. Sounds easy and basic, yet two of some of the most serious foodies in the metro have scoured almost all of the specialty breakfast joints in search of the best French toast. “The first thing we order upon looking at a menu is their French toast,” Patty Marabut, coowner of The Lost Bread, shares. “However, there is not one restaurant that actually offers a variety of French toasts. It’s always the same old basic version,” co-owner Emil Ongchuan emphasizes. Since they can’t find the best one, they thought, why not make their own then? That would satisfy not only their need to have really good French toast but also the need to let the public know how good French toast is in all its milky glory. Upon entering their tiny space in Maginhawa’s StrEat Food Park, you’ll be greeted with a sign saying “The dough has risen.” Reviving the “lost bread”—coming from its French reference, pain
perdu—Marabut and Ongchuan veered from anything boring and plain in putting together a menu that introduces French toast to the Manila food scene. With a little background in making sweet treats, Marabut did not hold anything back. Even The Classic was made with a twist: your normal toast is topped with homemade cotton candy, maple syrup, whipped cream, and chopped pistachio nuts. All your campfire memories are rolled into one dessert called Seeing Double, which has a slice of soft brioche French toast with torched marshmallows, melted white and milk chocolate, and crushed graham crackers on top. Apart from an array of adventurous toasts to choose from, The Lost Bread also offers equally exciting milkshake concoctions, which the owners claim go perfectly well with their French toasts. Their shake menu is divided into two: Cake Shakes and 18+. If you’ve stopped by to satiate your sweet tooth cravings, then The Carnival—made with caramel popcorn, cotton candy, and oddly, bits of butter cake—is for you. Partake on the spiked shake trend and try their Spiked Cookie. Served with a shot of Bailey’s, it simply tastes like your regular mudshake, just much sweeter.
NORTHERNliving
52
SPECIAL FEAT URE
CRAFTED WITH LOVE Finding love in the bustling metro TEXT CHRISTELLE TOLISORA
(1) Artist’s illustration of living room area (2) Architect’s perspective Residents of Suntrust Asmara can enjoy resort-like amenities within the comforts of the community
Art takes us into a world of possibilities. We are drawn by its beauty and the story it tells. The immense work dedicated into molding a masterpiece, the excitement, the long hours devoted into creating the simplest down to the most intricate details. Artists pour their mind, heart and soul to turn their visions into reality. A masterpiece is showered by the love of its artist. Crafted at the heart of the metro is an urban sanctuary where relaxation and comfort can be found. True to its name, Suntrust Asmara meaning “love” in Indonesian is shaped with the idea of love. After the demands of work, be welcomed by the warm embrace of the sun as you stroll amid the lush greens of the sky gardens or unwind by the poolside, commune at the gazebo while the children play to their hearts content.
2015 0709 Suntrust NoliSoli.indd 1
With these extensive recreations, it is seamlessly easy to fall in love with Asmara. With the promise of superior yet affordable homes, Suntrust Properties, a wholly owned subsidiary of Megaworld Corporation announces Suntrust Asmara, a three tower condominium development situated at the prime location in Quezon City. Strategically located along E. Rodriguez Ave. which is in close proximity to establishments, institutions, and major roads – this condominium community is accessible to anything and everything. Suntrust Asmara is designed for your convenience to be in sync with the vast and bustling metro without depriving you from the little joys that life has to offer.
7/28/15 4:53 PM
EATS
The Doughfee is a concoction of blended doughnuts and coffee.
The Cereal Port turns a light breakfast into a play of flavors with the addition of creamy peanut butter and spiced milk.
The Lost Bread. StrEat Food Park, 91 Maginhawa St., Teacher’s Village, Quezon City. 0917-8212111.
NORTHERNliving
54
NOLI SOLI Ad FP.indd 16
7/29/15 4:57 PM SC OU TM AG .P
H
w
it h
JE
SS
CO
N
N
EL
LY
st
yo
ep
ur
up
g
M
AY 20 15
EATS Chalk typography on the walls and windows change every now and then with quotes, sayings, and random musings.
A DELICIOUS ART COURSE
Artsy translates to homegrown warmth for this restaurant TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY SAM LIM
In what you’d call a commune of peculiar dining places lodged along Maginhawa Street, you can identify common standards guiding the restaurants by default: a homey ambiance owing to makeshift curiosities, and unusual concepts that hardly take themselves too seriously. Among these, a neighborhood café courts the favor of the northern crowd. It’s marked by white picket fences and wooden tables on the porch, Machuca tiles whose lack of pattern becomes its own design, and a name too literal you’d think it’s a parody of sorts. Artsy Café surrenders itself to every diner’s curiosity. Yet contrary to common expectation, it delivers quaintness without a plateful of pomp. With flowers in painted bottles and yarn-wrapped cans, it’s like a village café designed just by your craft-loving kid next door. If the playful typography is any indication, the design of the place was never meant to overwhelm, merely to draw its guests into a nook where random quirks meet an honest intention of making diners feel at home. “One of my sisters lives here in Teacher’s Village. She saw a property [that wasn’t used], knocked on the door, and asked if they [could] rent it out,” shares coowner Brian Tan. “It’s a homey atmosphere.” The food
also imbibes the feel of a homemade dish, leaving fusion cuisines and fancy-sounding dishes to the bigger resto chains. Here in this quiet village bistro, simpler meals take center stage. “We just found a way to [elevate] the presentation of the food,” says Tan, and when they bring out the bangus belly salad—the white meat textured with fresh greens, tomatoes, and salted eggs—it’s as if a modest home has prepared an artsy dinner for a special guest. Set on the table are the siblings’ remembered favorites from Dagupan. The T-Bone steak and mashed potatoes are a balance of softness and sinewy. Their burger, meanwhile, deceives with its seemingly simple presentation; the soft meat between lightly browned loaves, with cheese melted temptingly on the sides, does little to betray how heavy the sandwich is. Capped off with their cheesecake crumble, the course would be found by guests to be at once flavorful and fulfilling. So does Tan associate “artsy” with being homey? “Artsy [Café] is the artistic expression of everything, how we see traditional food,” says Tan. Any visitor, treated as a guest, would get the reasoning behind the playful motif. Past the visual gimmicks, artsy harks back to the idea of a well-made home.
NORTHERNliving
56
EATS Heftier meals comprise of the T-bone steak (left) and the Grilled Cheese Burger (extreme left). Cap off the meal with either brewed coffee (below) and the cheesecake crumble (below, left).
Artsy Café. 36 Maginhawa St., Teacher’s Village, Diliman, Quezon City. 434-9487.
NORTHERNliving
57
EATS Perfect with a cold bottle of beer, BBQ Zone’s barbeque, liempo, and inasal were some of the very first offerings from Z Compound.
THERE GOES THE NEIGHBORHOOD A collaborative space in Malingap brings diverse cuisines TEXT LEX CELERA PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
At Z Compound, it’s not uncommon to get your fill for a couple hundred pesos. All sorts of cuisines— Lebanese, Vietnamese, Japanese, to name a few—are prefaced by a glowing sign with only the letter “Z.” The place is like a hole-in-the-wall, except instead of one restaurant, you get more than a dozen. Currently 16 to be exact. Each stall’s concept is different from the rest and the balance between the diverse food selections is what makes Z Compound a place to visit. The open table policy helps you mix and match your favorites from different stalls. Beer-candied popcorn, beef salpicao, and chicken inasal are only some of the many offerings inside. Hijo D’ Pita’s classic beef burrito, Meshwe’s shawarma, and The Backyard Reservoir’s pizza are standouts. “It’s really a fluke how Z Compound happened and how it evolved,” says Eric Cavadillo, who established the open food court after coming upon the once abandoned space. Beginning with his very own BBQ Zone, the place came to be known as a food incubator for entrepreneurs.
“Primarily, our customers were all the people who live here in the village,” shares Nathaniel Mounayer, owner of Lebanese joint Meshwe. “Before anyone else was doing this, we were the first one to have this kind of open area concept. If you look at the design, it isn’t really planned out that well but it just came together and it worked out for us.” As long as the space allowed it, new establishments sprouted left and right. What began with four original stalls ended up with 16, and a number of establishments have already come and gone after reaping success in the compound. Before each stall joins the compound, its concept must be different from the ones currently operating to assuage any semblance of competition. What also makes Z Compound attractive is how anyone can order whatever food is available without leaving a hole in the wallet. The diverse selections and the value for food won’t make anyone think twice about coming back. Take a seat amid the pattering buzz of the other diners on a Friday night and have some tuyo pesto with your milkshake and pad thai—no one’s going to judge.
NORTHERNliving
58
NOLI SOLI Ad FP.indd 13
7/24/15 4:35 PM
EATS
Backyard Reservoir’s pizza called The Backyard is one of their bestsellers (above, right). Blue Raspberry and Tropical Punch from Monster Rice (extreme right). Arabic Fries, Chicken Shawarma, and Beef Shawarma from Meshwe (right).
Z Compound. 33A Malingap St., Teacher’s Village, Diliman, Quezon City. www.facebook.com/the-zone-z-compound.
NORTHERNliving
60
NOLI SOLI Ad FP.indd 14
7/24/15 4:35 PM
RECIPE
BETTER DAYS AHEAD
Find comfort in a sour remedy during the monsoon TEXT AND STYLING CHARLIE CARBUNGCO PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO
CLASSIC SINIGANG WITH BANGUS BELLY INGREDIENTS
1/4 kilo bangus belly 15 pcs. tamarind 3 pcs. tomato, sliced 1 large onion, sliced 1 green chili 2 cups kangkong leaves 1 tbsp. fish sauce 5 cups water PREPARATION
1. In a pot, pour 4 cups of water and add tamarind. Place the lid and bring the water and tamarind to a boil. Let it simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes. Set aside. 2. In another pot, prepare 1 cup of water with onion and tomatoes. Bring it to a boil. Then add the bangus belly. Turn down the fire and let it simmer until fish is cooked. 3. Add the tamarind stock and mashed tamarinds. Let it simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes. 4. Add the kangkong and the green chili pepper. 5. Add fish sauce to taste.
NORTHERNliving
62
NOLI SOLI Ad FP.indd 15
7/24/15 5:22 PM
T HE GET
WEAVING SCENES
Threading together the lost tradition of the loom TEXT PRISTINE L. DE LEON PHOTOGRAPHY RENZ MART REYES
Inabel translates as “weaving” in Ilonggo—yet old folks bent over antique looms seem more like an imagery fit for folklore. In an attempt to salvage the fading tradition of the loom, a social enterprise was established to ferry woven products beyond the borders of the rural towns. “During our trip [to Ilocos], most of the weavers we [encountered] seemed to be from an older generation,” shares Marga Ocampo-Palafox, co-founder of Beyond Borders. “We married the traditional techniques of hand weaving, with upto-date designs and colors that appeal to a [younger] market.” Each blanket, even the smallest pieces like the throw, is woven by a tandem, working in synchronized motion with their hands and feet—the inabel technique passed down from generations. Each woven textile, then, stands as a tangible testament and an affirmation of tradition against the authority of machines.
Inabel. Beyond Borders. www.facebook.com/beyondbordersphilippines.
NORTHERNliving
64
M A N A G E D
B Y
www.thebellevue.com 14 Scout Rallos St., Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines 1101 t: (632) 990 5000 f: (632) 990 6000 e: info@thebhotelqc.com w: www.thebellevue.com
Superior King Room
Facade
OPENING IN 2015 To be opened in 2015, B Hotel Quezon City is situated in 14 Scout Rallos St., Diliman, Quezon City. Poolside
Chic, bright and contemporary, it raises the brand’s commiment-to-value to a new level. A state-of-the-art business center and function rooms, a restaurant, a fitness center, a pool and 111 well-appointed rooms to suit your eclectic taste. Sense an ambiance that’s suited for the well-travelled individuals.
The Lobby Café
7.25 x 10.indd 1
7/7/15 10:14 AM
7.25 x 10.indd 1
7/28/15 11:43 AM