Northern Living: 2017 September

September 2017 Volume 12 | Issue 01

FRESH EYES

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CONT ENTS 13 COVER STORY Rissa Mananquil-Trillo calls social media “the great equalizer”

08 FEATURE

A cartographer draws the Philippines’ precarious points

Cover photo by Koji Arboleda 22 EATS

SEPTEMBER 2017 04 FIXTURE

26 RECIPE

06 HEALTH

28 THE GET

When environmentalism becomes the mainstream

This new watering hole reminds us of Hong Kong

Guiltless pizza for all those nights you’ve craved pie

Pots with faces and boobs for the discerning horticulturist

A young vegan tells all

EDITOR’S NOTE Trendsetting It was Gianni Versace who said, “Don’t be into trends. Don’t make fashion own you.” Fast-paced and impersonal, the ever-shifting landscape of social media has made beauty more digestible but also disposable. Trends have been circulating at shorter and shorter intervals, thus the loss of substance in the way we view fashion and beauty.

Here in the Philippines, our unapologetic colonialism makes it easy for international brands to march in and overshadow various local industries. But within the past decade, there has been a revolution; a more conscious consumer mindset

towards homegrown and sustainable brands has risen. This month, we spotlight those at the helm of this transformation: model and self-made entrepreneur Rissa MananquilTrillo of Happy Skin who offers her take on social media’s equalizing power; a cartographer who maps out what other map makers will not; and a marine conservationist who highlights the benefits of jumping on the environmental bandwagon.

Also inside: a young vegan’s woes with purism in the community, a potter whose sense of humor is yielding profit, and a healthy hack to an alltime favorite, pizza.

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CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS VIANCA UY, TARA ABRINA, MICKEY GARCIA PHOTOGRAPHERS KOJI ARBOLEDA, CHICHI TULLAO STYLISTS CHICHI TULLAO, VINCE CRISOSTOMO HAIR AND MAKEUP CATS DEL ROSARIO, CHUCHIE LEDESMA COPY EDITOR SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PROOFREADER PAM BROOKE CASIN EDITORIAL CONSULTANT RIA FRANCISCO-PRIETO 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 C. ALCANTARA SVP AND GROUP SALES HEAD FELIPE R. OLARTE AVP FOR SALES MA. KATRINA MAE GARCIA-DALUSONG HEAD OF OPERATIONS AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LURISA VILLANUEVA KEY ACCOUNTS SUPERVISOR ANGELITA TAN-IBAÑEZ SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES CHARM BANZUELO, ABEGAIL GINAGA, LIZA JISON, ALETHEIA ORDIALES, ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE ANDIE ZUÑIGA SALES SUPPORT ASSISTANTS RECHELLE ENDOZO, MANILYN ILUMIN

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Clockwise from top: Havaianas all-exclusive Filipinas collection features Batanes' rustic waves; (From left to right) SinoPinas' pioneers Raniel Hernandez, Karl Presentacion, Alexis Lim, and John Austria; (From left to right) San Juanico Bridge, Sagada, Siargao, Batanes, Boracay, and Baler.

FINE PRINT

Havaianas collaborates with SinoPinas for an all-exclusive Filipinas collection TEXT ZAE PLANA

scenic Sagada, and one of Asia’s best kept secrets, Siargao, will be imprinted on Havaianas soles starting this September for Havaianas Filipinas’ first wave.

The gems of Visayas, Boracay’s beaches and San Juanico’s famed San Juanico Bridge, are given the spotlight in the collection’s second wave on November.

The Havaianas Filipinas collection will be available at All Flip-Flops stores, selected authorized retailers nationwide, and online at www.shophavaianas.ph.

Each pair is priced at P1,295 and comes in a special packaging.

Many travel for the thrill of exploration, but traveling is an experience beyond that. An enriching venture, it helps free the mind from stress, and even makes one live longer and healthier. With travel fairs and seat sales, more Filipinos are jet-setting to a more fulfilling life.

Havaianas understands the need for Filipinos to embark on journeys, whether big or small—and their latest collection reflects that.

Titled Filipinas, their all-exclusive six-piece collection features designs from SinoPinas. Pioneered by Filipino creatives Alexis Lim, Raniel Hernandez, Karl Presentacion, and John Austria, the group aims to discover, capture, share the beauty of the Philippines one place at a time—complementing the #GoingPlacesWithHavaianas campaign.

The most picturesque images of surf haven Baler, rustic Batanes,

For more information, follow Havaianas Philippines in Facebook (havaianasphilippines), Twitter (@havaianasphils), and Instagram (@havaianasphils) with the hashtag #GoingPlacesWithHavaianas.

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CAUSE CELEBRÉ

Everyone wants to be an environmentalist these days—and that’s a good thing TEXT TARA ALESSANDRA ABRINA ILLUSTRATION LARA INTONG

Plant-based or grass-fed? Solar or coal? Recyclables or zero-waste? Oslob or Donsol?

If you instinctively chose a side to any of these pairs, congratulations. You are, to some extent, an environmentalist. Let that sink in as we frame environmentalism into a few economic concepts.

The economics of environmentalism Economists are trained to process environmentalism as alternatives to endless alternatives. By translating the benefits and costs of certain actions—e.g. recyclables vs. zero-waste—into money terms, we are able to compare them objectively in a benefit-cost analysis.

This method has guided policy-makers for years in choosing the best course of action: cost-efficiency.

From this, I’ve learned that going zero-waste is currently economically inefficient. There is always going to be an amount of waste produced for the activities we do to function as a society. It is too costly to ban, for example, carbon emissions overnight; no one would be able to go to work or eat rice the next day if that were to be pushed. The concept of an “optimal level of pollution” sounds like an evil capitalist plan to justify pollution, but based on sound microeconomic theory, it’s almost conventional knowledge since the ’70s. Besides, we mustn’t underestimate the earth’s ability to handle a little bit of pollution.

More importantly for economists, the point of protecting the environment is for people in the long run. A healthy environment is a prerequisite for healthy human lives. Balisacan, et al. in their book Sustainable Economic Development returns to this key concept in several themes.

That said, we really have every incentive to be environmentalists and that’s fantastic. I always tell my friends, “It’s the best kind of fad,” because it really

is. Environmental problems exclude no one. It affects every gender, age, job, ethnicity, and, in extreme cases, every social class. I’d like to think that this issue could finally be the one thing that brings us all together, in spite of our differing choices in alternatives.

Local options for healthy oceans If you aren’t on the environmental bandwagon yet and don’t know where to start, you’re in luck. There are so many environmental campaigns to choose from nowadays. Here are just two pairs of alternatives that address two Philippine marine issues.

September is International Coastal Clean Up (ICC) Month, when people from all over the world pick up trash along their local coasts. More than targeting the problem of solid waste (mis)management, the main breakthrough of this initiative is the simplicity of reminding people that the ocean still exists. It’s a great way to demonstrate that our actions on land

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affect the sea. In the Philippines, we have our own efforts; in fact, you can join one in Manila Bay this Sept. 16. However, keep in mind that a more longterm alternative is if the trash is disposed properly.

I think the ICC is simply the best first step to that lasting solution.

A second pair of alternatives tackles the daunting multidimensional problem of climate change. This is the second year in a row that Philippine corals have been turning white from global warming and dying en masse. It is a phenomenon called “coral bleaching.” Very little is known of the impacts it could have on the ocean, but scientists say we could lose most of our corals by 2050. So a local initiative called the Philippine Coral Bleaching Watch asks the general public to help monitor the country’s corals. By submitting underwater photos, scientists and governments can identify critical areas to focus efforts on. The long-term alternative solution is

reducing carbon emissions. But while that is still out of any single country’s hands, watching our corals closely and helping them recover is the next best thing we can do.

Now, do a quick benefit-cost analysis among these pairs. Which of these alternatives speaks to you?

Recall that for all of them, the goal is healthy human life through a healthy sea. The fish that one billion people depend on for food are the same fish that can die from ingesting plastic, the same fish that will lose their homes from coral bleaching. So it’s not a multiple choice question really; the answer is all of the above. Choosing one or the other leads us to the same end.

Now imagine if we can get all hands on deck, every kind of person working on each level of alternatives, everyone watching out for each other. I can only hope that this fad eventually leads us to that end.

Wouldn’t that be the day?

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GATEKEEPING IN THE VEGAN ERA A firsthand experience of a young vegan’s struggle with purism in the community TEXT VIANCA UY ILLUSTRATION EDRIC DELA ROSA

An interrogation on the specifics of my protein intake, bacon jokes, and of course, the crowd favorite “Don’t plants have feelings, too?” argument are only a handful of things I had to learn how to tactfully respond to and deflect in my three years of following a vegan diet. I didn’t realize how deeply personal and unavoidably political food choices could be until I was being constantly grilled on how nutritionally sound a vegan diet is, or being suspected by wellmeaning relatives of having an eating disorder.

I became vegan for ethical reasons in 2014, when it was acceptable (mostly because people barely knew then what it meant) but not quite cool yet.

Much to my amazement, veganism slowly became a mainstream wellness trend, with an influx of “What I eat in a day” videos on YouTube and seemingly every Instagram model with a bikini body following a vegan diet. The past couple of years have shown an obvious increase in vegans, and there are statistics to prove it.

If you haven’t been entirely sure what veganism is or if you can’t tell vegetarians apart from pescetarians or lacto-ovo vegetarians, you’re not alone.

Despite being a way of life with an inherently altruistic cornerstone, the online community isn’t nearly always as good-natured. I wasn’t shocked by the animosity between vegans and non-vegans online, but the negativity within the online vegan community came as a definite surprise.

Gatekeeping is nothing new or uncommon in activism, and since veganism is more than just a wellness trend but is also a movement toward better animal rights, a lot of the arguments online are centered on what makes a true vegan. There are hardliners within the community who shame those who turn to veganism in order to lose weight or those who haven’t upended their entire lives in order to be 100 percent vegan, waste-free, or sustainable.

People lead different lives with different incomes, occupations, beliefs, and circumstances. Why should it matter if one turns to veganism to lose weight or just be vegan 80 to 90 percent of the time, or even if one is a raw vegan or a junk food vegan? This inclination towards gatekeeping and trying to set out standards on who’s doing it right and who isn’t only deters people who may be interested in becoming vegan, for fear of inadequacy or deficiency.

No one, not even the most militant vegan who eats a plant-based diet, wears fair-trade clothes, and bikes to work every day is 100 percent vegan. Most fertilizers used in the agriculture industry are made with animal blood and bones. Not to mention, the highly mechanized agricultural industry inevitably leads to the deaths of small animals and insects in the fields.

So isn’t it futile to argue about who deserves to label themselves vegan? Considering the original intent behind the vegan lifestyle, every little step towards a mindful way of living counts.

“Considering the original intent behind the vegan lifestyle, every little step towards a mindful way of living counts.”

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DRAWN WORLD

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With his maps, geographer David Garcia helps make the Philippines a safer place TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING AND ALYOSHA ROBILLOS

Geographer, cartographer, and urban planner David Garcia says there is one quote by distinguished geographer David Harvey that remains ingrained in his consciousness through the years: “Geography is too important to be left to geographers.” This, perhaps, is the driving force behind Mapmaker, a project that Garcia started after Typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines in 2013.

Primarily a Facebook page where maps of the country are made accessible to anyone interested, Mapmaker doesn’t just simply show people how to get around. Instead, the maps on the page chart the routes of cyclones and earthquakes in the Philippines.

All the maps featured on Mapmaker were carefully designed by Garcia, who is taking his masters on geospatial analysis at the University College London.

According to the geographer, although it was the devastating aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan that ultimately pushed him to establish Mapmaker, he has always had the desire to have an accessible platform for assessing hazards in the country. After volunteering in mapping and planning projects with the local government of Guian, Samar and the United Nations, he continued creating maps that would be useful to Filipinos.

Now, Mapmaker has become an online community that continues to grow. Through the page, Garcia has successfully piqued interest in materials that would aid the country when disasters and natural calamities strike. With his creations, Garcia has also successfully shared the importance of disaster management and preparedness.

But what is admirable is how Garcia has turned mapmaking not only into a tool for upholding an advocacy, but his personal art as well. Maps on Mapmaker, unlike the traditional, straightforward ones we are used to, feature Garcia’s distinct aesthetic. Some even look like pop art prints. These days, Garcia can be found experimenting on different

types of maps—the most recent one charting the entire Philippine archipelago’s road networks.

To know more about utilizing maps and how important mapmaking is in a calamity-prone country like ours, we sat down with Garcia.

What is cartography and why is it important?

For a long time, cartography was called the science and art of making maps and charts. But there’s a nice, alternative view of what cartography is: It’s really about making an argument. This definition was proposed by Denis Wood. When you look at a map of a country, the maker tries to convince you that all the islands you see on the map are part of the national territory. When you study a map of geohazards, the maker is trying to persuade you to think of the hazards that might affect you—and possibly act on them. When you dig up the title of your real estate property, the map there was made to prove to you that it is your land. When you use Google Maps to ask for directions, the results that the interface returns is trying to convince you to take a particular route. When you think of cartography as something in that way, then its importance becomes clearer: It helps prove a point. When a map helps in communicating a claim, the reader can explore more ideas, think about issues, and take action.

What’s the idea behind Mapmaker?

Here was the problem I was trying to address: In the popular imagination, geography looks like a traditional and frozen field. On the other hand, “geospatial analysis” and urban planning sounded complicated and elitist. My colleagues and I understood each other so well. But that meant that we were merely preaching to one another, the converted. In contrast, I wanted a platform on spatial matters that people, in general, can relate to.

The core idea was to create a channel where I can

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This map traces the path of earthquakes in the country.

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help citizens think about themselves and society in a spatial way. Through maps, I’d like to promote both basic ideas on openness and important geographical issues. For example, in the “100 Largest Islands” map, I did not put in the provincial boundaries.

I wanted to communicate that there are many things that we have in common and that geography shouldn’t be a reason for us to be divided. About the map on historical cyclones and earthquakes, I wanted to show that there are no completely safe places in the Philippines. It was also about persuading people to rally around issues such as disasters and climate change.

Geography shouldn’t just be about capitals, boundaries, or names of famous places. That view on “what is where” or “where is what” is very limiting.

By showing geographical patterns in Mapmaker, I’d like people to ask the why and how behind the what and the where.

that some places are missing or that there are errors.

For example, during the Haiyan response in Tacloban, we found out that even the San Juanico Bridge— the largest and longest bridge in the region—is not in official maps. Several places’ names were also incorrect. On the side of the commercial map providers, a lot of houses in vulnerable communities are “invisible” because the providers can’t make profit with such data—as opposed to data in major cities.

How can we plan if the infrastructure is missing and communities are invisible on the map?

Second, I think that such issues on data quality affect the usability of the maps. Let’s say we are in a community meeting to discuss disaster preparedness or urban health issues. If the residents don’t even see their homes on the map, then it will be difficult for them to better understand and make decisions based on the data. Furthermore, the lack of usability erodes the trust in the geographic “There are no completely safe information.

Finally, there will still We noticed that the places in the Philippines. be issues even if the data maps you make are more is accurate and complete. approachable in terms of There are only places Generally, there is a design. How important is of varying risks and significant amount of data the design of a map? that exists in the databases In general, the design of a vulnerabilities, and the of the government. The map is the only thing that bridges the ideas of the people’s capacity to prepare major hindrance is that the geographic data is neither mapmaker with the audience. and adapt.” free, open, nor accessible.

It’s comparable with the During the Haiyan response, reasons why writers must there were times when forge clear and compelling sentences. I remember what Marshall McLuhan we had to wait for months for our requests to be accommodated by the national government. There claimed: “The medium is the message.”

The maps that I make look simple, but they take were times when we had quick access to the data, but long hours to think about, test, and build. There’s we had to do a significant amount of unnecessary a lot of searching, data cleaning, and iterating. reprocessing because they were in closed formats— There are a lot of feelings, affect, and emotions too, like in PDFs—which is not good for analysis. The due to personal experience. I usually make maps goal was to make print maps, the most accessible on geohazards and risks because of the suffering I format for far-flung communities with no internet. encountered in places hit by disaster and conflict. I motivate myself with such experience and turn bad What have you learned about the Philippines through cartography? experiences into useful maps.

There are no completely safe places in the Studying the Philippine archipelago and its Philippines. There are only places of varying risks islands, what are the common mistakes you see in and vulnerabilities, and the people’s capacity to prepare and adapt. the maps available?

My knowledge about Philippine geography has limits, but here are three general observations I have What are your goals for Mapmaker? on the question. They’re about quality, usability, To keep making maps that people find useful and enjoy the process. I’d like Mapmaker to be an and openness.

First, I think that there is a general lack of quality invitation for people to treat geography as part of in maps that are available. That lack of quality means their way of life.

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THE NEW BUSINESS MODEL

Blouse, Bench, SM Megamall Pants, Paulo Deofiero, 0905-3945730 Shoes, Charles & Keith, SM Megamall

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Rissa Mananquil-Trillo discusses the importance of homegrown entrepreneurship and social media in the new age TEXT BEA CELDRAN PHOTOGRAPHY KOJI ARBOLEDA

In between casual conversations about beauty products, Rissa Mananquil-Trillo provides insights on social media: “I think it has definitely changed entrepreneurship,” the Happy Skin co-founder says of how the digital audience has played a huge role in the homegrown brand’s early beginnings. “[When Happy Skin started,] we were competing with brands that had budgets for TVCs, billboards, and print ads. And as a start-up, we only had Instagram,and Facebook. But these platforms have become great equalizers, whether you’re a big global brand or just a shop around the corner. Everyone is given an equal opportunity to be discovered on social media. That is what I feel has been a big gamechanger in the business, and it has helped a lot of homegrown brands.”

Even to those who are averse to social media, Mananquil-Trillo’s take makes a lot of sense. “It’s an exciting time because, even for me, whenever I browse social media, I discover so many new brands even from other countries. And I’m hoping one day, from across the world, someone will discover Happy Skin, too.”

Passing on an invaluable childhood As a child, Mananquil-Trillo was teased for her complexion. “But I wasn’t bothered about it, maybe because I grew up in an environment where I felt much love. I’m happy I grew up in an environment where I was encouraged to read [and] pursue my passions.” As she’s now raising her daughters Celestia and Audra with her husband Paolo, she’s resolved to bring them up in the same way. “The way we raise them is not through [telling them,] ‘Oh, you’re so pretty, your dress is so nice.’ Rather, we reinforce good values, the right traits, and skills.

“I think it’s a common mistake that parents make because naturally, people like to get complimented for their appearance. But I want my daughters to feel confident not just about how they look but also what they can do in the future, even at a young age.”

Mananquil-Trillo recalls some of the less pleasant parts of her youth: how her neighbor crush had teased her as negra, how she was called “Somalian” for her skinny figure, how a friend’s ex called her and her barkada “pangit” (which they proceeded to reclaim by calling their group the Ugly Duckling Club). “I’m sure those scenarios don’t paint the typical picture of a future fashion model. I was often on the Dean’s List. In school, I was a nerd and a consistent honor student. Perhaps that’s why my dad wanted me to become a lawyer and my mom wanted me to become a doctor.” Despite all the appearancebased labels tacked onto her, none left a lasting mark.

“They affected me but not to the point that they were destroying my life and I couldn’t function anymore. I guess after receiving so many labels like those, what I did was to accept them—then transcend them.”

Transcending colonial mentality Having modeled for over a decade, having her own beauty column, and owning a homegrown cosmetics brand, Mananquil-Trillo is deeply entrenched in the beauty industry. Because the local standard is still quite rigid when it comes to mainstream beauty ideals, she admits to encountering trials when Happy Skin was still being introduced to the market. “It’s still a bit difficult because there remains a mentality among women that a certain appearance is more beautiful [than others]. What we try to do with Happy Skin is to show them that women are [at their] most beautiful naturally. We’re not trend-driven.”

Another challenge, she reveals, is the Filipinos’ preference for the foreign. “We entered an arena that’s dominated by international cosmetic brands. That’s a challenge, because our country was colonized for hundreds of years and [that caused us to develop] the Coca-Cola mentality: We think anything imported is always better.” However, the recent inclination among Filipino buyers towards local, handmade, and

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Coat, Paulo Deofiero, 0905-3945730 Skirt, Bench, SM Megamall

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STYLING VINCE CRISOSTOMO MAKEUP CHUCHIE LEDESMA HAIR CATS DEL ROSARIO PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT GIAN LATORRE SHOT ON LOCATION MAKATI DIAMOND RESIDENCES

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“Digital presence is also crucial to remaining relevant in the fast-changing retail landscape.”

even sustainable products has shifted that mindset one industry at a time. “The past few years have been exciting for entrepreneurs,” Mananquil-Trillo says.

“There is so much love for homegrown and Pinoy brands. It’s become social currency to wear something from a local brand or from a local designer that not many people know about. It’s an exciting time because more people have pride in local talent.”

Creating a benchmark in local beauty What sets Happy Skin apart from the hundreds of cosmetics brands penetrating the Filipino market is its dedication to the Filipino skin. “Every product we come out with is infused with a skin-caring ingredient,” Mananquil-Trillo affirms. “This all started because of my modeling background. I’ve been modeling for over a decade, and it was at the peak of my modeling that my skin was at its worst.

It was hard to find a makeup brand that would complement the Filipina complexion and survive in our tropical weather.”

Happy Skin products are meant to address skin problems that result from makeup and, hopefully, give confidence to Filipinas to play around with their looks. “The biggest hurdle a lot of Filipinas have is that they’re afraid to use makeup. One, they think it will ruin their skin. Two, they just think it’s really complicated. So every product we come out with has a guide or a cheat sheet. That’s important especially now, because we live in the social media era where everything [is accessible] in a swipe or a click. People want things fast, quick, and reliable, so a lot of our products are multi-taskers and time-savers.”

Round-the-clock, hands-on engagement Unsurprisingly, Mananquil-Trillo is very handson with the label, from research development to its marketing. “All the products are made in beauty capitals like Korea, Taiwan, and Japan. When we first came out, many thought [our stuff] were imported and we just slapped our label on them. But every

formula was created unique to the brand. We’re very hands-on with developing it, in working with our suppliers. We work with a sophisticated team of scientists and laboratories that have access to all the information, whether it’s the skin’s biology or the latest innovations in skincare,” she says. It makes a lot of sense then to see Happy Skin’s growth from a mere five counters to almost 100, with social media, especially Instagram, as its greatest marketing tool.

It’s a tool that Mananquil-Trillo appreciates a lot, despite the difficult relationship ordinary people have with social media in their quest to find the balance between hiding behind an online persona and engaging with the larger world. “As a beauty columnist for over a decade now, I’ve always valued my constant connection to readers and consumers. Today, as a model-turned-entrepreneur, my deeply rooted experience with cosmetics is further strengthened by doing store visits and listening to consumers. Being in touch with women, even through our social media accounts, gives me a wealth of priceless insights. The products we churn out are testament to how much we listen to our consumers.”

For someone who has been in the industry long enough, Mananquil-Trillo understands well the potential of having a digital connection to the market, and her continued engagement with social media only shows how in tune she is with the needs of the audience she likes to serve. “Digital presence is also crucial to remaining relevant in the fast-changing retail landscape. The digital market has definitely become the new avenue of growth. Apart from a new generation of consumers whose tastes, preferences, and lifestyles are driven by social media, more and more people are opting for the convenience of shopping online. The younger generation is always on their mobile phones, so it’s crucial that our store and our brand’s retail experience complement their online experience and their impression of our products,” she concludes. “People post their every experience online; they make every purchase a social media milestone.”

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presents

F&B SUMMIT A discussion LED BY authorities in food, beverage, agriculture and hospitality

Hosted by Ces Drilon

OCT 5 SAMSUNG HALL, THURS 2PM-6PM SM AURA PREMIER regular ticket price: P500 | Student ticket price: P300 Powered by

in cooperation with

also brought to you by

venue partner ticket outlet

COV ER STORY

“Being in touch with women, even through our social media accounts, gives me a wealth of priceless insights. The products we churn out are testament to how much we listen to our consumers.”

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SPECIAL FEAT URE Sweet Ecstasy’s double cheeseburger (left); three scoops of Emack & Bolio’s ice cream on Fruit Loops cone

MEET YOUR NEW FAVORITE HOTSPOTS Three restaurants in Pasig give a new take on classic dishes

TEXT PAULINE MIRANDA PHOTOGRAPHY DANICA CONDEZ

Only a handful of establishments maintain the stamp of foodie mecca in the city—food so good that people are willing to brave Manila traffic, and sacrifice long waits, for it. With the traffic continuing to worsen, this particular stamp becomes all the more prestigious.

But now that three of Manila’s most-loved restaurants have opened in Pasig, the trek for that iconic truffle pasta, the city’s best burger, and fun Fruit Loop’d ice cream cones has become much shorter—it’s right next door.

Classic dishes paired with new meats What to try: Venison curry, Kurobuta sinigang, Lola Femya’s birthday spaghetti Where: Mamou 3.0, UGF Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Ave., Pasig City Contact: 0917-8662668 Why: Mamou 3.0 brings a more youthful twist to the popular restaurant’s newest branch. Curry, one of the many staples in any Filipino kitchen, gets a twist with the use of venison that’s locally sourced from the island of a friend, shares Mamou manager Annie MontanoGutierrez. Another must-try is their Kurobuta sinigang.

Don’t be surprised if you get a dish that looks like karekare—a taste of the broth will prove it’s still the sinigang you know. It uses Italian tomato sauce to get its color, and has chunks of tender Japanese black pig in the mix. The Fores family also shares their special spaghetti, made by their yaya Lola Femya. The pasta, mixed with a tomatocream-butter sauce and corned beef, is served on family birthdays, but it’ll be available off-menu at Mamou for a limited time only.

The best burger, according to burger devotees What to try: The steamed burger, a not-so-secret offmenu item, or the new peanut butter burger Where: Sweet Ecstasy, 2F Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Ave., Pasig City Why: Unlike other burger joints that have come up over the years, offering outrageous fillings and other gimmicks, Sweet Ecstasy sticks to the basics. Aside from their standard selection of pure beef burgers (which you can swap to a lettuce wrap if you’re cutting out carbs), you can also get their wings—the Anghang P*cha stands out if you want a challenge. If the classics don’t appeal to you, go for their off-menu burgers: the steamed burger is sans the frills, with just the patty, cheese, and onions, while the peanut butter burger has a beef patty, peanut butter sauce, and is topped with jalapeños, lettuce, and tomato.

Psychedelic ice cream cones and flavors What to try: The best-selling Space Cake ice cream which has cake and cookie bits, and chocolate syrup, with a colorful Fruit Loops cone Where: Emack & Bolio’s, UGF Ayala Malls The 30th, Meralco Ave., Pasig City Contact: 718-5510 Why: Although a newcomer to Manila, Emack & Bolio’s is anything but new. They’ve been serving ice cream in the US since the ’70s. Their first branch in the Philippines at Ayala Malls The 30th showcases the funkiest flavors, like Space Cake (which has angel food cake, chocolate syrup, shortbread cookie bits, and chunks of red velvet cake) and Stoney’s Dream (this time with vanilla bean specks, chocolate chips, and brownie chunks). As if the ice cream themselves aren’t Instagrammable enough, their assortment of cones—like the cereal-covered Fruit Loops cone—takes your favorite cold treat to a colorful, hippie trip. And did we mention the store’s quirky interiors?

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EATS The speakeasy’s red neon sign is inspired by Pingpong 129, Bea and Marco’s favorite bar in Hong Kong.

BLIND TIGER

Lan Kwai's neon lights and boozy atmosphere looks like a scene straight out of a Wong Kar Wai film TEXT ANTHEA REYES PHOTOGRAPHY DANICA CONDEZ

Lit in neon red, with long leather couches lining the walls and upbeat music pulsing in the background, Lan Kwai Speakeasy brings to life to a time and a place more subversive than its actual location in Katipunan.

This small drinking joint was inspired by the travels of couple Bea Policarpio and Marco Baluyut to Hong Kong where they would revel in the shifty yet inviting nightlife at Lan Kwai Fong, the street where Hong Kong’s booziest bars are. It was an experience that they decided to bring back home with them.

To embody the neon-lit establishments of Lan Kwai Fong, the couple looked to the speakeasies of the 1800s for ideas. They found a small space along Esteban Abada and disguised it as a run-of-the-mill Chinese restaurant.

The Chinese restaurant isn’t just a façade, though.

They actually serve authentic Hong Kong meals with the help of Enderun’s rock star chef Justin Baradas, who is the first student to be appointed as head chef in the culinary school—a position previously entrusted only to established chefs. Baradas also happens to be Baluyut’s good friend from high school. Together, they translated Chinese dishes for the Filipino palate, with Baluyut providing the concept and the chef as the man to make them happen in the kitchen.

Lan Kwai serves Shao Kao skewers (or Hong Kong -style barbecue) and dimsum for diners’ pulutan needs, but for those looking for something more familiar or western, the Chow Chow section of their menu lists dishes like Crazy Rich Asian Nachos, Umami Fries,

and Gotta Have Chicken Skin. The one dish that has people coming back for more, though, is their Braised Beef Brisket. This noodle dish, served with boiled egg, bok choy, leeks, and chili garlic, is savory, with a hint of sweet corn.

Carlos Munarriz, another good friend of Baluyut, handles the drinks with his expertise as a mixologist.

The drinks are categorized into three, depending on the alcohol base—sangria, gins, and mules—and each category has its own flavors. For the mules, actual ginger is chopped and then placed in soda water, instead of the easier alternative of using ginger ale. Lan Kwai also has its own version of the mai tai called Lan Kwai Tai. This rum-based drink is fruity like punch, with barely the taste of alcohol in it, yet still able to give anyone a nice buzz. It’s best paired with a steaming bowl of the Braised Beef Brisket.

Then there are the classic beers, liquor, and their fish bowl drinks, which are cocktails served in fish bowls. You can choose between the big fish bowl that’s good for three to four people, or the baby-size that’s good for one. For those trying to outdrink each other, get the Designated Survivor: a hard-hitting citrus mixer served with a mystery shot for the last one standing.

At its heart, Lan Kwai is a cozy space where people can come in for different reasons: It can be a place where you can sit and speak easily with friends and colleagues while enjoying a drink. It can also be your go-to restaurant for a good bowl of steaming hot noodles.

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EATS Clockwise from left: pork asado lil bao; passionfruit sangria; lemon chicken; and roast duck

Lan Kwai Speakeasy. 42 Esteban Abada St., Quezon City. 0917-8050180

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RECIPE

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RECIPE

PIECE OF PIE

A sinless version of everyone’s favorite comfort dish TEXT MICKEY GARCIA STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY CHICHI TULLAO

LOW CARB MUSHROOM CAULIFLOWER PIZZA INGREDIENTS

Crust: 400g. cauliflower 1 large egg, lightly beaten 200g. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 5 tsp. grated parmesan cheese Sea salt, to taste Freshly ground black pepper Crushed red pepper flakes Fresh basil 4 1/2 tbsp. tomato sauce Toppings: Fresh button mushrooms Fresh spinach Parmesan cheese, grated Mozzarella, grated Quesong puti, crumbled Olive oil Fresh tomato sauce Pepperoni

PROCEDURE

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 220ºC. 2. Place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl and add a splash of water. Cover. Microwave for 3 minutes or until tender. Allow to cool. Dry out in a low oven.

3. Grate cauliflower.

4. Add the egg, mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and basil. Stir to combine all of the ingredients.

5. Pour the cauliflower mixture onto the baking sheet and form crust into the shape you desire. Pat down to create a flat surface.

6. Lightly spray with cooking spray, then bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden and firm to the touch.

7. Spread tomato sauce over crust.

Top with cheeses, mushrooms, and pepperoni.

8. Bake for another 10 minutes until cheese is melted.

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T HE GET

POTHEADS FOR POTHEADS

Give your plants and personal spaces a little personality TEXT YAZHMIN MALAJITO PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

With the cozy vibe they help nurture, plants have the power to liven up a desk, a room, a whole house. But The Pot Dealer, as Tanya Hong likes to call herself, shows through her artisanship that pots are capable of brightening a space, too.

For Hong, making her own planters was the next natural path to take after getting into horticulture.

Unlike traditional potters who use fine-grained soil with clay minerals to make ceramics, she uses polymer clay—a material she has been familiar and comfortable with since grade school, to make her pots more durable. Her pieces also feature faces

contorted into various expressions and breasts of different cup sizes, visibly inspired by Group Partner’s Isaac Nichols. “I want my stuff to make people go, ‘What a stupid-looking face! I love it!’”

Although she has stopped accepting commissions for face pots that are based on real people’s faces because they take too long to produce, Hong still welcomes requests as long as they’re workable. As of now, she makes face and boob pots in three sizes, with the magnetic glow-in-the-dark ones as the latest variant. All pots come with their own “plant babies.”

The Pot Dealer. 0917-5005059. Instagram.com/the_pot_dealer

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