Practice Issue 2018
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CONT ENTS 28 EATS The matcha craze reaches its peak at Nomi Matcha
18 COVER STORY Judy Ann Santos: back into the fray
Cover photo by Shaira Luna 04 FEATURE
PRACTICE ISSUE 2018
Saving Hong Kong’s mountains through hiking
08 FIXTURE
34 RECIPE Classic ceviche swimming in tea
12 SOUTHERNER The meaning of music for a harpmaker
36 THE GET Soap that saves both your complexion and the environment
The fate of the secondhand smartphone
EDITOR’S NOTE Culture change Waste and climate change remain major problems today despite “sustainability” now being a buzzword. The most popular definition of sustainability, referring to our use of resources and what we leave of it for the future, is more than 30 years old. Is it time to rethink its meaning? Perhaps it’s the way we talk about sustainability that needs an update. We already know our planet is dying— what we need is to hear and see that we can save it.
In this issue, we see how people take matters into their own hands: trail runners in Hong Kong literally running to save their nature reserves, a harp-maker giving new life to Laguna’s local wood, and secondhand smartphones changing the smartphone industry. Meanwhile, actress Judy Ann Santos shows us that going against the culture you’re in can also translate into success. These people inspire us to challenge the systems we know and make them better.
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SOUTHERN living
SPILL THE BEANS
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GROUP PUBLISHER BEA J. LEDESMA SENIOR MANAGING EDITOR ERIC NICOLE SALTA ONLINE ASSOCIATE EDITOR PAULINE MIRANDA EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS OLIVER EMOCLING, BEA LLAGAS, YAZHMIN MALAJITO, ANTHEA REYES, JESSICA ALBERTO CREATIVE DIRECTOR NIMU MUALLAM ART DIRECTOR EDRIC DELA ROSA ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR DANICA CONDEZ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS PATRICK SEGOVIA, SAMANTHA ONG, JAVIER LOBREGAT INTERNS JADE ROSALES, CLARISSE GONZALEZ CONTRIBUTORS WRITERS SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO, GRAI ALVAR, LAURA MANNERING/AFP, EMMANUEL MICHEL/AFP PHOTOGRAPHER SHAIRA LUNA, RG MEDESTOMAS STYLISTS GRAI ALVAR, MAITA BAELLO, MELVILLE SY ILLUSTRATORS GRACE DE LUNA, MARK MAGNAYE, JOHN CHESLEIGH NOFIEL HAIR AND MAKEUP JEFF AROMIN, JUAN SARTE COPY EDITOR PATRICIA ROMUALDEZ PROOFREADER
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FIND SOUTHERN LIVING AT STARBUCKS COFFEE, THE MANILA PENINSULA, ALABANG COUNTRY CLUB, HEIMA, DUSIT THANI HOTEL, AYALA MUSEUM, AND FULLY BOOKED.
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AN UPHILL FIGHT Artists and trail runners become warriors to save Hong Kong’s nature reserves TEXT LAURA MANNERING | AFP PHOTOGRAPHY ANTHONY WALLACE | AFP
Wooded hillsides, craggy ridges, and wheeling birds of prey are a world away from Hong Kong’s famous skyscrapers, but the city’s country parks are a necessary balm for its stressed-out residents. Forty percent of Hong Kong is protected country park and nature reserves, amounting to 443 sq. kms. (274 sq. mi.), drawing hikers, runners, and campers all year round. For 29-year-old Dai-yu Cheung, those natural landscapes changed his life. As a keen amateur photographer, he decided to document some of the city’s more remote areas, never having explored them before. His discoveries led him to ditch long hours at his job as a graphic designer, during which he had developed a bad back, and go part-time as he sought a healthier, happier existence. Cheung lives with his family and cut down his financial outgoings so he could work three days a week, often hiking with friends.
“When we go hiking, we feel free,” he said, carefully gathering scattered litter as he walked through tall grass to a rocky outcrop in the northern New Territories. He and his friend AM Renault, 29, also a keen hiker, have set up Facebook and Instagram pages under the name Yamanaka Yuko, sharing photos and videos of their hill climbs in Hong Kong and abroad. They describe themselves as artists inspired by nature. With a growing band of followers, the pair is now regularly asked for tips about routes by local walkers and has teamed up for campaigns with environment NGOs and outdoor clothing brands. “Our message is about protecting nature and the environment,” says Renault, a freelance photographer. He worries about the future of Hong Kong’s trails—the housing shortage has sparked government proposals to build on the outskirts
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of the country parks. But with hiking becoming more popular, particularly among young people, he hopes those plans will fail. “More and more people like hiking and go out and do it. Because of that there’s more resistance to development than in the past,” he said. Soul healing On a cool, sunny morning, Stone Tsang, 39, skips sure-footed along a shady path beneath Hong Kong’s highest peak, Tai Mo Shan. The city’s most famous trail runner, Tsang regularly wins long-distance competitions and recently completed a grueling local hill race that saw him cover 298 km. (185 mi.) in 54 hours, snatching naps when he could no longer keep his eyes open. As a paramedic and father of two, he says getting out into these wide open spaces is a vital stress reliever. “When I come to the mountains, it’s like therapy for me,” he told AFP. “It’s healing for my soul.” But over the years, many paths have been covered with concrete in an attempt to make them safer, something which Tsang is leading a popular Facebook campaign against. Not only is the concrete alien to the natural environment, it also becomes slippery and causes soil erosion, says Tsang. Tsang is lobbying the government to stop pouring any new concrete and has introduced them to international experts who are showing workers and members of the public how to refurbish paths naturally. The agriculture, fisheries, and conservation department told AFP it would use natural materials “as far as possible.” Tsang now wants to bring hiking tours into the country parks to foster a love of the mountains in the face of the threat of development. “The country parks are a very valuable asset to Hong Kong, not just for us, but for future generations,” says Tsang. “This kind of thing you cannot just see—you have to go out and feel it.” –AFP
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MOBILE FATE
How secondhand smartphones are saving the world TEXT EMMANUELLE MICHEL | AFP ILLUSTRATION DANICA CONDEZ
Thanks to a fast-growing secondhand market, smartphones are increasingly being reused, but large-scale handset recycling is not happening as the industry struggles to go green. Thrown in the trash or left abandoned in a drawer, the fate of mobile phones—which consumers replace on average every two years—is starting to change amid growing criticism over their environmental impact. “People love technology—the upgrades, the unboxing, the new features,” the EEB network of environmental groups in Europe
said in a statement as the world’s largest mobile phone fair opened in Barcelona. “But there’s a dirty side to our tech obsession: trainloads of e-waste trundling out of our cities and towards hellish waste dumps in Africa and Asia.” Growth in reused mobiles According to a recent UN report, small devices like smartphones represented nine percent of all e-waste in the world in 2016, up from seven percent in 2014.
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But things in the mobile sector are slowly starting to change. “There is very strong growth in the reused phone market,” said Bertrand Grau, a technology analyst at Deloitte, which forecasts sales of secondhand mobile phones will expand by 20 percent a year between 2015 and 2020. The surge in sales of secondhand phones— which may just need a change of battery or screen—is being fueled in part by consumers, who are reluctant to dish out more money for new models that offer little innovation. “Phones are becoming more and more expensive, more than 1,000 euros for the iPhone X, but the established brands are attractive so people prefer to buy a refurbished Apple phone rather than a cheaper Chinese brand,” said Grau. As such, mobile brands and operators are increasingly offering phone exchange programs. Consumers can turn in their old model to get a discount on a new one or cash. “Today, this has become almost a mainstream practice around the world,” said Biju Nair, the head of Hyla, a Texas-based firm which helps the industry collect and repurpose used phones and had a stand at Barcelona’s Mobile World Congress. Hyla and other such firms provide operators with software that checks the state of the phone, makes sure it was not stolen, erases all the data on the device, and makes it reusable. French start-up Volpy, meanwhile, has created an app that buys phones directly from consumers and sends a courier to fetch the handset. “We realized that smartphones that had significant market value were not recycled, even though there was an interest for consumers to do so,” said Volpy head Marc Simeoni.
Phone design The system is still in its infancy. Only seven to 15 percent of smartphones sold in France, and 20 to 25 percent of those sold in North America, are reconditioned. But “it’s a first step to responsibly handling phones,” said Elizabeth Jardim, an e-waste specialist with the US branch of Greenpeace. “We advise to keep the phones in use for longer, whether it is the original owner, or whether it’s a secondhand owner” since this reduces the amount of energy and raw materials used to make a new one, she added. A smartphone is made up of about 50 different materials, including rare materials that are sometimes extracted from nations in conflict like the Democratic Republic of Congo. Manufacturing smartphones also requires a huge amount of energy, often fossil fuels since 60 percent of them are made in China, where coal remains the main source of energy. And only about 20 percent of all e-waste—defined as anything with a plug or a battery—is going in the official collection and recycling schemes, according to a UN report. “One thing that makes it difficult is the way the phones are designed. They’re incredibly fragile, for instance the glass they use for the display. Often, the phones are designed to be difficult to be repaired,” said Jardim. Faced with these problems, efforts by major brands remain slim. Technology giant Apple said last year it wants to “one day” end the need to mine materials from the earth to make its gadgets. It has melted down iPhone aluminium enclosures to make mini computers used in its factories. And under pressure from Greenpeace, Samsung agreed to recycle the Galaxy Note 7 smartphones it was forced to recall in 2016 because of problems with its battery.–AFP
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SOUT HERNER
Abe Acala is professionaly trained in trumpet, but he found his calling in harp and lyres.
SOUND OF MUSIC How harps and lyres aid the ailing and enrich woodcrafting in Paete TEXT YAZHMIN MALAJITO PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
“Take a seat. I’ll play for you.” We’d been at the harp and lyre maker Abraham ‘Abe’ Acala’s home in Paete for less than 10 minutes before he asked us to settle down and listen to him play the harp. We gladly did, after the obligatory introduction and pleasantries. After all, it’s not every day someone plays the seemingly divine instrument exclusively for us. Acala sat upright, cradled a 29-string harp carved with a golden “A” in Baybayin, and
started playing an unfamiliar yet friendly piece. After the heartfelt plucking, the atmosphere in the living room changed from beat to refreshed—one of us from the team almost cried. His improvised piece, conceived according to what he was feeling at the moment and guided by patterns and chord progressions, was meant to put us at ease after the three-hour drive from Makati to the quaint, artistic town in Laguna. It was easily a social lubricant, one meant to loosen the mood of the space. As an aspiring certified harp therapy practitioner, Acala knows this very well. He plays at the Dialysis Center at Laguna Doctors Hospital in Sta. Cruz, drowning the harrowing sounds of almost 20 machines in the ward, diverting the patients’ attention, and helping them breathe. He harps for his wife’s nervous patients at her dental clinic, overpowering the noise of the dental drill, keeping time at 60 to 80 beats per minute to regulate their heartbeats. He even played the
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“Harp is really distinct from other instruments. It’s forgiving, uplifting, healing. I really believe that the the sound of harp paves a way to forming a peaceful nation.”
harp to help his 74-year-old mother manage her seizures sans the sedatives. “I’m not saying that harp alone can cure illnesses; medical intervention is still needed. But this instrument can help the mind relax. And if the mind is at ease, the recovery can be smooth,” says Acala, who’s been taking an online harp therapy program for two years now. “I wasn’t really thinking of playing harp at first,” he admits. “But if my presence is needed and demanded, I would play even with a limited repertoire.” A harp and lyre handcrafter Acala’s passion for harp playing started eight years ago, when he began handcrafting his own instruments. “A parent from Manila Waldorf School asked me if I know someone from Paete who makes lyres,” he says. Being born and raised in that town, the country’s wood carving capital, he knew that he could learn to do it, and with some wariness, he told the mother that he would try.
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The way Acala forges his instruments is still mechanical— with clamps, triangles, etc.—as in this way, he feels more connected to his craft.
He went back to his hometown that summer and crafted his first lyre. “This pentatonic scale revitalized my love for woodwork and evoked my desire to make more musical instruments. Para bang hinila na ako rito sa Paete.” It was like someone whispered to him, “Stay here, continue your woodwork.” Acala is the firstborn of a woodcrafter in Paete. He grew up with workshop machines— band saw, circular saw, planer, you name it— helping his father with their family business. “But I hated being in our wood workshop there; the machines were painful to the ears. E gusto ko pa naman’g mag-aral ng musika,” Acala laments. He later studied trumpet and piano at the University of Santo Tomas Conservatory of Music and taught music at La Salle Green Hills for eight years until the family man in him told him to stay with his wife and two sons in Paete. Since 2008, he’s been teaching woodwork at Acacia Waldorf School in Sta. Rosa. Upon making his first lyre, he asked himself, “Why am I affected by this instrument so much?” He challenged himself to craft more
lyres, bigger lyres, and then finally, harps, the instrument that struck him so much that he wanted to explore its therapeutic properties. He’s back to his family’s almost 60-year-old workshop three times a week. “Harp is really distinct from other instruments. It’s forgiving, uplifting, healing. I really believe that the the sound of harp paves a way to forming a peaceful nation,” Acala says. Just two weeks ago, he was invited to present his tailor-made harps and lyres at the Southeast Asia Music Therapy Conference in Jakarta. “I showed that there’s a harp and lyre maker in Southeast Asia and that they won’t have to be afraid of buying these fragile-looking instruments anymore.” As of now, his harps have reached Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. The business is going strong. He recently produced three harps made from jackfruit wood from an endemic tree in their town, yielding beautiful resonance when crafted to an instrument. “If these jackfruit trees could talk, I know they’d thank me for giving them a new purposeful life.”
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A return to two primary colors for a vibrant summer PHOTOGRAPHY RG MEDESTOMAS
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1. Pagoda salt and pepper shaker, P1,678, Jonathan Adler, Dimensione, 9th Ave., BGC 2. Cake holder, P3,595 each, Bunzlau Castle, Dimensione, 9th Ave., BGC 3. Watch, Swatch, Greenbelt 5 4. Watch, Swatch, Greenbelt 5 5. Jacket, Adidas, P4,000, Adidas, Greenbelt 3 6. Lamp, P34,000, Foscarini, Dimensione, 9th Ave., BGC 7. Macadam blue folding chair, P1,595, Habitat Manila, 3F Abenson, BGC. 8. Tassel earrings, Tejo Threads, Common Thread, Power Plant Mall 9. Lamp, P3,800, Habitat Manila, 3F Abenson, BGC 10. Sunglasses, P795, Knockaround, Common Thread, Power Plant Mall 11. Shoes, P5,000, Adidas, Greenbelt 3 12. Flip-flops, P899, Havaianas, Common Thread, Power Plant Mall 13. Poker set, P3,780, Firma, Greenbelt 3
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WIDE AWAKE
“Food keeps me going” TEXT SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PHOTOGRAPHY SHAIRA LUNA
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Patient. Calm. Practical. Likes security. A lover of comfort. Fixed. Any astrology follower would immediately recognize these traits as Taurean. Anyone who knows Judy Ann Santos well would also recognize these traits as Juday’s; the actress would even be the first person to confirm that. “I can be as patient as you want me to be, as soft as cotton with friends and family, but if you hurt me, I can be as hard as a rock,” she admits. “Ganoon talaga ang mga Taurus, ewan ko ba.” Patience is a quality that is obvious in her. No one could have hurdled over the constant difficulties that show business throws at any intrepid dreamer—and still come out popular and beloved after more than 30 years—without a great reserve of patience, and Santos had immediately picked up this lesson at eight years old. “When I started working, I got to interact with a lot of people of all ages, and that’s when I realized may iba-iba palang klase ng tao na kailangan kong intindihin. I learned I cannot have things my way all the time; I have to process what the people around me want, too.” Fear as motivation It can be too big a lesson for a young kid to learn, but Santos wasn’t like most kids. Impressionable and practical, she used her family’s financial struggle as motivation to make her loved ones’ future secure, given the fickle and taxing nature of her industry. “At 11, I understood that I cannot be not patient, not only because the working hours are long. I get paid an amount of money na hindi basta-basta kikitain sa anumang trabaho so why should I complain?” Her exposure to senior actors and actresses who didn’t fare well in the fame business after their shine had worn off also left a serious imprint on her: “They’d share stories na nag-enjoy sila
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masyado noong kasikatan nila kaya hindi nila naasikaso ‘yung future. I always say that this line of work isn’t forever because older people aren’t given a premium in the industry.” The cautionary tales motivated Santos to secure life insurance for herself at 14, then those of her siblings’ kids before she reached 20, and to buy her own house, a Roadtrek, and some property—in short, she became financially literate, unafraid to deal with money matters head-on. She also invested in a business, using it to convince her mother, who was then living in Canada, to come home. “I was trying to prove something to her too: That I can secure a future for her here so she doesn’t have to work anymore. I-ma-manage na lang niya ‘yung negosyo namin.” But whereas some people absorb the nature of their workplace like a sponge, Santos has admirably side-stepped showbiz’s more volatile quality. “That’s not me to begin with. I grew up understanding that I have to be as calm as possible because I cannot and will not control everything.”
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As a busy working mother, Santos uses cooking as a way to reset before taking on her next project.
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Openness as a binding tie This calmness continues to help Santos navigate the many demands of both work and the home. Together with her husband Ryan Agoncillo, she’s raising Yohan, 13, Lucho, 7, and Luna, 2, and is very familiar with the myriad of issues working mothers face every day. Of course, with a pre-teen and two kids below 10, things can become more than a handful in the household. Santos admits to some inflexibility, especially when dealing with their 13-year-old. “I’m at a push-and-pull stage [with Yohan]. Maybe it’s the hormones, I don’t know, but she’s dealing with so many things.” Their eldest, she adds, is closer to Agoncillo and more open with him, whereas the two of them clash. “I feel I have to open up myself more, kasi nagiging judgmental ako in my protectiveness; hindi ko na napapansin na hindi na ako nakikinig sa kanya. But when I remember how I was when I was 13, I understand her more. Ganoon pala kapag may dalaga ka na, pumipitik ka rin!” Lucho, meanwhile, is a sensitive boy who doesn’t like it when people get upset. “So when he sees na napapagalitan si ate, hindi na niya gagayahin,” Santos says. “Si Yohan ang bingo lagi kasi she’s the first in everything.” She and Agoncillo bond with each child in their own ways, depending on the kid’s emotional needs: Father and son have their boys’ night out, usually consisting of games at Timezone and eating out, with Lucho planning the activities. With Yohan, the couple have honest talks with her to reassure her and comfort her regarding the stuff she reads about herself online. “With her, it’s a balancing act of being a parent and a friend.” As for the toddler Luna, “She’s still at that stage where ako pa rin ‘yung main activity niya. Mommy’s girl talaga, so I’m just enjoying her attachment to me.” The couple is resolute in teaching
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STYLING MAITA BAELLO AND MELVILLE SY MAKEUP JUAN SARTE HAIR JEFF AROMIN STYLING ASSOCIATE MAC INTIA
“I feel I have to open up myself more, kasi nagiging judgmental ako in my protectiveness; hindi ko na napapansin na hindi na ako nakikinig sa kanya.”
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responsibility to the kids, even when they have four household helpers. “We don’t want them lying around the house doing nothing. Si Yohan na ‘yung naglilinis ng room niya. Whenever we have a trip, I just check what she packs for herself. Si Lucho, he also cleans his own room and the aquarium, since siya ‘yung gustong magka-pet fish. On long weekends, we tell them to read their school books first before they can play video games. We barter with the two older kids regarding responsibility.” With some endorsements a family affair, Santos and her husband are open with the kids about what work really means. “We ask if they want to do a commercial and what happens on a set. We talk to them about scheduling. We want them to learn how to organize their time and maximize their energy, how to talk to people, even grown-ups, with confidence
but not too much. When they’re working, they know they’re at work, that there’s a time for play and a time for being serious; hindi lang nila alam kung magkano ‘yung kita nila. We equip them with the right attitude for work, kasi money can take them only so far but the right attitude can take them places.” Food as love But it’s not all practicality and sensibility in the Santos-Agoncillo home. There’s also comfort, especially manifested through the food that Santos herself cooks. A graduate of the Center for Asian Culinary Studies and mentored by chef Gene Gonzalez, the actress came out with her own cookbook, Judy Ann’s Kitchen, in 2015 and has a popular YouTube cooking show of the same title, which is now on its fifth season.
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the actress came out with her own cookbook, Judy Ann’s Kitchen, in 2015 and has a popular YouTube cooking show of the same title, which is now on its fifth season. “Food keeps me going,” she says when asked how she’s able to find the energy to cook on top of everything she does. “Reading cookbooks, learning new recipes, preparing food for everyone—I like all of those. ‘Pag naririnig ko ‘yung ‘Ang sarap ng pagkain, paano mo niluto ito?’ That’s the reward for me.” Earlier this year, while preparing for the release of her movie with Angelica Panganiban, the comedy Ang Dalawang Mrs. Reyes, Santos admits to getting overwhelmed by the promotional blitz, with its blog cons (“Ngayon ko lang narinig ‘yun!”) and online photo shoots (“Anong kaibahan nila sa normal photo shoots?”). “But after the block screenings, would you believe nagluto ako ng eight Chinese dishes for friends? After that, parang nawala ‘yung pagod. I felt fulfilled after cooking so much food, and in fairness masasarap sila lahat. I just had a good night’s sleep after, and then the next day, I was ready to work out. I was reset; I was asking na about the next project!”
INGREDIENTS 500g Torsades Pasta Pito’s hot and spicy adobong tinapa chili flakes olives garlic calamansi sundried tomatoes basil browned garlic lemon juice
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PREPARATION
1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook from seven to eight minutes or until al dente. 2. Heat four tablespoons of canola oil on a pan, add two tablespoons of butter. Infuse garlic. 3. Drain your bottle of adobong tinapa, then saute with the garlic. Add the olives on the pan. 4. At this time, the pasta should have cooked already. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water. Turn off the heat on the pan of the olives and garlic. Place the pasta in the pan with the olives and garlic. 5. Add freshly squeezed calamansi juice. 6. Cut your sundried tomatoes into strips, and then chiffonade the basil. Add to the pasta. 7. Fold of the ingredients into the pasta. Serve on a big platter.
ILLUSTRATION JADE ROSALES
Taureans are notorious for being set on their ways, as stubborn as the bull that symbolizes them. In Santos’ case, success and personal happiness can’t stifle the workaholic in her and the passion for her craft. But if there’s someone who deserves to have their delicious cake and eat it too, it would be she, the conscientious, good-natured professional who used the harsh realities of life as motivation to take care of her family and their future. “I’m checking off some responsibilities that I’ve fulfilled,” she reflects. “Gusto ko na lang i-enjoy ‘yung pamilya ko.”
ADOBONG TINAPA PASTA WITH SUNDRIED TOMATOES AND OLIVES
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COV ER STORY
“I can be as patient as you want me to be, as soft as cotton with friends and family, but if you hurt me, I can be as hard as a rock.”
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EATS
Nomi Matcha’s cookie shot and Give Me Everything dessert platter
GOING GREEN
Nomi Matcha adds Filipino flair to traditional Japanese flavors TEXT JESSICA ALBERTO PHOTOGRAPHY DANICA CONDEZ
Inside the newly opened Nomi Matcha, you’ll find an abundance of puns and an assortment of green tea drinks made with organic matcha imported directly from Japan. Keep it classic with a matcha latte or frosty, or go for something a little more unconventional with their Matcha Refresher. Sweetened with a bit of lime juice, the Matcha Refresher retains its strong tea flavor for a mature spin on the drink. For appetizers, try the Chicken Yum Yum, bite-sized nuggets dipped in Japanese mayo and topped off with flavored salt. It’s great for sharing with a friend, but feel free to have it all to yourself—no one will judge you here. For your main course, I highly recommend the Longganisa Omurice. A bed of ketchup rice blanketed by a soft omelet served with a side of Pampanga-style longganisa, which lends a nice sweetness to the dish. They also have a beef tapa option. Packed with a variety of vegetables and a serving of protein, the Nomi Matcha Power Packed Bowls are a healthier alternative to donburi. They can also be customized to your liking, with an option to replace Japanese rice with brown rice, quinoa, or cauli rice. And finally, the desserts. If you’re having trouble choosing one, go for the Give Me Everything, a platter of Nomi Matcha’s signature desserts. It includes the Tiramisu Dream, which has layers of lady fingers soaked in matcha syrup and cream and is served in a masu, a cup orginally intended for sake; the Legendary Greenie brownies made with matcha instead of chocolate; and the Matcha Churros with sweet white chocolate drizzled on top. Nomi Matcha. W City Center, 30th st., cor. 7th ave., BGC, Taguig
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EATS
PLAYING WITH FIRE Chef Josh Boutwood goes back to the essentials at pre-industrial zero-waste resto Savage TEXT PAULINE MIRANDA
It is undeniable that the restaurant industry is growing at a rapid pace. There’s always something new opening every week, at every corner, each with some groundbreaking, firstof-its-kind (or so they claim) concept. Many try to compete, setting off to outdo others on the playing field. But not Savage. Despite the ferocious connotation to the name, Savage, chef Josh Boutwood’s newest addition to his culinary portfolio, is anything but brutal nor uncivilized. The restaurant harks back to the origins of humanity—in the belief that it was through “taming fire” and learning how to cook that humans evolved into what we are now.
Savage calls itself “pre-industrial dining,” focusing on cooking with open fire. Aside from this, the star of the menu lies not so much in the process or technique, but rather in the raw ingredients. “When it comes to Savage’s menu, sourcing locally, understanding provenance and working with zero waste are not marketing taglines,” Boutwood says. “They are our bible, our way of thinking. In the end, the ingredient is king.”
Savage. GF The Plaza, Arya Residences, McKinley Parkway, Bonifacio Global City. 0927-3748539. Instagram.com/savagemnl
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SPECIAL FEAT URE
GREAT OUTDOORS Furniture is not just limited indoors
An outdoor space is often defined by its living components. As much as it is a place where other living creatures come together, it’s also a communal venue that starts conversations and incubates ideas. Nature may be a focal point, but inorganic and sculptural yet functional fixtures to help you get the best out of your garden or patio should always be a welcome addition. With a history tracing back to the ’50s, Minotti continues to exhibit the excellence and elegance of Italian design even for outdoor furniture. Their outdoor collection exudes a contemporary vibe with pieces crafted with an assemblage of materials like metal, wood, and eco-leather specifically designed to withstand outdoor weather. There is no need to sacrifice comfort for good design. These furnishings uphold the purpose of an outdoor space by providing comfort and conveying a sense of vibrant energy.
Ultimately, Minotti’s outdoor collection turns any area into a venue conducive for great conversations and gatherings. A garden, or even a small patio, has become an elusive space. If anything, having an expansive outdoor space has become a privilege. And if you have that opportunity at hand, let it be a true living space. Minotti. GF Units 106 & 107 Fort Victoria, 5th Ave., cor. 23rd st., Taguig City. 734-3243.
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RECIPE
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LIQUID WISDOM
A classic seafood dish made better by a cuppa TEXT AND STYLING GRAI ALVAR PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA
CURED MAYA MAYA CEVICHE IN ROSELLE TEA INGREDIENTS 250 g. Maya Maya fillet 1 cup dried roselle flower 3 cups water 1/2 cup salt 1/3 cup white sugar 1/8 cup (20g) green mangoes, finely julienned 4 pcs. garlic clove, mashed 1/8 cup (20g) red onion, thinly sliced 3 pcs. green chili, thinly sliced 1tbsp. calamansi juice Salt and pepper
PREPARATION For fish brine: 1. In a mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of water, 150 g. of salt salt, and 100 g. of white sugar until completely dissolved. 2. Soak fish fillet for 5 minutes. 3. Pat dry. 4. Place fish on a plate. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. For roselle tea infusion: 1. In a saucepan, boil 1 cup of water and dried roselle for 5 minutes. Let it cool with the dried flowers in it. 2. Drain. Set tea mixture aside. Flowers may be eaten or used as garnish. For ceviche: 1. Slice cured fish fillet in cubes. 2. In a mixing bowl, mix fish and calamansi juice. Add roselle tea infusion, garlic, red onion, green mangoes, and green chili. Season with salt and pepper. 3. Serve. Tip: You can buy dried roselle flowers from Earthbeat Farms in Brgy. San Jose Malamig, San Pablo City. Instagram.com/earthbeatfarms
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T HE GET
BARS FOR LOCKS
Ecobar is gentle on mother earth and on sensitive skin TEXT OLIVER EMOCLING PHOTOGRAPHY DANICA CONDEZ
The campaign to reduce waste is undeniably burgeoning. Thanks to social media sneaking environmental truths into the collective consciousness one terrifying ecological repercussion at a time, we are finally acknowledging how much of the trash we produce each day is unnecessary. They’re also an impetus for innovators to create solutions for this colossal issue. Jacob Manzanila, the man behind Ecobar, creates environmentally friendly shampoo and conditioner bars devoid of plastic packaging, as well as sulfates, parabens, silicones, and synthetic dyes. Gentle ingredients like essential oils make the solid haircare products effective for eliminating dandruff and stubborn scalp itches, unlike the bottled ones that come in plastic bottles or sachets containing harsh and stripping chemicals. The line currently has three shampoo variants—Hydrate with seaweed extract and oat proteinfor scalp hydration and damage-repair; Thickening with gugo, polygala, rosemary, and patchouliessential oil for hair growth and follicle strengthening; and Detox + Heal with tea tree, neem, dead sea clay, and activated charcoal for oil production regulation and minerals. Expect Ecobar to come out with more solid personal care products, such as sunscreen and facial wash, in the near future. Ecobar. Instagram.com/ecobarph
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THROUGH THE EYES OF ART THE ALL-NEW LEXUS LS Gaze into the soul of Lexus. Where passion and craftsmanship all combine into one seamlessly amazing experience. Four renowned artists have each created an artistic expression inspired by the meticulous craftsmanship of glass, metal, wood, and fabric within the Lexus LS. Experience craftsmanship like never before. Visit Lexus Manila Inc. for the LS500 and LS500h. Lexus.com.ph
/LexusManila
@LexusManila
EXPERIENCE AMAZING
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