Southern Living: 2017 May

May 2017 Volume 11 | Issue 09

SISTERHOOD

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14 COVER STORY Tales of motherhood according to Patty Laurel-Filart, Kelly MisaFernandez, and Nicole Hernandez-de los Angeles

EATS

A Vietnamese restaurant without pho and banh mi

Cover photo by Cenon Norial III 10 FEATURE Curator Joselina Cruz on life behind the Biennale

MAY 2017 04 BEAUTY A dewy solution for the summer heat

26 RECIPE Tagliatelle made of carrots

06 FIXTURE Exploring the benefits of a forest hike

28 THE GET Comfort out of intricacy

EDITOR’S NOTE Mom’s the word If ever there’s a role fraught with expectations, it’s motherhood. A friend, who gave birth in her early 30s, recently told me, “It’s tough being a mom, because I always feel like I’m doing something wrong.”

Caring for a newborn or a toddler (or even a teenager, maybe the most difficult phase of all) is an exhausting effort, and both parents need to have that conversation about equitable parenting: how to raise a child, with the understanding that you can’t do it alone.

“For some people, it’s difficult to realize that they need help; it is also difficult to ask [for help],” says Nicole Hernandez-de los Angeles. “But you just have to

have that self-awareness that you can’t do it alone and that you have a lot of people on your team.”

There are several people on de los Angeles’ team, including her fellow cover subjects Patty LaurelFilart and Kelly Misa-Fernandez, who comprise the Baby Barangay (named, I assume, because it really does take a village to raise a child).

The trio, along with a group of other moms they call friends, have a support system, where they cheer each other on instead of pass judgment on each other’s parenting styles.

“That’s the challenge—there’s no manual in raising kids, right?” de los Angeles says. “I wing it every day.”

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BEAUT Y

THE GIST ON THE MIST

Capturing the essence of the beauty facial spray craze TEXT BEVERLY DALTON ILLUSTRATION ALEXANDRA MASCENON

The facial mist hype started in the late ’80s, with mineral water sourced from a spa town on the shores of Lake Geneva called Évian-les-Bains. Yes, that’s where the iconic Evian facial spray came from. Today, a good number of people pick up a bottle of face mist and include it in their makeup routine.

Probably a habit picked up from makeup artists, facial mists are commonly used to set makeup. It is what keeps the skin still looking like skin instead of a layer of powder.

Still underrated as a beauty product, a lot of people don’t know that facial mists are more than just spraying water on your face or for setting makeup on the skin after application. In some countries like Korea, face mists are kind of a big deal—as big a deal as that eye cream on your bathroom counter claiming to defy time. The question is, how can a mist of water be so groundbreaking?

It all boils down to formulation. While most facial spray brands claim to hydrate the skin, there are also ones that tone and nourish the dermis throughout the

day. Others can even cool the skin down. According to research, the production of sebum—the culprit behind acne—increases when skin temperature rises.

So whenever the face feels hot, it’s more prone to oiliness and breakouts. The mist can help cool the skin and, in the long run, keep it smooth and glowing. It’s the best go-to hydrator at any time of the day, and well-hydrated skin can fight the signs of aging.

A facial mist can also give life to makeup. Instead of adding more layers or retouching later in the day, a spritz or two will give life to your look, reviving its dewy sheen.

Currently, face mists are no longer made of just mineral water. Some are formulated with tea tree oil, which tightens pores and kills bacteria, or rosewater, which calms inflammation.

So if you’re outside in the sweltering summer heat or inside a freezing office, a facial mist can come in handy at any time. For now, there may be no such thing as an hourly beauty regimen but using a mist could be a start. Besides, a little hydration never hurts.

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TAKE A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE Forest bathing is a natural remedy for cluttered minds TEXT DENISE DANIELLE ALCANTARA ILLUSTRATION DANICA CONDEZ

How long do you stay outdoors?

Civilization transformed the nomadic life to a more sedentary one, decreasing the time we spend outside.

We sit and stare at our computers and work on our desks for at least eight hours a day. On weekends, we’re often preoccupied with tons of chores at home that had piled up throughout the week. Our time outdoors is mostly limited to our commute from one destination to another. For those living in urbanized cities, patches of greenery have become rare luxuries as wide open spaces are becoming smaller and smaller.

A few minutes spent in nature, stripped of any technological connection, is said to not only lower stress levels but also increase cognitive abilities.

Cognitive psychologist David Strayer conducted a four-day experiment at the University of Utah to test his hypothesis that exposure to nature helps the brain’s prefrontal cortex—the part of our brain responsible for problem-solving, processing complex thoughts, and emotions—to rest. According to his journal Creativity in the Wild, four days of immersion in nature and the corresponding disconnection from multimedia and technology increase performance on creative and problem-solving tasks by a full 50 percent, as demonstrated among a test group of hikers.

With the constant updates on our caches of apps and the frequent buzzing of our devices due to

notifications, our attention has become even more divided. And with this comes the inevitable fatigue.

The Attention Restoration Theory, a study proposed

by Rachel and Stephen Kaplan, suggests that being in nature helps regain our brain’s default cognitive power, as the brain is naturally stimulated to relax with the sight of nature. “Attention to these patterns is effortless, and they leave ample opportunity for thinking about other things,” Stephen stated in one of his journals.

The Japanese’ secret to long life and mental wellness is said to be their close affinity with nature. In 1982, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries prescribed shinrin-yoku or forest bathing after it was discovered that trees give off organic compounds that boost a person’s immune system, providing everyone a natural way to fight illnesses and ailments. Further studies show that exposure to trees can increase natural killer cells in our bodies. More benefits include reduced blood pressure, reduced stress, improved mood, accelerated recovery from surgery or illness, and increased energy level.

Wanting to escape to nature is our mind and body’s way of telling us that being on hyperdrive every waking minute of our lives is taking its toll on our body. So yes, book that hiking trip with friends and take time to stroll at a nearby park this weekend.

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SUSPENDED ANIMATION Liven up a corner with a DIY plant shelf that brings the outdoors in TEXT, STYLING, AND PHOTOGRAPHY INA AMOR MEJIA

HANGING PLANT SHELF What you’ll need: Lightweight piece of round wood, about 10 inches in diameter (you can use a lightweight wooden chopping board or the seat of an old stool) Rope, about 20 feet Small potted plants Scissors Procedure: 1. Cut two equal pieces of the rope about 8 to 10 feet in length.

2. Loop the middle of each rope and knot them together.

3. Position the joint-knot on the center of the underside of the round wood. Then, adjust the rope so a strand goes up on all four sides of the round.

4. Bring the four strands together and tie another sturdy knot about 6 inches from the top.

5. Hang the shelf on a ceiling beam or hook, near a window with abundant sunlight.

6. Arrange small plants in lightweight pots on the shelf.

Adjust the round piece or the rope to center if needed.

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CONVERSATION STARTER

FEAT URE

Top, Carl Jan Cruz, carljancruz.com.

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Before presenting at the 57th Venice Art Biennale, Joselina Cruz pulls back the curtain (a bit) on the exhausting and exhilarating work of a curator TEXT SEPTEMBER GRACE MAHINO PHOTOGRAPHY TRISTAN TAMAYO

“Curated” is a buzz word used to market products Philippines, with a masters degree in curating or services, a qualifier that’s thrown around a lot but contemporary art from the Royal College of Art in is ironically meant to denote discriminating taste: London, Cruz’s interests are varied, from architecture curated playlists, cocktails, furniture collection, even to cities and Baroque. But with her work at MCAD, luxury (whatever “curated luxury” means). she’s mindful of going beyond what personally attracts “There’s a bit of cultural cache when we use the her. “We’re here to contribute to the larger landscape, word ‘curate,’” observes professional curator Joselina to show that [Philippine contemporary art] is part Cruz (her official work title is director and curator of this bigger conversation outside the country, even of De La Salle-College of St. Benilde’s Museum of outside of Asia,” she reflects. “When we do exhibits, it’s Contemporary Art and Design). Delving into a brief not about bringing in as many foreign artists or names etymology of the verb, which comes from “curare” who’ve never been shown here before. Rather, we look (“keeper of objects”), she says that in her work, at what we can contribute to the conversation. What’s curation entails more than overseeing a combination the point otherwise?” of objects and making them fit for presentation. “I see The conversations aren’t merely figurative but my job as not just putting together exhibitions of artists also literal: during Weerasethakul’s talk, held on the whose works I find relevant and interesting but also the morning of the exhibition opening, questions kept creation of an institution, such as MCAD.” coming from an audience of 400; the opening itself Since opening its doors in was a crush of 600 people. “We 2008, the museum has been realized we were responding to “As a curator, it’d be staging exhibitions that push a need or an interest that wasn’t further the exploration of yet,” Cruz says. “To see irresponsible of me not to tapped contemporary arts within the that was amazing.” local landscape, going beyond She’s currently in the thick acknowledge something a parochial perspective. Its of working on two upcoming just because I don’t latest show “Apichatpong exhibitions, both conceptualized Weerasethakul: The Serenity while MCAD was in the middle understand it.” of Madness,” running until of the year-long process of the end of May, features more putting together “The Serenity than 20 works of the Thai filmmaker and artist. The of Madness.” There’s the museum’s next show, which exhibit presents an experience that emulates the will feature an American performance artist. “We’re way Weerasethakul puts his films together; Cruz’s excited because MCAD hasn’t done anything on the description: “very poetic, never a linear narrative, but performance arts yet; there hasn’t been any exhibition rather interspersed with other little videos throughout on performance locally yet, I think,” Cruz says. With the entire show.” She was drawn to Weerasethakul, a single performance lasting anywhere between five who hadn’t had a solo exhibition in Manila before, minutes to an hour, and nearly impossible to replicate not just because he looms large in the Southeast Asian in every detail for a second time, imagining how it’d fare and global filmmaking industry but also because of the within the longer duration of an exhibition is a challenge. conversation that his works could start among a Filipino “I like the tension [between a durational performance audience. “Apichatpong is able to put together film and and the longer duration of an exhibition], and to start video—two very different things,” she explains. “Film exploring this is very interesting.” Personally, she admits, pulls you into a longer narrative, gets you involved for performance art is difficult for her to relate to, but its a longer period. Videos are shorter, though no more popularity among Filipinos makes it worthwhile to or less accessible, and they don’t really tell an audience explore. “As a curator, it’d be irresponsible of me not to how things will unfold because they deal with more acknowledge something just because I don’t understand conceptual ideas. And he’s been able to cross outside of it. In putting this show together, I want to start a dialogue the [filmmaker] ‘cave’ and put his works within gallery about performance art and what it is about, and it’d be spaces, which I find very interesting.” great for the local landscape to look at it within the space An art history graduate from University of the of an exhibition.”

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FEAT URE

Top, Carl Jan Cruz, carljancruz.com.

Cruz is also putting together “The Spectre of Comparison,” an exhibition based on her proposal for the Philippine Pavilion at the 57th Venice Art Biennale, which opens on May 13. Inspired by Jose Rizal’s 1887 novel Noli Me Tangere, “Spectre” will feature works by artists Lani Maestro and Manuel Ocampo. Their works depict their respective feelings as migrants and artists toward both the Philippines and the West—“el demonio de las comparaciones,” as Rizal called this particular kind of restless double-consciousness, wrought by the tension of having both local and global sensitivities within a single perspective. “[It’s] this double-vision of experiencing events up close and from afar: no longer able to see the Philippines without seeing Europe nor gaze at Europe without seeing the Philippines,” Cruz expounds in her exhibition proposal.

For outsiders, it’s easy to get blinded by the prestige of participating at something like Venice Biennale and intimidated by high-minded concepts on which artworks are centered. But no matter the show and the setting, Cruz always goes elbows-deep into the boring but necessary parts of curating: the logistics of putting together an exhibit, all the technical details to be ironed, the budgeting involved, and the “bargaining” with the artist regarding the limitations imposed by the available technology and finances, but without cutting corners. “It’s all part of curatorship,” she says. Negotiations and conversations are necessary, especially as MCAD isn’t a space conducive to a colorby-numbers mode of presenting pieces. “There are

interesting aesthetic reasons for artists why their works have to be displayed a particular way, which is where the audience’s engagement with an art piece begins.”

For the Venice Biennale, the Philippine Pavilion will be at the heritage building Arsenale, which presents its particular set of challenges to Cruz. “We cannot hang paintings or anchor them to the floor...we had to figure out a way. Installations would have been easier but we’re putting up paintings; Lani (Maestro) has a wall piece so it’s been difficult.”

Exhibitions at MCAD run for about three months before they’re taken down—a year or so of work dismantled within days. “It can be super sad—at least, for me,” Cruz admits. Though she feels no compulsion to collect pieces and display them on the bare walls of her home, being surrounded by artworks at her job doesn’t make her immune from the pangs of seeing them put away. “You put a show up and you live with it every day for months, so when you take them down, it’s painful.”

Despite a show’s temporality and no matter the amount of pressure involved to stage one, Cruz says she was never tempted to work on the other side of the table.

“I’m not an artist. I never pretended to be one and never had any desire to be one,” she states. For her, it’s about putting someone else’s work within a context that would tease out aspects of it, making a collection of objects be more than just an aesthetically pleasing display.

“Engaging with artists and creating conversations with an audience—that’s what I get excited about.”

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STYLING MELVIN MOJICA MAKEUP NELSON ILO

“I’m not an artist.

I never pretended to be one and never had any desire to be one,” Joselina Cruz says.

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COV ER STORY

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On Patty, Kelly, and Nicole: Swimwear, all Sundae Swim, 851 A. Arnaiz Ave., Makati City.

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HAIR DARWIN SABLAYAN PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT MAV BERNARDO

STYLING CARLA VILLANUEVA MAKEUP JAM ADRIANO AND JOSEPH JIAO OF MAC COSMETICS

On Patty: Dress, Araw, araw-araw.com.

On Nicole: Dress, Dianne von Furstenberg, vintage.

On Kelly: Crop top, Araw, araw-araw.com.

The It moms of Instagram are no experts in motherhood but in their struggles, they impart a forgotten lesson TEXT CHRYSSA CELESTINO PHOTOGRAPHY CENON NORIAL III

The kids are not all right.

The kids got pneumonia, I hear Nicole Hernandezde los Angeles say, while her husband Jaime has shingles. Everyone else in her household has caught something, and her only escape from the sick household are a few hours spent in a disease-free apartment, where Dunkin’ Donuts await her like rewards for surviving a two-week-long house arrest.

Patty Laurel-Filart is excited about the sweets, too.

From her makeup chair, she offers de los Angeles a pep talk and a slight distraction: stories about their sons and their craziest episodes yet, the birthday parties they’ll go to in the next few weeks, and Kelly MisaFernandez. The latter arrives minutes later with her toddler Tristan, who marched his way into the room, a smug smile plastered on his face—the same kid who was carried around SoHo in his mother’s arms until they were sore, as per Fernandez’s Instagram update.

If not for chats about children and a son roaming in circles, the hosts of Eat, Drink, and Be Married, a web show for women on Industree.tv, could eerily pass as their teenager selves. They could still be the personalities that people watched on their bulky TVs in the 2000s, whether in cheesy Pond’s commercials or half-times on court. They still have a cult following that lurks in the corners of the internet, waiting for any chance to express a decades-long dedication to the It girls they grew up with.

Nothing seems to have changed—except these oldtime models, hosts, and bloggers are now mothers inspiring netizens with stories that range from tasty kitchen experiments to tips on calming down moody babies. As their combined number of at least 234,000 Instagram followers suggests, de los Angeles, Filart, and Fernandez are among the influential moms of this age.

And they’re not sure how they got here.

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“But you just have to have that self-awareness that you can’t do it alone and that you have a lot of people on your team.”

“What?” Filart asks, genuinely surprised when I tell her some people tag them as #momgoals. “Who told you?”

I didn’t have to find the exact posts online because their hosting Eat, Drink, and Be Married already tells us that, in some way, they are. The job, after all, requires them to talk about certain life topics and give sound advice based on experience. While they’re no experts in beating jet lag or wedding jitters, they give out life hacks even 20-somethings could use. Moms, yuppies, and millennials are watching. And if they aren’t watching, they’re reading these women’s posts.

“It’s nice to hear that compliment,” says Filart, “We never really look in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, we’ve figured this out!’ Sometimes [when we get thrown questions for the show], there are things we don’t really know the answer to… In the same way, we discover something. We’re like, ‘Hey, we didn’t screw up pala in this aspect. I’m actually doing well as a mom.’”

Their proudest moments always spiral back to their (attempts at) parenting. “I’m proud that I’m still doing okay with two boys,” de los Angeles tells me.

“That’s the challenge—there’s no manual in raising kids, right? Sad to say but I have to admit, I wing it every single day. It’s like a cut-and-paste formula that works… You think you got it all handed to you, but sometimes you don’t. You realize, ‘Oh my God, I’m in over my head’ and it’s normal. The best thing to do is just accept that, ‘Oh shit, I need help.’”

On Patty: Off-shoulder blouse, Vania Romoff, vaniaromoff.com.ph. Skirt, vintage.

On Nicole: Dress, Alice McCall, LCP, shoplcp.com. Wedges, Wataru, Collezione C2, Power Plant Mall.

On Kelly: Blazer, C/MEO Collective, LCP, shoplcp.com. Pants, vintage.

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Their 20s were a whirlwind of parties––“My God, we were paid to party,” Fernandez says––and none of them ever want to go back there again.

This self-awareness, de los Angeles thinks, is what moms need nowadays. “For some people, it’s difficult to realize that they need help; it is also difficult to ask [for help]. But you just have to have that selfawareness that you can’t do it alone and that you have a lot of people on your team.”

Perhaps for their following, which is a sizable mass clamoring for answers they can’t find themselves, there’s some comfort in seeing genuinely close friends relate to their struggles and cheer them on even without knowing their names. There’s a stark difference between Googling for gift ideas and listening to these three gush over DIY gift wraps.

It’s motherhood turned virtual sisterhood––bonds bound by sentiment and divided by screens.

Their 20s were a whirlwind of parties––“My God, we were paid to party,” Fernandez says––and none of them ever want to go back there again. Parties for them nowadays are kiddie affairs. Their nights mostly consist of sit-down, catch-up dinners with the rest of the Baby Barangay, which is their own mom-and-pop support system with friends Cat Juan Ledesma and Bianca Santiago Reinoso, that often end at 10 or 11 p.m.

“But we’re doing something tomorrow, right?” de los Angeles asks expectantly.

“Yeah, Beauty and the Beast!” Fernandez sing-songs.

“Ugh,” Filart joins in. “We’re so bad, we’re watching at 4 p.m.!”

Clocking in as full-time mothers guarantees they have time for other people yet ironically have so little for themselves. “I have to admit: as soon as I became a mom, it became about my baby,” Fernandez says.

“At first, I kind of got depressed, to be honest. I felt as if I were losing myself. I didn’t feel like my old self anymore. So ever since I felt that, I really made an effort to make time for just myself.”

Filart admits to moments of indulgence; loving chocolate is her sin. “I’m already having that pressure in me to think outside of my cravings,” she

says, almost in penance. “My son watches me hide the Choco Mallows for now but one day, he’ll be old enough to make his own decisions when it comes to food.”

De los Angeles has little regret this time. She’s booked a session at The Spa—two full hours of calm away from the viral plague back home. She and Fernandez call escapes like this “a reboot,” a window period of sanity. “So, guys,” de los Angeles says as she fumbles with her red dangling earrings, “you better finish the shoot early ’cause I have a massage!”

Raising children is usually a job for two. Their husbands are hands-on, Fernandez says, and they have their own relationships with the kids. Their version of reboots includes playing basketball, PlayStation, anything they can do for the day as long as they make it home for dinner. It’s their way of coping, after figuring things out with their wives and kids. They’re under pressure—as everyone else is.

Parents are expected to be parenting all the time, leaving not enough space for the other roles they play in their lives: as lovers, as professionals, as sons or daughters to their own folks, as persons with cravings and insecurities, as giddy travelers. They say cool parents don’t act like parents, but those who are truly cool just are—complete with flaws, screw-ups, wants, frustrations, and other roles thrown into the equation.

Whereas tradition usually praises the effortless, it’s equally inspiring to commend those who try.

But how “un-mom” can one be? Fernandez and Filart quickly point out de los Angeles’ half-marathon run last year, to which she replies, “It’s an un-Kelly, un-Patty thing to do, but not an un-mom thing!”

The guilty pair giggles. “You can still do marathons.

With time management and setting your priorities, you can still continue your life in that sense, just not as frequently and freely as [before]. It’s not like you add mom to your title and the world changes,” de Los Angeles adds. “It doesn’t.”

Yet we do. So eat, drink, get help, keep guessing— the kids will be fine soon.

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HAY’s chic and minimal Scandinavian inspired creations for their 2017 Living collections retailing in Design Story.

SPECIAL FEAT URE

CREATIVE CAPACITIES

Vignettes with minimalistic designs and muted hues are present in Uptown Bonifacio’s different stores

Everyone deserves to have a space that can take away the stress and commotion of our daily lives. With the rise of experience-oriented furniture stores that deliver emotional impact as well as an inspiring aesthetic, having your dream space is now more conceivable than ever.

At Uptown Bonifacio, these new interior design and furniture stores are about to elevate cosmopolitan living in The Fort by bringing in top international brands and innovative new concepts.

Each store inspires visitors to create their own dream haven with their quirky and memorable pieces.

Whether you’re decorating a small apartment or an

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office space, you’ll find an item suitable to any area and design.

Scandinavian Designs

Design Story brings over some of the most popular international brands to the heart of Uptown Bonifacio.

Fans of renowned Danish design house, HAY will celebrate to find that their trademark Scandinavian style is finally in the Philippines. HAY is known for modern, minimal and sleek creations that are confident style statements yet simple enough to blend with any space.

Design Story also carries Stellar Works, a brand that specializes on more contemporary Asian aesthetics,

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SPECIAL FEAT URE specifically Japanese design trends. With these two industry big names, Design Story weaves a tale of two continents and gives customers an East meets West experience that will surely move the senses.

at Home Folk favor a sense of ease and relaxed vibe over the polished stiffness that can accompany some contemporary styles. At Home Folk guests are encouraged embrace a sense of imperfection and mess that turns a mere space into “home”.

Real Spaces

Krakki Kids Furniture

Achieving a cohesive design on your own without the help of an interior designer is made easy at House by Ital Design.

This new concept builds on the ideas of DIY by incorporating vignettes and model rooms within the store experience. Just by visiting House, guests can feel inspired and empowered to envision their own spaces and make it a reality. House even lets customers feel right at home by letting them sit on chairs or lay down on beds for that truly hands-on experience.

At Home Folk

Home Folk’s design philosophy instills a lived in ambiance to your home. It throws out the rules and allows customers to relish a space that has as much character as function. Pieces

Krakki, which translates to “kid” in Icelandic, specializes in Finland pinewood pieces made especially for children. The company creates stylish yet functional loft beds with quirky features such as slides, built in storage, and staircases that will excite children’s imagination. Krakki also designs tables, chairs, and storage that can be customized to fit every child’s interest and lifestyle.

To visit all these stores, check out Design Story, House

by Ital Design, Home Folk, and Krakki Kids Furniture at the 3rd floor of Uptown Mall at Uptown Bonifacio.

For more information you can follow them on Instagram @designstoryinc, @houseofital, @homefolkliving, and facebook at www.fb.com/pg/krakkiphilippines.

Clockwise: Muted blends of furniture at Home Folk; Intricate pieces from House

by Ital Design; Cheery and vibrant kids ensembles from Krakki Kids Furniture.

Uptown Bonifacio is located at 36th Street corner 9th and 11th Avenues, Fort Bonifacio Taguig City. For more information, call the Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Concierge at 709-9888, 709-0888, 0917-8380111 or visit www.megaworldlifestylemalls.com.

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EATS

FRESH OFF THE BOAT Dalat gives the spotlight to Ho Chi Minh staple com tam TEXT EDLAINE FLOR PHOTOGRAGPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

Dalat, a town in Vietnam, means “River of the Lat” (right); Vietnamese beef steak (far right).

Banh mi and pho are the best-known Vietnamese dishes, but Dalat proprietor Jay Le has bigger dreams for Vietnamese cuisine in the Philippines.

After taking his masters in marketing, he decided to dabble in the food industry, transforming an old studio in the quiet neighborhood of San Antonio Village into a restaurant. Dalat is named after his hometown, a place full of pines that’s in the south central highlands of Vietnam and has a climate similar to Baguio’s and Tagaytay’s. It was once the capital of the Federation of Indochina, but the town is now known for its lakes, waterfalls, and lush greenery.

If Hanoi has pho, Ho Chi Minh has com tam or broken rice. This dish is the main attraction at Dalat.

“There are many good foods in Vietnam [but] I chose com tam because I know Filipinos love rice and they can eat rice any time of the day,” says Le. Dalat has added variations to the main dish, replacing the pork chop with pork belly and grilled chicken. “We don’t use the fat and the skin back in Vietnam, only the meat and the bone.” Marinated in Vietnamese spices, the pork is sweet and savory with a smoky flavor. Each rice meal comes with cha trung hap, a small slice of meatloaf made from

minced pork, vermicelli noodles, and dried mushrooms.

Aside from their rice dishes, Dalat also offers Vietnamese beef steak. The tender meat is marinated in Vietnamese spices and cooked well done, served with cream cheese, salad, fries, sausage, and crispy baguette.

Soon, they’ll add Vietnamese noodle dishes: bún bò and hu tieu. Bún bò is a popular Vietnamese soup containing beef, rice vermicelli, and lemongrass, which create a medley of sweet, sour, spicy, and salty flavors.

Hu tieu, on the other hand, is a lot like pho, except the noodles are made of tapioca and can be enjoyed with or without the broth.

To accompany the food, there’s Vietnamese coffee mixed with condensed milk. But the true star at Dalat is the salted lemon juice, a traditional drink that eases sore throat. Each sip reveals a sweet yet briny flavor, achieved by soaking the lemons in salted water for about a month to five weeks; the lemons they use are imported from Vietnam. “We’ve tried the local ones, but their [rinds] are too thick for the water to seep in,” says Le. Finish your meal with their live yogurt, which you can have either plain or with crushed ice, condensed milk, and calamansi.

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Flavor Nation Festival a day of food, music, and moments

MAY 28 11AM-8PM BGC AMPHITHEATER EXPERIENCE THE GOODNESS OF MCCORMICK SIGNATURE MEALS FROM MIKEL ZAGUIRRE, FRANCIS LIM, AJ REYES, AND MORE FROM THE BEST CONCESSIONAIRES IN THE CITY. FIRST 500 GUESTS GET TO SAMPLE DISHES FOR FREE

CO-PRESENTED BY

MEDIA PARTNER

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EATS Clockwise: Com tam with grilled chicken; Vietnamese coffee; and Dalat’s dried jackfruit and Vietnamese coffee are also available to-go.

Dalat. 7467 Bagtikan St., San Antonio Village, Makati City. 824-3236. facebook.com/DalatRestaurantManila.

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RECIPE

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RECIPE

GO FISH

Bring life to the catch of the day with a hint of curry TEXT AND STYLING MARIE ADVINCULA PHOTOGRAPHY GABBY CANTERO

TROUT FILLETS WITH CARROT TAGLIATELLE AND CURRY

INGREDIENTS

4 trout fillets (about 160 g. each) 400 g. carrots, trimmed 2 cups water 1 tsp. salt 1 clove garlic, minced 3 tbsp. olive oil 1/4 tsp. curry powder 1 tsp. sherry vinegar 8 basil leaves, chopped Salt and pepper PREPARATION

1. Rinse and dry fish fillets. Set aside.

2. Using a mandolin or a vegetable peeler, shave carrots into thin wide strips. Then, cut them into thin ribbons resembling tagliatelle noodles.

3. In a saucepan, bring 2 cups water with salt to a boil.

Blanch carrots for 1 to 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

4. In a large pot, heat olive oil. Add the carrots, curry powder, sherry vinegar, garlic, and basil. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

5. Season fish with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large non-stick pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

Cook fillets for about 2 minutes. Flip and continue cooking the other side for another 30 seconds.

6. Arrange carrot tagliatelle on a serving platter and top with fillets.

7. Serve hot.

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T HE GET

SOFT FOCUS

Luxuriate in the combination of lace and cotton TEXT EDLAINE FLOR PHOTOGRAPHY PATRICK SEGOVIA

Lace was once so popular that during the Renaissance, it was used to decorate even doorknobs. During Queen Elizabeth I’s reign, the monarch, a known lace devotee, declared the delicately intricate piece of fabric exclusive to royalty. By the 19th century, however, it had been reduced into a decorative element on undergarments.

During that period, with the invention of the single-needle knitting machine in the 1870s, Pauline Zimmerli learned to knit men’s socks and stockings.

Soon after, she invented her own knitting machine and expanded her products from socks to ribbed fabrics and underwear that combined soft cotton with lace.

Today, you can wear Zimmerli’s 260 Maude Privé to keep yourself cool even in the summer heat, or like actress Nicole Kidman, lull you to sleep with comfort. No matter how you wear it, you’re bound to feel like royalty.

Zimmerli. Moressi. GF S’Maison Mall, Conrad Manila.

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