lieu MAY 2013 / ISSUE No2
ALEX LE NEINDRE
THE FOOD PRINCE
TASTE TEST
N 2 o
lieu]
noun stead; place (esp in the phrases in lieu, in lieu of)
Live to create.
ROLL CALL CREATIVE DIRECTOR Aidx Paredes
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER Chi Narciso
ASSOCIATE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Amelia Baird
MARKETING HEAD Sol Matalam
HEAD WRITER Chit Lacson
Junior Marketing head Michael Lu
Writers Pat Bacaltos Janna Moya Head Photographer Nikko Zamora STREET STYLE Photographer Earl Dayanghirang online editor Mo Jaravelo EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS: Cheekie Albay, Jad Montenegro, Kristine Serrano
IN LIEU POOF
The Baby Makers / Je Taime Paris / Grunge Kid/ This Playground Ain’t For Kids
HASHTAG
Home Sweet Home/ LIEUK Who’s Here/ Summer Satisfaction
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS THE FOOD PRINCE Alex Le Neindre
FILM ROLL
The Davao We See / Alapaap Sa Kalangitan / Withdrawal Syndroms / Of Black and White /
poof!
MUSIC
Here Comes Summer LIEU MAGAZINE’S MIXTAPE NO 2 She’s A Riot by The Jungle Giants / Move by MAUSI / Kids In Love by Mayday Parade / I Follow You by Melody’s Echo Chamber / Carried Away by Passion Pit / Apocalypse Dreams by Tame Impala / A Walk by Tycho
FOOD
The Baby Makers By Aidx Paredes / Photography by Nikko Zamora
Many businesses, especially joint ventures, hail from friendship. Little they may be during their debut, they eventually become bigger because of the owners’ shared mission to strengthen their craft, not to mention their bond. Behind Desdemona Cupcakes are two friends, Julia Azarcon and Tiffany Somosierra, who were inspired by shows like DC Cupcakes and Georgetown Cupcakes to make their own minimized version of the popular iced pastry. Julia is the one who bakes, Tiffany does the coating, and they both do supermarket runs for the ingredients. Desdemona Cupcakes offers baby cupcakes in three flavors: butter, chocolate moist, and red velvet. Their cupcakes are called such because of their diminutive nature: the size of a baby cupcake is only a quarter of a regular cupcake. One Sunday, I went to Desdemona Cupcakes’ headquarters in Julia’s home. I sat in a corner as the two friends did the baking, excited to devour the baby cupcakes they were making. But I soon realized that Julia and Tiffany had another task for me besides savoring the sweets: to make baby cupcakes myself. I had never done any baking before in my life, so this challenge came as a treat: not only would I get to nibble these little goodies, I would learn to make them, too. So I gamely rolled up my sleeves and went to work mixing flour, batting eggs, and throwing in sugar. I’m proud to say that my cupcake creations—under the tutelage of Julia and Tiffany—turned out fantastic. Not bad for a first-timer. To order from Desdemona Cupcakes, connect with Julia and Tiffany through Twitter (@DesdemonaCC) and Facebook(fb. com/desdemonacc).
Je T’aime, Paris By Pat Bacaltos
Where: Paris, France When: Last week of March 2012 Must-visit spots: Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs-Elysées, Louvre Museum, Notre Dame Cathedral, Musée d’Orsay, The Versailles How to get there: Ride the red Hop On, Hop Off tourist buses—they will take you around the city.
TRAVEL
Picture yourself walking along the narrow streets of Paris. Do you see The Eiffel Tower? Or two lovebirds in the park strolling hand in hand, perhaps? We often imagine Paris as the most romantic city in the world, but it’s more than just that. Let me complete the picture for you. The very first thing I noticed on my first day in Paris was the streets oozing with artistry and Paris’ rich culture. Even places as pedestrian as barbershops were adorned with grand marble pillars.
an old man wearing tangerine slacks with a military-inspired vest and a checkered blazer. A few moments later, a teenager wearing a white faux fur coat, gold dress, and a pair of sneakers walked by holding a pack of croissants in one hand and her Alexander McQueen clutch in the other—an odd combination, I thought.
Days later, I realized that there was nothing weird about that—Parisians just go about their days looking like they belong on the runway. On the third day, my father and I had lunch at this quiet place not far from Musée d’Orsay, a On my first day, I headed straight to the near- famous museum in the city. I had lasagne boest metro station to the Eiffel Tower. From the lognese with salad on the side while my father station, it was a 10-minute walk to the tower. had entrecole frile. When I reached the place, I was blown away by how huge the structure was; a village could fit One of the things I learned during my trip is inside the base of the tower alone. For me, the that prices are cheaper in restaurants far from nicest thing about the area was the surround- the tourist areas. So if you ever find yourself seting greenery, where everyone was free to have ting foot in Paris and you can’t be bothered to picnics and cavort under the sun. It was truly a head to the suburbs to dine, do what I did: buy beautiful and comforting sight. And it was only food directly from the supermarket to save a few the beginning—I knew that the remaining days bucks. would be a feast for my eyes as well. In a nutshell, Paris is a beautiful city—full of On my second day, I braved the crowds and history, culture, art, fashion, nature, fine cuisine, observed the people I passed by. I’ve always interesting people, and heaps of fun. known that Paris was the fashion capital of the world, but I wasn’t prepared for the Parisians’ Now if you ask me if I would love to visit Paris sartorial opulence. On one of my breaks, I saw again, a thousand times, yes!
FASHION
Grunge Kid Photographed by JM SANTILLAN
After four years of studying architecture, Ron Santos suddenly took a different path and is now poised to cross over into the world of fashion. An aspiring designer whose creations scream sexy and edgy, his designs are inspired by the gothic movement, 90s grunge, and deconstruction. Ron’s passion for fashion is more than just a hobby; for him, his unique designs are both a testament to his strong will and a gift he shares with women who aim to stand out from the crowd.
EVENTS
This Playground Ain’t For Kids By Chit Lacson / Photography by Aidx Paredes
House music. Hot DJs. Free booze. No slides or ground to groove to beats by Republiq’s DJ Ace seesaws in sight. Ramos and Deuce Manila’s DJs Patty Tiu and Kat DJ, who thrilled the party folks by throwing On March 15, 2013 at the Marco Polo Hotel’s in today’s hottest dance floor bangers. Grand Ballroom, Party Animal Events Production hosted “Playground”, a club event held in Besides hot guys, cute chicks, and countless time for the Araw ng Dabaw celebration. glasses of cocktails, we also spotted some fierce fashion in the crowd. Check out our snaps to Davao’s crème de la crème flocked to Play- see what went down at the Playground.
hashtag
PLACE
Home Sweet Home ByAmelia Rose Baird / Photography by Nikko Zamora
“That’s good!” I took another bite. “Oh, gosh. and cupcakes sit temptingly in a glass case. That is really good.” Small and cozy, with charming knickknacks dotting the place, Home Avenue Cake Galerie cerI was enjoying a slice of Chocolate Moist Cake tainly lives up to its name. created by sisters Cha and Rae Canave, the owners and cake makers behind Home Avenue Cake I got to chat with Cha and Rae, who were more Galerie. This quaint spot is saccharine heaven than happy to share the story of Home Avenue for those with a sweet tooth. The moment you Cake Galerie’s modest success—from the bewalk in, an extravagant and gargantuan fondant ginnings, to the bestsellers, to the bizarre orders cake greets you at the door, while a row of cakes they’ve encountered along the way.
How did Cake Galerie start? It started when I was in college. Initially, it was home-based and part of our practicum requirements. I created low-fat cupcakes and from then, I discovered that I really liked baking. So I went into that, and with the help of our parents, we were able to have our own establishment right by our own home! My sister is also very artistic so it helped make the cakes extra special.
What were the cakes you served in the beginning? What have you added since then?
Chocolate Moist was one of them; the usual favorites—Strawberry, Blueberry, Sans Rival, Apple Pie. We then added Tiramisu, Carrot Cupcake, and some others. If you’re lucky enough, you might be able to catch our Moonwalker Cake. The Moonwalker is something we just came up with; it’s a coffee- and chocolate-base How did you come up with the name for your cake with white mousse, cashew, and chocolate mixed in, then covered in chocolate ganache. shop? Actually, at first it was named “Sweet Avenue”; It was our tribute to Michael Jackson when he the street where we live is called “First Avenue”. died, hence the name “Moonwalker”. My sister and I liked how shops in the United Kingdom are named after the street where What are your specialties? they’re found. However, people have said that Custom-made fondant cakes, chocolate moist, there’s already an establishment with the same those that are on our menu… It took me years name, so we decided to change the name to Cake to perfect the chocolate moist. Gallery. Again, we were told that there’s an existing bake shop with that same name, so we just What is the most popular cake on the menu? used the French spelling, “Galerie” and added It depends on the customer’s age range. Kids “Home Avenue”. So the whole name of the shop love the Choco Mousse and the adults prefer the Apple Pie or Carrot Pumpkin Pie, paired is actually “Home Avenue Cake Galerie”. with coffee.
What makes Cake Galerie different from other bakeries and cake makers? We would say our imagination is our greatest strength. Another strength would be the quality of our cupcakes, everything from the quality of our taste down to the details of the designs of our cakes. We used to be big critics whenever we’d go out to try desserts at other cafés and restaurants. We learned from their mistakes and created something that pass our personal standards of greatness. We made sure that not only do our cakes look appetizing, they also taste wonderful. As to the shop itself, we’d say it has a unique ambiance. You feel like you’re in your home when you’re at the Cake Galerie. How do you hone your craft? There is always something new to learn! Whenever there are chefs in the country who offer crash or full courses on pastry-making or baking, we enroll ourselves in those classes and take whatever we learn to a whole new level. If you were a cake, what kind of cake would you be? We’d be a Topsy Turvy Cake. Something colorful and abstract, something with many layers. What is the craziest order Cake Galerie has ever received? There was this one debut where we had to make a fondant cake and put lights into it. It was inspired by The Hunger Games. Since the cake was shaped like a lady standing on top of a traveler’s bag, we placed the lights around the figure’s skirt, pulling off a “girl on fire” look. That was really a great challenge for us. We suddenly became engineers that one particular time. How about fireworks? Haha! None yet!
The Cake Galerie serves a variety of cakes, sandwiches, and pastas. They are open from Monday to Saturday, 12 noon to 6:30 p.m. For orders, please contact Cha Canave at (082) 299-0557 or 09324060367, or you may visit their Facebook page and leave them a message there at www. facebook.com/CakeGalerie.
LAUNCHING PARTY
LIEUk Who’s Here!
By Chit Lacson / Photography by Nikko Zamora and Jad Montenegro-Amor On March 9, 2013—a Saturday—while most folks were off to their weekend parties and coffee dates, Davao’s young writers, filmmakers, bloggers, musicians, visual artists, and other creative minds gathered at the Blue Room, Apo View Hotel for the launch of LIEU, a new online magazine that champions Davao youth culture.
and wicked beats courtesy of DJ Cheekie Albay. The crowd made up creative types, media personalities, yuppies, students, and regular party fixtures stayed until the wee hours, drunk on the spirit of celebration, the presence of friends, and of course, all that alcohol.
The LIEU launch party was presented The LIEU team, headed by creative di- by HIPHOUSE. Special thanks go to the HIPrector Aidx Paredes, unveiled the maiden is- HOUSE girls Jad Montenegro, Cheekie Albay, sue, which featured Manila underground music and Kristine Serrano for making the launch a scene queen Mei Bastes on the cover. The rev- success and to Apo View Hotel’s Chris Pamintuelers were treated to raffle prizes, free drinks, an for letting us party hearty at the Blue Room. sumptuous sweets from Desdemona Cupcakes,
LAUNCHING PARTY
LAUNCHING PARTY
Summer Satisfaction By Karla Singson / Photography by Aidx Paredes and Nikko Zamora
Davao’s recreational scene gets an electrifying jumpstart through Tienda del Mercado’s Summerfaction. Owing to the success of their Araw ng Dabaw event, where foot traffic reached thousands, TDM wows crowds again with their ongoing weekend mini-events, food festivals, and lifestyle bazaars. Summerfaction officially opened to the public last April 26, 2013 with Guilty Pleasures, a Dessert Fair, as their flagship event. Over the weekend, TDM patrons and newcomers enjoyed a wide variety of food—grilled, fried, baked, you name it—from over 30 food exhibitors.
lahermosa, a local blogger and frequent bazaar-goer. “It was the ultimate food trip,” says Rudolph Alama, a lifestyle writer and photographer. “We were there, the sales was really good and people were happy,” says Sid, proprietor of Hollywood Burgers, one of the food exhibitors.
Judging from how the general public felt, Summerfaction’s opening weekend was a huge success. Even though on the first day it rained for an hour, everyone was lucky it ended early, so people still poured in for the rest of the night. If you’re superstitious, you can say that “It was super awesome; in one walk, you’ll see was God giving His blessing. If you’re not, well, great bargains in fashion, cheap ice-cold beer just enjoy the ice-cold beer and the cozy atand a very wide range of food,” says Dawn Vil- mosphere then.
One of the main crowd-pleasers of Summerfaction is the nightly audition for bands who joined “Strings Beat the Heat”, an acoustic band challenge. In this competition, a dozen bands are fighting for the slot to open for Up Dharma Down on May 25, 2013 plus a cash prize of P10,000. Moreover, there are weekly side-events that rake in major traffic.
19. For this special event, TDM prepared cooking demos, a makeup workshop, a tech tutorial booth, and surprise gifts for Mommy. Lastly, on their final weekend, there’s the Up Dharma Down concert (May 25), and a fun run on Sunday (May 26). And boy, you tell me: isn’t that just the right mix of things that get a family excited for any given weekend?
On May 4, for example, TDM will be showcasing a cute dog fashion show through “Posh Pups in the City”. TDM takes a break on the election weekend, but when they get back, they’re going to honor the most special woman in our lives for “Mother’s Other Day” on May
Cheers for more fun-filled weekends at Tienda del Mercado! See you! Tienda del Mercado is located at Juna Parking Lot, Juna Subd., Matina, Davao City.
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close encounters
COVER STORY
The Food Prince ByChit Lacson / Photography by Amelia Rose Baird
One hot Friday afternoon, I found myself cooling off in the opulent, old-fashioned surroundings of Claude’s Le Café de Ville, a bistro in downtown Davao that has grown to become one of the best French restaurants in these shores. I was there to meet Alex Le Neindre, a promising young chef-in-the-making who is being groomed to take over his family’s dining empire. As the only son of Claude Le Neindre—easily one of Davao’s finest chefs—the FrenchFilipino 20-year-old clearly has some pretty big shoes to fill. And Alex, not one to rest on his family’s laurels, is the first person to agree with that. As I feasted on sumptuous French specialties created by the budding chef himself, Alex humbly let me in on the charms and challenges, the perks and pitfalls of being heir to the city’s culinary royalty.
COVER STORY
Name: Alexander Christopher Le Neindre Birthplace: Paris Personal specialty: Steak with Pepper Sauce Favorite dish: Pesto Ravioli Favorite food outside Claude’s: Japanese and Chinese cuisine, Crispy Pata Interests (aside from cooking): Reading books, playing the drums
You first took up AB Psychology. From psychology, why did you decide to study culinary arts? Basically, psychology is an interest of mine because I’m interested in reading and learning about people. The culinary aspect of my life was embedded in my heart. I was born with it. I grew up with it. How was the transition from learning about people to cooking? Of course, they are very different. But I always like to think that I am in the hospitality industry. I please people. So there’s still a connection. But it was tough. Culinary arts is very non-academic and it just made me want to read more to challenge myself mentally. If you had the chance, would you still want to finish psychology? Of course, if they credit my units. Whatever I finish. I plan to do pastry-making right after I do culinary arts. After that, I’ll finish psychology. What do you plan to do after school? I do plan to take over Claude’s. Not take over in a sense that I’ll totally do the whole menu. But I plan to improve everything. I plan to add my own touch to my father’s very, very good standard already. I plan to do my own dishes and not change his. And I also plan to create my own restaurant hopefully one day. But that plan is still very, very vague.
Tell us what it’s really like in the kitchen. Is it like what we see on TV shows like Hell’s Kitchen? It’s like in military. TV shows are a bit exaggerated. We have to be precise, fast, and accurate. One small mistake and you get yelled at. You get insulted. You get dehumanized. But that’s all part of discipline. And that’s what cooking is all about: discipline. We know that your father is a famous chef and that your family owns one of the best restaurants in Davao. What are the pressures of being Claude’s only son? I’m already catching my breath. It feels like I have a noose around my neck. I feel like I’m pressured by his art and I have to match that or be better. Did your father teach you how to cook? He never did. Have you cooked side by side with your father? I have and it’s a bit challenging because we contrast each other. You know how a family is. You can’t agree on one thing. But I see love there. Hahaha! As a kid, were you always in the kitchen? Yes, I was, but I was always in the kitchen to taste.
What do you eat at home? Food from Claude’s. But I prefer to eat in the karinderya, believe me. Do you wish to have your own restaurant eventually? I plan to do my own concept in the future. But as I said before, that plan is still a bit vague. There’s a lot of planning involved. Do you plan to keep the traditions set in place by your father? Tradition is always important when it comes to cooking. It’s everything. Will you also be settling here in Davao, like your father did? Yes. I love Davao. Davao’s my home. What are your strengths that make you different from other soon-to-be chefs? I guess it’s that I wouldn’t brag about my palates even though I grew up with my father and his food and my family is into food. I don’t think I’m different from anyone else. I’m just here trying to do my own thing and my own thing is yet to be discovered. I don’t know how I’m different (laughs).
Name one misconception people have about you. What most people think is that I am arrogant, but I’d love to think I’m not. People would always tell me that they never tried to make contact or talk to me because they think I’m arrogant at first glance. Do you have any quirky habits? I’m a very impulsive person. I plan travels the day before. What is your biggest frustration? That I didn’t finish Psychology. In a nutshell, how would you describe yourself? I don’t like describing myself, really. I love food. That’s it. You’re now 20. What do you consider your best achievement in your life so far? I’m still alive. That’s all. Claude’s Le Cafe de Ville is located at The Oboza Heritage House, 143 Rizal Street, Davao City.
COVER STORY
I don’t think I’m different from anyone else. I’m just here trying to do my own thing and my own thing is yet to be discovered.
PHOTOGRAPHED BY AMELIA ROSE BAIRD ASSISTED BY CHIT LACSON
filmroll
PHOTOGRAPHY
THE DAVAO WE SEE
Film photos by Mikee Calimbas and Claire Estillon
PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY
Alapaap Sa Kalangitan
Photos by Kristine of alapaapsakalangitan.tumblr.com
PHOTOGRAPHY
ILLUSTRATION
Withdrawal Symptoms Illustrations by Jana Moya
LITERATURE
Of Chasing Love and Driving an 18-Wheeler
by Karla Singson
Illustration by Jana Moya
the wheels drag on like there were unlimited tomorrows and everything was just so heavy, slightly panting you skid on to the side and you fear of falling too hard, you tread on so carefully because there was always too much to lose and too little to gain for the sake of pride you don’t make nasty overtakes you don’t fall asleep too easily especially when it’s very dark and all you’ve got is an unreliable pair of headlights more intelligent than your own heart.
FASHION & BEAUTY
of black and white Photos by Ayie Hernandez Makeup by Tiny Pinilli Modeled byTsim Valencia
FASHION & BEAUTY
Live to create. LIEU ONLINE MAGAZINE
@LIEUMAGAZINE