New Starbucks Reserve® Coffees & the Pour Over Brewing Process

Starbucks Reserve® is our new brand of exotic, rare and exquisite coffees that allows our customers an opportunity to taste coffee like never before: explosions of one flavor, delicate notes of another.

Many coffee lovers believe that the manual coffee brewing system invented by Melitta Bentz in 1908 is one of the best ways to brew delicious coffee. This single‐serving brewing system regulates flow to allow the full extraction of coffee flavors. This amazing brewing system is called the Pour Over method.

The pour over method is designed to extract the unique flavors and highlight subtle nuances of coffees in our Starbucks Reserve® stores.  Our coffee masters are able connect with customers over coffee in a new way by having conversations about coffees on the Starbucks Reserve® menu and showcasing these rare and exclusive beans by the cup.

The new Starbucks Reserve® coffees are available exclusively at the following Starbucks Reserve® stores:

• Starbucks Reserve®Tomas Morato, Quezon City  
• Starbucks Reserve® 8 ForbesTown, Fort Bonifacio,Global City  
• Starbucks Reserve® Keyland Centre, Makati City
• Starbucks Reserve® Central Square, Fort Bonifacio, Global City

You may also enjoy the Starbucks Reserve® coffee experience in the following store that will be brewing soon:

• Starbucks Reserve® Signa, Makati City

Isla: A GMA News and Public Affairs Summer Special with Solenn Heussaff and Mikael Daez

Catch ISLA, a GMA News and Public Affairs Summer Special which will air this May 11, 10:45 pm on SNBO, GMA 7, after Imbestigador. It is an exciting special as Solenn Heussaff and Mikael Daez explore 6 marvelous islands out of the 7,107 islands in the Philippines. ISLA will feature Philippine's best island destinations from Pangulasian Island in El Nido, Palawan; Apo Island in Dumaguete; Danjugan Island in Negros Occidental; Salagdoong Beach in Siquijor; Lobo in Batangas; and Oslob in Cebu.

In Dumaguete, Mikael swims with friendly sea turtles in Apo Island, chills by the beach and discovers why the province is called the City of Gentle People. Solenn also visits a “wild” island known as Danjugan Island in Negros Occidental. Danjugan boasts of an enormous, unexplored bat cave with millions of fruit- and insect-eating bats. Under sea adventures also await as Solenn swims with various sea creatures. In Siquijor, Mikael is enchanted by the famous white sands of Salagdoong Beach and so-called “magical powers” of folk healers. Its mysterious reputation precedes it but Siquijor remains a must-see destination for its natural spring-water resorts and rich heritage.

Aside from being a model-host, Solenn is also a certified medic diver. Her passion for scuba diving was reignited by her visit to Lobo, Batangas. Lobo town sits astride the mountainous corridor in the southernmost coast of Batangas. It is one of the 18 biodiversity hot spots in the country identified by the DENR so the diving is exquisite and unspoilt. Solenn also takes a boat through a mangrove forest where she caught a special type of mud crab which she cooked in the traditional Batangueño way. Finally, Mikael gets up close and personal with one of the sea’s gentle giants, the whale shark, in Oslob, Cebu. The island of Cebu offers a variety of activities for adventure-seekers – from swimming, to kayaking to rock climbing. In Cebu, there’s never a dull moment and there’s always a sight to behold.

I had the privilege to take Ms. Solenn Heussaff around El Nido, Palawan, specifically in El Nido Resorts' newest eco-luxury island resort, Pangulasian. In El Nido, "Solenn goes on a luxury getaway in one of the best resorts in the world. El Nido is also known for natural wonders such as limestone cliffs, caves and hidden lagoons."



Solenn was able to see the villas of Pangulasian, specifically the Kalaw Villa and the Pool Villa, which has its own private lounge pool with an amazing view of the stretch of white sand beach. Also, she was able to enjoy a dip in the main swimming pool of the resort.



Beyond enjoying the luxuries of Pangulasian Island, Solenn was also able to visit the big and small lagoons, the most famous attractions of El Nido, and get to swim and snorkel with the fishes in the house reef.



Solenn Heussaff with the Miniloc Island resort staff.

Le Jardin: Cuisine de Gils of Trois Gourmands at BGC

Le Jardin Cuisine de Gils of Trois Gourmands is the newest French restaurant in Manila, located at the Penthouse of W Fifth Building, 5th Avenue corner 32nd Street in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. The restaurant officially opens its doors today, May 7, to the public.



This newest food spot in BGC offers a romantic garden themed ambiance, coupled with great authentic French food, inspired with distinct Filipino ingenuity prepared by Chefs Hasset Go and Jonas Ng. Both chefs trained under the celebrated French Chef Gils Brault of Le Trois Gourmands in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.



Le Jardin offers a choice of a 3-course meal, a 4-course meal or a 5-course meal, with all set courses including a truffled egg appetizer, freshly made cheese, palette cleanser, and freshly baked bread. If you want something light, go for the 3-course set meal, while if you are starving, go for the 4 or 5-course set meal.



I love the ambiance of the garden-themed restaurant, with the industrial high ceiling, which compliments the whole out of Manila look, and offers a distinct inviting atmosphere to unwind and simply enjoy what's served on the plate. The appetizer came out first, the scrambled egg was light and fluffy, and the truffle oil just killed it. It was a symphony.



I got the 4-course meal, which included a cold starter and a hot starter. I got the Salad de homard or the poached lobster salad, which is a delicately plated lobster tail and salad that's seasoned and refreshing. You cannot go wrong with this dish!



I immediately finished my salad, which was followed by the Soupe de citrouille et Foie Gras Poêlé or the Squash soup with seared foie gras. Foie Gras, a food product made of the liver of the duck or goose that has been fattened, is one of the most popular and well-known delicacies in French cuisine. It happens to be one of my guilty pleasures (once in a while). I both loved the squash soup and the foie gras, and they both go well with each other, in fairness.



The palette cleanser immediately followed by appetizers. Lemon sherbet with tomatoes and basil oil. It was simply refreshing and yummy. I am ready for my main course. ;)



For my main course, I got the Pave de thon et foie gras poêlé, aux truffle or the Grilled tuna steak with foie gras and truffle sauce. One thing is for sure with me, foie gras and truffle, and the rest is history! I finished this right away. The tuna came from General Santos city or GenSan, which explains why the tuna is really good quality. The foie gras was rich, buttery and delicate, while the truffle oil was just divine. This is certainly a must try dish! :)



One of the things Le Jardin prides itself, besides good authentic French food, is that they carry a good selection of wines, imported from France, and can only be found in the restaurant. I tried the CHÂTEAU LA CALISSE ROSÉ 2011, which was a good choice. I would definitely have this piece for my wine collection.



Besides the food and the wine, they also make their own cheese, which is an all together tedious process of fermenting. This, however, is an acquired taste, as each one is aged and fermented differently to achieve the desired taste. Asked Chef Hasset which one is his favorite. He said, "the smellier, the better." I guess to each his own, as it really depends on the taste and the taster.



For dessert, I got what they recommended me, the Dessert de Gils, which would probably be the best dessert (I thought) as it is the namesake of Chef Gils. I was correct, as this concoction of vanilla ice cream, raspberry sorbet, strawberries and nougatine, was no less than heavenly.



With Chef Hasset Go :) Thank you brother for the wonderful experience!

Surfiesta 2014: LabaText—Right Place, Right Time, Right Manner

Dangwa, the place where you can get flowers for your loved ones at the best prices, is probably the busiest place during Valentine's Day year on year. 2014 V Day was no different. A team from Unilever, together with partner distributor and agencies, took this opportunity to pull off a publicity act to inform the people about Surfiesta—a promo wherein Surf sachets can be exchanged for free texts at Cebuana Lhuillier.



"Given our limited budget for this activation, we had to be smart and maximize what we have. We were tasked to do this on Valentine's Day and I immediately knew the perfect venue for it. Dangwa, being the center of attention of people and media during Valentine's, is the key to maximize our exposure given our limited resources," Engle Chua, a member of the Unilever team, said.



The whole team, composed of more than 50 people, conducted massive flyering and sampling of Surf sachets in Dangwa. To cap it all off, all members including Surf's mascot, Boy Bula, performed a surprise street-style flash mob along the streets, creating a big buzz within the district. Dancing to the tune of "LabaText", people were treated to a catchy jingle and easy-to-follow dance moves.



"We decided to convey the mechanics of the promo through a combination of a catchy jingle and dance moves because Filipinos are naturally happy people. We enjoy dancing and singing," Engle said.



This publicity stint was a well-crafted one in a sense that it was done at the right place, at the right time and through the right manner.

Photos by Ken Chua.

Highlights of my first Iloilo Dinagyang Festival

We woke up with our ear drums still echoing with the awesome beats by DJs Brandon Jon, Elmer Dado and Gruppo Tribale at Plazuela de Iloilo the night before. We did not waste time and literally lived all out the first night in Iloilo. It was certainly a nice prelude to the actual event! Casa La Granja was actually a cozy and chic place, with rooms that are spacious, minimalistic but comfortable. It also has a swimming pool. You can't help but notice that it is somewhat Moroccan-design inspired, which is awesome.



Since our first engagement is still scheduled after lunch, we decided to visit the old churches, that which Iloilo is known for. First we trooped to the Jaro Cathedral, which was built in 1874. It was damaged by an earthquake in 1948, but was fixed years later in 1958. We started the day right, by thanking the Lord for all the blessings - for being in Iloilo to celebrate Dinagyang Festival, for being able to travel, and for new friends.

After Jaro Cathedral, we went to Molo Church (lowest right photo), which carries an interesting history itself. It was originally built made "of tabique pampango with a chalk roof, then built temporarily with nipa" by Fr. Jose Ma. Sichon in 1863. The concrete structure was approved and built by Bishop Mariano Cuartero in 1869. In honor of Saint Anne, this church was known to be a feminist church because of the two rows of sixteen female saints line on both sides of the altar. Molo Church was declared a national landmark by the National Historical Institute in 1992. It is the only Gothic church outside Manila.



After the churches, we visited the Angelicum School, previously the Lizares Mansion, one of Iloilo's iconic heritage houses. The house was built in 1937 by Don Emiliano Lizares for his wife Conchita Gamboa and their two sons and three daughters, the mansion has three floors, a basement and an attic. It has a winding wooden staircase and big bedrooms with floor and doors made of hardwood. It has 59 doors which indicate the intricacy of its layout. During World War II, the mansion was then used as headquarters of the Japanese army, and was believed that the basement became a dumping ground for tortured Filipinos. After the war, the family went back to live in the mansion, but life was never the same. In 1950, Don Emiliano Lizares died and his widow left for Manila, leasing the mansion to a businessman who turned it into a casino. The city mayor later ordered that the casino be closed, claiming that it corrupted the Ilonggos. In 1962 the Lizares Mansion was sold to the Dominicans. In 1963, it was converted into a House of Formation for young Dominicans in the Philippines. And finally, in 1978, the Lizares Mansion compound became the home of Angelicum School Iloilo. There's an urban legend saying that the house is haunted, but I do not really believe until I see it.



We went straight to Tatoy’s Manokan and Seafood for lunch with David Guison, who caught up with us at Molo Church, and our new Ilonggo friend John Lex Bayombong. We had lechon, native chicken, inihaw na pusit or squid, but most of all, our favorite, the baked oysters!



Gretchen, my aunt Annie, Angela, John Lexx, Kim, Iris, David, Miko and I at Tatoy's signage. Trivia: Tatoy is the nickname of John Lexx's grandfather. Thanks for an awesome lunch! :)



I blogged about the 2014 Starbucks Festival Tumblers a few weeks back, which launched with the Ati-Atihan Festival in Aklan and Sinulog Festival in Cebu. Meanwhile, while we were waiting, I spotted these colorful and cute Dinagyang Festival Tumblers at Starbucks Iloilo. Hala Bira!



It was about time for our grand parade! We were on board living it all out on SMART Communication's float. DJ Elmer Dado and the talented Gruppo Tribale were also on board with us, together with the ABS-CBN talent Arjo Atayde. It was not my first time on board a float in a parade (see 2011 Panagbenga Festival with my former boss Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim in Baguio), but it was certainly the first time for me to wave at the crowd, and dance on the float! Nevertheless, it was a memorable experience for the books. The best part is that I had fun with my cousin Gretch, and fellow SMART digital ambassadors Miko and Angela.



Visiting Iloilo would not be complete without trying the famous and original La Paz Batchoy, so we visited the best one, Netong's La Paz Batchoy, located inside the La Paz Public Market. Netong’s authentic La Paz Batchoy is made of egg noodles, a mix of pork and beef, with garlic, chicharon, liver and onion leaves.



Trying out all these famous and delicious food was very satisfying to our tummies, although I am sure we all gained after that. It was our first time, so it was forgivable to indulge and binge on these local delicacies. It was all worth it in the end. We trooped back to our hotel to freshen up and prepare for the Dinagyang Invasion party that night. We arrived a little bit early, but it was all cool, as the DJs and the music were excellent in livening up the crowd.



With Angela, DJ Brandon Jon, DJ Inno Naguit, and all the craziness and dope things in between that happened that night. It was the most epic and fun night with family and friends, and a great way to kick start 2014! :) Thanks to SMART Communications for bringing us to #SmartDinagyang! It was a #SmartLiveAll party I will always remember.



We finished around 4am, slept, and woke up at 7am to attend the street party, the main event of the Dinagyang Festival. Dinagyang is Iloilo City’s version of the Ati-Atihan festival, widely celebrated not only in Panay Island but also in other parts of the country. It is an annual festival in honor of the Holy child (Sto. Nino), and the indigenous culture of the Panayanons. It is "an Ilonggo term for revelry or merrymaking, Dinagyang was coined in 1977 by Ilonggo writer/broadcaster Pacifico Sudario to describe the riotous celebration," according to Dinagyang 2014 website.



Was so glad to see one of the hardworking regional directors of the Department of Tourism, Atty. Helen Catalbas of DOT Region VI or Western Visayas. In attendance also was Tourism Undersecretary Maria Victoria Jasmin, but unfortunately, I was not able to meet her because of the crowd that made it impossible to spot her. Nevertheless, I am glad that the Tourism Department is all out in its support for this festival.



Until the next Dinagyang Festival. Hala Bira, Iloilo! Mabuhay! :)

Follow me on Twitter @briankingong and Instagram @briankingong for more photos and updates.

Also check out the Dinagyang Festival blog posts of Miko, Angela, and our guest, David:

Miko Carreon: Smart Dinagyang Experience
Angela Nepomuceno: Iloilo Dinagyang Festival 2014 Experience #LiveAllOut
David Guison: Postcards from Iloilo