Nine years after opening its first café in Tokyo, Café Kitsuné is now finally coming to the Philippines.
Café Kitsuné Manila is expected to officially open in July 2022 at The Podium in Ortigas Center in Mandaluyong City. Further details will be made available at a later date. But expect Café Kitsuné’s Philippine location to have its beloved signature Paris-meets-Tokyo atmosphere and aesthetic. Café Kitsuné Manila, like all of its cafés around the world, is a modernist reinterpretation of the classic Parisian café and wine bar.
Created in 2013, Café Kitsuné has grown to a network of 20 cafés across the world including Tokyo, Paris, Seoul, New York City, Beijing, and Vancouver, achieving cult status amongst specialty coffee lovers around the world. In 2019, Café Kitsuné has also extended its activities to new business lines, adding roasteries, bars, and restaurants to its range.
The ethos of Café Kitsuné echoes this. Modern and urban, with a unique savoir-faire. It offers a warm, sensory dining experience, whether for coffee, afternoon tea, night cocktails, or lunch and dinner among friends. It opened its first café in Tokyo in the Aoyama neighborhood and has since opened other locations in other highly-coveted metropolitan cities such as Paris, Tokyo, Seoul, New York, Shanghai, Jakarta, and Bangkok. Each location maintains its signature modern Parisian café and wine bar look and fee. Yet it also imbibes the local spirit of its iconic global locations.
Café Kitsuné has since become a cult favorite among the locals of its many locations and travelers, and creative coffee connoisseurs. Every Café Kitsuné location is chic and convivial. It welcomes visitors of all ages throughout the day, every day.
The highlight of any visit to Café Kitsuné is its high-quality coffee. Known for being full-bodied and flavorsome, Café Kitsuné cultivates its single-origin coffee beans in Brazil and Guatemala, and are roasted with the utmost care. This makes for a perfect cup of espresso, cappuccino, cold brew, or nitro—smooth and syrupy, with hints of cherry and chocolate. And each cup is prepared by a talented team of passionate baristas who understand the art of coffee making.
Menus in other locations are executed by local chefs who consider their location’s signature flavors without sacrificing the taste fans of Café Kitsuné look for.
Menu items Filipino guests can expect at Café Kitsuné Manila include many favorites, such as its signature burger, styled as a beef teriyaki tartare with bacon, fried egg, and comté; and the croque-monsieur with tuna, lemongrass, and ginger, and the café’s specialty bechamel sauce. Customers can expect a wealth of flavors with the café’s dessert menu, from mochi made with seasonal fruits to a carpaccio served with Sichuan pepper and Thai basilic syrup. Café Kitsuné’s cocktails are also a favorite among regulars, and its emphasis on an understated yet refreshing balance of flavors is expected to carry over in the Manila location.
Manila customers can also expect Café Kitsuné to carry its collection of accessories and tableware.
Located at The Shops at Ayala Triangle Gardens, The Bistro Group’s Rumba is now open to tickle your tastebuds. It is helmed by Chef Alfredo Rodriguez Sangrador who has been living in the Philippines for 8 years now and is the Head Chef of the Bistronomia group with restaurants like Las Flores, Rambla, Tomatito, and BCN by Las Flores.
The flavors were inspired by countries that surround the Mediterranean Sea where guests can expect a taste of Spanish, Italian, Greek, and a bit of French. Upon entrance, you’ll notice the rich patchwork of textures ranging from white floral blooms to a compelling wood ceiling and furniture accents in colors that carry the characteristics of the Mediterranean landscape. Definitely a perfect date place or if you’re grabbing a bite with your colleagues.
Rumba focuses on a cooking method using a charcoal oven which infuses smoky flavors into the chef’s specialty dishes. The paella is cooked to perfection using a cast-iron casserole and is placed inside the Mibrasa charcoal oven using 100% charcoal imported from Spain. “We don’t call our charcoal rice, paella, because we don’t use a paellera,” Chef Alfredo explains. “90% of our dishes are cooked in the said oven including French-style free-range chicken, local squid (lumot), lamb chops, duck confit, octopus, shrimp, cheeses, and the mouth-watering cochinillo or suckling pig.
An open charcoal grill, meanwhile, sizzles with other fares such as salmon, tomahawk steak, and tenderloin. There is also a pasta section with choices such as vongole, carbonara, and lobster pasta, along with risottos in choices of seafood or foie.
Chef Alfredo brings his culinary expertise to other Mediterranean favorites such as hummus, lamb, and chicken gyros. He also gives a nod to his Spanish heritage with out-of-the-ordinary takes on traditional food, with croquettas, scallop ceviche, tuna and scallop empanadilla, Spanish cod omelette, and gambas that are not the typical style. The open kitchen provides an inviting feel and connection between the guests and the chefs.
Rumba is located at The Shops at Ayala Triangle Gardens. For reservation or inquiries, call +639158564264,
“Jollibee always aims to spread joy to our customers, whether for dine-in, take out, drive-thru, or delivery. We continuously innovate our services to deliver a levelled-up customer experience,” said Jollibee Philippines President Ferns Yu, Jr. “We are piloting new innovations and technology in select stores, and are excited to roll them out to more branches in the future.”
These innovations complement the company’s signature Alagang Jollibee brand of service. “We’re very proud of our store teams’ trademark warm and joyful service—that’s what sets our teams apart in the fast-food industry. These new features contribute to an even better level of customer convenience, and increased efficiency for our operations as well,” Yu added.
Here are the store innovations to check out at select Jollibee stores:
Jollibots. First on the list is the viral Jollibots which netizens spotted months before in Jollibee’s SM Aura branch in Bonifacio Global City during the pilot stage. Dining robotics were once considered futuristic, but the Jollibots have now started to serve and delight dine-in customers at Jollibee SM Aura, Taguig and Jollibee Glorietta, Makati. Soon, they’ll be present at Jollibee SM Seaside Cebu as well.
Jollibots conveniently dispatch food to customers’ tables, helping out the store team especially during peak hours. These are present in Jollibee SM Aura, Taguig and Jollibee Glorietta, Makati, and soon in Jollibee SM Seaside Cebu.
The Jollibots may be considered as the store team’s on-ground assistants, ready to extend a helping hand in dispatching orders straight to customers’ tables — allowing the crew to focus on other important tasks or attend to special requests of customers especially during peak hours.
“With the Jollibots, our store teams in select stores are experiencing the benefits of serving their customers even more efficiently. While these Jollibots are welcome additions, we have maintained and will continue to keep the same number of crew in these branches as they remain integral to our day-to-day operations and in delivering our Alagang Jollibee brand of service,” Yu shared.
Jollibee introduced Smart Lockers where customers and aggregator riders can pick up orders safely with zero wait time. These can be found in Jollibee Angono Bayan, Rizal, Jollibee P. Tuazon, Quezon City, and Jollibee Northbay Boulevard, Navotas.
Smart Lockers. Waiting to pick up food orders will soon become a thing of the past, thanks to the new smart lockers. Designed to also complement the convenient Order & Pick up feature of the Jollibee App, this makes the customer’s journey even more seamless and hassle free. Jollibee customers on-the-go can conveniently place their orders via the Jollibee App, then wait for the store to confirm their transaction and inform them of the smart locker pick up process. Once in the store, customers can go directly to the smart locker, key in their order number, and the corresponding locker will automatically open. Orders are guaranteed safe and secure, and there’s zero wait time as well. Check out the Smart Lockers at Jollibee Angono Bayan, Rizal, Jollibee P. Tuazon, Quezon City, and Jollibee Northbay Boulevard, Navotas.
Whether it’s peak hour or not, the Rider’s Area in Jollibee GMA Cavite ensures that riders are given a safe and convenient place where they can get customer orders.
Rider’s Area. Where to wait and sit while waiting to pick up your customers’ orders in a jampacked Jollibee store? Riders of aggregator partners servicing GMA Cavite will worry no more as Jollibee’s branch in the said city has a new Rider’s Area—a dedicated and safe waiting and pick-up area where partner riders can rest comfortably as they wait for the orders of their customers. With this, crowding is avoided inside the store especially during peak hours, ensuring the safety of partner riders and customers alike.
Customers can enjoy their meals in an open-air setting Jollibee GMA Cavite’s new and improved al fresco dining area.
Al Fresco Dining. With more people continuing to take extra safety precautions especially when dining out with their family and friends, Jollibee will soon be allotting more floor space for an Al fresco area. The newest and levelled up al fresco dining area—adorned with nice murals and plants—are already welcoming customers at Jollibee GMA Cavite.
Jollibee president Ferns Yu shares that eating at Jollibee has always been associated with great bonding times in a place where you can be yourself and just feel at home. “So regardless of one’s new dining preference in this new normal, they will be able to continue enjoying the same treasured Jollibee experience over their favorite langhap-sarap meals.”
Self-Order Kiosks, which are available in 129 stores nationwide, allow customers to order their langhap-sarap favorites in 3 easy steps – order, pay, and claim!
Self-Order Kiosks (SOKs). Jollibee first piloted the self-order kiosks or SOKs back in 2018 to provide a faster and more efficient ordering process in stores. Now, more than 300 SOK units are present at 129 Jollibee stores nationwide. With a huge touchscreen menu board, choosing what to eat just became easier. Customers can go cashless and use their debit or credit cards to pay using the SOK terminal, or they can opt to pay cash at the counter. With the SOKs, Jollibee favorites can be enjoyed in just three easy steps – order, pay, and claim!
The Dual Lane Drive-Thru in Jollibee Petron SLEX allows the store to serve more customers and cuts down turnaround time.
Dual-lane Drive-Thru. Jollibee also improves the drive-thru experience with dual lanes, sensors, and food conveyor belts, increasing the store’s drive-thru capacity, shortening the turnaround time for customers, and making dispatching food faster and fuss-free. The Dual-Lane Drive-Thru is present at Jollibee Petron SLEX, Laguna and will soon be experienced by customers at Jollibee Shell SLEX, Laguna. Meanwhile, food conveyor belts are operational and have been making order dispatch even faster at Petron SLEX, Shell C5 Heritage, Taguig, and Ayala Center Cebu branches.
Jon Villanueva, the Vice President of Restaurant Systems of Jollibee, hopes that these new innovations will help customers have an even more enjoyable experience whether they prefer to have their Jollibee favorites in store, at home, or even on the road.
“We’re very excited about these cutting-edge innovations in our stores, some of which are firsts in the local fast-food industry. The future of Joy is here, and we continue to be committed to making our customers’ Alagang Jollibee experience even better as we roll these out in more stores nationwide,” he said.
All-you-can-eat aficionados can look forward to indulgent weekdays as well as weekends as New World Makati Hotel’s Café 1228 restaurant, extends operations daily starting July 4, 2022. The venue’s buffet stations highlight best-selling dishes from off-the-grill meats and seafood, Asian and local selections, handmade pasta and pizza, decadent desserts, as well as a selection of bread, charcuterie, and cheeses.
The carving station features tender and juicy prime rib or ribeye grilled to perfection with sides of either mashed potato or pumpkin, and roasted vegetables. Other options include porchetta or roasted turkey, beef striploin in herb oil, soy calamansi marinated pork spare ribs, lamb brochette, tanigue, and Hungarian sausage. Sauces paired with each are the black peppercorn, mushroom, and mint jelly.
The freshest seafood comprising prawns, mussels, and crabs also worth the visit, with options to grill or steam and top with various flavorful sauces. These can likewise be enjoyed as a soup dish and with noodles, for that belly-warming treat. On special occasions, plump and juicy lobsters and oysters are also available.
The Japanese section also features some well-known items such as salmon and tuna sashimi, shrimp, fish and vegetables and tempura, seaweed or nori salad, as well as the California maki roll, spicy tuna maki roll, inari sushi, and futomaki. Miso soup and pickled vegetables complete the selections at this station.
In the Western kitchen is a range of appetizers and salads to go nicely with any of the meat and seafood selections, such as cold pasta primavera, vegetable bruschetta, tuna ceviche, and salami antipasto. An array of mains include baked stuffed chicken in truffle mushroom sauce, beef bourguignon, seafood casserole, buttered vegetables, and potato and pumpkin gratin.
The Asian station highlights a mix of the best Asian and Filipino fare. From beef brisket to salted egg fish fillet, stir-fried kailan with garlic, lechon paksiw, and barramundi head in curry sauce, there are also steamed items such as steamed barramundi, spare ribs, and pork buns.
Decadent desserts conclude the hearty feast at Café 1228, which consist of mango cashew sans rival, ube roulade, walnut royale pie, fruit clusters, bread and butter pudding with vanilla sauce, and a crepe station with options of mango or banana paired with chocolate, mango, vanilla or strawberry sauce. Ice cream selections, halo-halo, and mais con yelo are also must-haves for a truly sweet ending.
Café 1228 offers a Book and Buy promo for lunch from Mondays to Fridays at PHP1,288 net per person extended until July 29, 2022. Prepayment is required to confirm the reservation. To reserve, guests can fill out the online form: https://bit.ly/NWCafe1228BookandBuy.
For inquiries on weekday dinner and weekend rates, guests can call +63288116888, e-mail reservations.manila@newworldhotels.com, or book a room package directly via the website https://manila.newworldhotels.com/en/. They can also send a mobile message on Viber or Whatsapp via +639178884194, or check out the hotel’s official Facebook and Instagram accounts for the latest promotions.
Almost a year later since MadEats launched its latest concept, the on-demand online restaurant group has yet again blessed us with another brand: Smooshed!
Their newest addition to their growing concepts offers smash burgers that are big on flavor and with no frills or extenders. They only have four kinds of burgers — Cheeseburger, Four Cheese Burger, Overloaded Cheeseburger, and BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger, all of which have double patty versions. You must check out the Four Cheese Burger which features a parmesan crisp that adds flavor and texture to the classic cheeseburger. Each patty is smashed on high-heat griddles which makes for a larger surface area for browning, giving off more flavor. Other than the iconic sandwiches, they have a mean Burger Steak Rice Bowl that’s worth checking out.
Just like your other favorite burger joints, Smooshed! serves classic sides like onion rings and fries that just like their burgers, are customizable by adding more elements to it. Top it off with some chili con carne, their special sauce, cheese sauce, ranch, cheese, or bbq powder. To complete your meal, choose from a selection of Smooshies or milkshakes with flavors ranging from vanilla to ube cheese.
Smooshed! is available on madeats.co for a seamless online ordering experience and can be ordered together with anything and everything else MadEats. They’re open for orders daily from 10:00 AM-8:00 PM.
A little over a year since its launch and a few limited edition flavors later, Bubu Bars is back with yet another decadent dessert. To celebrate World Chocolate Day, they have introduced their newest flavor that took them seven months of R&D — Dark Chocolate Cacao Crunch (P220).
This deep, dark, and decadent bar is priced at P220 just like its older siblings. It is a rich dark chocolate vegan ice cream, covered in a thin shell of Auro 64% single origin dark chocolate topped with crunchy cacao nibs and a sprinkling of Maldon Sea Salt.
Just like its older siblings, it is priced at P220 per bar. It will be available at the Auro Chocolate’s World Chocolate Fair from July 6 to 10, 2022, and online afterward.
Auro Chocolate’s World Chocolate Fair is back for the third time for a five-day event. Sample limited-edition desserts crafted with Auro Chocolate at the Main Atrium of S Maison, Conrad Manila from July 6 to 10, 2022.
KFC’s elusive 11 secret herbs and spices is one of the biggest mysteries that people all over the world are trying to decode. From Youtube tutorials to Tiktok hacks–every fried chicken fan has tried to replicate the original–all claiming to have finally solved the secret recipe.
But what about culinary experts? Can they replicate the finger lickin’ goodness of KFC?
This International Fried Chicken Day (July 6), two renowned Filipino chefs are on a mission to try these viral, “unoriginal recipe” fried chicken creations, to see if any of them even come close to original.
World-class executive chef, Vic Barangan of Richmonde Hotel, and Chef Mark Joseph aka Chef Marky, a veteran of restaurant kitchens over the past decade, will cook 11 of the most popular KFC hacks found online to taste for themselves whether any of these will finally reveal the 11 secret herbs and spices behind the Colonel’s world-famous fried chicken.
While these culinary experts are trying to unravel the mystery behind the secret recipe, KFC will be celebrating International Fried Chicken Day through a free delivery promo to remind fans what makes its Original Recipe Chicken unique to its chain of stores.
There’s no better way to spend a day dedicated to fried chicken, than feasting on THE fried chicken. That’s why KFC is treating customers to FREE delivery when they order from www.kfc.com.ph or KFC mobile app.
For a minimum spend of P550, all they need to do is use the voucher code “KFCTHEOG” on July 6 and orders will be delivered for free.
If you’re always on the lookout for new restaurants in Makati, you came to the right place.
It’s no secret that the pandemic has been tough on the F&B industry but everything has been slowly opening up since late last year, including new businesses. We’ve seen some of our favorites closing down, but new restaurants have opened their doors that are worth the visit, especially in Makati. Whether you’re looking to check out the bustling streets of Poblacion or the much quieter area of the central business district, here are new restaurants in Makati that you need to check out now.
This newly opened café is on the second floor of HMA 773 building along JP Rizal Avenue. It is a bright space with emerald-colored furnishing where you can hang with friends or work while sipping on a cup of joe. Order the classics like the Americano, and Flat White, or go for more unique finds like the Campfire Latte. They serve coffee for now but will soon be serving cocktails as well.
Another newly opened café in Makati, this one is not too hard to miss as it’s screaming in pink. It’s a dreamy café that will almost remind you of Seoul’s café culture, which is huge by the way! They serve a variety of drinks like Cereal Milk Latte, Cafe Fredo, and Pink Horchata, all while serving Filipino and Japanese food favorites.
If you see yourself staying in Poblacion from day to night, Dear Adam / Sweet Lucy is your best bet. A café by day and craft cocktail lounge by night, it is an all-in-one destination where you can enjoy salads, sandwiches, pasta, pastries, coffee, and cocktails all under one roof.
Chef Josh Boutwood does it again with this elegant yet casual restaurant in Greenbelt 3. Its menu does not focus on just one cuisine but focuses on inspiration from multiple cultures. “The meals will be prepared using a variety of cooking methods from convection, ovens, stove tops hearth, and a smoker to infuse a smoked essence in the dishes,” according to Chef Josh Boutwood’s website.
Going back to Poblacion is this new hip spot that serves Japanese and Peruvian flavors. Enjoy dishes like the Anticuchos De Lomo featuring a US tenderloin beef, La Japonesa which is crispy rice, spicy tuna with green chili, or the Maguro Gremolata which is a seared tuna belly dish with salsa and gremolata. Sip on some of their signature cocktails while you’re at it!
Owned by the same people behind the popular pizza restaurant Crosta Pizzeria, Kong is the newest restaurant in Salcedo Village serving not-so-traditional Asian noodles. You’ll see Thai, Malaysian, Balinese, Javanese, and Vietnamese-style food just to name a few when you get a glimpse of their menu. Some must-tries are the #5 which is a stir-fried rolled rice noodles, egg, soy & kaffir lime, and the #6 which is a stir-fried noodles, soy, egg, and dragon oil which is a chili oil that’s exclusively made in-house.
Who doesn’t love Filipino food? This new restaurant in Poblacion serves a fresh take on comforting Filipino classics and regional ingredients. They open as early as 8am so you can expect breakfast bowls, breads and pastries, and of course, coffee. In the evening, they have more filling meals like the Grilled Hamachi Collar, Pork Porchetta ala Binagoongan, and the Lamb Kaldereta.
What started as a delivery-only food brand, Onlypans has finally opened a physical restaurant with people lining up for their birria tacos. Their Quesa Birria Tacos are soft-shell tacos with overflowing shredded USDA beef topped with cilantro and onion and served with a side of consommé. Other must-try tacos are crispy pork, pulled pork, and fish.
SUI Gin is made in Japan with a combination of botanicals that are distinctly Japanese: yuzu, green tea, and ginger. Combined with traditional gin botanicals – juniper berry, coriander seed, angelica root, cardamom, cinnamon, bitter orange peel, and lemon peel – the result is a gin that is clear, refreshing, and pairs well with any and all dishes.
It takes its name SUI 翆 after the Kingfisher. On the bottle, the bold Kanji character is inked by master calligrapher Tansetsu Ogino. Kanji 翡翠, which means Jade, is a nod to its tall hexagonal shape reflecting clear and beautiful blue-green accents that speak of Suntory’s hope that SUI will spread its wings and soar high in the gin market.
Yuzu is commonly used to accentuate flavor in Japanese dishes. It lends a refreshing citrus aroma and taste that opens up the palate. Green tea offers gentle umami notes for a rich body that harmonizes with meals. Finally, Ginger offers a mild spicy flavor with a clean aftertaste, leading to an invigorating finish.
The perfect SUI Gin serve
To savor the refreshing taste of SUI Gin, the perfect combination and ratio are important. Imagine getting together with friends for a celebration at your favorite restaurant? All you need is a bottle of SUI Gin with the perfect mixture.
SUI Gin & Soda: This is the classic recommended way to serve SUI Gin. It is a simple mix of soda water to let SUI’s delicate flavor shine through.
SUI Sonic: For depth and complexity, add a splash of tonic water.
Mix it up!: You can make your own concoction for a more customized experience: add a squeeze of lemon, a tablespoon of Yuzu juice, raw grated ginger, or green tea. For more unique flavors, get trendy by adding crushed plum, wasabi, shiso leaves, or frozen oranges. Experience the flavors of SUI Gin that complement every meal occasion.
SUI Gin is now available in S&Rstores nationwide and coming soon at your nearest supermarkets and liquor stores, as well as GrabMart, Lazada, Boozy, and Boozeshop.
Jolibee is spreading joy once more by bringing back its hit dessert from last year– the Ube Cheese Pie!
When Jollibee first introduced the delicious treat, the Ube Cheese Pie was an instant hit thanks to the sweet and savory flavor of its ube-cheese filling and the crispy goodness of its golden pie crust. Now, Jollibee has announced that they are bringing back the beloved pie flavor starting today.
“When we saw just how much of a hit the Ube Cheese Pie was among our customers, we knew we had to bring it back. We’re looking forward to seeing people enjoy one of their favorite Jollibee items, and having even more fans discover the goodness of this sweet and cheesy pie,” Bea Bediones, Brand Manager for Pies, said in a statement.
The Jollibee Ube Cheese Pie is now available in all Jollibee stores nationwide for only P35 for Solo; P100 for 3 Pies To-Go; and P199 for 6 Pies To-Go. You can also order it via delivery through the Jollibee Delivery App, JollibeeDelivery.com, and #87000. You may also order via Drive-Thru and Take Out.
For more info and updates on the Ube Cheese Pie, as well as other Jollibee products and offers, follow Jollibee on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
