Extraordinary South African feast

By Winchelle C. Nacague
‘Cheeses, wines, air dried sausages, venison, various other sweets and meats, even flowers were all flown in especially from South Africa to the Philippines,” says chef Myrna Segismundo, the managing director of the exclusive, multi-awarded Restaurant 9501 of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. All the tireless effort and precise work were made for the celebration of the 2nd South African Food and Wine Festival, held recently in Manila and Cebu. Restaurant 9501, the crowning piece of the ELJ Communications Center, meant for the exclusive use of its executives, opened its doors to the public only for the duration of the one-week festival.

Blazing year-ender

By Mila C. Espina
The year 2008 left us with beautiful memories! The year-ender events were the lively Christmas “international costume shindig” of Korean Air, energized by its general manager Han Sang Wook and his family, sales diva Ann Momongan and staff Nina Inso, April Villanueva, Arah Balbona, Stella Song and May del Castillo. Marget Villarica (Vietnam), Novy Antiporta (Japan) and Dorothy Lou (Arabia) ran away with the best costume awards picked by Nelia Neri, Lyn Romero, MCE and Han Sang Wook.

Italian maestro Barbieri conducts European fare at CCP

RENOWNED Italian conductor and former music director and principal conductor of the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, maestro Ruggero Barbieri, returns to Manila to launch the 2009 performances at the Cultural Center of the Philippines with a concert entitled Glimpses of Europe.

Creative partners in the arts

By Chit Lijauco
Contributor
HALF the world’s population cannot start the day right without a hot cup of coffee, the brew being the most valuable commodity after oil. And they’re in good company too, as history will attest.