The Launch: Ninyo Fusion Cuisine @ Katipunan

The day of the launch finally came.

Our group came in early so we could all take pictures of the prep. With the place all lit up, walking towards the gazebo had me speechless. It was a short escape from the noise, the pollution and the chaos we are all used to right here in Manila. 

The tables were well set.. the glasses carefully wiped..

And with regards to the food, I shall let the photos speak for itself.

spring rolls

duck in crispy apples

wasabi soba noodles

lamb cookies

maki salad

baked clams in tomato sauce

takoyaki balls with foie gras fillings

The food was great. But the highlight of the night for me was the wine they served.

We were lucky to meet Genaro Yupangco, a wine importer from Yupangco Wines Elysium who had us taste French wines from Canada. His Ed Hardy Wines by Christian Audigier collection is interesting because the skull and tattoo prints are actually the same as those you see on shirts, skateboards, belts..etc.

Ever heard of the "ice wine"? It was my first time too.

It turns out these were made from grapes frozen at below 10degrees and and then squeezed to make the drink. It was very sweet and thick.. Just the way I like it!

And the rest was history. We all had fun and I'm sure all their other guests had fun too!

Nino and Carla Laus


and the CinematicConcepts

Visit Ninyo when you're around Katipunan. I tell you, you won't regret it.

Directions: From the Fort, Take C5 all the way to Katipunan, make a U-turn at the first slot you see, turn right after Mc Donald's and another right on the first street. (Ninyo is located at 66 E.Abada St., just behind Katipunan Avenue.)

(Read more inside ..)

Teaser: Evercrest Golf and Country Club, Batangas

Their energies were as high as the sun...

...their sense of humor, boundless!!

This is JUST a preview of our comical afternoon together. Get ready for more. (Read more inside ..)

The Product Shoot: NINYO - Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge

Chef Nino Laus and his sister Carla Laus, invited the Cinematic Concepts team over to Katipunan for a two part shoot for the launch of NINYO FUSION CUISINE AND WINE LOUNGE. 

Day 1's objective was to shoot the place and the food for their brochures/AVP to be shown on the opening night:

Carla, the managing director and public relations officer, explained that this place used to be a part of their house and was renovated to fit a restaurant for Nino's culinary likings.

If the trees, the furnitures and the ambient lighting aren't enough to send a relaxing vibe, wait until you go inside and see a mix of modern and tradition. It was pretty both inside and out. T'was my first time here and it didn't take long for me to pull out my camera and start shooting.

This was the newly renovated 2nd floor - The Wine Lounge.

And their wine cellar (photo below on the left).

 

They also have a wall filled with empty wine bottles (photo above on the right). At first, I thought it was put there to add ambiance --- It turns out, these were empty bottles consumed by Ninyo's customers! These bottles were personally signed by the person/group who consumed them.

While Rommel and Iggy were setting up the place so we can photograph the food, Tita Asunta and I visited the kitchen to watch Nino in action.

  

Nino was definitely hands-on and I noticed that he was very meticulous. 

Shortly after, the food was ready.
Among the menu, here are my favorites:

Duck with Foie Gras in dehydrated apples -- This is not on the menu YET.. :( Too bad, coz it was definitely my favorite!

Pig Trotters Katsudon Style

Crispy fried Shiraz-braised pig trotters drizzled with katsudon sauce set on foie gras fried rice topped with watercress relish in raspberry dressing. -- The meat had this taste my tongue could not distinguish. It was sweet and salty, soft and crunchy all at the same time!!!

This was work all right...... but it didn't stop us all from having fun.

Chef Nino's work did not disappoint at all. In fact, it was even more than expected. His creations are truly unique and one would have to keep coming back to see if he has more inside his sleeve. After all the food have been photographed (and EATEN!) and the place well-documented, DAY 1 was a Wrap!

Stay tuned for Day2....

Directions: From the Fort, Take C5 all the way to Katipunan, make a U-turn at the first slot you see, turn right after Mc Donald's and another right on the first street. (Ninyo is located at 66 E.Abada St., just behind Katipunan Avenue.)

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Jeff and Aconie's Cebu Wedding

A kiss is still a kiss be it the French way or any other way.  The couple had their guests blown away after showing off to the crowd in the queue of "You may now kiss the bride".





It was a kiss....

after a kiss....

after another kiss...........

(believe me when I say there are more kissing pictures to follow, so stay tuned)
----- I knew this was only the beggining.

Jeff and Aconie vowed to live as one at the Archbishop's Palace in Cebu City last January 23. Cebu city lies 375 miles (600 km) southeast of Manila and is 45 minutes away by plane. What started off as a one-of-a-kind prenup in Bantayan last November, ended up to be another intense wedding photos by the Cinematic Concepts team.

It was a day of artistry, friendship and romance. Rommel and I truly had a blast.

 

Just some food for thought from a site I ran into: http://www.bridallistings.com/wedding_traditions_explained.htm

Meaning of "Wedding"
"Wedding" literally meant the purchase of a bride for breeding purposes. The word wedding comes from the root meaning to "gamble" or "wager". The Anglo-Saxon word "wedd" meant that the groom would vow to marry the woman, but it also meant the money or barter that the groom paid the bride's father. This is believed why it is still customary for the father-of-the-bride to "give away" his daughter.

Cheers to forever, Jeff and Conie!

Wait til you see the final photos from http://www.cinematiconcepts.com/!

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Lunch Buffet @ Basix, Dusit Hotel

It was about 1pm yesterday when we were at Dusit for Cinematic Concepts' coverage of the Easy Phamax's event. Iggy was just about to have lunch so we decided to tag along. Another BIG BIG thanks to ENJOY Philippines because of it's 50% off on lunch buffet rates for a maximum of three. 

Regular lunch and dinner buffet rates are as follows:

Lunch  - Php 1,150 net per person, inclusive of free-flow drinks 

          (softdrinks, chilled juices, local beers and wines)

Dinner - Php 1,299 net per person, inclusive of free-flow drinks 

          (softdrinks, chilled juices, local beers and wines)

Opening Hours:

Daily 24-Hours

Daily Breakfast Buffet: 6am - 10am

Daily Lunch Buffet: 11.30am - 3pm

Daily Dinner Buffet: 6pm -10pm

Honestly, it was the free-fowing drinks that got us in. Basix offered a wide selection of multicultural buffet. Your mind would go crazy deciding what you'd want to have first.

They had: 
Bread and butter

Japanese food freshly prepared by master chefs
Fresh seafood such as oysters, clams and shrimps

Fresh leaves and wide variety of salads

Delicious dimsums

Huge portions of turkey meat, lambs and steaks

The BEST part for me, DESSERTS!!!
Basix could make you your own choice of crepes

Freshly cut fruits

Mouthwatering cakes and a chocolate fondue

Free flowing softdrinks, chilled juices, local beers and wines

A cup of brewed coffee to end the feast



TOTAL BILL PAID for 3 persons: (thank you Enjoy!)
P 1,800.00

Hungry yet? Come and visit Dusit and try it out for yourself.

For more information and reservations, please contact Basix
T: +63 (2) 867 3333 ext. 3346E-mail: dtmn.basix@dusit.com

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One Long Drive to Calabarzon --- My First Time @ Quezon

Located East of Metro Manila is the province of Quezon. This is also where Agusto"Ugu" Bigyan, a ceramic artist, put up his workshop and opened for visitors to admire.  

It was a really long drive to Quezon but was well worth it. His house exhibited a lot of his works that were nice to take pictures of and pose at.

 

This is actually one of the few pictures we have together in a photo and his kuya was very nice to have taken it.

As a kid, I've always been scared of big jars. Thanks to Ugu's work, I realized I still am! =)

We found a really heavy and delicate face mask and decided to take a few shots with it. It was put back the way it was ofcourse.. Hopefully all it's visitors would give the same treatment.

 For the finale', our lunch: (...served with the freshest ingredients)

1.) Ugu's specialty: Langka

 

2.) Giant clam soup

3.) Inihaw na Liempo (My Favorite!)

4.) Paco Salad

5.) Calamares

6.) Sweet and Sour Fish

Overall, the food wasn't spectacular. It was good but it didn't really blow me away. I cannot say the same for his workshop though, because I loved every corner, and every artifact in it! One last head's up. Ugu's workshop isn't really easy to find. Drive slow and keep your eyes open when you get to Tiaong to save time and gasoline.

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IMAX @ MOA

Just like every couple, family, sisters, friends who go to MOA for the IMAX, we did too.. and got ourselves our own cellphone-taken picture of us wearing those 3D glasses. =)

Though we like to do extra ordinarily crazy trips together, it's never too boring to spend a normal afternoon watching a movie and eating popcorn.

These photos was taken last Christmas break when we watched A Christmas Carol at IMAX. 

(Read more inside ..)