MESA Renews Ties with DINGDONG DANTES on their #RoadTo100

Popular modern Filipino and Asian inspired restaurant MESA just renewed their ties with Primetime King and Kapuso Star Dingdong Dantes as they continue having him as the endorser for the restaurant chain. The event was witnessed by Dong's Manager Mr. Perry Lansigan, MESA CEO Rikki Dee, their COO Eric Dee and their VP for National Operations Raymond Federigan. This continues a very effective partnership between the MESA group and Dingdong who's well identified with their brand and the life sized standees in store across the country.

Eric Dee says "We planned 120 stores last 2020, we were delayed because of obvious reasons. We are back on track this year for 2025. Our growth's reason is Mr. Dingdong Dantes, our vision of our Road to 100 is coming true. We will continue to celebrate Filipino heritage in our stores, our food, enjoyed by families all over "

Ricky Dee added "I want to thank Dingdong for coming to our lives. When we thought about it, it was unanimous. Til today we believe in him, and we are looking forward to more years of being together."

Dingdong extends his thanks for the trust given to him and said "Congratulations to the MESA group, I am so proud and honored to be part of this brand 6 years ago. Now, we are raring to be part of the road to 100 and my inclusion in it. I said a few years ago that I'll be part of it, I will be branch 88 and we will announce it very soon. To Filipino families, we will reach you, even in Hawaii. This brand will become bigger and stronger."

He adds "Our values are aligned, common goals, and we both believe in quality. Without getting into details, they will take care of me. I'm planning to put it near Sixto's school so Marian and I will be in it often. We can't wait to do that. We bond over food."

Dong adds "What the stomach experiences is the same in memories. We dine out, we eat, and I'm a foodie. I love the Crispchon and it's good to share. Being with other people, sharing it with the ones you love, it's what we do every week and it is special."

Here's some scenes from the event this morning and the press conference, please enjoy!

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With this happening this 2025, there will be more events and activations where Dingdong will be a part of and soon, more stores for him too as he said he's also planning to open one in his neck of the woods. Currently, MESA is present in Ayala Malls, Eastwood, Festival Mall, Fisher Mall, One Ayala, Robinsons Malls, SM Malls, and more. They are all under Foodie Global Concepts.

Congratulations on this continuing partnership! 

Dimsum, Savory Meals and Afternoon Tea at MODERN SHANG

It's like clockwork to go to MODERN SHANG after church or just strolling around the mall for the love of dimsum and savory meals. You know you're going to a legit one when much of the diners are actual Chinese and see them enjoy the meals in store. Recently, they're given us much more reason to go there as they launch their "Afternoon Tea" that only costs Php 400- Php 600 and is already good for 2-4 people. With dimsum, noodles, even pudgy dessert items, it can surely fill you up without breaking the bank.

These were what we tried at the MODERN SHANG branch in Greenbelt 5 a few days ago. They spruced up the place and I must say, the modern Chinese French look felt quite bougie, I liked it a lot. You won't be disappointed bringing in friends and family because by any standards, they'll find it cool. The food too is pretty solid, as they've been doing these for several years, I think they've had the hang of things early on and made sure their dimsum choices are above grade. I actually had seconds on some of them and contemplated to have a few more because it was that good.

Vegetable Dumplings

Meat Buns

Har Gow

Chicken Feet

Shrimp and Pork Siu Mai

Salted Egg Custard Bun

Xiao Long Bao

My personal favorite, the Hot and Sour Soup

Salted Egg Shrimp (ordered a la carte)

They've got good drinks too, this was Citrus and Mint.

The Afternoon Tea sets cost almost Php 600 and can save you almost Php 300

There's really more on the menu but I think they'll make a hit with the "Afternoon Tea" meals they have listed on it. It's got the right amount of protein and carbs, dimsum items that anyone would find filling at that price.This is only served from 3-6PM on weekdays, totally worth it.

MODERN SHANG is at the Greenbelt 5's 2nd Floor, They also have branches around Metro Manila which serve the same menu, but I would strongly suggest you give this branch a visit. It looks fresh and modern, and your family will love it too!

Smart Cooking with Samsung Home Appliances

We went to Chef Ernest Reynoso Galang's Gala Stars Culinary School in Pasig City to take a few lessons so we could use some of Samsung's modern ovens and state of the art refrigerators to whip up a couple of recipes during the event. I cook a little, but am yet to fully utilize my Samsung oven and this was something that they think could get us a little acquainted with the appliance and got a few bloggers in the mix to make the  activity a little competitive. This time we we're not cooking our best recipes but doing everything by the book. Instead of frying we could use the modern oven to air fry, aside from that, we could use the Samsung Refrigerators to keep the ingredients fresh and frozen at some point.

The executives from Samsung Home Appliances and Chef Ernest gave us small talk about how we can maximize the use of the appliances. They also told us not to worry about cooking that afternoon because it's going to be easy. 

When we arrived they already did the "mise en place" so we barely prepared everything and just had to put things together. The school mostly does this on their classes I think. When we started to cook it was awesome to have the instructions on paper at that time, that made it easier for us to understand. They also got the "finished product" in front so we could see how it'll all turn out.

The appliances were kinda huge because they're more industrial, fit for the school's function. Still, I could definitely see how this will all look like when the appliances are at home. It'll definitely help a lot.

After pounding the Chicken Breast (to flatten), we had it butterflied and inserted slices of Spam (original flavor) and a couple strips of cheese. You just roll them up, put them in F.E.B., that's Flour, Egg and Bread Crumbs (specifically in that order) and put them in the fridge so they could hold their form. Then, you just deep fry them or bake, it depends on your preference but it'll be crispier with oil. It'll be way healthier if you put it on the oven though.

It was meaty, spicy and cheesy, just the way I liked it. I put in a sprinkle of dried herbs on mine like basil, pepper and cayenne so it would be different from the others who made the same dish. It was absolutely, insanely delicious! Of course, I made it! :P

We also made pasta with only a few ingredients. It's sauce was just made by Basil, Garlic and Tomato. I had my serving with tons of Parmesan cheese whilst the one for show had fried basil leaves on top. It was simple, yet very filling. It could even pass for date food if I were cooking for someone special, but you can always cook for yourself and make it your comfort food. I know I do.

Life became so easy with the Samsung Ovens and Refrigerator. I still have my fridge at home and it's so efficient, we've had it for years. I also have the Samsung Oven but I'm still learning to use it. You can cook too if you had the right products in your kitchen, all it takes is the right ones from Samsung so you can get started with your own culinary journey. That's smart cooking!

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