It's not Valentine's season, but that doesn't mean we can't indulge in stories of love designed with some of your favorite OPM hits. These are some of your favorite music pieces that we all fell in love when they came out. This show also will be featuring several stories meant to pull those heartstrings, some sad, some with a happy ending.
The story will also include some of your favorite actors, love teams, of which were also there during the show's mediacon a few days ago. The roster includes Heaven Peralejo and Marco Gallo, Bea Binene (who will be paired with Gab Lagman), Krissha Viaje and Wilbert Ross, plus the previously paired (in different shows) Jairus Aquino and Aubrey Caraan (who I found so lovely by the way!).
I find Heaven and Marco really endearing during the presser, and while we were talking about love and serious stuff, they've been pressed a lot of times about the status of their relationship. I got the notion that they didn't really have a label but rather just enjoy what they have right now. Marco was also quite serious about courtship, because the thing he wanted is for that certain person to be the one he plans to marry, and I really am impressed with that answer. Bea on the other hand didn't want to touch on her previous relationships and just concentrate on the now, whilst Jairus is certainly a different man now if you compare him during his younger days. This isn't the first time he's being paired with Aubrey but things went smoothly. Aubrey on the other hand is a person that's NBSB (No Boyfriend Since Birth), so when asked about how she connected with the love songs, she got a little nervous answering questions from the press. They look so cute on screen and in real life though!
Here's what happened during the event!
For those who love hearing Ms. Pops Fernandez sing, this is the opportune time to actually watch the show. She will be singing the different songs from Viva's music library and put her little spin on it so it'll be amazing to see that during the episodes. Remember, this will all start on July 29th 3:20pm on TV5. It's going to be a great time to fall in love, and listen to the music we love all these years! This is brought to you by TV5 and Viva Entertainment. Make sure you also follow their social channels for BTS and updates about the show!
It was an awesome time to spend an afternoon with great friends... and twas time make new ones too.
An intimate luncheon was in session and I couldn't be more ecstatic to find out that it was going to happen at THE PENTHOUSE of Hotel Rembrandt. You see, this part of Quezon City is my hood. I've lived and breathed here all my life. Hotel Rembrandt used to be that sore thumb that naysayers said was crazy to actually been have put up in a residential district, but look at them now! Years after, they've been well received by the public, plus business travelers who want to be somewhere near the TV stations, fabulous restaurants of Tomas Morato and the multitude entertainment and businesses along Timog Avenue. This place held a lot of promise back then and in a way... they saw that coming. This place must have really smart owners.
Anyway, our business was to actually experience their Gin Bar which was located in the hotel's top floor hence the name of the place.
THE PENTHOUSE is first and foremost a real deal Gin Bar which means you'll get specialty mixes and concoctions made of that. Since we were in the mood for good drinks, we had them prepare everything on the bar menu. The gin concoctions were quite good, it was spiced right, had different flavors which they design perfect for the season. Aside from the signature ones on the menu, they always prepare a Drink of the Month so you've got something to look forward to if you're planning to frequent this place. I wouldn't be surprised if you do.
While waiting for everything to be prepared, we were served canisters of Cashew nuts. Judging from the way it looks, it ain't the usual ones that are roasted or mixed with Garlic. This is their Sambal Chili Cashew Nuts, it's got that zing you would expect from those Malay/Singaporean Sambal Chili dishes that I also love. That's pretty good, don't tell them I almost ate half of this container ah?!
My friends and I each had one glass, except for one because he doesn't drink (Hi Rodel! LOL). These glasses fell off of the table (or probably disappeared after a few minutes) because they used real spices, berries and even real cinnamon barks that further enhanced the notes of the drinks they concocted. If you're a little too tired to design your own drink (oh yes they can do that for Php 230), go for the Penthouse or the Manila (which were my favorites). I would love to have some more but that probably asks for another visit. We prepared ourselves for a sumptuous feast, a 13 course meal (15 if you count the three desserts we had! LOL) so let's see!
The Freshly Baked Rosemary Scones was unbelievable. Instead of the usual jam and butter combo, it was served with a small jar of honey which you can put on the nice biscuits with cinnamon sticks. I was trying so hard to actually not eat too much of it because I've seen the menu first hand, but the Rosemary scent in each bit proved to be weakening, my knees folded and I began pitying myself as I started seconds. I was preparing myself for the other dishes. Then they came!
This appetizer is called Deep Fried Anchovies. It's served with a couple pieces of green chili that's probably got a Scoville heat index of zero. It had that flavor, plus those salty anchovies fried to perfection like tempura. I could have sworn they used a lighter beer batter with it. They also dipped it with it in a garlic aioli, my mouth was watering just like you.
For starters, we had this bowl of hearty Cream Root Vegetable Soup. As the name suggests, they used root crops as the base for it. They added peanuts so it would have a different texture in every spoonful. Pretty good.
This is the Roasted Carrot Salad. To tell you the truth, this is one of my most hated vegetable right after bitter gourd but surprisingly I ate it all. It's got slivers of oranges, roasted carrots (it made it sweet) plus a puree underneath. They also used a citrus based dressing for this one to counteract with the sweetness of the carrots. They also added cheese so you get that little bits of saltiness from it. It's a miracle for me.
This is their Vannamei Shrimp Roll. It's sweet and toasty, but lovely and savory on the inside. This would be dreamy for those who love shrimps. It reminds me so much of Banh Mi sans the liver spread. The bread is special too as it is made of tapioca flour/potato flour. It's got it's own sweetness on the bread alone.
This is their Seafood Pasta. It's got the lovely clams, mussels, shrimps and all the goodness of the sea. The lemon crumbs on top provide a bit of citrus on the plate making it cut through that thick seafood sauce it's enveloped in. You get this fresh with miniature greens and cherry tomatoes, my Mom would love this for sure.
This is Braised Pork Cheek Gyoza. Now really, I thought this wouldn't work, but man I was wrong. It's like your lovely Japanese Gyozas but filled with your favorite Filipino Sisig sans the tons of onions. They laid on on a bed of pureed red cabbage and swirls of balsamic vinegar. It was not guilt free, but worth every bite.
I have to say I liked their Pan Seared Salmon. I don't often eat salmon but this was good. It's seared both sides, prolly put inside the oven and cooked further. They also laid it on a bed of cream risotto and a bit of micro greens. It was meaty, sweet from the light citrus sauce and a tad peppery from those small greens. I liked this and finished the plate in no time.
This is their Squid Heads. It's a good use of fresh seafood and
squid heads set on a squid ink sauce and a lot of heart warming gnocci
which was boiled and prolly cooked in butter. This is comfort food, the
kind that you fix in a bowl and curl up with a book while watching the
rain pitter patter on the window while the monsoon passes by. Okay my
mind floated there for a minute, but you get the gist right?
What you're seeing here is their Duck Duo Pan Seared Duck. This one was impressive as it wasn't gamey at all. I do shy away from the local ones because often times, they do not really raise them well. They actually use imported proteins in this hotel so that includes this one. You get what you pay for and for me, this was excellently prepared by the Chef. I think that's Spatzle if I'm not mistaken.
This is their 8 Hour Braised Lamb Shank. Again, they had this imported. The lovely mirepoix is a combination of staple vegetables from springtime in Europe. They do that and put a huge chunk of lamb on top, cooked that long to give you that super tender shank they prepared just for you. Quite good.
My friends and I were talking about the plating when each of the dishes arrived. This is the Leek Ashed Wagyu Strip Loin. Just mention anything Wagyu and I'm there LOL. Well it's not just the tender piece of meat who's the star here but the Roasted Beet Root too. It was sweet and so good that you wouldn't think it was that when you see it. They also had a beet root puree with it which functioned as part of the sauce while they had a separate gravy in another container. I like the fleur de sel which the Chef put on top of the steak slices. It was perfectly seared, medium, like heaven in my mouth. Oh wait! There's dessert!
For dessert, we had a trio of Tart Au Chocolate, Berry Pavlova and Caramelized Bananas. Nothing was overly sweet, I like that they had options with real fruits on desserts because I prefer it that way.
At the helm of Hotel Rembrandt's restaurants is Chef Chester Delos Reyes. He's donned various restaurants here and abroad including Michelin starred ones. He also trained and did further studies in Vancouver, Canada. We talked to the young Chef in the sidelines, he just got married and stayed in the Philippines because LOVE conquers all!
Listen in:
THE PENTHOUSE at Hotel Rembrandt can hold small parties and functions (could sit around 50), just call ahead of time. They also accept walk ins, they're open business hours so don't hesitate to do that as well for lunch or dinner. The place is cozy, would be perfect for short meetings, even dinner dates or afternoon breaks. Whoever said Gin bars of this stature are not accessible should definitely try and give them a visit. They're not overly pricey, the ambiance is good and the service is great. If you don't want that to happen to your day, you must be crazy. Plus, again, the good food.
For those who don't know, the hotel is under the Art Stream Hospitality Management Group. This is a company that also manages Vitalis Villas in La Union and the gorgeous Le Monet in Baguio and the majestic Hotel Luna in Vigan. So it looks like this chain of hotels are named after famous artists, doesn't that just make you want to stay in the hotels even more? That and the food of course. There's a lot of other things to discover while in Hotel Rembrandt in Quezon City, the discoveries doesn't end there!
If you like what you've seen in this article, do the right thing and pay them a visit at their official website www.hotelrembrandt.com.ph or call them at +6323733333 for reservations or inquiries. The hotel is located at Tomas Morato Extension in Quezon City (very near ABSCBN). Cheers!
Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez For Penthouse Live! Reunion.
Don't you miss the Concert King and Concert Queen? Want to see them together in one event? For those who lived in the 80's, one particular show made a mark in evening talk, it's called Penthouse Live! Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez were strangers then, had opposite views about life, their banters made headlines and then one day, Martin Nievera just decided to court her, then marry her. Yes, this was where it all started. Now, they're doing a reunion show at the PICC Plenary Hall on December 12, at 8 PM. It's called "The Penthouse Live Reunion".
Penthouse live was where Donya Buding started, (the infamous character that Nanette Inventor made for the show), talks say that she will be there, but Strawberry her supposed daughter won't because legend says, she didn't even exist. Talk show host Jojo Alejar started here too together with The Tigers (who does mean 80's Pop dance routines), they'll be back in the show for this one night and it'll make your memories come crashing through on this show by DSL Productions. They'll also be getting us surprise guests. There will be a few artists who might drop by as well, some would look like they're just part of the audience, then sing or perform with the royal couple later on. There are a lot of things you should look out for in this show.
Martin comments about the current TV industry and says "It's hard to asses them now because it's so fast. If you can promote something quickly, you should do it the same way. It's very easy to know things now. I remember the time when Boyet, Johnny and Jay Ilagan guested in the show, they got offended when I asked their names because I was clueless about them. They ended up not going back to the show after that. Now I know everybody, for as long as there are people out there who want to see us as us, we're there!" says Martin.
Ms. Pops Fernandez says "We have to give it to the artists and people who recognize our work. Penthouse Live was a peg for many people, other shows followed suit and try to emulate what we did naturally. There's no fakeness in that show, from marriage to annulment everything was in front of the camera. I hope people get to see music, talk and everything we did for the show. I have to thank the show for paving the way for my career and hosting and recording. Everything happens for a reason, I grew up and became more responsible. There was a stage for being bitter and angry but I didn't want to be miserable for the rest of my life. I never wanted my kids to be involved or get reactions from them. "
Martin adds "Robin and Ram are just talking about it now but nothing changed because Pops never destroyed me in front of my kids. That's the best thing. Robin is sensible, Ram is sensitive. We give our kids free will to even tell us or give feedback with songs now. We are so blessed to have good offsprings. Initially Pops wanted this to be a concert, I wanted it to be a TV
special which will show on public TV like a month, but we can do it
anywhere. With her involved behind the scenes and in concert production,
I am very happy for Pops. For me, there's no one else that can be like Pops of course."
Here are some excerpts of the press conference, enjoy!
Remember the date, it's December 12, 2014 8PM at the PICC Plenary Hall. Get your tickets from Ticketnet outlets nationwide or call 8919999. This concert is also directed by Rowell Santiago, so you're going to be sure it'll be like when we were there in the 80's.
The Penthouse Live Reunion is presented by Sta. Elena Construction and Development Corporation, PLDT Home DSL, Yakult, PLDT Home Telpad, OAAP-Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines, PAMICA Graphics, Prouna Hankook Chinaware - The gift of luxury, The Food Club - Your Lifestyle Buffet!, Jet7 Bistro, Don Henrico's, North Park, ABSCBN, Star Events and Business World.
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