Tagaytay Food Festival kicks off
THE Tagaytay Food Festival 2025 is happening from July 18 to 20, with a finale event on Aug. 3. With the theme “Food That Binds,” the festival is anchored at Taal Vista Hotel, the festival’s official home. The experience begins on July 18, with the Festival Fair & Farmer’s Market at Taal Vista Hotel. This is followed by the Drinks Fest in the afternoon, then the Grand Tasting in the evening, a signature dinner featuring a lineup of chefs. Expect dishes normally not found on menus — and moments that won’t be repeated. July 19 deepens the experience with Food Talks — a full-day series of conversations and demos featuring some of the country’s most respected voices in the industry. From sustainability and reinvention to heritage and hospitality, the day brings together Thirdy Dolarte, Chaele Dee, Ryan Cruz, Stephane Duhesme, and Tina Legarda. The sessions will be powered by Pickup Coffee and Cold Storage. On the same day, there will be a Cavite City Food Heritage Tour, an immersive journey through Cavite City’s culinary and cultural history, under the guidance of writer Ige Ramos. The festival also offers a lunch experience that day at The Fatted Calf featuring One Michelin Star Restaurant Fiz Singapore, made possible through the festival’s official banking partnership with RCBC (the lunch is exclusive to the bank’s clients). Festival guests, however, can try the Veranda Heritage Lunch at Taal Vista’s al fresco area (offered on both Saturday and Sunday) for a relaxed, open-air dining experience that revisits Filipino heirloom recipes. After the talks, there will be Sunset Sessions at the Taza Fresh Table at 4 p.m. For dinner, Food That Binds at The Fatted Calf welcomes a cross-border exchange between Restaurant Fiz Singapore and chefs Rhea and Jayjay SyCip. On July 20, the day begins with brunch, a New Menu Launch at Samira by Chele in the Anya Resort Tagaytay. Later that day, there will be the Anzani Sunday Lunch. Mediterranean Flair brings together Marco Anzani of Cebu and his peers for a refined lunch experience, offering a take on coastal gastronomy. This intimate eight-hands collaboration is a preview of Anzani’s upcoming restaurant at Ville Sommet in Alfonso, Cavite. The evening closes with Sinta: A Collaboration Dinner at 6 p.m., featuring chefs Ariel Manuel, Bettina Arguelles, and chefs from the PYC Foods Group. The festival concludes on Aug. 3 with the Creative Bulalo Challenge at Skyranch Tagaytay. For tickets, call 0917-611-9808 or 0977-643-7477. Tickets to the Grand Tasting are priced at P3,950 per person. Premium dining experiences have limited seating — early booking is encouraged. Follow @tagaytayfoodfestival for more details.
Italian Journey Tasting Menu at Solaire Resort North
FINESTRA has a new offer for dinner — the Italian Journey Tasting Menu. This is a five-course set menu featuring some of Finestra’s signature dishes for P4,200++ per head. It opens with a new addition to Finestra’s a la Carte menu, the Zuppa di Cipolla (charred onion consommé and Parmesan cheese), Calamari and Ravioli del Plin (a squid-based dish paired with fava beans and an edamame salad), and a homemade beef ravioli drizzled with jus. For the main course, Finestra prepares a Tagliata di Wagyu M5 made from Australian M5 Wagyu beef steak marinated in peppercorn sauce and paired with glazed mushrooms, or a Merluzzo composed of fresh Patagonian toothfish with browned butter and King Oyster mushrooms. Dessert is Finestra Tiramisu, a chocolate brownie blended with Mascarpone cream and sprinkled with fine cocoa powder. For more details, reservations, and inquiries, visit the Solaire Resort North website at sn.solaireresort.com, or contact them at 8888-8888 or via e-mail at sn.reservations@solaireresort.com or snrestaurantevents@solaireresort.com.
Dinner and a show at Gateway
AT THE NEW World Kitchens Platinum Cinema on Level 4 of Gateway Mall 1, Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, one can have a one-of-a-kind cinematic offering while partaking in a gastronomic feast featuring World Kitchen’s globally renowned chefs. “Following the opening of Wolfgang’s Premiere Lounge, the World Kitchens Platinum Cinema brings something new to the table — taking the joy of watching a movie and taking it up a notch by pairing it with global culinary favorites,” said Irene Jose, chief operating officer of Uniprom. World Kitchens Platinum Cinema features 40 La-Z-Boy recliners, Digital Dolby Surround Sound, and a state-of-the-art screen. While enjoying the film, customers can choose from a selection of treats from any of World Kitchens’ show kitchens. Every ticket comes with a choice of a main dish from World Kitchens, and a bottle of water. These include chicken teppanyaki from Shinshima, lasagna from Dario’s Pizza, braised pork belly Chinese bao from HK Ma’s Bistro, maze soba from The You No Men, calamari from Unagi Yukimitsu, Papad crusted crispy chicken from Prana, Conchinillo Queso El Sandwich from Asador de Manila, burger sliders with fries from Chef Jessie, and salmon samurai roll from Kuro Maguro. Additional dishes are available for order as add-ons through the à la carte menu at the cinema lounge for an extra charge. The lounge also doubles as a waiting area or a hangout spot. The bar menu offers alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including a wine list, imported beers, and specialty juices. Each ticket is priced at P990. Book through the Araneta City app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. One may also purchase tickets directly from the ticket booth. To know more about the show schedules, deals, and updates, visit https://www.gatewaycineplex18.com/.
Dine & Style at Estancia
UNTIL JULY 31, Ortigas Land invites foodies and fashion lovers to join Dine & Style, a social media challenge that pairs one’s outfit with their order. Customers can wear an outfit that matches their meal or drink, snap a creative shot or reel, and post it on Instagram and Facebook. “We wanted to transform the everyday experience of dining out into something playful and expressive — giving customers a chance to showcase their unique fashion sense, too. By collaborating with influencers, we’re adding a fresh and creative twist that stands out from traditional restaurant promos,” said Annelle Lansangan, Ortigas Land’s corporate marketing manager. Dine & Style also highlights Capitol Commons and Estancia. Participating restaurants include the likes of James & Daughters, Angkan Coffee, and Tiong Bahru, with more to be announced on their official social media pages. To join the contest, customers can dine at any participating restaurant at Estancia or Capitol Commons and match their outfit with their order. Participants must publicly post a photo or reel on Instagram and Facebook along with a short explanation of the outfit-meal connection. Posts must tag @capitolcommonsph_ and @estanciaph and include the official campaign hashtags: #DineandStylePH, #DineandStyleCapitolCommonsEstancia, #CapitolCommons, #Estancia, and #OrtigasLand. Participants must also tag two friends in the caption to invite others to join. Each entry must be submitted via the official Google Form, accessible through the official Dine & Style campaign post on social media. Participants are required to include the link to their public post and upload a copy of their photo or reel as part of their entry. Reels earn additional points, and multiple submissions are allowed, provided each features a different outfit and food pairing. Entrants must ensure their accounts are set to public. All entries will be reviewed per Ortigas Land’s data privacy policy. Three winners will be selected based on creativity, aesthetic appeal, relevance to theme, social impact, and brand compliance. The top scorer will win P7,500 worth of SM gift certificates and P7,500 worth of Bistro Group gift certificates. Second place will take home P5,000 worth of SM GCs and P5,000 worth of Bistro Group GCs, while third place will receive P2,500 worth of GCs from each brand. Winners will be announced via @capitolcommonsph_ and @estanciaph on or before Aug. 8. For contest details and submission link, follow @capitolcommonsph_ and @estanciaph on Instagram and Facebook.
