(L-R): Raymund Magdaluyo, Shanna Lopez, Glecy Lopez-Go, and Marvin Agustin

Their branch at The Terraces is their first in the Visayas and the biggest in the country so far, with a seating capacity of 120.

SumoSam, as the name suggests, is a Japanese-American Restaurant truly reflected by its interior design featuring a unique ambiance of stained wooden planks, textured paints, and colorful light boxes. Playful decor of sumo wrestlers captured in various poses are also a visual treat.

SumoSam ceiling

According to Magdaluyo, their goal with SumoSam is to “make Japanese food or present it in a more formal or more international way”. He claims the strength of SumoSam is “bastardizing Japanese cuisine, (laughs)”. SumoSam is one of the more popular Japanese food chains in the country today and it is positioned to be “not too expensive but still able to provide quality”, he added. The menu is very extensive with around 140 items and each one actually has a photo with it so when you’re browsing SumoSam’s menu, you’ll feel as if you’re viewing a photo album. This was done for “people not to be scared of Japanese food”. Due to their success in SumoSam, they opened spin-offs from SumoSam such as John and Yoko, featuring cosmopolitan-Japanese cuisine, Marciano’s, featuring Italian-New Yorker cuisine and Mr. Kurosawa, featuring European-Japanese cuisine.

Raymund Magdaluyo with SumoSam’s textured walls as his background

Marvin Agustin

Agustin further explained that SumoSam is a “family-oriented restaurant”. Realizing their desire to expand and reach out to untapped markets by opening new stores, he revealed that they are opening a branch each in Bacolod, Cagayan de Oro and one more in Davao next year. For Cebu, they are looking at opening one of their spin-off brands at the Phase 2B of Ayala Center which is currently under construction. In the next two years, the company is planning to open 15 more branches on top of the 10 stores that are currently operating. They are also now open to franchising. Typically, investment on a franchise would cost P5 million to P7 million depending on the size of the store.

As operations normalize, they also plan to introduce new items that will “utilize Cebuano ingredients”. And now that SumoSam has finally invaded The Terraces, they are hoping to put more smiles on the faces of the diners in Cebu. Not only because SumoSam is at last a quick drive away, but also because now, you can choose over the wide array of sumptuous meals prepared skillfully by SumoSam’s highly-trained chefs and served by modish and vibrant attendants. To date, SumoSam confirms that the fusion of Western and Asian cuisines can work.

SumoSam Red Ice Tea. Bottomless at P98.

Chicken Teriyaki and Mangoes Pizza. P288.

SumoSam’s Pride: mixed greens with grilled prawns, mango, caramelized walnuts on Citrus Miso Vinaigrette. P278.

Fried Chicken & Pork Gyoza. P228.

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki. P268.

Victory Float: tuna, salmon, kani sashimi, California, Philadelphia, Dynamite roll. P858.

*Prices are subject to change without prior notice

**Author’s note: Prices may appear to be quite steep at first look but each item actually has huge servings, enough to serve 2-3 people, depending on the appetite of course.

So what are you waiting for? Head on over now to SumoSam Cebu, located at the ground level of The Terraces garden row (in between TGI Friday’s and Banana Leaf)! SumoSam also has branches at Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Rockwell Power Plant Mall, MarQuee Mall, TriNoma, ABS-CBN, Nuvali, Greenbelt 3 and Abreeza.

Marco Polo Plaza General Manager Hans Hauri welcomes guests, media and VIPs to the launch of their Sinulog 2011 activities

Exhibit opening and blessing

San Diego Dance Company

From January 7 to 18, Marco Polo Plaza brings back well-loved Cebuano traditions. In honor of the occasion, they opened the special weeklong exhibit of the “Sto. Niño: Images of Jesus as a Child,” a rare antique collection of the Compañeros de Juego del Sto. Niño, at the hotel lobby.

Ms. Jessica Avila shares about her own culinary journeys

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu Food and Bevarage Manager Stephan Wieprich, Bantayan Vice Mayor Geralyn Escario, 5th District Board Member Agnes Magpale, Ms. Jessica Avila, Aloguinsan Mayor Cynthia Moreno and Mr. Hans Hauri open Sugbusog 2011

The Marco Polo Plaza also relaunches its traditional SUGBUSOG, with this year’s theme “A Culinary Journey to Our Roots.” For lunch or dinner, delight in a sumptuous selection of Cebuano heritage cuisine, featuring the culinary treasures of Cebu’s famous municipalities: Bantayan and Aloguinsan.

Have your fill of all time Cebuano food favorites like lechon, kinilaw, Bantayan’s danggit, pusit (squid) and other seafood fare, as well as Aloguinsan’s popular Pan Bisaya, Salvaro and more. Talented restaurateur and guest chef Jessica Avila also shares well-loved family recipes for traditional Cebuano fiesta dishes such as balbacua (ox tail), humba, adobong baboy and manok, dugo-dugo, tinola and a lot more. All these on top of the regular international buffet favorites at Cafe Marco.

If it’s food you want, it’s food you get… WARNING: PHOTO OVERLOAD!

Linat-ang Manok Bisaya

Don’t tell me I didn’t warn you

Kaldereta

Adobong Baka

Escabeche

Pancit Buko

Guinataang Sugpo

Arroz Valenzuela

Mais

Kinusit-Kusit nga Nukos

Calamares Fritos

Ginisang Pasayan sa Ahos

Lumpiang Ubod

Crispy Boneless Bangus

Pork Chicharon

Chicharon Bulaklak

Kasahos Beef Tapa

Baked Tahong

Puso sa Saging

Itlog Maalat

Nangka Salad

Guso

Eggplant Salad

Green Mango Salad

Lokot

From January 14-16, spend your Sinulog weekend at the Marco Polo Plaza and avail of the special Sinulog room rates, starting at Php 4,818++, per night with buffet breakfast. A Sinulog package is also available, including complimentary shuttle service to the Sinulog grounds, packed meal and priority eating at the Marco Polo grandstand along Mango Avenue. Sinulog dancers, free souvenirs and face painting in the Lobby on Sunday, January 16. Make this week a truly festive affair!

So go up and celebrate Sinulog 2011 at Cebu City’s only five-star hotel, the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu. For inquiries and reservations, call 253111 loc 8249 or email mpplaza@marcopolohotels.com

Christmas has always been a gastronomic feast… Every Christmas, we see an overflow of food on our tables. From the bibingka and puto bumbong, lechon and quezo de bola, spaghetti and pansit, to our most favorite part, the desserts!

Speaking of desserts, wouldn’t you want to have an extraordinary and extra-special Christmas dessert? An orgy for the sweet teeth? If your answer is yes, then this might be what you’re looking for… Red Ribbon’s Chocolate Mango Mousse..

Red Ribbon Bakeshop created Chocolate Mango Mousse, a limited edition premium cake to make parties, get-togethers, and reunions even sweeter.

Red Ribbon Chocolate Mango Mousse

Red Ribbon combines two of the most loved dessert ingredients to create one delightful cake. It is made with a layer of creamy mango mouse with juicy mango bits on top of silky chocolate mousse and moist chocolate pound cake and generously embraced with chocolate ganache. As a finale, mango scoops and shaved chocolate are placed on top to make Chocolate Mango Mousse both delicious and beautiful.

For Christmas celebrations that call for an extraordinary dessert, take home a Chocolate Mango Mousse. I got to taste this new offering yesterday at Red Ribbon SM City Cebu and it instantly became a favorite! It’s like the Chocolate Mousse and Mango Roll combined into one!

Chocolate Mango Mousse is available for only P700.00 for a whole cake and P70.00 for a slice in all Red Ribbon stores and selected booths for a limited time only this holiday season.

Take a Food Trip at the Ayala Malls! Purchase a meal worth P150.00 at Food Choices Glorietta, Alabang Town Center, Market! Market!, Ayala Center Cebu and TriNoma including any Coca Cola Drink to get a chance to win a Trip to Sydney, Australia!

Promo is ongoing until December 10, 2010!

Anyway, we were made to try out 2 of their new product offerings. First up is my ever-favorite Crispy Chicken!

Red Ribbon Crispy Chicken: available with a slice of Red Ribbon cake and drink for only P150.00 or ala carte for just P90.00.*

* Red Ribbon has an ongoing launch promo where you can get the Crispy Chicken, with a slice of cake and a regular-sized drink for only P118! P32 in savings!

Marinated, battered, and coated in seasoned flour, the choice cutlets are then fried until extra crispy. Instead of the usual gravy or ketchup, Red Ribbon Crispy Chicken is served with a unique rich mango barbecue sauce with real mango bits. The tangy sauce is drizzled on the crunchy chicken portions beside a steaming cup of white rice.

When I first tasted the Crispy Chicken almost a month ago, the first thing that came into my mind was that it was like Chowking’s Orange Chicken, only that the sauce was mango-ey and not orange-y. But the more I got oriented to the taste, I’m now liking it more than the Orange Chicken as it’s sweetness is not “too harsh” on the taste buds to the point that you’ll get fed up after consuming some servings on a regular basis.

Fried chicken just got exciting with Red Ribbon’s new Crispy Chicken. It is a “deliciously different” meal! A must-try!

For a sweet ending, order the Crispy Chicken with Red Ribbon’s classic cakes. And that’s what happened during the event as we were immediately served with Red Ribbon’s latest cake offering, the Chocolate Fudge Cake after we consumed our Crispy Chicken Rice Meal.

Red Ribbon Chocolate Fudge Cake: available in regular size for P495.00 and junior size for only P295.00.

Comfort food is like a warm embrace. It’s a back rub after a hard day. It’s a reassuring word. There is no one clear definition of what comfort food is, but we all agree how wonderful it makes us feel even with just a taste. Comfort food lifts the spirit. It’s familiar and nostalgic. It’s food that simply satisfies. All of us have our own list of comfort food, and in every list, there is always chocolate cake… ALWAYS!

Red Ribbon whips up a sure comfort food list-topper with the new Chocolate Fudge Cake. Premium chocolate, fresh eggs, and creamy butter are perfectly mixed to make a very moist chocolate pound cake. It is then layered with luscious chocolate fudge filling and generously smothered with velvety chocolate icing. Quite simply, it’s what a chocolate cake should be.

Having a sweet tooth, I was truly excited to taste this new cake offering and I was not disappointed! It’s as sinful as it gets! A warning to the health-conscious: INDULGE IN MODERATION! It’s literally CHOCOLATE-ALL-OVER, so I can understand if the average cake consumer will find the cake too sweet or chocolate-y.. Red Ribbon’s Chocolate Fudge Cake is the ultimate comfort-food for the REAL chocolate-lovers..

FUN FACT: The Chocolate Fudge Cake can be served warm or cold. Try it warm! If you’re taking your Chocolate Fudge Cake to home, you can microwave it for a few seconds to make it gooey chocolate-y!

Finally, we were given a sampler of Red Ribbon’s BEST-SELLER, the Black Forest Cake..

Red Ribbon Black Forest Cake: Regular size is P590.00 and Junior size for only P370.00.

When it first opened its doors in 1978 in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, Red Ribbon’s Black Forest Cake is one of the first cakes that debuted on its shelves. That’s more than 30 years ago! And I can fully understand why the cake continues to have a massive following… It is a beautiful and elegant dessert!

Red Ribbon’s Black Forest Cake is made up of three layers of chocolate cake, cherries, and cream. The cake is swathed and topped with another helping of cream before being garnished with chocolate shavings and brimming cherries.

The cake is simply irresistible, but I actually prefer its white counterpart, the Red Ribbon White Forest Cake!

One rice meal and two cake slices consumed! Just when we thought that the night was over, the Red Ribbon staff gave each one of us a whole box of their new Chocolate Fudge Cake to bring home to our families.. (especially my ever sweet-teethed family)

I really had a wonderful time indulging on Red Ribbon’s newest product offerings and best-seller and such a great evening would not be complete without my co-bloggers whom I had interesting conversations with.

RED RIBBON ALERT! The latest Red Ribbon Branch in Cebu will be opening on November 6, 2010 at the Century Plaza Commercial Complex along General Maxilom Avenue, Cebu City.

For more information about Red Ribbon, you can check out their website at http://www.redribbonbakeshop.com.ph

Special thanks to Ms. Abbey Tomas and Ms. Meyan Lim for making this event possible.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu General Manager Hans Hauri welcomes guests, VIPs and the media to the launch of Oktoberfest 2010

Yesterday, Marco Polo Plaza Cebu launched Oktoberfest 2010: Bavarian Food Festival. Now on its 5th year, the event runs until October 10, 2010.

Also present during the launch was Germany’s Honorary Consul in Cebu, Dr. Franz Seidenschwarz and he tells us more about the origins of the Oktoberfest.

The Oktoberfest celebration is actually turning 177 years old this year! The original Oktoberfest can be traced in Munich, Bavaria, Germany on October 12, 1810. (if we follow the Philippine setup, Bavaria is a province while Munich is a city) It is a celebration of thanksgiving and gratitude wherein farmers from Munich’s agricultural countryside converge for 16-18 days to party and live life to its fullest.

Marco Polo Plaza Cebu Food and Bevarage Manager, Mr. Stephan Wieprich, tells us more about what to expect in Marco Polo’s Oktoberfest celebration

When you make mention of Oktoberfest, the first thing that comes to mind is beer, booze. But did you know that beer was originally not part of the festivities? According to the official Munich Oktoberfest website, the first Oktoberfest celebration in 1810 was mainly about the agricultural fair that lasted for five days and ended with a horse race. The next Oktoberfest celebrations introduced beer and transformed it into becoming the world’s biggest beer drinking event that has put the spotlight on Bavarian culture.

True to the spirit of Oktoberfest, Mr. Hans Hauri sports a Bavarian outfit.

Oktoberfest is now a big annual event that is celebrated in many countries worldwide! A lot of establishments are staging Oktoberfest events that will make you feel like you’re in Munich in an instant.

No ribbon-cutting ceremonies…

For the entire duration of Marco Polo Plaza’s Oktoberfest Celebration, Cafe Marco will be serving “crude” German dishes including traditional sausages like the bratwurst (usually composed of veal, pork or beef), Weißwürste (white sausages – a speciality from Munich, traditionally eaten for second breakfast and always accompanied by sweet mustard, pretzels, and wheat beer) and other traditional food such as pretzels, sauerkraut (fermented finely shredded cabbage), among others. To make the celebration more authentic, Austrian Chef Dietmar Dietrich is serving as a guest chef for the hotel’s Oktoberfest Celebration.

..just the traditional slicing of the loaf with, (from L-R) Dr. Seidenschwarz, Mr. Hans Hauri and Guest Chef Dietmar Dietrich. Oktoberfest 2010 is NOW OPEN!

So what are you waiting for? Go to Marco Polo Plaza Cebu and celebrate Oktoberfest 2010! For inquiries and reservations, dial 253-1111 loc 8245 or email mpplaza@marcopolohotels.com.

Special thanks to Ms. Belle Lumapas of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu for the invite!

BLU Bar & Grill

For the Restaurant Week, Marco Polo Plaza’s participating outlets, El Viento Restaurant & Pool Bar and the BLU Bar & Grill, will be offering exclusive set menus priced below Php 1,000, showcasing the chefs’ specialties, to be paired with a selection of wines, gourmet items by Gourmet Depot, Vittoria coffee and Santa Vittoria water.

El Viento Restaurant and Pool Bar

Mr. Stephan Wieprich, Food & Beverage Manager of Marco Polo Plaza Cebu, says, “In Cebu, we are looking towards promoting a wine culture at the Marco Polo Plaza. The market is primed for it. Filipinos are naturally curious. They have been exposed in their travels knowing how to indulge and enjoy excellent food & wine. Pairing good wines with the right food does not have to be complicated. There is no right or wrong way. It all depends on individual taste. At the end of the day, it’s all about bringing it closer to the people, and The Restaurant Week provides this opportunity.”

Bruschetta is a hearty appetizer from central Italy whose origin dates to at least the 15th century. It consists of grilled bread rubbed with garlic and topped with extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

Perched on the rooftop at 1,000 ft high, Marco Polo Plaza’s BLU Bar & Grill offers a panoramic view of the city and beyond as you enjoy its variety of innovative appetizers, steaks, grilled meat, seafood, international desserts and award-winning cocktails. El Viento by the poolside also takes al fresco dining to a new level with its unique offering of Mediterranean cuisine, mouthwatering bites of sizzles and grills, one-of-a-kind pizza flavors fresh off the brick oven, nightly live entertainment and more!

So go and celebrate Restaurant Week ’10 at the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu! For inquiries and reservations, dial 253-1111 loc 8245 or email mpplaza@marcopolohotels.com.

Where appetites come to life: Celebrate food and dining at its best at the Ayala Malls Top Festival.

Last month, Ayala Malls launched A.M.TOP. They put together a Food Council, composed of local culinary authorities, such as Lorraine Timbol, Nana Ozaeta, Chef Rosebud Benitez, Chef Ernest Gala, Issa Litton, China Cojuangco, Margaux Salcedo, Tina Pamintuan, and Chef Heny Sison. The council made their personal dining choices based on taste, service, and ambience—this set of criteria is what distinguishes the Ayala mall dining experience.

Customers were also given the chance to be food judges in the Ayala Malls Top Food Picks by voting online at www.ayalamalls-top.com. Lucky customers who voted got the chance to be one of five winners of P5,000 worth of gift certificates to a restaurant of their choice, as well as an invite to the visual food journey exhibit opening.

Now, the finest and most delectable dishes are currently on exhibit after the culmination of the first-ever A.M.TOP.

Visual Food Buffet: Embark on a visual food journey at the Ayala Malls Top Food Picks Photo Exhibit at Ayala Center Cebu’s Exhibit Area 1. The exhibit is currently ongoing, until September 30, 2010.

Thank God it’s Friday!
TGI Friday’s is NOW OPEN!
Visit them at Level 1, MarQuee Park
MarQuee Mall, Angeles, Pampanga

Because there’s more to the Ayala Malls than just shopping, this time around, they’re putting the heat on food. The creme de la creme of Ayala Malls’ dining destinations will be served front and center with AM TOP – Ayala Malls Top Food Picks.

AM TOP will showcase the best food offerings of family restaurants, bars, fine dining and specialty food concepts in all the Ayala Malls.

The aim is to whip out a list of the Top Food Picks in each of the malls, covering the following categories: Appetizer, Salad, Soup, Seafood, Main Course (Red/White Meat), Dessert, and Coffee or Cocktail.

So, what are your bets for the best Ayala Malls dining destinations?

Your votes and the votes of the Food Council, composed of a panel of culinary experts, will decide which dishes to be featured in the A.M. Top

Ayala Malls Top Food Picks
A celebration of taste. By those with good taste.

Log on to www.ayalamalls-top.com and vote for your own Ayala Malls Top Food Picks for a chance to win a P5,000 dining spree!

Voting period is from July 31 – August 15, 2010