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Enjoy a Holiday Feast at Cocina dela Casa

With restaurateur Stephen Aznar at the helm, the newly opened dining destination offers an interesting juxtaposition of local and international flavors.

Stephen Aznar has been a name that is associated with good food, what with his now closed Café Elysa in Parian a favorite dining destination for remarkable Filipino cuisine. It was only natural, then, that his new venture Cocina de la Casa was met with much excitement, and some great expectations.

With the number of establishments that have brought different cuisines to the city, Cocina de la Casa aims to bring forth sumptuous local dishes and reimagined international favorites.

The special roasted turkey is the highlight of holiday dinners at Cocina de la Casa

Although the restaurant is decidedly more modern than its predecessor, the interiors still hark back to a certain heritage—the location is an old house, with the walls torn down to create a large flowing dining space and the rest of the space painted in white. Minimalist but cozy furnishings, and pops of color in the form of potted plants and simple pieces of artwork complete the look.

With the holidays approaching, families are coming together over food, and Stephen is offering a special roast turkey especially for the season. Taking hours to cook until it’s a beautiful golden brown, the turkey is available throughout Christmas for pre-order.

The regular menu, though, offers a variety of dishes. We recommend the Pork Belly Chicharon with Asian Dip, and the Oriental Spring Rolls with Sweet and Spicy Sauce to start the meal. The crispy deep-fried pork is hard to resist, an elevated version of the famous Cebuano delicacy, while the latter features ground pork with noodles, peanuts and shitake mushrooms in a crisp-crackly wrap. Stephen shows us how to best enjoy the rolls—tucked into a piece of lettuce with parsley, mint and a good serving of the sauce, for an interesting mix of flavors in one bite.

Tropical Salad

Soups and salads are a must-try as well. We enjoyed the flavors of the sea with the New England Seafood Chowder, which featured large chunks of fish, squid and shrimp, and the Tropical Salad—which featured pomelo alongside the vegetables, topped with tiger prawns, and drizzled with the in-house original Asian dressing. Continue on the seafood trail with the Tomato, Basil and Anchovy Pasta, which gives the traditional tomato pasta pops of saltiness in the form of anchovies.

Moroccan Braised Lamb Shank

Meatiness is next to goodness at Cocina de la Casa—from chicken to lamb, there’s so much flavors to choose from. We recommend the Moroccan Braised Lamb Shank, which has the meat served in a mix of spices, and over a generous serving of couscous. What really raised excitement, though, is the return of Café Elysa’s Lomo de Bacalo, which is made of imported Bacalao loin doused in potatoes and tomato sauce.

With the Christmas season soon to be in full swing, make sure you book a few get-togethers at Cocina de la Casa. Perhaps Stephen Aznar bringing his culinary creations back to the city is the best gift the season has to offer.

Related Topics:Cocina dela Casa Stephen Aznar

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Business

bai Hotel Cebu named 2024 PH’s Leading Business Hotel at World Travel Awards

bai Hotel Cebu VP Operations and General Manager Alfred Reyes with World Travel Awards Founder and President Graham Cooke.

bai Hotel Cebu has emerged victorious as the Philippines’ Leading Business Hotel at this year’s prestigious World Travel Awards. Standing out among the nine other contenders from across the country, bai Hotel Cebu claimed the coveted title, solidifying its position as a premier business hospitality destination in Cebu.

The award was presented to VP Operations and General Manager Alfred Reyes Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Carlo Rivera in an awarding gala ceremony held last September 3, 2024 at City of Dreams Manila.

Held at the City of Dreams Manila, the award was handed over to VP-Operations and General Manager Alfred Reyes and Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications Carlo Rivera last September 3, 2024 at City of Dreams Manila.

This accolade, being the first of many this year, reaffirms bai Hotel Cebu’s steadfast commitment to providing world-class Filipino hospitality. “I would like to thank our guests for continuously supporting and for patronizing bai Hotel Cebu,” GM Alfred Reyes said. “This win is also yours as your loyalty inspires us to deliver the exceptional service bai Hotel Cebu is known for,” he continued.

bai Hotel Cebu’s department heads celebrating its accolade as PH’s Leading Business Hotel.

Operating since 2018 with 668 rooms, 8 restaurants, and over 13 function halls, bai Hotel Cebu has established its presence in the industry having just been awarded as Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Tourism Standard Awards – ASEAN MICE Venue (Meeting Room Category).

We also extend our heartfelt congratulations to the country’s Department of Tourism headed by Secretary Hon. Christina Garcia Frasco for being recognized as Asia’s Leading Marketing Campaign award for its “Love the Philippines” campaign and as Transformation Leadership in Tourism Governance.

Based in London and established in 1993, the World Travel Awards is dubbed the Oscars of the travel industry that acknowledges, rewards, and celebrates excellence across all sectors of the tourism industry. It is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire.

Events

A Feast for the Senses

Crimson Chefs - Masahiro Kinoshita, Naoki Eguchi, Daniel Johnston, Javier Garcia, Allan Barios, Andrew Simpson

By Joanna Cuenco

June 8 – Mactan, Cebu | For one of its biggest dining events of the year as part of the highly anticipated Cebu Food and Wine Festival, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan curated an epicurean journey that brought guests on gastronomic flights of fancy, fine cuisine. A Feast for the Senses showcased the creativity and excellence of the resort’s culinary team through a dine-around event at its four dining destinations that invited guests to sample the best that each restaurant had to offer: international cuisine at Saffron, Spanish at Enye by Chele Gonzalez, Japanese at Aka by Naoki Eguchi, and desserts and more drinks at Azure Beach Club.

Maria Paz Perdices, Ambra Anzani, Ema Onda,Kate Anzani, Kumiko Onda, Daisy Barns

Tamsin Booth, Didier Belmonte, Frances Siao, Celeste Miranda, Bert Miranda, Bob Booth

Spirits were high and beverages flowed freely the whole evening, thanks to Philippine Wine Merchant, A Wine Company, The Wine Club, Don Revy, Sommelier Selection, Engkanto Brewery, M. Lhuillier Food Product Inc., Future Trade International, Happy Living Philippines, Equilibrium Intertrade Corporation, and Bauhinia Brewery.

Allan Barios at Saffron dessert station

Ulysse Jouanneaud

Margarette Lhuiller and Perl Jacalan

For the after-party and entertainment at Azure Beach Club, renowned mixologist Ulysse Jouanneaud took over the bar, crafting cocktails with Bacardi, Don Papa, Cointreau, and Sula Brands. Chef Allan Barrios presented a dessert spread that included key lime pralines, vanilla bourbon truffles, honey coconut cryos, and tiny flower-potted bamboo shoots that turned out to be made of pistachio. These little works of art were planted alongside vibrant green foliage, smooth stones, and a faux fog effect that created a tropical rainforest diorama out of the dessert table.

Lechon belly station at Saffron

Dessert display at Azure Beach Club

Yellowfin tuna tataki

Grilled mackerel with laksa boullabaise

The night sky and the distant lights of neighboring islands were the perfect backdrop for a high-energy LED dance performance and fantastic fireworks display that left guests in awe and applause.

Rose Hudson

Chele Gonzalez

Brava potato with chorizo at Enye

LED and Tron Dance

Aka Private Room

The Cebu Food and Wine Festival is supported by the Department of Tourism – Philippines, Visit Central Visayas, the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Cebu Business Month, and Cebu Pacific Air.

Events

The First NUSTAR BALL

Janine Taylor, June Alegrado, Jackie Lotzof, Frances Siao, Ina Ronquillo and Christine Pelaez

The NUSTAR Ballroom, a magnificent venue at the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu, sets the stage for last night’s first-ever NUSTAR Ball.

Black was the color of night at the Zee table.

Glamorous guests from Manila and Cebu converged at the NUSTAR Ballroom, an exquisite venue within the NUSTAR Resort and Casino in Cebu. The evening unfolded with a seated 5-course dinner. The opulent feast started with Beetroot Salmon Gravlax, adorned with caper berries, caviar, set with delicate edible flowers; and a main course of Compressed Pork Belly with Crackling Skin and Baby Scallops. Another highlight was the auction of coveted items like Dior and YSL handbags, a limited-edition Bulgari watch, and an exclusive 2-night stay in Nustar’s opulent 3-bedroom villa—complete with a private pool and a dedicated butler. The charity evening benefited the Cameleon Association, an NGO based in Iloilo City created in 1997 that developed a global approach to act on the causes and effects of sexual violence against children.