Featured

These Homemade Goodies From Haps are Irresistible

Though goodies are available twenty four seven in the market, our bodies crave for that homemade touch. The happiness that these goodies bring is what we’re after. And just like a local home-bakery, Haps has always been into bringing happiness and freedom through sweets.

According to studies, eating sweets helps us concentrate and may aid in lowering blood pressure. Often times, we can’t just resist eating sweets when we’re stressed, tired or even on a normal mood.

This craving is caused by our body’s attempt to raise levels of the hormone called serotonin. Sugar triggers the release of serotonin, which can cause us to crave sweet things.

Haps, founded late last year, was created and run by Enem Seno, a Cebuana, and Marie Nordbjaeg, a Dane. Both at the age of 27, they decided to run their own home bakery in Lahug, Cebu City where, according to Marie, magic happens.

Haps is owned and managed by Enem, a Cebuana (right) and Marie, a Dane (left).

Haps has been one of Marie’s dreams for a lot of years. “We thought it would be fun to use a Danish word as the name since The Baker is Danish. Haps means either a small piece of food or the action you do when you grab (hapse) something in a quick movement (from someone),” Marie shares.

Marie adds that since their goodies are naturally irresistible, “you just have to have it, you might even try to “hapse” the “haps” from someone,” she says.

Haps started small. From a small oven in the studio of The Backbone Company, they could fit and bake only one 8” x 8” pan at a time.

“It was quite an effort having to experiment recipes with limited equipment. It was as charming experience though,” Marie shares.

Since then, her partner, Emem, designed and brainstormed the branding and concept. “We both knew that one of the main things about Haps would be that we wouldn’t compromise with quality, and then the rest was created from there,” Marie says.

After the concept brainstorming, they moved to their own place and upgraded their equipment like their oven and refrigerator.

Haps is a home for freedom and creativity. According to Marie, their passion allows them to experiment. “Of course we can always provide the cakes, but we also want to share ideas and recipes for those who want to be creative in the kitchen themselves,” she says.

Haps doesn’t use artificial flavoring in their pastries.

Excitedly, Haps as a new home bakery, is very keen in their ingredients. “With Haps we also want to make people aware and appreciative of the fact that good ingredients can affect a simple recipe. It is really one of our main focuses when baking – we would spend that extra time finding the best ingredients around the country,” Marie shares.

Starting a business on goodies is not easy especially for both introverts.

“One of the major challenges when we first started was to create followers. Both of us were introverts and would always be too shy to be social with strangers. So, getting it out there was a bit difficult for us,” Marie says.

Haps handcrafts goodies sprinkled with a bag of love. “We don’t use artificial flavoring to ensure the best in every product – and we really know that makes a huge difference”, Marie ensures.

They take extra time for each cake. Marie admits being keen without compromising their quality. “Some bakeries focus is on saving time and money, which makes them compromise…we assure high quality and mouth watering pastries in every single bake,” she adds.

Currently, their products are being added by Danish dark rye flour bread. Added to their list of services is accepting orders during birthdays and other special occasions. More excitingly, Haps make gluten-free and vegan pastries too!

Chocolate chips cookies can be bought by Php 390 for 20 pieces.

Haps offers goodies like brownies with walnuts, chocolate chip cookies with hazelnuts, Belgian chocolate truffles, Gateau Marcel, Cinnamon rolls, cakes and a lot more.

Their major goal in starting the business was to generate happiness through pastries. “Many of our patrons have said that we probably named Haps, in short for happiness. Though that may be inaccurate, we are happy to hear that people associate Haps with happiness – that means we are reaching our goal,” Marie shares.

Both envision Haps to do full time #WakeAndBake goodies. Marie hopes, “With hard work and the right amount of charm, we’d be able to serve delicious and mouthwatering pastries in small quaint shops around Cebu and entire Philippines”.

Our cravings bring us joy when satisfied. And who wouldn’t love goodies? As start-up business that went through challenges, Haps, a symbol of sweetness of happiness, proves that their creativity and freedom are their only limits.

Events

An Ocean of Flavors: The Bada Opens Their Second Branch

A trail of white smoke, along with the scent of roasted pork and the sizzle of the flaming grill will welcome you once you enter the tinted doors of the second branch of The Bada Korean Restaurant.

A trail of white smoke, along with the scent of roasted pork and the sizzle of the flaming grill will welcome you once you enter the tinted doors of the second branch of The Bada Korean Restaurant. Located at A.S Fortuna, Mandaue City, The Bada is sure to leave you with a satisfied appetite and a full stomach.

The name “bada,” which is Korean for ocean, was used since it started out by selling more seafood items than meat. Later on, the restaurant pursued on selling more meaty items on its menu. Although, no different than their first branch, The Bada gives its customers the opportunity to experience Korean food culture at a fair price of P299.00 only per person. With that, you already get an unlimited amount of the coveted samgyeopsal. But what makes the second branch much better than the first one? The A.S Fortuna branch is more spacious, well-ventilated, and vibrant; perfect for when you want to take some selfies or Instagram-worthy photos.

More than that, The Bada offers a round up of your favorite Korean dishes such as gimbap (seaweed rice roll), samgyeopsal (grilled pork), bulgogi (which literally means “fire meat”), bibimbap (mixed rice), and the like. Pair all of that with some soju and you’re good to go!

What makes them different from other Korean restaurants in the metro, owners and brothers Paul, Mason, and Min Ho Kim say that it’s their marinated bulgogi. While other Korean restaurants offer it just as it is, theirs is made with a special Korean marinade sauce; a recipe created by their own mother.

And while the Korean cuisine, in general, may be a bit foreign to our Filipino palate, The Bada’s bulgogi gives a slight familiarity to the taste.

“We’ve got [Korean] food that Filipinos also like,” says Paul.

What to do when you get there

Since the The Bada is an all-you-can-eat restaurant, we recommend you to bring your coworkers, friends, or family since they serve a generous amount of food (remember, they’re unlimited).

Getting there may take you on a few rides should you choose to use public transportation, but all that will be forgiven once you enter the brightly lit and steamy room. You’ll find yourself hungry for a decent amount of meat after taking in the sweet and savory scent of sizzling samgyeopsal. Take your time in choosing from an unlimited choice of Korean food, there’s no need to wait since the friendly staff will serve them almost right away with a smile.

Once the food arrives at your table, you’ll find yourself with an array of side dishes, lettuce wrap, and, of course, the meat. Start off by grilling the meat on the stove to your desired doneness. Once cooked, put one or two pieces on a lettuce wrap, add some side dishes, and wrap them all up. In one big satisfying bite, expect a burst of different flavors will definitely hug your taste buds.

Make sure to also try their bibimbap, gimbap and their authentic seaweed soup, you’ll surely feel satisfied after doing so. And what is Korean food without the famous kimchi, right? The Bada’s kimchi is unforgettable with just the right and balanced blend of fermented vinegar and spice, the perfect pair for your orders.

With its promising and delectable menu, The Bada will surely feed the Seoul-ful foodie that’s inside you.

The Bada opens from 11 A.M. to 12 M.N.
Visit them at A.S Fortuna, Mandaue City, right beside Benedicto College.

Featured

Bringing businesses together: Lalamove paves way for SMEs across the globe to “Make a Winning Move”

The local episode #LalamoveItToWinIt to support MSMEs across PH

To inspire businesses around Asia and Latin America, Lalamove has launched a regional branding campaign “Make a Winning Move” to showcase its various B2B services, strong driver-partner network, and wide-ranging fleet for fast and reliable delivery solutions. Locally, the on-demand delivery platform has kicked off the campaign by inviting its patrons, old and new, to #LalamoveItToWinIt.

Now more than ever, businesses are focusing their efforts on an experience-led customer journey. With deliveries as undeniably crucial for businesses to fulfill their services and win over customers, the central creative idea behind the regional campaign revolves around such scenarios where Lalamove’s services and B2B features help entrepreneurs stay ahead of the intense competition.

Lalamove, as the trusted delivery partner, has been servicing businesses of all sizes in the Philippines. Lalamove’s corporate clients can enjoy the on-demand delivery platform’s variety of business solutions, such as multi-stop delivery, API integration, real-time GPS tracking, a wide variety of fleet for on-demand, same-day, long distance, and last-mile delivery, and a dedicated account manager.

“The Philippines has more than 900,000 businesses, over 99% of which are MSMEs. What Lalamove offers businesses of all sizes is faster, easier, and a more seamless delivery experience to help them save time and costs. Our dedicated partner drivers, the economic frontliners of today, are here to deliver to an even wider reach across Luzon and in Cebu. This campaign is the visualization of what we can do to help businesses jump over hurdles – simply put, just ‘Lalamove It to Win It!’” remarked Dannah Majarocon, Lalamove Philippines Managing Director.

First-time users of the Lalamove mobile delivery app can get up to Php 150 off when they sign up and use the code LALAWINIT. New corporate clients, on the other hand, can also receive a welcome bonus of up to Php 1,200 when they sign up and top-up their Lalamove corporate wallet. Moreover, with Lalamove Rewards recently launched, each delivery for every user is now made even more rewarding.

Find out more about what Lalamove offers by visiting www.lalamove.com/lalamoveittowinit, or follow the official Lalamove Facebook page, Instagram account, and TikTok account for more information.

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ABOUT LALAMOVE

Launched in the Philippines in late 2016, Lalamove is an on-demand logistics company that matches drivers with customers and SME businesses to fulfill same-day deliveries. Lalamove’s mission of making local deliveries faster and simpler across North, Central, and South Luzon, and in Cebu is achieved through innovations such as instant order matching, real-time GPS vehicle tracking, 24/7 services, and a driver rating system. Lalamove also allows businesses to scale their deliveries and operations at an accelerated rate. Lalamove now operates in over 30 markets across Asia and Latin America. Visit Lalamove’s website: http://lalamove.com

Featured

King-size Treats Await Dad this Father’s Day at Seda Central Bloc

Misto Restaurant at Seda Central Bloc

King-size Treats for the King!

by Ryan Daniel R. Dablo

Seda Central Bloc celebrates the hardworking hero and steadfast lynchpin of the home with its offerings for Father’s Day weekend.

At the Misto, Seda’s restaurant, Dad gets to sample the delicious international cuisine for free when dining with five full-paying adults. If an evening dine-out is more the family’s speed, the Straight Up bar offers a dinner buffet with a continental menu and mocktails, all enjoyed amid a backdrop of excellent cityscape views from the rooftop. Staycation at the hotel comes packed with perks for the weekend as well, such as complimentary lunch at the Misto, drinks at the Straight Up bar, and breakfast for two.