Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i Lifestyle Asia

It was July of 2021 when I was half-jokingly told there’s interest for me to be the new EIC of Lifestyle Asia. Naturally, I took it as nothing more than a full-blown laughing matter. Being an editor is serious business. It deals with multi-million dollar companies, CEOs that are so high up there we don’t breathe the same air, and numerous people to manage. I am just lil’ old Candifier that often illustrates her dreams into her IG stories at three in the morning. I may have written a whole lot of articles on my blog and was even a contributor in OneMega.com for a year, but my vocabulary isn’t complicated. I am too carefree, sometimes even careless. I don’t put too much thought into what I wear for as…

VOW EXCHANGE Clark Yap and Yendy Yu got married in a sunset wedding ceremony at La Union’s Aureo Resort. Vania Romoff designed Yu's bridal gown, while Joe San Antonio made her welcome dinner dress. Meanwhile, Vin Orias dressed Yap and his groomsmen in custom creations. The event had all the serendipity of the Before film trilogy, where the star-crossed lovers live for near-decadelong intervals before meeting each other again. In fact, Yap and Yu share a love story that almost never happened. “We met at a party in Hawaii 2012 for a common friend's wedding,” Yu says. “Clark was based in Davao, and me in Manila, so we never really saw each other again.” “Like a message in a bottle, they would eventually find their way to each other” Like…

THE SCENE From the get-go, Ember is a lesson in proportions. The kitchen occupies nearly half of the available space. Wine offerings dominate the menu with but a single page reserved for its food items. In place of fanciful nomenclature, Ember settles with just the needed elements. What you see is what you get. "Tomato, feta, olive," reads one dish. "Octopus, harissa, lemon," reads another. It's in this irreverent presentation that the restaurant is able to exude fresh excitement. UNCOMPLICATING NARRATIVES "It looks uncomplicated. But it's the effort it takes to make it seem uncomplicated," chef Josh Boutwood tells Lifestyle Asia. He says that he has always wanted to challenge himself in creating a restaurant. “Not really to make it different, but to create something that would challenge my professional…

In Cartomancer, Yvonne Quisumbing’s most recent exhibition with Silverlens Galleries, a story of progression unfolded. The narrative, starting with a fool who is seeking the wisdom of the world, was told in 10 oil on sculptural substrates, each representing 10 out of the several archetypes in the Tarot deck. She laid down this powerful deck of designs that grounds the art of fortune-telling to folk healing. Frowned upon by conservatives, cartomancy is deemed as an unproductive pastime while traditional medicine is pushed to the outskirts by big pharmaceutical companies. Quisumbing prominently and defiantly weaves these two heresies to concoct a potent remedy for our era of speed and strife. The show marked the artist’s third individual presentation with the gallery, previous shows being Apothecary: Prelude in 2020 and Who Are…

LA INSIDER “I sought a leadership path that exemplified personal responsibility, community consciousness, and global leadership, which I found in Kabbalah” "What is my purpose?" "Why is my soul here?" or "How do I make an impact in the world?" are some of the questions the centuries-old wisdom Kabbalah is said to answer. Although you may find answers from life's natural peaks and troughs, Kabbalah offers people tools and a community to fuel physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being while settling all the "whys" in life. But discovery only begins once we know what we're looking for. For Sarah Weston, all these questions arose from wanting to change the world. She finished a Political Science degree at Williams College in Massachusetts, wanting to better people's lives. After graduating, Weston's dream lived…

LA INSIDER Christopher “Toff” de Venecia has played many memorable and important roles on stage and in real life. In the '90s, he was a child actor who starred in several TV shows, films, and commercials. As a student, he dabbled in theater, where he evolved from performing under the spotlight to directing and producing shows. At present, he continues to work in the industry through prominent theater organizations and his own company, the Sandbox Collective. Alongside his thespian journey, de Venecia also played multiple parts within the publishing industry. Building from his experiences as a writer for school newspapers and magazines, he has built a prolific career and portfolio as a columnist and editor for Manila’s major broadsheets and glossies. His most demanding and complex role to date is…

BULGARI OCTO FINISSIMO ULTRA With a thickness of just 1.80 mm, Bulgari's Octo Finissimo Ultra is the world's thinnest watch. Fabrizio Buonamassa Stigliani, Bulgari's product creation executive director, says that to finish the product, Bulgari had to challenge its thinking and draw a "wide range of skills." It was unveiled in Rome last March 21 at the historical Piazza Della Rotonda. In addition, the piece's slimness is not only in its movement but also in the case back to the top of the sapphire crystal. DOM RUINART 2010 BLANC DE BLANCS Ruinart, the oldest champagne brand since 1729, has released Dom Ruinart 2010 Blanc de Blancs, a champaign produced entirely from white grapes (or chardonnay). The liquid is aged for over a decade in the maison's chalky rock cellars in…

THE SCENE “Not to be ignored are the other Chef’s Recommendations, which are recommended by Chan Choo Kean” While Crystal Dragon has been around since City of Dreams Manila opened its doors in 2015, it remains a sought after establishment for premium Cantonese and regional Chinese cuisine. The restaurant can comfortably accommodate up to 92 patrons, including two private rooms which can each seat up to 12 guests. It features both lunch and dinner a la carte and set menus, with Roasted Farm Peking Duck as an enduring signature dish. Wokfried Tiger Prawns with spicy lemongrass sauce; Wok-fried Ohmi Wagyu beef with chef's special sauce; Tea-smoked Beef Short Ribs with shredded potato and fried homemade bun; Steamed Pork Belly with preserved vegetables and steamed bun; and Wok-fried Chicken with walnut…

CURTAIN CALL “We are doing a great job of restoring our bodies and spirits to discover new images” The 53rd Season of Ballet Philippines (BP) will be marked by a time of re-emergence. As the world slowly began to open up again, returning to the grand stage will be distant dream no more. After years of digital migration and online interaction, the country’s premier dance company stepped out with a renewed sense of wisdom, vigor, and purpose. Having recognized the power of creativity to transcend boundaries, the vision walking into this new chapter was clear: dance where no one else has. “As we launch the 53rd Season, I look forward to going back onstage and returning to the scene,” says BP artistic director Mikhail “Misha” Martynyuk. “Every artist knows the…

LA INSIDER It’s hard not to be charmed by Dominique Cojuangco. She’s warm, genteel, and rather candid. Her face is expressive, her whole demeanor laid-back. She opened the door to her office with a smile, introducing her growing team, her fiancé, and the company they built together with much enthusiasm. Sitting down with her for an interview feels like hanging out with a friend you have known since high school. She switches from giving great skin care recommendations to topics well beyond her years. “I think I’ve always been quite an old soul,” she confessed. This, she added, may have stemmed from being surrounded by adults quite often as a child. At 27, Cojuangco has so many more years and adventures ahead of her but there’s no doubt she’s been…

VOW EXCHANGE Patrick Yap and Abby Go have exchanged their vows at the luxury beachside resort of Aureo in La Union. In full view of the seascape, the newlyweds walked down the aisle in matching pieces custom-designed by Rajo Laurel. Cath Sobrevega served as stylist for both the welcome dinner and wedding. Meanwhile, Gideon Hermosa served as event stylist as well as in-charge of the flowers and decor during the ceremony. Every detail was spic-and-span. Not a single hair out of place, nor a hint of hassle on the bride and groom. Organizing the event, however, was nothing like the gentle sea breeze that worked to usher in the crowd. "We only had four weeks to plan our entire wedding," Go recalls. "I remember Pat right after the proposal in…

SOULIGNER Crocodilian skins are rare and precious materials that Louis Vuitton uses in crafting their sought-after pieces. As the skins are tanned, their “destiny” is determined: what design of bag best suits the natural pattern of scales, and what bag design best suits the natural pattern of the scales, and which color and finish option awaits the surface. The French luxury house believes that working with exotics is an adventure in itself, a thrilling exploration of new ways—through colors, treatments and innovations—to excite the imagination. The colors are meticulously adjusted until obtaining the right tone and deepness. While the house also offers exotic skins in their classic finishes, it is willing to experiment and is constantly developing new and radical treatments that rejuvenate exotics for the contemporary landscape. Many of…

CURTAIN CALL Everyone dreams of living like the Italians: delicious cuisine, breathtaking landscapes, cultural treasures all at your fingertips. However, la dolce vita requires an immersion into the destination, time spent leisurely understanding the local rhythms. Belmond’s Italian properties are perfectly situated and outfitted for this exact purpose, the villeggiatura. This term is defined as a prolonged stay in a single place, however, the concept has a deeper meaning, encompassing the ability to feel a sense of belonging in a foreign city and a platform for mental and physical regeneration. “Above all, villeggiatura means taking your time, a luxury in today’s hectic world,” writes Cesare Cunaccia in the new Assouline book Villeggiatura: Italian Summer Vacation. “It means immersing yourself in a calm, slow-paced environment without the constraint of time—spending days…

LA INSIDER “You care for something that is 100 percent dependent on you, and you build a relationship with them that can provide you years of joy and love” Both passionate about equestrianism, Bea Manahan, and Katrina Holigores discovered their love for the sport at a young age. Manahan grew up vacationing with her family in Baguio, and says she has always adored horses. She knew she'd persist in the sport after joining lessons from Manila Polo Club at eight years old. "I still remember my first instructor, Bing Carmona, and my pinto school horse Bronco," she fondly recalls. On the other hand, Holigores grew up around equestrians and polo players from frequent visits to her maternal grandfather Jose Antonio Araneta's stables. Holigores joined the Manila Polo Club lessons when…

TOP TIER The Overseas collection continues the spirit of travel with this new tourbillon skeleton model. Available in two versions, in 8K 5N pink gold and Grade 5 titanium. Beyond its NAC-treated caliber, which allows a power reserve of over three days, the Overseas Tourbillon Skeleton has interchangeable straps. The options include 18K 5N rose gold, leather, and rubber, and Swiss watchmakers can personalize the watch per the owner’s wishes.…