Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Bench Cafe , Opens second branch in Greenbelt 3


CROSSING OVER FROM PINOY CRAFTSMANSHIP AND STYLE TO CULINARY HERITAGE


THERE is no other local brand that carries Filipino pride quite like Bench. With a diverse product line that crosses over seamlessly from retail to food, Bench has established itself as a champion of Filipino craftsmanship and style, and this past year, culinary heritage.
As the brand’s most recent innovation, dining concept restaurant Bench Café, celebrates its first anniversary at the Bench flagship restaurant in Bonifacio High Street, it also announced its expansion through a second branch which is now open at Greenbelt 3 in Makati.


A partnership between Manila multi-brand food group FOODEE Global Concepts run by father and son tandem Rikki and Eric Dee, and Suyen Corporation, headed by chairman Ben Chan, president Virgilio Lim and vice president for business development Bryan Lim, Bench Café is now turning into a full-fledged restaurant with the opening of the second branch.
With over 3 decades of experience under its belt, the FOODEE group created a restaurant concept that was uniquely Bench, applying Suyen’s retail philosophies to what, just in a year, became a successful culinary venture.









FOODEE CEO Eric Dee shares, “Bench Café brings traditions from all over the islands to create flavors that are distinctly Filipino, in a style that is uniquely Bench, and that is casual but sophisticated, simple but substantial, local but global – all at good price points. We are happy to continue to partner with Suyen Corporation in Bench Café’s expansion and bringing its unique flavors to more Filipinos as we open our second restaurant in Greenbelt 3.”











Imbibing Bench’s social media hashtag and overall thrust, #LiveLifeWithFlavor, Bench Café celebrates classic Filipino dishes by giving them a global, sophisticated twist, much like what the brand does with their retail endeavors. 
On the menu are Filipino favorites with elements of traditional and modern Pinoy cooking, and fusion meals that adopt culinary traditions from different cultures. This, combined with its commitment to using only high quality local ingredients, has made Bench Café a go-to restaurant for office workers looking for a delicious and satisfying lunch, families bonding over food on weekends, and companies celebrating milestones for special events.




Must-tries include: Sisig Lettuce Cups with Calamansi Foam, Crispy Lumpia Cones with Tinapa Mousse and Salsa, Tsoknut Ice Cream Sandwich (toasted ensaymada filled with tsoknut ice cream), and Flan B (leche flan with macapuno).
The menu also features Bench/To, inspired by bento meals of Japan but reimagined to fit the Filipino tradition of family dining. Combos include the B6 (Dancing Fish, Caldereta, Crispy Dilis, Bench Salsa, plain rice); B8 (Lechon Kawali, Laing, Atsara, Bench Salsa, plain rice); and B12 (Pork BBQ, Gising Gising, Green Mango Salad, Bench Salsa, plain rice). 
The café also features other Pinoy dining staples such as treet food, rice, silog, merienda, halo-halo and kapeng barako.
















Bench Café is located at the second floor of the newly opened Bench flagship store at 9th Avenue corner Lane O, Bonifacio High Street, BGC; and at the second floor of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center Makati. For updates, follow Bench café on Facebook and @benchcafeph on Instagram.



Photos by Joy Arguil
Report by Jay Patao

LONGCHAMP Spring 2019 Collection


LONGCHAMP Spring 2019 Collection



LONGCHAMP Spring 2019 Collection
Known all over the world for its leather goods, shoes and high-quality women’s ready-to-wear Longchamp’s Spring 2019 collection “is like a refined and luxurious journey reflecting the look of modern dandy men,” states Sophie Delafontaine, Longchamp’s creative director.










Accessories
As for the leather goods, the diversification of details and elaborate decorations accentuate the high-quality materials. The Amazone bag is available in a fig or khaki with golden lurex thread dots embroidered jacquard, as well as in intense black patent leather or even in a python-like leather enhanced by gems. This season, the timeless solid colors are available in grey and deep red padded leather



Breaking codes, the Hypnotic line, fashioned from black padded lambskin
leather, is embroidered with a mandala-like pattern. These designs also feature on the Hypnotic clutch, made from khaki, black, and rose-gold leopard-printed calfskin fur. One of Longchamp’s most iconic designs, the Le Pliage bag, is adorned in a semi plain tie pattern in fig or ecru. To enhance the dandy spirit, the Le Pliage Cuir colorful striped shoulder strap contrasts with the black, fig or khaki metis leather, embroidered with mandala-like patterns.









Finally, the Longchamp silhouette is complete with the Hypnotic mule. Star of the Spring 2019 collection, the mule is available in black leather or leopard-printed calfskin fur with the upper of the shoe embroidered with a mandala-like design. To gain height and sophistication the Lonchamp woman may lace up the Mary leopard print calfskin fur boots.














Longchamp is exclusively available at Rustan’s Makati, Rustan’s Shangri-La, Rustan’s Cebu and Greenbelt 5.

Photos by Joy Arguil

𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐱 𝐌𝐔𝐏𝐇 𝐈𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐥𝐨 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

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