BOUNCE

What else can you give to someone whose talent, leadership, and vision has made you proud to be a Filipino?

Well, nothing more than your sweetest thank you.

Toblerone will once again bring Filipinos together to honor extraordinary and inspirational individuals in the Philippines who deserve to be shown our sincerest appreciation through the 1st National Thank You Day Awards at the SM Mall of Asia.

Toblerone will once again bring Filipinos together to honor extraordinary and inspirational individuals in the Philippines who deserve to be shown our sincerest appreciation through the 1st National Thank You Day Awards at the SM Mall of Asia.

“For this year’s National Thank You Day, we want to go a step further than just asking Filipinos to say thank you more often. And by giving them a chance to vote and nominate their favorites through the website, we are encouraging them to say more meaningful thank yous which is what National Thank You Day is all about,” says Carlo Licuanan, Senior Brand Manager, Kraft Foods (Philippines), Inc.

Carlo Licuanan, Senior Brand Manager, Cherry Ching, Graduate Trainee for Marketing, and Elio Machillanda, Category Marketing Manager of Kraft Foods (Philippines) Inc. prove that by simply saying a meaningful thank you, we as a country can become the most grateful nation of all.

By logging on to http://www.thankyoudayphilippines.com you can vote for outstanding individuals who you think deserve the country’s sincerest thank you. For this year’s awards, among the nominees are People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao fresh from his victory from Miguel Cotto, the late Francis M, who was part of the first National Thank You Day with daughter Maxene Magalona, Comedy King Dolphy, broadcaster and public servant Daniel Razon, CNN’s Top 10 Heroes of 2009 Efren Peñaflorida and one of the greatest leaders of all time for her fight for freedom and democracy, former President Cory Aquino.

Remi Ann Sta. Cruz’s ‘My best playmate ever’ photo shows how we should not forget to thank those who are closest to us.

Pat Laroco’s ‘Smooch and Pooch’ shows us how family can mean a lot of different things, but there are always ways to show how much we appreciate them.

And to serve as a prelude to the excitement and anticipation of the results of the 1st National Thank You Day Awards, Toblerone reveals the winners of the Spread the Sweetness of Gratitude Photo Competition. Remi Ann Sta. Cruz’s ‘My Best Playmate Ever’ and Jordana Quedding’s ‘Walang Iwanan’ reminds us that we should not forget to thank those that are closest to us, while Pat Lorico’s ‘Smooch & Pooch’ shows us how family can mean a lot of different things.

“Once again, let’s prove to the world this November 20 – when the 1st National Thank You Day Awardee is announced – that by simply saying a meaningful thank you, we as a country can become the most grateful nation of all,” says Licuanan.

Aloe Vera has defied the norms and proved its magic beyond medicinal value.

Aloe Vera is not unknown to Filipinos – as it is believed to provide many benefits to the body such as helping regenerate the skin, aid in digestion, and support the immune system among others.

Being a good source of vitamins, minerals, and amino acids – all of which are essential to maintaining your health and wellbeing – it is no surprise that the RFM Corporation has made this miracle plant the primary ingredient in its newest offering: ALO YOUTH Aloe Vera Drink. Every bottle is loaded with REAL aloe vera bits, collagen, vitamin E and L-carnitine. Available in 3 refreshing fruit flavours like apple, lychee and mango.

This Aloe Vera drink, which might be likened to a fountain of youth in a bottle, is RFM’s answer to the need of Pinoys for a refreshing beverage that will help them stay fit and look young.

Apart from imparting all the benefits that come with Aloe Vera, this thirst-quencher is also aimed to satisfy the skin’s thirst as ALO YOUTH also contains collagen and Vitamin E.

Collagen, is known to maintain skin’s elasticity and firmness, making one feel younger than ever. The body is able to produce its own supply naturally, but at age 25, the supply steadily decreases. Once a person reaches the ages 40 to 45, collagen runs out and the skin is then left dry and wrinkled.

Through the supplemental intake of collagen and Vitamin E combined, one can effectively slow down the body’s aging and keep a youthful look. Results are best seen when complimented by proper diet and regular exercise. No problem getting into an active and healthy lifestyle with the help of this truly invigorating and refreshing drink!

ALO YOUTH is yet another product innovation, part of RFM Corporation’s Healthy Beverages line which includes Vitwater and Sunkist Healthy Heart, made by Filipinos for Filipinos who desire a healthy change from inside and out.

Review: Lemon Café, Boracay

By Kevin Tsai

For college students and especially fresh college graduates, we anticipated post-graduation summer vacation especially since a lot of us would be traveling, let alone flying, parent-less for the first time. But just because you’re on your much-awaited trip doesn’t mean you have to miss out on good, home-cooked meals. And that’s exactly what the Lemon Café offers.

Lemon Café provides everything a home offers – great tasting food, a cozy ambiance and hospitable service at its best. The whole restaurant revolves around its “lemon” theme – from its yellow and lime wallpapers to its service water with slices of lemon. Its coziness and inviting atmosphere made my friends and I instinctively drawn to this place when we were searching for place to grab a bite.

I was very lucky to have chosen to order the Lemons Club Sandwich. It had the works – two huge slices of ciabatta bread with grilled chicken, bacon, shrimps, tomato, lettuce and pesto mayo. If you’re more of the seafood flair, try out their Fresh Shrimp Sandwich – piece after piece of fresh shrimp also on ciabatta bread with a perfectly blended island cocktail sauce. All sandwiches are Php200 and up and come with a side of freshly fried potato chips and dip.

The desserts they offer are equally tempting. Check out their Chocolate Peanut Butter Mousse – smooth chocolate mousse combined perfectly with a twist of peanut butter (Php85). Also try out their Belgian Chocolate Flourless Cake – which is weird because it’s not really cake at all. It doesn’t contain the usual chiffon bottom and icing top as you would imagine a cake to be; rather, it’s a huge block of pure Belgian chocolate goodness served with caramel sauce. Definitely worth the Php180. The only letdown so far I found is the Pan-Fried Mahi-Mahi my friend ordered. It tasted good enough, but a slice of fish and seven baby potatoes was not worth the Php390.

Going to Boracay is the perfect opportunity to try out new things for the first time – island hopping, snorkeling, scuba diving and dining at restaurants not locally found at your hometown. It’s the perfect time to be a little more adventurous and uncommon, because Lemon Café’s meals’ home-cooked goodness will leave you anything but homesick.

Review: Mongolian Grill, Boracay

By Kevin Tsai

If you’ve been to Boracay recently, you’ll probably realize that the cash you brought wasn’t enough. For those of you who don’t know, there are no commercial fast food establishments there. No McDonald’s, No Jollibees, No KFCs, no nothing. Most of the restaurants found at d*mall, which is like a small town composed of various restaurants, clothing shops, and tiangges, are casual dining, but even the fast food joints charge an average of Php150 at the least for a decent meal. Possibly the most popular chain that could be found at the island would be the newly-opened Starbucks, and that’s completely the opposite of traveling on a budget.

Luckily, I was able to come across this establishment which I believe gives you the best value for your money. At Php285, Mongolian Grill provides the most reasonable all-you-can-eat buffet on the island. (Mongolian Grill also has a number of branches in Manila, with the same price for their buffet.) For comparison, other all-you-can-eat buffets, mostly by the hotels along the shore, are at least Php500 and above, plus additional taxes and charges. Eating at a casual dining restaurant would cost you at least Php250 for one meal. So Php285 without any services charges or applicable taxes seems to be more than a great bargain, especially if you’re already starving your ass off.

Other than being a relatively inexpensive buffet, the best thing about eating at Mongolian Grill is that you get to concoct your very own dish which best suits your taste. If you’re not familiar at all with Mongolian dining, you basically choose from a selection of vegetables, meats, spices, and sauces and either rice or noodles (or both if you’d like to load up on carbs) into your bowl, which is cooked to perfection by the chef and delivered to your table hot from the kitchen.

If you think having dinner at the Mongolian Grill is great value for your money, it gets even better with their location and ambiance. While they have the traditional chairs and tables setting, at the far end of the resto near the shore are 2×2 meter spaces with pillows on them. Perfect if you and your friends just want to hang out and chillax to the max. They also serve alcoholic drinks. Must try: Mango Fizz – Rum blended perfectly with fresh, creamy mango shake for Php150.

If you’re unsure on how exactly to begin going about your meal, better err on the safe side rather than coming up with an inedible monstrosity which would make you end up burying your meal beneath the sand on your feet. If you have a sweet tooth in everything like I do, I recommend you select your choice of veggies and red meat, and go for an East Asian-flavored dish with oyster sauce, teriyaki sauce, brown sugar, peanuts, honey and sesame seeds. If you want a spicy Thai dish, there are also corresponding sauces to choose from. Going Vietnamese? There are also a number of leafy herbs like basil and mint up for choosing along with bihon noodles. A word of caution though, even just a pinch of cinnamon goes a long way. Trust me on that.

Early September in 2007, on our way to a shoot for film class, my friend who was driving with me told me of the new Reese’s peanut butter doughnuts by Krispy Kreme. Driving through EDSA, we noticed a banner echoing the news. Right then and there, EDSA became more dangerous, not only drawing drivers’ attention from the road but also leading them to glorious extra calories that some would think they should regret.

It also was not a long time since the drive-thru branch at Greenhills was opened. Being of the South, both my friend and I had to visit the first drive-thru Krispy Kreme store in Asia to buy the new doughnut versions of our favorite brand of chocolate. To the invisible person talking through the magical box, we were probably like oversized children who, obviously, did not need the additional sugar.

Yesterday when our Editor assigned my Co-Art Editor/photographer and me to cover the launch of Chocolate Karnival in Krispy Kreme Fort Bonifacio, I, of course, felt as ecstatic. After eating two sticky and messy chocolate doughnuts while trying to slither in between my fellow Krispy Kreme/chocolate fans, mostly children and adults suddenly acting like children, I have to say that Krispy Kreme did not disappoint.

Krispy Kreme Philippines have released more kinds of doughnuts glazed with chocolate, which they make from Hershey’s chocolate powder, as said by Marketing Director, Mark Gamboa. They offer Vanilla, Raspberry-filled, Custard-filled, Kreme-filled and Traditional doughnuts, doughnuts with sprinklers, Chocolate Cruller and Chocolate Cake. For a fan of chocolate, the variety of flavors really is as wonderful as a carnival.

The event also lived up to the theme and title of the new flavors. With clowns on stilts, mascots, a magician, games, photographers and camera men hovering over everything, the introduction of “ring master” and president of Krispy Kreme Philippines, Jim Fuentebella as well as Marketing Director Mark Gamboa then, ultimately, the unveiling of the chocolate glazed doughnuts as they parade on the conveyer belt, the launch, itself, really put everyone fortunate enough to be there in a festive mood.

Chocolate Karnival, of course, was not just about sampling doughnuts and watching the show. It was also about sometimes standing in one spot (since the store was packed and sitting was sometimes impossible) and eating the doughnuts with new friends. It was like an encounter with another kid playing in the sandbox.

Post by Pin Calacal

Photography by June Carlo Reyes