When Nedy Tantoco of Rustan’s Commercial Corp. invites you to an intimate get-together dinner for 14, or to a grander dinner party at her sprawling home, you can be totally sure no “regrets” will be received.
And it was no exception when she sent out invitations for dinner at her well-appointed home, to welcome her close pal, Paris-based Babette Aquino Benoit, and to thank Sen. Loren Legarda for the “very beautiful and elegant party that she gave in my honor to celebrate my birthday,” Nedy told moi.
Après cocktails at Nedy’s foyer, we all moved to the dining area by the swimming pool of her father’s house, ambassador Bienvenido Tantoco, to enjoy the excellently prepared menu catered by the popular Kai Resto, naturellement:
Panko-Crusted Goat Cheese with Dalandan-Basil Vinaigrette; Pan-Seared Chilean Sea Bass with Shiitake Truffle Scented Broth; Apple Sampaguita Sorbet; Confit De Canard Sichimi Rice; Matsutake Dobin Mushi Shinjo Ball; and Coconut Rice Pudding Maki Wrapped in Crepe and served with Valrhona Chocolate Dipping Sauce.
Aside from Senator Loren and Babette, enjoying the evening were Mario Katigbak of Bulgari and Hermés; Marilen Tantoco; Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari and his wife, la simpatica Silvana Fornari; Catherine Huang; Tatler’s Irene Martel Francisco with her husband cardiologist Dr. Randy Francisco; Dulce Cepeda; Ana Tirol; and Alex Ledesma.
A connoisseur’s dream list of wines from the Wine Cellar drowned the cocktails and dinner: Montes Cherub Rose of Syrah 2008; Brunelli Di Montalcino Principesco 2005; and Champagne Marguet Pere et Fils Brut Ambonnay Blanc de Noirs.
Tiffany locks
Jewelry and women do mix and mix glitteringly, and this was evident when Rustan’s Makati launched Tiffany & Co’s newest collection, dahlings.
Tiffany Locks’ inspired vintage pieces are so effortlessly chic, perfect for the woman of today. While I was checking them out, moi was thinking of getting one for my dream girl, but alas, she does not exist. Oh well.
Anyway, you gals will love the sterling silver, gold and platinum pieces of Tiffany Locks. To go with the elegance of the Tiffany pieces, there were cocktails and canapés; there was also a candy buffet in Tiffany’s blue prepared by Bizu Patisserie.
Moi noticed that some women even delighted in choosing and trying on the jewelry pieces at the superb setup styling studios, with many of them telling the sales ladies: “Wrap it up, I’m buying it.”
Now, that’s what shopping at Tiffany’s is all about, ’di bala, palanggas.
Tiffany Locks is available only at Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong.
French film fest at Shang
Shangri-La Plaza did it again, dahlings. It hosted an excellent French Film Festival, whose grand opening had some of our town’s A-Listers in full attendance.
Getting the act on a roll were très charmant and debonaire French Ambassador Thierry Borja de Mozota and Shang official Tess Durante; Italian Ambassador Luca Fornari; Belgian Ambassador Christian Meerschman; internationally renowned Filipino directors Brillante Mendoza and Auraeus Solito; Martin Macalintal; Anaïs Bouquelloen and Julie Blazy from the French Embassy; and Louis-Paul Heussaff.
This year’s festival featured a fascinating selection of contemporary French films, and an awesome retrospective tribute of brilliant French actress Sandrine Bonnaire.
This festival drew movie buffs and culture aficionados to the Shang during its 11-day run, proving again, palanggas, that Edsa Shangri-La has become a much-preferred lifestyle destination in Metro Manila, delivering “on its commitment to provide endless cinematic pleasures for loyal patrons and mall goers,” as Tess Durante put it.
