It ain’t over till it’s over.
If you still haven’t completed your holiday food shopping, here’s a quick guide to some of the best gift ideas.
Christmas baskets
Le Jardin Manila holiday baskets contain a melange of fine wine and food, including potted foie gras with figs and rillette, which goes well as baguette spread. Cheese selection goes with the French wines.
There are two types of Christmas baskets, with festive French treat. P15,000 basket: Bocal Rillette de Canard (potted duck confit), Bocal Foie Gras aux Figue (potted foie gras with figs), Bocal Confiture de Noël (jam of nuts and dried fruits), Cake aux Fruits (sticky walnut fruitcake), four Fromages Maison (four house-made fresh cheeses), Bouteille de Vinaigrette Maison aux Truffes (truffle oil, mustard, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil salad dressing), Bouteille Château Vieux Touron Monbazillac 2008 and Bouteille Nicolas Feuillate Champagne Brut Reserve.
P10,000 basket: Bocal Foie Gras aux Figue, Bocal Confiture de Noël, Bocal Rillette de Canard, Cake aux Fruits, four Fromages Maison, Bouteille de Vinaigrette Maison aux Truffes, and Bouteille Château Piéguë Cremant de Loire.
For a more personal touch, you can put together your own basket of homemade, one-of-a-kind French delicacies you won’t find anywhere else.
Le Jardin Manila, Penthouse W Fifth Building, 5th Avenue and 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City; tel.
0917-8176584.
Kitchen must-haves
Impress your foodie friends with elegant dinnerware, cutlery, glassware and other kitchen products.
Mall of Kitchens (MOK) offers flat porcelain plates from Rak Porcelain (P150-P485), flat plate (P215), soup bowl (P415), cream soup bowl (P355), flat plate (P205) and porcelain stackable cup (P180- P415).
If your friends are into collecting kitchenware for party needs, there are Vittore stainless steel tablespoons (P100), forks (P100) and table knives (P85).
To serve your favorite beverage in style, MOK has a complete line of specialty bar ware, from rocks glasses, goblets, snifters, champagne flutes, Pilsner glasses to pint and martini glasses, including the Stolzle Weinland Bordeaux (P480) and Flute champagne (P380).
MOK, 9703 Kamagong and Lawaan Streets, San Antonio Village, Makati City; tel. 8906758 and 5523587.
Potluck treats
For potlucks, choose from mouthwatering dishes from the Moments Group restaurants.
Cue Modern Barbecue’s Marinated Roast Whole Turkey with Bread Stuffing (P4,350) comes with giblet sauce, cranberry and roasted chestnuts, and (choice of starch) creamy mashed potato, spiced herbs potato wedges or herbs roasted garlic rustic marble baby potatoes. Good for 10-15 persons.
Cue Modern Barbecue, L/G, Bonifacio High Street Central, BGC; tel. 6214052.
Linguini Fini offers tasty Italian fare Crispy Roast Half Slab Pork Porchetta (P2,999) served with Caramelized Onion Marmalata and Red Chili Mostarda. Good for 5-6 persons.
Linguini Fini, 3/F, SM Mega Fashion Hall, Mandaluyong City; tel. 5313302.
Agnolotti with Roman tripe
sauce
Manam has Filipino comfort food including Caramelized Patis Wings (P990), Crunchy Ubod and Sotanghon Lumpia (P405), Deep-Fried Chorizo and Kesong Puti Lumpia (P695), Overloaded Garlicky Chicken and Pork Belly Adobo (P1,190), Paminta Butter Shrimps (P1,350), and Slow-Roasted Cochinillo with Lechon Sauce (P4,850) available in half and quarter servings.
Manam branches: Greenbelt 2, Makati City, tel. 6250515; South Wing, Mall of Asia, 5118401; and Ayala Fairview Terraces, 6254719.
Wine gift sets
Add bliss to your holiday party with affordable wines that reflect old and new world styles at Planet Grapes.
Wine gift sets such as Mercury, characterized by intense fruit, citrus, peaches and orange blossom, include a 2011 L’Escargot Sauvignon Blanc, 2011 Joel Gott Pinot Gris and 2013 Pircas Negras Torrontes.
Planet Grapes also recommends the Mars set, which has black cherry, pepper and blackberry spice, with 2011 L’Escargot Pinot Noir, 2010 Ventura Syrah and 2011 Five Rows Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon.
The Venus set has aromas of mandarin, honeysuckle, melon and honeydew. Set includes a 2011 Joel Gott Riesling, 2011 Angeline Sauvignon Blanc and 2011 L’Escargot Chardonnay.
Planet Grapes restaurant and wine bar, G/F, Building 3, Tuscany Private Estates, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, tel. 5513713; and New Wing at Level 4 of Ayala Center Cebu, (032)2660526.
Wine accessories
Wine Story has exquisite gift ideas in entrancing gold and silver theme with Christmas sets of fine and rare wines. The store offers four wine sets highlighting the best this season can offer: “Sparkling and White Wines”; “Alsatian Wines”; “The Best of Bordeaux”; and “New World Napa Valley Wines.”
Aside from wines, Wine Story carries premium accessories such as decanter, glassware, corkscrew and other wine gadgets, chiller and wine books that are interesting presents for wine lovers.
Wine Story branches: G/F, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City, tel. 6333556; G/F, Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, tel. 8466310; and G/F, One Rockwell West Tower, Makati City, tel. 8690932.
Pasta delights
Bistro Ravioli’s party feast consists of Mushroom and Mozzarella Ravioli (P255), mushrooms and mozzarella-filled ravioli sautéed in brown butter sauce and roasted tomatoes; and Agnolotti with Roman tripe sauce (P295), cream cheese and mashed potato-filled ravioli sautéed in Roman tripe sauce.
The tripe is braised in tomato and roasted peppers, thick and flavorful. For desserts, try home-style gelato in salted caramel and pistachio flavors.
Bistro Ravioli branches: G/F, Northwing Arcade, SM MOA, tel. 8040577; 2/F, Glorietta 3, Makati, 0922-8878379; and G/F Greenbelt 1, Makati, 0925-5553281.