You won’t find any clothes on display at Harlan & Holden Dine at the Glass House at Rockwell. There are no willowy mannequins clad in the muted separates and dresses the brand is known for.
Instead, customers in this popup restaurant are ushered into a bright and airy space by Copenhagen-based design firm, GamFratesi. It’s made even more hospitable with potted fiddle leaf fig plants that reach for the ceiling, and orb-shaped pendant lamps that cast a warm, complexion-flattering glow. Solihiya-backed couches and chairs are arranged around wood-top tables with views of the garden outside and the entrance to the mall’s newly renovated wing.
Last week, a group of school kids celebrated a classmate’s birthday, while at the next table, two women caught up on each other’s lives. Although some may find the tables too close to one another, the mood that afternoon was light and convivial.
Retail and food trend
This trend of fashion brands providing a dining component for customers was identified several years ago.
In a Business of Fashion story published in 2015, designer Giorgio Armani said, “I believe that cafés and restaurants are a destination after a day’s shopping.”
At the time, there were 13 Armani restaurants and cafés, including a Nobu restaurant inside their Milan branch.
“I’ve always wanted to create a complete Armani lifestyle that reflects my ideas and can be applied to different areas, not just fashion. Restaurants and cafés seemed a logical expansion,” the Italian designer was quoted as saying.
At Harlan & Holden Dine, however, the spotlight is on the food.
“One of our biggest differences from other fashion retail establishments is that there will never be a fashion store in the same space as dining,” Harlan & Holden president Emmanuel Pineda said. For your fashion needs, the Harlan & Holden store is inside the mall.
“It’s the same brand but different categories. Our aim is to give our customers the efficient and sincere service they expect in all Harlan & Holden stores.”
Signature dishes
Pineda is out to make the food at Dine “easy, comfortable and uniform.”
Signature dishes include Bottarga Pasta, al dente spaghetti noodles sautéed with fish roe with anchovies, capers and three kinds of olives; Fried Portuguese Sardines with Garlic Red Rice and Egg; and Parma Ham and Emmental Sandwich with a side of chips.
We sampled the Healthy Caesar Salad that was made with Greek yogurt instead of raw eggs. The homemade Corned Beef Rice Bowl (topped with bok choy and crispy sunny side-up egg) was tasty, but would have been more appealing if the beef was served whole instead of chopped up and mixed with the rice.
For dessert, the New York Cheesecake is appropriately dense and thus best shared.
“These are things you can eat over and over, and as part of the everyday routine: Casual family-style dining. We make everything from scratch and à la minute upon ordering,” Pineda said.
Harlan & Holden Dine is at Glass House, Power Plant Mall, Makati City. Call 0917-1092156.
