Chef Tina Pamintuan threw a bash to celebrate the one day she can chill out with her close pals. The foreign-trained restaurateur was minus her chef’s outfit and wore a stunning Herve Leger dress at her very own L’Aperitivo, L’Incontro’s new bar lounge, dahlings.
L’Incontro was packaged in a whole new mood and atmosphere, put together by design consultant Miguel “Migs” Rosales, no less.
With a fresh approach to a new Italian menu and a hip L’Aperitivo bar, which opened its doors this month, L‘Incontro is now a mix of serious and casual moments, making it a comfortable and cool setting to enjoy great music together, with a list of classic and irresistible cocktails, concoctions, yummy antipasto and Italian tapas.
Now on its second year, L’Incontro Ristorante Italiano has become a favorite destination of people with discerning palette and those who know what excellent menus are all about, palanggas.
L’Incontro Ristorante Italiano is at 207 Nicanor Garcia St. (formerly Reposo), Brgy. Bel-Air, Makati City. Call 8990635/8; e-mail licontromanila@gmail.com; visit www.lincontro.ph.
Zee’s Crystall Ball
A hot happening was Zee Lifestyle’s grand Crystal Ball held at the SM-owned Radisson Blu Hotel in Cebu. It was co-presented by Samsung and SMDC.
Eye-catching socialite Mariqueta Yeung came in a chic black Chanel. She arrived with Gov. Gwen Garcia who wore a fire-engine-red gown by Cary Santiago.
Party planner and interior designer Teresin Mendezona and Pink Flora’s Pinky Chang, both in Arcy Gayatin gowns, created the crystal candelabra-themed ballroom.
It was a perfectly magical evening which started at the lobby where the chi-chi invitees sipped their chilled Veuve Clicquot champagne while cocktails were passed around, palanggas.
Meanwhile, a performance by percussionist Vince Lahorra and lounge singer Tria Bascon had all in full attention.
There was a mind-boggling seven-course dinner prepared by the hotel’s Ferran Adria-trained chef, Marco Amarone, and a gala fashion show by Cebu’s A-list designers presented by SM Accessories, but of course.
In the end, guests gave up at around 3 a.m. from sheer exhaustion after rocking and rolling on the dance floor to the sounds of the DJs of Penthouse.
At Prive
If you’re fashion-forward, the place to dash to on Thursday is the chi-chi Prive Luxury Club, which will hold a fashion show that day. Recently, presented was “Unfurgivable” and taking center stage was Strip! Ministry of Waxing, the world’s first concept wax shop.
Strip teamed up with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) for the latter’s campaign against the use of fur in fashion and accessories. The message is simple: “Fur is ugly; and fur is absolutely unforgivable.”
The show had fashion photographer Miguel Miranda presenting some of our town’s creamiest of the cream captured wearing close to nothing but dazzling bling-bling, bags and accessories by Martin Bautista, Gabriel Martel, Nicole Whisenhunt, Joyce Makitalo, Trousseau by Reshma, and Princess Peacock. All were styled by Gerick Ortiz, no less.
Night owls and familiar faces were welcomed by host and Prive co-owner, my palangga JM Rodriguez. The grand happening also had a fashion show by Wanderlust, the gorgeous Maggie Wilson-Consunji’s daring swimwear line, dahlings.
From Jan. 13 until March 31, Strip will donate P50 to Peta for every Brazilian wax treatment done. First-time customers will get a discount, ouch! It’s a good cause supporting the anti-fur movement, di bala, palanggas?
More info? Call Cyrene at 0917-8988181; visit www.priveluxuryclub.com; Twitter @PriveLuxuryClub; and become a fan of Prive Luxury Club on Facebook.