Summer may be over, dahlings, but flip-flops are a must-have all year round, so flip-flop enthusiasts rocked the Rockwell Tent during the annual Make Your Own Havaianas pair customization event.

The gig allowed guests to personalize and design their own Havaianas. Celebrities who flocked to the event included Alvey Alfonso, Amanda Griffin-Jacob, Cecile Van Straten, Hindy Weber-Tantoco, Luke Landrigan, Margarita Forés, Professor Fantasma; Rosanna Ocampo-Rodriguez, Sassa Jimenez, Stephanie Kienle, Stephanie Zubiri and Tweetie de Leon-Gonzalez. They were called “Havaianas Citizens of Summer,” dahlings.

“It’s my first Make Your Own Havaianas event and it’s pretty exciting, said Philippine Azkals member Anton del Rosario. “My pair is simple since I’m a pretty simple guy, especially when it comes to fashion. So I chose gray.”

China Cojuangco, a full-fledged “Havaianatico,” said, “Actually, I already have a lot of pairs and I just can’t get enough of them. I love Havaianas because it is comfortable and the soles are really soft. And in tropical countries like the Philippines, Havaianas flip-flops are perfect because they’re very fashionable and you can match them with easy and laid-back ensembles.”

Host Patty Laurel agreed. “I think Havaianas works well with any outfit that I have because I really like something that’s carefree but at the same time, you want to look good, too,” she said. “Plus, it makes you feel comfortable.”

With their Make Your Own Havaianas pair, travel buffs will enjoy their fashionable adventures even more in their customized flip-flops. ’Di bala, palanggas?

Make Your Own Havaianas 2011 is touring key cities nationwide.

Visit www.makeyourownhavaianas. com.ph.

Dusit Thani birthday dinner for Alex

Ace photographer Alex Van Hagen turned another page of his exciting versatile life, when he celebrated his birthday with his closest pals at the excellent Royal Thai Benjarong, Dusit Thani Manila’s flagship restaurant and one of Miele Guide 2010’s best restaurants in Manila, dahlings.

It was a great get-together. We were presented with only the authentic and finest Thai dishes fit for royalty; they were prepared by chef Patcharaporn Noinak, whose passion and dedication has made Benjarong the most sought-after culinary spot for authentic Thai cuisine by Manille’s A-list.

Before dinner, we had drinks while being serenaded by the soothing music of the khim, a famous string instrument in Thailand, played by a khim player jetted in from Thailand.
The superb service was led by restaurant manager Khun Kullanit Yingkayun, a true hostess who devotes much attention to detail and is possessed with great Thai humor, dahlings!

Once dinner was served, we couldn’t wait to dig into the eight-course menu. Among my favorite were Gung Hom Sabai (deep-fried prawns wrapped in egg noodle); Tord Man Gung (deep-fried shrimp cake with light curry flavor); and the to-die-for Pla Tak Khrai Krob (deep-fried lapu-lapu and lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf with chili sauce), which everyone devoured faster than a piranha.

After the meals, the invitees still had room in their stomachs for famous Thai desserts.
Dusit Thani senior PR and events manager Danelle Ruth Palang had planned a surprise for Alex. She had thought of presenting him a delicious birthday cake après dinner, but he spotted it outside the resto where staffers were carrying it so the surprise was nipped in the bud. But it sure didn’t stop the guests from eating the cake and having it, too, for a last hurrah to our Prince for the Day, my pal Alex Van Hagen.

Radisson Blu’s Indian food fest

Cebuanos enjoyed the ultimate Indian cuisine experience during the Indian Food Fest at Feria restaurant in the superbly designed Radisson Blu Hotel Cebu, palanggas.

The seven-day gastronomic experience had the invitees raving about the happening, which they said was an initiation to the food culture of India, no less.

The festival is one of Radisson Blu’s efforts “to lavish guests and business travelers with world-class accommodation and hotel services, and a premiere dining experiences with the best in international cuisine,” said Anna Maria Dolor-Fernandez, the hotel’s marketing and sales director.

Jetted in via Philippine Airlines for the festival were the talented chefs of Radisson New Delhi such as Subhash Yadav, Ved Prakash, Pradeep Kumar Yadav and Paramjeet Singh Bombra. (PAL flies six days a week to New Delhi.)

Highlight was, naturellement, raffling off business-class Manila-Delhi tickets courtesy of PAL, with free hotel accommodations at Radisson in New Delhi, as well as free buffet treats at Feria, dahlings.