COOK Magazine’s 9th K-Pop Holiday Bash

Although company Christmas parties are not always everybody's favorite (it is my favorite), there's always an exception.
I've been celebrating the Holidays with Cook magazine for 5 years now, I think.

They're one of the best for me. Why? It's not how well they approach and execute their holiday parties, but how good they treat their fellow media people. I may never win at their grand raffle and contests but I'll always be thankful for the never-ending invitations and the genuine camaraderie.

For the 9th straight year, COOK Magazine has been throwing a thanksgiving party for all their friends and supporters. K-Pop! for this year. Quirky, fun-loving and full of energy, K-Pop or Korean pop culture has taken the world by storm. While COOK Magazine hasn’t conquered the world just yet, the team is composed of mixed bag of quirks, unique personalities that come together each and every month to produce a magazine distinctly our own. At 19 years, COOK has been in the industry far longer than most. In fact, they’re the only monthly culinary magazine published now, a feat possible only through everyone's support.

COOK’s 9th Holiday Bash is also an opportunity for their friends and advertisers to let loose a little, to bring out their fun and creative selves. One can’t be all work and no play! After another year of grinding, of partnerships and collaborations, it’s now time celebrate!

Certificates were awarded to COOK Magazine’s top advertisers: HÄFELE PHILIPPINES (BOSCH), SHARP PHILIPPINES CORPORATION, F1 HOTEL MANILA, EXCELLENCE APPLIANCES TECHNOLOGIES INC. (WHIRLPOOL & FUJIDENZO APPLIANCES), KING SUE, MEGA GLOBAL CORPORATION (MEGA PRIME), HYUNDAI HOME APPLIANCES, DERMALINE INC. (DIANA STALDER), RICHMONDE HOTELS, PHOENIX PETROLEUM PHILIPPINES, INC. (PHOENIX SUPER LPG), and HAVAS MEDIA (PHOENIX SUPER LPG). A Special Award was given to COOK’s Magazine Venue Partner HOUSE MANILA. 

Some of COOK Magazine’s columnists were also on hand to receive their certificates of appreciation.  Consultant and Chef Theodore “Day” Salonga, Chef Bruce Lim, Award-winning Baker Chef Gel Salonga-Datu, Recipe Developer and Consultant Chef Editha Singian, Baker and Instructor Chef Jojo Cuesta-Javier, Pastry Chef and Instructor Edward Mateo, Culture and Travel and Food Writer Roel Hoang Manipon and UK based travel writer and photographer Lisa Asuncion-Feliciano are the magazine’s regular columnists.       

COOK Magazine’s yearly theme has become a costume event wherein guests who take the trouble to wear the prescribed attire get to walk the “runway” stage. This year’s theme is K-Pop. This was also an opportunity for Lariza Garcia, COOK’s grand prize winner three years running, to transfer her literal crown. Wearing an authentic embroidered fuschia hanbok that she borrowed from a Korea-based friend, Lariza said she had it flown specifically for the event, which she has to dry clean and immediately send back. This kind of effort reminds us why she is in our Hall of Fame.  

Second Runner-Up went to budding Instagram influencer Sylvester Sy, First Runner-Up is Chef Lena Tan-Arcenas, Culinary Services Manager of San Miguel Foods Culinary Center who channeled a K-Pop Schoolgirl complete with a Blackpink lightstick. She said she consulted her daughter for the look who advised her that her the attire shouldn’t be matchy-matchy.  First place went to Joe Abad (technically), but he and Chuck Aquino, are more popularly known collectively as IG influencers “Chuck and Joe” presented their BTS inspired animal prints with a short choreography.     

Hundreds of raffle prizes such as appliances, hotel restaurant buffets and overnight stays at the country’s top hotels were given away.  

The grand prizes include a refrigerator from Whirpool, a stove from Tecnogas, a SHARP TV, and  a 3-day, 2-night stay at Maribago Blue Water Hotel in Bohol complete with a round trip airfare for 2 pax from Cebu Pacific.    

Perry Gamboa, Choi Soriano, and COOK Advertising Manager Marlon Aldenese hosted the event.   

Food and Wine 

Because food and dining is the crux of what COOK Magazine is all about, expectations are always high when we hold this bash that the food will be good and plentiful; and for that, we can only thank the generosity of our sponsors and friends, without whom this holiday feast would not be possible. 

Selah Hotel is located at 715 Park Ave, Pasay, Metro Manila which offered: Assorted Maki, Caesar Salad, Spinach and Crab Meat Soup, Pork Spareribs with Smoked Hickory Sauce, Chicken Cordon Bleu with Tartar Sauce, Mixed Tempura, Chicken Parmesan Pasta, Brocolli with Beef Tendon, Baklava Fingers, Mango Ball Tapioca

The Aristocrat Restaurant is certainly a restaurant that needs no introduction, and they offer their most iconic dishes:  3- pc Chicken Barbecue with Java Rice, 

For over 15 years, Cowboy Grill has been the place for live bands, great food where everybody can enjoy. Entrance to their establishments is free and everybody is welcome to the party. On their Holiday Bash Table:  Rice, Bam-i, Pork Sisig, Steamed Vegetables, Beef Caldereta, Adobo, Coffee Jelly

Kabaleyan Eatery came all the way from Pangasinan to give a taste of the province’s flavors and their own unique take on local cuisine: Binagoongang Pork Adobo, Roasted Bagoong Chicken, Urdujas Pinakbet, Binalonan Pasta. 

Lydia’s Lechon, home of the Philippines’ original boneless lechon stuffed with seafood paella, has been serving its customers for more than 50 years, from a small stall in Baclaran to over 25 stores. Lydia’s Lechon aims to bring Filipino dishes like how it’s made at home, along with its signature best lechon recipe that’s been with the family since the 1960’s.

From COOK Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief, Chef Dino Datu prepared Braised Canadian Beef Cheeks in Red Wine. The Strip Loin is sponsored by the Embassy of Canada. Canada Beef is committed to ensuring that Filipino consumers are able to enjoy Canadian beef through selected brand partners in the Philippines.  

Brooklyn Pizza, "A Slice of New York" is a Filipino corporation known for authentic New York pizzas. They offer New York-style comfort food with a Filipino touch with pizza, pasta, rice meals.  

Everybody looks forward to the innovative tweaks on native delicacies from Aging’s Food Delight: Assorted Kakanin, Ube Pandesal with Cheese and Halaya, Crinkles, Cookies, Choco Butternut Slice, Suman Cake

Chef Jojo Cuesta Javier’s Sweetielicious Homemade Goodies presented a Cherry Blossom themed Cake and cupcakes. Chef Edward Mateo’s Royal Patisserie provided delicious cupcakes.  Cake of Hearts by July Abella Panganiban also had a glamour girl and High fashion brands themed dessert spread to complement the K-Pop Theme. 

All that feasting wouldn’t be complete without the classic red and white wines provided by Gato Negro Wines and demi-sec sparkling rosè wines from Woomera. 

At Cook Magazine, the love for food has taken them everywhere. This same passion for food is what they’d like to share with their most ardent supporters. By feeding them what they cooked themselves and those prepared by friends, they aim to keep the fire burning. May the partnerships last for another 20 years and beyond. 

To Holiday Inn Express and House Manila, who year after year have provided a home for their annual party, they are grateful.

COOK magazine would like to thank the following:

FOOD AND DRINK SPONSORS:

• Aging’s Food Delight  • Brooklyn’s New York Pizza • The Aristocrat Restaurant Since 1936 • Canadian Beef • Cowboy Grill, Since 1994 • Gato Negro Wines • Kabaleyan Eatery The Original Pangasinense Dishes • Lydia’s Lechon • Royal Patisserie • Selecta • Sweetielicious Homemade Goodies • The Selah Garden Hotel • Woomera Wines

EVENT SPONSORS:

• Beans Etcetera • Belmont Hotels & Resorts • Bluewater Resorts • Boracay Tropics Resort Hotel • Bosch Invented For Life • Bank of The Philippine Islands • Cadbury Dairy Milk • Caeli Gourmet • Cebu Pacific • Century Park Hotel • Cheez Whiz • City Of Dreams Manila • Coco Mama • Cookiebreak.Ph • Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria • Dermablend • Diana Stalder • Direct To Consumer Promos, Inc.  • Eastwood Richmonde Hotel • Eden • Eurotel • F1 Hotel Manila • Fujidenzo Appliances, Quality Above All • Full Circle Communications, Inc. • Gardenia • Glorious Blend • Harvest Hotel • Hicaps • Hightower • Hotel Celeste • Hotel Jen Manila • King Sue Since 1930 • Knorr Sure Lasap • Las Casas Filipinas De Acuzar • Makati Diamond Residences • Marca Piña • Marco Polo Ortigas Manila • Marriott Manila • Masflex Cookware &  Kitchenware • Mega Prime • Mekeni Since 1986 • Nana Nadal • Oreo • Perfect Shots Photobooth • Petron Gasul • Phoenix Super Lpg • Photoman • PRC Inc. • Richmonde Hotel Iloilo • Richmonde Hotel Ortigas • Jem J • Rite ‘N Lite • San Miguel Corporation • San Miguel Foods • Savoy Hotel Manila • Sharp • Sheraton Manila Hotel • SM • Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila • Sweet & Fit Stevia Natural Sweetener • Taal Vista Hotel • Tang • The Big Difference  Communications • The Heritage Hotel • Tiger Energy • Ucc Good Coffee Smile • Unilever Food Solutions • WrecOver • Whirlpool Appliances • Winford Manila Resort & Casino

MEDIA PARTNERS:

• Business Mirror • Philippines Graphic • Health & Fitness • DWIZ 882 • Home Radio 97.9 • CNN Philippines • WNOT - What’s New Out There

See you next year!