It turns out that a luxe frozen yogurt line and premium chocolates from Italy, among others do make a difference this season We’re getting more (luxe) frozen yogurt Choco Soul features a rich, double dark choco brownie with layers of hazelnut sauce and crispy cookie pieces

Eight years since the Spanish frozen yogurt brand arrived in the Philippines and it still feels like the celebration of its success is just beginning.jilipark

For one, when you are working toward closing 2024 with over 100 stores nationwide, then brand success truly is just on an upwards trajectory. But Llaollao isn’t just settling for a massive retail performance; it’s also equally focused with delighting more appetites for creative dessert experiences that are bound to become regular rituals for Filipino customers.

So it makes sense that Llaollao has rolled out a luxe line to mark eight years locally and 15 years globally.

“Our Luxe line is all about indulgence,” says Erika Dee-Gonzales, chief operating officer of Llaollao Philippines. “These flavors were designed to be more than just a treat; they’re a way to bring that chill, fun, effortless luxury into everyday life.”

We reckon that these flavors that come in 10-ounce dessert cups will be mandatory tastings in Manila’s dessert scene eventually

This so-called indulgence is converted into three premium flavors that may just be yet another vehicle for Filipinos to find new ways of frozen yogurt appreciation. There’s the, well, soulful Choco Soul made with a double dark chocolate brownie, hazelnut sauce and crispy cookie pieces; the Cookie Mania that comes with a wave of Lotus Biscoff (in both sauce and crushed cookies), muesli, and fresh mango pieces; and the celebratory Pistachio Lover for those keen on the savory earthiness of the nut (and almond crocant), the zestiness of kiwi, and multiple swirls of pistachio sauce.

We reckon that these flavors that come in 10-ounce dessert cups will be mandatory tastings in Manila’s dessert scene eventually.

Venchi turns chocolate and gelato tasting into a vicarious Italian experience Chocoviar chocolates demonstrate the expertise, style, and creativity of the storied Piedmont brand

It was obvious from people’s reactions—both offline and online—that Venchi’s arrival in the Philippines is a big deal.

The Italian chocogelateria founded in 1878 delivers its finely crafted chocolates and gelato in its first shop in Central Square (a second one will open before 2024 ends at The Podium) that is as masterful as the color-coded columns of chocolates stacked on the shelves, vibrant cones on its glass walls, and the adjacent gelato showcase.

“Recognized all over for our penchant for sweets, we believe that the local market and the Filipinos will embrace the authentic Italian lifestyle brand’s dedicated mastery to creating high-quality chocolates and gelato crafted for your wellbeing,” says Anton T. Huang, president and CEO of SSI Group, Inc.

@lifestyle.inq Venchi is finally bringing its values of verissimo (heritage), allegrissimo (happiness), and buonissimo (balance) to local shores with the opening of its first store in Central Square, Bonifacio Global City today and The Podium before the year ends. Find your footing in Italian chocolate history with these six flavors. #venchi #venchiph #venchimnl #icecream #chocolate #fnbreport #fnbreportph #lifestyleinq ♬ original sound – LIFESTYLE.INQ

The chocolate journey feels seamless with most of the sweets on one side organized by category. Customers can get a bag and fill up 100 grams (priced at P900) or more with their chocolate choices. Our recommendations? Anything from the iconic Chocoviar (but try the pistachio and the 75% variant) and the salted white chocolate lines, the luxurious layered Cremino 1878, the Pannacotta and Caramel (which holds a luscious drop of caramel inside) the creamy hazelnut burst of the Gianduiotto Ricetta Originale, and the Nougatine.

Guide yourself to the gelato display where you can choose from over 12 flavors such as panna cotta, cream Venchi (custard cream), green pistachio, milk chocolate and Piedmont hazelnut, and stracciatella dolloped either on a cup or cone (P380 for up to four flavors)

From there, guide yourself to the gelato display where you can choose from over 12 flavors such as panna cotta, cream Venchi (custard cream), green pistachio, milk chocolate and Piedmont hazelnut, and stracciatella dolloped either on a cup or cone (P380 for up to four flavors). 

Can you taste Italy now? We’d say absolutely. 

How to transform holiday dining into an extravaganza Christmas Eve set menu at Casa Buenas

Christmas is felt throughout Newport World Resorts—what with the unveiling of its Christmas Reindeer Village and holiday hampers—but it’s in the food stories that reveal the premier integrated resort’s strengths. 

All five of them.

At Casa Buenas, the curated Filipino experience comes with inihaw, lechon, and fruit cake (P3,500 nett per person). Gordon Ramsay Bar & Grill meanwhile revels in a quintessentially British affair, serving a “Ramsay Christmas” offering on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day (lunch and dinner).

Fine Christmas kaiseki at Yamazato

Finally, three of the global resort’s hotel brands present a dichotomy of Christmas dining—one that involves navigating buffets (like in the case of Hilton Manila’s Kusina Sea Kitchens and Sheraton Manila’s flowing buffets) and contemplating a spectacular Christmas kaiseku menu by Yamazato’s Keiichiro Fujino that will feature isobe-style deep-fried oyster, smoked Saga wagyu A4 sirloin, and steamed seasonal yellowtail at P8,500++ per person.

Judging by these Christmas dining optionsjilipark, it’s exciting to know that all these outlets are pulling out all the stops to make sure no one feels out of place this season.

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