Chef Lau's Pugon Roasters: Fast Food That is So Good!

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Visiting their third branch and learning that they will soon have a fourth one only signifies that the people have really appreciated how Chef Roland (Chef Lau) and Jacqueline Laudico (Chef Jac) has steered their restaurant as an innovative "fast good" on its way into a very successful restaurant chain.

Partnered with the the Raya family, Chef Lau's Pugon Roasters serves dishes with a twist that only the famous chef couple can amazingly conjure like magic. Aside from the two culinary experts, we also met Roberto Luis Raya and found out that he was in charge of operations of the restaurants, and this confirmed my belief that you really need to partner with other people if you want to bring out the best in your craft. Artists also need to partner with other individuals that have the necessary specialties to take their dreams into a better reality.

My experience with their branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens located in Makati was as good as this visit at Venice Piazza located in McKinley Hill of Bonifacio Global City. We were able to dine on different set of dishes that really made our taste buds swoon in delight. Plus the passion of the couple in relating their stories about their food and how they started out, including their belief in using only natural and fresh ingredients was a big bonus for us. It is not everyday that you meet a celebrity chef couple so the lunch date with the Laudicos left us starstruck too.

Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge: Delightful Dishes on a Laughter-Filled Night

Wazzup Pilipinas!

We had an invitation to watch a special show of the Comedy Cartel where they had an Open Mic Showdown called Laugh and Stack. Members of their group participated in a sort of competition to determine who among them can get the most votes from the audience and be declared as the winner for the night.

Haresh was the current champion and so he was defending his crown, but unfortunately somebody emerged as the most laughable comic for the night.

Nonong, or mamang pulis, took home the recognition as the top comic for the night who was able to convince the crowd to vote for him. What probably made him win was the fact that he made fun of himself all throughout his time on stage. He was also talking in Tagalog thus most of the Filipino audience was easily able to relate to his jokes.

But before we enjoyed all those humor on stage, we got to enjoy first a delightful meal courtesy of the host venue for the night - Relik Tapas Bar and Lounge.

17 Years in the Making: Full Airline Operations at NAIA T3 by July 31

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Seventeen (17) years after the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) awarded the concession agreement for the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 project, the modern passenger terminal building (PTB) will finally be ready for full airline operations this coming July 31st.

“We are extremely pleased to confirm that full airline operations will begin at NAIA Terminal 3 next week. Our gateway airport will now be able to welcome 3.5 million more passengers with modern facilities every year, and Terminal 1 will now be considerably decongested to improve passenger convenience,” DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya stated.

“The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) has informed us that Delta Airlines will have its first flight out of Terminal 3 on August 1st, while KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will move within the first week of August. Singapore Airlines, Emirates, and Cathay Pacific will follow suit by the end of next month. These five carriers have the highest volume of international flights coming in and out of NAIA, so we look forward to giving them a new home,” Abaya added.

This project was awarded in 1997, for supposed completion in 2002. Legal issues related to its bidding process mired the project, however, delaying its opening until 2008, and even then it was only 52% operational. Faced with this situation, then-DOTC Secretary Mar Roxas initiated talks with Terminal 3’s original contractor, Takenaka Corporation of Japan, to complete its facilities regardless of the ongoing cases.