Chef Lau's Pugon Roasters Now at SM San Lazaro: Fiesta Araw-Araw with Fast Good

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Your friendly neighborhood pambansang blogger was recently invited to a grand opening of a new branch of restaurant partly owned by a famous chef couple. The invitation came directly from the chefs themselves so I'm pretty sure we were more than welcome to join the other VIPs and guests mostly coming from the friends, affiliates, suppliers, relatives and friends of the owners.

Chef Lau's Pugon Roasters now opens its 4th branch at SM San Lazaro, just a short walk from the LRT Tayuman station, and offers "fast good" that's not just yummy but healthier for you as compared with the traditional fast food restaurants that uses artificial flavorings and the dreaded MSG (more popularly known as the "vetsin" or "mono-sodium glutamate") or its similarities and variations that are continuing to proliferate the market and makes our food seem tastier but are actually endangering our health.

Chefs Rolando and Jacqueline Laudico, or more widely known as Chef Lau and Chef Jacqui of the famous Guevarra's by Chef Laudico and Patisserie Filipino, boasts of using only natural and fresh ingredients. No instant, no artificial, all good. The "pugon" oven or brick oven concept used in this fast food type but fine dining level of restaurant operation is remarkably the first, and a daring approach backed up by the culinary expertise of the Laudicos.

Plush Toy Making Workshop at Yuchengco Museum on November 9

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Create your own stuffed toy from scratch and spend quality time with your children at Yuchengco Museum’s hands-on Plush Toy Making Workshop on November 9, Sunday, from 2 to 5 p.m. In three hours, learn how to make your own plush toy, from cutting the pattern (or making your own!) to stuffing the toy and sewing it all together.

Choose from three plush toy options: pink teddy hug bear, blue teddy hug bear, or a googoo monster. The workshop is open to children at least 5 years old, as well as adults. Children between 5 to 8 years old must be accompanied by an adult, who will help create the plush toy.


About the instructors

Apol Lejano-Massebieau established La Pomme, an online shop of handsewn whimsical fabric objects, in France in 2007. Having relocated to her birth country, the Philippines, Apol opened her own brick-and-mortar shop in Makati, specializing in handmade toys and offering a craft space for children.

4 Things to Look for in a Franchise

Wazzup Pilipinas!

Franchising has boomed recently because of its reliability and potential as an investment for aspiring entrepreneurs and OFW’s.

Compared to starting out on your own franchising has several benefits chief such as reduced risk on the part of the franchisee. Franchisors have developed a system that takes out the guesswork on how to run the business. The have also built up a brand elevating it from other businesses. These factors have helped the industry thrive with thousands of franchise stores opening every year. To get started with franchising here are tips to help you choose the right franchise for you.

1) Reputation and Brand

This should be the top consideration for aspiring franchisees since with today’s hyper competitive market investing in a well-known brand usually boosts your chances for success. In the water refilling industry, Aquabest is considered the top brand with more than 700 stores nationwide. The company invests in high profile marketing and advertising on television or billboards to ensure that it is top of mind among consumers. At the same time it has a solid track record of industry reputation and integrity.