MESA Renews Ties with DINGDONG DANTES on their #RoadTo100

Popular modern Filipino and Asian inspired restaurant MESA just renewed their ties with Primetime King and Kapuso Star Dingdong Dantes as they continue having him as the endorser for the restaurant chain. The event was witnessed by Dong's Manager Mr. Perry Lansigan, MESA CEO Rikki Dee, their COO Eric Dee and their VP for National Operations Raymond Federigan. This continues a very effective partnership between the MESA group and Dingdong who's well identified with their brand and the life sized standees in store across the country.

Eric Dee says "We planned 120 stores last 2020, we were delayed because of obvious reasons. We are back on track this year for 2025. Our growth's reason is Mr. Dingdong Dantes, our vision of our Road to 100 is coming true. We will continue to celebrate Filipino heritage in our stores, our food, enjoyed by families all over "

Ricky Dee added "I want to thank Dingdong for coming to our lives. When we thought about it, it was unanimous. Til today we believe in him, and we are looking forward to more years of being together."

Dingdong extends his thanks for the trust given to him and said "Congratulations to the MESA group, I am so proud and honored to be part of this brand 6 years ago. Now, we are raring to be part of the road to 100 and my inclusion in it. I said a few years ago that I'll be part of it, I will be branch 88 and we will announce it very soon. To Filipino families, we will reach you, even in Hawaii. This brand will become bigger and stronger."

He adds "Our values are aligned, common goals, and we both believe in quality. Without getting into details, they will take care of me. I'm planning to put it near Sixto's school so Marian and I will be in it often. We can't wait to do that. We bond over food."

Dong adds "What the stomach experiences is the same in memories. We dine out, we eat, and I'm a foodie. I love the Crispchon and it's good to share. Being with other people, sharing it with the ones you love, it's what we do every week and it is special."

Here's some scenes from the event this morning and the press conference, please enjoy!

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With this happening this 2025, there will be more events and activations where Dingdong will be a part of and soon, more stores for him too as he said he's also planning to open one in his neck of the woods. Currently, MESA is present in Ayala Malls, Eastwood, Festival Mall, Fisher Mall, One Ayala, Robinsons Malls, SM Malls, and more. They are all under Foodie Global Concepts.

Congratulations on this continuing partnership! 

Dimsum, Savory Meals and Afternoon Tea at MODERN SHANG

It's like clockwork to go to MODERN SHANG after church or just strolling around the mall for the love of dimsum and savory meals. You know you're going to a legit one when much of the diners are actual Chinese and see them enjoy the meals in store. Recently, they're given us much more reason to go there as they launch their "Afternoon Tea" that only costs Php 400- Php 600 and is already good for 2-4 people. With dimsum, noodles, even pudgy dessert items, it can surely fill you up without breaking the bank.

These were what we tried at the MODERN SHANG branch in Greenbelt 5 a few days ago. They spruced up the place and I must say, the modern Chinese French look felt quite bougie, I liked it a lot. You won't be disappointed bringing in friends and family because by any standards, they'll find it cool. The food too is pretty solid, as they've been doing these for several years, I think they've had the hang of things early on and made sure their dimsum choices are above grade. I actually had seconds on some of them and contemplated to have a few more because it was that good.

Vegetable Dumplings

Meat Buns

Har Gow

Chicken Feet

Shrimp and Pork Siu Mai

Salted Egg Custard Bun

Xiao Long Bao

My personal favorite, the Hot and Sour Soup

Salted Egg Shrimp (ordered a la carte)

They've got good drinks too, this was Citrus and Mint.

The Afternoon Tea sets cost almost Php 600 and can save you almost Php 300

There's really more on the menu but I think they'll make a hit with the "Afternoon Tea" meals they have listed on it. It's got the right amount of protein and carbs, dimsum items that anyone would find filling at that price.This is only served from 3-6PM on weekdays, totally worth it.

MODERN SHANG is at the Greenbelt 5's 2nd Floor, They also have branches around Metro Manila which serve the same menu, but I would strongly suggest you give this branch a visit. It looks fresh and modern, and your family will love it too!

Smart Cooking with Samsung Home Appliances

We went to Chef Ernest Reynoso Galang's Gala Stars Culinary School in Pasig City to take a few lessons so we could use some of Samsung's modern ovens and state of the art refrigerators to whip up a couple of recipes during the event. I cook a little, but am yet to fully utilize my Samsung oven and this was something that they think could get us a little acquainted with the appliance and got a few bloggers in the mix to make the  activity a little competitive. This time we we're not cooking our best recipes but doing everything by the book. Instead of frying we could use the modern oven to air fry, aside from that, we could use the Samsung Refrigerators to keep the ingredients fresh and frozen at some point.

The executives from Samsung Home Appliances and Chef Ernest gave us small talk about how we can maximize the use of the appliances. They also told us not to worry about cooking that afternoon because it's going to be easy. 

When we arrived they already did the "mise en place" so we barely prepared everything and just had to put things together. The school mostly does this on their classes I think. When we started to cook it was awesome to have the instructions on paper at that time, that made it easier for us to understand. They also got the "finished product" in front so we could see how it'll all turn out.

The appliances were kinda huge because they're more industrial, fit for the school's function. Still, I could definitely see how this will all look like when the appliances are at home. It'll definitely help a lot.

After pounding the Chicken Breast (to flatten), we had it butterflied and inserted slices of Spam (original flavor) and a couple strips of cheese. You just roll them up, put them in F.E.B., that's Flour, Egg and Bread Crumbs (specifically in that order) and put them in the fridge so they could hold their form. Then, you just deep fry them or bake, it depends on your preference but it'll be crispier with oil. It'll be way healthier if you put it on the oven though.

It was meaty, spicy and cheesy, just the way I liked it. I put in a sprinkle of dried herbs on mine like basil, pepper and cayenne so it would be different from the others who made the same dish. It was absolutely, insanely delicious! Of course, I made it! :P

We also made pasta with only a few ingredients. It's sauce was just made by Basil, Garlic and Tomato. I had my serving with tons of Parmesan cheese whilst the one for show had fried basil leaves on top. It was simple, yet very filling. It could even pass for date food if I were cooking for someone special, but you can always cook for yourself and make it your comfort food. I know I do.

Life became so easy with the Samsung Ovens and Refrigerator. I still have my fridge at home and it's so efficient, we've had it for years. I also have the Samsung Oven but I'm still learning to use it. You can cook too if you had the right products in your kitchen, all it takes is the right ones from Samsung so you can get started with your own culinary journey. That's smart cooking!

For more information about their products:

Samsung Mobile PH

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http://www.samsung.com/ph

The Coca Cola Modern Glass Collection at McDonalds

Isn't that a sight for sore eyes? You know last year, I had to line up a couple of times in McDonalds stores in Eastwood so I could get all the upside down looking Coca Cola glasses and take it home. This year, I feel so ecstatic that people have been so good to me for this to happen. I got a whole set of the new Coca Cola Modern Glass Collection complete with a box that made look quite expensive. The same rule goes, if you get to purchase a McDonald's Extra Value Meal, BFF Burger, Chicken Bundle or Breakfast Value Meals, just add Php 25.00 to it and voila! You've got one of these gorgeous glass pieces in the bag!

First impression? Pretty. Anyone could prolly mistake this for those expensive ones in posh home centers seen in malls. It's something collectible, and pretty much it's something that Filipinos have grown accustomed to. I know a ton of people that probably received a set or more of these drinking glasses as gifts from birthdays, weddings, or just any occasion there is in the country. Funny as it seems to some, but it projects our natural affinity of taking care of each other, our way of making sure that our fellows home is complete and at least have the basics. It does mean a lot more than just drinking glasses, it's how we share memories, how we interact when we get to the table from breakfast, lunch or dinner.

Design wise, they've done an extremely good job at it. This is the 7th year that they are doing this, making this a long withstanding partnership with Coca Cola and McDonald's. Whether it's the Diamond, Linear, Mosaic, Pixel, Ripple or Steel that you need to work on these days, now's the chance for you to storm through the nearest McDonald's branch near you to get one of these gorgeous drinking glasses available only holidays through the special partnership of Coke and McDonald's which will only last during the holidays. 

I'll be adding another set for some friends and relatives, will you be doing the same?! :)

For more information about their stores:

McDonalds Philippines

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http://McDonalds.com.ph/

Guitar Underwear Brand Launches New Endorsers

A brand that encompassed generations and rocked the innerwear industry for over 50 years, Guitar Underwear just recently announced their new endorsers and relaunched their existing ones at the Cities Events Place in Sgt. Esguerra, Quezon City. They also showed their brand of inner and outerwear shirts, sandos, modern basic briefs, panties and boxer shorts during the event. The brand which started in Hong Kong, then transferred its operations in the Philippines - now holds to be one of the best brands aiming to by synonymous with intimate style and quality.

Saw these two guys chatting and had to disturb them for a photo op. Carlos Agassi who's sculptured physique just screams the cause that he had to be here. The amir of rap, he's still got a well formed body to carry underwear like a normal shirt anytime of the day. He works hard at it and makes it a point to have regular gym time urges the need to be fit and healthy no matter what age an individual is. He's continuing to inspire the youth to not only look good but have a lifestyle fitness centric. It's one of the reasons why he's been able to stay with Guitar for over 8 years now and they continue to believe in him up until now. Carlos is glad that he's still with the brand and promises to continue staying in shape for the love of the Guitar Underwear brand.   

Carlos Agassi, trying to eat right and get some sleep even with his very hectic schedules.

Guitar has been around for almost 50 years but they haven't been able to market themselves that much in the past. They have in the past just invested in regular newspaper ads and thought of re-introducing themselves to the new generation which still comprise the majority of their consumers; hence the event. Quality wise they would never change, but they might actually improve on it. The deal breaker is, they will never even think of raising prices because as they see it, their product sits as one of the most affordable in every shop, mall or stores they are in right now.

I haven't met Ann Mateo before so it was high time we get to know her a little better. When I asked about her background, she says she started singing for fun and started uploading them on the Internet. This venue got her appreciated more by netizens and got her started to do more later on. Sharing her music got her recognized by a lot of people and it landed her modeling stints, hosting jobs and then a program for People's Television Network 4. Guitar believes in up and coming talents hence the reason why they got her. Not only that, she is officially the first female endorser for the brand. She's in fact making history here. I'd like to get to know her better soon. She's happy and thankful though for Guitar to have her as an endorser. She feels that this is a feat she never knew would even happen, the fact that she's endorsing a brand means they believe in her... she feels elated. 

Mark "Mugen" Striegl

When I heard he's going to be here, I turned into a fan. He's one of the few Filipino American Athletes I look up to, especially in the MMA leagues. He grew up Tokyo, lived in Baguio and trained Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. He went to MMA a few years after. He's one tough cookie and his professional career is very impressive. I saw a couple of fights he won overwhelmingly. 

Being a very good example to the youth and a world class athlete is just one of the few reasons why Guitar got him as an endorser. They are also gearing to have some of their designs and clothing be adept with the athletic side. They'll still have the classics but make new ones that would cater to the young, the professionals, the athletes and everyone who needs it. Mark now has his own team called Team Buffet and he'll be coming up with a team who'll manage a blog that will basically also discuss lifestyle, health, sports, food and a lot more. It's a big undertaking but Mark's excited about that. Just get updates on his Facebook page "Mark Mugen".

Guitar's Marketing Manager Alvin Ross Uy Rivera says they'll have the classic ones in the market and create a new product line. "We've already started the outerwear shirts, like the ones they are already wearing. They'll also be coming out with new bamboo fabrics, dry fit ones, Polyester shirts, and pretty soon even socks and other ones that would complete their collection to have something from head to toe. It's already second most or the most affordable brand in the market. It's available in almost all department stores and even internationally through SM too." 

A man that needs no introduction is rap superstar Gloc9. I've been a fan since I saw him perform live during a Coke event years ago. He's even helping other artists make it to the scene, even better that afternoon because they also played the music video that's perfect for the campaign Guitar is launching. To get a glimpse of that, here it is!

 

He performed it together with Denise Barbacena. Of course there were some antics in between by Guitar endorsers as well. Since it's Filipino week, that made him even more proud to say he's part of this brand. He didn't have to strip for the most part of it but he's making the language and connection a big part of the influence he's emitting on and off cam. A lot of people believe in him and that's his selling point. For what it's worth, he's pretty happy Guitar believes in his talent and they have an understanding like a gentleman's word to support each others endeavors. That right there is priceless.

Congratulations to Guitar and your new endorsers!

For more information about their brand:

Guitar Underwear 1960

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http://www.guitar1960.com.ph/