MANILA -- Check out some of the latest news in the local food scene.

LUISITA ORO RUM

Fresh from winning the silver medal at the International Wines and Spirits Competition, Tarlac-based single-estate Tarlac Distillery Corporation releases the new Luisita Oro. In contrast to its limited-edition one-off rums, Oro will always be available for rum lovers to enjoy.

The Luisita Oro is relatively affordable way to sample rum. Sipped neat, it has the aroma of molasses and sugar, with a palate of sugar and banana, with a moderate finish of spice. It makes a nice base for your Mojito, Rum Coke or Cuba Libre too.

The Luisita Oro is available to S&R and at Liquor.PH with an introductory price of P599 per 700ml bottle.

OYSTERS AND COCKTAIL PAIRING AT SALT & ICE

On a limited run for the holiday season, Salt & Ice at Uptown Parade offers fresh Aklan oysters paired with cocktails concocted by bartender Abby Quilalan.

Prices start at P50 each for fresh natural oysters and P60 each for their specialty oysters -- the Oyster Kilpatrick made with Worcestershire sauce and bacon; the Oyster Mornay, their version of baked oysters spiced up with their own hot sauce; and Oyster Tempura with a dab of wasabi mayo.

Also on the menu are Singaporean Chili Prawn, Scallops, Sea Urchin Pasta, Sliders, and their Nutella Sourdough Pizza.

Salt & Ice will close in January for extensive remodeling and will re-open for Valentine’s Day 2022.

MAX’S CHOCO DULCE DELIGHT

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From Max’s Corner Bakery comes a limited-edition cake for the Christmas holidays.

The Choco Dulce Delight is a moist chocolate cake with rich dulce filling, frosted with chocolate fudge icing. Highly recommended to pre-order now to avoid the holiday rush.

The Choco Dulce Delight is priced at P999 for dine-in and take-out orders. It can also be purchased for delivery at P1,149 via delivery.maxschicken.com and 888-79000. Choco Dulce Delight is available in Luzon stores only.

BALIWAG READY TO HEAT AND READY TO FRY PACKS

Have a Baliwag feast every day at home with the restaurant's new ready-to-heat and ready-to-fry food packs.

Choose from over 15 favorite Filipino dishes, including Pork Binagoongan, Beef Steak, Kare-Kare, Beef Caldereta, Lechon Paksiw, Dinuguan, Lengua, Callos, Embutido, Laing, spaghetti sauce, and their original tasting Baliwag fried chicken, the Chikititas.

Food storage is easy with both ready-to-heat and ready-to-fry items, with simple cooking instructions printed on all the product labels.

Also available are their bottled side dishes like Atsara, Bagoong, Chili Hot Bagoong, and Kimchi that make meals extra flavorful.

DIM SUM DAYS AT RED LANTERN SOLAIRE

Go on an all-you-can-eat oriental flavor exploration at Solaire Resort and Casino’s signature Chinese Restaurant, Red Lantern.

While the menu has the familiar siu mai and hargow, the entrées to sample and savor are Red Lantern’s specialties like the Chicken Feet in Sichuan Sauce, JiaoZi Dumplings, and finish brunch off with the Kataifi Roll with Avocado and other exquisite desserts.

The Delectable Dm Sum Days offer is only available during lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is priced at 999+ on weekdays and P1,488 on weekends. Reservations highly recommended due to seating restrictions. Double masks and vaccination IDs required for entry.

PLANT COFFEE PILIPINAS

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The Philippine Coffee Board Inc. (PCBI) aims to energize coffee growers from all around the country with its Plant Coffee Pilipinas initiative.

With P600, coffee lovers can adopt a coffee seedling from a chosen coffee-growing region and nurture the sapling as it grows into a tree. The farmer will send updates regarding the growth of the tree and can meet donors when it’s safe to travel already. The money will be used to help subsidize the farmers’ expenses and will hopefully make coffee farming a sustainable industry.

Visit here to register and for more information.

FOODPANDA INTRODUCES CONCEPT BRANDS

Foodpanda introduces concept brands exclusively available from the food delivery app.

These include Hooked and Cooked for fish and tacos, Jackson’s Fried Chicken, Pasteria for pasta, Urbanica for coffee, Wantea for milk tea, and Puro for artisanal ice cream.

These join Noah’s Kitchen, K-Bite’s, Simot, Faasos, IHOP, and Applebees as Foodpanda app exclusives.

For every order throughout December, a Christmas card can be included for free with food orders that are sent as gifts.

The FoodPanda app is available for iOS and Android.

CHIEF SHEILLA KITCHENWARES

If you’re looking for last-minute gifts for the cooks in your life, check out chef Sheilla Lopez’s collection of kitchenware.

Dubbed Chef Sheilla Kitchwares, you can choose from a hand mixer (with stand), silicone cupcake/muffin pan, 5-piece mixing bowls with lids, silicone oven mittens, stainless steel cake knife and server set with ceramic holder, chopping board, and even a waterproof digital kitchen scale.

Prices range from P230 for the stainless flour sifter to P1,650 for the durable non-stick 12” wok pan with lid (5-layer coating, smart heat conduction and with silicone handle).

These are available on www.chefsheilla.com. The items are also on Lazada and Shoppee.