"A Mad Dinner" draws a dazzled crowd to the Farm at San Benito

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Farm at San Benito hosted a special two-night dinner series prepared by unconventional cookbook author and Le Cordon Bleu Paris alum Simran Savlani, who took over the kitchen of The Farm at San Benito’s iconic ALIVE! Restaurant, and served a stunning seven-course vegan-vegetarian dinner last September 1-2, 2022.

The Farm brought out their signature flare, with gorgeous natural tablescapes inspired by the colors of Savlani’s “A Spark of Madness,” an Asian-Vegetarian cookbook she authored with 116 recipes covering regions from Thailand, Taiwan, Indonesia, India, Seoul, Singapore, and beyond.

The dinner was attended by a flurry of traveling foodies, wellness enthusiasts, and media personalities, and was even graced by FIBA World Cup Gilas Pilipinas star Scottie Thompson, who was at The Farm following the national team’s decisive victory against Saudi Arabia.

Notorious for not following recipes while melding a wealth of cuisines, flavors, and ingredients, Savlani dazzled the crowd with a feast comprised of her signature A Mad Gin, Scallion Pinwheels, Soba Salad, Gochugaru Spiced Corn Ribs, Sheet-Pan Baked Tofu, Curd Rice, Macau Café Portugese Curry, Cointreau Spiked Clafoutis, and 

Simcello.

The Farm’s resident sound healer LJ Navera, played live soul-enriching music to complement Savlani’s colorful and flavorful dishes.

Social media was ablaze with posts and stories from happy diners who had the opportunity to interact with Savlani herself during the event. One diner reported amazement at not feeling bloated after finishing all seven courses, 6-time PBA Champion Thompson posted his plates finished, while a couple mentioned A Mad Dinner was the perfect way to celebrate their sixth wedding anniversary.

Food and travel vlogger Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet posted an immersive reel describing the dinner as the “Best vegetarian tasting menu we tried,” and that he “didn’t realize vegetarian food can taste this good!”

Diaz recommends Savlani’s Curd Rice and Gochugaru Spiced Corn Ribs with Chimichurri as his personal favorites.

Savlani also made “A Spark of Madness” and her signature line of “Spark Sauces” available for purchase at The Farm, with the cookbook retailing for PHP 2,600 and the sauces retailing at PHP 2,900.

The cookbook contains all of the recipes in “A Mad Dinner,” making it possible to recreate this unique dining experience at home.

Savlani has launched a series of restaurants across Asia and Africa, using her philosophy of making dishes three-dimensional; bringing together elements of sugar, spice, and salt to create memorable culinary experiences.

The dinner was done in collaboration with The Farm’s Vegan Vegetarian restaurants ALIVE and PRANA, an Ayurveda Restaurant serving Indian-Vegetarian cuisine driven by the which mission of providing life-giving energy through food; directly in line with Savlani’s foolproof and flavorful vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free range of dishes.



THE FARM AT SAN BENITO

#119 Brgy. Tipacan, Lipa City, Batangas 4217, Philippines

www.thefarmatsanbenito.com


ABOUT THE FARM

The Farm at San Benito, a multi-awarded, eco-luxury holistic medical wellness resort located in Lipa, Batangas, only 90-minutes’ drive from Manila Airport, Philippines, rests on 51 hectares of lush green jungle, with a stunning view of Mt. Malarayat, and a powerful life-giving energy radiating within the property. The Farm has been honored with over 80 prestigious international awards including “Best Medical Wellness Resort in the World” from SENSES Germany which made its mark as one of the leading medical wellness destinations in the world.

Celebrating 20 years of holistic health, The Farm offers science-based, evidence-guided and results driven approach to optimal well-being. Programs are designed to address and treat chronic illnesses and lifestyle diseases, naturally and holistically. The Farm’s medically-supervised programs are Immune Support, Post-COVID Recovery, Holistic Detox Cleansing, Radiation Detox, Weight Management, Diabetes Prevention, Heart Health, Holistic Cancer Care, Pain Management, Mental Health, Yoga & Raw Food Retreat, Sleep Induction, Post-Natal Care, Fertility, Hormone Regulation, Smoking Cessation, and Beauty & Longevity are carefully planned and conducted by internationally trained integrative medical doctors and licensed health professionals.

The Farm has also proudly remained COVID-free, as a result of its world-class safety protocols, on-site testing center, and the sanitation of all rooms and facilities with Sanivir Smoke, proven by international laboratories to effectively eliminate all types of virus including coronavirus on surfaces and in the air. The Farm is also the first in the country to use the BetterAir solution that disperses environmental probiotics in all enclosed spaces to create a clean, pathogen and allergen free healthy indoor environment

With only 60 exclusive suites and villas, a well-maintained property, world-class service, and the Filipinos' nurturing touch, The Farm offers guests an unparalleled life transformative healing holiday.

 

ABOUT CG HOSPITALITY

CG Hospitality, the hospitality wing of CG Corp Global has a proud history of successful joint ventures in the hospitality sector with esteemed partners and owns some of the most iconic assets globally with some of the leading hospitality brands over two decades such as Taj, Taj Safari, Vivanta, Jetwing, Radisson, Ekho, Fairmont and its own brands The Zinc, The Fern, Summit, The Farm and so on. CG Hospitality portfolio comprises over 142 hotels & resorts in 12 countries and 101 destinations with over 8,272 keys. By 2025, the portfolio is expected to grow to over 200 hotels and 10,000 keys.



ABOUT A SPARK OF MADNESS

A Spark of Madness is an Asian Vegetarian cookbook with 116 recipes covering regions from Thailand to Taiwan, Indonesia to India, Seoul to Singapore and beyond. Whilst some recipes are classics and stay true to their cultural origins, others have experienced “A Spark of Madness.”



ABOUT THE AUTHOR & SPARK GIRL

Instagram: @asparkofmadness

Simran Savlani is not your typically trained chef, nor is she a food writer. Funnily enough, she is notorious for not following recipes, yet the kitchen is her canvas, and the recipes in her book are developed through years of following her passion. A Restaurant Management graduate from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, Simran is adept at melding cuisines, flavours, and ingredients, and has launched restaurants across Asia and even Africa. When whipping up a dish, her aim is to make it three-dimensional, bringing together elements of sugar, spice and salt to give you the perfect bite. You can always find her smiling whilst digging into a bowl of noodles at your neighbourhood dai pai dong. www.asparkofmadness.co

SM Prime and WWF Philippines announce partnership towards responsible reporting on climate change solutions

Wazzup Pilipinas!?


SM Prime Holdings, Inc., one of Southeast Asia’s leading integrated property developers and leading conservation organization World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines have entered a collaboration in adopting a more robust reporting framework to address the climate crisis.

This is a major partnership of WWF with a Philippine company towards the development of a bespoke program towards decarbonization.

Sustainability at SM Prime is at the core of its corporate identity. SM Prime is at the forefront of spearheading sustainable practices as well as setting records in pioneering programs to consciously protect the environment and strongly focus on resilience in its developments.

Under the partnership, SM Prime will adopt the Corporates for a Better Planet Initiative (CBPI), WWF-Philippines’ flagship program that provides an actionable framework for organizations to operate sustainably within the paradigm of the climate crisis.

“We are delighted to work with WWF Philippines on this sustainable journey. Focusing sustainability within the context of the Philippines ensures that our strategies and projects are highly material, efficient and more responsive in addressing local concerns surrounding resilience and adaptation. We need to be one with the worldwide community to achieve this and we need to work with global experts to get this right,” SM Prime President Jeffrey C. Lim said.

Climate change is one of the most pressing and defining global issues today. The Philippines currently ranks third globally when it comes to climate change vulnerability. In relation to its geographical location, it is more exposed to altering intensities of climate change manifested through erratic weather systems and natural calamities.

These risks are rife with complexity and uncertainty and organizations typically fail to properly assess their implications. The CBPI program takes a holistic approach towards this pivotal issue, addressing these risks from a custom-built, science-based perspective.

By partnering with the WWF, SM Prime will be able to enhance and determine climate change solutions that will be reflected through responsible and transparent reporting.

The first phase of CBPI involves gauging where SM Prime stands in its sustainability initiatives and setting a science-based target in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C compared to pre-industrial levels. SM Prime published its first Integrated Report in 2021 under the Integrated Reporting Framework which provides an overview of our value creation model — how we seek to create value for our stakeholders by contributing to national progress through investments and interventions critical to the country’s socio-economic growth.

As a champion of climate action in the Philippines, our partnership with WWF adds another enhancement to transparent reporting by ensuring greenhouse gas (GHG) computations are accurate and use appropriate methodologies.

With the need to broaden efforts to protect the environment, this partnership forms part of group-wide efforts under the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.

SM Prime’s partnership with WWF dates back to 2007 under Hamilo Coast, its leisure resort development in Nasugbu, Batangas.

WWF closely monitors the health and viability of the Hamilo Coast area including three of its coves designated as Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)—the Pico de Loro, Etayo and Santelmo.

In recognition of its conservation efforts, Hamilo Coast was cited by WWF-Philippines as its longest standing Sustainability Partner in 2020.



About SM Prime

SM Prime Holdings Inc., one of the leading property developers in Southeast Asia, is committed to providing safe and sustainable spaces for its stakeholders. Its development strategy is anchored on the responsible use of resources. In the communities it serves, it is able to promote resource conservation, environmental protection, and disaster resiliency by implementing solutions for water, waste, and energy management.
SM Prime is a key player in the SM Green Movement that aims to improve the quality of life of communities through sustainable solutions to promote a green planet, green living and a green culture.



Find out more about SM Prime and the SM Green Movement

DOST-SEI launches STEM competitions anew

Wazzup Pilipinas!?



As the nation prepares for the comeback of full in-person classes, the DOST-SEI continues to strengthen its efforts to bring Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) to young Filipinos.

The Institute has recently announced that it is now accepting proposals for the 6th Indie- Siyensya filmmaking contest and the 6th imake.wemake:create.innovate.collaborate competition.

This year, Indie-Siyensya will highlight the theme, “Communicating Climate Change.” The competition has two categories open for all Filipino citizens. The Youth Category is open for filmmakers who are 13 to 18 years old, while the Open Category is open for individuals who are at least 19 years old.

Filmmakers interested to join the Youth Category should submit a 10-minute science explainer video to creatively elucidate science concepts and theories while those joining the Open Category should showcase a documentary to capture the theme “Communicating Climate Change Action”.

For contest mechanics and other information, interested participants may visit https://bit.ly/6thIndieSiyensyaContestMechanics.

The DOST-SEI is also on the lookout for innovative students who are ready to address important societal and community issues as it opens the 6th imake.wemake competition.

To join, a team composed of four (4) Grade 11 or Grade 12 students and one (1) science teacher as coach per school may submit a project proposal addressing any of the following areas: food safety, security, traffic/road congestion, health, education, disaster mitigation, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and environment. This should be accompanied by a 2-3 minute video supporting the concept.

Interested teams may follow imake.wemake’s official Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/imake.wemake for upcoming announcements.

Imake.wemake recently awarded a new batch of young innovators during the final presentation and awarding ceremony held on August 26, 2022.

“It is important that we continue these kinds of competitions that promote science, technology, engineering, and mathematics among the Filipino youth to provide them opportunities to reach their maximum potential. DOST-SEI will continue to support the youth and commit to inspire them to help create a better tomorrow for the country,” said DOST Director Dr. Josette Biyo.