Dining In/Out (12/11/25)

THE HOLIDAYS just got a whole lot tastier at Shake Shack. For a limited time only, Shack fans can look forward to a new lineup featuring the all-new Bearnaise Burger, Bearnaise Chicken, and Bearnaise Fries, along with three festive drinks. Inspired by classic steakhouse flavors, the Bearnaise Burger has a 100% all-natural Angus beef patty topped with melted Gruyere cheese, pickled red onions, frisée, and a rich steak sauce mayo made with herb butter, a fla-vorful nod to French béarnaise. For those who prefer a crisp bite, the Bearnaise Chicken delivers the same flavor in a golden, crispy chicken breast layered with pickled red onions, frisée, and that same steak sauce mayo. The Bear-naise Fries come loaded with Parmesan and a side of steak sauce mayo. The new holiday beverages are: the Frozen Hot Chocolate Shake, a blend of chocolate frozen custard and cocoa powder, topped with whipped cream and mini marshmallows; Salted Iced Chocolate; and Pink Lemonade, mixed with pomegranate juice and yuzu juice. There are exclusive deals on shakeshack.ph including Combo Meals such as the ShackBurger Combo (P550), Chicken Shack Combo (P545), and SmokeShack Combo (P670), each coming with fries and a 16 oz Fresh Lemonade at P100 off their regular ala carte total. The Crave Crew Bundle includes four ShackBurgers, fries, and lemonades for P1,950, essentially one full set comes free when buying three. These offers are available exclusively at shakeshack.ph for pick-up or delivery until Dec. 15, at all Shacks except NAIA Terminal 3. Shake Shack also has opened two new branch-es: Shake Shack Robinsons Magnolia and Shake Shack Capitol Commons. Available only until January, the Holiday lineup can be enjoyed at all Shake Shack branches, including NAIA Terminal 3 and these two newly opened stores.

Tanduay Especia Spiced Rum gets Double Gold Medal

TANDUAY Especia Spiced Rum has bagged a Double Gold Medal from the Asia Spirits Ratings, a leading spirits brand competition based in Hong Kong. The award-winning Philippine product was also declared Rum of the Year and Best Spirit of the Year by Value for 2025. “Every medal we receive is an honor not just for Tanduay but for the Philippines. We share this recognition with our hardworking team, whose dedication and passion enable us to showcase the best of Filipino craftsmanship to the world,” said Roy Kristoffer Sumang, international business development manager of Tanduay. The Asia Spirits Ratings recognizes spirit brands according to their quality, value for money, and what they look like. To earn a Double Gold, a product needs to score 96-100 points. The Gold Medal is awarded to those that score 90-95 points; the Silver Medal to a score of 85-89 points; and the Bronze Medal for a score of 80-84 points. Tanduay Especia Spiced Rum received the highest score in the contest, earning 96 points, to earn the top honor alongside Kenya’s Mara Gin. The judges were particularly impressed with Tanduay Especia Spiced Rum’s taste, noting how “gingerbread and biscotti aromas open to a layered palate of chocolate, almond, and nutmeg, finishing long with butterscotch and warm spice.” Apart from Tanduay Especia Spiced Rum, several other Tanduay products also earned medals from Asia Spirits Ratings. Tanduay Asian Rum Gold, Tanduay Double Rum, and Tanduay 10-Year-Old Rum all received Silver Medals; Embassy Whisky, Tanduay Overproof Rum, Tanduay Rhum Dark 5 Years, Tanduay Asian Rum Silver, Tanduay 1854, and Tanduay Superior were awarded Bronze Medals.

Coke, foodpanda make holidays affordable with promo

THIS HOLIDAY SEASON Coca-Cola, Jollibee, and McDonald’s offer 25% off meals on foodpanda. From Dec. 1 to 21, foodpanda brings together all-time favorites from Jollibee and McDonald’s, paired with Coca-Cola in a promo called PamasCoke. Customers can enjoy 25% off Jollibee and McDonald’s meals paired with Coke. These include McDonald’s McShare Bundle for three with Coke or Cheeseburger with Fries Small Meal with Coke, both available at 25% off with a maximum P100 discount and no minimum spend. For those craving Jollibee, there are the Family Super Meal A, featuring a six-piece Chickenjoy Bucket with three rice and Coke, at 25% off with a P170 maximum discount. This offer is available only at selected times in Luzon and Visayas only.

Jollibee Group, GrabFood team up for traffic concerns

THE Jollibee Group has partnered with GrabFood to introduce Rush Hour Rewards, an initiative designed to ease the strain of weekday travel by helping commuters in Greater Metro Manila plan their meals during the busiest times of the day. Ongoing until Dec. 26, the program offers customers a P100 discount when they order ahead from participating Jollibee Group brands during the morning and evening rush hours, subject to a minimum order value that varies per brand on the GrabFood app. The offer is available on weekdays between 7 to 9 a.m. and 5 to 9 p.m. Rush Hour Rewards is available across the Jollibee Group’s GrabFood-listed stores in Metro Manila and Greater Metro Manila. The 11 participating brands are: Jollibee, Mang Inasal, Chowking, Greenwich, Red Ribbon, Burger King, Panda Express, Yoshinoya, Tiong Bahru Bakery, Common Man Coffee Roasters, and Milksha.

Pinoy invents ‘The Better Vessel’ (for espresso)

FOLLOWING a performance at the 2025 World Barista Championship (WBC) in Milan, two-time Philippine National Barista Champion Michael Harris Conlin is ushering in a new Filipino coffee innovation. Conlin, who placed 13th overall and earned the award for Best Espresso in Round One, is now introducing his invention, The Better Vessel. The Better Vessel works by gently and selectively removing the bitterness and harshness of crema in espresso, al-lowing baristas to extract a longer, cleaner, and sweeter shot with greater consistency. This refinement allows for better espresso, regardless of a café’s size, equipment, or level of expertise. Within days of its soft introduction at WBC, Mr. Conlin received pre-orders from baristas and café owners in the US, Japan, Australia, Singapore, and parts of Europe, many expressing eagerness to integrate the tool into their workflow. Industry leaders abroad noted its potential to cut waste, reduce dialing-in time, and improve flavor consistency. “My hope is that the Philippines sees The Better Vessel not just as a tool, but as proof that Filipino ideas can lead global change,” said Mr. Conlin in a statement.