What was supposed to be an intimate dinner for 15 close friends turned into a lively gathering of 90. The entire ground floor was suddenly reserved exclusively for her guests — a last-minute decision made just four days prior. It was meant to be a casual dinner with dancing and no specific theme, yet surprisingly, most guests, including the celebrant herself, arrived in black attire.
Chuchi was overjoyed and deeply touched by the love and effort of her dear friends. Despite the short notice, almost everyone attended — an impressive 99 percent turnout for such an impromptu celebration.
After dinner, the ladies flocked to the dance floor, dancing non-stop. As expected, the night was filled with photo ops and lively conversations.
To eat, dance, and celebrate with her beautiful and fun-loving friends was a gift Chuchi truly cherished. Here’s to more colorful and wonderful years ahead.
Happy birthday, Chuchi! Cheers!
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A trendy yakiniku hub is making waves among Japanese food lovers. Located on Jupiter Street, Kenji offers an intriguing fusion of beloved Japanese dishes and global culinary techniques.
Restaurant owner Justin Patrick Velasco, who ran the successful Yokohama Meat Kitchen for several years, felt it was time to introduce a more upbeat yakiniku concept.
“Yokohama is all Japanese. With Kenji, we included international cuisine like king crab, foie gras, and many others,” Velasco shared.
The star of the menu is their premium Wagyu beef, carefully selected by Velasco’s team.
Diners can savor quality A5 Wagyu barbecue, prepared on the restaurant’s tabletop smokeless grill. They can grill their own chateaubriand, roast beef, sirloin, or kaburi, or opt for the Wagyu moriawase, a combination of karubi, rosu, and sirloin.
Favorites so far include Kenji’s jo karubi (beef short rib), jidori no sumiyaki (free-range chicken), and Iberico specialties like rosu (pork loin) and hohoniku (pork cheek), which also come in a moriawase set. For appetizers or side dishes, the jikasei Vienna sausage and spicy cheese wiener are popular choices — though it’s best to pace yourself to leave room for the rest of the menu.
Beyond its meat offerings, Kenji serves salads, sushi, sashimi, gyoza, and fun desserts like banana sushi and jikasei dark chocolate cake, made for fans of unsweetened chocolate.
Guests who wish to dine in the VIP rooms are encouraged to book in advance. Kenji is located on Jupiter Street in Makati.
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Sofia Frank is an unabashed “girl’s girl.”
“I hang out with my friends. I love shopping. I’m really into fashion. I love online shopping. Just looking at clothes is a hobby,” she gushes. In fact, she was happy to interrupt her schedule just to fly in for this photo shoot.
“I’ve done shoots before, but for fun, not for something like this… it’s crazy. I’m really excited!”
On camera, she’s a natural, which comes as no surprise since figure skating is one of the most performative and expressive sports.
Her journey into figure skating began when her parents took her to a rink at the age of 3 “to cool off from the California heat.” But one look at the rink and she discovered her calling.
“As soon as I saw these girls in sparkly dresses and stepped on the ice, I fell in love with it immediately. And yeah, I’ve been at it since.”
From the sweltering heat of California to the icy rinks where she found her passion, Sofia Frank’s journey in figure skating began at just 3 years old.
“My parents took me to the ice rink to cool off from the heat,” she recalls. It was there, surrounded by girls in sparkly dresses gliding effortlessly on the ice, that she fell in love with the sport.
Now, as a prominent figure skater representing the Philippines, her unwavering drive for excellence and cultural pride help her make a mark on the athletic scene. Off the ice, Frank enjoys a well-rounded life surrounded by family and friends.
