This has been a long time coming.
Over the years, Vantage has released countless food, film, music, and theater reviews in the name of campus culture. But beyond Katipunan haunts, film festivals, and event coverages, there has always been more personal content that we’ve wanted to share.
Introducing Vantage POINT: A moodboard for things that have been on our minds as of late, topics both fresh and familiar. We point you towards what to watch out for and what we think you should be enjoying right now. And if whatever we love becomes whatever you love (at least a little bit), then we’ve done our jobs.
Without further ado, here’s to kicking off your August with a few of our picks:
Early this year, Hong Kong dessert store Hui Lau Shan opened its doors in the Philippines. There are currently five branches here in our country, with one in UP Town Center near Merkado Supermarket. The café, which specializes in mango desserts and drinks, has been a long-standing franchise in Hong Kong and has stores all over the world. Although a foreign brand, Hui Lau Shan has used Philippine carabao mangoes in their products for several years now! I had heard of Hui Lau Shan while I was in Hong Kong, but never had the chance to try it. I'm all the more excited to give it a try now that I know their mangoes are locally sourced. I'm personally looking forward to tasting their mango chewy ball and mango oolong tea. - Zoe
Chicken Bacolod sits right across Ateneo, but that won’t stop me from adding JT’s Manukan to this list. The latter chain opened its newest branch last July 31 at Blue Ridge A, which isn’t too far from school either. And for an inasal lover like me, this is great news—the more options, the merrier. While Mang Inasal’s version leans on the glazed barbecue side, and Chicken Bacolod’s is an oily and salty yellow, JT’s dish often balances the two. Here, the chicken comes out basted brown against gold so there’s a bit of sweetness to the savory kick of garlic and spices. But words can’t really capture the experience of eating paa (i.e. chicken leg), drowning garlic rice in atsuete chicken oil, and wondering if all the grease is worth it—you’ll just have to taste it to believe it. - Annicka
Rilakkuma and Kaoru (2019)
If you enjoy the stop-motion animation style of Wes Anderson’s Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009), you might like the Netflix original Rilakkuma and Kaoru. Follow the lives of office worker Kaoru and her companions Rilakkuma, Korilakkuma, and Kiiroitori as they go through spring festivals, a ghost sighting, and moving houses. Created by French animation house Dwarf Studio and Japanese stationery company San-X, the show is endearing, amusing, and a joy to watch. As a fan of animation and stationery, I was thoroughly delighted with the series and knocked it out in two days! Not to mention, it’s only 13 episodes long and runs for about 15 minutes each. The plot of each episode is straightforward, but moving, with themes as light as hot summer days to the more complex issues of mental and emotional health. The show reflects the modern 20-something’s life presented in the trademark Japanese way: Simple, yet impactful. - Zoe
Norman F—king Rockwell (2019) by Lana Del Rey
Release: August 30
First, a disclaimer: I’ve only heard Lana Del Rey in snatches. Her melancholy sound kept me interested enough in her first few hits like “Video Games” (2011) and “Born to Die” (2012), but I thought I’d just find similar strains of husky heartbreak across her albums. Norman F—king Rockwell, though, promises Jack Antonoff’s innovative songwriting touch. He’s the Bleachers frontman who co-wrote Lorde’s Melodrama (2017), curated the sweet Love, Simon (2018) soundtrack, and made tunes like “Getaway Car” (2017) soar on Taylor Swift’s otherwise lukewarm album reputation (2017). I’m biased towards his musical resumé, but it already seems like he and Lana make a great creative pair: The previewed tracks “I Must Be Stupid for Being So Happy” and “Hey Baby Blue” emerge as more unapologetic rather than regretful. And when it comes to tone, this continued evolution demands a listen. - Annicka