THIS Christmas, there are more reasons to make Rockwell the holiday destination. Aside from the by-now iconic Christmas décor of festive illumination and merry red, there’s fine food as Taupe at Chef’s Table serves up holiday menus at Balmori Suites. Then there’s the holiday raffle with a luxury car as grand prize—quite an irresistible attraction in itself.
This year, aside from the prized wheels, a Lexus GX Overtrail and another Land Rover Defender 110, there’s Taupe’s sumptuous pop-up dining experience to run until Jan. 5, 2025.
What’s on the menu? For starters, Taupe’s Chef Francis Tolentino offers a Caesar Salad with Kurobuta Bacon with Raspadura cheese and guinamos tuile, or Mixed Seafood Okoy with a pesto aioli. The choices for main courses include Codfish with Grapes and Kamias Salsa, Lobster Pistachio Bisque Pasta, Beef Estofado on Coconut Rice, Porchetta with Black Truffle Rice, and Cochinillo con Tres Salsa. Choose between a Burnt Tamarillo Cheesecake with Hot Chocolate Sauce and Bibingka Semifreddo for dessert. They go with a choice of champagne or white or red wines.
For many urbanites, Rockwell, most especially the PowerPlant Mall, has become the go-to place when they want to feel Christmas. It is where you catch Christmas, in a mall filled with captivating Christmas sparkle and décor of bright red poinsettias. And by now, mall-goers have come to look forward to the grand raffle prize of a luxury car.
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- The Lexus GX Overtrail
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- Lexus GX Overtrail up close
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- The Land Rover Defender 110
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- Detailed view of Land Rover Defender
When the raffle tradition started in 2011, jaws dropped when the mall raffled off a Jaguar XF 3.0 V6 Luxury. This was followed in impressive succession by a Mercedes Benz SLK 200 in 2012, a studio unit at The Grove to announce the development in the Pasig area in 2013, a BMW X4 xDrive20d in 2014, a Jaguar XE and a Jaguar XF in 2015, two Land Rover Discovery Sport S vehicles in 2016, two Mercedes Benz C180s and a Mercedes Benz GLC 250 AMG in 2017, and a Land Rover Discovery Sport and a Jaguar F-Pace in 2018,
Before the event had to be suspended for a year because of the COVID pandemic, an Audi A4 or Audi Q2 was given away in the 2019 raffle, with an Audi Q5 in a special draw for shoppers with a spend of at least P500,000.
In 2021, Lopez Link, the newsletter of the Lopez Group of Companies, which includes Rockwell, proudly announced the resumption of cheer, “with Rockwell employees being 100 percent fully vaccinated and the country’s COVID cases on a steady downward trend in the past weeks. There is more activity, and malls and restaurants are being allowed more business compared to the gloomy year before. In Rockwell’s case, it is now able to continue more of the customs that make up a Rockwell Christmas.” Up went the iconic Rockwell Christmas trees, “always among the prettiest and most photographed in the metro…it took 54 service providers a total of six days to meticulously dress up three Power Plant Mall trees.”
Two grand prizes on display at North Court of Power Plant Mall
The much-awaited raffle returned as well, using digital redemption “for a safer and more convenient experience”—customers typed a code into the Rockwellist mobile app to enter the raffle and get a chance to take home a Land Rover Defender 110 (Explorer Pack).
Last year, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported how, in recognition of continuing challenges post-pandemic, “the team had to make some adjustments as this year’s cherished Christmas celebration takes on a new, much deeper meaning for everyone.” Architect Jacko Zialcita, AVP for design at Rockwell Land, spoke about adjusting to a new budget—and learning to make adjustments and recycle old decor for the first time. “We prepared by studying every detail—how we can be sustainable by reusing our previous decor and how our customers can still have a seemingly fresh experience just like in previous years,” added engineer Jayvee delos Reyes, retail operations supervisor at Rockwell Land. The raffle remained as grand, however; after 2022’s Porsche Macan prize, 2023 saw a Land Rover Defender 110 and a Land Rover Defender 90 driven home by happy new shoppers.
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A special Christmas à la carte menu launched last December 3 at Taupe at Balmori Suites, in collaboration with PWX, showcasing festive flavors paired with expertly curated wines. Last December 8, a sparkling Champagne Brunch kicked off the holiday dine-and-wine.
On December 14, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m,, there’s Wine Afters, an exclusive post-dinner event offering free-flowing red and white wines paired with rich, flavorful dishes. This intimate gathering is designed for wine and culinary enthusiasts.
On December 22, there’s Season’s Serenade. The weekend before Christmas, Taupe Balmori will embrace the holiday spirit with live music by Stages Sessions, blending festive melodies with the warmth and elegance of fine dining.
For December 31, the New Year Countdown is a New Year’s Eve dinner to mark the arrival of 2025. Guests can enjoy an exquisite menu with free-flowing champagne, curated by PWX, and access to the exclusive countdown festivities.
Indeed, some traditions should be for keeps—and the pairing of Rockwell’s magical Christmas décor and its much-awaited luxury car raffle, plus the added sparkle of a fine Taupe holiday feast, raise the celebration to a whole new level.
