Rustan’s “Morocco Kingdom of Light” grand festival brings shoppers, not just exquisite products from the iconic North African destination, but also unique dining and cultural experiences.
When is the best time to visit the “Morocco Kingdom of Light” grand festival? Well, the sooner, the better.
While the festival itself will run until the end of the year, guests who visit until Oct. 3 will enjoy an exclusive array of unique dining and cultural experiences. These include henna tattoo and calligraphy services by Moroccan artists, music from oud players, and even a unique dining experience at Café Casablanca, helmed by Moroccan chef Idrissi Bencherif Mohamed. Sparing no effort, Rustan’s flew in these talents specifically for the festival.
One must-visit is Café Casablanca, a pop-up restaurant at East Café in Makati, which currently serves an amazing array of tajine dishes, Moroccan salads and desserts. The dishes are rich and flavorful, especially the fork-tender beef tajine set that you can pair with either a Moroccan, Taktouka or Zaalouk salad.
If you can’t make it until Oct. 3 though, worry not for there’s still much in store for you.
Tasteful experience
In true Rustan’s fashion, “Morocco Kingdom of Light” will be a tastefully curated and styled experience – where products are laid out in beautiful tableaus, some which which are adorned with walls of blue Zellige (handmade tiles) and spellbinding mosaic patterns, festooned with food and accouterments.
Making it even more special are an art exhibition inspired by Moroccan Jars by Nikulas Lebajo and Moroccan-inspired tablescapes by Pinky Tobiano. One shouldn’t also miss the special tablescapes, whose pieces were personally handpicked by no less than Rustan’s Chairman and CEO Zenaida Tantoco herself, with the help of her team.
Along with intricate Moroccan fountains and endless Zellige variants, one will also find a major array of brass Lamps from Casablanca, hand-carved camel bone jars and jewelry boxes, handmade Moroccan porcelain dinnerware and tajines, Moroccan silverware, as well as bursts of colors in Moroccan linens, poufs, ottomans, and rugs.
For a minimum purchase P10,000, lucky shoppers will get the chance to win two business class tickets to Morocco sponsored by Emirates Airlines; three Zellige tile Moroccan fountains; a Zellige Tile Table Set of 3; a Moroccan rug; and a Moroccan dinnerware set of twelve.
Shopping for a cause
“We share the same creative affinity, and even if they are Muslim, I think we share the same religiosity,” says Rustan’s chairman Zenaida Tantoco. “Even in the wake of the earthquake, they say ‘Inshallah,’ which means ‘if Allah wills it, life goes on.’”
In light of the recent calamity in Morocco, five percent of the total sales for the first month will be donated to the victims of the earthquake through the Embassy of Morocco, demonstrating Rustan’s dedication to not only celebrating culture but also supporting those in need.
Held in cooperation with the Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco in the Philippines and the Moroccan National Tourism Office, the “Morocco Kingdom of Light” will run until Dec. 31, on the fifth floor of Rustan’s Makati and the second floor of Rustan’s Shangri-La.
