The Good Life: Editors’ Picks of the Week

Kurky, by Maison Francis Kurkdjian

We had lunch with Marc Chaya, co-founder and president of Maison Francis Kurkdjian, during his visit to Manila last week. He introduced us to Kurky, a new fresh scent with an unusually quirky name for the house, an eau de parfum with a tangy tutti-frutti accord and rich musk notes.

It’s a fruity, sunshiny fragrance which to me evokes peach soap and baby powder, cotton candy and childhood summers.

“To be a child is to look at the clouds and ponder their shape, rather than wonder if it’s going to rain,” says Francis Kurkdjian, the perfumer for whom the house is named.

Kurkdjian says the idea came to him completely out of the blue, as he listened to the child within him, “Kurky,” as he was affectionately called all those years ago.

Even the labeling is different from the usual: a simple script on the glass bottle and Kurkdjian’s own whimsical crayon drawings on the inner box.

“Kurky is the fragrance for grownups who dare to dream like kids,” he says.

That’s me, quite definitely. – Yvette Fernandez, Chief of Editorial Content

Available at Rustans

Photo courtesy of Rustans

Cartier Panthère de Cartier

After poring over the hundreds of watches featured in Robb Report’s coverage of this year’s Watches and Wonders, one house stood out to me above all: Cartier. This year, most talked-about of its new releases (and reissues) was the Cartier Privé Tank à Guichets—a striking piece offered in just two models, one of which is a limited editionLimited EditionA product produced in deliberately restricted numbers, often numbered, signed, and distinguished by special materials or design. Limited editions create scarcity, urgency, and desirability, and they are common across watches,Go to Limited Edition Glossary of 200. With its surrealist leanings, rendered in yellow gold, rose gold, or platinum, it displays the hour and the minute through two “guichets” (French for ticket windows). It’s the kind of watch that doesn’t shout for attention—it smolders.

But the Panthère de Cartier? It’s ready for fun. There might be nothing innovative in its movement and it has a simple complicationComplicationAny function on a mechanical watch beyond telling the hours, minutes, and seconds, such as a calendar, chronograph, moon phase, or tourbillon. Complications demonstrate a watchmaker's technical skill, and moreGo to Complication Glossary, but it’s a jaw-dropping showcase of the house’s jewelry craftsmanship. It’s elegant, but also playful, and when you get close enough—even if just through the screen—it’s incredible. There are 145 brilliant-cut pavé diamonds, 86 orange and yellow spessartites, and black and brown-black lacquer all fired at the house’s Maison des Métiers d’Art, forming a pattern that could be part zebra, part leopard, part python.

High jewelry can sometimes feel a bit self-important, but this one—while absolutely stunning and a total head-turner—is too spirited to be too precious (figuratively speaking. Its price tag: Php9,000,000). – Kimberly Rocha-Delgado, Digital Editor

Boutique Cartier, Ground Floor, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City.

Photo courtesy of Cartier

Brunch at M Dining + Bar

I’m always on the lookout for a great weekend brunch, and I’m especially excited about the new brunch menu at M Dining + Bar. It features all the essential brunch staples—each elevated with that signature M Dining flair.

Standout dishes include the Creamy Omelette with Foie Gras and Short Ribs—rich, indulgent, and every bit as decadent as the ingredients suggest. The Prawn and Crab Benedict, topped with perfectly poached eggs and hollandaise, evokes the deep, comforting flavor of a concentrated seafood bisque and brings to mind one of my favorite M Dining pastas. Meanwhile, the Sausage and Gravy hits all the right savory notes, featuring house-made breakfast sausage, fried eggs, and a buttery biscuit base.

For a sweet finish—or the perfect savory-sweet combo—don’t miss the Lemon Ricotta Pancakes, served with maple syrup, candied lemon, and a dollop of raspberry jam. Add a side of the special bacon which reminds us of a delicately cured Chinese char siu.

Naturally, an accompanying drinks menu is just as thoughtfully presented. Brunch cocktails like the Mimosa, made with freshly squeezed orange juice, and the signature Bloody Mary, spiced just right and crafted with Japanese tomatoes, are standouts. For those looking to truly indulge, there’s an all-you-can-drink bubbly option that makes for a truly celebratory weekend experience.

This is brunch done the M way—refined, flavorful, and effortlessly luxe. – Alicia Colby-Sy, Lifestyle Editor

3/F, Alegria Alta Building, 2294 Chino Roces Ave, Makati, 1231 Metro Manila, (02) 8810 3565

Photo courtesy of M Dining + Bar