The Good Life: Editors’ Picks of the Week

Casa Otaegui

We recently ate our way around San Sebastian’s Old Town for all of ten days. On our first day, as we wandered about the cobblestone streets, we were drawn to Casa Otaegui, an old-fashioned sweets shop with a quaint shopfront filled an array with pastries oozing with custard, coated in shiny chocolate, or sprinkled with sugar.

Casa Otaegui is the oldest pastry shop in Donostia, started in 1886. With its wares a combination of traditional Basque sweets and European pastries, the shop soon supplied sweets and other good things to Queen Maria Cristina and the Royal Spanish household.

Mom was like a kid in a…well…sweets shop, and pointed here and there and everywhere till she had a good-size tray filled with the treats of her childhood that were wrapped in a paper package tied with a string.

I took home a slab of homemade Turron de Jijona, rich with toasted Marcona almonds, egg whites, and honey, a slice of which I had before bedtime every evening thereafter. We tried other turrones from other places throughout the trip, but the first was definitely the best. – Yvette Fernandez, Chief of Editorial Content

Website: https://pasteleriaotaegui.com/en

The Dolli

A recent holiday to Greece coincided with the hottest days of the year on record, and while the impulse to explore every sun-drenched alley in Athens is strong—especially with FOMO in full swing—my husband and I decided we’d had enough of al fresco dining and shopping and determined to relish some air conditioning.

We slipped into The Dolli, a neoclassical mansion renovated and restored into a boutique hotel. Housed in a building built in 1925, it took seven years to transform it into its own brand of 21st-century-grand-hotel aesthetic with contemporary art and design, finally opening in 2023. Modern hotels sometimes try too hard to impress and differentiate themselves with loud art, bold colors, and the odd, modern chair here and there. Not at The Dolli; the floors are marble and moldings are traditional, of course, but museum-worthy artifacts and works of art decorate the the property, keeping it tasteful and regal but never stuffy.

There are three restaurants including one on the rooftop with views of the Acropolis, but we took refuge in Le Bar Secret, a serene space (at a distance from windows and the sun above!) with a small collection of books—an excuse to linger—and an afternoon tea and cocktail menu with an irresistible patisserie selection. We made sure we also had the quintessential Greek summer drink and a Thessaloniki invention: the frappé.

Athens’ Grande Bretagne and King George both have an iconic appeal, but The Dolli is a chic take and a glamorous gem in the middle of the busy city center. A quick look at the suites (only 46, including full apartments) sealed it: next time, we’re staying over. – Kimberly Delgado, Digital Editor

Website: https://www.thedolli.com/. Photos courtesy of Grecotel

Azuki Toyo

Last week, I had the pleasure of previewing Azuki Toyo, a new kakigori concept brought to life by Team Toyo Eatery and acclaimed Japanese chef Hiroyasu Kawate of the Michelin-starred Florilège in Tokyo and owner of Azuki to Kōri, a gourmet kakigori shop. The experience was nothing short of revelatory.

Kakigori is a delicate Japanese dessert made of finely shaved ice, layered with thoughtfully composed flavors such as fresh fruit, tea, milk, and other nuanced ingredients. The texture is ethereal—like flavored snow that melts on your tongue.

It opened last July 2 in the former Panaderya Toyo space at The Alley at Karravin in Makati. Azuki Toyo offers kakigori creations that highlight Asian flavor profiles—think pomelo, lychee, and matcha plus a special homage to the beloved Filipino halo-halo.

Complementing the kakigori is a proper tea service, featuring two cold teas and one hot tea, all meticulously prepared to pair with the desserts.

The space is equally thoughtful. While it exudes a distinctly Japanese sensibility with its wooden finishes and counter seating, Filipino design elements are seamlessly woven in: Palawan baskets for storing bags, Ilocano blankets to keep you warm and cozy, and table accents made of capiz and mother-of-pearl shells. 

It’s the perfect cold dessert for our warm climate— refreshing, refined, and rooted in both Filipino and Japanese culinary traditions. – Alicia Colby-Sy, Lifestyle Editor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azuki.toyo/. Photos courtesy of Azuki Toyo

Bvlgari Octo Roma Worldtimer SG60

Bvlgari has just launched a very special, very limited edition watch for the Singapore 60th National Day. The SG60 watch is based on the very popular, very wearable Octo Roma Worldtimer, which explains the familiar 41mm stainless sandblasted stainless steel case but with a black DLC treatment. The watch comes with two rubber straps, red or black.

The dial is matte black with the lettering for “Singapore” in red. It has a 24-hour day/night indication, central seconds and a 42-hour power reserve. It uses the BVL 257 automatic movement developed in-house by Bvlgari, which is visible through the sapphire crystal caseback. There are 60 pieces available. Well, there’s less than that now. – Carl Cunanan, Cars and Watches Editor

Website: www.bulgari.com. Photos courtesy of Bulgari.

F1

Whether you’re a devoted motorsport aficionado or simply enjoy the occasional Grand Prix, the new F1 film promises to entertain. Directed by Top Gun: Maverick’s Joseph Kosinski, F1 offers an exhilarating glimpse into the fiercely competitive and high-stakes world of racing.

At the heart of the story is Sonny Hayes—a once-celebrated Formula One driver who’s drawn out of retirement to reinforce the underperforming APX GP team. He’s also tasked with guiding the highly talented rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), while navigating internal politics, past regret, in a team plagued by back-to-back pointless seasons. The team’s ambitious owner, Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), takes a chance on Sonny’s unorthodox and risky (yet undeniably effective) driving style, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

While the APX GP team is fictional, the film is anchored in the real world through the presence of marquee sponsors like IWC, Tommy Hilfiger, and Expensify—no doubt influenced by F1 Champion Lewis Hamilton, who is credited as a producer. Fans can also expect to see their favorite drivers, familiar locations, and other cheeky cameos.

Though the film doesn’t get every technical nuance right—it’s a Hollywood production, after all—it remarkably captures the sport’s spirit and spectacle. Featuring dramatic team dynamics, thrilling race sequences, and engineering intrigue, F1 reminds you why the sport continues to captivate audiences worldwide. – Katrina Montinola, Associate Managing Editor

F1 is currently showing at local cinemas. Poster courtesy of Warner Bros.