E! Bloggers Ball 2017: A Dazzling Night of Food and Fashion
The country’s top bloggers and social media icons came together last September 16, 2017 at the Grand Ballroom of City of Dreams Manila for the E! Bloggers Ball 2017. This is the second edition of this prestigious event and it was my first time to attend this spectacular evening of glitz and glamour hosted by the E! Entertainment Network.
The Grand Ballroom was filled with the country’s most popular bloggers and social media personalities. It was definitely a night to be seen with several photo walls and activities around the area plus an exquisite four-course dinner for all the esteemed guests. The most awaited part of the evening was the special awards that would be given to the top bloggers in their respective categories, and for the first time, food bloggers were also included in this year’s awards.
I made sure to be at my fashionable best that evening and the first people I met when I arrived were the fabulous girls of The Soshal Network. I remember the first time I met Camille (rightmost) during my very first restaurant event and they have achieved so much ever since, including having their very own published book. The Soshal Network is one of the nominees in this year’s Top Blogger Groupie category and here they are in their full “Daster Glam” outfits. These lawyers really are so witty and funny.
There were numerous photo opportunities around the cocktail area of the Grand Ballroom and everyone took their time to take as many pictures as they can. It’s not every night that you can attend an E! lifestyle event.
Together with me were my food blogger friends from The KTG (Kain Tulog Gang) plus my fellow Lupus Warrior, Trisha Duncan who I met in person for the first time that evening. As you can see, everyone was really dressed to impress.
While waiting for the main ballroom doors to open, guests had access to the Snack Bar where they could enjoy snacks and refreshments courtesy of sponsors. Some of these included Magnum Ice Cream, San Miguel Beer, and more.
The most popular booth at the E! Bloggers Ball 2017 would definitely be the interactive 360-degree Selfie Cam. Guests simply have to stand atop this central podium while the selfie camera goes on a 360-degree circle around them.
It’s the first time we’ve ever seen this type of video booth and I wish I could have practiced my poses more before going up the podium.
So what do you think of my video? If you want to have this booth for your parties or events, check out Waveplay Interactive for more information.
The main ballroom doors were finally opened at around 9:00pm and we were led to our glamorous seats. The host of the night’s program was Sam Rodriguez who introduced each of the nominees and signaled the start of our four-course dinner.
Our first appetizer course was the Tasmanian Salmon Sashimi. This was served on top of a Ponzu jelly with wasabi and coriander leaves. The raw salmon slices were fresh and the ponzu jelly was a sweet addition to this unique version of the classic sashimi plate.
Next was the Roasted Butternut Pumpkin & Vanilla Soup topped with crispy pancetta. I do love squash and pumpkin so this was a terrific course for me, especially with the slight notes of Vanilla infused into the soup. The pancetta also added some salty and contrasting flavors into the dish.
Live entertainment was provided by Ms. Clara Benin who performed a couple of songs while everyone was enjoying their dinner.
Our third and main course for the evening was the Slow Braised Angus Beef Cheek cooked and served in its own juices. It came with potato mousseline, roast baby carrots, and caramelized shallots. The beef cheeks were extremely tender, with its texture similar to pulled pork.
Lastly, our dessert course was the elegant 24K Dark Chocolate Dome with flourless orange cake, kumquat compote, and grand marnier foam. This gooey chocolate cake comes with an actual 24-karat gold shaving on top to seal this exquisite evening.
The winners for each of the E! Bloggers Ball 2017 categories were then announced one by one. The award for the Best Dressed (Male) was given to Daniel Marsh while the Best Dressed (Female) winner was Kim Cruz.
Other winners in their respective categories were Male Breakthrough Blogger of The Year: Dee Gee Razon; Female Breakthrough Blogger of The Year: Nina Nuguid; Look Who's Trending (Male): Will Dasovich; Look Who's Trending (Female): Jennica Sanchez; Blogger Icon of The Year (Travel): The Poor Traveler.
We were all ecstatic when the award for Best Blogger Groupie was given to The Soshal Network! I believe they are the most original and outrageous group of girls that social media has ever seen. Visit their blog at www.thesoshalnetwork.com and prepare to laugh your hearts out.
One category we were all hopeful about was the Blogger Icon of The Year (Food) because two nominees came from The KTG group, namely, Eatsporations and The Food Scout. In the end, it was The Fat Kid Inside of Erwan Heussaff who won, but they both gave a good fight.
I personally think that Richie Zamora, aka The Pickeiest Eater in the World should be one of the nominees for the food blogger catergory next year. He was the one who inspired most of the younger KTG members to start their own blogs and continues to be as funny and “wholesome” after all these years. I’m sure The Soshal Network would approve
Simizing even while fixing my REGALADO x BANANIA ensemble because that's how you're supposed to do it 😉❤️ #ebloggersball2017 (at City of Dreams Manila)
As a travel blogger, nowadays I seldom go to events (especially in Manila cause of... traffic), in times that I was able to attend, most of it they expected us to be in our hiking outfits or anything adventurous, diving etc...But tonight, I got an invitation from E!, saying FORMAL only, so I had to pull out all my OOTDs during my time as a designer for Cartiers, Carolina Herrera and other luxury brands in Dubai and clean up a bit. so TADA haha. It was a fun night seeing different bloggers in PH, some of them I followed so there were moments that I got startrucked. haha. Also a privilege being @thepinaysolobackpacker 's date for the night. Congrats to all winners!! #ebloggersball2017 #ebloggersball #cityofdreamsmanila (at City of Dreams Manila)
Last night at the E! Bloggers Ball with my lovely ladies. 💕 @charleneajose @_phyliciamarie @almirateng @e_philippines :) #EBloggersBall #EBloggersBall2017 #Slay #Ephilippines #clozette Gown: @beatriceannchan // HMUA: @stylingbyjof #StylingByJOF
My favorite bloggers! @iamjajaramirez @hazelnutzy @krystlepingol Thanks for the company last night! #EBloggersBall #EBloggersBall2017 (at City of Dreams Manila)
