Media OutReach
Galaxy Macau Strikes Gold at the Tatler Best Awards with 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA and Long Bar Named Among Asia-Pacific’s Finest
Michelin-starred 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA recognized for the second year running while Long Bar makes the prestigious list just one year after opening
MACAU SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 23 October 2025 – Galaxy Macau™, the world-class luxury integrated resort, garnered two more accolades to its glittering array of honours with 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA at Galaxy Macau and Long Bar both being named among Asia-Pacific’s finest at the Tatler Best Awards 2025, held in Bangkok on October 21. This marks the second consecutive year that Galaxy Macau’s iconic Italian restaurant 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA has been listed as one of 100 Best Restaurants across Asia-Pacific, while Long Bar – Raffles at Galaxy Macau’s signature speakeasy – has been recognised as one of Asia-Pacific’s 100 Best Bars, underlining the luxury integrated resort’s continual pursuit of excellence and innovation in hospitality, all while reaffirming Macau’s status as a world-class destination and UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy.
Currently helmed by Executive Chef Marino D’Antonio, 8½ Otto e Mezzo BOMBANA at Galaxy Macau has garnered a slew of gastronomy awards since opening in 2015, with its unique interpretation of the Italian culinary canon and superlative service earning it top-tier recognition. As the third restaurant of three-Michelin-starred Chef Umberto Bombana, it has held one Michelin star for a standout 10 consecutive years, a Forbes Travel Guide five-star rating for the past three years, and a Black Pearl Restaurant Guide One Diamond rating for the last two years running. Among its many other accolades, it was named among both the Best 20 Restaurants in Macau and Best 20 Bars in Macau at the Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau Awards 2025, as well as earning its place among Asia-Pacific’s finest in the inaugural Tatler Best Awards.
Universally acclaimed by critics, the restaurant has attracted a fiercely loyal following among food connoisseurs and gastronomes, who return time and again to experience the culinary creations that adhere to Umberto Bombana’s overarching philosophy of providing pristine Italian cuisine, presenting the vibrant culinary culture of Italy with impeccable skill and service.
Although only open for one year, Long Bar at Raffles at Galaxy Macau has already established itself as a jewel in the crown of the regional mixology scene. The world’s first Raffles’ speakeasy to carry the famed Long Bar name, its unique design by Hong Kong interior design star Joyce Wang takes inspiration from the Madre de Deus, a Portuguese carrack that brought precious spices to Macau in the 1500s, while its distinctive drinks menu is led by a selection of vintage-aged-gin-based cocktails that pay homage to the spices that were carried in the Madre de Deus’ hold on her voyages around the New World.
An intoxicating combination of cutting-edge mixology and old-world speakeasy charm has won Long Bar legions of fans and an ever-expanding array of awards. In addition to its debut appearance on this year’s Tatler Best Awards list, Long Bar was also honoured at the Tatler Best Hong Kong and Macau Awards 2025 earlier this year, where it was named as one of the “Best 20 Bars in Macau” as well as “Best New Bar – Macau,” with Long Bar’s dynamic Chief Mixologist and Bar Manager, Nokoy Mak, winning the “Rising Star” award.
Honouring the top 100 Hotels, 100 Restaurants, and 100 Bars across Asia-Pacific, the Tatler Best Awards 2025 celebrates excellence in hospitality in the region. Following the inaugural Tatler Best Awards in 2024, this year’s main event took place in Bangkok, Thailand from October 21-22. Winners were selected through a rigorous evaluation process conducted by a panel of more than 700 experts and tastemakers, who collectively spotlighted the people and places that continue to redefine the standards of excellence in the world’s most dynamic luxury gastronomy landscape.
Hashtag: #GalaxyMacau
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About Galaxy Macau Integrated Resort
Galaxy Macau™, The World-class Luxury Integrated Resort delivers the “Most Spectacular Entertainment and Leisure Destination in the World”. Developed at an investment of HK$43 billion, the property covers 1.1 million-square-meter of unique entertainment and leisure attractions that are unlike anything else in Macau. Nine award-winning world-class luxury hotels provide close to 5,000 rooms, suites and villas. They include Banyan Tree Macau, Galaxy Hotel™, Hotel Okura Macau, JW Marriott Hotel Macau, The Ritz-Carlton, Macau, Broadway Hotel, Raffles at Galaxy Macau, Andaz Macau, and the opening-soon Capella at Galaxy Macau. Unique to Galaxy Macau, the 75,000-square-meter Grand Resort Deck features the world’s longest Skytop Adventure Rapids at 575-meters, the largest Skytop Wave Pool with waves up to 1.5-meters high and 150-meters pristine white sand beach. Two five-star spas from Banyan Tree Spa Macau and The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Macau help guests relax and rejuvenate.
As the dining destination in Asia, Galaxy Macau offers a wide variety of gastronomic delights, exquisite experiences and ingredients of the finest quality with over 120 dining options from Michelin dining to authentic delicacies; Galaxy Promenade is the hottest shopping destination featuring the latest in fashion and curated experiences in Macau. Spanning over 100,000-square-meter, luxury flagship stores, lifestyle boutiques and our selection of labels are among the more than 200 world-renowned brands for a world-class shopping journey; Galaxy Cinemas, immersive thrills and luxurious comfort go hand in hand at Galaxy Cinemas. All 10 theaters are equipped with the latest audio-visual technology; CHINA ROUGE, one-of-a-kind deluxe lounge that evokes the glitz and glamor of Shanghai’s golden era with entertainment in luxury and style; and Foot Hub presents the traditional art of reflexology to make you feel more relaxed and revitalized. For Authentic Macau Flavours & Vibrant Asian Experiences, Broadway Macau – just a 90-second walk via a bridge from Galaxy Macau, has over 35 Authentic Macau & Asian Flavours at its Broadway Food Street. The 2,500-seat Broadway Theatre plays host to world-class entertainers and a diverse array of cultural events. Meeting, incentive and banquet groups are also well looked after with a portfolio of unique venues in Galaxy Macau and a professional service staff.
Galaxy International Convention Center (GICC) is the latest addition to the Group’s ever-expanding integrated resort precinct and will usher in a new era for the MICE industry in Macau. GICC is a world-class event venue featuring 40,000-square-meter of total flexible MICE, and a 16,000-seat Galaxy Arena – the largest indoor arena in Macau.
For more details, please visit 
www.galaxymacau.com, www.broadwaymacau.com.mo and www.galaxyicc.com.
GoTyme Bank becomes the first digital bank in the Philippines to enable Apple Pay, expanding secure and seamless digital payments for 10 million customers
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Media OutReach Newswire – 18 August 2026 – Paymentology, the leading global issuer processor, today announced the successful launch of Apple Pay for GoTyme Bank in the Philippines. Through this launch, GoTyme becomes one of the first issuers in the Philippine market to enable Apple Pay, giving 10 million customers an easy, secure and private way to pay using their Apple devices.
As one of the country’s fastest-growing digital banks, GoTyme continues to accelerate its digital payments strategy by expanding secure, seamless and convenient payment experiences for Filipino consumers. Customers can now securely add their GoTyme debit card to Apple Wallet and make contactless payments in stores, within apps and online wherever Apple Pay is accepted.
Apple Pay uses industry-leading tokenisation technology, meaning card numbers are never stored on devices or shared with merchants. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, with every transaction authenticated through Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode, providing an additional layer of security while delivering a fast, frictionless checkout experience.
Nate Clark, President and CEO at GoTyme Bank commented: “At GoTyme Bank, we’re constantly looking for ways to make banking simpler, safer and more rewarding for our customers. Bringing Apple Pay to GoTyme Bank customers in the Philippines gives them an easy and secure way to pay wherever they shop while continuing to earn rewards points on all their transactions. This is another step in our commitment to making everyday banking more beautiful and convenient for our customers.
The launch comes as digital payments continue to reshape the Philippine economy. According to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), digital payments now account for more than half of all retail payment transactions, as consumers increasingly embrace mobile-first banking and contactless payments. Meanwhile, smartphone penetration continues to rise, supporting growing demand for digital wallets and tokenised payment experiences. As digital commerce accelerates, enabling secure mobile payments through services such as Apple Pay is becoming an increasingly important differentiator for financial institutions.
Minh-Ha Truong, Head of Growth, APAC at Paymentology, added: “As a long-standing partner to GoTyme, we’re proud to support another significant milestone in its growth journey. Bringing Apple Pay to market demonstrates how modern, cloud-native issuer processing enables digital banks to rapidly deliver innovative payment experiences while maintaining the highest standards of security, scalability and performance. Together, we’re helping shape the future of digital payments in the Philippines.”
The launch further strengthens GoTyme’s position as one of Southeast Asia’s leading digital banks and highlights the value of Paymentology’s cloud-native issuer processing platform in helping banks and fintechs rapidly introduce innovative payment capabilities that meet evolving customer expectations.
Hashtag: #Paymentology
https://www.paymentology.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/paymentology/
https://x.com/Paymentology
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Media OutReach
New Documentary Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun From Discovery to Debut on August 20 in Southeast Asia
Set against the sun-drenched landscapes of southern Taiwan, Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun highlights how the people of Liugdui have thrived alongside the land for over 300 years. Following local scholars, farmers, and artisans, the documentary explores how this community adapts its deep-rooted traditions—from water stewardship to food heritage—in response to environmental and economic change, offering vital modern insights on sustainability, rural revitalization, and cultural continuity.
Across three episodes—Water, agriculture, and food—the documentary explores how the people of Liugdui blend tradition with modern innovation. Viewers meet groundwater experts, farmers pioneering sustainable crops, and artisans repurposing local materials like betel nut, alongside culinary practitioners who preserve Hakka identity through ancestral rituals, communal feasts, and family traditions that unite generations.
Audiences will discover a community that views tradition not as something fixed in the past, but as a living legacy that continues to evolve. From innovative groundwater management and botanical dyeing to ritual feasts and modern interpretations of Hakka cuisine – the documentary celebrates the creativity, resilience, and values that have sustained Liugdui for centuries.
Under the Hakka Liugdui Sun premieres in Southeast Asia on Discovery Channel, Thursday, August 20 at 7:10pm; TLC Channel, Monday, August 24 at 7:10pm; and Discovery Asia, Tuesday, August 25 at 9:25pm.
Hashtag: #Discovery
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
About Discovery Channel
The launch press conference broke away from tradition with a vibrant runway show featuring celebrity “Hot Spring Travel Navigators,” including acclaimed chef Edward Lee from Netflix’s Culinary Class Wars, visual identity creative director Yen Po-Chun, TSUTAYA BOOKSTORE Taiwan Chairman Kazuma Otsuka, and actor-host Andrew Chau. Together with local businesses, they showcased regional agriculture, specialties, and lifestyle products.
The official launch celebration kicks off on September 4 at Guguan Park in Taichung, featuring a themed parade with over 500 participants and the lighting ceremony for the Lishan–Guguan Light Art Festival, which stars a massive eight-meter “OhBear” light installation. The festivities continue on September 5 with a guided tribal trekking tour in Guguan, offering participants an exclusive NT$500 accommodation discount.
To promote four-season wellness tourism globally, the campaign partners with the East Asia Hot Spring Association for an international symposium on September 4. Key promotions also include complimentary LINE POINTS for new followers, curated packages starting at NT$299, and a flash sale of 800 limited NT$1 Hot Spring Vouchers for the Double 11 Shopping Festival. Furthermore, cross-sector collaborations offer half-price entry to national forest areas, limited-edition Taiwan Railway bento boxes, and Guanziling mud spring skincare products to enrich the travel experience.Hashtag: #TaiwanFourSeasonSprings
https://www.trimt-nsa.gov.tw/zh-tw/
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
