Marriott Hotel Manila: VIP Treatment at the Executive Lounge

I swear, the Marriott Manila is foodie heaven. These guys really go out of their way to make sure you never go hungry (or thirsty!) during your stay. When I had my birthday staycation at the hotel, I was given complimentary access to the Executive Lounge on the 8th floor. This perk usually has an extra charge of P2,000 for two people per day, and gives you access to the complimentary wi-fi at the lounge as well as their round-the-clock treats.

I headed up to the Executive Lounge a little after dinner, not really knowing what to expect, but was curious about what made the lounge sound like some sort of VIP area. As it turns out, it kind of was.

Read more on Marriott Hotel Manila:
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: A Relaxing Afternoon at Quan Spa
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: Dinner Buffet at the Marriott Café
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: The Birthday Staycation
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Christmas Hampers
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Thanksgiving's Turkey to Go

Marriott Hotel Manila: A Relaxing Afternoon at Quan Spa

The Marriott Manila really is the ultimate hotel paradise for couples who just want to get away from it all without having to leave the city, busy businessmen who want the convenience of being near the airport as well as a stones-throw away from the bustling hubs of Makati and BGC, or if you're anything like me, a retreat from the real world for at least for a few hours.

Curious about Marriott Manila's spa, I checked out Quan Spa on the second floor of the hotel. Located on the same floor as the pool and the gym, the spa occupies a big chunk of the floor area, mostly dedicated to treatment rooms and the changing rooms.

Read more on Marriott Hotel Manila:
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: VIP Treatment at the Executive Lounge
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: Dinner Buffet at the Marriott Café
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: The Birthday Staycation
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Christmas Hampers
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Thanksgiving's Turkey to Go

Marriott Hotel Manila: Dinner Buffet at the Marriott Café

The crème de la crème of buffets in Manila can usually be found at the nicest hotels! There really is something quite marvelous about a hotel dinner buffet - whether it be how everything just looks so fresh, watching in silence a the cooks get to work behind the stove or grill, churning out delicious dish after dish, the efficiency of the staff in replenishing the food, and just how visually overwhelming the whole scene is.

A pet peeve of mine at buffets is the very loud family at the next table who hog all their favorite entrées, piling the whole tray of food onto one plate and proudly bringing it back to the table like it was a trophy of some sort, leaving nothing for the next sorry sod in line. Everyone has probably been witness to this ghetto behavior at least once in their life.

Thankfully, you don't get scenarios like that at Mariott Manila's Marriott Café dinner buffet. A very reasonable fee lets you enjoy a wide variety of cuisines, and as much of it as you want, all in the same space. Wonderful.

Read more on Marriott Hotel Manila:
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: VIP Treatment at the Executive Lounge
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: A Relaxing Afternoon at Quan Spa
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: The Birthday Staycation
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Christmas Hampers
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Thanksgiving's Turkey to Go

Marriott Hotel Manila: The Birthday Staycation

Before I start my really long entry about my fabulous time at the Marriott, I just wanted to say THANK YOU to the wonderful ladies of Marriott Manila for treating me to a birthday staycation! I'm not the one to throw lavish parties, and would very well prefer to just go out to a nice dinner with close family and friends instead, and this was a nice way of spending my birthday indoors - kind of.

Read more on Marriott Hotel Manila:
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: VIP Treatment at the Executive Lounge
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: A Relaxing Afternoon at Quan Spa
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: Dinner Buffet at the Marriott Café
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Christmas Hampers
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Thanksgiving's Turkey to Go

Indulgence by Irene's Tablea Cheesecake

I got an early birthday cake, courtesy of Indulgence by Irene! Known for her sinfully rich Quezo de Bola cheesecakes, she's been experimenting with a new flavor - tablea! I love being the guinea pig for delicious food experiments like these and was very, very happy with the result of the thick, dark chocolate folded into the delicate cheesecake.

Seattle's Best Christmas Coffees + 2014 Dream Journal

Christmas is in full swing in Manila, as Seattle's Best is already getting into the Christmas spirit with their creative and four cheerful Christmas coffees that come in both hot and Javakula! Try out all their newest flavors and collect stickers to get the really posh looking 2014 Dream Journal!

Pepita's Kitchen: Hayop na Degustacion!

I know that Christmas is near when I tend to start eating a lot of lechon. The more lechon I eat, the closer it is to Christmas! Haha! Personally, one of the best lechons in the country can be found at Pepita's Kitchen, and Dedet de la Fuente-Santos, the owner of this magical place and Lechon Diva, had invited a few of my friends and I to try their latest edition of stuffed lechon, along with some very "healthy" courses before the big lechon de leche finale. Talk about lucky!

The Hayop na Degustacion is a very creative 12-course Filipino-inspired degustation celebration ending with a few (yes, a few!) lechons (roasted pigs) filled with some of the most creative stuffing imaginable. We cheated a little bit and had a 13-course degustation, but that was only because we had two lechons.

Seeing Things Clearer with a FujiFilm X-M1

I got myself an early birthday present this year! I had been looking for a compact camera that had the capabilities of a DSLR without the bulk, that had a retro feel to it. I had had my eye on the Leica X2, but other that it being hella expensive, the features aren't as great compared to the likes of a Panasonic Lumix LX7. So there I was, mulling over which one to get, when my good friend Richard tells me of a camera that's the best of both worlds: The FujiFilm X-M1.

iversity.org: The Beginning of Massive Open Online Courses

I have never been very good at learning the boring, traditional way.

I started high school in the Philippines, I couldn't keep up with the mindless drudgery of memorizing facts, figures, people and concepts. I was used to a hand son approach, where instead of memorizing all the wives of King Henry VIII, we'd color them in or do some other creative art project and the facts and figures sink in that way. Thankfully, I had some pretty great teachers who let me express my creativity in other ways in the form of book reports and projects and the like.

When college came around, I was stuck in a classroom, taking down notes on different theories and concepts and postulating how they would pan out in a utopian society, thinking that this would somehow be important to my future. College became physically painful to get through, and I hated every minute of it. So no, learning in a traditional setting is definitely not for me.

But with the rise of the digital age, comes Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) - where professors and other great minds culminate over the internet, sharing their knowledge to students from all over the world at iversity. The best past about all of this? It's free!

Dessert Series: Dessert Jars

I've been in search of the perfect Christmas gift to give away to my lovely clients, and I think I've found it! Carol Chua, the deliciously creative mind behind Dessert Jars, was nice enough to have me sample all of her flavors and take a few jars home! The flavors she has for now are Mocha Mousse, Green Tea Chocolate Mousse, Orange Chocolate Mousse, Lady Finger Trifle, and a Peanut Butter and Oreo Cheesecake.

Mario's Sunday Lunch Buffet at Tomas Morato

Nothing makes a Sunday morning better than a good brunch out with family or friends. My favorite brunch haunts are Wildflour in BGC, with their mimosas and fabulous Croque Madames, and Sweet Bella in Alabang with their yummy Eggs Benedict with wasabi hollandaise and a pot of their signature hot chocolate after the meal that can't be beat.

Brunch has never really taken off in Metro Manila, but with the classic restaurant Mario's in Tomas Morato offering their Sunday Lunch Buffet, I hope this starts to take off. Not one to be left out when food is concerned, I hiked all the way to Quezon City the first day of the lunch buffet to check it out in all it's naked glory!

Pour Over Coffee at The Cake Club by Diamond Hotel

There used to be a time where I couldn't get enough of coffee. It got me up in the morning, kept me going through the day, and when I had to stay up late to work on projects, it kept me lucid enough to finish whatever it was I needed to do and then up for the rest of the next day. I didn't appreciate coffee as much then as I do now.

Back in the day, it was an energy booster, almost a need to get me going. I didn't care what kind of coffee it was - Starbucks, gourmet, or instant - as long as it wasn't decaf. Nowadays, I've learned to enjoy my coffee - taking in the aroma of the beans, appreciating the deep, dark hue of the liquid gold, and savoring each sip, allowing the flavors to swirl in my mouth before letting it slide down my throat, appreciating the sweet, tart, fruity, chocolate-y, or nutty notes that each blend presents.

So you could imagine my delight when the lovely ladies of Diamond Hotel invited me and the rest of the KTG to sample their newest coffee blends at The Cake Club over in Bonifacio High Street.

Celebrating My Birthday with a Few of My Favorite Things + a Special Giveaway!

October is my favorite month of the year! In New York the leaves would be turning burnished golds, bright oranges, and all shades of browns, there's a Thanksgiving meal to look forward to, there's Halloween - which is an excuse for me to watch Hocus Pocus again (Sarah Sanderson is the best character Sarah Jessica Parker has ever played), and to add to all of that - my birthday!

Yours truly is turning 28, and I have been given so much this year that I want to share my blessings with all of you! So I'm doing a very, very special birthday giveaway! This isn't to be scoffed at as each loot bag holds a few of my favorite things - from waxing, to food, to nail care!

Read up on a few of my favorite things and find out what's in store for you when you join the raffle:

All Night Happy Hour at Village Tavern

Nothing beats throwing back a few choice drinks with friends on a Friday night! I've been a touch stressed as of late, and after losing my unofficial photographer for the blog, I needed to be surrounded by the KTG gang to vent, take a crash course in photography, and suggestions for a new camera.

So we ended up at Village Tavern one Friday night, hanging out and trying their signature cocktails at half off while noshing on bar chow, and then some.

Dim Sum Delights at BF Homes Parañaque's Mandarin Palace

I have fallen in love with BF Homes Parañaque! The foodie haven has everything from burgers, to katsu, to bibimbap, to yakitori, to pizza, pasta, and good ol' English grub! Although there are as many restaurants closing as there are restaurants opening, there are those that stand the test of time. One of them is Mandarin Palace, my new favorite haunt for good dim sum and other Hong Kong favorites.

Read more on restaurants in BF Homes Parañaque:
★ Ritchie's Diner: Classic American Favorites at BF Homes Parañaque
★ Mediterranean Made Simple: Sophia's Cusina at BF Homes Parañaque
★ Super Cheap Korean BBQ at Chang Teo
★ Sexy Comfort Food at Borgo Café in BF Homes Parañaque
★ Don Limone at BF Homes Parañaque

Casa Roces: A Legacy of Heritage & Good Taste

Once rainy Saturday afternoon, I found myself standing outside the gates of Malacañang looking across the street at the equally regal yet homey heritage house cum restaurant called Casa Roces. Heritage houses tell timeless stories, recalling moments when the families that own them create fond memories through occasions that help shape and define it and also defines the character of its owners, infusing in them a sense of pride and belonging.

So descendants of the illustrious Roces clan, lead by Peachy Prieto and her daughter Bianca Prieto-Santos, decided that the Commonwealth-era heirloom house, located in Manila's genteel San Miguel district and a few walks away from the noble and elegant Malacañan Palace, should be shared not only with relatives, but with a larger audience interested in its history.

The ground floor of Casa Roces features the restaurant cum cafe, aptly named Kape Chino, with an outdoor wooden deck, a dessert bar, and a memorabilia and accessories shop. A bar also serves cocktails, wine, beer, and liquor for evening patrons. One the second floor are a bistro, an art and family heritage gallery as well as private rooms decorated with a mix of Commonwealth elegance and contemporary flair.

Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival at MarQuee Mall

Capampangan foodies rejoice! MarQuee Mall, Ayala Mall’s first dining, shopping and entertainment destination north of Manila presents “Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival” at the MarQuee Park, Angeles City, Pampanga from October 18 to 20, 2013.
         
Big Bite! is a foodie’s dream come true with its huge outdoor food market featuring everything from cooked Filipino favorites to famous native delicacies and baked goodies, fresh fruits, vegetables and more.  The food festival showcases over 100 food stalls featuring the best food products from across the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan, Ilocos, Baguio, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Zambales, Bataan, Pangasinan, Cagayan and La Union.  It’s a culinary showdown of the most mouth-watering heritage cuisines from Northern Luzon.

Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Christmas Hampers

Deck the halls with boughs of holly... in September! Ah yes, we in the Philippines are infamous for having the longest Christmas that starts in September finally culminating on February of next year. With that in mind, Christmas gifts can be such a bother to shop for - especially for business clients - which is why I find Marriott Manila Hotel's Christmas Hampers to be quite convenient.

There are quite a few Christmas hampers to choose from, all thoughtfully put together by the Marriott team and Executive Chef Meik Brammer:

Read more on Marriott Hotel Manila:
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: VIP Treatment at the Executive Lounge
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: A Relaxing Afternoon at Quan Spa
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: Dinner Buffet at the Marriott Café
★ Marriott Hotel Manila: The Birthday Staycation
★ Marriott Manila's Festive Treats: Thanksgiving's Turkey to Go