22 PRIMES'S FATHER'S DAY MENU

       Whenever I dine at 22 Prime, i'm always certain i'm in for an amazing meal. Although they are best known for their selection of premium quality Steaks, 22 Prime is more than just a world class Steakhouse. Recently Discovery Suites' Executive Chef Gerwin Bailon developed a menu for Father's Day that showed the finesse and execution that he and his staff possesses, that made 22 Prime the highly regarded restaurant it is today.

   And being a father myself, I was the perfect person to try out the new Father's Day Menu! 

MARCO POLO ORTIGAS MANILA: THE HEART OF ORTIGAS

     I had the pleasure of staying at Marco Polo Davao a few years ago, and was impressed by the high level of service and hospitality that made Marco Polo the internationally recognized name in hotels that it is today. However, despite the fact that I pass it on my way to work every day, I had yet to experience a stay in their renowned accommodations and facilities. That changed recently when Rina, Rain and I were invited to a family staycation by our friends from Marco Polo Manila!

MARCO POLO CUCINA: FESTA ITALIANA

       Marco Polo always finds ways to keep its flagship restaurant, Cucina, on the top of its game, by conceptualizing various international food festivals, and inviting some of the most acclaimed Chefs to elevate the dining experiences of their guests. 

     Their latest food festival, raises the bar once again. Invoking the bold flavors of Italy, Marco Polo has recently launched their Festa Italiana festival, which is spearheaded by Award Winning Chef, Andrea Delzanno, a native of Italy who now calls Marco Polo Hong Kong his home. 

    I was fortunate to have personally witnessed the amazing spread that Chef Andrea prepared for his guests, exemplifying the excellence that the Marco Polo name carries throughout the world. 

RAIN'S BIRTHDAY PART 2: LUNCH AT FAB, THE RESTAURANT!

          On the day of Rain's birthday, Rina and I picked up our little princess after school, and headed straight to Holiday Inn Galleria Manila for a delicious family lunch. Rain had a long standing invitation from our friends at Holiday Inn to try their food there, so we thought this would be the perfect time to visit.

       In case you think you misread that, you didn't. RAIN is the one with an invite, and Rina and I were her "Plus Twos". 

A WEEKEND FIESTA AT MARCO POLO ORTIGAS' CUCINA!

        I think I've mentioned quite a number of times that Marco Polo's Cucina is one of the finest hotel buffets out there in the metro today. Instead of dazzling you with a vast array dishes from a variety of stations, Cucina's selection is rather modest when compared to other hotel buffets, However, Cucina proves that it should always be more about quality, and not just quantity, because each dish that is carefully prepared by the outstanding culinary team of Executive Chef  Lluis Pesarrodona is of the highest standards of excellence. 

   

      After a successful Weekday Craze promo, Marco Polo has a little something special for the Weekend Warriors.. A Weekend Fiesta at Cucina!    

BON APETIT! NOSTALGIA LOUNGE'S FRENCH CLASSICS AT OAKWOOD!

        Whenever I get invited to eat at Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila (It's a mouthful, I know) I'm always on the edge of my seat. I've dined at The Nostalgia Lounge numerous times before, and it hasn't failed me yet. From an Indonesian food showcase to the Dinner Classics, I have no doubt in my mind that Oakwood's Executive Chef, Chef Jerome Cartailler, will take our taste buds for a gastronomic adventure. 

     After trying his takes on different cuisines in the past, I was ecstatic to be invited to try his limited time only Nostalgia Weeks French Classics Menu at Nostalgia Lounge!

MARCO POLO'S MARCH MADNESS: 7 DAY WEEKDAY CRAZE!

             I'm gonna just say it. Marco Polo's Cucina has one of the best buffet spreads in Metro Manila. Admittedly, they won't wow you with an abundance of selections, but let's face it.. How many dishes do you actually eat in a buffet any way? What Marco Polo does is provide a satisfying amount of choices of different cuisines, each of which will most assuredly blow your taste buds away. 

     If you're never been to Cucina, then this is the best time for you to visit, because Marco Polo has launched a new series of themes for everyday of that week, including a Week Day Craze promo that gives diners an amazing discount from Monday to Thursday! 

OUR AWESOME EDSA SHANGRI-LA STAYCATION

      I distinctly remember the first and only time I stayed the night in Edsa Shangri-la Hotel. This was , was in November of 2003. I remember the time frame so vividly, because my mom is/was a fan of the Boy Band F4, and someone tipped her off that the band would be staying in Edsa Shangri-la and so she made it her mission to make sure she gets a room there as well for the duration of the band's stay in the country. 

   I know this because I was the one tasked to relentlessly call Edsa Shangri-la's reservations office to get a room. As expected, the hotel was fully booked, with F4 fans from around South East Asia flying to Manila for a glimpse of their idols.

   Truthfully. I couldn't care less about those four guys, but I was promised a breakfast buffet for 2 days if I secured a room, so I made that reservations officer's life a living hell for two weeks. I think she started hearing my voice in her dreams (and not in a good way), so she eventually found a couple of rooms for us.

  Fast forward to present day. Through my blog, I have a great relationship with the Shangri-la group, including the Edsa Shangri-la Branch. I've been to several of their events, and they in fact, graciously offered to host the KTG Christmas Party last December. There was one particular time when we went to Heat for Lunch with Rain in tow, and my little girl got a glimpse of the hotel's swimming pool, particularly the Aqua Play Area.. And she lost her freakin' mind. 

   Rina and I had to promise that we would go play in the pool one day, just to pacify her. Someone up there must really love us, because a couple of weeks later, our friends at Edsa Shangri-la invited the Zamora Family over to their hotel for a short Staycation! 

CUCINA AT MARCO POLO ORTIGAS OFFERS A FINE GERMAN FEAST

          In my life, I've had the pleasure of experiencing the world renowned Marco Polo Hospitality twice in my life. The first during a trip to Hong Kong almost 20 years ago (Geeze I'm old), and more recently in 2013, when we visited Marco Polo Davao for the Kadayawan Festival. Marco Polo Manila opened their doors in 2013, finding a home in the heart of the bustling Ortigas Center, walking distance from some of the country's most popular malls. 

     And nestled in the 24th floor of the towering hotel, is their flagship 24 hour restaurant, Cucina, which features themed buffets for their guests. 

        Given the amazing experiences I've had in my first two visits, I was curious to find out  how the Ortigas branch's food fared in carrying the prestigious Marco Polo name.

      To my delight, I discovered that Cucina's buffet is undoubtedly among the best in the metro today!

NOSTALGIA DINING LOUNGE: FRIDAY NIGHT CLASSICS

      It's a Friday night and you're thinking of where you could take this girl that you've been trying to impress for the past couple of months. Perhaps a place with a live pianist who can set a romantic mood. An elegant, classy place that serves exquisite food, but at the same time, you don't want to go overboard in your budget, leaving you to have to catch your own food until the next payday. 

    Well, you can put that spear down because Oakwood Premier Hotel has got you covered! 

    Nostalgia Dining Lounge's Friday Night Classics Menu offers you a mouthwatering selection of Steaks and world class dishes to choose from, at very reasonable prices!

MAKING NEW MEMORIES AT THE NOSTALGIA DINING LOUNGE IN OAKWOOD

     It was only last year that I was introduced to awesomeness that is Oakwood Premier Hotel. I never really considered Oakwood as one of the elite hotels here in the metro, but my eyes were opened during my very first visit there.

    I wasn't able to attend that first event, so Rina went and covered it on her own. I really wasn't expecting to hear much but she was texting me all throughout the event telling me how badly she was wishing I could have joined her because I would surely love their food!

    And she was right. 

    Since then, I've dined at Oakwood's Oakroom at least three other times, trying their Tex-Mex themed Buffet and their Jazzy Sunday Brunch. Also, one of the highlights of my year was when my family and I enjoyed an amazing staycation at Oakwood.

     I will admit to feeling a tinge of sadness when I was informed that Oakroom would be closing its doors, to make way for a new concept. I may have only a few memories there, but they are ones that I cherish dearly. 

    Enter the year 2015, and Oakroom has reopened as Nostalgia Dining Lounge, ushering a new era of culinary excellence that I now closely associate with the Oakwood brand.

STAYCATION SERIES: OAKWOOD PREMIER JOY-NOSTALG CENTER MANILA

         It was in 2013 that I declared that The Pickiest Eater blog would be expanding, and would now be featuring hotels around the country, including those located within the metro. Since then, I have had the good fortune of experiencing the accommodations and services of some of the finest establishments the Philippines has to offer.  

       With all the negativity you hear about our country, its always nice to see how we have hotel chains situated here that we can be proud of, especially with tourists. It's probably a given that their airport experience will not be all that pleasant, but at the very least, once they've checked in to their hotel, it's comforting to know that they will get the genuine, welcoming warmth that the Philippines is known for. 

       This year, I have been fortunate enough to travel to three different countries - Korea, Hong Kong, and The United States. All beautiful countries, no doubt, but when it comes to hospitality, there's nothing like the genuine warmth of the Filipino. 

      Which is why I always enjoy staying in different hotels, whether it's for a vacation or a "Staycation".

       Recently, Rina and I went on a Staycation at a hotel located at the bustling Ortigas Business District. I honestly wasn't really expecting much from Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center Manila. Truth be told, I didn't even know Oakwood had moved to Ortigas til Rina went there earlier this year. 

      Well, I was in for a rude awakening because I discovered that Oakwood is actually one of the finest hotels in the metro. 

STAY, WINE & DINE AT OAKWOOD PREMIER MANILA! -RinaZ

        Sometimes we need a break from our everyday routine and will want to stay in a different relaxing place other than our own homes. But at the same time you don't really want to travel that far. So I guess a nice staycation in a nice hotel in the metro would be ideal, right?

        What if I told you that you could book a very nice and elegant place in the heart of Ortigas Center, and at the same time enjoy a classy three-course dinner with wine beautifully set up in your lavish room? Yes dear readers. It can be done!!!!  Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila presents you the Stay, Wine, and Dine in Style happening this month as part of their 5th year anniversary on September 9th!

ENJOY A TEX-MEX FIESTA GRANDE AT OAKWOOD!

        Get ready to enjoy a beautiful spread of Tex Mex food to unwind after a week of stress from your work every Friday with Oakwood's Tex-Mex Fiesta Grande! From the moment you read this, every Friday until the 26th of September, you can not only feast on the great-tasting Tex-Mex buffet, but you can also enjoy a Friday night of free-flowing Margaritas and non-alcoholic Shirley Temple! Now that's an amazing buffet deal!

UNLIMITED DIMSUM BUFFET AT XIN TIAN DI AT CROWNE PLAZA HOTEL GALLERIA

         During our amazing Staycation at Crowne Plaza a few months back, Rina and I capped off our epic weekend with a late lunch at the Hotel's resident Chinese Restaurant, Xin Tian Di. Although Rina and I were seriously contemplating ordering a whole bunch of Chinese dishes, the instant we found out that they offered an Eat-All-You-Can Dimsum feast, we dropped our menu and told the restaurant manager (who was kind enough to welcome us to the restaurant), "GIMME SOME OF THAT!"