THE ALLEY BY VIKINGS BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY WALKTHROUGH

The Alley By Vikings finally opened a branch at BGC, making it more accessible to me! This unique #FoodHallYouCan concept has been a hit with Pinoy Lovers, as its reasonable prices and delicious food make it a favorite place to dine and drink at! Luckily I was able to go to the media launch for a quick peek of what BGC's newest restaurant has to offer! Please don’t forget to subscribe to my channel!

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PHILIPPINE CULINARY HERITAGE FOOD FESTIVAL AT DIAMOND HOTEL

          Diamond Hotel Philippines is always looking for ways to dazzle their guests, especially through its food. This June, they launched a special buffet spread at their flagship restaurant Corniche, that puts the wonder of Filipino Cuisine front and center, through its "Philippine Culinary Heritage Food Festival."

VLOG: MARKET CAFE BUFFET AT AG NEW WORLD MANILA BAY

         The last time I went to AG New World Manila Bay Hotel, was for a visit to Li Li, their famed Chinese restaurant that has an epic selection of dimsum. I've been to their flagship cafe called Market Cafe, many years ago, and quite enjoyed my time there, however I believe the hotel was still under the Hyatt Group of Hotels Banner.

        Upon my return, I discovered that the the standard of excellence was not only maintained, but the bar seemed to have been set even higher!

THE BEST NON-HOTEL BUFFET IN MANILA: NIU BY VIKINGS PODIUM MALL

         I think it's quite clear that I have a love for buffets, having featured quite a number of them on my blog throughout the years. A question I get asked quite often is which is my favorite buffet, particularly from the Non-Hotel category. Admittedly there are quite a few good ones out there now, with Niu By Vikings always in the conversation. 

      However, with its newest branch at The Podium Mall opening recently, in my humble opinion, it has vaulted itself to the top of my personal standings!

CHEFS SAU DEL ROSARIO & MIKO ASPIRAS: FILIPINO CULINARY PRIDE AT CORNICHE DIAMOND HOTEL

           I'm always game for a buffet spread that features the gastronomic creations of some of the finest chefs the country has to offer. And truth be told, I've been fortunate to have tasted a number of amazing ones. However, whenever the name "Sau Del Rosario" is entered into the equation, you can be rest assured that you're in for a whole new level of culinary excellence. And perhaps there is no one higher on the dessert food chain right now then Chef Miko Aspiras, so when I found out the two titans of the industry were joining forces to come up with the "Filipino Culinary Pride" Food Festival at Diamond Hotel's Corniche, all bets were off. This is one collaboration that I would not missed for the world! 

  

F1 HOTEL'S LUZVIMINDA 6: TIMELESS FLAVORS

          When Independence Day rolls in here in the Philippines, the foodie world is always abuzz in anticipation of an event that never fails to captivate our taste buds.. I'm talking about F1 Hotel Manila's LuzViMinda Festival!  With the theme of the 2018 incarnation "Timeless Flavors", we knew we were in for a treat, as this year's set of chefs pushed the envelope when it came to culinary innovation of beloved Filipino dishes!  

GRAND HYATT MANILA: LUXURY REDEFINED

    The Philippines may be a third world country and not without its many flaws, however I can say that I am rather proud with how many luxury hotel chains have the confidence to invest in us. I do believe though that it's the innate hospitality that is ingrained into us Filipinos that makes us such gracious hosts, which gives these Hotel Industry Titans faith in us. 

  Already dazzling the country with it's "City of Dreams" property, the Hyatt name continues to grow in the Philippines. Opening at the heart of Bonifacio Global City just a few months ago was the Grand Hyatt Manila, and it is redefining luxury hotels as we know it.   

EXPERIENCE THE PICNIC AT MAKATI SHANGRI-LA

         One of the best meals I've had in my entire life happened at Makati Shangri-La, Manila​, during "The Picnic", a rare event when the best restaurants of the hotel merge together to form one awesome buffet spread! 

         The good news? The Picnic is happening once again on August 20, 2017! 

HOLIDAY INN MAKATI: BURGER BAR WEEKENDS AT FLAVORS!

      Its no secret that I am a burger fanatic. I love experimenting with different toppings, trying to find the combination that best suits my palate. 

      What if I told you there was a place where you could enjoy an unlimited amount of burgers that you customized to your own heart's desire? And not only that, you get a full on buffet that includes a wide array of American Classic Dishes such as BBQ Ribs, Ribeye Roast, and a vast selection of desserts to choose from?

       Yes my friend, a place on Earth does exist.. And The Burger Bar weekends happens every weekend of July at Flavors, Holiday Inn Makati. 

ALL ABOARD FOR SPECTRUM SEAFOOD SUNDAY BUFFET!

         I can never resist a good buffet.. Especially from a place as spectacular as Spectrum. And this is even when I've been warned before hand that meat dishes would be hard to come by, because they would be featuring a spread that consisted predominantly of seafood. This was fine, because the last time I was at Spectrum, their "Ranch" theme gave me all the meat I could handle, so I thought of giving the seafood dishes a try. My leap of faith came easy when I reminded myself that Spectrum's fantastic kitchen has never let me down yet! 

THE SUNDAY BRUNCH SERIES: SAGE BESPOKE GRILL

     I've always enjoyed dining at the various restaurants at Makati Shangri-la, however there was one that had eluded me since it opened.. Sage Bespoke Grill. For one reason or another, I would always miss out on the food events they would hold. 

     Luck would finally be on my side, when Sage launched their new Sunday Brunch, featuring an all new menu by Chef Eric Weidmann!

THE NINTH BITE: TWO EPIC CULINARY TRADITIONS AT THE CAFE, HYATT, CITY OF DREAMS

This was the first time for me to visit Hyatt, City of Dreams, Manila, and what  a way to start what I expect to be a wonderful relationship with the steemed, hotel, than by trying the food of their spectacular flagship restaurant, The Cafe, where we were introduced to not ONE, But TWO Epic culinary traditions! 

  Two exciting food festivals are happening at The Cafe, and I was lucky enough to be invited to a sneak preview of their upcoming Cantonese and Indian spreads!

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! 

Spectrum's Ranch Sunday Brunch ~Rina

        Spectrum at Fairmont Makati never fails to create fun themes for an exciting family Sunday Brunch. There was the Awesome Lego Brunch, The Sweet Sunday Brunch, and now, the family gets to do a happy hoedown with Spectrum's Ranch Sunday Brunch! Yeeeeeeehaaaaaaw!

THE PICKIEST EATER BITES: THE KTG AT EDSA SHANGRI-LA HEAT - MAD FOR WAGYU NIGHT!

             Greetings! First off, I want to thank all of you for your support with The Pickiest Eater Web Series. The reception has been uncanny and there have been some developments that I can't share just yet, but once everything is final, I will announce it on my blog immediately! As you may or may not have noticed, there was a rather wide gap between Episode 1 and Episode 2. That was mainly because of my family opening a business in which I have been tasked to handle marketing duties, and the sheer volume of work that needed to be done by a skeletal crew was a bit daunting.

           With the sheer work that needs to be done, such as Color Grading, 2D Graphics and stuff, my partner Mark at Muvo Media and I realized that we would not be able to sustain The Pickiest Eater Web Series into a twice a month schedule like we had intended, especially since we decided to go for a Food Network Show quality. 

           What we decided to do was try to make a smaller scale series that was more manageable to come up with at least twice a week, giving enough time to whet the appetites of my readers while waiting for the next episode of the Web Series. 

          This is The Pickiest Eater Bites.  

          If The Pickiest Eater Web Series is a Food Network Show, The Pickiest Eater Bites stays true to its YouTube roots as an unpolished "Video Blog" that gives my readers a chance to get to know me on a more intimate level. What's going to make this even more fun is that I intend to have some of my friends from my food blogging group, "The Kain Tulog Gang" (aka The KTG) as my guests! This is a great way for you to meet some of the food bloggers that you may have been following when scouring the net looking for places to eat! 

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!

CIRCLES' BUTCHERS MARKET: A CARNIVORE'S DREAM!

          Makati Shangri-la Hotel recently unveiled their new dining concept for the popular Circles Restaurant. Every night of the week offers a different "Market Theme", giving you new and exciting, not to mention interactive dining choices every time you visit. When my friends from Makat Shangri-la asked me which concept I would like to try, it took me all of two seconds telling them my choice. 

        Seriously, it wasn't even close. 

        So one amazing Tuesday night, I headed over to Circles in Makati Shangri-la to do a little "Shopping" at The Butcher's Market!     

THE ALL NEW SEA BREEZE CAFE AT BORACAY (AND A STOPOVER AT WAVE)

During my first trip to Boracay nearly five years ago, our very first stop was at Sea Breeze Cafe at Boracay Regency Hotel, where I discovered the altar of bacon. Rina and I ate so much that we blame that breakfast for wasting our first day in the beautiful island, because we were so stuffed, as soon as we got to the room (At 10 am.. we were allowed an early check in), we ended up oversleeping, only to wake up by 2pm!  

        During our most recent return to Boracay where we stayed at Henann Lagoon resort, one of the highlights of the itinerary was our meals at the newly renovated Sea Breeze Cafe! 

101 THINGS TO DO AT SM BY THE BAY!

        Ever since I could remember, SM has been the go-to mall of everyone. And this has not changed. In fact, there’s practically an SM Mall in all major cities of the Philippines now. SM Mall of Asia in Pasay being the 3rd biggest of all the SM Supermalls. So big that I have never had the chance to really explore the whole mall. But the humongous size of this mall isn’t the only thing that makes this mall unique. Go towards the back end of the MOA complex and you will see a long entertainment complex for the whole family! Rides, events places, and tons of restaurants with the Manila Bay as your natural background!

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME AT RAFFLES HOTEL'S LEGO AWESOME SUNDAY BRUNCH

         When I was a kid, my brother and I were huge lego fans. We had quite an impressive collection of different parts that we would just throw into this humongous, heavy, lego-issued carry case and sort things out later. Soon, my friends had much cooler cases with different lego designs, but couldn't store as much lego bricks in it as mine, so despite the fact that my bro and I would have to lug around this clunky case, we preferred it to any other the fancier cases, simply because it could fit MORE bricks, which would lessen the chances of two siblings fighting over who gets the blue ones. 

   The mere fact that to this very day, Lego has found a way to remain relevant and become a staple in our pop culture is a testament to how iconic this product is. You know a brand has made it when it gets the Lego treatment! From Starwars, Marvel, DC and even Disney (Yes, geeks, i'm aware that the first two are owned by Disney, but you know what I mean)!

   After the Lego Movie came out on Blu Ray last year, it gave me an opportunity to introduce the wonderful world of Lego to Baby Rain. She may not be able to build a Lego Death Star just yet, but she did love Emmet (Whom she calls "Mr. Lego Man") and Wild Style.

   Her fondness for the movie got me excited to see her reaction when we would visit Raffles Hotel's Lego-Themed Awesome Sunday Brunch, that's happening at their flagship restaurant Spectrum all of February and March!