Thursday, August 24, 2017

First Bite: Lobby Café by B Hotel

I find it fascinating how small boutique hotels are starting to grow in Tomas Morato. I could see it slowly turning into Kalayaan of Makati, an area budget travelers frequent. And the best part of staying in this area is that you'll never run out of places to go to for food. But when your hotel already offers reasonably priced food, why head out?

Hello, B Hotel
B Hotel is one of the many reputable establishments under The Bellevue Group of Hotels. It opened two years ago and since then got a steady number of patrons and is even commissioned as the accommodation of some beauty pageants. I'd know since there were several gorgeous ladies when we visited for dinner at Lobby Café sashaying their way around the lobby with their sashes on. 
We were with some business partners for this visit so I made sure that everything would go smoothly. I made reservation for four at 6:30 p.m. but we got there a bit earlier due to the surprising lack of traffic. Nonetheless, we were warmly ushered to our table near the buffet area. 
Our guests wanted to try Filipino specialties so they went with Chicken Pork Adobo (PHP295) and Veal Shank (PHP400) while R and I shared Grilled Norwegian Salmon (PHP631). 
We also availed of the Happy Hour Promo where local beers (except Cervesa Negra and San Miguel Extra Dry) are at PHP80. We also got Apple Pie Bars (PHP150) and Cinnamon-Honey Crème Brûlée (PHP150) for dessert.
I wasn't able to try the Chicken Pork Adobo as there wasn't much for four. But based on how fast R's Thai supplier was able to finish the dish, it must have been very tasty. 
I managed to get some of the bulalo's tender meat and clear soup. And it was your usual bulalo. The succulent veal shank was enjoyable though I found it a bit on the bland side. The cob of corn gave the broth a bit of sweet taste but it would have been better if it was also slightly tangy. 
The grilled salmon was scrumptious. I may be a bit biased as I love salmon but this one was cooked well. It had that nice crisp skin yet keeping the inside juicy. 
The mashed potato and side vegetables well seasoned and complemented the fish really well. Though steep at PHP631, I wouldn't mind ordering this again. 
Our desserts were pretty good too. The apple pie had that lovely crunch from the thin apple slices. 
The base was very dense and was not very sweet making it a beautiful treat for those who are not fond of sugar rush. 

But I liked B Hotel's straightforward crème brûlée more though as I'm a sucker for caramelized sugar.  
Food-wise, everything was good. However, service wasn't at par with what I expected from an establishment handled by The Bellevue Group. 

I always have to ask for my refill of water and at times it was hard to catch the staff's attention. I'd understand if the place was packed but it wasn't. It also took some time before our desserts arrived. We had to follow it up more than twice. Same was true with the bill. It was a good thing that we were not in a hurry but if service continues to be this slow, I would never consider having lunch here. I do wish that they improve that. 

Overall, it was still a pleasant experience. I'd still drop by when I'm around the area and not in a hurry.

Lobby Café by B Hotel is located at 14 Scout Rallos Street, Bgy Laging Handa, Tomas Morato, Quezon City. 

Lobby Cafe - B Hotel Quezon City Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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