Staycation Chronicles: Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle

With Manila being enveloped by grey clouds and drowned by the bustling sound of impatient cars stuck in traffic, one cannot deny the fact that summer's over. Just the mere difficulty of getting out of bed is enough proof. But there is one way to get me off my bed... that is to indulge in a staycation. 

Hello, Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle.

If you frequent Malate or study at College of St. Benilde, De La Salle University, St. Scholastica's College or Arellano University School of Law, you must have noticed this tall white building at the corner of Arellano and Estrada streets. Formerly known as a convention center, this building has been renovated, redesigned and renamed as Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle in 2014. 

Restaurant Love: Highlanders Steakhouse

I still remember the first time R and I went to Tagaytay Highlands. It was a perfect weekend getaway and what made it so special was because R planned the whole trip himself. It was our first out of town trip together. And since then, I could no longer count how many times we went to Tagaytay Highlands or Tagaytay itself for a short escapade. And a couple of weekends ago, we went again, this time with his friends.

Hello, Tagaytay Highlands.

We got to the place a bit past noon and R was rushing for us to get to The Highlanders Steakhouse for lunch. And we made it!

R and I ordered our usuals, John Wayne’s Prime Rib (PHP2,998, 20oz.), Sautéed Scallop of Hudson Valley Foie Gras (PHP920) and Cream of Butternut Squash Soup (PHP158). S suggested that we also get Seared Chilean Sea Bass (PHP1,180) and Baby Back Ribs (PHP820). 

While waiting for our orders, we enjoyed the complimentary loaves of bread and butter. L almost finished one whole loaf by herself. I am amazed with this petite girl’s appetite!

My squash soup was served after a few minutes and it was as good as before. It was creamy and slightly sweet and salty. You could definitely taste the delectable taste of pumpkin and the subtle flavor of nuts. It is best with a dash of pepper.

Next served was our favorite foie gras and I still find it the best foie gras around. The generous cuts of foie gras was flavorful and succulent. It went so well with the Hibiscus Tea sauce and caramelized pineapples which balanced off the saltiness of the foie gras. 

The other three dishes soon followed.

Love at First Bite: Karen's Kitchen

When you get older, Christmas is no longer about getting gifts. It is now all about getting... fat. But if I get to stuff myself with good food, I am a-okay with it! And thanks to the long break, I finally got a chance to visit the restaurant in Kapitolyo that I have been eying for almost a year... Karen's Kitchen!

Hello, Karen's Kitchen!

The place is oozing with charm. Each corner is Instagram-worthy and every piece on display has a story to tell. I have never been to a place as warm and beautiful as this one. It was definitely made with love and a lot of thought. 

Since the place is small, I made sure that we get a table and dropped Karen a message to reserve one for us. She then suggested that we pre-order as some of the dishes take time to prepare. (Some dishes take as much as 45 minutes to cook.) It sounded like a great idea. Less waiting, more eating! 

I ordered Squash Soup with Squash Flower (PHP175), Mushroom Truffle (PHP395) and Karen's recommended Dalandan Chicken (PHP345). We also ordered Strawberry Juice (PHP165), Red Velvet Cupcake (PHP96) and Sticky Toffee Pudding (PHP144). Karen insisted we try Raclette Japanese Cheesecake (PHP205) and gave us one on the house.

First served was the squash soup and it was divine! It was the perfect texture for pumpkin soup. It was thick and creamy, sweet with a bit of spice. The bread stick was perfectly soft and flavored too! We were off on a good start.

Next served was the mushroom truffle pasta and it smelled heavenly. You could undeniably smell the aroma of truffle.

Love at First Bite: Lulu

I love birthdays. It’s the day of the year when I feel special. I spoil myself with sweets and a gift or two. But more than that, I love making the people I love special on their special day. This is why I had big plans for R’s big day. But it was ruined by APEC when they cancelled my flight back to Manila and I had to stay in Seoul for 4 more days. *cries* Good thing, I have Plan B ready.

Hello, Lulu (now named as Catch)!

I spotted a deal on Lulu’s scrumptious steak while checking Deal Grocer a few months back and figured it would be a great meal to share with R on his special day. For PHP1,800, we get 600 grams of Lulu’s rib eye steak and two sides—garden salad and one of your choice.

Since I missed R’s actual birthday, I made dinner reservations at Lulu the following night and it was perfect as we were the only ones in the restaurant. It was as if I reserved the whole place for us. Sweet!

It was a bit chilly that night so we opted to order a bowl of Organic Squash Soup (PHP250) along with our U.S. Prime Angus Rib Eye with garden salad and truffled fries.

The squash soup was served first and it was pretty good! It was slightly creamy with a bit of earthy flavor from the spices. I enjoyed it the crisp toasted bread.

The rib eye steak was served after quite some time. I think it took them at least 20 minutes to serve the steak but when it was served… wow oh wow~

It was huge! I was scared that 300 grams might be a bit too small for us but I was wrong. Pairing the steak with truffled fries made the dish even heavier.

We asked them to make our steaks medium rare and it was spectacular! I loved how soft and juicy the steak was. Each bite was succulent and packed with flavor from the rich mushroom gravy sauce. I just kept having one mouthful of steak after another like someone who was deprived of food for days. I also loved smothering the seasoned fries with the thick gravy. It was a lovely meal.