Michi Photostory

Since I was celebrating my birthday on a budget, I wanted to make the day special without going overboard on expenses. So, I started looking for good dining deals and promotions, and I found a few options that I want to try. 

Some of the promos I found required a minimum of 4 guests, but we’re just a family of three, so I was glad to discover that The Café at Hyatt Regency only required a minimum of 2 guests. Their discount was 30% off, which may not be the biggest, but it worked for us. A week before my birthday, my husband called the hotel to reserve a table. 

Breakfast (6:30 AM to 11:00 AM) – PHP 1,400 

Lunch (12:00 NN to 3:00 PM) – PHP 1,950 

Dinner (5:30 PM to 11:00 PM) – PHP 3,150 

How time flies! After ten years, we finally revisited City of Dreams. The last time we were here was also for my birthday. We visited DreamPlay back then, parang anak ko yung may birthday! Hehehe!

We arrived at The Café just five minutes before 12NN, and there was already a long line. But they let guests in right on time. 

All seats were already pre-reserved, so even if you arrive early, you can’t change tables. The Café can accommodate 315 guests, and during our visit, the place was almost full. Because of that, I only managed to take a few photos of the buffet spread. 

The Cafe has different stations such as Italian Kitchen, Carving Station, Flame and Skewer, Mexican Fiesta, Maki Bar, Fresh Catch on Ice, Asian Noodle Bar, Taste of India, Crispy & Crunchy, and Sweet Endings. They also have live cooking stations, which make the experience more interactive. 

I explored the different stations, and I was a little bit disappointed because they don’t have steak and ebi tempura. Ito kasi yung favorite ko sa mga buffet and hindi avaialable. 

After our food trip, I looked up more information and found this on the City of Dreams website: “Chef’s Carving Station - a daily highlight from our rotating selection of one premium meat or one fresh seafood”. Waah! 

Meat: Roasted Pork Loin, Roasted Whole Chicken, Lechon Belly Roll, Slow-Roasted Brisket. 

Seafood: Shrimp, Fish 

One meat or one seafood lang so I can’t help but compare it to Cucina by Marco Polo na marami choices sa Carving Station. But I’m happy with the Lechon Belly Roll, masarap ito. 

Among the stations, I focused on Carving Stations, Flame & Skewer, and Fresh Catch on Ice. These had the most satisfying selections for me. 

To top it all off, the staff surprised all birthday celebrants with a birthday cake, complete with a candle and a birthday song. Now I understand, bakit hindi pwedeng magpalipat ng table. hehehe! Kasi per section yung kanta nila so nung turn ko, 3 kaming sabay-sabay na binigyan ng cake and kinantahan.

When the staff brought us the bill, she mentioned that we could stay until 3:00 PM, but since we were already full, we left before 2:00 PM.

As always, I kept my birthday simple and intimate; just me and my little family of three. I didn’t need a crowd or a big party to celebrate, just great food, a cozy setting, and each other. 

This birthday reminded me that luxury is not always about how much you spend, it’s about how you feel. And on that day, I felt happy, content, and loved. Here’s to more joyful celebrations, smart spending, and memories that last way beyond the bill! 

Ground Floor, Hyatt Regency Manila, City of Dreams 

Aseana Avenue corner Roxas Boulevard, 

Entertainment City Parañaque, Manila 1701 

Tel:+63 2 8691 1234 ext. 1163 

Email: HyattTheCafe@cod-manila.com

Last June, we had our North Luzon Road Trip, and before heading home, we made a quick stop at Thunderbird Resort for lunch. My husband checked if we could do a day trip and mentioned that the entrance fee was supposedly PHP 300. But when I searched, I saw it was PHP 500. We relied solely on Google and didn’t bother calling the resort to confirm. So when we arrived, we were all shocked to find out that the entrance fee was actually PHP 1,000. Toink! 

We were already there and hungry, so backing out wasn’t really an option — “ginusto namin 'to,” hehehe! The guard gave us a parking ticket, which we had to present at the reception. The PHP 1,000 entrance fee was consumable, and since there are only a few restaurants inside the resort, we decided to eat at Olives Restaurant. 

We were a group of four, and at first, I wondered how we could possibly spend PHP 4,000 just for lunch. But when I saw the menu, I couldn’t help but laugh — the meals were quite pricey, so there was really nothing to worry about after all.

Here’s what we ordered: 

Grilled Pork Loin with Caramelized Apples – PHP 750 

Catch of the Day with Mango Pineapple Salsa – PHP 750 

Margherita Pizza – PHP 800 

Chicken Biryani – PHP 1,000 

Banoffee Pie – PHP 450 

While we were waiting, they served complimentary bread. 

The meals were pricey, but they all tasted great, so we had no complaints. However, the portions were too large for our appetites, so it took us a while to finish our food. We ended up sharing everything as a family, and in the end, take out na lang yung pizza.

After our hearty meal, we started exploring the resort. It was cloudy and windy, and it looked like it was about to rain, so we didn’t stay long. 

We still had some of our PHP 4,000 consumable credit left, so I bought some bread from the Pianosa Deli Shop. After that, we headed home. We only stayed at the resort for about two hours. 

Poro Point Freeport Zone, 

San Fernando, La Union, 2500, Philippines

Thirteen years ago, we dined at Cafe Uno for lunch and Irene’s Vigan Empanada for merienda. But last month, we only ate at Hotel Luna. We didn’t plan about it but since satisfied na kami sa food sa Hotel Luna, ayaw na namin lumabas pa, sa hotel na lang kami kumain. 

Hotel Luna features three restaurants, including Azotea, Comedor, and Chula Saloon Bar. We visited Chula Saloon Bar and Comedor. I did not know about the Azotea, hindi tuloy namin napuntahan. Ito pala yung may magandang view. 

Anyway, we ate dinner, lunch, and merienda at Chula Saloon Bar, and for buffet breakfast, we ate at Comedor. 

For lunch and dinner, we tried these dishes. Luna Bagnet PHP600, Luna House Salad PHP250, Sinigang na Hipon, Pork Belly Adobo, Rice, Burnt Dulce De Leche Cheesecake PHP250, and Halo-Halo PHP250. The meals are good for sharing. 

After our DIY Vigan Tour, we had late lunch at Chula Saloon Bar and sa sobrang late ng kain namin, naabutan na namin yung pagprepare ng afternoon feast. If we knew na meron Merienda Buffet, sana naghintay na lang kami ng konti kasi mas mura. Para lang kami bumili ng isang dessert. Hehehe!

Merienda Buffet is an afternoon feast of Filipino Treats for PHP299. It is from 2PM to 5PM. We checked the buffet spread and promised na babalik kami. We decided na magmerienda buffet na lang kami kaysa magdinner. 

Actually, hindi pa talaga kami natutunawan, but we went back around 4PM. We only saw one occupied table, so fortunately, wala pa halos bawas yung food, and we were able to enjoy our meal. There are pansit bihon, carbonara, goto, Vigan Miki, pastries, okoy, and kakanin.

Our room includes a complimentary breakfast buffet, and for two days, they have the same menu for the main dishes. So we had fried rice, longganisa, daing na bangus, corned beef, tocino, and tapa. They also have bread, soup, salad, eggs, and others, so it was a satisfying breakfast. 

We liked the food and service at Hotel Luna, so kaya siguro hindi na kami nagtry pa sa iba. In addition, hindi rin siya crowded. 

V. Delos Reyes cor. Gen. Luna Street, 

2700 Vigan City, Ilocos Sur 

Philippines

2700 Vigan City Ilocos Sur Philippines