Michi Photostory: restaurant

September 03, 2026

A Birthday Buffet at Brasserie on 3 Conrad Manila

A month before my birthday, I was already searching for restaurants where we could celebrate. I made a list of restaurants I wanted to try, but we eventually chose Brasserie on 3 at Conrad Manila because, among my choices, ito lang yung may promo at that time.

Brasserie on 3 was on my list last year, but they required a minimum number of diners, so we couldn't try it. This year, they no longer required a minimum number of people, although the discount was no longer 50%. They were offering 30% off their lunch and dinner buffet instead.

My husband tried calling to make a reservation, but no one was answering, so he filled out the reservation form on their website instead. We didn't receive a confirmation, though, so he eventually messaged them on Facebook to verify our reservation.

Brasserie on 3 Buffet Rates

Here are the regular buffet rates at the time of our visit:

· Lunch, Monday to Saturday: PHP 3,200
· Lunch, Sunday: PHP 3,400
· Dinner, Monday to Sunday: PHP 3,600

30% Off Rates

With the 30% discount, the rates were:

· Lunch, Monday to Saturday: PHP 2,240
· Lunch, Sunday: PHP 2,380
· Dinner, Monday to Sunday: PHP 2,520

Our Birthday Lunch at Brasserie on 3

Fast forward to my birthday celebration, I was a little bit excited because it had been a long time since my last buffet experience, sa Disney Adventure Cruise pa!

It was also our first time visiting Conrad Manila. Since we live outside Metro Manila, we decided to leave early. Surprisingly, there was no traffic, so we arrived about 45 minutes before the restaurant opened.

Buffet lunch is from 12:00 PM to 2:30 PM. Before 12:00 PM, they had already started welcoming guests, although the buffet spread was still closed.

While waiting, I explored the buffet area and, honestly, I was a little surprised because I was expecting more. Since the regular rate is already PHP 3,000+, I was expecting a bigger selection with more food stations. So, at first glance, I felt a little underwhelmed.

Buffet Food Selection

One thing I immediately noticed was that there was no tempura station and no lechon. Of course, I understand that every buffet restaurant has its own selection and specialties, but these are two dishes that I always look forward to whenever I eat at a buffet. So I was a little disappointed not to see them.

Thankfully, they had steak, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, I forgot to take a photo. Waah!

They also had a seafood station. However, the grilled seafood was served at room temperature. It actually reminded me of the seafood setup at The Pantry at Dusit Thani. My husband enjoyed the seafood station, but personally, I prefer buffet restaurants where you can have your seafood cooked according to your preference, like at The Café, Cucina, Seasonal Tastes, and Marriott Café.

I simply prefer my food served warm, especially grilled seafood.

There was also a Teppanyaki station, although the choices were quite limited. I ordered the beef teppanyaki, but when it arrived, mas marami pa yung vegetables kaysa beef. Hehehe!

What I Enjoyed Most

Among all the food I tried, the steak and the dessert station were my favorites. I enjoyed all the desserts I tried, and they also had halo-halo, which was a nice addition.

So while I found the overall food selection a little underwhelming for the price, I was happy that I found dishes that I genuinely enjoyed.

The Restaurant Ambiance

It was a weekend, but the restaurant wasn't crowded during our visit. Because of this, the dining area felt spacious and maaliwalas.

I actually enjoyed that part of the experience. It didn't feel chaotic or overly busy, which made our birthday lunch more relaxing.

Birthday Celebration

At around 1:13 PM, one of the staff informed my husband that the singers would be coming to our table soon.

Since we had already finished most of our meal, we decided to have the complimentary tea and coffee while waiting.

After about 25 minutes of waiting, I told my husband that I didn't want to wait for the birthday song anymore. I was already ready to ask for the bill because I didn't want to spend more of my birthday just waiting.

Good thing the staff gave me my complimentary birthday cake, so at least may picture ako with the cake. Hehehe! We decided to take the cake home.

But here's the funny part: just as we were about to leave our table, the singers finally came to our side of the restaurant!

It was already 1:50 PM, which means we had waited approximately 37 minutes since the staff told us at 1:13 PM that the singers were coming.

By then, we were already getting ready to leave, so unfortunately, I wasn't able to enjoy the birthday song at our table.

My Thoughts on the Birthday Song

I actually think the birthday singing could be organized differently.

I understand that it is nice to have a personalized birthday song for every celebrant, but because the singers go from table to table and some guests also request additional songs, it can take quite a while.

Personally, I think it would be more efficient if they did the birthday song per group or per section, and then served the complimentary cakes at the same time.

This is something I experienced at The Café, where the birthday song is done per group. For me, that system feels more organized and avoids having guests wait too long.

Final Thoughts

Anyway, it was my birthday celebration, so ayaw ko rin magpakastress.

Despite the things that I felt could have been better, I still enjoyed our lunch. I was happy that I got to celebrate my birthday at a new restaurant with my family.

Still, I'm glad we finally got to try Brasserie on 3 after having it on my list for quite some time.

August 26, 2026

Conrad Pune India: A Week of Comfort, Food, and Hospitality

My husband recently traveled from Manila, Philippines, to Pune, India, for a week-long training. It was his first time visiting India and his first stay at a Conrad hotel.

The journey from Manila to Pune was long. He took two international flights and one domestic flight before finally arriving in Pune. Although the trip involved several flights and many hours of travel, it also allowed him to experience a new country while attending his training.

For the entire week, Conrad Pune became his home away from home, a place where he could rest, relax, and recharge after his busy training days.

Although I wasn’t part of the trip, I wanted to share his experience here on my blog. Through his stories and the photos he took during his stay, I got a glimpse of what his week in Pune was like, from the hotel and its hospitality to the room, food, facilities, and little details that made his stay memorable.

So, here’s a look at my husband’s first experience at Conrad Pune, a luxury hotel located in the Central Business District of Pune, India.

Getting to Conrad Pune

Conrad Pune is approximately 9 kilometers from Pune Airport. Fortunately, my husband had an airport transfer arranged by the hotel, which made getting from the airport to the hotel convenient and hassle-free after his long journey. After traveling through multiple flights, having a hotel transfer waiting for him was certainly a welcome convenience.

Arrival at Conrad Pune

After the long journey from Manila to Pune, my husband finally arrived at Conrad Pune.

One of the first things he noticed was the hotel’s tight security. While this made the arrival feel a little more formal, it also gave him the impression that the hotel takes security and guest safety seriously.

Once inside, the check-in process was quick and smooth. The staff were welcoming and made the arrival experience comfortable, which was especially appreciated after such a long trip.

King Deluxe Room

My husband stayed in a King Deluxe Room, which features a contemporary and modern design.

After traveling for many hours, one of the most important things was having a comfortable place to rest, and thankfully, the bed did not disappoint. He found it comfortable, making it easy to relax after his long journey and busy training days.

The room also features a bedside sensor touch panel that allows guests to conveniently control the lights and curtains without having to get out of bed. It’s a small feature, but one that adds a nice touch of convenience.

The floor-to-ceiling windows let in plenty of natural light and offered a view of the surrounding area. From his room, he could see trees, buildings, and quite a few birds flying around outside.

Bathroom

The bathroom comes with both a walk-in shower and a separate bathtub.

One interesting feature I noticed from his photos was the remote control in the bathroom. He later discovered that the bathroom also has an in-mirror television. At first, there is simply a semi-black rectangle on the mirror, but that is actually where the television screen is located.

It’s one of those small luxury touches that makes the room feel a little more special. I thought it was a pretty interesting feature, especially since you wouldn’t immediately realize that there was a television hidden in the mirror.

Other Room Amenities

The room also comes with several amenities designed to make the stay more comfortable, including:

· Wi-Fi connectivity
· Bluetooth audio player
· Alarm clock
· Satellite channels
· Minibar
· In-room safe
· Iron and ironing board
· Individually controlled air-conditioning

Another detail my husband noticed was the housekeeping service. Conrad Pune serviced his room twice a day during his stay. This stood out to him because, in many hotels, housekeeping typically comes once a day.

Even the room key had an interesting touch. The key card was made of wood, with an engraved message on the back: “This is expensive technology. Please return this card upon checkout.” It was a fun little detail that he noticed during his stay.

Dining at Conrad Pune

There are several restaurants and bars at Conrad Pune, giving guests plenty of dining options during their stay. These include Al Di La – The Italian Rooftop, Coriander Kitchen, Kabana, Koji, Masu, Pune Sugar Box, and Zeera.

Because my husband was busy with his training, he mostly had his breakfast, lunch, and dinner at Coriander Kitchen. He also had dinner at Al Di La – The Italian Rooftop and Kabana.

With a busy training schedule, having several dining options within the hotel was convenient since he didn’t have much time to go elsewhere for meals.

Buffet Breakfast at Coriander Kitchen

Coriander Kitchen offers flavors from India, across Asia, and Mediterranean-inspired street food.

Since this was his first time in India, many of the dishes were unfamiliar to him. There was a wide variety of food, with a strong selection of Indian cuisine.

He tried some of the local dishes, but he also found himself looking for something familiar from home. Interestingly, one of his favorite dishes during his stay was poori, an Indian fried bread that he really enjoyed. So, even though he was initially looking for familiar food, he ended up finding a new favorite in Indian cuisine.

I guess that’s one of the fun parts of traveling; you never know which local dish might surprise you!

Dinner at Kabana

Although he also ate at some of the other restaurants during his stay, he only managed to take photos of his dinner at Kabana. For dinner, he had pizza along with a chicken dish.

What He Didn’t Get to Experience

Because the main purpose of his trip was training, my husband didn’t have much free time to enjoy all of the hotel’s facilities. He didn’t get the chance to use the outdoor swimming pool, fitness center, or spa during his week-long stay.

It would have been nice to experience these facilities, but with such a busy training schedule, there simply wasn’t enough time.

This is probably one of the downsides of staying at a beautiful hotel for work: you may have access to plenty of facilities, but not enough free time to actually enjoy them!

Final Thoughts

Overall, Conrad Pune gave him a comfortable place to stay throughout his trip and made his first visit to India a memorable one.

For now, I’m happy that his first trip to India gave him a good experience, and that he came home with plenty of stories and photos for me to share.