VALUE-FOR-MONEY DINNER AT AYALA TRIANCLE: CHEF LAUDICO'S BFAST

After wrapping up the first day of the Internet Workshop for Real Estate Professionals and Entrepreneurs at Fraser Place,    Maita and I decided to have dinner someplace at the Ayala Triangle this evening.    The park was  crowded-- it being  a Friday night  and there was  the  dancing lights show that attracted hordes of  people to the park.

We  initially reserved a table at one of the outlets at Ayala Triangle but the waiting time was  20 minutes.  Then i saw the sign outside Chef Laudico's Bfast -- there was a  buffet dinner  promo.     I went inside to check  the spread and what I saw impressed me:  angus beef tapa,  pork sisig,  salmon belly tocino,   beef stew,  pasta carbonara,  meaty rice, turmeric rice,  green salad, pumpkin soup, choco fudge-- and  there were other dishes  I could no longer remember.     Bottomless iced tea and orange juice were included.

I invited Maita to come in the restaurant and soon enough we were enjoying dinner at Bfast.  For a while, I thought  the plastic plates that we were using was a let down.   That was until I  read an announcement  board about  Bfast using  only recycled  plastic plates from the US.   

When the bill came, I was glad  to see Ps 566 for 2.   That's Ps 288 per person.

Maita and I will definitely be back.

Value-for-Money Accommodations in Cebu: PREMIER CITI SUITS

Premier Citi Suites in a quiet residential area.

I was in the Cebu last week for the the National Convention of the Philippine Association of  Real Estate Boards. 

The event venue was Waterfront Hotel Cebu but I decided to stay someplace private  and memorable to me and  my wife Maita, who unfortunately was not able to join me in the 3-day convention.

But if I were to recommend  a hotel in Cebu, it would be Premier Citi Suites.  This new hotel only opened last January and it shows.   I did not stay there but I lingered in their roof top restaurant for  presentation rehearsals  and I had the chance to see one of the standard rooms where my colleagues from Pasay Makati Real Estate Board stayed. 

The standard room had a double bed, flat screen TV, cable, wi-fi and an efficient air-conditioning.   Cost per night is only Ps 995 without breakfast.    Double rooms that are good for two cost Ps 1395 and comes wth breakfast.

Actually, I was the one who recommended Premier Citi Suites to my colleagues at PMRB.  I came across the ranking of Cebu hotels in Tripadvisor.com.   Premier Citi Suites  was  ranked 5th best  among 62 hotels in the list.


Premiere Citi Suites:  Ma. Cristina near corner Dona Juana Osmena St., Cebu City

Value-For-Money Buffet Dinner with Cultural Dance: BARBARA'S Show

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Last August 19, our family feted our sister Aurora to a send-off dinner at Barbara's in Intramuros. "Au" was returning to New Jersey after a two-week vacation that was timed on the occasion of my mom's 80th birthday.

Barbara's is housed in a restored vigan house,  with elegantly finished  interiors in dark wood. The buffet spread was not long but adequate. There was garlic soup, seafood pasta, fried spring rolls, mixed vegetables, chicken barbeque and roast beef. Dessert included cassava pichi-pichi, fresh fruit salad and coffee jelly.

The highlight of the evening was the cultural dance show performed by students of the University of Manila. It was apparent that the students were well-selected-- they had the built, the grace and the crowd appeal.   Choreography was lively-- in fact, thrilling specifically during the  risky "Fandango sa Ilaw" and the immortal "Tinikling" segments.

It was a satisfying and memorable dinner with my family.  At Ps 495++ per person, which could be reduced by 50% if one had an online voucher, Barbara's gets my thumbs up for dinner with balikbayan guests.

Value-For-Money Wanton Noodle Soup: ZONG

Last Wednesday, before I headed for the Testimonial Toast and Members' Night of Pasay Makati Realtors Board at  Amber Ultra Lounger in The Fort Strip in Bonifacio Global City,  I dropped by at the nearby branch of Zong for a quick bowl of wanton noodle soup.

My family and I would occasionally visit Zong's branch at Westgate in Alabang.   I expected to have consistent food and service and I was not disappointed with the Fort Strip branch of Zong.

My bowl of wanton noodle soup was  served full to the brim.  The  bed of Hong Kong noodles was thick. There were three big wantons,  several slices of pork  that seemed bracketed by  "bok choy" or Chinese cabbage.  The broth had a hint of garlic and what was delightful-- it had no MSG or mono sodium glutamate as flavor enhancer.  Zong does not use MSG in any of its dishes.

That quick meal cost me only Ps 158.00 and that to me is VFM.  BTW,  Zong  does not impose service charge, so this means leave a  tip as you please.

When I visited Zong's website,   I  came upon these details ...

Zong has been part of the Philippine Tatler's Best Restaurant guide since its inception and has also received recognition from the 24/7 Nocturnal Navigator and Manila's Best Kept Restaurant Secrets.

Gauging on the wanton noodle soup alone,  to me the citations are well deserved.

Value-For-Money Vietnamese Noodles: ZAO

Yesterday, my daughter asked me to bring her to a Vietnamese restaurant. She was not feeling well and she felt that a bowl of hot noodle soup would help.

We were at Bonifacio High Street and I remembered that there was a Vietnamese bistro in Serendra.   In a short while, we were already  at Zao Vietnamese Bistro.  My daughter ordered her favorite-- "Pho Bo" or Beef Noodle Soup.  I --being watchful of my uric acid level--  ordered "Pho Ga" or Chicken Noodle Soup.

Zao's furnishings and decors were stylish to say the least.  The place seemed  quiet and spacious, seats were  adequately spaced apart and there was subdued music.    I thought it was a good place to have an unhurried lunch.  The soups came steaming hot and  flavorful,   served with generous portions of bean sprouts and basil leaves.  I noticed that the basil leaves were not loose, they were more like trimmings from the  plants'  tops.

When the check came, I  was pleased to see the breakdown.  The big bowls of soup cost less than Ps 200 each before service charge.  Given the bistro's  attention  to food details,  to the ambiance  and to the patrons themselves, I found that lunch experience  VFM.  And yes, it was my daughter's first visit  there and she liked it very much.  As the ad goes-- that is priceless.

Value-For-Money Car Electrician Service in Diliman, Quezon City

On my way to the Iblog Summit  at  Malcolm Theater, University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman  last Friday afternoon,  the temperature needle of my car  started to rise to alarm level.

I was already on C.P. Garcia Avenue, which leads up to the guarded gates of   UP campus,  when I decided to pull over to a  curbside car  repair shop with a  sign "Radiator."  It was one of those hole-in-the-wall type of shops but it did not deter me from asking assistance from the person on-duty--  Anthony Mendoza.

Anthony was able to diagnose immediately  my car's  condition--  two hoses needed replacement.    He said he could help by getting the  parts from Kamias Avenue, a few kilometers away.  Good thing that he had a motorcycle  on hand.    Before I asked him to buy the parts, I asked him  how much it would cost me. Anthony said Ps 250 for his  service and the parts would be at cost-- to be supported by receipts from the auto parts shop.

I agreed to engage his services  and while I was waiting for the work to finish, I was glad to wait in  a nondescript internet cafe  called "Richnet" right beside Anthony's shop.  Richnet charges only Ps 15 per hour.    I actually had to ask the attendant twice if I got the price right, yes it was Ps  15 per hour.

About an hour after I entered Richnet, Anthony  informed me that the repair was done.  The replacement hoses and the clips cost Ps 180,  and for his transportation cost, Anthony just charged the Ps 50 cost of gasoline he loaded in  his motorbike.  If I were to consider  the convenience,    promptness of service and the total cost of the  repair  to  how it would have been   if I  had gone  to  a  gas station instead,  I knew that I got a good deal.

Soon after, I was back on the wheel,  glad to  drive straight to UP College of Law to  catch up with the Iblog Summit.


For motorists  within the vicinity of  Diliman,  Anthony's cell number is  0919 9543741.  He can do roadside  assistance as he is mobile with his motorbike.