Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Yummy Gensan: Royale Lounge

Royale Lounge is the official restaurant of East Asia Royale Hotel which is a pride of General Santos City. Who does not want to have a taste of Gensan's pride, ayt? :) I've been meaning to dine here for months! It's  been actually existing for the past amazing years but as I have mentioned in my previous post, it's only recently that I've my eyes on hotels' restaurants.

I wish my interior design vocabulary is rich enough to describe its wonderful structure and furniture. :) So let me just speak as a person with an eye for beauty. This place is nothing but elegance - from ceiling to floor, from ambiance to food, from crew to fellow diners. I told you I lack the necessary adjectives. Haha! Visit the place and you'll understand me. :)


It was an acoustic Wednesday night. How ecstatic the acoustic music lover me! The musician was so good - flawless! I sometimes forgot he was singing live. He sounded like a real expensive record! The other guests did not mind him so I felt he was singing only for me. :) Ladies, I know you're with me here. Serenades can melt a heart, ey?

 


It was a very thoughtful birthday treat by someone who viewed me as special as this place. Thank you for knowing my sometimes-petty-wants and giving them to me, anyway. And thank you for the extra surprises. :)


Location: East Asia Royale Hotel Ground Floor, National Highway | Barangay LagaoGeneral Santos City 


Sunday, April 14, 2013

Yummy Gensan: Cafe Leticia

More than satisfying my gastronomical cravings, it is a completely pleasant dining experience that I always look forward to when I eat out. To me, it is ambiance first, service second, and food third. That is the reason I am recently a fan of dining in hotels' restaurants. I find these restaurants of excellent ambiance and service in general.

Our dining place at home is not, of course, as glorious as those in hotels but there is something with these restaurants which gives me a feeling of being so at home. Maybe because hotels are actually second homes to travelers and the feeling-traveler at a moment like me. :) 

My most recent hotel restaurant destination is Cafe Leticia in Family Country Hotel and Convention Center. I love the wood interiors and furniture. The oh so classic red table cloth feels so 'country'. I arrived earlier than the usual dinner time so while waiting for my food to be served I squeezed in a little work. I even stayed a little while after, doing some more work. That was how homey the place was to me.



Quick recall: I've been trying hard to keep away from red meats. I've been successful for the last few months. I only have dilemma when tenderloin steaks are in the menu. Picture this inside battle everytime. I scan the menu from cover to cover but I spend more time on the steaks page. Then I stick my eyes on tenderloin steaks label and its photo for unreasonable time and I imagine how it will feel when bit, chewed, and swallowed. I always fight the urge.

The victory was easily mine in Cafe Leticia because the bangus steak fought for me. :) I forgot my cravings for that beef. My palate was satisfied! The steamed (or maybe blanched) vegetables helped me convince myself that it was as good-tasting as the tenderloins. Yum!

Bangus steak for Php180
Chicken Adobo for Php120



I can see myself coming back here often. :)


Location: Family Country Hotel and Convention Center Mateo Road, LagaoGeneral Santos City (Street Across Gaisano)

Saturday, April 6, 2013

The Semi Surprise Birthday Party

I am such an occasion person. I love celebrating little milestones especially the big ones. I am not used to throwing huge parties though. Intimate dinners with family and close friends are my kind of thing - nothing grand. So imagine my joy when the whole gang in the office poured out their creative ideas to pull off a beautiful surprise for my birthday and Laiza's. Altogether now! Awwwwwwww!!!!!!! :)


Here's the story. Warning: This is a kinda long post but I know you understand. It's my birthday! *wink *wink. Laiza's birthday and mine were just two days apart so the gang said that we could celebrate it on the same day, which was the sandwich day so noone would appear to be more favored. Haha! Weeks before the day, they were already "secretly" discussing plans during lunches, whispering to each other this plan and that, asking us what we want to receive or what we want them to do for us. But as the day neared, the details were revealed little by little because of a few who couldn't contain their excitement. Mas excited pa yata sila. So I had the whole idea pictured in my mind. It wouldn't be such a surprise to me anymore. That's what I thought! 

Surprise No. 1 The party was postponed! Taddahhh! Thanks to an airline which cancelled Laiza's flight. She was supposed to come home on her birthday so we could celebrate the next day but she arrived late at night on the supposedly big day. What a surprise to the organizers. Thus, the party was held on my birthday.

Surprise No.2 It was graduation day in our school. Laiza and I had special tasks in the ceremony. We served for the Reception and Protocol Committees, respectively. Thus, the outfits. I thought we were the last ones to enter the office so I was imagining everyone already inside, waiting for us to open the door and they'd scream, "Surprise!!!" Whewww! My thoughts were overrated. We came into an almost empty office.  They were still in the venue. Okay, I was surprised by my over imagination. 

Surprise No.3 When I entered, I saw nothing on our usual dining area so again my thoughts played, "Maybe they had not really prepared." But when I turned to the other side, there was the surprise! Omg!!! The tarp, the bunting, the balloons, the table setting, the party hats, the juice fountain and everything else! Bongga! Boy, was I surprised! I wanted to cry but I did not want to ruin my make up. Oopps, I did not have one. It's just that I did not want to have puffy eyes. But really, I did not want to appear funny because I look weird when I cry coz of overjoy. I laugh then shed tears then more laughs then less tears then lesser laughs but more tears. Haha! I swallowed the joy instead and let it fill my heart :)



Laiza only asked for flowers. I only asked to be serenaded. You gave us everything we wanted and so much more!!! Altogether again, awwwwwwwwwww!!! Thank you so much, you guys! Love nyo talaga kami! :) Bravo! *Slow clap * Slow clap :)





The beauty of having this blog is I get to thank every person I want without worrying about an airtime. :) On behalf of Laiza, let me thank the following people who made us feel special and loved:

Ate Patty. The Mastermind. You make everything beautiful with your hands. The flowers, the table setting,  the party hats, especially the juice fountain were the stars! Thank you Ate Patty for inspiring everyone to be creative on that day :) And thank you for your motherly hugs on random days :)

Maam Berl. The Wonder Woman. You do so many things. You have transactions left and right but you still remember doing this for us. We are grateful for a kind and down to earth leader like you. Thank you also to your equally kind husband and lovely daughters. :) And thanks for the gifts and the biko and the buko pandan without the buko. Hehe.

Maam Nimfa. The Food Supervisor. You see the little things we don't. You attend to the things we can't. You have a wonderful way of seeing to it that everything is complete and in order. Thank you for taking care of the stuff which we would have missed out. :)

Ate Doli. The Happy Soul. You're always happy and willing Ate Doli! No wonder you're always on call. Hihi. You wanted this day to be so special for me and Laiza and you did it! I know you were waiting for me to cry so you could get a revenge. Hehe. I'm sorry but you failed. You failed to make me cry in front of you. I hid all the tears until the night. I am so overly grateful to be loved by you! :) 

Jose and Rommel. The Singing Husband and Husband-To-Be. As I've mentioned, my only request was a harana because music is soothing to the soul. Hehe. I love listening to songs played on a guitar. Since they were very persistent in asking me what I wanted and since birthday ko naman, nilubos ko na! Nagpaharana talaga ako! They even brought a song book with 1001 songs. I was impressed! Career! Thank you for singing my favorite songs guys. Nakailang set din kayo. :)

Rendon and Jypzie. The Sought-After Bachelors. The tarp was the biggest surprise! We did not expect the party would be summer-themed. And the photo was a little inappropriate for the venue. We were in a university remember? Dapat sana wholesome. The pink bunting and pink balloons with the twirling paper effects, how creative! Parang mas magaling pa kayo gumawa kaysa sa akin. Kalurky kayo!  

Allow me to build you up for the benefit of all the single ladies out there. Girls, here are two good gentlemen, a great catch, that is. Rendon holds a Masters in Math while Jypzie will soon finish his Masters in I.T. Both are 25 years old, helpful, courteous, kind, responsible, funny, single and ready to mingle. If you're interested, PM me or better yet, send them some subtle signals, ey? ;) (Manager or matchmaker lang ang peg!)

To the rest of the office gang.  Thank you for wearing the very girly party hats. For a very manly reputation, I know it was too much to ask. But you gamely and proudly paraded with those smiling fairy tale princesses on your heads. Thank you for inspiring us, the young ones, with your elderly wisdom *cough *cough. :)

It was truly a very pleasant surprise! To more birthday surprises and beyond!!!