Birthday Dinner at Mint Cafe

I was thinking of something special to do for this milestone-ish birthday so I took my family to a restaurant in a hotel, something we had never done before. My siblings and I grew up not having too much but I also did not feel like we had too little.

When we were so much younger, my parents would always throw birthday parties for us. A party would mean having to blow candles on our cakes with friends and relatives around but as we grew older, the gatherings became simple. You know, life happened. :) Cakes would sometimes be absent but there was always something because in this family, every birthday is a milestone worth celebrating.

I made a pact with myself that on my birthdays, I'll take my family somewhere special rather than throwing out parties ('cause I am not really the party type. Hihi.) . Mint Cafe at Greenleaf has this luxurious feel but friendly on my pocket. I honestly wouldn't have cared paying a little extra because it was my gift to my family but really, this restaurant is budget friendly. 

I like looking at my mama watching her family happy and noisy during a meal. I like how my papa wants to copy a recipe from every restaurant we go to. This here, my friends, is what I live for. I am the giver type of a person. I love making my loved ones happy. That makes me the happiest human being. 

Oh, thank You God for the 30 beautiful years. I am deeply grateful! Thank you to the people who made me a part of their lives and for making this day extra special. My heart is full. The photo below pretty much sums up my birthday wishes. :)

Have a happy heart friends! :)

Yummy Gensan: Birthday Dinner at Chika-an

As people close to me know, I do not give birthday blowouts. I am just not used to be the center of attention and I do not think I am such a good party host. I find it a heavy load to talk to each guest. Hihi. I am weird like that. As strange as it may sound because of my job, wherein I interact with hundreds of different people everyday, I am really a shy person. 

I prefer intimate celebrations with small groups like what I always have with my family. On my twenty-ninth birthday in April, I took them to Chika-an at Veranza Mall. I liked that they had an FB page with their mobile number and menu. Not only was I able to get a reservation but also, I got to order in advance.

They definitely had very tasty dishes and my personal favorite was the baked scallops because I'm a cheesy person (double meaning!) My father adored their Citrus Quencher so much he tried to make his own version the day after and was so close! We also tried the other drink, Arnold Palmer, but it was really the Citrus which championed.

Baked Scallops

Baka Caldereta, Shrimp Sinigang, Grilled Blue Marlin

Rellenong Manok

Citrus Quencher

Thank you for an excellent service Chika-an! It was a memorable birthday dinner.

Yummy Gensan: Chicken Mushroom Pasta at Cafe France

This is my kind of resto. Comfort food at its finest!!! *I'm screaming on top of my lungs. Hehe. I love everything about Cafe France - the yellow walls, the amazing wall accents, the colorful and interesting furnitures, the oh-so-pretty tablewares, the lovely crew, and of course, the yummy and delicious dishes!

They have almost  the same menu as other restaurants like them but I don't know what they do that they taste so interestingly different! I am particularly impressed by their chicken mushroom pasta. I think they use linguettine pasta on this one because its width is a little smaller than fettucini but a little bigger than spaghetti. :) Having a different pasta on a usual dish is already a plus! And the taste! Boy, was it the best chicken pasta I'd tasted my whole life! I don't kid! The creaminess and the blending of the spices are just right! 

Chicken Mushroom Pasta at Cafe France, SM Gensan

Good food, good health, good future --- Cafe France, Gensan

Pumpkin Soup

Potato Salad

Fresh Orange Juice and the amazing interior of Cafe France Gensan

This was a few months back. I was joined by a very dear friend since high school, Bibay. She now lives and works in Laguna so her short visits to Gensan every once in a while are all we have to catch up. It was nice seeing you again, Bay! :)

Location: Cafe France at the ground floor of SM Gensan

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 Lagao, General Santos City 

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, Lagao, General Santos City (Street Across Gaisano)

Yummy Gensan: Lemon Chicken at Grab A Crab

Grab A Crab is one of the most popular restaurants in Gensan, if not the most popular. It is also one of the finest. Well, fine dining in its true sense does not exist in Gensan yet (to the best of my knowledge) but I know it will soon be because of a booming restaurant business in the city. Grab A Crab is on top of the list of my to-go restos. The one that I literally daydream about and put on my vision board.

I have let chances pass to dine here because of the impression that the experience may put a hole in my pocket because the place looks so sossy. Maybe it is not the kind of resto for always in nagtitipid mode like me. Haha! But I remember that since I am done with my hardcore saving for months (thank You, Lord), I think I deserve a 'little' splurge. 

I open the menu and before I even look for what to order, my eyes find their way to the numbers. You see, I love numbers but sometimes they scare me. Haha! Then I sigh (a sigh of relief). Oh, this will not hurt so bad! If you are planning to dine here, budget must be around medium high (based on my super low key standard. Hihi.) Nearly half a grand would make a decent meal for one. 

Grab A Crab, as its name suggests, boasts of their crabs. I have heard great compliments about their crab recipes but since I am no crab fan and I am also a trying-hard-no-red-meat-eater (with tenderloin steaks still under negotiation), I tried their lemon chicken and mushrooms.

Now I have full understanding why it is a famous resto. Nothing really compares to great food and excellent service tandem. Be just good at one and you'll fall short. Add a little more homey ambiance and yummy desserts and that makes a delightful dining experience. 

Location: Laurel East Avenue; SM City Gensan; and Robinsons Place Gensan

Yummy Gensan: Shabu-Shabu at Tong Yang

Shabu-shabu style of dining is something new on this side of the world. This is the reason a lot of Generals have been eyeing Tong Yang at SM Gensan. And of course, that would include the attracted-to-newly-opened-restaurants me! :)

Technically, this is not already new as it has started operating few months back. Since it was opened, my friends and I were itching to dine there. I didn't understand what took us so long. Hehe.. So anyway. This was what happened...

The waiter assisted us with the hot pot by providing us with the chicken and sinigang stock for the soup. Plus butter for all the grilling. Then he guided us to a chain of trays of raw food - vegetables, beef, pork, chicken, fish. Name it. They have it. They even have condiments and eggs and hotdogs which amazed me. :) This is when I started to get confused. A lot of choices! What would I get first? 

While still figuring out what to eat, I went to the ready-to-eat corner. Aren't you glad to hear that? Yes, they actually have something for the very hungry people. I got myself a vegetable salad and slices of watermelon and went back to my seat.Then Laiza and I were discussing our battle plan. Haha!

Look at these choices! How could you not be confused? I suggest that when you go there, you already have in mind what to cook. :) You can have as much as you want. This is unlimited! You can eat for straight three hours! Oh, how much more awesome could that get!

I love chicken and fish. Laiza loves shrimps and everything else so that's what we decided to have.What came out of our plan? We let the boys cook for us. Haha! They couldn't resist Laiza's charm. And I guess they were too shy to say no to their Ate Ems. :) Thanks boys!

Laiza and I in a bliss

Rendon and Jypzie almost regretful of dining here with the too-lazy-to-cook ladies.Hihi

Rendon is happily serving us. :)

Trying to look Koreans here. This is an after effect of unlimited ice cream plus unlimited drinks. Ahuh! That's a complete meal, from appetizer to dessert, for Php299 from 10am to 3pm on Mondays to Fridays and Php399 from 3pm onwards on all days of the week. (Note: Weekend lunch buffet is also at Php399) - the most sulit price for an unlimited meal ever!

The gang of five. The young ones of the office. The four of them are batchmates while I'm two years ahead. Now I feel old. Haha!  

Jypzie, Laiza, me, Rendon, Rommel

Location: 2nd floor of Alfresco Strip SM Gensan