Grand Marian Procession 2015

I can't remember anymore the last time I attended the Grand Marian Procession in Intramuros.  All I remember, is that I started out as one of the crowd control during our ROTC days in college 20 years ago.   I would make it a point to visit whenever I can, every first Sunday of December.  Back then, I would consume rolls of film just to capture the images.  Now I can post real time using my Smartphone.

Date Night at Barbara's Heritage Restaurant

It's been more than 2 months since my partner moved to Cebu for work, and we have been coping with the long distance set-up.  We have been trying to visit each other as often as we can and fortunately for him, his works requires him to be in Manila every so often.  We originally planned for the 3rd weekend, but his work demanded he comes over last October 9 for his Monday meeting.

Photo credit to Barbara's Heritage Restaurant Facebook Page

This is his first weekend back in Manila and we want to make it special.  It was a friend's Facebook post that convinced us to try Barbara's in Intramuros.  I have heard about their dinner buffet that comes with cultural show, but its only this Saturday that we found time to actually visit.

I called the number posted on the web (+632 527 3893) to make reservation and found out that dinner service starts at 6:00PM and show starts at 7:15PM.

In spite of the traffic in Manila, we were able to arrive at Plaza San Luis Complex just before 7:00PM.  The buffet selection was a mix of Filipino and International dishes.  Don't expect a spread as huge as Vikings.  This is not the place to get get stuffed.  They offer 2 meat dishes, a fish option, vegetable, pasta, rice and soup, plus a separate station for dessert.  I think its a good deal for 699 pesos and lunch buffet is even cheaper at 549 pesos.  The crowd was a mix of locals, Balik-bayans, and tourists.

The buffet, offering a mix of International and Filipino food!

The Dessert Station

The Cultural show started as scheduled with the 3-man Rondalla, followed by a series of dances.  First, they highlighted the Spanish inspired dances, followed by the Muslim and was capped by the Fiesta theme.

The beautiful Curtural Dancers of Barbara's!

Audience we're given the opportunity to try out "Tinikling".  The dance that would challenge your coordination as you hop to the beat trying to avoid getting your feet trapped between the bamboo.

My attempt at Tinikling!

I really enjoyed the evening.  I like the Nostalgic Charm of the restaurant, the food, and Cultural show makes it worth the visit.  Plus, its a real value for money.

Sampaguita Ice Cream at Illustrados

It was the webisodes of PHL 360 that introduced me to this specialty of Illustrados. Last August 1, I got invited to a dinner function at the restaurant, and took the opportunity to finally try the Sampaguita Ice Cream. For 159php, you get 3 small scoops. At first it looks like an ordinary vanilla ice cream. I was expecting that the room will be filled with the scent, but you would have to really sniff closer to smell the Sampaguita. The magic happens when you put it in your mouth. It's sweet and cold but towards the end, there's a slightly bitter aftertaste, and you can feel the scent from your mouth to your nose. It's like eating wasabi, without the kick. I never thought it could be possible, but I was literally tasting the scent of Sampaguita with every scoop!

Best Coffee Place 1: 9 Spoons, Bayleaf Hotel

9 Spoons Restaurant at the 9th Floor of Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros is the best place to have coffee. The 120php Cafe Mocha comes with with a great aerial view of the City of Manila and the surrounding walls of Intramuros!