Getting What I Paid For at Shui Hilot Spa

Curls and I love getting massages. We are also suckers for all things cheap; thus, it’s no surprise that we availed of Shui Hilot Spa’s cashcashpinoy promo!

For only 255php each, we were entitled to a 90 minute Whole Body Hilot Massage with Dagdagay Foot Therapy.

Since a lot of people availed of the promo, it’s required to schedule an appointment with Shui. We were encouraged to be at Shui 15 minutes before our appointment or face the possibility of losing our slot. Good thing Shui is just at the back of Greenbelt 5 so getting there was not a problem.

I was surprised at how tiny the place was when I first entered the premises.

Reception Area

The "Hallway"

No wonder the room was also small.

The Rooms

What Lies Behind

Spartan room with only a thin sheet of curtain for privacy made for one uncomfortable massage session.

It was hardly the relaxing massage I was looking for due to the poor “facilities.” Noise level could also be improved as I could hear all conversations from outside my room.

For those who aren’t too particular with ambiance, I’m happy to report that techniques used by Shui were at least pleasurable. It reminded me of massages I used to have with a trusty neighborhood masahista. It’s important to note though that my massage was a good 15 minutes short. As I was not really feeling it, I no longer complained.

I certainly got what I paid for at Shui.

Shui Hilot Spa is located at G/F Tropical Palms Building, Perea St. Cor. De La Rosa St. Legazpi Village, Makati. Call them at 3932313 or visit their website for more details.

Triple Birthday Celebration at Mamou

Let's return to regular programming with a bash!

Not too long ago, TJ, Bogs, and Zho celebrated their birthdays at Mamou.

Loved the company! Loved the ambiance! And most importantly, I loved the free food!

Complimentary Bread



Corn Pudding

Lamb Rice

Lorenzo's Truffle Cream

Mario Bottarga Al Olio

Beer Battered Fish With Malt Vinegar

Roast Pork and Chicken

Lamb Chops

USDA Steak with Bone

USDA Steak without Bone

Complimentary Birthday Cupcake

Thanks for the treat hotshots!

Mamou is located at Unit 1C-15 G/F Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Call 8563569 for more information.

Last Meal at Crystal Jade

I was recently in Hong Kong. Get to know what Hong Kong has to offer through my adventure. This is the last of 14 parts.

Murtle and I capped our Hong Kong trip with dinner at Crystal Jade.

Times Square branch

Interiors

We ordered the two specialties of Crystal Jade...

Xiao Long Bao (28HKD)

Dumplings are bigger than Din Tai Fung’s. Can give Din Tai Fung a run for its money as skin is delicate with a rich soupy broth going for it. Not a bad version at all.

Spice Beef Noodles (38 HKD)

Marvelous!!! Noodles are fresh and beef pieces are very flavorful. They also got the spice level right. One million times better than the noodles we had at Yee Shun Milk Company.

One thing that didn’t fare too well is the chicken dish:

Marinated Salty Chicken in Ning Bo Style (48HKD)

It baffles me that this comes highly recommended by Crystal Jade. So ordinary as chicken is bland. Blah in a plate.

It’s a shame that the chicken dish was such a letdown as it dampened the overall dining experience at Crystal Jade. I wouldn’t mind going back to Crystal Jade though since I’d love to have another helping of the beef noodles. 

Crystal Jade has branches all over Hong Kong. For more information, pls. visit  http://www.crystaljade.com/hongkong.htm

Marie's by Brunch Club

I was recently in Hong Kong. Get to know what Hong Kong has to offer through my adventure. This is the 13th of 14 parts.

Aside from scrumptuous breakfast food, Brunch Club in Causeway Bay offers breads, cakes, pies, and tarts, via Marie's. 



Cute Corner



Too bad I was so full from brunch that I could no longer try anything from Marie's for these are the cutest pastries I've seen.

Aside from looking pretty, Marie's claims that their creations are homemade, handmade, and are fresh from the oven. Next time, I will surely make room for dessert!

Marie's by Brunch Club is located at  1/F Leighton Road, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. You can visit www.maries-bakery.com for more information.



Brunch Club Fan Club

I was recently in Hong Kong. Get to know what Hong Kong has to offer through my adventure. This is the 12th of 14 parts

I had the pleasure of eating at Brunch Club which was voted by HK Mag readers as the best place in Hong Kong to have brunch (surprise, surprise)!!!

Causeway Bay location

HK Mag feature

Cozy Place

A Reader's Dreamland

The Yellow Piano is a Nice Touch

Brunch of Champions

French Toast with Syrup and Butter (48HKD)

Not outstanding. Waste of calories as bread is hard and lacks the rich flavor I am looking for.



Eggs Benedict with Salmon (82HKD)

There’s no better way to start the day with salmon and runny eggs on top of an English muffin. This is the life! Wonderful explosion of flavors inside my mouth. Heaven in every bite. Fries are no pushover either.

Runny Egg!

Egg, Ham, & Cheese Crepe (68HKD)

Good quality cheese is key. Food with basic ingredients made extraordinary by Brunch Club.

So Hard to Resist

The two lovely dishes made me forget about the disastrous French toast. HK Mag readers did get it right! I’m now officially a fan of Brunch Club.

Brunch Club has two branches in Hong Kong. For more information, visit http://brunch-club.org/

Kebabs at Ebeneezer's

I was recently in Hong Kong. Get to know what Hong Kong has to offer through my adventure. This is the 11th of 14 parts

I’ve never had kebabs before while in Hong Kong so I gave Ebeneezer’s Kebabs and Pizzeria a go as it comes highly recommended by HK Magazine.

Ashley Road Branch

Tight Squeeze

We, of course, had its specialty, kebabs!

Donar (Lamb) Kebab (56HKD)

Generous serving of lamb that has a rich clean taste. Vegetables are also fresh making me eat my greens without remorse. I wouldn’t mind eating this again.

Gyros (Chicken) Kebab (52HKD)

Lighter alternative to the lamb kebab. Chicken is also very flavorful and tender.

We also ordered Mango Lassi (20HKD) but this is too sour for our liking.

The restaurant is open until 6 a.m. during weekends and it’s no wonder that it has become a popular after party pit stop of HK’s party crowd. There's no better way to crash back to reality with good filling meals by Ebeneezer's.

Ebeneezers’s Kebabs and Pizzeria has 7 branches in Hong Kong. For more information, go to Ebeneezers.com

Little Mermaid's Treats

I was recently in Hong Kong. Get to know what Hong Kong has to offer through my adventure. This is the 10th of 14 parts

Little Mermaid Bakery is an establishment that I see all over Hong Kong but never had the desire to try.


Harbour City branch


One of my favorite food bloggers, Leslie of shootfirsteatlater.com, however, swears by its Chocolate Sticky Donut so I finally had reason to drop by this bakery.

RECOMMENDED

Chocolate Sticky Donut (7 HKD)

Chocolate Explosion

Winner! Three kinds of chocolate: Soft Chewy Chocolate Ball , Sweet Chocolate Ganache Filling, and Cocoa Powder.  A good snack and dessert rolled into one! I love it so much that I brought home lots of balls for the family to try. They all loved it too!

Aside from the Chocolate Sticky Donut, Murtle and I both tried other items.

Murtle’s Choice:

Cheese Tart (14HKD)

I had a bite and the taste reminds me of cheesecake.

My Choice:

Cream Cheese Danish Croissant  (12HKD)

Not shabby. Cream cheese is light as to not overwhelm the pastry. Croissant is not soggy though I ate it a few hours after purchase.

As we had a very pleasant experience with all the pastries we had, I surely can’t wait to try other offerings of Little Mermaid Bakery the next time I’m in Hong Kong.

Little Mermaid Bakery has branches all over Hong Kong.

The Ever Reliable Café de Coral

I was recently in Hong Kong. Get to know what Hong Kong has to offer through my adventure. This is the 9th of 14 parts

Café de Coral is a popular quick service restaurant in Hong Kong which offers good food at reasonable prices. It also has a wide selection of food choices as menu changes through breakfast, lunch, tea time, and dinner.

Causeway Bay branch

So popular in fact that Cafe de Coral is still full of people at 3 p.m.

Its roast specialties are always a hit as shown by the long line here:

I usually go for the white chicken and roast duck combo, but opted to try something new to me this time.

Baked Thick Cut Porkchop with Rice (32 HKD)

While the presentation could be improved, the dish hits the mark as porkchop is very soft and the tomato sauce complements both meat and  rice spectacularly. Serving is also huge as one order can actually be shared by two people.

Hotdog with Dried Tomato and Herb Sausage (17 HKD)

Café de Coral proves there’s no bad food to be had here with even a simple hotdog managing to shine. The hotdog has a smoky taste with the condiments and the fresh vegetables giving it full flavors. One million times better than Ikea’s!!!

The hotdog meal comes with milk tea which Murtle said was excellent.

Milk Tea

As expected, Café de Coral managed to deliver good comforting food! No wonder I always make it a point to visit Café de Coral whenever I’m in Hong Kong.

Cafe de Coral is located all over Hong Kong. For more information, pls. click here.