Lounge with a View: Bayleaf's Sky Deck

The Sky Deck is a cozy rooftop lounge bar at the Bayleaf Hotel located in the historic walls of Intramuros in Manila.

It offers spectacular views of Manila and the Makati skyline.

Full Moon

It's not all about the view at the Sky Deck however, as one can partake in a buffet meal for around 700php. Apologies for the grainy pictures.

Corn and Potatoes

Rice

Salad Bar

More Appetizers

Sausage

Yakitori

Ribs

Chicken

Brownies

Fruits

I was tempted to join the buffet fun but I'm proud to report that I had self-control and only ordered a salad:

Kanji Beef Salad (380php)

I was surprised how delicious my healthy selection turned out to be! Beef was perfectly cooked and the vegetables were fresh and tasty even without the dressing. Diet food, it almost was not.

The Sky Deck is a welcome addition to the Manila restaurant scene and I'm glad that we Manila folks no longer need to travel far to hangout and unwind in a place with a view.

Here's hoping for more places like the Sky Deck within Manila.

P.S. I heard the theme for the weekend (Fridays and Saturdays) buffets at the Sky Deck is now Tex Mex.

Sky Deck is located at the Bayleaf Hotel, Muralla Street, Intramuros Manila. For more information, call 3185000 or click here.

Century Never Gets Old

Most Fil-Chi families troop to Century Seafood Restaurant for a no fail Chinese lauriat experience.

Here's what we typically order during a Century outing:

Appetizers

Assorted Barbequed Meat (600php)

Prawn Salad (1,200php)

Vegetable with No Name

Braised Shark's Fin with Crab Meat Soup (2,250php for medium order)

Steamed Lapu-Lapu (depends on market price)

Fried Pigeon (350php per piece)

Steamed Crabs (depends on market price)

Braised Seafood with Assorted Ingredients (450php)

 Coconut Topped Balls

Buchi

Century never gets old and I always look forward to a meal at Century because it has managed to maintain excellent food quality over the years. 

No wonder it's packed every night!

The Century Seafood Restaurant is located at G/F Century Park Hotel, 599 Pablo Ocampo St. Malate, Manila.  For more information, call 5241821.

Legendary Lolo Dad's

When I was young, my idea of fine dining was based on stories my cousin told me about Lolo Dad's.  

He said that every time he wanted to impress a girl, he would bring her to Lolo Dad's even if it would cost him an arm and a leg because the revered Manila restaurant was in a class by itself, offering exquisite food, excellent service, and the perfect ambiance.

Open Kitchen

Since then, I've always wondered what it was like to have dinner at Lolo Dad's and it sadly took a million  years for me to know the answer.   

Complimentary Bread

and Butter

The bread was not even warm.

Double Espresso of Tomato and Mushroom Soup

We were given complimentary shots of  two of the most famous soups of Lolo Dad's. Both were flavorful and interesting, but I loved the tomato more.

Gratinated White Onion Soup (340php)

Not the best version I've tried. It was salty and didn't have the sweetness I was looking for.

Oyster with Foie Gras (145php)

The foie certainly made this a winning appetizer but I wished for a fresher oyster.

Raspberry Sorbet

Before the entree, this was served to cleanse the palate.

Halibut with Sauteed Prawns (990php)

The fish and shrimps were perfectly cooked and seasoned well. I also enjoyed the truffle flavored pasta and potato cake that accompanied the proteins. 

My very thoughtful friends surprised me with this chiffon cake since it was my birthday. This Lolo Dad's chiffon cake was fluffy with the right amount of sweetness. Delicious!

Here are the dishes my friends ordered: 

Degustation Plate 1 (2,800php)

Degustation Plate 2 

Degustation Dessert 1

Degustation Dessert 2

Pork Belly Cooked in Sage Fat, Apple Tart, Herb Jus (965php)

Grilled Halibut and Baby Lobster (1,190php)

Herb de Provence Crusted Rack of Lamb (1,340php)

Steamed Chilean Sea Bass (1,380php)

Roasted Beef Tenderloin (1,390php)

Sadly, we were all underwhelmed by the food at Lolo Dad's. The servers also lacked the finesse that one expects from a fine dining restaurant. 

I hate to say it but Lolo Dad's is past its prime.  

Lolo Dad's is located at 899 President Quirino Avenue, cor. Leon Guinto Street, Malate, Manila. For more information, call 2522294 or click here.

Blast from the Past: Rap's Steaks

I visited my alma matter recently and discovered that a lot of new restaurants have opened along Taft Avenue since my graduation not so long ago. I felt so old and wished we had the same dining options that the students are now enjoying.

When it was time to choose where to have dinner however, I remembered an old haunt which my friends and I used to frequent: Rap's! We loved Rap's for its cheap steaks and to die for sauce and gravy combination.

I was happy to find it still standing in the same modest location in one of the side streets of Taft Avenue fronting Gate 3 of D.L.S.U. 

Visiting Rap's was such a blast from the past as nothing has changed since the last time I was here 5 years ago:

Same Table Set-up

Same Cake Display

Same Limited Menu

I had a porterhouse steak and it looked  like any other steak that one can get from any affordable steak joint...

The secret is in the sauce really...

Worcestershire, Gravy, Spicy Vinegar

Just like old times, I combined Worcestershire sauce with the buttery goodness of the gravy and the result was dynamite! I loved the tangy, salty, and rich flavor of  the sauce mixture, transforming the ordinary piece of meat to something else. 

HEAVEN

It's really saRap at Rap's.

Forgive me dear reader(s) for being oh-so-corny!


Rap Steaks and Cakes is located at 979 Dagonoy Street, Malate Manila.