Whims and good eats at the City Of Dreams
MILLIE: Karla and I have been dreaming of some time together, away from the hustle and bustle of daily office life before the peak season sets in.
A few weeks ago, we had dinner at Crystal Dragon to celebrate my brother Gerry’s 69th birthday, and we were attended to by Mr. Kong, who gladly showed off the latest creation by chef Chan.
We enjoyed the time together so much that Karla planned a weekend staycation to commemorate my mom’s would-have-been 97th birthday this month. It was also the perfect time to gather my siblings for a little bonding, inasmuch as my brother Raymund had just arrived from a trip to Chicago to visit his sons, and my sister Marijo had also just arrived from Sydney to welcome the birth of her first grandson.
We checked in at the Hyatt Regency Manila at City of Dreams and met up for dinner at Hidemasa because the family preferred Japanese cuisine.
KARLA: Hidemasa is COD’s Japanese concept that is mostly comfort food. We normally order the gyoza, toriniku yakitori and ebi tempura. Dining with a bigger group meant that we were able to order more. We tried their new premium omakase roll for only P299 for eight pieces, with spicy tuna roll and surf ‘n’ turf roll with ebi tempura, beef tenderloin, avocado, ripe mango, miso mayo and teriyaki sauce. We also ordered their new seafood ramen, as well as a bowl of beef sukiyakidon.
MILLIE: Breakfast the next morning at the Regency Club Lounge on the seventh floor was simple and delightful, as the staff were quite attentive, courteous and refined. The coffee served by Melody was so excellent that I could not refuse a second cup! The orange juice was chilled and freshly squeezed. The croissants were served warm with butter, jam and cheddar cheese sticks. There were other selections like pork tocino, smoked salmon, eggs done the way you want them, an assortment of bread, fruits in season and a salad bar, but we couldn’t overeat as lunch was just around the corner. We had invited my gorgeous cousin, Dr. Cynthia Gomez, who has been quite busy with her dental missions, and we try to catch up when she is free.
KARLA: Lunch at Mango Tree: We ordered the usual favorites—fish cake and catfish green mango salad—for appetizers. For our mains, we had the Pad Thai, Moo Pad Kra Pao and the Massaman Australian Lamb Shank. For dessert, we had the Mango Sticky Rice and Tako Khao Phod.
MILLIE: Back to the Regency Lounge for some coffee and freshly brewed ginger tea until it was time for Karla and Cynthia to leave. Since Karla had some important matters to attend to, I invited my friend Donna del Rosario to stay with me just to chat—something I haven’t had time to do in recent months.
I had been looking forward to dinner at Red Ginger for the best beef rendang in town, and it was still as good as I remembered it to be. Donna had Annato Chicken, grilled to perfection. Karla had her favorite Char Kway Teow, spiced up a bit but delicious.
KARLA: I made it back in time for a quick and late dinner, just in time for my massage at the Nuwa Spa. The spa is actually open 24 hours. However, I didn’t want my massage to end too late since I’m usually up early. The spa features a whole range of services, with suites where you can have treatments done together. Just as I thought, when I got back to the room, Mom was fast asleep.
My growling stomach woke me up at 7 a.m., and I figured it was time for breakfast. I knew we were having brunch at Nobu, and I didn’t want to spoil my appetite, so I settled for a scrambled egg, one piece of longganisa and a small croissant with cheese and smoked salmon. Having fulfilled my hunger, I decided to go back to the room. It was a toss-up between spending the rest of the morning by the pool or going back to sleep. Sleep won.
By 11:30 a.m., we were at Nobu for the ultimate Nobu Sunday brunch buffet featuring the chilled seafood bar, assorted sushi and sashimi, salad and cold station, the carving station, the teppanyaki table and a dessert station. Most people enjoy the chilled seafood bar with oysters, blue crabs, shrimp and mussels, and more on display. However, I went straight for the salmon and tuna nigiri. Mom started off with chicken thigh teppanyaki. The teppanyaki table also served salmon belly, baby octopus, baby squid, as well as mushrooms, leeks and eggplant.
We were also encouraged to order from an à la carte menu, which was included in the price. Some of the items we enjoyed were the sashimi trio of Yellowtail Jalapeño, Tuna Matsuhisa and Salmon Karashi Su Miso. I also enjoyed the baked tiger king prawns with yuzu kosho aioli and the black cod wrapped in butter lettuce and topped with fried wanton wrappers.
From the carving station, Mom loved the slow-cooked beef brisket, while I had the baked salmon with ponzu aioli. There was absolutely too much food to try. But there were some things that surprised us. For me, I would go back for the beef carpaccio—flattened raw beef tenderloin topped with yuzu, miso and black truffle. My goodness! I wouldn’t have thought of this combination, but it was one of the things that blew me away. For Mom, she enjoyed the smoked salmon with spicy guacamole toast.
The dessert that got me going back for seconds and thirds was the Earl Grey Crème Brûlée. Yes, I had three ramekins! Mom, on the other hand, absolutely enjoyed the Chocolate Miso Cookies. They were chocolatey and caramelly yet slightly savory, in a chewy cookie. Divine! We wish we had discovered them sooner so we could have brought some home.
MILLIE: Although we were accorded an extension to stay for a late check-out, I must say, it was quite a whirlwind weekend, and we would have stayed another night to try the other restaurants onsite, like Jing Ting, Rossi Pizza and The Hyatt Cafe, with its awesome buffet spread. The hotel staff were all efficient and friendly, so we couldn’t have asked for more!
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