PHOENIX COURT (ALA CARTE LUNCH)

It was the last day of our EPIC STAYCATION (SEE HERE and HERE) and we will be ending our wonderful weekend with our own kind of "bang" -- by eating MORE FOOD of course! Yes, you would THINK that after being gluttons for 2 days we would at least rest on a Sunday but since we were only human, we were inclined to eat.

And eat a lot we did at PHOENIX COURT in BELLEVUE MANILA!

PHOENIX COURT!

It was not so long ago that we had an EAT ALL YOU CAN feast here (CLICK THIS, PATIS) but even if only a day had passed (yes, that IS a bit of time for us already), we were still raring to eat up delicious Chinese food that we know PHOENIX COURT could cook up!

Brunch at CAVIAR RESTAURANT AND CHAMPAGNE BAR

Call me an ignoramus but the first time I encountered the word BRUNCH was while watching the greatest TV show there is, THE SIMPSONs. It was the episode where Marge had an affair with a sexy guy. At one time the sexy guy, with his very thick accent, asked her out for "Brunch", he explained "it's not quite breakfast, it's not quite lunch. But it ends with a slice of grapefuit."

Fast forward to our EPIC STAYCATION where we were with the little lords for a grand 3 day weekend. It was then we received an invite to have brunch in the much buzzed about CAVIAR. With that, I was a bit concerned because I already had this mindset (thanks to the SIMPSON'S) that BRUNCH is something more for grown ups. Though I'm sure that there won't be a sexy guy with a thick accent explaining to me what the menu is and that BRUNCH is really just an early lunch, as a Mom I was concerned if my little lords would be able to enjoy the whole experience.

I'm so happy to say that kids had a great meal at CAVIAR. We all had a wonderful start to our day but yes my concerns were valid:

Because for one, brunch in CAVIAR is not just your ordinary late breakfast or early lunch. It was something bordering on spectacular. It certainly made me more curious of their fine-dining menu for lunch and dinner that I may have to yank the Chinese Adonis here for a date. Or, I could set up an LQ so that he'll bring me here as a peace offering. Tee hee!!!!

Plus two, I guess I was wrong with regards to the presence sexy guy with the thick accent because THIS suddenly emerged.

 

CAVIAR'S Executive Chef Frank Van Der Walle! More of him later.

Isn't he a dead ringer for Tom Hiddleston though? He he he he he!!!

Anyway, all of THAT made up an unforgettable Sunday brunch and I was glad that my worries were true in an exceptional way. 

CAVIAR RESTAURANT AND CHAMPAGNE BAR!!

PHOENIX COURT (ALL YOU CAN EAT DIMSUM)

It was the most epic of STAYCATIONS (SEE HERE and HERE), and just when we thought that we will be eating light since it was near bed time and all, we got it all wrong.

Yes. More like "Eat All You Can" wrong!

PHOENIX COURT! 

Welcome to BELLEVUE HOTEL's gem of a Chinese Restaurant!

MADIL (FLIP FLOPS)

Ask any person (living or imaginary) and you would find out that I don't do a lot of shopping. It's not that I hate it but like any normal girl (yes, even if I don't look like it, I'm a woman), I DO love buying nice things for meself and looking all purty. However, like any normal working mom, who has the time to do a LOT of shopping? When I go out, and it's usually with the little lords, we would usually go to play areas. No way will I leave them or make them wait while I go shopping. The only time I am able to shop is during date nights with my Chinese Adonis (now I don't mind making HIM wait! Ha ha ha ha!). And when I DO have the time to shop, I make it a point to buy from stores with special sales and promos. Yes I could get very stingy with myself because I find more happiness using my hard-earned money by having staycations and food trips with my family. Of course, there is nothing wrong with shopping, but I find making memories with my little lords much more gratifying!

That is why I was so glad that dear Jane (SUGAR, SPICE, AND EVERYTHING NICE) hooked me up with a pair of MADIL flip flops! Yohoo! It was summer already and I haven't got a very "summer-y" thing to wear. And MADIL flip flops just fit MY bill!

MADIL!!!

CARMEN'S BEST ICE CREAM

I remember growing up that when my sister and I like something, we would always go to our Dad to share it with him. Don't think of us as being generous angels, oh no! It's just that with my Dad, when he finds something that he likes, he would buy A TON of it. YES. A TON. And, unlike his greedy daughters, he buys A TON to share with us. Ha ha ha ha!

Anyway fast forward to 2013, my sister pulled the same "move" on my Dad with her newest discovery, CARMEN'S BEST. She let him taste the salted caramel and the rest was history. I remember one time (at band camp?) that when I opened the fridge there were pints and pints of CARMEN'S BEST in different flavors. With that my Chinese Adonis and I would forego the usual popcorn to have a "his" and "her" pint of CARMEN'S BEST. 

posted in @ericjazfoodies instagram posted on Oct. 2013!

Oooh yeah... life has never been so sweet and dandy!

After our barbecue dinner at the epic staycation (SEE HERE), we received an invite to meet THE creator of CARMEN'S BEST himself, Mr. Paco Magsaysay. Even if it was late and we were smelling like barbecue, we went out to the home of CARMEN'S BEST to see the real deal on why it was SOOO good!

Mr. Paco Magsaysay welcomed us to his home with a warm smile that is as comforting as his CARMEN'S BEST ice cream!

CAFE D' ASIE

Even if I love myself (don't worry, only I am capable of doing that), I have got to admit that I am not good at fulfilling promises that I made for ME. For some odd reason, even if I consider making a promise to my boys a totally binding "contract" (yes I ALWAYS stay to true to my word to them), when it comes to ME I'm like "HELLO, amnesia girl!"

Well I was a particularly bad girl during our EPIC STAYCATION (SEE HERE and HERE) because I told myself a hundred of times (yes you gotta believe it) that I will be taming my pig-out capabilities and eat like a bird. But then woe is me, something earth shattering would happen that I repeatedly forgot those promises and just dug in to my tummy's delight.

I'm exaggerating with the circumstances you say? Well don't you consider THIS earth shattering to your dietary world as well?? 

Oh wow... I'm in trouble now... 

Anyway, judge all you want but you would feel the same dilemma after eating a full breakfast at PRIME CAFE in B HOTEL (SEE HERE). Because I was so full from stuffing myself silly with bacon and garlic rice, I vowed to myself that I will  be skipping whatever meals for the meet up at CAFE D' ASIE. But then THAT happened (see above). And so I added another broken promise to my "ledger".

Heck I'm not even sorry nor worried for the extra inch outcome of my "broken vow" Because with the sushi, the roast beef, the salad, and the desserts? That diet could go straight to the black hole for all I care.

And I got CAFE DE ASIE to love me for what I am. Naks!

CAFE D' ASIE!

BARBECUE DINNER AT BELLEVUE HOTEL

On the second night of our epic staycation (SEE HERE  and HERE), Bellevue hotel arranged a barbecue dinner for the KTG which was also lovingly coordinated by dear Jane Go of SUGAR SPICE AND EVERYTHING NICE. Just one mention of the words "barbecue" and "dinner" made my Chinese Adonis so happy that he went running around the poolside area like a Tasmanian devil.  He was even garbling and drooling like what the little critter did in the Bugs Bunny cartoons!

Oh I am kidding! Ha ha ha ha! But yeah, my husband and son Mati were very excited! They loved barbecue so much that if they were stuck on an island, they might even barbecue each other! Tee hee!

Our BELLEVUE HOTEL POOLSIDE BARBECUE!!!

As early as 5:30pm, the chefs of Bellevue were setting up for our gastronomic spread!

SUPERSIZED PARTY GAMES

I don't know about you but I LOOOOOVE board games. When my siblings and I were kids, we would spend hours playing our favorites Monopoly, Cluedo, Scrabble, Snakes N' Ladders, and Mad! We were not really fans of computer games. It was getting someone bankrupt or solving who killed Mr. Body all the way!

That is why we would always have "board game nights" with my little lords. My husband and I agree that it is much better to  actually play with them rather than going about our business while their faces are in front of the computer or gadgets.

With this, we were so stoked to see that some of our classic favorites were pumped up for the ultimate board game enjoyment. You'll see what I mean when you get to play these games that is MORE than meets the ordinary dice.

Now you see before you... 

SUPERSIZED PARTY GAMES!