I guess my sister truly is into not following requests as far as birthdays is concerned. For me, spending the day with the people dear to my heart would have been enough, but I was surprised to know my sister was cooking up a surprise. I would have never known about it if my sister had to ask me something about Agoda.
That's how I found out she was trying to book a room at Microtel by Wyndham - Mall of Asia. She asked me if I liked it, and instead of answering her, I asked if mom would agree to it. I was surprised when she told me she already talked to mom and brother. Ah huh... so I was the last one to know? Hahahaha. With the help of brother, sister was able to book hassle free.
I am not sure where sister got the idea of staying here, but I loved it instantly!
It was a little sad that only available rooms were those for smokers. We could definitely smell the cigarette smoke residue along the halls and inside the room, but it wasn't a big problem at all.
The room had two double-sized beds (as pictured), so of course mom and sister shared and I had the bed all for myself. Yipee! Since this is mainly a food blog, I decided not to share a picture of the bathroom and toilet anymore. It was nothing special, but fully functional. :)
They didn't have electric kettle, but they do have a steady supply of clean, drinking water and ice. Though guests had to get water and ice near the elevator, not having to buy bottles of water was a great relief.
The (zoomed) view from our room. So pretty!
Check in time was 2PM, and because SM Mall of Asia was just a short distance away, we decided to walk and eat very late lunch at Sarsa (which I will post tomorrow). I wanted to meet up with my college friend and kumare, but we didn't get to see each other, so we just made a quick stopover at SM Hypermarket to buy some drinks and chips, then as soon as we got back in our room, we made our way to the pool area.
This was the main reason why sister chose this hotel. The pool area was at the roof deck - giving guests a magnificent view - especially the sunset, and if you are at the hotel on a weekend, just wait at the pool area 'til 7:30PM, and you will be treated to a spectacular fireworks display.
Around 9PM, we started feeling hungry, but we were too lazy and tired to walk back to SM. Good thing the hotel's restaurant - Millie's, is open 24 hours a day, so we were still able to eat good dinner.
Gnocchi in Blue Cheese Sauce
Sister's choice, as we still haven't tasted Gnocchi ever. For me, it was like eating those rice balls in Ginataan, but of course this was made from wheat. The sauce took a little time getting used to, but it was good. I suggest you order something that would cleanse the palate every now and then as the dish had the tendency to overwhelm.
Spaghetti Carbonara
I don't know why I chose another cream-based pasta, but this one was soooo good! I loved that the bacon slices (which were hiding under the pasta) were soft and a delight to eat. I am not a fan of crispy bacon, so this one was a thumbs up for me.
Fried Calamari
Of course, of course. I would never pass up the chance to eat a favorite food? Never. I love that this wasn't soggy with oil - it was cooked perfectly and it was really a joy to eat. The dipping sauce had a hint of wasabi, which I am not a big fan of, so I ate the squid rings as is. Hahaha.
Fruit Platter
Creamy pasta dishes sure overwhelmed us, so fresh fruits to the rescue. So delicious!
The next day, we had a Buffet Breakfast at Millie's, and we devoured their bacon and Lucban longganisa!
We had a very great stay. The room rate was a bit expensive, but we see ourselves booking a room again, because we loved the firm bed, the very comfortable blankets, and that we could have fast Internet connection for 200 pesos per day. The staff were friendly and courteous, too. As early as now we are already planning of packing some workout clothes and shoes so we can jog along the bay area, too. We highly, highly recommend this hotel!
I come from a family who loves cooking and eating. I never had any formal training in cooking and that I taught myself how to cook based on the handed down recipes, but I could say that I can cook good food. In 2008, I started documenting my food trips for my