Sunday, March 30, 2014

Clementine’s, Naga’s Culinary Pioneer

Clementine’s, Naga’s Culinary Pioneer 
Old World Charm, Timeless Home Grown Comfort Food


It has always been such a joy for my family 
to dine at Clementine’s in Magsaysay Avenue.
Long before Naga City had all these hustle 
and bustle in the culinary world, Clementine
pioneered what casual fine dining is in the city.

 


We crave for this restaurant and dining here
reminds us of the quaint and cozy restaurants 
in Europe that gives the diner a genteel and
formal but very relaxing, old world ambiance.

 




The kids often complain that it takes time
for the chef to cook their meals, but we always 
remind them that good food is not fast food.


Whenever we dine in Clementine, we always 
order and appetizer to while away the waiting
period before the main meal is served and this 
time we tried their delicious Onion Rings.


It took them a little bit to serve our dinner so 
we ordered another round of  appetizer.
The stringy and tasty Mozarella Cheese Sticks. 





We all love Clementine's Mushroom Soup
and perfect way to start a heavy dinner.


 Good thing with Clementine they came out
lately with Value Menu, and for hungry, restless 
kids wanting their food fast, this is a good option.


For only 75 pesos, the kids were able to enjoy 
delicious dishes like Fish Roll, which is actually
a fried fish spring roll, wrapped in thin rice wafer 
and fried to crispy perfection and served with rice
and a mound of tasty buttered veggies as a side dish.


 But my son is never satisfied without real fish dish,
so we still ordered him a very juicy Grilled Tuna. 
It came in a really huge serving that we decided to
share the delicious slab of fish that everyone loved.


 Also in this value menu is the Lemon Porkchop,
which is deliciously tangy tender pork,  marinated 
in lemon (the way they do in the past, before the
invention of these salty seasonings) then pan fried. 
It was a perfectly chewy and tasty and was served
with rice and buttered vegetables as side dishes.


 My wife ordered Baked Macaroni, which
is probably  the most classic and the most 
original dish that one could order in Clementine.
Naguenos have grown loving and  had gotten used 
to Clemen’s timeless version that it had already
obliviously set a standard on our Bicolano psyche 
and taste buds on how a BakedMac is supposed to be.


I ordered one of their newest pasta offering; 
Angel Hair with Seafood, which is under their 
Scrumptious Cuisines meant for 2 to 3 persons. 

 

But is was so delicious that I have
finished it with a really clean plate all for myself.



We ended our dinner with their delicious
New York Style Blueberry Cheesecake



...while my son munched the moistest, cheessiest
and the tastiest Cheese Cup Cake in the world.
 

Clementine also serves as a showcase for
beautiful European home decors that diners 
could buy and take home after dining.





I consider Clementine a timeless restaurant,
and one could never go wrong on their choice 
of a place to dine in the busy Magsaysay Strip.

Read here for related posts:
  
Clementine and Wolverine: Perfect Premiere Partners 
Clementine’s Magsaysay Ave., Naga City
 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

EDSA Shangri- La's Horizon Club Room

EDSA Shangri- La:  Horizon Club Room 
Gorgeous Hotel, Fabulous Amenities 
Stay, Stray, Play and Feast

 Stay 

 We got a chance to stay Edsa Shangri- La 
once again and I’m happy that I would be able
to blog about the hotel using a good camera.



 I featured this posh hotel in my blog in the past,
but used a really old camera phone as my camera 
battery was discharged and I forgot my charger.



 I cannot remember how many times we have been 
to EDSA Shangri- La as we check in  this hotel
almost every year every time I am Manila 
since I moved to Naga City in the mid- 1990’s
and also featured this hotel in my past blogs.

Link:  EDSA Shangri- La: Fabulous Hotel, Bad Camera 



I have already blogged about Shangri La’s standard
room   (they call it premier room) in the past and  this 
time we stayed in one of their very exclusive and posh
Horizon Club room at the garden wing of the hotel.





 I have raved like a crazy star crossed fanatic about this hotel
in my past blog and please forgive me if I do the same 
glorifying this Conde Nast's prestigious A- lister again.


Just like their premier rooms the Horizon Club Room 
have contemporary design with Asian touch with the
view of  the beautiful resort’s garden, mini  water park,



 …and the booming and beautiful Ortigas skyline.

 

Our room came with two comfortable 
huge double beds enough to fit my whole
family of four (2 adults and 2 kids).


 It  had a fabulous bathroom-




… lavished with luxurious toiletries 
that Shangri-La in known for,



…and  a huge closet with amenities that 
to make one comfortable and feel at home.


Connectivity was not a problem as 
there are three telephone landlines,
in the room- the first one on the desk,


 …second by the bedside,


…and third at the toilet and amazingly
provided with a note pad and pencil.



 There is also a free very fast Wi Fi and broadband  
internet  connections and a well stocked mini bar.





 It had a huge working desk, and just like and
Shangri-La suites had complete office supplies,




 …a comfy, sofa that could
double as and extra bed,


…and a flat screen LCD TV,



 And top of the line home theater system.

 


 The room had a direct stair access to the Horizon Club Lounge
where guests at the Horizon Suites could relax, dine in private, 
have cocktails and have afternoon tea, believe it or not- for free.


 

Stray

 The hotel is located between two major malls
the Edsa Shagri- La Mall in one side,

 

 … and the SM Mega Mall on the other side,

File:Sm megamall.jpg

…and there is a direct access to the upscale 
Shangri La Plaza Mall from the hotel,





...making shopping easy and convenient.



 But there is really no need to go out of the
hotel as it was built as a resort hotel and serves
as an oasis right in the middle of an urban jungle.


It had a fabulous garden where one can 
have a leisurely walk, or just laze around
admiring the tropical greenery around you.




 The hotel had several in house shops- so there is 
 really no need to hit the nearby malls to shop



 The hotel is also known for its popular Chi Spa
where one can have a relaxing massage,



...or guests may avail of their numerous luxurious
health and beauty therapeutic regimens.


 Play

 The EDSA Shangri La pool, is a place full of 
memories for me and my family as  I cannot
count the number of times we stayed in the hotel.


 

 My eldest daughter literally grew up frolicking in
 the hotel pool until she now in her young teens.



 It was also the same pool where my
then two- year old  son Timothy taught 
himself how to swim on his own.



The pools remained the same- beautiful, 
and has been upgraded and redesigned
into a marvelous mini water park.




 The garden was well manicured, very clean
and superbly maintained and provides 
 amazingly vast greenery amidst on of the
busiest and chaotic district of urban Manila.



 The hotel also has a well equipped
gym that guests can use for free.



 Feast

 Although there are countless of dining options 
and  posh restaurants at the nearby Shangri- La Mall
and  SM Mega Mall, there is really no need to go out 
of the  hotel as EDSA Shangri- La has an excellent  
number of restaurants right inside  the hotel.


 The Lobby Lounge

 We arrived at noontime dizzy and nauseated 
after a very bumpy flight from Naga City
and we decided to have a light meal at the 
cavernous Lobby Lounge before checking in.






We feasted on the delicious Bacon, 
Lettuce and Tomato (BLT)  Sandwich,


…tasty Wonton Soup,


 …and some of their delicious
and refreshing drinks.



…the lobby lounge is
 breathtakingly beautiful



…and transforms into a serene
and relaxing bar at night.



Heat Restaurant

Edsa Shangri- La has an excellent
house restaurant called Heat. 





 The restaurant buffet had a wonderful spread of
international dishes and  always crowded with
diners, especially at night, and understandably as
they serve one of the most massive buffets in the city.

 





We actually pigged out on our first night at the hotel,




…and we never stopped eating until we were so damn full,
and we could never get enough plate after plate of the most
delicious spread of international cuisine at the buffet area. 


Heat Restaurant is one of the best places for
binge eating, and that's exactly what we did.



The Horizon Club Lounge

How sweet it is to have a lazy and leisurely breakfast
at the very private and very exclusive Horizon Lounge,
away from the hustle and bustle of the overcrowded
Heat Restaurant where the main breakfast buffet is served.






It is like having the place reserved for the family alone
as there are very few guests dining in the restaurant
making the service is superb and more personal.




It may have a limited display on the buffet area
but guests can order and ask the chef to cook
anything you wish and anything you want for.






Edsa Shangri- La is an old but well maintained hotel 
and remained  as beautiful the as the very first time
I set foot on this hotel in 1994, a young, unmarried man.





It has been almost two decades, the hotel looked
exactly the same twenty years ago. The hotel
despite its age,  still made  it to the prestigious
Conde Nast list as one of the best hotels in the world.




Just like all Shangri- La Hotels, all over the world,
the service and the luxurious amenities are unparalleled.



Read the links below for related posts
on other Shangri La  Hotels

 EDSA Shangri- La: Fabulous Hotel, Bad Camera
The Best Family Hotel in the Philippines:The Best of Stay, Stray, Play and Feast 
Top 10 Hotels with The Most Awesome Views
Trader's Hotel, Shangri- la Cover up - Revealed 
Trader’s Hotel, Manila, a Shangri- la in Disguise 

Read the links below for related posts
on Metro Manila Hotels

Holiday Inn Makati: Luxury on a Budget