Dream Play Manila; City of Dreams Manila Series 4

Dream Play Manila 
City of Dreams Manila Series 4  

The kids wanted to visit Dream Play at the 
City of Dreams Manila and that was the main
reason we spent our holiday in Crown Towers. 



Dream Play in an indoor amusement park designed
for young children and apparently the first the only
theme park owned and operated  by Dreamworks. 



We visited on a peak season, a day after Christmas 2015,
and the queue to the ticket booth was long, as expected,



…but the waiting period was fast.





We bought 4 VIP tickets where we do not
have to fall in line to the main attractions,

 



…similar to Front on Line badge
in Universal Studios in the US.





Dream Play is divided into several zones,



…and we directly went to Dream Tales 
as there was a scheduled puppet show.

 

Our tickets entitled us a front line pass and
 a personal photo- op with Shrek and Fiona,



…and this is one advantage of an upgraded
ticket as you do not have to catch them around
the park and have the photos taken by chance.



Another worthwhile thing to do here is attending a 
Cooking Class with Gingy, the gingerbread man.





The upgraded tickets also entitle the kids
for a front line pass in the cooking class,





…they were also given more festive special chef uniforms,



…and a bigger dough, enough to bake 
a bigger angel shaped cookie.







Just beside it was the Afro Circus and
massive padded playground for young kids.





We also enjoyed the Dream Theater that
shows popular  Dreamworks movies in 4D.



My young son also had fun manipulating the movements of
 the awesome, gigantic robotic dinosaurs at the Dinotrux,





…and pilot a robotic ball on a simulated highway maze.



My son also had a good time getting martial arts lesson
from Po at the Fast as Lightning Kung Fu Fighting zone,



…and later released all his hyperactive energy
at Shrek’s Swamp Stamp playground.

 



It was already past 2 PM when we decided to have
a lunch at Chez Gingy foodcourt but to our horror,
they ran out of food as they weren’t expecting the
deluge of people visiting the theme park that day.



We were very hungry since it was already late in the
afternoon, the park was becoming too crowded, too
noisy and uncomfortable as crowd continues to swell,





We decided to leave to look for a place to eat
even without trying the other attractions yet,



…and that was okay as it gives us a reason to
return to Dream Play on a less crowded season.

Read my other City of Dreams Manila blog series

Crown Towers City of Dreams 

City of DreamsManila Series 1 

Apu Authentic Filipino Restaurant

City of Dreams Manila Series 2

Crystal Lounge at Crown Towers

City of Dreams Manila Series 3 

Dream Play Manila

City of Dreams Manila Series 4

Crystal Lounge at Crown Towers: City of Dreams Manila Series 3

Crystal Lounge at Crown Towers 
City of Dreams Manila Series 3 

Crystal Lounge at Crown Towers lobby is

where the breakfast buffet is served for those

who are staying at the Crown Towers, Manila.

It was meant to be a lounge so having a full dinner

in the restaurant is uncomfortable and unpleasant,

…as the tables were very small that if you put four

plates altogether, their edges would touch and

would leave no space for extra food anymore.

 

They have chairs that are so low, which are meant

for lounging and lazing, and definitely not for dining.

 

Despite these shortcomings, Crystal Lounge is a great 
restaurant that serves delicious food, and we got to dine 
there several times during our  four days stay in the hotel.

 

Aside from the classy breakfast buffet,

 

…that for a hotel this standard had

really limited and very few choices,

Crystal Lounge is also open all day

and guests can order a’la carte meals,

…yes, including their delicious breakfast fares.

Despite of the buffet, we always order Beef Tapa

a’ la carte as it was made of 100% US Angus beef.

It was tender and tasty but wasn’t as salty like most

local Pinoy tapa versions that are reeking in soy sauce.

The Pork Tocino was also delicious as unlike most

Pinoy versions that are sickeningly sweet and taste

like repulsive candied pork. This one had a perfect degree

of sweetness with a delightfully mild vinegary aftertaste.

For those wanting a heavy breakfast, one could never go wrong

ordering Continental Breakfast Platter as it had two perfectly

cooked sunny side up egg, crispy thick cut bacon and sausages,

…and served with assorted breads and pastries,

…and what is probably the yummiest

Buttermilk Pancakes in the world.

 

Crystal Lounge’s Egg Benedict is deliciously addicting.

There was a generous layer of smoked salmon with bits

and pieces of asparagus bathed with Hollandaise Sauce.

Something that should not be missed by anyone dining here.

Shrimp Wonton and Char Sui Noodle Soup is a must

try dish. The savory soup makes you feel delightfully warm and

makes you crave for more. It is a delicious comfort food.

 

Stir Fried Egg Noodles with Chicken Shrimps

and Vegetables, was so good and deserves another

serving as everyone would be asking for more.

Chinese Steamed Dimsum Basket with Sweet Bean and

Chili Sauce is perfect for an instant snack or as an appetizer.

 

Despite the discomfort of dining is a terribly small table

and low uncomfortable chairs meant for lazing and not for

dining, just for the delicious food alone, it is worthwhile to

dine in Crown Tower’s Crystal Lounge any time of the day.

 

Its a great place for a cookie milk dunking snack too. 

Read my other City of Dreams Manila blog series

Crown Towers City of Dreams 

City of DreamsManila Series 1 

Apu Authentic Filipino Restaurant

City of Dreams Manila Series 2

Crystal Lounge at Crown Towers

City of Dreams Manila Series 3 

Dream Play Manila

City of Dreams Manila Series 4

Apu Authentic Filipino Restaurant: City of Dreams Manila Series 2

Apu Authentic Filipino Restaurant 
City of Dreams Manila Series 2 

Our room was not ready yet when we

checked- in at the Crown Towers Manila.

 

It was noontime, so we decided to eat lunch first and scouted

for a restaurant at the adjoining upscale mall,  the Boulevard, 

also located within the new City of Dreams Manila complex.

We chose Apu Authentic Filipino Restaurant.

The restaurant had an ancestral Filipino ambiance,

…and when we asked what is meant by Apu, we were told

by the waiter that it was a term of endearment for an elderly

in Pampanga and they are serving Kapampangan cuisine.

 

We were taken aback for a while since my family was never a fan 
of Kapampangan cuisine. We find most of their dishes either too 
greasy or too sweet as they use a lot of sugar in their cooking.

 

They initially served us a complimentary shrimp flavored chips and 
surprisingly, it was tasty and unlike most local koropek, it wasn’t salty. 



They served the Brown Rice in  polished coconut shell.

Apu’s Sinigang na Baboy is the most perfectly cooked sinigang

that we have ever tried. It has the right degree of sourness and

one could sip the soup without having to wrinkle your face in

acerbic revulsion. The veggies were perfectly firm and crunchy,

and yet, they were neither underdone nor they were overcooked.

The pork was tender and had a very minimal subcutaneous fat.

We always order Bulanglang in any Filipino restaurant and this one

was one of the best.  Just like the sinigang, Apu has a way of cooking

their vegetables in a way that they’re not  overcooked but also not grossly

raw. The veggies retained the freshness and firmness. It also had just the

right hint of bagoong that it does not repulsively overwhelm the dish.

I love catfish and was I glad to see one in the menu- 
so I ordered a Fried Hito. It was coated with a layer
of thin breading making the skin firm and crispy,

but still tender, juicy, moist and tasty on the inside.

My son also ordered his favorite- Fried Tilapia.

Just like the catfish, the skin was crispy due to the

thin layer of breading,  and just as  juicy and tasty.

Since this was a Kapampangan restaurant we ordered Sisig,

as this dish originated from this region. It did not disappoint.

The crunchy bits of pieces of meat turns deliciously gummy

when chewed, and had a mild delightfully sour aftertaste. 

 

The Dessert Platter was a hit.

 

There was a delicious Maja Blanca,

classic an unadulterated version,

 

…creamy Leche Flan, topped with the usual caramel

but they also added whipped cream  and strawberry jam,

…the native Biko, a suman like rice cake was served

piping hot and bathed in rich, creamy chocolate sauce

lava cake style, and it was, o, soooo divinely delicious.

This lunch Apu Authentic Filipino Restaurant is our most

worthwhile dining experience at the City Of Dreams Manila.

Read my other City of Dreams Manila blog series

Crown Towers City of Dreams 

City of DreamsManila Series 1 

Apu Authentic Filipino Restaurant

City of Dreams Manila Series 2

Crystal Lounge at Crown Towers

City of Dreams Manila Series 3 

Dream Play Manila

City of Dreams Manila Series 4