My first post for 2010. Been quite long since my last post. Started the year as usual in Manila, nothing much to share.. or should I say it's better to keep my blog for generic reviews...
One new discovery from my Manila trip is the new Chinese restaurant called Golden Bay. It's just a few minutes away from MOA. Initially I thought this was just one of those forgettable ones, I was mistaken. For me, it is the most 'posh' Chinese restaurant in Manila serving authentic Chinese food at reasonable price. Comparable to Century and Gloria Maris, the top 2 fave spots of Filchi for banquets, Golden Bay is a strong competitor I would say.
The figures - not so sure how accurate the hearsay is. Golden Bay seems to be owned by 10+ filchi businessmen, with a whopping 300M+ php investment. It's a 3-level resto, manned by 100+ crews.
My 2 cents:
1. Classy decors - from the chandeliers to the tall curtains, the long spiral staircase, the sofa, everything looks perfect and elegant. Simply put, everything is new and shiny, makes you feel you are inside a 5-star hotel. Probably it just opened that time, just that not sure whether they would be able to maintain it, as wear and tear comes into play in a few more years.
2. Biggest - when I was there, first level was having some organization committee party, 2nd level was a wedding, 3rd level had a lot of individual parties ala private function rooms. Each level can hold up to say 80-100+ pax i think. The only difficulty is that I feel the noise from different functions can be annoying for the guests. Like when I was in level 1, I can hear the noises pretty well from the level 2 party. (geesh, as if I am really a consultant :p)
3. Quality Food - we were actually invited by a rich neighbor, so there was no damage to our pockets :). We availed of the 12-seater 'complete' panto style lauriat. If my memory serves me right, the dishes were:
-cold cuts combination (soy chicken, asado, jellyfish, cold cuts, etc)
-shark's fin soup
-scallops
-steamed crabs
-steamed prawns
-steamed live lapu lapu
-roasted duck
-noodles
-desserts (gata and fried crispy puffs)
Servings were huge, seafood was fresh, food was tasty. The standard cost for this set menu per table is 11k php. (+12% tax, then -10%discount for suki/cash basis). Price is considered reasonble as per market standards. 11k div 12, means each person is less than 1k! Whew now I can set aside the cravings for buffet :). But it would be hard to find 11 willing lamon-level person to dine with me.
So far I like every dish. It's been a long long time since I had attended any pan-to. Nothing beats the natural tangy taste of fresh seafood that are cooked simply in steamed manner. *drools*
4. Extras - maybe what help enticed my taste buds is the fact that they were playing Jay Chou's songs when I went there. It's a BIG plus for me. :) Good taste for music as well, I'm impressed :)
If I were to tweak it a little more, I'll add one more level for fine dining:
-a good view with glass ceilings that allows direct access for star gazing. (of course it should have some switch that allows another wall to be pulled in). Not sure if u get what I mean, main thing is I want to see the sky when the weather is good, good as outdoor sans the polluted air of Manila . If it's raining hard with thunderstorms, it would be better to pull back another layer of wall to cover the ceiling.
-a few musical accompaniments belonging to the olden Chinese classical genre. With my odd fondness of guzheng, it tops the list :) Maybe hire some part-time students to play on nights with special occassion, and charge a higher fee for minimum consumption :D
-nothing much to say about food as they already have the finest. Maybe add more expensive stuff like buddha-jump-over-the-wall soup, low-grade bird's nest, etc. Anyway, this is just an add-on targetted on class A market, so I'm making a dream-what-you-want proposal. And I believe there is quite a number of willing-to-spend individuals in Phil. Just a side comment: funny thing is, looks like GI has become a substantial portion now of this class A. That time when I was there, the wedding banquet in level 2 is no other than GI community! Oops can't be too choosy with the cultural refinement of the crowd lol.
Overall experience is very delightful as it was more than what I expected.
***Author's note:
I felt strange that night staring at the resto. It looks close to what I picture, I have this strange familiarity and attachment lol. Sometimes it's not so bad to dream. Dreams keep us alive, and I had fun making one and dreaming about it. Though I know I never will be able to fulfill it, it's just one of those crazy dreams that I have. Like I wanna be a singer and perform in a crowd maybe? Like perhaps I wish to have a walk-in closet? It's just something close to my heart. At least I'm happy someone fulfilled it, even if it doesnt belong to me. It doesnt matter anymore. I'm happy that a fine idea once crossed my mind. I guess I should wake up and make another dream...
2am and can't sleep.. not good. :(
