Sunday, June 22, 2014

Spiral, Sofitel Manila

We went to Spiral last Saturday and I realized that I still haven't posted my first ever Spiral experience.

The buffet is said to be one of the country's best and the most extensive.  Reviews online have also been very positive.  I went there with two of my closest friends on a whim one Saturday night without any reservation so we had to wait more than half an hour to get seated. 
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We were greeted by several chocolate bars on sale which effectively excited my sweet tooth.
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I don't really know my cheese so I made a quick pass and gathered the familiar ones to start my meal. 
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The chinese dimsum station made me happy when I saw the egg tarts and the buchi. 
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They were also able to make the salad station look very appetizing.
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Cold and grilled seafood are available.  
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The Italian station with their very expensive looking pizza ovens is very impressive. 
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There were several more stations which I liked but I didn't take any more photos.  I was already too preoccupied.

The dessert station did not disappoint.  I think I spent most of my time going back and forth that area, too bad I didn't take a photo of the creamery and the pastries. 
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The crepe was made with so much love, I honestly didn't expect it to look this gorgeous.
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While I mostly enjoyed the buffet, there were also a few misses.  The xiao long bao is such in a sorry state.  It looks the same when we went there yesterday. 
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The teppanyaki grilled meats and seafood were bland and too oily.
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I also didn't like the fact that there were no fresh juice available given their price points.  




Spiral 
Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila
CCP Complex
Roxas Blvd, Pasay City
551-5555

Monday, June 2, 2014

Galleria 10 Hotel, Bangkok

Part of the fun in going to Bangkok is choosing which hotel you're going to stay in.  There are a lot of cool boutique hotels that are accessible and won't break the bank.  One such hotel is Galleria 10 in Sukhumvit. 
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It is about a 5-minute walk to the BTS, Asoke station.  It's not located right smack on Sukhumvit road, it's in one of the alleys but it's not hard to find. If you're too lazy to walk, they have a tuktuk that can take you to the BTS free of charge.
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A few malls, restaurants and bars are just a few steps away. We also chanced upon the Korean town which you'll pass by on your way to the BTS.  I had to take their picture there because we were supposed to go to Korea if not for my failed attempt to get a visa.
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Upon check-in, instead of offering guests with the usual cold towel and drink, Galleria 10 offers free ice cream!
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They were also heavily promoting their in-house bar so we also got to try some free cocktails when we got back from our afternoon stroll. 
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As with the rest of the hotel's interiors, the room looks very modern and sleek.
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I also loved the tuktuk and the night light.
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They also have a small gym and a cool looking pool if you need some exercise. 
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The breakfast buffet offers limited choices but they have scones so I'm good.
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Wifi is strong and best of all free!




Galleria 10 Hotel Bangkok
21 Sukhumvit Soi 10
Sukhumvit Road
Bangkok, Thailand