The Executive Lounge Restaurant at The Malayan Plaza

Luxury Private Dining is much of an experience that everyone should get. I’ve been in quite a few but this one which happened a few nights ago was pretty special. It was amongst food blogging industry friends set at the Malayan Plaza Hotel’s 33rd Floor. The setting reminded me of an upscale atelier but without a designer this time. It was us, the Executives of the hotel, the Chef who was cooking a storm in the kitchen and a couple of servers who made sure we were comfortable while we dined.

The place is apt for private dining. The table was set for a little over 10 people, daisy art on the napkins, table runner ran from end to end with gold accents and trims, plus faux candle light here and there. It was pretty stiff and quiet on my side whilst it was a little crazy on the other, but we didn’t mind.

We all knew this 10 course dinner was going to be epic. 

The canapes arrived while we were stationed in the holding area, one had chopped eggs and mayo dressing, the other was more on the savory side with mushrooms. It was nice.

The appetizers comprised of the Quesillo Con Tomate, Chorizo Pamplona and Manchego, Adobar con Carne and Tuna Tartare - all served in one plate. Saying it’s a mouthful is an understatement. The Quesong Puti was the perfect pair for the fresh tomatoes, herbs and garlic. The chorizo felt quite good with the salty manchego and the ligjt drizzle of white truffle oil, it is so addicting to tell you honestly because me and truffle are like brothers, we are very good together LOL. The Adobar con Carne though wasn’t as soft as I wanted it to be, perhaps a little over done or might not have rested, but the flavor profile is there, it was a bit heavy that I’d consider it part of the main course. The Tuna Tartare was good though, very light and you could really feel a little kick (tad smoky) prolly because of the paprika, chili and wasabi they put on it.

This is the Almejas Mejillones con Escabeche. It's clams and mussels with croutons and a broth made of stock and wine, plus a few herbs. It is very light, but a perfect way to start the meal.

The Basil and Honey Mule was not too strong, just right to accompany the slew of strong flavors they introduced us with. They pair drinks with your dinner components so expect to be a little fun that usual if you get hit.

Some good things off the menu include this Talakitok con Misono which is Jackfish and Tuna sashimi with misono jus, their own fresh salsa and beet paste. I adore white fish with wine, this is more on the savory side. 

Their version of Callos was topped with mashed potatoes, my blogger friends and I was trying to find bits or maybe slices of chorizo but the chef did a spin on it and only included the flavor. It had tripe but almost none of the stench, so this is okay.

Love on a plate, this is their best dish that evening called Shitake Wagyu Bar. It's Wagyu beef grilled to medium doneness, infused with Shitake mushroom flavors, herbs and more. It was earthy and savory, felt deep because of the flavor profile they wanted to achieve means watching the cooking process like a hawk, the right temperature and all that drama. It was well worth the wait.

This is the Chef's Bourbon Plate. It's main ingredient was Dragon Fruit, chopped up with orange fruit, like, pear and bourbon cream. I guess they didn't flambe it anymore because the flavor profile they needed was already in the cream, it's a light dessert, not too sweet just as I like it.

For the sweet tooth, the Chef made this Arte De Remo. It's like an oaty revel bar made with cream cheese, oats and dessicated coconut. It was nutty and special which I guess came from crushed pistachios??? So if you love sugar, this would be the better choice. 

The Malayan Plaza has 4 function rooms available on the 32nd and 33rd floor of the building. It's a nice place to hold your banquets, cocktails, events and intimate dinners. If you would like to experience the same thing we had, go call +63 2 7060055 and ask for available slots on schedules. Things fill up immediately so if you're planning for that next birthday dinner, proposal, or just small family gatherings, give them a call okay?

Thank you Chef Aldrin, the GM Ernie Baclayon and thank you to everyone at the Malayan Plaza for re-introducing to us The Executive Lounge. I will be back for more to look for that Wagyu steak and the light desserts. 

Au revoir!

KUMAGCOW

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Natural Bodybuilding Competition Slated October

Had lunch with the people who organised the World Natural Bodybuilding Federation of the Philippines. They did this small luncheon to promote bodybuilding as a sport in the country. I have attended about two of these recently (other competitions) and have seen how remarkably improved our athletes have become. It is true that they spent blood sweat and tears in order to be in their best shape but I guess WNBF Philippines will be making this a whole lot different, a whole lot stricter.

The organization is affiliated with the WNBF which has been around for 30 years and now has about 24 countries competing. They are still growing and to get in alone is a task - because they do polygraph and urine tests as a form of seeing who’s getting illegal substances in their system. The federation also bans athletes who fail these tests for 7 years, so don’t even think about it!

Chris Byrne VP of WNBF Philippines says “People can go to our website and register at wnbfph.com , requirements only include membership in the federation and be an adult (18 and above) and we are expecting around 50 competitors and it depends on how this would run. We would have stricter regulations than the olympics and it levels the playing ground. A lot of people are using illegal substances, this won’t shun them but we really want a platform for those who does it naturally. We will have judges from INB Canada coming in to do this in October. Last June was a test and we plan to do 5-6 competitions a year. It doesn’t much have cash prizes but we have a collectors item medal to give out. We will also be accepting sponsors as long as it’s natural, organic, as we plan to do this in other parts of the country. This is more of a sports competition, after they get the medals the athletes stayed anyway. We’re confident that it will be in Johnny B. Good formerly Hard Rock Cafe Makati, this will be called WNBFPH3 which will be done on the date we mentioned. You can also go to our social media channels and we can get them aboard.”

Last June they held one of these competitions in Johnny B. Good (a local restaurant in Glorietta 3, Makati City) and some athletes from Taiwan, China, Korea, Mongolia and our very own country joined in. They will be doing the same this coming October 27, 2018 so if you’re ready to show your sculptured physique, sign up for it now. There will be international competitors, judges and organisations again in this leg so make sure you represent Philippines well if you plan to join.

KUMAGCOW

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Brewing Your Best Year with CBTL

Been invited a couple of days ago on Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's event "Brew Your Best Year!". True enough, it was something different.. it was something off path. I was hesitating to actually go to this because it was hosted by people who made the Belle de Jour Planner (which I know was only for women right?). I might end up being the only guy there, not good for a good looking introvert LOL. I was surprised though because there were a lot of attendees, too much that I didn't get to do stuff on a table. I think there were around 60+ people if I'm not mistaken.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf wanted us to brew our best year. They invited PJ and Alessandra Lanot of http://www.lifeafterbreakfast.com/ to talk about goal setting and conduct a chalk lettering workshop.

Unfortunately I was a wee bit late and I only got the chance to listen to PJ talk on the last part where he requested to write down goals for 2014. I saw some of my blogger friends write down their goals for 2016 so I frantically had to do that too. Best effort LOL. I guess it boils down to specifics and perspective on what you think is achievable in 2015-2016. My seatmate was telling me I was putting in general things so I did rewrite some of the things I indicated. I don't have to tell you my goals do I? LOL... let's just say it was personal. They also asked everyone to put in their professional goals and some for relationships. It was easy for me but it was a little time pressured because they need to finish the gig in around 2 hours. Time did go by fast. I learned a lot from that.

Of course I didn't go without tasting some of Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf's Brewed Coffee and Sandwiches. I love that pizza thing on top and the brownie looking thing on the right. The coffee was just something I needed since I barely had sleep hehe.

Alessandra made us a bit crafty. I suck at lettering in college so this was a painful reminder of it haha. Well, I think I got the hang of it once she handed the paper about Typography. I guess even if we ran out of ideas, the guide would probably become a safe haven.

 

Then we went ahead and became a little competitive. We wrote down our goals on boards and doodled a bunch of things we'll regret later haha. Nah, but really some of the others were really good at it. I think one of the guys who won did this for a living LOL.

It was so fast and I had to finish something, so can you guess where my work is? =))

Overall I had fun. Activities like these enrich the mind and gives a lot of perspective in social behavior, mindset and keeping it real. Your realistic goals are achievable; and it only takes a few letters to create something out of nothing happen. It reminds you of what you can do and a journal pretty much is a nifty tool to have these days. Sometimes you just want to feel paper. Write on it. Things like that make you happy.

Kudos to the team that made this happen. Good news is, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf will make this activity happen every month from here on. For more information on how to join, please check out their channels below. :) This is your year, claim it!

For more information about their activities:

CBTL

Like them on Facebook


Visit their official website

http://www.brewyourbestyear.com/