History, Good Food and Entertainment at THE TRIBUTE HOTEL

Quezon City is my hood. I've known the people and history here because of our familiarity with the families who live here. For us, Tomas Morato wasn't just a name for a street, but the first Mayor of Quezon City 1939 to 1942. He was a loyal friend to President Manuel L. Quezon, and we heard he never divulged his location to the Japanese back in the day. Today, his family lives in a compound in the middle of Tomas Morato. The property is huge and they now dedicated a part of it for The Tribute Tower, a mixed use building that houses THE TRIBUTE HOTEL, the DON TOMAS restaurant and condominium units meant for the Morato family.

To tell you honestly, I haven't heard of The Tribute Hotel prior to this visit. This was built and delayed during the pandemic (understandable). But just hearing there is one made me so excited because there are little to no hotels here despite the popularity of the area. The actual building sits almost at the corner of Scout Gandia and Tomas Morato Avenue (99 Scout Gandia Street Quezon City). It's pretty huge, so you wouldn't miss it. 

I wanted to stay here merely for a "Staycation", I wanted rest and refuge as it's been a while since I got sleep. Checking in was a breeze, the lobby was enough to fit people before going to the room and they served a welcome drink. There were no lines, so when they handed me my key I went up and connected to WIFI because I still had work LOL.

Here's a reel to immortalize that!

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We also got to talk to the GM Christian Guballa who also is part of the Approche Hospitality Management Corporation who manages The Tribute Hotel and several other Sta. Lucia Realty properties.

After a good nap, we headed on to have dinner at the hotel's very own restaurant called "DON TOMAS". It was also a Friday which means they've got an acoustic band to play for patrons who choose to have dinner and a few bottles at this place. Food is good as they've got international dishes served at this place named after the Mayor. Thanks to Chef Erwin Rarugal who made arrangements for us to dine with sampler dishes since we couldn't make our mind choosing what's good for dinner. Take a look at this!

 

If you plan to dine here, I'd suggest Beef Rendang, Chicken Saté, Beef and Tendon (sweeter and soy based), the Chefs Burger (burger patty is pure beef). They also served us Cuapao Sliders, Calamares Fritos, Soft Taco Mussel Sisig, Squid Bombs, Salmon Kimchi, Chicken Biryani, Nasi goreng, Braised Pork, the Carbonara de Tomas (light carbonara salty bacon strips) and their pizzas. For desserts, I would highly suggest you get the Ube Langka Mochi (It must be eaten whole) and the Basque Cheesecake. If you're a matcha lover, get the Tiramisu Matcha.

Here's how it looks like at Don Tomas!

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Here's our short interview with Chef Erwin Rarugal. He also does the food in other properties of Sta. Lucia Realty, experience is good.

 

There are 2 Room Types in The Tribute Hotel, but you can always merge rooms for groups.

They have conference rooms that could fit over a 100 folks, and stay here too.

 

What's good is that they have an INDOOR POOL which you can enjoy even on rainy days! Plus a gym in front if you need it.

Plus a really good view of the neighborhood and nearby attractions in Tomas Morato!

If you like what you see, go head on and take refuge at THE TRIBUTE HOTEL. They can be contacted via their social pages (facebook.com/thetributehotel) or their website thetributehotel.ph. This property is managed and operated by the Approche Hospitality group. They currently have good rates and I'm going back soon!

ANDOK's Celebrates 40 Years and Return to foodpanda App

It was fun and festive over at Bridgetowne QC as Andok's celebrate their 40th year via "Pista ng Sarap - Pambansang Salo-Salo" together with the good folks from FoodPanda as they'll be back in the app.

At the event, they had several booths folks could take photos with. The display they had was like a full Andok's store full of the brands best sellers like the Liston Baka, Dokito Chicken, Dokito Burger and their Lechon Manok. I still have my picks like the Spicy Dokito Burger and Barbecue which they sell in 3's which is always a hit in our home. Mind you I order regularly, so seeing them back on FoodPanda just made me doubly excited since I'm subscribed to their PRO.

Andok's owners Vice Governor Sandy Javier his wife and Maverick (his son) plus his whole family was there to grace the occasion. foodpanda's Growth Manager Pat Jacinto says "Welcome guests, thank you for being here, to the QC LGU and everyone, welcome to the PISTA NG SARAP! Two very Filipino traits are love for convenience and love for food. The timing could not be more opportune, because it is also the 40th year of Andok's. To the team Andok's, for your dedication and grit, thank you! We want to bring our customers to the best brand with the food they love. We welcome you to the platform again, and recognize those who made it possible. This is the fastest on-boarding of 500 branches and we are live!  This is the beginning of a partnership that would hopefully last for decades, and we have a Father's day surprise coming very soon! It ties with our vision, here's to making Andok's successful around the country!"

Maverick Javier the President and CEO of Andok's Litson Corporation says "Paupau and Andie are friends now. Hi to our media partners and KOL's. Andoks started 40 years ago (and will be 41 this December) and our mission was survival, things changed over the years and it is now to give Sarap and Saya sa Bawat Pamilya. With FoodPanda, that is happening. Without my Andoks family, this wouldn't happen. They are doing an amazing operation, and reaching more people is within reach with the Foodpanda team. It's our pleasure to be part of your lives daily. Andok's is here to serve!"

They welcomed Foodpanda and said this partnership is essential to make sure they meet their goals of being in every Filipino home, and to create jobs around the country.

40 years is no joke and surely, this will now make those parties, birthdays, barkada nights or meals even easier to reach as the platform now has Andok's in it! Go download the app and search for Andok's as there will surely be a branch near you!

PS: FATHER'S DAY ANNOUNCEMENT!

From June 20-21, there will be a 50 percent off on Lechon Manok and 30 percent off on Andok's favorites only on the Foodpanda app!

LUVIT Launched in the Philippines

Took my sweet time traveling to Ortigas this afternoon to celebrate the launch of the new LUVIT Card. It's the new installment based buy now pay later card (connected with Mastercard) that's got a physical card and virtual one for your convenience. 

Folks who are into microlending would surely love this new service by the FinVolution Group including the folks from JuanHand which has been very successful in the country. 

Currently, they are offering 40 days of Zero Percent interest and a credit limit of up to 200K (if you're a good payer). You can avail of 3-6 month installment plants to make it easier for you to pay, something fit if you purchase products daily. If you also love food trips, or go to Boracay for a weekend, or watch BTS or Taylor Swift, wouldn't this be a good idea?!

Francisco Mauricio the CEO of Wefund Lending Corporation says "We want financial freedom to be accessed by Filipinos. We are letting you access it first. We are a startup, but we have been here for more than 17 years, 8 countries in the world. AI is in our DNA, and our sister is JuanHand. It's public, more importantly, we are bound with higher standards. We are the fastest growing financial app in Asia and the vision for LUVIT is to make financial choices human and simple. Loans can be used to buy fertilizer for farmers, it is something that people dream about, as we get the flexibility to pay. Remember, more than 90 percent of Filipinos don't have this. They have the capability to borrow and pay. This financial tool can get you places. Loans can be powerful, even the biggest corporations borrow money. Finally, we are helping you to enjoy it. You can now live the life you deserve."

Thing is, they are telling us that they can approve applications for their card in as fast as 90 seconds. If you're looking for something to buy and you don't have the money for it yet, this could be a life saver! There are also a lot of establishments that accept Mastercard which means you can access a lot of merchants through this card and it's virtual counterpart. Customer service has live agents so concerns can be easily addressed when you need to. You only need one ID to apply for it. With the card, you can pay for it right away or do a flexible payment instead.

You can now download it on the Google Play store (if you're on Android) or the App Store on iOS by searching LUVIT x JuanHand. Spot the app with the green heart and enjoy the perks starting now!