Gem in the South: Cafe 8 of Crimson Hotel

I'm fond of hotels. I like the coziness and the elegance that they bring. But do you know what excites me the most? Their buffet section! Every time my parents come to visit here in Manila, I always make it to a point to stay with them in wherever hotel they choose to check in. And I always look forward to their breakfast buffet. So trust me when I say that I got pretty excited when my friend, Madz, asked me to accompany her in trying out Crimson Hotel's Cafe 8. 

I didn't know what to expect. I didn't even know that there's a Crimson Hotel in Filinvest, Alabang. But the place was not hard to find. Strategically located in front of Alabang's Festival Mall, this newly built 5-star hotel promises more than just a cozy treat.  

We were lucky because when we visited last month, Cafe 8 was featuring Southeast Asian cuisine. Imagine a variety of dishes coming from Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and a lot more! My heart fluttered at the sight of them. We also got to meet their Guest Chef, Alex Chong, who personally introduced to us different signature dishes from all over Southeast Asia. According to him, in order for them to be able to deliver the distinct taste of some of the dishes, they use ingredients that are actually imported from Singapore and Malaysia.

Let's take a tour, shall we? First stop, Asian!

This Roasted Turmeric Chicken is so savory and spicy I'm sure my spicy lover husband would definitely root for.

Meat.

Seafood. I was able to appreciate the level of spiciness of the Sambal Prawns.

Hainanese Chicken. The slices were so tender and the sauce was so flavorful. I swear I could have gotten more, but then I was also being conscious that time (which I regretted, by the way. So much for being demure! LOL)

Sambal Fried Rice and Hainanese Chicken Rice. Must try!

Pork Satay with Peanut Sauce. 

Now off to more Asian food. I call them, the appetizer island. 

Achar Malay Style Pickled Vegetables.

Chips and Dips.

Salad Station.

Fresh Tuna and Salmon Sashimi

Lots of Sushi to choose from.

Even if they featured Southeast Asian delicacies, they still served Western cuisine to provide variety of food choices.

Another favorite of mine: Spaghetti with Chicken Strips

Fried Calamari with Tartar Sauce. I had a fair share of this.

 Soup, toaster and some jams.

Let's not forget about the bread, and the selection of cheeses!

Wow, am I the only one who drool over cheese? I know this is far less than Spiral's L'Epicerie, but what the heck? These are still cheeses!

Now, for my favorite part. The mouthwatering dessert station.

Fruits for those health conscious. I had to admit, I only skimmed through this area.

Chocolate fountain with marshmallows and pineapples on stick and a tower of other delicacies you'll surely enjoy. And, do you see the one with cherries on top? My all-time favorite Leche Flan. Its sweetness and creaminess are beyond words. One of the best I tasted so far. Another one great discovery is the Sago Gula Melaka: Sago Pearls in rich coconut milk that goes great with a drizzle of rich palm sugar syrup. 

Crepe station.

More cakes to choose from (wow! I would like to have some cake now! ) Pecan Cake, Raspberry Cake, Red Velvet Cake and many more!

Chocolate mousse, Mango Panna Cota, Strawberry Panna Cota, and more. Sweetness overload!

It was nice to find our very own halo-halo has its own station.

Cheesecake! and moooore. One of those times I wish I had the stomach of a camel.

I sure enjoyed my 3 hour lunch break that time. Did I mentioned how courteous and accommodating the staffs were to us? I'm so grateful that Sir Francis and Miss Beth of Crimson Hotel were there to join us during lunch. I had to much fun chatting with them. What good company they are. 

(L-R back row) Chef Alessio, Ms. Beth, Guest Chef Alex Chong, Madz, Sir Francis. At the front row is yours truly with Dennis of Dencio.com. Such stuffed and happy faces!

But wait, there's more! Not only did we enjoy a sumptuous lunch buffet, we also got a mini tour inside the hotel, courtesy of Sir Francis. He was generous and kind enough to show us around.

Located at the 8th floor is the the deck bar. A great spot to unwind.

There is also a pool besides the al fresco bar where you can swim your stress away.

Seating area to enjoy an afternoon with good food and company.

 I can't help but be fascinated with this Bird's Nest seats. A great spot to take a nap, read a good book, or simply relax.

The hotel's gym can also be found at the 8th floor. The place is furnished with complete gym essentials.

They also got trainers to guide you while you're working out.

The gym smelled fresh and clean. There's was an on-going repair on the gym's floor that time but it wasn't that much of a distraction.

In front of the gym is a strategically placed Pastry and Sandwich Corner. I don't know about you but this will surely test my will power after hitting the gym.

With all the delicious looking sandwiches and, hello, pastries. Who can stop an urge of peeking inside this shop?

Look at those cakes! And, have you noticed the selection of muffins by the window? What a torture! I might go straight into this room rather than going through the pains of coming out of the gym only to be greeted by all this heavenly creations. 

I can't wait to go back to this place. Such a stay-cation material. Truly a promising gem in the south. I wonder what cuisine they would feature next? Oh, by the way, they have an on-going promo:

50% off on Cafe Eight Buffet price* for Medical Professionals on Tuesdays and 50% off for IT Professionals on Wednesdays. 

I should probably grab that one if I were you. For more information please call +63 2 863 2222.

*Lunch and Dinner buffets are at Php 1,250++ with free flowing Thai-Tamarind Iced Tea.

Locations: 

CRIMSON HOTEL FILINVEST CITY, MANILA

Entrata Urban Complex, 2609 Civic Drive, Filinvest City Alabang, Muntinlupa City 1781, Philippines

+63 2 863 2222

Lunch - 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM Daily

Dinner - 6:00 PM to 10:30 PM Daily

CRIMSON RESORT & SPA MACTAN, CEBU

Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu City 6015, Philippines

CRIMSON RESORT & SPA BORACAY, AKLAN (By 2015)

Boracay Island, Aklan, Philippines

Facebook: Crimson Hotel Filinvest City, Manila

Website: www.crimsonhotel.com

Staying Sober at Tipsy Beans Coffee Shop

Last Friday night, Madz and I did a little trip to Mandaluyong to visit a new coffee shop owned by Sybil's (a friend and a co-worker) husband and brother-in-law. This place is not your usual coffee shop, if you ask me. Their unique blends and dishes are so interesting that they had the tendency to blow your mind away! Well, not really, but you can either end up wide awake or a little TIPSY! Yep, you heard that right. They have liquor all over the place. From their wide selections of coffee, to their pastas, down to their desserts! Boy! What a good place to hang out for people like me who prefers the quietness of a coffee shops, rather than the noise and  the crowdedness of the clubs, on a weekend night while still enjoying some alcohol fix and chatting the night away.

The set up and the design of the place is amusingly simple. Look at how they cleverly decorated potential eyesores.

I love the robot design.

They have this little art corner where in you can leave drawings and notes.

I'd love to copy this concept at home, too. The photographs and coloring pens are so cute and Pinterest worthy.

Wonderful choice of wall decal and restroom symbol.

I'm no interior designer nor have a keen eye for interiors but to me this place is cozy enough. I love their table centerpiece. I was so close to bringing home one of the little bottles. LOL!

I told you liquor was all over the place. Check out their pastry section:

Zooming-in to the lower part...

See the word "Brandy"? Even this one contained liquor in it. So amusing! Too bad I wasn't able to taste this one. But there will be another time for that. For now, let me show you what my friend and I ordered.

I had the classic spaghetti made out of ground chicken. You have no idea how happy I was to be able to satisfy my spaghetti cravings.

Sober Pasta: Classic Spaghetti. Php 108. 

Madz had their Gin Margherita Penne. According to her, it tasted a little sweet.

 Tipsy Pasta: Gin Margherita Penne. Php 128.

Sybil made us try another pasta. It tasted a little like Carbonara with a twist. I bet you already know what twist I'm referring to, but to be more specific, the liquor in it is a combination of white wine and  whiskey.

 Tipsy Pasta: Drunken Hungarian Sausage and Mushroom. Php 128.

Now came the sandwiches. I had Good Ol' Chicken Pesto while Madz had their Breakfast Cup with a side of Potato Nuggets. The Chicken Pesto was great and the cheese proportion was good. Definitely a must-try! I wasn't able to try Madz's sandwich because, hello, bacon. But admit it, the presentation is very appetizing!

Good Ol' Chicken Pesto. Php 95.

Breakfast Cup. Php 95.

Potato Nuggets Php 50 (Php 20 for add-on's)

For our drinks, I ordered the Shark Infested Lemonade which has a little blue curacao and some rum while Madz went for a sober drink and opted for the Bacon Milk Shake. I wasn't able to try that one, too, because what can I say? The girl must be really loving the bacon.

Shark Infested Lemonade. Php 55.

Bacon Milk Shake. Php 95.

Sybs also made us try their best seller, Irish Cream on Coffee Rocks. The actual serving size is much larger than this. Although I'm allergic to caffeine, I still didn't want to miss out on this home made Irish cream with whiskey. The little sip I made was enough. It reminded me of the mocha flavored mudslide but with a stronger coffee flavor.

Irish Cream on Coffee Rocks. Php 80.

For desserts, we ordered Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Mint Brownie and Blueberry Cheese Cake. I'm a Cheese Cake kind of girl but I found myself munching on the brownie instead. The brownie is super chocolate chewy bursting with mint flavor. I so love it I'm actually planning to order a box sometime this week.

Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Mint Brownie. Php 45/ pcs (Php 250/half dozen Php 495/dozen)

Blueberry Cheese Cake. Php 45/ pcs (Php 270/half dozen Php 540/dozen)

Will I visit this place again? Definitely! I can't wait to try their other items. Try it too! It will surely "Redefine your coffee experience".

Tipsy Beans Coffee Shop
#50 Doming M. Guevara, Highway Hills
Mandaluyong, Philippines 
Phone numbers:
0917-4188747 / 0922-8200082 / 621-3660
Open Daily from 10am - 12mn