#buffet breakfast

One of the best things in Ipoh related to the hotel facilities is the free use of the washing machine & the dryers on the rooftop with detergents & softeners provided. This will be a huge advantage for those who are staying for a longer period. We often opt to get our dirty clothes at the 24×7 launderettes – this way we don’t have to bring dirty clothes back home and there will be less effort to…

As The Manila Hotel proudly marks its 111th anniversary, it continues its traditions of elegance, grandeur, and heartfelt Filipino hospitality. Since its establishment in 1912, this iconic landmark has stood as a testament to the rich history and heritage of the Philippines. And now, to commemorate this momentous milestone, The Manila Hotel unveils a lineup of exciting offers that will leave you…

tokyo tohoku trip - day 2.

woke up after a nice sleep to head to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, i really really like japanese hotel breakfast because it’s buffet and there are so many choices to pick from, most of them are locally sourced ingredients too, you get to try so many things in small amount at once.

since aomori is famous for their apples, the hotel serves apple pie, apple sorbet, apple curry, and of course fresh apples. both the japanese and western selection taste so good, i was completely stuffed, just to eat all the food that i like. the variety and taste is simple awesome.

after breakfast, i head out to the nebuta museum warasse ねぶたの家 ワ・ラッセ, which is a popular spot for tourists to visit to view the giant nebuta floats. the floats are used during the featival in summer and, after that, stored in the museum for viewing, until next year. each float has a story behind it, and the people or company who sponsored or made it, it was a very interesting visit. all the floats are also beautiful, all handcrafted by talented people, it’s definitely worth the visit to enjoy the beautiful culture.

after that, my friend has arrived from tokyo, so we head to aomori gyosai center 青森魚菜センター for the popular nokkedon のっけ丼. this fish market is quite small but they have an iconic food item which is basically a seafood rice bowl, however, you get to pick and choose what goes into your bowl by visiting the stalls inside the fish market. it’s quite an enjoyable experience to just shop for what you want to eat and get served this way, definitely try it as the seafood is also very fresh, mostly caught nearby and probably on same day as well.

we did have a very enjoyable and satisfying meal, the seafood is just so yummy, and eating them raw and by it owns, you get to enjoy the freshest and most original taste. scallops are very famous in this area, so it’s a must try. also do try the local fishes recommended by the stalls as well, as some of them are really not well known outside of this place.

after filling up our stomach, we head over to another nearby market, auga fresh market アウガ 新鮮市場, to browse and check what is available, as we will be purchasing some ingredients to be cooked for dinner tonight. many stalls are closed on sundays though, so the place is rather quiet as well.

as we still have time before taking the shuttle bus to our accommodation tonight, we decided to take a short break at a factory, which is a popular souvenir store just next to the nebuta museum and very close to the station. this place also sells all sorts of food that is popular around aomori. we bought an apple pie to share with coffee. the pie was so good, as the apple is yummy and not overly sweeten or seasoned, original taste is always the best. watching snow while sipping coffee is surely a nice way to pass time.

just before catching our shuttle bus, we went back to the fish market to get some fresh ingredients, and then collected luggage and went to the meet up point. the bus would take us to sukayu onsen, a very popular national onsen resort with many many years of history. this onsen resort in located up the mountains, and we get to see so much snow during the bus ride, the entire place is just white, covered with fluffy snow.

i was really excited with the snow as it’s just so beautiful, and it was also fun to catch it and just play around. after checking in at the hotel, we did played in a snow for a short while, took some photos and just admiring the beautiful snowy scenery.

we then take quick rest, before starting to prepare for dinner tonight. as this onsen is famous for its medical benefits, they are people who stay here long term for healing treatments, hence the resort provides kitchen and utensils for the guests to cook. we had a fun time preparing our meal, my friend did all the cooking and i just helped out from the side, she’s amazing.

she made a whole bunch of food which filled up our table completely - fish miso soup, sashimi, grilled shellfish, pickles, grilled fish, and white rice. it was such a yummy and heartwarming meal, never expect to get this experience in an onsen resort as a tourist, it’s truly unique.

after the meal, we rested for a while before heading to the main attraction - onsen! the unique point of this resort is that there’s a huge onsen which is shared by both male and female, and it’s so spacious that it fitted 1000 people at the same time in the past. shared onsen is super rare in japan, as you would probably imagined as everyone has to be naked in the bath. so there’s 2 hours a day when the onsen is reserved for females only, 8 to 9am and 8 to 9pm. during this time, women can enjoy this huge onsen by themselves without worries, so of course we went, it was really huge. the water is very nice and relaxing, it just feels amazing being in onsen, your whole body gets to be pampered both physically and mentally as it is just very soothing and healing.

even after 9pm, it is still possible to stay in the bath as we found an area where there’s a separator that blocks the view from the men’s side, what a great strategy, and we did enjoyed the bath as much as we wanted, and it’s also great that it’s almost empty as well. there’s so much to learn about onsen culture, it’s definitely one of my favorite thing to do in japan, as enjoying onsen is a one of its kind experience that i am addicted to, since my first experience many years ago.

the night just unwinds slowly with lots of chit chat and some light local beer, it was an amazing day with many new experiences for me and i’m grateful to my friend who brought me to the famous onsen, which is her favorite onsen of all times, as this is a very local experience, there’s almost no foreigners in this place, definitely no english at all, so it’s a truly authentic and unique charm that i get to enjoy. =)

It all started when Engracia Cruz-Reyes, more popularly known as Aling Asiang, decided that their family of 14 (12 children and the family’s foundation) should not be the only people enjoying her home-cooked meals. She had converted their home to an eatery and thus, history was made. Her ever famous Pancit Luglog, Arroz Caldo, Adobo Sandwich, and Chicken Barbecue  became the exquisite cravings of almost everyone Pinoy.

Image from notey.com

Also, a fun fact, Aristocrat pioneered the food-cart industry in the country in 1940 when they have converted a Ford to a rolling canteen. This used to make rounds from Luneta to Roxas Boulevard and has served as the forefather of the elegant Aristocrat Malate Branch.

Image from Aristocrat.com.ph

If you think that something this advanced in years would end up forgotten, then you’re making a mistake. Just recently, Aristocrat Malate has launched their promo “Almusal-All-You-Can”  and we knew instantaneously that, this, we had got to experience!

Image from Aristocrat.com.ph

The promo runs from October 21, 2016 to December 31, 2016 within the hours of 1:00 AM to 6:00 AM. For 200 Php you get to experience the lavish breakfast menu of Philippine’s finest.

Now, you might ask what sets this buffet apart from all those who have managed to sprung out in the Metro. Honestly speaking, the number of their dishes aren’t as many compared to Something Fishy, Finio, or Bigoli. It’s the quality that actually knocked these buffet joints down. Aristocrat, contrary to the principle of most all-you-can-eat joints,  prioritizes quality over quantity.

The instance Aristocrat’s friendly staff ushered us to the dining hall, we were greeted by an array of hearty ulams. You can only imagine how joyous I was when I saw the Java Rice and their praise-worthy Sinigang! If only words can describe how delectable the thick soup submerging the pork and vegetables is, you would get what this raving is all about.

Tapa and Longganisa are not to be missed, as well. They go very well with their flavorful Garlic Rice! It was a feast to the palette. It was every foodie’s happiness actualized. To make things even better, they served a complimentary roll of Mango Delight! It was just tragic that the moment it was laid on the buffet table, it heralded a hungry pack of fans that we were not able to get a slice…I have to confess, though. My friends and I, out of desperation, took the cake packaging and lived with what was left of the beauty. The icing sufficed!

  I had to say, Aristocrat felt like home. The menu is a reminiscent of a Sunday visit to your Lola’s house. Aling Asiang’s legacy lived with every satisfied customer who came out of their restaurant doors. The staff were very accommodating and friendly and were very festive despite the ungodly hour to which their jobs begin. I was even to the point of dancing with one of them to the tune of the jovial music (let me call him “mem” and if ever you get the chance to read this, you were that one happy pill that completed our visit)

My friends and I were beyond satisfaction. Your family and friends will definitely enjoy the experience too!

How to go to The Aristocrat Restaurant, Malate Branch:

From Cubao, you can ride the LRT 2 Station to Recto.

After alighting from the station, walk to the direction of Divisoria until you reach Avenida.

Hail a jeepney with the signage “Mabini/Baclaran/M.H. Del Pilar”

Ask to be dropped near to Rajah Sulayman Park or Malate Church.

Walk to the direction of Baywalk and you are not to miss the restaurant!

Budget of a Typical Wanderlust (Public Transpo + Tipid Tips):

LRT (Araneta Center to Recto): 20.00 Php x 2 = 40.00 Php

Jeepney Fare: 10 Php x 2 = 20.00 Php

Buffet: 200.00 Php

Total: 260.00 Php + Free strolling along Roxas Blvd/Baywalk ヽ(・∀・)ﾉ

  **The Aristocrat Restaurant Malate is located at 423 San Andres Street Malate Manila, Philippines. Contact number is (02) 524-7671 to 80