Cafe d’Asie

The Bellevue Manila has always been one of my favorites. I have a lot of fond and fun memories in that hotel. It was the venue of the first ever corporate event that I helped organize, and their kitchen catered my first big social event in Alabang several years ago. Little MrC attended his first Halloween event at the Laguna Room, and MrC and I once celebrated my birthday at Cafe d’Asie. I chose The Bellevue as the official residence (naks) of my wedding party, and because my friends know that I love the sweet treats there so much, they gifted us with a basket from the Pastry Corner during our wedding. Yep, The Bellevue and I go a long way back.

I had just realized that I hadn’t been back there in a long time, when my friend Jane invited MrC and I for a quadruple dinner date. It would be MrC and I, Jeff and Jane (or sugar and spice, as he told me hehe), Nino and Mish , and Kaye and her kiddos. I immediately blocked my schedule off for that evening, and prepared my tummy for the feast that was to come.

This picture belongs to Jane. Super love our group photo!

MrC and I actually arrived a little late, so everyone was already there. I came from a bento workshop that afternoon and I really wanted to shower before dinner. It was good, though, that Jane decided to schedule this dinner on the same day as the workshop, otherwise Kaye might not have been able to join us. Blogging about that Bento #Crafternoon session with The Bento Mommas soon, by the way!

Of course I was already hungry when we arrived, so MrC and I hit the buffet right away. Even though it had been years since my last meal at Cafe d’Asie, everything still looked, smelled and felt the same. It felt like home and I was so very happy to be there.

Like I always do at hotel buffets, I went for the sushi, cold cuts and cheeses first. MrC started with his usual bowl of soup, a plate of sushi, andsome cold cuts.

The plates on top are mine and the ones at the bottom are MrC’s

The highlight of my night was the roast beef (see top left photo in the collage above!), which was nice and pink and pretty bloody when it was sliced. I actually contemplated having it seared a bit on the grill, but I’m glad I decided not to because it was just perfect the way it was already. I chose a peppercorn gravy to drizzle over it, and picked up some potatoes to eat it with. Drool.

Fruits, salad station, Mongolian station and cold cuts

After that first batch of food, MrC had a plate of rice and assorted viands. I thought about maybe having a salad or some fruit, but I could feel myself getting full already. I opted to head over to the dessert station instead. Like I said, I love the sweet treats at The Bellevue oh so very much, so there was no way I was gonna miss out. I also saw something new, something that wasn’t there yet during our last visit – ice cream. Lots and lots of it!

There's always room for dessert at The Bellevue Hotel! — There’s always room for dessert at The Bellevue Hotel!

If I could try every flavor of ice cream in that freezer I would, but I don’t think that my stomach would be able to handle more than one scoop. So, as recommended by Jane, I tried the avocado flavor. It was so yummy and really creamy. I actually had quite a bit of sweets that night. I don’t regret it.

The strawberry mousse is one of my faves from Bellevue. I have it every time I eat there!

After dinner, we went up to The Vue Bar, supposedly to have some drinks. The boys shared a few drinks but none of us girls had any. The others were too full from dinner, while I was too sleepy to function. Lol, me and my 9pm bedtime! We stayed and chatted for a bit, and the other ladies even danced a little. I didn’t coz I’m KJ like that. I only dance when I have alcohol in my system. But I already promised them that I would give it a go the next time we go out. Yes, alcohol or no alcohol, I will dance.

My dinner date, the view from The Vue, and our party of 6

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jane, for the invite, and thank you to The Bellevue Manila for having us. It was a much-needed, long overdue date night for MrC and I, and we’re both so glad that we got to spend it with our amazeballs friends at one of our favorite date places in the south. Can’t wait to be back, and next time we’ll take the kiddo with us. Come to think of it, the next time we’re at The Bellevue Manila, I think I want it to be for a staycation!

Café d’Asie and The Vue Bar
The Bellevue Manila
North Bridgeway, Filinvest City
Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Phone: (632) 771 8181
Fax: (632) 771 8282
Email: tbmnl@thebellevue.com
Website: http://www.thebellevue.com/
Facebook: #/thebellevuemanila
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellevuemanila

I have lived in Alabang for the last 25 years, and I absolutely love it here. It may be a lot more “chill” here than in Makati or QC, but that’s what I like about the south. So anyway, over the last few weeks, as I’ve been blog-hopping, I’ve noticed a lot of great restaurants that people have been writing about, and of course most of them are in (you guessed it) QC and Makati. There are a few establishments from those blogs that I’ve already marked as places to visit when I head up north. But apart from giving me new places to discover, those posts also made me think about my favorites from around here.

I am a self-proclaimed real housewife of Alabang, and so I figured that I should start writing about this amazing place in the south more often. I’ve tried living further up north before, and I have always came back. It has changed so much over the years, but it remains to be home to me. I’ve seen many old favorites come and go, and new stores and restaurants open up and become favorites too. There are places here that I never learned to love, and those that eventually grew on me. I still mourn the loss of Okasan and Dulcinea, which were both located in the Alabang Town Center of the 90’s. For this Sunday Seven, though, I don’t want to think about old favorites. This is my current list of favorite Alabang restaurants.

1. Cafe d’Asie at The Bellevue Manila

I have always loved The Bellevue. It remains to be one of my favorite hotels in the south, even though it has literally been years since I was there last. Cafe d’Asie serves one of my favorite breakfast spreads. Their burgers are amazing too. I’m making myself hungry just thinking about their buffet. I think it’s time to schedule another visit!

2. Kessaku

I recently wrote about the first time we tried Kessaku. It has quickly become one of our family’s favorite Japanese restaurants in Alabang. I had lunch here with my parents just last week, and the food quality was consistent with our first time. Their sushi and sashimi selections are superb. Must-try dishes are the Tori Kuwayaki and Angus Rice.

3. Hermanos Taco Shop

I love Mexican food, and so I was extremely happy when Hermanos opened in Molito. The servings here are big, and definitely good for sharing. The best part about this place is that they close late, so it’s a great stopover for a late dinner or midnight snacks after a long day. I’ve already asked MrC to stop there for quesadillas after he picked me up from an evening event. I was tired and hungry, and the cheesy goodness really made my night.

Quesadillas. Great any time of the day or night.

4. Barcino

This one’s a recent discovery. MrC and I had dinner at Barcino for Valentine’s day, and we really enjoyed it. If you love wine, this is a place that you will enjoy for sure. At the same time, if choosing wine intimidates you a little, you can always ask your server for a little help. We order red wine more often than white, and so we asked for a recommendation for what would go well with our gambas and paella negra. The wine that our server suggested was absolutely perfect, and we went home with huge, black smiles.

5. Whistlestop

We would eat at Whistlestop a lot when I was still working for Filinvest. It was one of our favorite places to have dinner after a show or event at Westgate. It’s still one of those places we like to go to for comfort-food that we don’t have to prepare on our own. They have really fast WiFi too, and they’re open 24 hours. This one’s another great option for late night munchies, or for a nightcap involving a few bottles of San Miguel beer.

My default order: Boneless Buffalo Wings + Bleu Cheese Dressing

6. Chili’s

Chili’s is on this list simply because the food there is unbelievably good. That is all.

There’s always room for dessert at Chili’s!

7. Cafe Breton

I was so happy when Cafe Breton opened in Westgate, after disappearing from Alabang for a while. This was a favorite hangout of my circle of friends from way back in our high school days. It still remains on top of our list of options for get-togethers now that we have our own families already. Bonus: The kids love it here, too!

My friends and I, plus our families, at Cafe Breton

What are your favorite places to eat in your neighborhood? Do share, so I can remember to check them out if I’m ever in your side of the world.

PS Check out my other Sunday Seven posts here.

Oh, Bellevue, How I’ve Missed You!