Dining extravaganza @SolaireResort

I was whisked away over a weekend to Solaire Resort Entertainment City in the Philippines recently, and what an experience it was! The huge imposing facade of Solaire Resort greeted me way before I was anywhere near, it’s that big. Once we arrived, it was 5-star treatment all the way, from the moment we checked in to the luxurious room and culinary experience, as well as excellent amenities. 

My room, located at the Sky Tower, was huge and felt more like a suite. But I’ve a thing for nice bathrooms and my fav part of the room was the elegant bath tub which came complete with bath salts and scrubs. I made sure to try this out at least once during my stay here! Sadly, didn’t get a chance to jump into the inviting and humongous pool or try the jacuzzi, but so glad to have sneaked in a massage at the spa in between. The lovely spa offers a welcome escape from the hustle and bustle of city living, offering a space of tranquility featuring therapeutic massages, body scrubs and other indulging treatments. No chance to work out at the Gym but if there’s a need to pretty up for dinner, there’s even an in-house salon for that.

Just exploring the Resort alone made up my 10,000 steps for the day. There’s lots of shopping to be done here as well, though a little rich for my wallet, as all the top labels from Gucci to Celine can be found here. Wait, when I strike it rich at the casino, I’ll be back! 

You won’t go hungry here as there are 19 dining options to choose from ranging from Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Italian and Filipino, among others, including 3 signature restaurants helmed by top-rated chefs, not to mention a cozy pattiserie for coffee and cakes. 

Fresh

This was our breakfast station, offering an international and local buffet spread. The layout was a little different from most hotels as the food was cleverly organized in such a way that one could easily see everything available at a glance. The selection was amazing, ranging from Continental breakfast choices, pastries and deesh fruits to Japanese, Korean, Chinese and food from other countries, and local Filipino specialties too, of course. All these, just for breakfast! And, it caught my eye, the buffet at night also offered ‘unlimited lobster’!

#FreshAtSolaire 

Yakumi

No need to look too far for Japanese fare. We had the full spread – sushi, sashimi, soup, chawanmushi, grilled Alaskan king crab, Robatayaki chargrilled beef and dessert, not forgetting sake too! What’s more attractive was the open kitchen smack centre of the restaurant where you can see the chefs cutting the sashimi, frying the teppanyaki or grilling the food. Starting with generous chunks of sashimi from Toyosu market, we had rock lobster, bluefin tuna and Hokkaido scallop; conger eel sushi and Hokkaido ikura sushi; Lobster miso soup; foie gras egg chawanmushi; grilled miso marinated gindara, Alaskan crab with miso mayo; along with Robatayaki grilled beef. Ordering sake was an experience in itself, as the specialists made recommendations and poured them into sake ‘carafes’.

Yakumi also has a Sunday Brunch affair with 8 buffet stations to enjoy authentic Japanese dishes.

#YakumiAtSolaire

Waterside

Loved the food here, my only regret was that we were all still too full from breakfast to be able to eat much! The menu offers Western cuisine, appeals to anyone and everyone who loves good hearty food. We enjoyed a well-made ‘green-goodness salad’ consisting of chickpeas, cucumbers, fennel, dill, quinoa with lemon zest; tuna tartare and beef croquette. What stood out for me was the chargrilled cabbage (so yums!) and the fish and chips were one of the best I’ve had in a while. And would you look at that gorgeous Spiced BBQ Pork Ribs and US Tomahawk?! Wish we had more stomach space to indulge, especially the Toasted Marshmallow Smores Tart and Burnt Cheesecake.

#WatersideAtSolaire 

Red Lantern

Solaire’s premier Chinese restaurant offers a journey of tastes and flavours with the best of China’s regional specialties. We had dim sum; prawn pumpkin soup with abalone; braised USDA beef short ribs with Chinese herbs; quinoa spinach and wok-fried noodles with scallop and bok choy. I confess though, my Malaysian tastebuds are a little fastidious as I lean more towards the quality of Chinese food back home.

Red Lantern also has a dim sum brunch buffet with over 46 varieties.

#RedLanternAtSolaire

Finestra

An Italian fine-dining establishment within the Resort itself, one whole wall of the restaurant features an extensive wine selection. Dim the lights, languish in the romantic settings, enjoy the soothing music and savour the traditional Italian fare given contemporary touches. Finestra offers the perfect rendezvous to impress someone you love. 

We enjoyed a full course menu that spanned from scallops; balik salmon with nori power; traditional hand-cut beef tartare; artisanal fusili with Sicilian prawns to US prime striploin (or roasted toothfish on polenta) and of course, Finestra’s tiramisu. The extensive selection of breads in the beginning was an indication of a meal to remember.

Rated one of Manila’s top 20 restaurants, it offers a seating capacity of 120 pax and you can also experience Finestra’s Sunday Champagne Brunch, where you can enjoy unlimited flutes of champagne and a diverse selection of alluring Italian dishes. 

#FinestraAtSolaire

For reservations and more deets on Solaire, check out www.solaireresort.com

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