A few weeks ago, I was invited to experience Qi Wellness Living Teahouse + Bathhouse along with a group of reputable bloggers.  You can consider me shallow.  But, I was leaping for joy inside for such an opportunity.

Qi Wellness Living Teahouse + Bathhouse had a simplistic signage so we all didn't even realized we were already there.
 

The facade is even more ambiguous right?

The big heavy red wooden doors had a lion doorknocker which symbolizes strength and protection.

Going down the steps leads to a quaint dining area overseeing the beauty of Taal.

As the 9 Course Spring Yin and Yang Menu takes an hour and a half to two hours to prepare, we spent our time to relax with their cocktails.  I had the Sakura (330 php) which soothes my taste well.  All my city life concerns seemed to have faded off with this atmosphere.  

At night, the place takes a different persona. Although without a scenic view, it is equally enchanting with candle lights and diamond-shaped wall lighting that makes it amorous with its special touch of serenity.

The highlight of our visit is the 9 Course Spring Yin and Yang Menu Dinner which was held at the longest table in Tagaytay.  And, I dare say that we were seated at the tallest chair I've ever seen.

They have their own style when it comes to table set up: a mix of European and Chinese (represented by the chopsticks).

Food
The 9 Course Spring Yin and Yang Menu (2,800 php) requires a 48-hour reservation.  The menu changes per season so you can come back for more.  If you're walking-in, they also have an ala carte menu as an option too.
 

♥ Complimentary Bread

The first to be served is the Complimentary Bread which is like a mantou (my favorite!).  But, this is way more puffed and soft.  It also comes with hoisin butter.  I just couldn't stop myself from popping piece by piece unto my mouth.  I can't believe I could be so crazy over complimentary bread.  If only we didn't have a long course ahead, I would definitely want more of this!

♥ Eel + Apple + Turnip + Banana Heart

The Eel + Apple + Turnip + Banana Heart is one of the best eel dishes I have ever tried. Just look at it.  This gorgeous little delicately placed and sophisticated prepared masterpiece transported to nirvana. 

♥ Miso + Onion + Mushroom + Truffle Oil

The Miso + Onion + Mushroom + Truffle Oil for me was magical.  A sip with all its components created a jolt that awakened my taste buds.  It created a wonderful sensual semblance.  

♥ Salmon Gravlax + Squid Ink + Orange + Citrus Pearls + Cream Cheese

The gastronomic journey continued with the Salmon Gravlax + Squid Ink + Orange + Citrus Pearls + Cream Cheese.  At this point, I was already in euphoria.  Yet, the Salmon Gravlax + Squid Ink + Orange + Citrus Pearls + Cream Cheese raised it to an even higher level.  The citrus pearls is pure genius!

Fermented Tofu Souffle + Spring Salad + Hoisin Vinaigrette

Everything we've had so far was mellow and light.  Then, comes the Fermented Tofu Souffle + Spring Salad + Hoisin Vinaigrette with its majestic and savory fermented tofu souffle.  This part made me conscious that the meal is filling up my tummy.
 

♥ Soba + Sea Urchin Cream + 63 Degrees Yolk + Crab

The Soba + Sea Urchin Cream + 63 Degrees Yolk + Crab is an umami rich dish that would wash out all your other senses except your taste.  It wave of glorifying flavors will quell out all your earthly concerns sending you into a gastronomic trance.

Flank Steak + Sweet Potato + French Beans

Upon being served the  stone-sizzling Flank Steak + Sweet Potato + French Beans, my body relentlessly yielded to all the pleasure.  

Clearly, I was beyond satisfaction but the human nature of wanting more kicked in.  So when the servers began preparing the next dish on our table, I became very enticed.

Duck Leg Confit "a la peking" + Pancakes + Plum Sauce

The Duck Leg Confit "a la peking" + Pancakes + Plum Sauce lived up to my increasing expectation.  Loaded with moist and flavorful duck confit chunks, complemented by the sweet and sour plum sauce, ,made me indulged this as if it we had just barely begun our course.

♥ Lamb Belly + Carrots + Pumpin + Peas + Corn

If I were to pick one savory dish among all the samplers, it would be the Lamb Belly + Carrots + Pumpin + Peas + Corn.  I implore you to try this out because I don't feel worthy of relating the experience you are bound to discover. 

♥ Guava + Mango + Lemon + Edible Flowers + Herbs + Soil

Love at first sight is what I felt when the Guava + Mango + Lemon + Edible Flowers + Herbs + Soil hit our table.  And, when consumed it, it allured me even deeper... through my heart, body and soul.

These are the wonderful team who prepared our meal.  Look at how young they are!  I wanted to kneel down and praise them.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're looking for an exceptional dining experience, I highly suggest Qi Welness Living Teahouse + Bathhouse.  Quite luxurious but I promise you this is something that will leave you an eternal impression. 

Most successful tendon (tempura and rice bowl) restaurant chain Tenya Tempura Tendon from Asakusa Tokyo is now in the Philippines.

Well, more specifically it has opened in SM Megamall...


My little sister is one of the pickiest eater I know.  I've seen her decline the most expensive culinary masterpieces.  Even my favorite dishes are just "okay" to her.  Yet, if she likes something, she indulges in it to her hearts content.  So knowing she likes tempura, I was so glad when we saw Tenya Tempura Tendon.

It has a minimalist casual Japanese dining interior.  It has an evident blue theme see?

I like that they have this on every table.  I can see that they are concerned with customer satisfaction.


Food

Appetizers

Potato Salad (115 php)

We both loved the smooth and creaminess of the texture of Potato Salad.  The light tangy flavor makes it even more addictive.

♥ Karaage (165 php)

The Karaage is fried chicken nuggets cooked Japanese-style.  It comes with a Japanese mayo dip.  We loved how tender juicy the chicken nuggets are on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Isobe Cheese (185 php)

The Isobe Cheese is tempura fried cheddar cheese wrapped in seaweed.  This is a first time for us.  Being avid cheese fans, we loved this!

Isobe Cheese (185 php)

Dipping it into the Japanese Mayo works for the Isobe Cheese too.

Soba/Udon Set

All Star Tempura Udon (455 php)

The All Star Tempura Udon really got us enticed because its a tempura basket with all our favorites: black tiger prawn, squid, salmon, kani stick, kakiage, green beans and mushrooms plus a choice of soba or udon (we choice this!), a bowl of Japan rice, tempura sauce, radish, leeks and ginger.


Tendon (served with miso soup)

Buta Kimuchi Tendon (295 php)

The Buta Kimuchi Tendon is a bowl with three huge  pork belly slices flown from France with kimuchi drizzled with their signature dontare sauce.  It is served with a miso soup.  Look at how humongous their pork slices are.  If you're looking for a hefty and satisfying meal, I highly suggest this.  I was very impressed by the softness of the pork.  I enjoyed it very much.

Desserts

Fruity Juicy Pop (Strawberry, Coconut Lychee, Lite Citrus and Orange Vanilla) (75 php)

I had the Lite Citrus and my little sister had the Coconut Lychee.  Both are so good!  It just depends on you preference.


Drinks

Iced Lemon Tea (65 php)

Their complimentary brown rice tea is my choice.
 
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Tenya Tempura Tendon offers affordable tendon and more. I have to hand it to them, all their tempura assortments boasts of premium quality.  My little sister was very happy with it  But, I can't help but wish that they have other Japanese dishes that could go hand in hand with their tempura too.

Cafe Ilang-Ilang is my aunts favorite hotel buffet.  Due to my hectic schedule, I somehow missed every opportunity to try it until last week.

It was a bright setting as its glass windows allowed the sunlight to radiate across it.

Aside from cozy sofa chairs, it also had long table settings for bigger group. 

I noticed that they have an exclusive kitchen for the preparation of halal dishes.  I'm sure many will appreciate this.

Food

Bread Station
Cafe Ilang-Ilang has the most bountiful variation of pastries among all hotel buffets I've been to.  It also has a lot of choices for a spread (i.e. cheese, jams and fruit toppings).

Salads and Cold Cuts Station
I found Cafe Ilang-Ilang's make your own salad section quite enticing.  It had the freshest greens and toppings with lots of dressing to choose from such as Strawberry Vinaigrette, Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Thousand Island Dressing.  There are also prepared salads such as Tofu and Tuna Salad, Seafood Salad and Coleslaw.  I enjoyed the ♥ Caulli-flower Panna Cotta with Truffle, Scallop with Seasonal Salad and Strawberry Vinaigrette and ♥ Smoked Salmon.  Other cold options include Duck Pate, Seafood Terrine and Pork Terrine.

Seafood Station
The Seafood Station is pretty hard to ignore.  There are fresh and large ♥ Oysters which are sweet and succulent just the way I love them.

Japanese Station
The Japanese Station offers Sashimi, Sushi and Maki, Japanese Fried Rice, Chicken Teriyaki, Kani Bacon, Katsu and Tempura.  I'm very happy with their ♥ Sake (Salmon) Sashimi and ♥ Mackarel Sashimi.  I'm also glad to find that ♥ Inari Sushi is available and quite good actually.

Korean Station
There were a lot of fellow Tsinoy diners there.  While I was deciding what to try from the Korean Station, I heard them speak in Chinese that the Korean selections were no good.  That of course, didn't stop me from trying them out.  The ♥ Kimchi Soup was very good.  But, the Beef Bulgogi and Squid Dish needed improvement.  They have a wide range of Ban Chan (Korean side dishes), Sauces and Pastes too.

Chinese Station 
The selections at the Chinese Stations were as bountiful as the rest.  Hot Pot or Shabu-Shabu lovers should rejoice because they have them!  I devoured over the ♥ Peking Duck (you can also have them in wraps) and ♥ Patatim.  I missed trying the Fried Rice and Shrimp Orange Sauce which also looks good.  If those are not enough to fill your belly, the Dimsum Selections are good too especially the ♥ Seafood Taro Puff.

Carving Station

Roasted Sirloin

The Roasted Sirloin is of course, the highlight of the buffet.  No elaboration needed for it right?

Mongolian Station

The Mongolian Station looked very enticing but the my belly doesn't know how to handle it anymore so I had to pass up.

Filipino Station
I usually skip the Filipino Station but not this time.  Cafe Ilang-Ilang's Filipino choices were really good especially the♥  Steamed Lapu-Lapu and ♥ Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baboy sa Gabi at Sampaloc.

Thai Station
I enjoyed every selection in the Thai Station especially the ♥ Chicken with Basil and ♥ Prawn Curry.  But, I missed the Mango Salad.

Middle Eastern Station
For starters, you can try the Hummus Tahini, Mung Salad, Acar Salad and Kachumber.  You can enjoy the dips with their hot ♥ Naan.  But, don't indulge there too much as you have to try their delicious ♥ Samosa, ♥ Yellow Ghul, ♥ Chicken Tikka and Shawarma.  Unfortunately, the Lamb Chops was a bit tough for me.

Italian Station
One of my favorites is the Italian Station because its actually a live cooking station.  You can watch as fresh pizza is cooked from the brick oven.  For appetizers, there's Insalata Caprese Salad and Cold Cuts.  But, what really impressed us is the ♥ Prawn Ravioli with Coconut Sauce and ♥ Lemon Grass and Escargot Risotto (both specialty dishes prepared by their Italian chef) and ♥ Mushroom Pizza.

Grilled Station
There's Grilled Lapu-Lapu, Salmon Marinated in Miso and Shrimp Skewer in the Grilled Station.

Churrasco Station
This is the first time I've encountered a Churrasco Station.  I found the selections quite fun.  There's US Roast Beef Churrasco, ♥ Baby Back Ribs (love this!) and Hungarian Sausages. You can mix and match them with their sauces and toppings: Barbecue Sauce, Habanero Salsa, Chimichurri, Mohlo Campnha, Grilled Onions, Grilled Pineapple and Grilled Asparagus.

Dessert Station 
Seeing all the colors of the beautiful cakes, I thought I was floating in heaven.  There's Biscottini, Macarons: ♥ Ube, ♥ Pistachio, Hazelnut, Blueberry, Strawberry, Coffee and Tiramisu.  The Ube and Pistachio are specialty dishes and based on my experience, you can't go wrong with any of their specialty dishes.  There's a Crepe Station if you're into that.  But, I bet it's the cakes that will surely entice you.  There's Mango Cheesecake, Pistachio Opera Cake, ♥ Black Forest Cake, Carrot Cake, ♥ Ohaina Cake, Chocolate Mousse, Panna Cotta, Creme Brulee and Orange Opera Cake.  I tried all their cakes and every cake that had chocolate in them is a definite must try especially the Black Forest Cake.  I can tell that they use premium rich dark chocolate.   There's also Petit Fours, Cream Puffs, Matcha Chocolate, Baclava, Bibingka, Puto Bumbong, Halo-Halo (with creamy leche flan), Chocolate Fondue, Cookies, Candies, Jellies and Fresh Fruits.   Even if you find the selections quite overwhelming, don't miss the Gelato Station.  The ♥ Pistachio and ♥ Ferrero is a must try!


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cafe Ilang-Ilang is one of the most expansive hotel buffets I've tried.  To be honest, the only thing that would me back from indulging in it more is the price.  So I'm very glad they have now made it more affordable.

Fellow nibblers, especially those who love spiciness like me, I'm happy to share a new snack that will surely tickle your taste buds.  I just discovered the new  Jack ‘n Jill's Nova Jalapeño.

This has a great spicy kick that will tickle your taste buds making you wanting you more.   

I've been bringing this snack to our family game nights and on our last hiking and camping trip at mount pulag.  I brought a lot of these so I used it as a pillow and hugger too.  And, when my tummy grumbled in the middle of the night, I just had some of this to soothe my hunger.  Since this is also light, it was also our ideal trail food for our 10-hour hike.

What I like about this snack is that its both spicy and fiber-rich (with 4 wholesome grains: wheat, corn, oats, and rice) so it keeps the digestive system active.

I'm so glad they added this flavor.  This is now my new found favorite Nova snack.  Try it out and see if it will be your new favorite too.