Kabayan Hotel's Kapsule Rooms: a visit!

Kabayan Hotel is a three-star hotel situated in the heart of Pasay City. Its strategic location beside the MRT and near the airport district has made it a viable place for backpackers, travelers, or those looking for an affordable and decent place to stay in. 

The hotel was founded by Wyden King, a businessman who saw the need for more places for transients and travellers. Using his resources from his previous venture in the Anito group, he divested his resources into businesses such as this. 

The hotel was in the center of one of Pasay's busiest districts. It was near bus terminals, the MRT, and Mall of Asia. It is also near educational institutions and business districts. 

Our stay revolved around testing their new Kapsule Rooms. This was composed of dorm style rooms which can fit 8 people. The beds are arranged into sleeper style setups.  The pictures will tell you more.

The lobby had a dominant wood motif with lots of flowers strewn around.

These were the Kapsules. These were a primarily Japanese invention which made its way to the Philippines. These Fiberglass compartments are made for sleeping. These are usually big enough for some seating room. In this case, there were two Kapsules stacked atop each other per column. Each room had about 8 Kapsules

This was the Kapsule interior. It had its own light, mirror, power outlets, and light. I could actually sit inside the room, despite my earlier misconceptions. I even had a comfortable sleep in this small, yet cozy space. I do wish I had more pillows to sleep with, though.

A stay in the room came with a locker slot. The locker was big enough to fit 3 or more bags.

They had a shower and toilet with an electronic bidet. Toiletries were not included with the stay though, so we had to buy our own.

The food was quite decent. Breakfast is free with every stay; while lunch and dinner come at a la carte set menus for Php 140.

This was their dinner selection for the day.

I got Pork Steak and Paksiw with Tofu. The steak was quite tender; while the Paksiw was tasty too.  You do get what you pay for with the Php 140 rate, though.

This was a sample of the locker space.

The food was served at the Pinoy Star Cafe. It was well lit and had a lively ambience. The food was mostly composed of Filipino favorites.

My colleague tried out the locker. 

Kabayan Hotel is located at 347 Epifanio de los Santos Ave, Pasay, 1300 Metro Manila beside the EDSA MRT Station.

Casamigos Cantina at Conception Dos, Marikina

Casamigos Cantina is a Mexican themed restaurant situated in Marikina. Since its inception last year, it started to gain a following in the surrounding areas and places such as Pasig and Antipolo. According to the owners, the restaurant was conceptualized from their desire to run their own business. One of the partners crafted the menu from his extensive culinary experience aboard a cruise line. 

Their menu included:

The Macho Platter at Php 699 was their flagship group dish. It was a hefty combination of Nachos, Pork Ribs, Spicy Sausage, and Quesadillas. It can easily feed a group of 4. The ribs were adequately cooked with a sweet barbecue sauce. The sausage was well done and tender. The quesadillas were scanty yet delicious. Lastly, the nachos had an excellent packing of toppings. 

We also had a few rounds of Mojitos at Php 145. It was quite sweet with a minty touch. 

The crocodile sisig was their unique twist on the dish. It was quite expensive at 345 Php; but the flavor was exquisite. It was tender and juicy. Plus, the meat tasted like a cleaner version of beef. 

The Fish Taco at Php 185 was composed of delectable fried dory a top a mix of vegetables, mexican rice, and crispy taco shells. I must say that the ingredients were mixed into a good dish.

Chicken Chimichangas were at Php 165. It was a helping of Mexican rice, chicken strips, and vegetables inside a crispy wrapper. I only lament the fact that there was not enough chicken inside. That aside, the rice had good, tangy flavor. It even blended well with the cheese.

The Blue Sky was a cocktail made with Blue Curacao, Vodka, and Lemon Juice. It had a pretty sharp flavor, though.

Casamigos is located at 1 Cherry Corner Olive Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City.

Special thanks to China of Zomato for the invite.

Auchentoshan at Yes Please!

I had quite a night tasting several variants of whiskey at Yes Please, one of the Fort's newest bars. For this event, we had several premium blends from Auchentoshan, a classic Scottish blended whiskey. The brand has existed for hundreds of years now since the 19th century.

The night went this way:

The brand ambassador, Jamie, discussing the strengths of the Auchentoshan brand and its variants. I look on while taking a sip of this fine whiskey.

The night was actually a tasting event. We were instructed to hone our taste buds to make the experience memorable and dramatic.

The Bowmore, aged 12 years, was a smoky-tasting variant.

This was the flagship variant aged at 18 years. It had a strong, wooden taste that was fit for people of distinction and class.

Fun tip: more and more whiskey drinkers are comprised of people from the younger generation. Women are becoming the target market of this drink which was usually patronized by men.

The bar area at Yes Please reminded me of an underground pub frequented by hipsters and social misfits. There was graffiti everywhere. Chandeliers served as light sources. The place was also decorated with a ton of alcohol bottles.

I tried out this splendid mix of Auchentoshan with lemon zest and earl grey tea and honey. It was a delightfully sweet concoction that had a strong lemon flavor and full-bodied whiskey taste.

I had the drink with slice of the place's hot oven-baked pizza. The crust was soft and chewy.

The fish skewers were also pretty tasty. They were tender as well.

Auchentoshan in its different variants.

Yes Please! is located at 38th St. Uptown, 11th Ave, Taguig, Metro Manila. 

Special Thanks to China, Trisha, and Angelica of Zomato for the invite.

Yes Please for the food and the venue.

Auchentoshan for the splendid alcohol during the event.

Andy Player at the Yard!

My last visit to the Yard, Katipunan was for the event sponsored by Andy Player, a newly launched cola and whiskey mix. The recipe was made from the original blend of the Great American Distillery, USA; and distributed by Emperador Distillers Inc., the flagship brand of tycoon Andrew Tan.

This new drink was a delightful and sweet blend of two well-known drinks combined into a hard drink that's too irresistible to put down. The whiskey was a full-bodied drink with a thick texture. The cola was also of an exquisite quality.

Surprisingly, Andy Player is also great with food, as seen in the pictures:

I tried Andy Player as an accompaniment to the cheese-filled dishes of one of the concessionaires. Their Philly Cheese steak sandwiches have the right amount of meatiness that goes well with the sweet flavor of Andy Player.

Andy Player, while being a new player in the market, has already caught my attention. Its composition of excellent ingredients, sharp taste, and youthful vibe has made it a winning combo for millennials like me. I must say though, that a bottle didn't have a strong alcohol mix; hence one can down a few bottles for an occasion such as a party.

There you have it! Andy Player truly served us an afternoon filled with a generous helping of food and drinks.

Special thanks to China, Trisha, and Angelica of Zomato for the invite

Andy Player for the drinks

The Yard for the food.