Home for the Holidays at F1 Hotel Manila

It's always great to be home...

And for one weekend, F1 Hotel Manila was once again home for the holidays. Celebrate the season with a Holiday Staycation at F1 Hotel Manila with one of their Yuletide Season packages, where you can end the year or start another right in the heart of Bonifacio Global City.

And it's great to be back at F1 Hotel Manila (for more on my previous staycations at F1 Hotel Manila, see my previous posts here and here). Located right in the center of it all, it's never far away yet one feels comfortably secluded in the sanctuary-like comfort of F1 Hotel Manila. You too can enjoy a Yuletide Staycation with one of F1 Hotel Manila's packages including the Christmas Splendor with an overnight stay in a Deluxe Room with buffet breakfast for two for only P 6,200 net from December 5-30, 2015. On New Year's Eve, you can party out at the Canary Lounge at F1 Hotel Manila's White and Wild Countdown with music by renowned DJ Mia Ayesa, free-flowing beverages and a delectable buffet for only P 2,999 net with a view of the BGC skyline. Or you can bid adieu to 2015 and welcome the New Year with F1 Hotel Manila's Countdown to 2016 package with an overnight stay in a City Suite on December 31, 2015 for only P 8,800 net, inclusive of buffet breakfast and two passes to the White and Wild Countdown Party. Start the year right with F1 Hotel Manila's Cheers to the New Year package with an overnight stay in a Deluxe Room on January 1, 2016 for only P 5,850 net which includes a buffet breakfast for two. 

At F1 Hotel Manila's F All-Day Dining, you can feel the festive holiday vibe with seasonal decorations displayed in every corner, capped by the warm smiles of the staff. At F1 Hotel Manila's F All-Day Dining Restaurant, one can experience yet another layer of the festive holidays with their sumptuous buffet spread.

It's great to see an old friend assume the post as the new Head Chef of F All-Day Dining, and Decker Gokioco brings with him a wealth of experience gained from the metro's prestigious hotels. Head Chef Decker Gokioco adds his own personal and inventive touch to F All-Day Dining, with its wide and impressive buffet spread of Filipino, Asian, and Western dishes (for more on F All-Day Dining's sumptuous buffets, check out my previous posts on classic Filipino cuisine, the LuzViMinda Festival, and its succeeding festivals here and here, and All-American flavors with their United Tastes of America festival).

And it was also great to see familiar faces, old friends, behind the open kitchen of F All-Day Dining. As my old friends fired up the kitchen at F All Day Dining for the lunch service, the staff then laid the final touches on the impressive buffet spread. And F All Day Dining was then opened for lunch...

At F All-Day Dining, we sampled F1 Hotel Manila's new Yuletide dishes, including this impressive Stuffed Lechon Belly Kare-Kare, a succulent melt-in-your-mouth juicy and crisp pork belly stuffed with native vegetables, rich and creamy Kare-Kare sauce, and homemade shrimp paste.

It's your favorite Lechon Belly with a playful and inventive twist. The rich, sharp notes of the kare-kare pair well with the juicy, mild and delicate flavors of the pork for a winning combination. Other savory holiday dishes include Chicken Relleno, tender and flavorful whole chicken stuffed with a medley of ingredients and cooked inasal-style. F1 Hotel Manila also offers indulgent desserts, like the Yema Tart and the soft and chewy Sorbetes Crinkles in Ube and Queso de Bola flavors. For celebrations, you can also opt for F1 Hotel Manila's Party Platters and customized orders like Crusted Lamb Leg, Baked Salmon, Cashew and Thyme Crusted Salmon, Peking Duck, and Pad Thai delivered right at your doorstep.

At F All-Day Dining's buffet spread, the selection that day included savory Lamb Patties with Tomato Picante (L) and Salt and Pepper Duck (R), each freshly prepared with the finest premium ingredients.

The extensive selection also included fork-tender Braised Beef Cheeks in Cabernet Sauvignon (L) and a variety of fresh vegetable dishes (R) for another hearty feast at F All Day Dining.

Further down, you can find Fernando's 4-Day Marinated Pork Belly and Cucumber Salad (L) and Dorothy's Zamboanga Style Prawns (R), plump prawns cooked in rich crab fat, local dishes not to be missed at F All-Day Dining.

Beside the Salad Station, you can find F All-Day Dining's Fresh Seafood Station, with plump prawns that's great as is, or sauteed in garlic and butter.

Other selections included fresh Mussels (L) and Oysters (R), which you can have baked in cheese. Head Chef Decker Gokioco makes sure each station is filled to the brim with all their signature dishes for a sumptuous buffet lunch experience.

Head Chef Decker Gokioco also plated one of his new signature holiday dishes, Popcorn and Walnut Crusted Salmon with Tarragon, an elegant dish with rich flavors. I enjoyed the play on textures, with the popcorn and walnuts blending well with the creamy salmon and tarragon.

At the Dessert Station, you'll find an equally impressive selection of sweets, including delicate and ornate pastries to cakes, including a DIY Halo-Halo Station and some freshly prepared Churros with Spanish style hot chocolate. 

Later that evening, we were treated to a sumptuous Barbecue dinner served with cocktails at the Canary Lounge, ending the first day of our Holiday Staycation on a high note.

The next day, it was time for breakfast at F All-Day Dining, and starting your day right is just as simple as picking up a plate and loading up on pancakes and bacon. Thinking of spending the holidays at the heart of BGC? It's just a click or a phone call away...

F1 Hotel Manila is located at 32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City or call (02) 928-9888 for inquiries and reservations. For online booking and more information, please visit http://www.f1hotelmanila.com/.

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