Good Vibes: A Bonifacio Day Staycation at F1 Hotel Manila

Celebrating Bonifacio Day gets even more special...

...with an overnight staycation at F1 Hotel Manila. And once again, F1 Hotel Manila is home for another holiday, with good vibes all around. And it's great to be back. Since my food blog's very first hotel staycation at F1 Hotel Manila back in 2013 (see my post, Simply Awesome: The LUZVIMINDA Filipino Festival of Flavors at F1 Hotel Manila), I've been fortunate to be invited back year after year, with F1 Hotel Manila becoming a second home through the years. This year, I experienced a relaxing summer weekend at F1 Hotel Manila (check out my post, A Palm Sunday Weekend Staycation at F1 Hotel Manila), and savored another flavorful collaboration with the fourth edition of the long-running Luzviminda Festival (see my post, Classic All-Filipino Flavors with F1 Hotel Manila's Luzviminda 4 Heirloom Recipes Festival). And it feels really special to have experienced all the editions of the popular Luzviminda Food festivals through the years. As another year comes to a close, I celebrate Bonifacio Day with another relaxing staycation at F1 Hotel Manila...

And it's great to be back home at F1 Hotel Manila. My spacious and comforting Fort Suite was once again home for another holiday staycation. With a separate living space for even more privacy, F1 Hotel Manila is an ideal sanctuary in the heart of the bustling BGC commercial and business district.

At F All-Dining, the restaurant's entrance is decked out with a dazzling Christmas-themed look, and it's easy to get into the holiday vibe. Inside F All-Day Dining, I see familiar faces and old friends, like Station Chef Billy and his team, ready to serve their specialties...

That day, Executive Chef Decker Gokioco laid out another impressive buffet spread at F All-Day Dining, adding a unique make your own Ramen Station to the sumptuous selection. Dining at F All-Day is just one of the many reasons why coming back to F1 Hotel Manila is special. 

At the buffet's chilled section, one can choose from garden fresh greens and salads to charcuterie and cured meats and the day's fresh seafood catch. Start with a platter of imported cheeses, like Emmental, Brie, Gouda, and Bleu Cheese (L), or some refreshing Smoked Salmon Pasta Salad (R).

After a plateful of starters, time for the mains...

Executive Chef Decker Gokioco has always something new at the buffet spread, like the Kushikatsu Ox Tongue with Nagoya Sauce, tender ox-tongue cubed, skewered, coated in a light breading, and fried. Each bite delivers contrasting textures, with the tender ox tongue and a crisp outer layer delivering the distinct notes of the beef capped by the thick and mildly sweet sauce.

Executive Chef Decker Gokioco then draws inspiration from local regional flavors, recreating and transforming a native Tausug chicken dish into his inventive Pianggang Paella blackened with burnt coconut husk ash. The burnt husk adds smoky notes with a whisper of sweetness to the soft and fluffy rice for a new flavor experience.

Pair your mains with F All-Day Dining's Cheddar Broccoli Melt, with the fresh and clean notes of the broccoli kicked up by the creamy cheddar, the perfect side for a variety of dishes...

...like the savory F1 Smoked Chicken with Garlic Aioli, guaranteed to make you come back for seconds.

At the Grill Station, diners can choose from a variety of fresh seafood, pork, and Ribeye, grilled to your preference.

That day, F All-Day Dining served a number of seafood dishes, including the Steamed Fish with Scallion Sauce, with the delicate sweet notes of the fresh fish balanced by the minty sharpness of the scallion sauce...

...the classic Prawns Thermidor, always a favorite...

...and the Baked Salmon, another popular dish on the buffet spread.

And here's some pork love. F All-Day Dining's Char Siu Pork Belly with Hoisin and Plum Sauce was a popular attraction that day, with diners queuing up for another slice. The savory richness of the pork belly slab is tempered by the bold flavors of the hoisin and plum sauce.

From one end to the other and everything in between, diners get to savor and enjoy a wide variety of dishes and flavors. And if you're craving for Japanese, the buffet spread also includes a selection of fresh sashimi and sushi...

...and assorted seafood and vegetable Tempura, elegantly laid out on a bed of crispy white noodles on a large pan.

Not to be missed is F All-Day Dining's Fresh Seafood Station, with the day's freshest catch including prawns, clams, mussels, and oysters.

Have your oysters fresh or baked with cheese...

...and your prawns, mussels, and clams lightly sauteed in butter and garlic. Perfect.

And if you're still craving for seafood, F All-Day Dining's Black Pepper Crabs should do the trick.

And here's something new at F All-Day Dining. Make your own bowl of comforting Ramen at the Ramen Station, choosing and blanching your selected ingredients for a customized bowl. It's another satisfying lunch at F All-Day Dining, and Executive Chef Decker Gokioco has more flavorful surprises in store later in the evening...

For dinner, Executive Chef Decker Gokioco and his team served another sumptuous feast at F1 Hotel Manila's Infinity Room, with tasty starters like the inventive Lumpiang Shanghai Shooters (R).

Executive Chef Decker Gokioco's mains that evening included Beef Cheeks Salpicao, Grilled Chicken, assorted seafood, and the Salted Egg Prawns, a personal favorite. Extra rice? Absolutely.

That evening, our dinner was capped by a wide array of desserts and pastries, including Strawberry and Yogurt Cake...

...and Peanut Butter and Chocolate Cake. It's been a full day of rich flavors and good vibes.

Refreshed and rested the next day, it was time for another early start at F All-Day Dining...

Nothing like a leisurely breakfast, and extra bacon. Thank you, F1 Hotel Manila, for being a part of my blog from the beginning. It's been a great year, and here's hoping for an even better one. Good vibes all around...at F1 Hotel Manila.

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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