Tag Archives: Sofitel

Sunday Buffets and A Birthday Celebration at Dusit Thani

Sunday Buffet: A Comparison

We broke the bank.

Of course we did not.  But, well, the day was certainly not one of our frugal days. (we try to be frugal some of the time and fail some of the time)

It was my birthday and usually, we go overseas.  But, as they say, a baby changes everything (everything) so this year, we had to stay put.   I am not complaining, though.  I am so in love with baby.  With him and our daughter in tow, we headed straight for Hotel Dusit Thani for their Sunday Crossover Brunch.

We love buffets and are partial to Sofitel’s Spirals.  But we were ready for a change.  There were rave reviews about Hotel Dusit’s brunch.  It was a restaurant tour concept and there were four cuisines we can feast on – Thai, Japanese, Italian and an-around-the-world offering.  It all sounded very appealing.

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To Eat Out (Or Not)

Fine Dining

A relative does not like eating out, even on important occasions.

You can actually feel his displeasure when we insist (except when it is the Sofitel buffet, which he loves).  This is because he thinks eating out is a waste of money.  This view is okay (and maybe true), except that he strongly suggests to everyone (read: bullies everyone) not to eat out (when it is not his money that will be spent).  And for special occasions (like Christmas or Thanksgiving), he wants the cooks in the family to do all the cooking (my husband outshines me in this regard so, no, I am not included in “cooks”).  That does not sit well some of the time with some of the members of the family, the ones who slave it out in the kitchen (who pay for the grocery too – a double whammy?).

But I know he means well.

Now, my husband and I look for every excuse to eat out.  For the past years, the lines between special and not-so-special occasions (or without any occasion) have been blurred for us. Name a restaurant, if it is good (and not so unreasonably expensive), we have probably eaten there (I partly blame food blogs, which I love to read).

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Eating In Style – At Half the Price

The Psychology of Hunger

The Psychology of Hunger

A sea of gastronomic fare set amidst gleaming cutlery, lit with chandeliers dripping from adorned ceilings, while strings serenade the night – it was a sight to behold and I tried to hold back the moan gurgling from my chest.  I look over at my husband and I know he feels the same.  I can see the same desire in his eyes.

A buffet spread in all its glory.

And we are paying for all of this gastronomic, marvelous, excellent (I could go on) – food – at half the price.

Half the price.

Oh, and did I mention, the setting is a five star hotel.

Sofitel and Shangri-la, Spiral versus Heat

Allow me to usher you to the world of the truly rich, where USD$50 dinners can be had for – yes – half the price.  But – there is a but – (and here it is again) but only if you are a member of the privileged set.

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Passion, Schonberg and Miss Saigon

By D: Hanging By CMS' Bedroom

By D: Hanging By CMS' Bedroom

He was captivated by a single photo where the mother, with pain palpable on her face, was saying her last goodbyes to her bui-doi. It was but a single picture, of emotions caught on a flash, that immortalized her and fired-up the imagination of one French and the world of musical theatre. His name is Claude Michel Schonberg.

My first memory of Schonberg was of him playing the piano. He was with Lea Salonga, while she tried out the strains, in her melodious voice, of Sun and Moon. They were on TV as Saigon specials were aired every day. Every little girl at that time wanted to be Lea Salonga. From obscurity (in the global sense), Schonberg brought the Philippines and Lea to the forefront of musical history.

My last memory of him was of one Sunday afternoon, four years ago. He was sitting across from me, while strings were playing and the Sofitel dessert tempted us from the distance.

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