Chillin' at the Skydeck

Dusk at the skydeck

I have already blogged about the best kept secret in Intramuros. And it's catching on...

Buffet spread

Just recently I went to Bayleaf Hotel's Skydeck with my bff. This time I had no foreign guests with me. I had no hidden agenda for impressing anyone else. So it was just two of us, the hotel staff and the hotel's food. This particular evening, we just wanted to chill and be delighted by the sights and flavors of the hotel's outlet.

Long Island Iced Tea

My friend wanted to try a cocktail and he settled for a Long Island Iced Tea. I settled for a can of soda and we had an animated conversation over a bowl of roasted peanuts. Meanwhile, photo ops were in order so I started taking shots of my friend. There was a light breeze blowing and while we were enjoying the setting sun, actor Robin Padilla walks in. Apparently, he was endorsing a senatorial candidate who was preparing for a campaign sortie at the Liwasang Bonifacio situated right across Taft Avenue.

cream of veggie soup

Then we ordered the soup of the day, a cream of Vegie soup. I settled for Lumpiang Shanghai and Okoyitos: fried spring rolls and a patty of shrimp and bean sprouts with a vinegar and garlic dip. We relished every morsel, with me finishing off the okoyitos and vinegar dip.

Lumpia and okoyit

Shrimp and pommelo salad

I then decided on a shrimp and pommelo salad that was bits of julienned mangoes. The salad dressing had just the right amount of acidity to it and the shrimp were plump and juicy. It helped that the greens were fresh and crispy as well.

Angus Steak

The Angus beef steak was perfectly done. It was cooked medium rare. The charring sealed in the juices and the drippings were the perfect accompaniment to baby potatoes and broccoli florets.

Churros y chocolate

We just couldn't let the evening pass without a visit to the Bayleaf Hotel's coffee shop on the ground floor. Cioccolata coffee shop does a really mean Churros y Chocolate that brings back childhood memories of merienda with my grandma. Crisp on the outside and creamy steamy on the inside with a generous amount of chocolate dip, this version made from scratch right on the open counter made me smile with delight. Yeah, good enough to rival the more established Spanish restaurants that offer them on their menu.

This evening was one for the books!