Making Memories at Club Paradise in Coron Palawan

Spent a few days at Coron, Palawan with my fam for a short R&R. It's been a while since I've been there and I've been ecstatic to have my family with me. We stayed at Club Paradise, it's in Dimakya Island in Coron which I've had the pleasure of going to a few years back. I saw it was fit for my senior Mom to go to so boat transfers and accommodations would be all accessible as the Discovery property arranges all of that.

I brought along the Samsung A73 5G (in Amazing White color) with me to keep memories. It's a beastly phone that takes 108MP photos that has OIS and a set of quad cameras. It's also got a Snapdragon 778G processor, fits in the hand at 6.7 inch Full HD+ with an SAMOLED screen. I was able to test the 5G connection in Manila and by any standards, VERY fast.It also takes amazing videos, but I reckon be of good quality at 4x zoom. I may have a lot of processing needs, but it bore the brunt of several video editing apps, photo editing apps and socials that I use almost everyday. I really didn't need the 4K video capability and opted to have lesser resolution so I can have more space on the phone. It's got 256GB space though, and I wasn't able to fill it all up with vacation photos in that 5 day retreat. You can opt for the 1TB microSD space as it can accommodate external memory too.

Photo quality is good, it won't make you look like you have plastic skin. I also took advantage of the zoom taking videos for a real wedding proposal that happened at the beach. The photos and videos in daytime, plus several food shots I took was crisp too. I'd be crazy if I didn't think this was something that was made for content creators. 

Here's a glimpse of the trip we had plus the special dinner arranged by Club Paradise in the evening. They called it a Moonlight Dinner, perfect for special occasions or if you plan to propose to someone. Ours was for fun so they also prepared a Boodle Fight, a seafood lover's dream, even those who want surf and turf. I used a different Android phone in the beginning, see how the shots changed dramatically at the 2:08 mark. If you see the proposal video at the 6:08 mark, I was super far and hiding among the trees when I took videos. Imagine, a phone that can take videos with low light and that distance?

 

Here are some shots from the phone I used, I edited colors and a watermark (to keep it safe) through Photoshop. It's a lot to take, but I guess it's all worth it!

You may order a day before to make sure you've got a Boodle Fight you'll love. Just inform the staff if you'd want to make changes and they're very nice people, they can accommodate.

The Sunset Cruise (which you should also request for in advanced) was a perfect way to end the day with. This was done before we had dinner. Needless to say, they really took good care of us while we were there. I'd like to take this bit to thank the good people of Club Paradise in Palawan, we're thinking of making this an annual thing. Who knows?! I'm glad though I got memories saved. Samsung did something good with that phone. It's a tool, and you can do wonders with it!

The Executive Lounge Restaurant at The Malayan Plaza

Luxury Private Dining is much of an experience that everyone should get. I’ve been in quite a few but this one which happened a few nights ago was pretty special. It was amongst food blogging industry friends set at the Malayan Plaza Hotel’s 33rd Floor. The setting reminded me of an upscale atelier but without a designer this time. It was us, the Executives of the hotel, the Chef who was cooking a storm in the kitchen and a couple of servers who made sure we were comfortable while we dined.

The place is apt for private dining. The table was set for a little over 10 people, daisy art on the napkins, table runner ran from end to end with gold accents and trims, plus faux candle light here and there. It was pretty stiff and quiet on my side whilst it was a little crazy on the other, but we didn’t mind.

We all knew this 10 course dinner was going to be epic. 

The canapes arrived while we were stationed in the holding area, one had chopped eggs and mayo dressing, the other was more on the savory side with mushrooms. It was nice.

The appetizers comprised of the Quesillo Con Tomate, Chorizo Pamplona and Manchego, Adobar con Carne and Tuna Tartare - all served in one plate. Saying it’s a mouthful is an understatement. The Quesong Puti was the perfect pair for the fresh tomatoes, herbs and garlic. The chorizo felt quite good with the salty manchego and the ligjt drizzle of white truffle oil, it is so addicting to tell you honestly because me and truffle are like brothers, we are very good together LOL. The Adobar con Carne though wasn’t as soft as I wanted it to be, perhaps a little over done or might not have rested, but the flavor profile is there, it was a bit heavy that I’d consider it part of the main course. The Tuna Tartare was good though, very light and you could really feel a little kick (tad smoky) prolly because of the paprika, chili and wasabi they put on it.

This is the Almejas Mejillones con Escabeche. It's clams and mussels with croutons and a broth made of stock and wine, plus a few herbs. It is very light, but a perfect way to start the meal.

The Basil and Honey Mule was not too strong, just right to accompany the slew of strong flavors they introduced us with. They pair drinks with your dinner components so expect to be a little fun that usual if you get hit.

Some good things off the menu include this Talakitok con Misono which is Jackfish and Tuna sashimi with misono jus, their own fresh salsa and beet paste. I adore white fish with wine, this is more on the savory side. 

Their version of Callos was topped with mashed potatoes, my blogger friends and I was trying to find bits or maybe slices of chorizo but the chef did a spin on it and only included the flavor. It had tripe but almost none of the stench, so this is okay.

Love on a plate, this is their best dish that evening called Shitake Wagyu Bar. It's Wagyu beef grilled to medium doneness, infused with Shitake mushroom flavors, herbs and more. It was earthy and savory, felt deep because of the flavor profile they wanted to achieve means watching the cooking process like a hawk, the right temperature and all that drama. It was well worth the wait.

This is the Chef's Bourbon Plate. It's main ingredient was Dragon Fruit, chopped up with orange fruit, like, pear and bourbon cream. I guess they didn't flambe it anymore because the flavor profile they needed was already in the cream, it's a light dessert, not too sweet just as I like it.

For the sweet tooth, the Chef made this Arte De Remo. It's like an oaty revel bar made with cream cheese, oats and dessicated coconut. It was nutty and special which I guess came from crushed pistachios??? So if you love sugar, this would be the better choice. 

The Malayan Plaza has 4 function rooms available on the 32nd and 33rd floor of the building. It's a nice place to hold your banquets, cocktails, events and intimate dinners. If you would like to experience the same thing we had, go call +63 2 7060055 and ask for available slots on schedules. Things fill up immediately so if you're planning for that next birthday dinner, proposal, or just small family gatherings, give them a call okay?

Thank you Chef Aldrin, the GM Ernie Baclayon and thank you to everyone at the Malayan Plaza for re-introducing to us The Executive Lounge. I will be back for more to look for that Wagyu steak and the light desserts. 

Au revoir!

KUMAGCOW

Fresh Blogs Fast!

The Proposal

It was a big secret and I was into it. I didn't really know what would happen that day; but since he's my cousin I went ahead and said yes for all the wrong (of course not!) and right reasons. I was happy for him and true enough we went ahead with the plan. The plan was for him to settle down but this wasn't an ordinary way to do it! He's got their engagement rings set, wedding rings and the whole brouhaha organized in just a couple of days. I was so glad to be a part of it!

I went up this huge building over the metro's business district and waited an hour or two. It was a radio station and the DJ was a friend of my cousin. They talked about this already so I didn't really have to brief them. When they arrived everyone became nervous. I didn't know how to shoot them secretly or even look at them straight in the eye. Since I was there already I just went with the flow. The DJ started a topic about traffic and higher toll fees during the show while we sat on the side and listened. They asked a question or two from callers and proceeded to ask my cousin. They pretended to ask around again and did it to the pretty young lady in this story. She didn't even want to move to the microphone and begged off to be aired on national radio. When she did they asked more questions. My cousin almost fainted from nervousness but went ahead and popped the question. Out came the gorgeous ring and she was really surprised! People became teary eyed in the station. I started shooting and even tried to manage to get a video recording. The moments were precious and I didn't want to lose any detail. It was heartwarming and something out of the ordinary. She gave a resounding YES to him. We smiled, he got relieved and cried (of course he won't admit that!). It was nice to see them so in love with each other. It was one of the nicest things I've ever seen in my life. I'm happy for my cousin and his fiancée. Really happy!


They just asked everyone to save the date on January and I'm sure this will be so much fun! I'm very happy his fiancée will soon be part of our family. I hope for the best on their wedding day!

Congratulations!