Take that Stress Out with a Spa Visit and Buffet Meal

Working 8 hours a day, 5 times a week can really be draining and stressful. You give your all to your work thus your energy is zapped come Friday. So the best response to this is to relax. And two of the best ways to relax is to go to a spa for that much needed pampering or to have a really good meal in an eat-all-you-can restaurant.

There are a lot of spas you can visit. Some of them would cost a fortune (which could make you even more stressed) but there are also others that are affordable. There are also lots of eat-all-you-can (buffet)  restaurants around. Some are expensive while others are cheap.

If you can't decide whether to go a spa or to a buffet restaurant, don't worry. There is a spa in town that also offers buffet meals. This spa is none other than Wensha. It has a branch in Timog (near Quezon Ave) and Pasay (across the World Trade Center).

Wensha's body massage costs P 780. That price includes use of the jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and showers. And yes, that also includes the buffet meal (more on this later). You can even sleep in the massage room after your massage. You can stay inside the spa for a maximum of 8 hours.

The buffet usually consists of siomai, siopao, a fish meal (fish fillet in lemon sauce, with tausi or hot and spicy), a pork meal, vegetables, chicken (fried or afritada), noodles, soup and rice.

I've noticed that the chefs in Wensha like the lemon sauce a lot. They usually have something in lemon sauce on their buffet table -- fish fillet in lemon sauce, pork in lemon sauce and chicken in lemon sauce. I think lemon sauce is best for fish. Of the three, its the one that I liked.

Their siomai is okay but I think it's similar to the ones you could buy from those canteen or mall carts. Their siomai is far from what you can have in good Chinese restaurants. I have not tried their siopao yet.

I like their noodles (pancit). Instead of pork, they usually put beef. The first time I saw their noodles I didn't try it because it looked dry. But it's good the lady ahead of me actually "showed" me it's not. She got from the bottom of chafing dish. That's where the sauce (and oil) is.

Aside from these ready to eat dishes, they also have shabu-shabu. They have a long line of ingredients for this do-it-yourself meal. I had tried this only once but that was already too long ago I can't remember anymore how it really tasted. What I do remember is that I didn't like what I cooked until I made the soup spicy. At first I thought what I cooked was bland. Most of the ingredients you can put in look good but don't be tempted to get a lot because you'll be  asked to pay P 300 for leftovers. The reason why I do not eat their shabu-shabu anymore is because I usually go alone. I'm too conscious I might cook more than what I could eat so I  just forget about the whole thing altogether. You see it's weird to cook just a little shabu-shabu. I don't know exactly why but it feels awkward cooking soup just for yourself. Anyway, if you go with friends, shabu-shabu is good especially if you want to stay long in the dining area to chat.

They serve bottomless (unlimited) drinks -- orange juice and red iced tea. I was told that they also now have soft ice cream.

This is a spa to begin with so may I say a few words about their spa services?

When you enter the spa you would need to register or pay at the reception counter. After paying, you will receive your electronic locker key and then you'll be asked to go one side where you'll deposit your shoes and get your prescribed rubber slippers. When you enter the locker area, the attendants will give you your robe and two towels. Before, they just give you robe and a towel. That's because back then you can use several towels per visit. But probably because of laundry expenses they've cut down towel use to two per customer per visit. Actually there's a sign saying that even before but I guess nobody minded it so they had to think of a way to really implement it.

You can choose to stay in the wet area first before getting your massage. The wet area is clean. Probably it's because you can't wear your slippers (yes, the one they gave) inside the wet area. You have to go in barefoot. The jacuzzi is big and inviting but if you're a little shy or conservative, you'd probably think twice before taking a dip because the jacuzzi has the big video wall as its backdrop.

I've never been a fan of their steam room because it is way too hot for me. It could get suffocating inside, actually. I like the sauna more.

The massage is most of the time good. Probably 80% of time, I've been satisfied. I've had a masseur or two who are not good  but it general, their masseurs are fine.

So, are you tired and stressed? If you want to relax this weekend after working so hard, I say try Wensha.

Vikings - A Feast from the Sea (Luxury Buffet)

I've been hearing about Vikings for a long time already but I never had the chance to go there. Good thing a friend invited me to have dinner at Vikings for her birthday. She was supposed to treat us there on a Saturday but I could not join them so she moved it for Tuesday.

There were a lot of people outside. The waiting list was very long and it was only 5:30 in the afternoon. It was not a problem though because the birthday girl reserved a table for us.

When we entered I felt a sudden rush  of excitement. The place is huge. It can accommodate a lot of people. There are various sections for different kinds of food. Naturally it was the area for Japanese that caught my attention first. Good thing the table reserved for us was near that area.


Anyway, here are some pictures I took.

This tuna is really big. The salmon looks small next to that giant tuna but it's still the biggest I've seen so far. You know the fish is fresh because of the sweet taste.

Tuna and Salmon

Lots and lots of Japanese food. They come in all sorts of flavors and designs.

The next picture is my first plate from the Japanese section.

Other sections

Salad and others =)

Chef's Salad - just one of the many kinds of salad they have

Cold cuts

Another salad

Beef

Cauliflower, broccoli and bacon

Potatos

Suaje (shirmps) - another favorite

Rolls/Bread

Assorted caviar

There are also food food from the grill. You can also select fresh seafood to be grilled.

Grilled meat

Fresh seafood for grilling

For those who love dessert you'll  truly enjoy the desserts section.

Chocolate, strawberry and ube fondue

Cake

and some more cake

sweets

For you Halo-Halo

You  can have crepe made right in front of you.

Other desserts include fresh fruits, bibingka and puto bungbong.

During weekdays buffet dinner is P 888.00 and lunch is P 688.00. Weekends (Friday -  Sunday) buffet  dinner is P 1088.

If you eat there on your birthday, your dinner will be 'on the house'. All you need is to present your ID and have at least one friend with you. (They need at least one paying person.) Aside from the free dinner, the service crew will sing the Happy Birthday song to you. You'll also get a free cake (yes, different from the cakes you can find at the dessert area).

VIKINGS
Building B, SM By the Bay
Seaside Boulevard
SM Mall of Asia Complex
Pasay City

*Additional notes regarding reservation: Reservations can be made via phone call but you need to do it one to two weeks before the date of your visit. To be on the waiting list you need to go there personally. They will not include you on the list if you just call them. I actually tried this once and they really did not give in. I requested very hard but they were firm about it. 

DAVAO CITY - Here I Come?

I will be in Davao for 5 days next week. Naturally, my goal is to try as many  restaurants, coffee shops, dessert bars, etc. as I can. Unfortunately, I will be there for a seminar so I'm sure I could only try a few. But anyway, I asked a few friends about places they would recommend for me to visit. Here are some of them.

Restos

1. Jack's Ridge. This is what many of my friends recommended. I don't know why but it seems famous in Davao City. It's supposed to be on a high location with a great view of the city.
2. Coco's grill. This one was recommended for the lechon.
3. Spirale. A friend said she had a great time here. I asked what they offer but she can't remember. She just knows she had fun there.
4. Pablo's Steaks and Crabs. You could what the restaurant is known for, right? I was told the food is price-y.
5. Yellow Fin Seafood Restaurant. They must have great tuna dishes.
6. Tiny Kitchen. Same story with Spirale but from a different friend. (What's wrong with my friends? haha)
7. Tadakuma. Being a lover of Japanese food, I had to ask for a Japanese resto in Davao. This is what was recommended.
8. Leafy Green Things. One of my companions is always on a diet. She likes salads so i asked if there's a salad bar in Davao City. Honestly, I was not expecting there is one. But there is one.
9. Crepelato. My friend who is always on a diet also loves dessert. (Shhhh.....she wouldn't admit!) I asked for a local dessert place and I was told about this one.
10. Caffe Firenzo. Would I forget to ask for a coffee shop? Of course not! So here's a local coffee shop for us to try.

Since this blog is named eat all you can, I also asked for restaurants with eat all you can or buffet offerings. Here are 4 of them.

1. Cafe Marco. This is of course at the Marco Polo Hotel.
2. Entree. This is at the Apo View Hotel.
3. Tita D's. This is in downtown Davao. I asked for a cheap buffet because I know those in hotels are very expensive. I was told there are a lot of these cheap ones.
4. CTres. Not as cheap as Tita D's but not as expensive as Cafe Marco and Entree.

I  listed down 14 places to visit in Davao City. I wish I could visit at least half of them. Haisst. Little time and small budget. Haha. Wish me luck guys. I'll post my reviews the soonest.