After years of visiting Bangkok and exploring the place pretty much by myself mall food is my go-to meal. I don’t mind that at all. I am not a picky diner.

With malls rising everywhere, The Big Mango is never short on the mall food offering. These must be what Thais love to do - shop and eat.

In the mall, the fancy ones open up alongside the burger joint, the artisanal beside the comfort food, the choices are varied and will allow either your taste buds or wallet to dictate which to choose.

When traveling I only feed when hunger clocks in and most of the time I dine alone. It’s not that often that I get company in the city.

In one of my visits, a hometown girl now living in the Thailand capital raised her hand as volunteer to show me around. So I let her take the lead. The way to the good restos, included.

While in the EmQuartier, she pointed out Roast.

“There are a couple of dishes I’ve tried that you may like,” she said knowing that I took out red meat from my diet.

Roast is on the first floor of the Helix Quarter. Its location offers a view of the Glass Quarter, the cascading greenery of the Waterfall Quarter and overlooks the courtyard in between the buildings. The restaurant is easily accessible from the neighboring buildings via walkways.

Like they say, check out which restaurant the locals are lining up at. That is a sign that the food is good in that joint. This was the case at Roast when we arrived. We were told to wait for half an hour for a table.

A long coffee bar dominates the frontage. It’s the sip-and-go area for their signature coffee or a cocktail or smoothie while waiting to be seated. If you want to, they can serve your meal here as well.

Scanning the menu of Roast is like flipping through a magazine, which is how they designed it. You can even take it home with you, too.

Of its food, Roast promises “high quality comfort food made with the freshest ingredients possible” with most of it made in-house.

The well-photographed selections of starters, pasta, seafood, meat and dessert are jumping off the pages and enticing the diner to “pick me” (if I had my way I’d like to try everything), but I had to go for what my guide recommended.

(Left) This chicken was marinated for 48 hours in buttermilk & hot sauce mixture then slow baked;  (Right) If you love truffles, you'll love this one- Truffle Alfredo.

She ordered the Truffle Alfredo—homemade Tagliatelle, mushroom, and the bacon on the side (280baht).

I love truffle flavor so any dish with it is an instant love affair. The dish had the nice flavor of it, too much of it and it can be overpowering, and the cream sauce was just the right amount to coat the al dente pasta.

With the pasta, we had the Slow Roasted Fried Chicken—48-hour buttermilk and hot sauce marinated half chicken served with red cabbage slaw and house made hot sauce (480baht).

Chicken is one of two of my protein sources and with that limited choice it has to be good. This one makes the flavor cut.

Normally, the over-all taste of the chicken dish only coats the outer layer, on the skin (which I don’t eat because of the high-cholesterol level). While the thigh and leg parts of the chicken are blessed with in-born goodness, the breast part is not. But with Roast’s dish, the flavoring seeped into the inner portions of the white meat. I loved it.

For dessert, we had the Half Baked (the name ends at that)—cookie dough, chocolate & caramel sauce, chocolate cookie crumb topped with house made vanilla ice cream (200baht). Need I say more? But if I must, I will say the sweetness of the dessert is just right for me (who doesn’t like desserts too sweet).

Half Baked (and the dessert's name ends at that) will make you lightheaded with its goodness.

Was I happy and satisfied? If I say I went back for another bout of the above dishes plus a starter of Quesadilla (grilled chicken, spinach, guacamole, salsa. 260baht) and having everything to myself answer your question?

Realization: Quesadillas are too heavy to eat by oneself.

Hometown advantage Davao girl now Bangkok mom, Ayie, played host & tour guide

How to get there. Tthe BTS Skytrain is fastest way to get to EmQuartier. The Phrom Phong station provides a direct link to the mall via a skywalk. Roast is on the first floor of the Helix Quarter of EmQuartier.

*****

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit jeepneyjinggoy.com & ofapplesandlemons.com

Also published in the SunStar Davao newspaper

The new mall is exciting, it’s modern and the features are amazing. It carries within its halls the luxury labels you see in fashion magazines with the items you covet-the IT bags and shoes, food selection can be mesmerizing in its variety-from the stall selling the cheesecake brand from Japan and the tea and sconces at the UK-branded high tea shop to the fancier restaurants serving a distinct cuisine—in a trend-setting-designed space, no less, which you can say, “These are nice spots for a break before I continue shopping.”

Something good comes to those who follow the green path..

Just when you’re about to say you’ve seen all of what the EmQuartier has to offer, another feature pops up to surprise you—a water garden. Its location-the higher ground.

The Quartier Water Garden is an al fresco feature at the 5th level of the Helix Quarter. The mall allotted 3,000 square meters of its space to create a charming tropical garden as its calming green retreat in the busy district of Phrom Phong.

The two level expanse features an abundance of flora, including wild tropical orchids and lush ferns, and a brook with the soothing sound of flowing waters filling the pond.

The soothing sound of flowing water

If you ask me, this is a better place to rest the exhausted shopper’s feet. The verdant scenery is a nice color change after hours spent in the bright white interior of the mall. 

In the garden, there is the Cocoon Parc. Set within nooks of lush patches are cocoon-like seating furnishings embraced by tree ferns. It can be romantic spot for couples out on a date as the cocoon can give a “little” privacy. A few of these fittings offer a view of the city.

The Cocoon Parc

The cocoons are "almost private" seating areas set in nooks of green patches

Follow the path of the flowing water and it leads you on the lower level where the pond is. It features a winding bridge and beyond the lush greenery is a view that provides an extension of the sky garden, the Banjasiri Park.

The green break in the all white mall. The Water Garden ovelooks an even bigger garden, the Benjisiri Park

If I’m right, the hanging bridges are recent additions to the features of the park. The suspended apparatuses form an obstacle course above the water, an added activity for the kids and adults alike. Of course, I dare not try it. Exciting it may be, I was in the area to chill and not to perspire.

The pond, the obstacle course, the meerkats and me.

The concourse on the main entrance of the garden is where the 100-meter long “rainforest chandelier” is. Encircling it is the Helix, where EmQuartier’s “endless journey of dining extraodinaire” transpires.

How to get there: the BTS Skytrain is fastest way to get to EmQuartier.

The PhromPhong station provides a direct link to the mall via a skywalk.

*****

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit apples-and-lemons.blogspot.com and jeepneyjinggoy.blogspot.com.

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on August 25, 2016.

WHO doesn’t want to be pampered? We want it, we deserve it at home or even at the hotel we choose to stay when traveling for business, leisure or just finding a serene spot to nestle in and do nothing.

When visiting Manila, choices are abundant. In the area we need to be, we can stay in a “tried and tested” hotel or try a new one, and perhaps discover a new comfort zone.

Comfort zones are created. It’s that space what we can refer to as “just like home.” A place far from where we reside, yet get that comfort and attention we are used to.

Here is a brand that expresses—with confidence in its name-that space we want: Aruga, “nurture” in Filipino.

This can be your comfort zone. Staying at the Aruga at Rockwell is like living in your own studio unit in Makati

What makes it special?

“With the proliferation of choices for accommodations these days, it is easy to get lost in the rush of brands and promotions but the discerning traveler knows that connectivity and accessibility are the keys. Aruga by Rockwell, Rockwell Land’s hotel and leisure arm, offers prime spots for exceptional serviced residences in the metro’s top central business districts – Makati and Ortigas,” said General Manager Angela Pagulayan.

It's like dining in a fancy restaurant. The coffee shop at Aruga at Rockwell in Makati

Aruga at The Rockwell Center in Makati and Aruga at The Grove in Ortigas both offer top-of-the-line locations, as well as the standard of comfort and service the brand has been famed for. Each location promises to cater to every traveler, vacationer, and staycationer’s needs.

Aruga at Rockwell's one-bedroom executive living & dining with a view of the neighborhood

In bustling Makati, Aruga at Rockwell is conveniently located in the private neighborhood of the Rockwell Center, making it easily accessible to and from Bonifacio Global City, and the Makati Central Business District. This brings guests a few minutes away from prime residential villages, offices, and commercial centers.

For retail needs however, guests need not go far. The Power Plant Mall, along with the retail rows at Rockwell’s residential buildings, is just a few steps away for shopping and dining options.

Aruga at Rockwell's pool is your ebst firend on a hot & humid day

For trip itineraries centered on the Ortigas area, Aruga at The Grove offers guests a home surrounded by the beauty of nature. It is located within exclusive property of The Grove by Rockwell along C5, bringing it nearby retail centers, reputable schools, and medical establishments in the Ortigas area.

Anyone would love to cook here. A modern kitchen in a 2-bedroom suite at Aruga at Rockwell

The Grove by Rockwell itself is not lacking in options. From staples such as the classic Starbucks Coffee, a supermarket, and laundry service establishments, exciting dining choices also abound within the property, right at the doorstep of the guests of Aruga at The Grove. Everything from Indian to Japanese cuisine, comfort food and more are ready to offer scintillating culinary options.

Aruga at The Grove is tucked in a serene space in Ortigas

While being easily accessible, Aruga at The Grove does not compromise on its serene atmosphere. 75 percent of the property is composed of lush landscape, bringing the enjoyment of the outdoors together with the convenience of urban life.

Your own kitchen at the two-bedroom suite at Aruga at The Grove

The Rockwell mark of quality and service.

Ms. Pagulayan shares, “With Aruga at The Rockwell Center and Aruga at The Grove offering its own distinct conveniences and the particular charms of its respective surrounding vicinities, both properties deliver on the same Rockwell promise of dedicated service and uncompromised quality.”

Your own private & chic nest. The living & dining area in a two-bedroom suite in Aruga at Grove

“Whether you’re checking in for business, an important event, a romantic staycation, or a weekend with the family, the staff of Aruga by Rockwell are committed to personalized and sincere service throughout your stay.”

Aruga at The Grove's Master's Bedroom in the two-bedroom suite

Whether a business or leisure trip, convenience and comfort will always be top priorities, Aruga by Rockwell and its staff promise to deliver on both.

Take a dip. Aruga at The Grove''s "cooling station"

The comfort zone away from home, Aruga can be that space for you.

For reservations and inquiries, call (02) 818 0000 or visit arugaatthegrove.com for Aruga at The Grove, and arugabyrockwell.com for Aruga at The Rockwell Center.

*****

Email me at jinggoysalvador@yahoo.com. For more lifestyle & travel stories, visit ofapplesandlemons.com and jeepneyjinggoy.com

Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on August 18, 2016.