An Enigma Called Manila

This is a Spanish fine dining restaurant that really boasts a menu of exquisite food. And this is definitely not a place to count calories. Gaudi is known for its paella, steaks, lamb dishes, and Spanish cuisine staples. They also have a great selection of salads and desserts.

I personally love their Angus steak, not just for the taste but also for the presentation. A small burner with a ceramic plate sprinkled with salt is placed on your table and the steak is cooked the way you want it right before your eyes. You buy the steak per kilogram and it is priced at 2700PHP per kilogram. You can choose a size—.5kg, .75kg, or whatever—that will be just good enough for you and your companion/s. Each order comes with side dishes of potato au gratin and pimentos in olive oil. If you are not sure how much beef a certain size looks like, ask the waitstaff to bring out the available slabs of beef, so you can see for yourself.

Another must-try on the menu is their Sopa de Ajo—garlic soup with croutons and egg. This is actually a very simple soup that has been wrongfully done by many restaurants, but here, it is just perfect.

This restaurant, which was named after Antonio Gaudi, a Spanish architect known for his unique masterpieces, obviously did not scrimp on their budget for architecture and interior design. The rich colors of the furniture and decors are truly warm and inviting. Even the washroom here was artistically done.

If you are looking for a place where you can take your date, your business colleagues, anyone you want to impress, or someone you just love to be with for dinner, Gaudi is one of your best bets in Makati City.

Crustasia is part of the Red Crab group of restaurants, which is famous for grade A crabs and seafood dishes in Metro Manila.

The interiors are neo-Asian. High ceiling with big red lanterns, smoked glass tables, minimalist chairs with red print upholstery, and other modern oriental touches complete the ambience of the restaurant.

But, of course, let’s talk about the food. Crabs, lobsters, shrimps, and fish are cooked following flavorful Thai, Vietnamese, and Chinese recipes.

I go for the Crab Maritess, which maximizes the flavor of olive oil, garlic, and chilies on the crab. This is truly delectable, so it isn’t any wonder that this is their bestseller. Fidel's Pepper Crab, on the other hand, is peppercorn overload and I also love it. This is reserved, though, for those of us who crave spicy food.

Be prepared to pay a bit more than the usual seafood restaurants and even more than the other Red Crab outlets. Male King size is at 99 PHP per 100g. Their 1.5kg crab, which costs almost 1,500 PHP, is good for two persons only. Each cup of steamed rice is at 35 PHP.

However, the crabs are really good here, so for me, dining at Crustasia is worth it on special occasions, whenever you have the budget, and whenever you've just got to have really good crabs.

Obviously, it was dubbed "The Burger Master" because its main attraction is its burgers, which taste superb and are really filling. And no, they do not go with wasabi or wrapped in seaweed like sushi. They are like beef burger-sloppy joe combos.

The Master Burger with cheese is my favorite here! The meat patty alone is already delicious, but the tomato slice, cheese, and the generous topping of some sort of meat sauce make it taste great. Just be ready for the messy eating; but, then again, that makes it more enjoyable.

Also try it with their fat fingers of French Fries. Does not taste like the "commercialized" fries you get from usual fast foods or supermarket.

Price is very reasonable. The single-patty Master Burger costs 88 PHP, while the Double Master Burger is 128 PHP. The single one will already fill your tummy surely.

Another great thing about Sango! is that the crew here serves food fast so it is ideal for quick lunches and dinners for employees or anyone rushing around the area.

This restaurant also boasts of cleanliness and one of the attendants even said that the owner is very meticulous about the proper handling of the food.

Sango!'s interiors are a mix of a typical burger joint set-up and Zen decors. A flat screen monitor features mostly anime programs and a shelf contains various Japanese books and magazines for in-house reading.

One important tip: order quickly and ask for a table outside if you don't want people to know afterwards where or what you have eaten. The smell of the cooking inside the kitchen can stick to your clothes quite quickly, just like in cafeterias or fast food centers. Another option is to bring a cologne spritzer with you.

My husband and I were supposed to just take out coffee from this place when we saw the mouthwatering crepe that they were preparing. The novel presentation of the crepe really attracts customers to try their concoctions. The crepe, with all its filling, is rolled into a large cone, so instead of eating the crepe from a plate, you would eat it like a gigantic ice cream cone.

Crepes & Cream offers both savory and sweet filling options on their menu. Savory flavors vary from the Filipino culinary delight adobo (which is meat cooked in soy sauce, vinegar, garlic, and black pepper) to chicken chipolata. Sweet crepes, on the other hand, are filled with ice cream and fruits or chocolate plus whipped cream. Really yummy!

One of my personal picks is their ham and cheese, especially when I bite into it and the chewy cheese stretches to a mile. My sweet tooth can’t resist the Carribean Cruise, which oozes with vanilla ice cream, caramelized bananas, whipped cream, and almond slivers. Really lovely! The Very Berry selection, for those who love strawberries, is highly recommended.

A bit of a warning, though, for the clean freaks! Since the crepe doesn't come with a plate, it can just be a bit messy if you are not too careful. But, hey, that's what makes it fun, anyway. Just ask for loads of paper napkins.

By the way, their crepes are very filling. If you are not too hungry, one crepe may be shared by two.

They also have UCC (the famous Japanese coffee brand) brewed coffee here that goes well with the crepe.

Crepes & Cream is a great place to treat kids and the kids-at-heart.

This is a yakitori restaurant where my husband and I have dined in countless times. We have also brought guests here and each one of them loved the food and the cozy ambience. There is just something about the place that makes you enjoy eating while chatting with friends.

Their menu has beef, pork, chicken and veggie skewers; so, anyone and everyone can really enjoy a meal here. Better to order here, though, are their platter selections compared to the à la carte items. Our favorite here is the Best Sellers platter - 21 assorted yakitori sticks of pork, chicken, asparagus, corn, and others. Costs only 698 PHP. Already filling for about 3 persons in a 2-hour meal and chatting.

Price is really reasonable for a Japanese yakitori restaurant. In fact, we dined here recently when we took out for dinner my cousin who was vacationing from Canada. For a group of five really hungry people, the total bill, including 2 platters, drinks and tax, cost us only 2,000 PHP.

I recommend Nanbantei especially when you are looking for a great place for a full dinner or for a drinking or lounge-around session with friends.

A couple of last tips, though. If you don't want yourselves to smell like yakitori, ask for a table outside. Also, if you have quite a big group, call in for a reservation, particularly on Friday nights.

Always watch out for the Midnight Madness sale events involving all the shops in Glorietta and Greenbelt malls of Ayala Center Makati. This usually happens at least about once every quarter of the year. The shops remain open until midnight so you have longer hours to indulge in shopping for clothes, shoes, housewares, food, etc. at slashed down prices.

In fact, in the last mall sale I went to, I was able to buy a pair of really nice shoes for only 399 PHP and a top-quality swimsuit for 800 PHP, which was marked down from its original price of 2000. My husband bought linen pants for about 600 PHP.

The Ayala malls normally advertise these sale events ahead of time, mainly through banners all over the Ayala Center and on their website, www.ayalamalls.com.ph. You won't miss them!

The Java Man at Power Books Greenbelt is a favorite hang-out after I go shopping, when I'm waiting for a friend, or when I simply have some free time.

So, how to enjoy your time here? First, choose a book or magazine from the book store's shelves. Then, take a seat at The Java Man and order a mug of coffee. And you can already forget the whole world around you.

The coffee is good enough—nothing fancy, but costs cheaper than all other cafés in the area. You can get a large Americano for only 60PHP. They also serve pasta and sandwiches, which range from 130 PHP to 198 PHP.

This is an ideal hangout for coffee-craving bookworms!

Housed in one of the restored historic Hispanic houses in Manila, Sanctuario Spa is really a destination for locals and tourists who crave relaxation or simply would want to try something refreshing.

My husband treated me here as part of his birthday gift to me (apart from a pampering overnight stay in a suite at Pan Pacific Manila!)

He booked us both for a Xiamen Foot Reflexology. For 660 pesos (per person), this 1-hour treatment was really worth it. When we got there, we were directed by an attendant into the "house" and then out to the garden. As soon as I saw this spacious gazebo made of wood, adorned with white voile drapes, and furnished with lounging chairs, I was so excited because I knew that we were going to have our massage here. To add to the already perfect ambience, on one side was a waterfall that only made it more relaxing and made me forget that I was still in Manila.

The expertise of the therapists, which was a given, made this a total experience for us. Their strokes were just right and consistently balanced—the right hand pressure was never heavier than the left or vice versa. It was, indeed, one of the best birthday gifts I have received in my entire life!

After our treatment, I got hold of their brochure and I find some of their treatments priced a couple hundred pesos higher than the other stand-alone spas, but I think the charm of the place and the excellent service compensate for it.

Sanctuario also offers the Filipino remedial massage that we call hilot. They also have acupuncture and other alternative treatments. But what I would like to come back for are their chocolate or coffee body scrub, their wading pool, and Turkish bath. They do offer a whole lot of other rejuvenating services that are worth the visit.

Sanctuario Spa is located at 1829 Jorge Bocobo St., Malate, Manila, and may be contacted at +63 2 450 1127.