Anniversary Dinner @ Mandarin

My kids kept their schedules open for last night although they weren’t sure what my plans were for our wedding anniversary.
At around 4 pm I requested Oyen to reserve a table at the Tivoli. We congregated at home. Edmund was all set when I arrived  at 6 pm. Oyen came  at 6:30 followed by Nyke.

Life’s greatest gifts

Our reservation was at 8 pm in anticipation of heavy traffic. We left the house at 7:40 pm and arrived at the Mandarin at 8:25 pm. Mandarin is one of the first hotels in Makati. It’s less impressive than the newer ones because it doesn’t have a grand lobby.

Goofing around in the toilet. Sayang blurred.

My dress is a pure Chinese silk with hand painting. I bought it in Guangzhou from a store that only sells Chinese-made dresses including cheongsams. There were many nice designs except that they were a little pricey and the store only accepted Chinese yuan or renminbi. Not all made in China are cheap. Only those sold in tiangge are cheaper.
I think I paid four thousand pesos or more in equivalent . That’s already 50% off.
Pagbalik ko maybe next year  I will buy two more. It’s very light and comfortable.

We had the best spot, right in the middle of the restaurant with 3 walls so it’s kind’a special and private. It was so quiet, kami lang ang maingay.

The waiter insisted on taking this photo with a flash,  nagmukha tuloy akong twilight zone.

Bottomless bread. Do not eat the star, it’s papier mache

Delicious butter without the “buttery taste”. The pate and butter are both from France.

We prayed first and thanked God for giving us a lot of food on the table. For this moment of togetherness and happiness as a family. For everything.

the perfect way to celebrate wedding anniversaries is to have a quiet and meaningful time with your family.

We were given a single serving each of truffle beef bourguignon while waiting for our orders. I know how to cook this.

I thought she’s the one drinking, taga tikim lang pala sya.

I thought the menu prices are reasonable for a fine dining restaurant inside a 5-star hotel. It was more expensive at the Hyatt Hotel where we dined last year. Ang presyo dun ang daming zero zero.
Or maybe not, some items in Tivoli are also a bit expensive.

Last year while Edmund was paying for our wedding anniversary dinner at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila, I told him “next year sa Jollibee na lang tayo, bilhan mo na lang ako ng regalo”.

For the husband

For the son, his favorite lamb

Rib eye with truffles mashed potato for the daughter

Everybody said “wow” when my order came.
It’s poached lapulapu with caviar. Notice the froth and bubbles. Nung araw pag ang ulam namin ay may bula, itinatapon na ng mama ko kasi daw panis na.

They heard us greeting each other happy anniversary kaya they gave us some thoughtful dessert compliments of the house.
We like Tivoli, we’ve decided this is now one of her favorite restaurants not only in Manila but in the whole wide world.

Ang cute mo anak

Last night, when we were almost done, I suddenly remembered what I told him last year na Jollibee na lang kami so he would still have money left to buy me a gift.   Edmund said “it’s cheaper to eat kesa bibilhan kita ng regalo, what can I buy with P15,000? Kaya food na lang kahit orderin mo lahat, it still comes out cheaper”.
That’s it folks, the man has spoken, eating only, no gifts.
I gave him a gift, something old (2001) and something blue. 99.99 percent of the time Edmund never liked the gifts I gave him, but yesterday he told me he likes this one. I’m glad because I do not want to see it in the garage or in the storage room.

The bill’s total was P11,600 but after Edmund gave his Citibank card, Angel came back with a 30% discount.
We all said “WHAT!” We have never experienced getting a huge food discount of 30%. Minsan 5% or 10% max but usually with a catch. But this one? I gave P500 tip but Edmund said to make it P1,000. I left P500 pa rin because the service charge was already P800, sobra akong kuripot.

Our server, Angel, is so efficient and knowledgable about the dishes. This is his first job and still loving it for the past 15 years.

He gave us more complimentary desserts.