afternoon tea at the Manila Hotel

After our visit to the National Museum, Melissa requested to have iced coffee somewhere since the museum did not have a coffee shop. So, in keeping with the history theme of our afternoon field trip, I suggested that we stop by the Manila Hotel. The last time I was here was nine years ago for the Rice Genetics conference. We could have gone to one of the chain coffee shops, of course, but all of them were not on the route for our planned dinner destination.

So yeah, we ended up in a fancy schmancy venue for what was just supposed to be drinks and snacks. 

Manila Hotel did not disappoint, of course. My ice cream came in the form of a cake with fruit and jam on the side. I paired this off with sparkling water. The others ordered juices and coffee... and puto bumbong. I particularly like this rice cake and I was curious to see their reception to it. 

Apparently, this rice cake (which is often only available during Christmas) is an acquired taste for some people because it didn't get the reception I was expecting... also, after glowing reviews from other non-Filipinos. What I got instead were reasons why it wasn't delicious from the person who ordered it. Good thing is that I've been trained in ignoring judgments through sensory evaluation; I was more interested in observing the mental struggle of figuring out the particular play of flavours and textures brought about by the glutinous rice, the roasted grated coconuts, and the cheese.

We were all eating and discussing food while surrounded by opulence and richness of the Manila Hotel lobby. It's a bit dark for my taste but it does give a sense of classicism, similar to the ambiance in the Sofitel lobby.

After finishing our snacks, we originally planned to explore Intramuros a bit more, followed by dinner at Barbara's. However, the restaurant was closed for a private event so we had to change gears and eat modern Filipino food instead. But that's a different story.