Wow, I didn't know Gloria Maris looked like this upstairs!
My last experience downstairs was terrible, from the noise to the service to the food. See post here.
So I was quite dismayed when I found out Auntie Natalie was celebrating her birthday here.
Boy oh boy, was I pleasantly surprised!
Hallway to VIP Rooms
VIP Room 3 - Before Fatterside
VIP Room 3 - After Fatterside
Each VIP Room has its own toilet. And too many waiters who kept chitchatting and joking around
amongst themselves. UGH!!!
Complimentary peanuts while the waiters chitchatted and joked around
We also brought our own snacks. Lol!
Chef Tony's popcorn, Mrs. Field's cookies, Kitshio durian chips, polvoron, cahsew nuts
And boxes of our family favorite, Gigi Gaerlan's custaroons
After all the snacking, we were ready to feast!
I am happy to report that most of the dishes we had were good, some even excellent. A very, very far cry from the Gloria Maris that I remember.
Birthday Miswa - loaded with goodness
Duck with Fruits - shredded duck and jellyfish in a sweet creamy dressing with mangoes,
watermelon and candied cashew
You gotta mix it all together. It was salad, main course and dessert in one! I loved it!
Steamed Suahe - fresh and sweet
Rainbow Meatballs - a great way to trick kids into eating their veggies
Two-Tone Almond Seafood Soup - didn't taste the almond and didn't taste the pumpkin.
It was like drinking thick diluted milk with seafood bits. Choose another soup.
Baked Taro with Scallops and Spinach - sooooooo good I had seconds and thirds
Steamed Lapu Lapu
Crispy Taro Duck - like the crispiest, tastiest duck confit enrobed in creamy taro. WINNER!
Salt and Pepper Crabs
Buchi - not so great
Birthday Lotus Buns
There's egg yolk inside!!!
Avocado Sago - could use a lot more avocado
Anyway, this is what happens at a Fatterside dinner. Everyone has to wait until everyone
finishes taking photos. Look at the bored and sungit faces of the people waiting.
I take photos using my phone (for Instagram and Facebook)
And then again using my camera (for the blog and to print out life-size posters for my room)
Now look at the if-looks-could-kill face Florence was giving me! I scared!!!
But when it's time for a selfie (or groupie?), she's all pa tweetums naman
We loved the bag organizer birthday giveaway
Birthday cakes for my 50-year old Auntie Natalie.
Because she will always be a little girl at heart. :)
Clockwise from top left: Hyatt Hotel Swiss Choco Bliss Cake, Magic Kitchen White Velvet Cake,
Tous Les Jours Party with Bear, Caramia Banana Blast, Pacita Mocha Cake, Caramia Mango Tango
How cute are the candles?
Birthday sparkles!!!!
Happy Birthday, Auntie Nats! To us, you will always be one of the cousins.
Yihee!!! ;)
See my previous Gloria Maris Greenhills posts:
Gloria Maris Greenhills
Gloria Maris Greenhills, Revisited
Gloria Maris: Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Avenue, Missouri Street corner Connecticut, San Juan.
Tel: +632 570-0921, +632 570-0923
