Hawker Heaven and a Beauty Find at Resorts World Manila

Resorts World Manila is beginning to be my new favorite place. Never mind the fact that finding an available parking spot can be a nightmare in itself. Last Saturday evening, we had planned to go there for a nightcap. But seeing that there's no available parking in any of the 2 outdoor parking lots and of that one connected to Newport, we had to turn back, make a change of plan, and head to BGC instead.


Tonight was no different, actually. Parking is still a nightmare. But we toughed it out this time. We lined up at the parking lot across Marriott and waited until people left and parking spaces cleared out. When we got there, we were the 6th car in line. Thank God that two of the cars ahead of us backed out. We were fourth in line now and in total, we still had to wait 20 minutes. They really have to do something about this parking issue.


Well, enough of my ranting. ;-) Once we got inside Newport, everything had been forgotten. We were starving and we decided to have dinner at the Old Penang Restaurant to satisfy my craving for hawker fare. You can find the Old Penang Restaurant on the 4th floor of Newport. It's right across McDonald's and it's on the same floor as the cinemas.


There's nothing fancy about the restaurant's decor. There's little space between the tables and the chairs really aren't that comfortable. You're sitting on stools, actually. They're wooden and there's nothing to rest your back on. Except for the framed black and white pictures of old Malaysia, there's really no other decor in the place. It just has the bare essentials.

When we entered the restaurant, a waiter promptly greeted us and led us to a table. Within one short minute, the menus were quickly handed out, utensils were laid out, and the waiter was able to help us make our choices. We asked about their bestsellers and the waiter, without skipping a beat, said that it was their Char Kway Teow and Roasted Chicken that topped the list. Looking around, it seemed that these were the same things that the other patrons ordered. And they looked sumptious! We trusted the waiter and ordered these along with an extra cup of Chicken Rice (the Roasted Chicken only came with 1 cup of rice) and Iced Teh Tarik to drink.

After five minutes, the first to arrive were our beverages. I took a sip of the Iced Teh Tarik (PhP85) and it did taste authentic. It wasn't too sweet that it completely masked the tea. It was just right. But for PhP85 per glass, I found it priced a little too steep. I wish they had made the serving much larger or they could bring the price down a bit. After all, a third of the glass is really just ice anyway.

A couple of minutes later, the Hainanese Roasted Chicken Set (PhP245) plus our extra Hainanese Rice (PhP50) were served. We were also served a tiny bowl of condiments for the chicken. Mixed in there already is the minced ginger, chili sauce, and soy sauce. So what did we think of their Hainanese Roasted Chicken Set? First off, we were quite impressed with the serving size. The chicken is good for 2-3 people! The meat is not as tender as the ones at Wee Nam Kee but I think Old Penang's version is definitely much tastier. The skin is soft and bursting with flavor! As for the Chicken Rice, I've had better but all in all, it's really not bad. That's just me being picky though. ;-) Altogether, we were impressed. A mere ten minutes away from where we live, we will definitely be back at Old Penang to satisfy a Hainanese chicken craving!

Oh, but we're not done with the meal yet! Just as we were enjoying our Hainanese Chicken, the Char Kway Teow (PhP220) arrived just a couple of minutes after. It was piping hot and had all the toppings that a Char Kway Teow should have. It had enough scrambled eggs, a couple of large shrimps, bean sprouts, onions, chorizo, and a few greens. The other Char Kway Teows that I've had here in Manila often ended up being too greasy. The one at Old Penang, thankfully, was not. The noodles are as gooey and "slimy" as they should be but I wish they had put in more bean sprouts. I like how the texture of the noodles juxtapose with the crunch of the bean sprouts. As for the taste, I'm sure it could be better but it's close enough to how I've had it in Singapore. It hits the spot just right. ;-)

The food at the Old Penang is a definite two thumbs up. But what's even more remarkable is the service. We were really impressed! Their waiters and staff are not only quick on their feet but they're quite attentive too. We had asked for the bill already and the waitress had started clearing our table. Even then, I was surprised that she came back to hand me a cold glass of water. It's like she read my mind. I had a glass of the Teh Tarik and was feeling a bit thirsty. And without needing to ask, the glass of cold water was served. Another waiter was in charge with processing our credit card payment. Jojo and I were in the middle of our conversation when the receipt and credit card were handed back to us in one of those leather booklets. After Jojo signed the bill, the waiter took the time to remove the credit card and receipt from the booklet and personally handed it back to Jojo. I guess he was thinking that we might forget to take it out of the leather booklet so he took the initiative to hand it back. It's these small gestures that really count. We were really pleased with the service at Old Penang. They really go out of their way to please their customers. This is one of the reasons why you'll definitely see us back there. To boot, the food is great and the prices -- for the most part, are reasonable too. It's the perfect place for a satisfying meal that is sure to transport you to Hawker Heaven! I can't wait to try the other items on their menu on our subsequent visits! ;-)

This is completely off topic but apart from Old Penang, I'd also like to share a shopping find that I discovered at one of the shops in Newport. On a recent visit a few weeks back, we bought a couple of the PhP65 face masks that we found at The Face Shop just for kicks When we got home, we immediately tried it after I was able to successfully convince Jojo to put on the face mask as well. ;-) After all, I didn't want to be only "silly-looking" one. Jojo had to be silly-looking WITH me. ;-) Well, you know what? We liked the results. Jojo commented that the face mask gave his face a certain glow. ;-) It made our skin a bit more firmer too. Because of that, Jojo and I excitedly went to The Face Shop at Newport to buy more and try the other masks as well. I didn't know which one to pick since all the other masks looked quite interesting. There's a Mung Bean face mask, cereal, lemon, and so many other variants. They also have a special promo which I just have to share. If you buy five of any combination from the Jasmine and Fennel variant, Geranium and Everlasting Flower, and/or Tea Tree and Bergamot, you can get a free Oil Pore Minimizer Sampler Set. Each of the mask sheets cost PhP95. Buy five of these for a total of PhP475 and you get the sample set too. The sampler set consists of 30 ml Controlling Toner with Powder, 30 ml Controlling Emulsion, and 5 ml Controlling Essence -- all aiming to minimize pores. I have yet to try it to see how effective it is. But so far, The Face Shop hasn't failed me. I've tried their nail polishes too and I like how they stay on without chipping. My skin is very sensitive and their mask sheets hasn't caused my skin to break out. That's a good sign. I have a feeling their Pore Minimizer Sample Set might just be as effective too. I couldn't pass up a great deal. Five mask sheets and a sample set for only PhP475. What a steal! There's still more on stock. Hurry on in to Newport's The Face Shop to catch the deal too! ;-)

Let's watch a movie at Resorts World??!??

That was my very first reaction, actually. I signed up at THIS site to be included as one of the thirty bloggers to watch the premiere movie showing at Newport Cinema at Resorts World. My husband, Jojo, has his own blog too. You can find it HERE so I also signed him up.

Coming back from Malaysia, I immediately see the semblance between Resorts World Manila and Genting Highlands. Sure, we don't have the cable car, the huge indoor and outdoor amusement park but it definitely has the same feel. It's no wonder. Resorts World Manila is a joint venture between Genting and Megaworld! ;-) Needless to say, they also have condos put up here. It's right behind the St. Lourdes Church.

Resorts World is strategically located across NAIA 3. This place holds a lot of promise if and when (I hope!), all of the international flights at NAIA 1 is transferred to Terminal 3. Add to that a path or underground walkway from the airport to the Resorts World area and we're all set! There's still a lot of construction going on and this area is really nowhere near done. But for now, you can find the Marriott Hotel, our only 6-star hotel in Manila: Maxims, and Newport Plaza. On the other end of Marriott -- the third building, is where all the casinos, shops, restaurants, and now, cinemas, are located.

From a recent trip in Macau, I could immediately see the Newport Plaza's similarity to the Venetian Macao Hotel. I kid you not. For real! The establishment has potential. Once it's done, you'll see designer shops lining the first floor. There's only about two shops open on the first floor, I think. One is a watch shop, and the other, a jewellery store? It's really exciting though. The same owner of Rustans -- The Store Specialists, will be tasked to open a number of high-end shops here. I imagine all the other stores will be up and running in 6 months? Maybe just in time for Christmas or sooner.

There's one casino on the first floor too. Although Newport Plaza, altogether, seems empty, there were a lot of people at the casino though. The place was bustling with sounds of slot machines, people, and a live band right in the middle. We didn't go in the casino but we could see all of these from the hallway.

The second floor has about four restaurants that are open already. One is UCC, Red Crab Resto, a New Orleans restaurant that serves ribs and steaks, and another one right beside it -- Republiq. The third floor has two shops open: Bench and The Face Shop. When I asked them how late they close, the saleslady told me that Sundays to Thursdays they're open until 10 pm. Fridays and Saturdays they're open an hour later than that. Cool! ;-)

On the topmost floor -- the fourth floor, are the cinemas. I think only two are open and running right now. We watched "Salt" at Cinema 2. It being a premiere, representatives of Resorts World talked about future projects. One that got me and Jojo really excited is their plan for Cinema 1. How wonderful! It's the first time I've heard of something like this. It definitely beats the Director's Cut cinema of Mall of Asia. They were saying that for Cinema 1, they will only have 80 seats inside. And get this: each seat can be fully reclined and will have a sort of cubicle for utmost privacy. With the ticket comes bottomless drinks and unlimited popcorn too. But that's not all! (Gee, I sound like an infomercial!) ;-) Each seat has a button. Press that button and along comes a 'butler' that's personally assigned to you! Wow! ;-) Talk about spoiling yourself. ;-) Although I wonder why you'll need a butler for a 2-hour movie. I joked to Jojo that maybe the butler can be called on if maybe you need someone to scratch your back or something...;-) Hahaha! No word yet on how much this whole thing will cost per person. I'm very interested though. I'll keep you posted once I find this out.

For now, I checked on the prices and Cinema 2 showings cost 200 pesos per person. Cinema 2 shows "Salt" and Cinema 4 shows "The Last Airbender." Cinema 4 showings cost 300 pesos because they're in 3D. I believe movies are running now between noon to 11 pm.

As for our whole movie experience, we really did enjoy it! You can't recline the seats in Cinema 2 but the back of the seat adjusts a wee bit based on the weight you put in front of it. Does that make sense? What I'm trying to say is that they're not too sturdy so they're much more comfortable. There's a lot of leg room and it won't be too much of a bother for the people sitting beside you if in any case, you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the movie. There's enough room to pass through there without fear of stepping on their feet. There's enough room too so none of them will have to get up to let you through.

The screen though, I think, is taller than it is wide. As a consequence to this, you won't have that great of a view if you sit in the first five or six rows. We were sitting in the fourth row but I think our view would be much better if we had moved back. As for the sound system, everything was loud and crisp. You can really tune into the movie and drown out any rustling or any annoying side conversations.

I can't comment on the popcorn because we didn't get to try it. We were already full from the cocktails and hors d'oevres that were provided at the premiere. If the popcorn tastes like the one at Powerplant, I'll be one very happy camper though. ;-)

As I said, Resorts World is very promising. I can't wait until all the shops and restos are open. For now, I guess you should visit this place while you can still have privacy. Everytime you want to avoid the lines at Greenbelt 3 or PowerPlant, why not just hie over to Newport's cinemas? After the movie, you can have coffee and dessert at UCC or go to Velocity --Marriott Hotel's sports bar or play casino or hey, shop at Bench or The Face Shop. ;-) I imagine this place will get crowded someday. Enjoy it now while you can still walk around freely without all the crowds. ;-)