The Okada experience

I regularly go to Okada Manila for various functions and have enjoyed its Medley buffet restaurant several times in the past, but it was quite a surprise during my visit this week that the quality of the food outlet has significantly improved, perhaps because Mrs. Takako Okada is now overseeing the hotel’s premium dining.

I noticed the improvement during an event I attended at the hotel where I met and briefly had the chance to interview Mrs. Okada. The selection of sushi, sashimi and yakitori, plus a French fare of quiche and a selection of French cheese to accompany a special sake tasting, was notable.

However, my latest visit to Medley was also my first time to try its cheese room, which replicates the premium attraction of the then favorite, but now shuttered Spiral Cafe of Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel. I can attest that Medley’s cheese room gives the same satisfaction as that offered by Spiral Cafe.

However, Medley’s competitive pricing for its lunchtime buffet of P2,888++/ person, which includes unlimited wine, sodas and juices, plus coffee and tea, is indeed value for your money, offering a Japanese and fresh seafood section, salad and appetizer bar, a Japanese cuisine section, a Chinese food and noodle station, an Italian or pasta section, meat carvings, separate Indian, Korean and Filipino food stations and of course, a delectable dessert section that offers churros, native Filipino desserts and a variety of sinful cakes, tarts, chocolates, confectionery and ice creams.

Even on a mid-week working day, Medley was almost fully booked, with families coming early to enjoy the buffet. I even spied a couple of foreign guests enjoying the wine buffet, easily taking two bottles of white wine to their table for their enjoyment. The unlimited drinks alone already makes the buffet worth the price, especially for those who enjoy wine which can easily cost almost P1,000 a bottle in most hotels.

Okada’s Medley buffet restaurant has, in fact, expanded and now offers a private dining area for a small group.

Retirement has finally given me the free time to enjoy a staycation in Okada Hotel, as work was always my priority before I retired. My staycation, however, started with a slight irritation over the reservation system handled by a call center for the hotel, which could not immediately confirm my chosen date, primarily because I was doing the reservation on a weekend when the hotel reservation staff was off for the weekend, and confirmation could only be given at the start of the working week. Thankfully, the hotel reservation staff emailed the confirmation before noon of Monday.

What made my stay more enjoyable was the upgrade to an 80-square meter premium deluxe suite (the size of a two-bedroom condominium elsewhere). However, the room I got was a one-bedroom suite with a humongous bathroom suite with a jacuzzi tub, its own dressing room, a living room with its own TV, a good–sized work area for digital nomads, a dining room – with a  table that seats eight people and a bar area – definitely large enough to allow a small private party.

Check-in was ably assisted by receptionist Radj who escorted us to our room.

My view from the Pearl Wing, however, was the city view – more specifically the Megaworld condominium developments, as well as their new hotel projects – so I could not appreciate the nightly fountain show or enjoy the famed Manila Bay sunset that is best enjoyed by the VIP rooms and the accommodations at the Coral Wing of the hotel.

As such, my night view was the front entrance of Okada, along with the huge electronic billboards of Razon’s Solaire and that of Ayala Malls Manila Bay.

One positive thing about my Okada staycation was the ability to do my regular exercise goal of 10,000 steps easily just by going around the hotel’s expansive property. It was quite obvious though that the hotel is quite popular with local tourists, with families thoroughly enjoying the swimming pool area located at the third floor, overlooking the changing face of Manila Bay, what with all the reclamation activities.

In the evenings, a lot of visitors come for the nightly dancing fountain show and to enjoy the numerous restaurant outlets offering alternatives to Okada’s food and beverage establishments. After dinner, the casinos began to fill with gamblers.

One thing I was impressed with – believe it or not (and forgive the fangirling) – was the availability of the Korean TVN premium channel among the hotel’s TV offerings.

I personally subscribe to the premium channel as an add on to the PLDT and Cignal package that I have, primarily because of the excellent quality of programming that the Korean TV broadcaster provides, which are both educational and entertaining, worth every penny I pay for compared to the horribly deteriorated programming now provided by local Filipino channels. No wonder subscription and streaming services and YouTube now pose serious competition to local Filipino TV stations.

Normally, most local hotels only offer a very skeletal TV selection, even the Japanese hotel chain Nobu, which I also recently stayed at, did not offer the premium Korean channel. Thus, I was overjoyed that I would be able to enjoy watching my favorite TVN shows during my brief staycation.

As I do not gamble, I was pretty content watching my favorite Korean TV channel.

Breakfast clearly indicated that most of the weekday guests are Filipino families, complete with lolas and lolos plus yayas, enjoying a staycation. What was entertaining during the breakfast buffet were the roving taho vendor and a tsokolate and pandesal cart, bringing a truly Filipino flare to the breakfast fare.

According to taho vendor Glen, during the weekend dinner buffet, Filipino delicacy balut is sometimes available and perhaps in the future may even be offered by a roving balut vendor for foreign and local guests to enjoy.