NomNom stretching

People has been always telling us food bloggers how lucky we are to get invited by restaurants to try their food and get first dibs on the latest menu offerings. Then there’s food tasting all over the metro and trying on the newest flavors of ice cream released in the market (sometimes, even before they are out in the market).

But there’s also a downside – food blogging is fattening! We take on the sacrifice of accumulating all those calories just to review all those dishes for the readers’ benefit! 🙂

It’s good that genes gave me a naturally slim body to begin with, but age and frequent food escapades has been taking its toll on me and it has started to show on my belly and love-handles.

C-Lium Health Journal

C-Lium Lose More Live More Challenge

Although I have been regularly doing my personal exercises and stretching in the morning, it isn’t enough so I have long been wanting to have my jogging routine back for so long as I can remember. While that remains to be accomplished, I had resorted to doing something easier – joining the “Lose More Live More” challnege by C-Lium Fibre!

When C-Lium Fibre offered the opportunity to take on the challenge, I have resolved to act on my weight-problem-to-be before it’s way too late. I actually started a week ago and will be sharing some updates and developments on another blog post soon.

For now, let me share the free medical checkup care of C-Lium that I underwent at the Medicard Clinic in Makati a few days before I started taking C-Lium. I had the preliminary tests last July 26, 2012, to be exact.

Medical Tests @ Medicard Clinic in Makati

Treadmill Stress Test

I had my Body Mass Index (BMI), Cholesterol Screening, Fasting Blood Sugar (FBS), and Body Circumference Measurements. The more challenging part was the Treadmill Stress Test wherein the treadmill incline was increased every minute. I was able to last four minutes and a few seconds before I got exhausted and called on a halt.

MEDICard Philippines Test Results for NomNom

C-Lium Lose More Live More Promo

It’s a commitment to health!

A few days after, and the results were out. Everything’s in normal levels except for my HDL which is just a bit below normal range.

I encourage you to take on the “C-Lium Fibre Lose More Live More” Challenege at www.clium.com.ph/losemore just as I did! Simply create an account to enjoy the benefits of looking young and living young with C-Lium Fibre. Check out my Twitter and FB updates with #CLIUMlosemore soon!

Steak Buffet

I got the chance to dine with some of the best food bloggers in Metro Manila a few weeks ago. It was a steak night dinner buffet at Diamond Hotel‘s Corniche.

Diamond Hotel Philippines offers choice cut steaks for its customers every Thursday night. Labeled as Corniche’s Savoring Steak Nights, the dinner buffet offers a variety of steaks such as the US Striploin Steak, US Rib Eye Steak, US Hanger Steak, Beef Tenderloin Steak and  Roasted US Prime Rib.

Add to that other entrees with free flowing red wine for only Php 2,285 nett per person from 5:30pm to 10:30pm. This is inclusive of 10% service charge and local government tax.

5 Plates - 5 Rounds @ Corniche Buffet

I was only able to try the striploin, tenderloin, and prime rib. As expected, the meats were fork-tender and juicy, coming from Diamond Hotel.  However, I have observed that steak grill was only about a meter wide and can handle a limited number of steaks at a time. As per experience, there were only three us by the counter and the grill was already full (partially because we had multiple orders each 🙂 ). Maybe Corniche can improve on that, specially when customers flock in.

Seafood Buffet

More Entrees

I also enjoyed the other dishes at Corniche such as the seafood choices, salad selections, and Asian, Western, Japanese, and Indian cuisines prepared by culinary experts headed by Executive Chef Nickolai Stoyanov with general manager Vanessa Ledesma Suatengco.

Other International Cuisine Buffet @ Diamond Hotel

Diamond Hotel Philippines - Corniche Buffet

Barbequed Shrimp w/ Kumpati

A New Discovery – the Kumpati

I discovered an interesting stove as well. As per the cook at the Indian counter, it’s called a ‘kumpati.’

A kumpati is a traditional earthen cooking stove like a palayok, but much larger almost like a ‘banga‘. The traditional ones use charcoal and firewood to cook food but the one in Diamond Hotel is of course, electric.

Kumpati Indian Stove

Corniche uses it to “charcoal barbeque” some of the food like the tandoori chicken and  the grilled shrimp in the photo. They also use it to heat and toast the tasty Naan bread. Yum yum!

On Cheeses

I also saw a table of varied cheeses in different color and textures like Sage Derby, Iberico, Fontina, and Brie. I did not try any of them though as I am illiterate when it comes to cheese appreciation. 😛

Table of Cheeses (lower right side)

Desserts

I love their dessert choices though. There was much to choose from and I was able to try only less than half. Maybe I’ll try the other half in my next visit.

Lastly, it was glad to finally meet Lori Baltazar of DesertComsFirst.com. Also with us were prominent food bloggers Spanky, Ivan Man Dy, and Jane Chua, among others.

Corniche Desserts

Lori Baltazar & NomNom (right); Jane Chua & Ivan Man Dy (left)

Corniche Buffet Restaurant, Diamon Hotel

Corniche is located at Diamond Hotel’s lobby level with a 650 square meter space that can accommodate up to 200+ persons within a chic environment and contemporary overtones. However, I believe they can have more lights on the food. But I think the elegant interior necessitates the ambiance to be dim. With that in mind, they could have mini spotlights efficiently installed on focus entrees, at the least (or maybe I’m just used to other hotel buffet restaurants which are well-lighted). 🙂

I like the pocket-seating layout throughout Corniche providing spatial privacy for intimate groups. They also have a grand bird chandelier at the center and full height windows which offers a view of the garden and water features on one side.

Corniche Buffet @ Diamond Hotel PH

For reservations:
Corniche
Diamond Hotel Philippines
Roxas Boulevard, cor. Dr. J Quintos St., Manila.
Tel. 528-3000 / 305-3000
E-mail bizcenter@diamondhotel.com
Website: www.diamondhotel.com.

It’s a Thursday! Steak night tonight, Anyone?