Resort Review: Club Balai Isabel

My highschool friends and I usually have monthly game days. But since it's summer, we thought it'd be more fun to have a game weekend outside Manila. Wala lang, adik lang sa scrabble :)

I searched a couple of places online trying to find a place near Manila good for our group of 7 adults and 3 children, affordable, plenty of space which offers other entertainment for the kids and preferably with cooking option. After considering several venues, we finally decided on Balai Isabel in Talisay, Batangas.We stayed at one of their Orchard Lane unit.

Orchard Lane - 3 buildings consisting of 6 units each

We were given Rm 302 which was on the 3rd floor. Unfortunately, we bought a lot of stuff so we had to take multiple trips up and down the stairs. If you can, request to be put on the 2nd floor. You have a balcony but you don't get tired climbing the stairs. 

Our unit was at the 3rd floor (with the towel on the balcony) 

Across the Orchard Lane were about 7-8 big tables and each one can accommodate 8 people comfortably. The night we were there, there was a big gathering which looked like a family reunion. They rented out a couple of units and just had their salo-salo here. I thought it was a good idea. 

Just across the units were some tables where you can have your picnic

The tables overlooked an open area which I imagine would be great for frisbee, relay games or even plain habulan.

Beyond the picnic tables was a field

The unit itself was good. It was not that large but we did not feel cramped. Basically it had:

2 Queen size bed in the bedroom (each bed good for 2 adults or 2 adults with 1 small child)

2 single bed in the living room with pull outs 

1 square table good for 4

4 chairs 

1 square marble top table out on the balcony 

4 stone chairs out on the balcony 

1 TV 

A 4-burner gas range with exhaust hood 

8 set of plates

8 set of spoon and fork

8 mugs

8 glasses

1 kaldero 

1 kawali 

1 sianse 

1 small refrigerator 

1 hotwater kettle

2 split type aircon (1 inside the bedroom, 1 outside)

1 CR with hot and cold water

Toilettries (shampoo and soap for each guest) 

Coffe packs for each guest

1 bottled water for each guest

1 Telephone 

Towels for each guest 

A pilow and blanket for each guest

Toilet paper

However:

* No WIFI - Oh let, me correct myself, we had a bit of a Wifi access the first day which was super slow and then for the 2nd or 3rd day, nothing. 

* No dishwashing detergent or scrubber

* No robes

* No slippers

* No dental kit

* No doormat

* No minibar

2 queen size beds

Inside the bedroom, the mattress on the bed was thick and firm.  Sheets were clean and pillows were big and semi-firm. It had an inside blanket which I appreciated since I hate nothing more than using the bed cover as a blanket. The aircon inside the room works very well. Sometimes, too well since it gets quite cold even in the lowest setting. The room is big enough that you could even fit one more single bed for an extra charge. The extra bed was just a mattress that they set up at the foot of the bed. 

TV in the living room

My niece getting ready to sleep in one of the pull outs

The living room had the 2 single beds with pull outs. During the daytime, it can be used a sofa. There was also an aircon so no problem about feeling the heat if you're sleeping here. The TV was a bust since the reception wasn't good. Since we were there for swimming and games, we did not even open the TV.

Kitchen with complete utensils (not including the water jug)

I love the fact that there was a cooking option at no extra charge AND they provide the basic utensils. It saved us a lot of money to be able to bring in the food and just cook it/heat it up. There was an exhaust hood so no problem with the smell. The refrigerator was a bit small and did not cool our drinks/food sufficiently. We put in some beers the first day and it was only on our second night that it got cold, no joke.

For a unit that is for 6 people it was a bit of a puzzle why the table was good only for 4. But we solved that problem by bringing in the table and chairs form the balcony.  

spacious CR

The CR was very spacious and was accessible from the room and the kitchen (2 doors). The shower pressure was very strong, plenty of hot water, hooks available at the back of the 2 door but very little counter space. The CR was clean enough but could have been better. The towels were a bit worn out and not that big but good enough. No exhaust fan just a small window. 

smells amazing

The Orchard Lane was about 5-10 minute walk from the main pool, lakeside or reception area/restaurant. Along the way, you would go by a smaller pool, basketball court and function area. 

pathway going towards the main pool

There are 3 pools at Balai Isabel;

A regular size pool (Talisay Garden Pool) which is about a 2 minute walk from Orchard Lane. No kiddie pool and its 4-6ft deep. The changing room/bathroom was poorly made and there were only about 2-3 small tables beside the pool.

A regular size pool (Terraza Pool) which has a good view of Taal/lakeside but the turn off was that it was in plain view of the clubhouse.

The main pool (Kumintang Pool) shown below which was huge and near the lake. The kiddie pool (1-2 ft deep) was a regular size pool by itself. The deep end was 4-7ft. No slides or anything but the children enjoyed themselves nevertheless. Since they have plenty of tables and chairs beside the pool underneath big trees, the adults were able to get a scrabble game in while the children played. The CR/changing room was also pretty but no exhaust fan.

serious :D

Officially, it says that we're not allowed to bring food in but no one was really following this. I believe they open at around 8:30am. I also read that you need to get the pool towels at the reception area (about 2-3 min walk one way) which can be a bummer so we just bought our own towel. At 10am, there were a LOT of people in the pool but it tapered off at around 12nn until we were the only one there. There is a lifeguard but he was just manning the adult pool. No staff you can call to order drinks/food.

The adult pool side of Kumintang pool 

The kiddie pool side at Kumintang pool

Playground just beside the Kumintang pool

First time my niece saw Taal and dipped into the lake

way to Balai Isabel

Location:

We decided to take the Star Tollway since we didn't want the hassle of going through Tagaytay. No traffic whatsoever and we just went through South Luzon Express Way (SLEX) through Star Tollway and exited the Tanauan/Talisay Exit. From the exit, its about 15-20? min to the Talisay proper. Be very careful since the sign to Balai Isabel was small and we almost missed it. At the town proper, look for the municipal building on the right side then after that the 7-11 store on the left. A few meters away is the sign to Balai Isabel which is on the left side. From Paranaque to Balai Isabel was about 1-1/2 hr depending on the traffic.

Price:

It is P6325 per night for 6 person without breakfast. Each additional guest (even if child) is P550/night. The unit can sleep 8 people very comfortably. Even though it says on the website 8 max, we were able to ask them to allow 1 more person. We just added an extra bed for a one time charge of P500.

Final Verdict

The place is kid/family/barkada friendly. They have different types of rooms that can accommodate your group. The one we had was just perfect for us. I absolutely love the fact that they have a kitchen you can use, they provide the basic utensils and NO cooking charge. If you have a large group, being able to bring food helps a lot in bringing down the budget. There are plenty of place you can go so even though there were a lot of guests, it does not feel full - including the swimming pool. The rooms were a good size, good quality beddings and had all you need. The aircon was strong as well as the water pressure. The staff were very accommodating in our requests such as additional foot towel and disposable plates. Good view of Taal.

There were only some minor annoyances such as poor WiFi, poor TV reception, some of the facilities are already run down, bathroom was a bit outdated, they don't allow early check in, they don't allow late check in, ordering ice is P120 (because it has to be delivered from the restaurant) but nothing to get worked up on.

I can recommend staying here especially if you're in a group.

Friendly advise: 

Bring cooler and ice to put your drinks and other perishable items
Bring dish washing soap and scrubber
Bring paper towel
Bring plenty of games and sunblock and
Have fun!

Have a great summer, guys!

Burger Bar: In Search of the Perfect Burger 2

My quest for the perfect burger also led me to this place: Burger Bar located at Greenbelt 2 in Makati.

I've passed this place a couple of times but the lure of nearby Bizu and Mary Grace was always stronger. However, last week, I focused just enough to finally try this place.

catchy

The ambiance was laid back, very casual. The menu was interesting in a DIY (Design-It-Yourself) kind of way. You have the option to choose the bun, the burger (depending on what part of the cow goes into the patty), toppings and add on.  Actually, all of it was pretty overwhelming and on any other day my creative side would have gleefully taken on the challenge. But that day, I was stressed out at work and just choosing was overwhelming (yeah, yeah, first world problems :P).

 Thankfully, they also have ready made burgers.

After checking out what seems to be an awful lot of burger choices, we finally made the decision.

Q-Daddy - An ox blend patty of flank, oxtail and rib-eye, yellow cheddar, onion tanglers, crisp bacon
strips, iceberg lettuce, tomato, jalapeno ranch and sweetly spiced BBQ sauce on sesame seed bun  - P380

The Q-Daddy burger was small but piled high with the add-ons. The bacon was crispy as well as the onion tanglers. The BBQ sauce was good with that sweet/salty combination. The lettuce and tomato tasted and smelled fresh. Unfortunately, the same thing could not be said of the burger. How should I put this? There was a slight smell to the burger which leads me to believe that it was frozen but not properly defrosted. The taste was okay but I couldn't go past the smell. Too bad. It ruined the whole burger experience for me.

Buttermilk chicken tenders with roasted jalapeno ranch and
BBQ Dip - P275

The Chicken Tenders was good. I know they said it was coated with buttermilk but I feel like there was something else included. It tasted like the coating used for fried mozarella sticks. In any case, it was good, cooked through and firm. The BBQ sauce was okay but I still miss the honey mustard sauce from Fridays. The ranch dressing was blah. No hint of jalapeno at all. The fries at Jollibee's is better. Sorry. 

Shrimp and Tomato Alfredo Pasta - P315

The Shrimp and Tomato Alfredo Pasta was an okay enough dish, nothing really special. There were plenty of small shrimps. I wished there were more sauce but it coated the spaghetti just enough. Serving was good for 1.

options, options

For each burger choice, you have the option which type of add on you'd like. We had the R18 which is skinny fries and 1 local beer. For P110, not bad. 

interesting

It was mid week and still had work the following day. So we didn't really try their cocktails. 

BurgerBar is just beside Mary Grace at Greenbelt 2

Final Verdict?

This place is perfect for people who wants to control what goes into their burger. They offer plenty of choices. A little bit put off by the smell of the burger but maybe it was a bad night for the chef? Not sure if I would try it again. A bit expensive. Expect to pay P600-P700 for a burger, drink and fries.

Burger BarG/F Greenbelt 2, Esperanza St cor Greenbelt DrAyala Center, Makati(02) 625-2792

Burger and Brewskies: In Search of the Perfect Burger 1

I'm not really a fan of burgers but lately I've been craving for some big, juicy, meaty burger. The kind I had one summer in Baltimore, Maryland. I could never forget that burger since it was so big  (no joke - almost as big as my face), cooked all the way through but very juicy and not dry at all. It was just seasoned with salt and pepper, slapped on a bun and ketchup was added. Perfect.

In honor of that delicious memory, I tried 2 burger restaurants this week. The first one was Burger&Brewskies at BGC  - near Mind Museum and located at Burgos Circle.

After checking out the menu, my friends and I finally opted for The Kandi and the Call the Nurse burger.

The Kandi - 1/3 lbs beef patty with roasted garlic aioli,
B&B cheese sauce, onion confi and spiced candied bacon - P265

The Kandi burger was smaller than I expected, beef patty was nicely cooked to medium, cheese sauce runnier than I would have liked but the spiced candied bacon was spot on. I could eat the bacon all by itself as a side order (hmm ... wonder if I can?). Overall, a nice good burger (better than most burgers I've tasted) but I would have liked the patty to be a bit bigger to have that big, juicy effect that I crave.

I feel I could eat 2 of these

Call the Nurse - 1/3 lbs beef patty, spiced mustard aioili,
B&B cheese sauce, seared mac and cheese, honey sriracha bacon - P280

One of their best seller is the Call the Nurse burger. Intriguing choice of name but not sure why. It's still the same burger patty but with some mac and cheese,honey sirarcha bacon and mustard aioli. Truth to tell the aioili (a fancy name for mayonnaise with garlic) did not stand out much and although the mac and cheese was certainly different, it did little to add to the flavor of the burger. The siraracha bacon had that bit of spice and oh-so-crunchy. Overall a filling and nice burger. 

Kick-Ass Spuds - fried marble potato salad with bacon,
chili pepper and scallion - P85

The Kick-Ass Spuds. What can I say? I love my spuds but this one was special. The combination of the mayonnaise with a hint of spiciness and crunchy bacon was a winning combination. I didn't feel the heat until much later and it was a pleasant nudge instead of a kick.  Adequate serving for the price. Among all the things I've tried, this one was the clear winner.

Angry Korean - chicken wing in soy garlic sauce with honey - P195

I was also pleasantly surprised by the Angry Korean. This one had 3 wings but were bigger than most chicken wings you order from restaurants. The chicken was hot (temperature-wise), juicy, saucy and had the nice combination of spicy/salty/sweet. It can give Bonchon a run for its money. Best served with alcohol ;p

B&B Nachos - nacho chips with picadillo meat, fresh tomato salsa,
nacho cheese sauce, pickled jalapenos, sour cream - P240

The B&B Nachos was the most disappointing. It was just so ... ordinary. No personality at all. It is the same ones being sold by most restaurants. The chip at Chili's and Fridays are way better than this one. The B&B Nacho is also bit expensive. It would've been better if we skipped this one. 

Cucumber Mojito - P160, Dirty Arnold - P140;
This Little Piggy Went to the Bar - P200

Since the restaurant is Burger and Brewskies, of course expect a lot of alcohol drinks on the menu. They have local and imported beer but my friends and I were feeling fancy and opted for their B&B Infused Spirits. The prices were not actually not that bad. The drinks were delicious, had a bit of alcohol but not too much (I had a slight buzz going on at the end) and kudos for serving up some interesting combinations.

Complete drink menu here.

Lychee Martini - P60 (a steal!)

On the day we stopped by, they had happy hour and were offering some cocktails at discounted rates. The Classic Mojito, Margarita, Lychee Martini and something else (can't remember)was P60/drink available only from 6-9pm. I had the Lychee Martini. I wished it was way much colder but had no complaint about the amount of alcohol in the drink. Whew! I could smell how strong the drink was even before I took a sip. 

Located at Burgos Circle, the place is small and very casual. There were plenty of waitstaff and no problem catching their attention when you need anything. The items on the menu was very descriptive so you know exactly what you are ordering.

look at those beers ...... 

B&B

Final Verdict 

I like the fact that their burger patties taste and smell fresh. However, their flavor combination needs a bit of extra push on flavor. Overall, not bad. Better than your burger at the local fastfood place. I do wish, thought, that they would have thicker burger patties to have that big and juicy effect. 

They have a pretty good menu with lots of interesting items which I'd like to go back and try. Their drink menu is extensive and a good partner with their food. The side dishes were awesome (except the nachos). Overall, a very nice place to relax, have a good burger and drink a couple of beers with friends. Expect to pay around P500-P700 for burger, drink and appetizer to share. 

Burgers & Brewskies 
Unit E, Forbes Town Center
Burgos Circle, BGC
Open daily: Sunday-Thursday 11am-1130pm, Friday-Satruday 11am-2am.

Tel : 4034038