Dine and be mesmerized in luscious culinary bliss at The Promenade

Text by Ronelo S. Ladiao
Photos by Marichel Teves-Magalona and Sheryl Daine Areño

The Promenade. Currently one of Metro-Iloilo's most sought-after dining haven of meticulous Ilonggo food lovers that ceaselessly enthrall everyone with their culinary masterpieces.

The Promenade's wide array of culinary menus that wakes your dining meal truly sumptous & blissful.

Days Hotel. The city's finest hotel that blissfully pamper visitors and tourists with their one-of-a-kind service located atop Iloilo's pioneer shopping mall.

International dishes. Splendidly luscious as ever from Chinese New Year's Dimsum delight, Japanese succulent sushi, Korean barbeque, Mongolian mystique and our very own Filipino Ihaw-ihaw favorites will surely mesmerize you.

One whole week of fascinating culinary dining treat enthralled food lovers like me and all the Ilonggos who experienced the satisfying and unique service of The Promenade at Days Hotel. It all began with their spectacular Chinese New Year buffet dinner in the evening of February 5, 2005 wherein few days prior to the entrance of the year of the “Wooden Rooster” The Promenade offered a blissful shower of delectable culinary dishes inspired by Chinese culture. Days Hotel's guests and visitors were treated to an impressive dining in a night oozing with fabulous food, filling their tummy and senses of what a fine meal should be. From the mouth-watering main course such as Spicy Braised Beef Casserole, Sauteed Chicken Fillet with Black Beans, Stir-Fried Rainbow Vegetable, Steam Fish with Pork, Yang Chow Fried Rice to Chinese Steamed salad, Chinese Salad Rich Style and Seafood Sald with Lime Coriander Dressing. The evening appetizers were Assorted Dimsum, Spring Rolls and Spicy Hot Tofu Triangles while their Fried Noodles with Seafood, Rice Flat Noodles and Roast Pork with Hoisin Sauce captivated the guests' meticulous taste. There were also some all-time favorite and tasty Fortune Cookies for goodluck, Buchi and “Tikoy” to add attraction to a wide array of desserts along with some classically yummy Choco Nut Mousse, Mango Trifle, Almond Lychee, Cathedral Window Cake and the very-summer Halo-halo treat. Surely, Mr. Ian Bermejo, The Promenade's amiable restaurant manager always prepares sumptuous menus to pamper their guests and visitors.

TNT's dynamic team savor the culinary bliss of the Promenade. (L to R) Ronelo Ladiao, Algreen Estrella, Marichel Magalona, Mark Anthony Gumban and Erly Garcia.

Last Monday, I could not refuse the affable invitation of Days Hotel's dynamic Food and Beverage manager, Mr. Rey Ponsaran to dine for a whole week of sumptuous lunch from February 7 until February 11, 2005. For the whole week The Promenade served different Asian dishes for an average price of 195 pesos buffet meal. On the first day, everyone was truly delighted with Japanese culinary masterpieces from succulent sushi, Tempura, Japanese Squid balls to Teriyaki sauced beef, meat and fish that left a lasting taste buds satisfaction throughout the whole lunchtime. In fact, almost all of the diners that day were Japanese guests who truly appreciated the meal and culinary treat.

The Promenade's prolific staff in red Chinese suit during the special Chinese New Year buffet.

Second day was all about Korean cuisine and its distinct aroma of great dishes that aroused everybody's senses. The Asian lunch buffet of The Promenade goes in unforgettable ‘Trinity' sequel as they served Chinese Dimsum delight. It was very timely and relevant for the first day of the ‘Wooden Rooster' year wherein the whole Atrium Mall and Days Hotel were serenaded by a fabulous and panoramic dragon dance to attract goodluck and business success as part of the age-old Chinese belief. Surely, diners were once again lifted in culinary bliss and great satisfaction with their delectable Dimsum.

On the fourth day, Thursday, February 10 was another great lunch as we tried our very own Filipino homegrown Ihaw-ihaw favorites. We were enthralled and felt like we were dining (we really are) in a first-class Turo-turo restaurant with all the dishes in town. We got mesmerized by the delicious roasted and grilled barbecue pork, chicken, beef, etc. that honestly satisfied our food cravings.

Finally, in the final day of my culinary voyage and food trip at The Promenade we were served and mystified by the lip-smacking and traditionally luscious Mongolian dishes wherein we chose from more than thirty various seafood, meat, vegetable, noodles and spicy-hot exotic sauces sautéed to be cooked then satisfy our palate.

An unforgettable dining escapade and discovery for a fast food fanatic like me to try the classy yet magnificently delectable dining treat, a bliss-like culinary haven fitted to the meticulous taste of the Ilonggos. So, to get yourself the most fascinating, satisfying, scrumptious and tasteful lunch, dinner or whatever food obsession you pampered within your exhausted soul don't hesitate to visit The Promenade at Days Hotel, a sassy and classy place to dine and levitate your senses in uplifting culinary delight. As for my friends and me, we will keep coming back for more! Now, let The Promenade be your greatest dining covenant here in a city shaded and cloaked by compassion—Metro Iloilo!

(Speak your tongue with the best culinary haven in the city! e-mail the author at rslphoenix@yahoo.com)