Lunch at Phoenix Court, Bellevue Hotel

Last Christmas, Mel won a minor prize in their department party: a gift certificate for lunch for two at The Phoenix Court in Bellevue Hotel, Alabang. We lost track of that GC until I saw it in my desk at home, among a pile of notes, and realized it was going to expire this June. So off we went to Bellevuer one Saturday for a taste of their "a la carte buffet" (that was what the GC said).

Going to Bellevue Hotel in Alabang wasn't difficult. We got there from Pandacan in 30 minutes, on a Saturday lunch hour. Once you get off the highway and enter the Alabang-Zapote Road, watch out for the Filinvest subdivision entrance in the second or third street on the right. You can reach the hotel through this street.

The Phoenix Court is a Chinese restaurant located in the hotel's Tower Wing. It had an abundant menu of dishes. I was wondering how they could have mixed up a la carte and buffet in one breathe. It turned out, what they meant was eat-all-you-can a la carte. To avail of the a la carte buffet, you simply have to order from the menu whatever you can finish. No sharing, no takeout, no leftovers - those are the rules.

Whoever thought of the label for this GC seems to have forgotten that the main difference between the two styles of food service is the way it is served. Buffet meals are laid out before you, while a la carte is served per order. Nevertheless, despite the confusion over the manner of serving, the taste of the food was good. We were clear on what dishes we liked the most.

One hakao left

Let me start with the appetizers. We ordered Steamed Prawn Dumpling or Hakao, and Deepfried Prawn Dumpling Salad. Both were good, especially the second one. Then I ordered a bowl of Braised Spinach Soup with Seafood, which had that greeny appearance reminiscent of Slimer (from Ghostbusters). It also has a bland taste so you need to spice it up a bit.

Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper

Cuttlefish with Chili Sauce

Finally, our main courses arrived. Mel ordered Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper and Cuttlefish with Chili Sauce. The beef is, by far, the best of the set. The tender meat strips seemed to have been marinated in black pepper or a peppercorn sauce, and cooked with its marinade, creating a flavorful dish. The cuttlefish was also delicious, with a taste borrowed from the chili. It was worth the second, third, fourth bites and so on.

Roasted Duck Hong Kong Style

I ordered Roasted Duck Hong Kong Style. If prepared correctly, roast duck will no doubt be promising. This one, however, was, to me, a bit overcooked. It wasn't as tender as I would've wanted it to be, neither was it spectacularly tasty. In other words, it was a bit of a flop, though we eventually cleaned the plate.

Braised Shrimps Ho Fan

The Yang Chow Fried Rice can be ordered by cup, and we got one for Mel. My Braised Shrimps Ho Fan, however - which I chose in place of rice - came in a large platter.

I drowned my spoonfuls with glorious Green Tea Kiwi Smoothie, a blend of green tea, kiwi, yoghurt and honey. Love it! Mel, as usual, sampled a glass of Mapu cabernet sauvignon (a Chilean variety).

Overall, we had a lovely lunch. We like the quiet ambiance of Phoenix Court, even when there were other diners. We're also planning to check out the hotel one of these days. They're offering a promo for Father's Day (up to the end of June only, which is this week), both Bellevue Hotel and its sister establishment, the B Hotel, just on the other side of Filinvest Corporate City in Alabang.