I didn’t expect much for my birthday this year given the current circumstances. All I wanted was to take a week off of work and some perfectly grilled lamb chops. Guess what? I got both, and a whole lot more!

I went back to Manila a few days before my birthday just to eat from the restaurants I’ve missed. I had Easy Tiger’s pad thai, spring rolls, and thai milk tea, Din Tai Fung’s salted egg yolk prawns, fried rice, and xiao long bao, and Beeffalo’s ribs and smoked beef belly!

Stefan and I also spent a couple of days in Tagaytay to eat some more, lol. First stop, Balay Dako:

Of course we ordered bulalo, since bulalo is a must when you go to Tagaytay. And then we also had  sizzling pork sisig.

We stayed at Taal Vista Hotel and the birthday bash setup made me really excited!

I got this mountain plushie, a small cake, balloons, and a birthday card as part of the birthday bash package, plus, a 500-peso gift voucher I can use at The Veranda, the hotel’s restaurant.

The birthday card is full of well-wishes from the hotel’s staff. I know they’re excited to get back to work too since the hotel has been closed for months due to the lockdowns.

We used the gift voucher for dinner. I had Sinigang na Hipon while Stefan had Pan Seared Salmon:

The best part about our stay is that our room had an overlooking view of the Taal Lake. I spent the next morning drinking hot coffee and just admiring the view – best Monday morning of 2020 so far.

Before going back to Laguna, we had lunch at Marcia Adam’s and I appreciate the place and the food better this time compared to my first visit. The first time I was here, the place was packed and I didn’t get to order what I really want, this time since it’s my birthday I was all out lol.

I took this photo of Stefan and noticed that his backdrop is prettier haha, so I asked if we could switch seats.

The place is just so pretty! I particularly requested the seats by the balcony, Miss Janine was really nice to take on all of my requests. For starters, we both had mushroom soup:

I was a bit overwhelmed by the mushroom soup’s flavor – it’s a little too thick and I prefer ones that are on the creamier side. For the mains Stefan had Beef Tenderloin and Bacon Kebabs:

I didn’t get to try it because I’m enjoying my own food, but Stefan said it was just okay. I had their Grilled Lamb Chops with Sheep’s Milk Cheese:

I’m just really happy because “perfectly grilled lamb chops” are all I want for my birthday and I’m finally getting some. I really liked that the pepper and other spices made the crust a bit crunchy – not the best lamb chops that I had but I definitely will recommend to try this dish if you’ll be dining at Marcia Adam’s – 3.75/5!

For desserts, I had their Lavender Crème Brulée while Stefan had the Strawberry Yogurt Ice Cream with Berry Compote. Dining at Marcia Adam’s was the highlight of my birthday – I guess second time’s really a charm.

Back to Laguna – I ordered this minimalist birthday cake from Made with Love by Aya. At first, I was planning to bake my own cake but there’s just not enough time. But the good thing is that I got to try Aya’s cake and I’m impressed at how the frosting is thick despite it being just butter cream. I also liked how the blush pink shade turned out.

And since I’m most probably at Japan if the pandemic didn’t take over, we just ordered food from our favorite Japanese restaurant nearby.

I think this is the first in a very long time that I got to spend my actual birthday at home I just wish that my sister was here with us. Still, I’m grateful that despite the pandemic, I still got to celebrate. I’m also thankful that my parents are still giving me gifts despite my age haha, love you parents!

And of course, I’m very lucky to have this guy beside me all throughout. Thank you Stefan for driving me around so that I get to eat the food I crave, for celebrating with me at Tagaytay, and for being with me and my family on my actual birthday. Saranghae 😛

Officially 27! I just wish that the many more years I’ll spend on this world would be meaningful and fruitful. I would also like to thank everyone who wished me well on my birthday! Here’s a very short clip on how everything went:

’til my next post!