Review: Mango Tree Bistro (Greenbelt 5)

Ended up going to Mango Tree Bistro for lunch because of 3 things:
1.) Big Buddha was closed for renovation.
2.) It was the typical hot summer day here in Manila (and Super Bowl of China was far).
3.) We were in the mood to try new things.

I initially concluded that this was another high-end Filipino restaurant because of the Mango Tree phrase. Fortunately for my hungry stomach, we realized that it was Thai food (Phad Thai!) once we checked out the menu. Opted to stay inside although the couches outside looked comfy and welcoming. (The heat is unbelievable nowadays and it's just mid-March.)

Since I didn't have any idea what to order in a Thai restaurant except for Phad Thai, we asked the waitress (forgot to ask her name, sorry!) their best-sellers. She was helpful enough to suggest the chicken wrapped in pandan, shrimp cakes, lemon grass chicken, pork spareribs, curry dishes (although she warned us that it was really spicy) and of course Phad Thai(!).

By the way, this will be the first time I'm writing a food review. FYI, I don't really know how to cook. But I love eating. And I've been known to suggest good food dining experiences. So... On to what we ordered.

Bagoong Rice (Khao Klook Kapi) P230.00. We enjoyed this since it was tasty but for the price, I thought that this was already good for sharing. As you can see, it's just a one cup rice with side dishes (mango, pineapple, egg, onion, peppers, small fried shrimps and sweet pork). And come to think of it, how can one go wrong with Bagoong Rice?

Pork Spareribs (See Krong Moo Yang) P450.00. Among the dishes, this was my least favorite. It was a bit dry and some of the meat was not tender enough. There was nothing really special going in this dish.

Curry Chicken (Panang Gai) P350.00. This was our favorite among what we ordered. It wasn't spicy as what we were led to believe. The serving was small but the rich flavor made up for it. The curry (soup) was creamy enough that I didn't mind the oil and went really well with the chicken. Nothing too aggressive which made the experience pleasant enough.

Phad Thai Goong (P350.00). I was a bit disappointed with this one. The whole experience wasn't as crunchy as I think it should have been. In my opinion, the sauces should have made the flavor but instead, the whole thing drowned in too much of it.


Pros:
1.) The best part for me was the presentation of each dish. It looked so delectable whenever they placed a dish in front of us.
2.) Another thing was the staff. They were nice enough to ask how the dishes fared, (which I think is a must in a restaurant since it makes the customers feel more at home and well taken cared of).

Cons:
1.) I didn't like the Thai music in the background. I know, that we were in a Thai restaurant, but do you hear Chinese music playing in Chinese restaurants? (Sorry, I just don't appreciate Thai music. But that's just me. I'm sure, some may even find the whole dining experience more authentic because of the music.)
2.) The food was pricey for daily lunch-outs. But since the flavors are imported from Thailand, maybe it's a good enough reason to have that pricing.
3.) The food was a case of hits and misses. (I hate the disappointing Phad Thai experience)

Would I come back?
If and when I'm craving for authentic Thai food. Other than that, I'm not in a hurry to go back since as I've said, the food was a case of hits and misses.

Mango Tree is located at Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5 (beside Mr. Jones). They also offer cocktail drinks for those who want to just chill out.

Photos by Carlo Meneses
http://www.flickr.com/photos/cal0y/
http://caloy.lens.ph/

Air Philippines Online Support Complaint

Hi Air Philippines,

I got this from your website:
APC MISSION

Air Philippines Corporation shall provide:
1. customers with safe and reliable air transportation with the best service at the least cost;
2. employees with career development and job satisfaction; and
3. stockholders with fair return on their investment.

Too many things just disappointed me about this airline who claims to give their customers worry-free adventures.

Here is the chronological order of events:
Jan 06, 2012:3:35pm: Booked Kalibo - Manila flight for 6 people (Mar 4, 7:45pm)
Feb 22:8:49am: Phone received a call from Air Phils but was not able to answer
Feb 22:8:51am: Received a text message from Air Phils informing of the schedule change (Mar 4, 2:40pm)
Feb 22:10:04am:Received a call from Air Phils and I was able to answer it. Was formally informed of the schedule change and gave me 2 options. To rebook the flight or cancel (all without penalties and with full refund). Gave me 48 hours to decide.
Feb 22: around 1:30 pm: Called AirPhils and requested to be rerouted instead. Was recommended to email instead onlinesupport@airphilexpress.com for assistance
Feb 22: 1:37pm: Emailed online support explaining the situation and requesting for the reroute.
Feb 23: 2:18am: Still no reply. Emailed online support for update.
Feb 24: 8:04PM: Online support replied (FINALLY!) inquiring about our 6-letter reservation code.
Feb 24: 11:12PM: Emailed the reservation code.
Feb 26: 10:11am: Email from Air Phils

Thank you for choosing Airphil Express.

Thank you for the message bringing to our attention your reported experience with us. At the outset, please accept our regrets for any disappointment caused you as a result.

We are sorry to learn that our schedule change impressed you unfavorably. Hence, it maybe helpful to note that you may rebook your flight without penalties due to schedule change. Another option is you may request cancellation and have it refunded in full if you are not amenable with the new flight schedule.

Feb 27: 12:09am: Here was my reply.

I don't mean to sound rude but your suggested options for us aren't really that helpful. Informing us a week prior to the schedule (especially summer time and a Kalibo flight at that), who are you kidding? Both suggestions are ludicrous. Rebooking when all your flights are either in the morning or early afternoon? How can you compare that to an evening flight? And you also suggest to cancel it (giving us full refund)? You informed us just with less than 2 weeks! Of course all the other flights from other airlines have either no more seats available on our preferred schedule or the prices are already expensive. Even if you give us our full refund, we still have to pay twice for others. Please don't make it seem like you're being reasonable with the options you gave us. In reality, you left us with no choice. It is insulting to your customers especially when you claim that you're delivering support 24/7. It's not the quantity of support, guys. It should always be the quality.

Feb 27: 7:03PM: Online support replied.

We apologize for the inconvenience our schedule change have caused. However, we may only offer you to have the tickets rebooked within 90 days from the original date of flight or refund the tickets with waived penalties.

We only hope to merit your understanding regarding this matter.

End of email conversation.

And no, Air Philippines. I will not give you the "merit of my understanding".

Three reasons why:
1. NO ONE explained to me why we were being rescheduled (a gap of 5 hours)
2. Why didn't no one call me from online support (which I believe is a higher department)? Who wants to talk with such impersonal and system-generated messages?
3. I was informed of this ELEVEN(11) DAYS prior to our flight which makes your options of little or of no practical value at all.

What you did to me is unacceptable and it feels personal. Now, my group is left with no choice but to accept your schedule. (Lest we get stuck in Kalibo for 90 days or pay twice/thrice the full refund that you're willing to provide.) But let me just say that you are nowhere near your NUMBER 1 mission. If this is the best service you can provide your customers, then I wish you luck in your future engagements.

(Review/Letter) Misibis Bay Stay

Well, let me veer away from the usual review and instead write a thank you letter to the Misibis Bay team on how well we were treated during our stay with them last January. I was able to purchase the deal through Deal Grocer, and it was the best buy I have so far! :) Warning: This might be quite long. :D

Hi Misibis Bay team,

I would just like to extend my family's gratitude to your whole staff. We went there last Jan 9-11 and the service was just superb. We cannot stop raving about it and we're really planning on going back. We were able to purchase the deal through dealgrocer and it was all worth it!

From Nina (of reception who was efficient in checking us in) to Jonas (who helped us out during our Segway Tour), our tour guides during the city tour who let us have a stopover on the Chili Ice Cream restaurant, Jeff (the waiter who super spoiled us during our last dinner there), all the waiters and waitresses who gave us whatever we needed, whenever we needed them, to the AVP Director of Recreations (I'm sorry there's just too many names to remember) who was very accommodating to our requests for the activities and just about everyone who made us feel welcomed and cared for.


Another thing, the room! My family was so happy with it! Next time we come back, we will only request for Villa 22! It was spacious enough and really clean. The beds were comfortable. And the glass wall was a creative touch to the whole room. Come 6 in the evening, someone usually comes in to help us pull down the curtain so that the privacy of the room can be maintained while we sleep. Oh, one last thing! The pool was just outside which is perfect for my mom because she got really cold so fast and wanted to take a shower immediately which is so convenient.




We also had so much fun doing the activities! Our first activity was the city tour which allowed us to view Mt. Mayon in such near proximity. We can't help but ooh and aaah on the magnificence of Mt. Mayon. (And let me tell you, our guides kept on asking if we wanted our pictures taken, which we did! Haha.) We were also able to visit the famous Cagsawa Ruins (usual post card of Mt Mayon) and churches around the city. As I've mentioned, we had a stopover in the Chili Ice Cream restaurant which was a different experience for me. The ice cream was typically cold, but once you swallowed it, you can actually feel the hotness and spiciness of the flavor. There was a sweet aftertaste each bite. We then proceeded to the hotel to check in. And 2 men dancing greeted us! It was raining the whole afternoon of our first day so we just slept and went around the resort to see the facilities.

Our second day was filled with activities. Since our voucher included free use of non-motorized sports equipment, we all tried it! Even both my senior citizen parents were game enough for the activities. After breakfast, we tried the zipline. (It was just a short ride but future expansions are in plan. I think they're just waiting for the equipment for the Superman ride. Woohoo!) And because my sister and I felt bitin, we went on it thrice! And the guides were nice enough to help us. Next were the water sports activities. We already tried the kayak and pedal boat in Acuatico, Batangas so we decided to just try the hobiecat, kneeboard and windsurf. I could hardly pull the sail when I was windsurfing. It was so heavy and difficult. After a few tries (I didn't fall at all and I was able to maneuver it a bit), I decided to let the guide maneuver the whole thing and just sit down. Hahahah. But the best part was the Segway Tour. It's a machine that would allow the driver to maneuver it through leaning forward or backward or sideways! My mom was so quick to learn it. :))

The only, and I'm so sorry to say this, but the only complaint I have was the food. It was just so-so for me for the rates. Nonetheless, the whole experience of dining was also a nice experience because the waiters and waitresses never failed on their great services. One time, I dropped my knife on the table, and lo and behold, they were already offering me another knife. If we wanted something, they would honestly go out their way to give our requests.

My family cannot wait to go back. We're looking for another deal. Hopefully you'll have that in time for summer! I wish I bought 2 vouchers from dealgrocer!

Again, many thanks!!