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Just a heads-up, this post is one year late. I know, I know. Sorry! I meant to post this right after our dinner date (in the most romantic restaurant in Cebu!) last year, but a week after Valentine’s day, my old blog (Vanilla Housewife Blog) died. Then, I had to re-brand and re-post whatever old articles I could find, create new content and somewhere along the way, this Valentine’s Day post got pushed back into the dark corners of the back burner.

I won the Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s Love Letter Writing Contest in 2017 and part of the prize was a Valentine’s dinner date in one of the most famous restaurants in Cebu, the Blu Bar & Grill. It remains to be one of the best dates that the Mister V and I had, so it definitely deserves a space on my blog, and here it is!

Blu Bar and Grill in Marco Polo Plaza Hotel is hands down one of the best restaurants in Cebu for me. From the food, the view, to the excellent customer service, everything was amazing. I felt like a princess the entire night! Never mind that I didn’t know which fork to use on which dish most of the time, I enjoyed every second we were there.

The panoramic view from the penthouse is simply breath taking! Awarded as one of the Philippines’ Best Restaurants by Philippine Tatler, Blu Bar & Grill gives you a 1,000-feet high dining experience like no other. The ambiance, the exquisite food and the fantastic view makes it the most romantic restaurant in Cebu City (and within 26 thousand mile radius!) for me.

Just take a look at that view. These were taken during my birthday staycation last April, 2017.

The menu for Valentine’s day 2017 was divine. I would have to apologize for the quality of the photos though, I didn’t think it would be appropriate for us to bring a huge camera to our date so these were all taken using my old phone. But trust me, these photos do not give justice to the taste at all!

Entree was Cornmeal and Fennel Dusted Soft Shell Crabs with arugula, pickled vegetable shavings, corn relish and bacon cilantro mayonnaise. This was paired with Martini Prosecco. Yum!

Soup was Seafood Chowder with smoked bacon, roasted red pepper and caper ruffle. This treat was paired with Baron Philippe de Rothschild Cadet d’Oc Chardonnay.

For the hot entree, we had Prosciutto Wrapped Prawns with red wine linguine, tomato marinated mushrooms, and mango caviar. And this by the way, is the part where I forgot my name. Prawns and I, we have a long history. We both love each other and tasting this dish was the culmination of our long-time love affair. Divine.

To prepare our palates for the star of the meal, we had Pineapple and Rosemary with air dried coconut chips.

For the main course, we had certified Angus Beef Tenderloin with Port Wine Jus with ratatouille, parmesan pommes macaire and braised beets. The sumptuous meal was paired with Baron Philippe de Rothschild Saint-Emilion Mouton Cadet Reserve.

To cap off the heavenly meal, we had Strawberry Champagne Oper Gatraux, Vanilla Macaroons, and Lemon Cremmux Truffles for dessert. Paired with Baron Philippe de Rothschild Mouton Cadet Sauternes, it was the perfect ending to a beautiful meal.

Contrary to the food mantra ‘If You Can’t Pronounce It, Don’t Eat It,’ I ate them all. And the wine? I drank them all, too. And I may have drunk the The Mister V’s share who had to go to work after our date.

And just in case you’re wondering how I remembered all those complicated sounding dishes, I don’t. Here’s the Blu Bar & Grill Menu for Valentine’s Day 2017 and I just copied them from here.

The Mister V and I also had a photo op with Marco Polo Plaza Cebu’s execs who were kind enough to welcome us when we arrived at the hotel.

Overall, it was a beautiful night. One of the most memorable dates ever! And what’s more beautiful about my Marco Polo Plaza experience was that the lovely marketing ladies contacted me again early February this year to check if I could do the honors of joining the panel of judges for this year’s Love Letters Contest.

Of course, I said YES!

Reading all the letters last February 10 was such an emotional roller coaster ride, but together with song writer Therese Marie Villarante and the Mystery Judge, choosing the winning piece wasn’t hard at all. One letter stood out among the 188 entries.

If you haven’t had the chance to read Cindy’s letter yet, I suggest that you do! And prepare a hanky! You can read it over here.

Thank you Marco Polo Plaza Cebu and to your awesome marketing duo- Manna and Yumny for making my Marco Polo experiences memorable!

To make a reservation in Blu Bar & Grill, you may call (032) 253 1111.

To see the room rates in Marco Polo Plaza, check here.

Marco Polo Plaza Hotel Cebu
Phone: +63 (32) 253 1111
Cebu Veterans Drive, Nivel Hills, Apas
Cebu City, 6000, Philippines