I was recently recruited by Betsy Gazo to be part of Bacolod’s elite (ehem) food critic, Team Tikim. I was elated and apprehensive at the same time. I mean, look at the team’s composition – Betsy Gazo, Bambi Borromeo and Ruth Cruz – all well-traveled, accomplished in their fields, and very cosmopolitan.
Am I competent enough? Can I meet their expectations? These were my thoughts as I pondered on Betsy’s invitation to join them. However, I believe it’s an opportunity that seldom comes, so I grabbed it not only for myself but for my blog Experience Negros. I will consider myself as an apprentice and learn from the experts and at the same time I will also get to feature the different dining places in Bacolod we review.
My first assignment was with the review of O Hotel’s offerings. Ruth wasn’t able to go with us so we had to call in tour guide Raymund Bayot to take her place.
As you may know, O Hotel was the former Bacolod Executive Inn. The hotel has undergone major renovations when the new owners took over. The sleeker new look is perfect for business meetings as well as for informal gatherings.
We were met by hotel manager Mrs. Aida Sy and Em Em Ong, a member of the family who owns the hotel. Although it wasn’t our first time to eat at the hotel, we let them chose what to serve us for dinner.
We were served two salads, Tossed Green & Fruits and Chicken Almond Salad. The bowls were filled to the brim and can already be a meal for those on a diet. Both passed our discriminating taste but I personally prefer the Tossed Green & Fruits. The mix of lettuce, apple slices, papaya and mango chunks was very invigorating.
The Grilled Back Ribs was tender and the sauce was very tasty. Although for value-for-money, I’d still go for that other place for the low-priced backribs in Bacolod.
The Quartered Chicken in Marsala Sauce was good but I think the sauce was a bit thick. We took a long time to sample it so it’s probably one of the factors. It could have been better if we immediately ate it.
Steamed Dory Teriyaki got our two thumbs up. It has just the right amount of sauce and you can savor the freshness of the fish.
We all agreed that the Beef Salpicao of O Hotel was one of the best, if not the best, in Bacolod. Ours was medium well and it was very tender, juicy and with just a tinge of pinkness in the middle.
Would I recommend O Hotel? Definitely. The food is very commendable and the staff were accommodating even when they didn’t know we are about to review their food. I know this since I arrived earlier and I was treated very well by the staff. Price-wise, it’s about the same as any standard hotel in Bacolod. If you eat in group and share, about P300 per person would be your budget.
I guess my first foray into food review with a team was a success and a worthwhile experience. It’s quite interesting to listen to the other Team Tikim members describe the flavors of the food. It’s not enough just to say it’s delicious but you have to describe why it’s delicious. In addition to a discriminating taste, I should bring with me a lot of adjectives for the next Team Tikim review.
Bon appétit!
If you’ve been to O Hotel Restaurant, please share with us your experience at the comments section. Please help guide our visitors by giving your ratings with 5 stars as the highest.