For my 9th and last day of Misa de Gallo, I went to the National Shrine of the Sacred Heart in Makati City. The church is just along Dao St. and right smack in the middle of Makati CBD. Since we got there a few minutes before the mass started, we weren't able to get seats inside the air-conditioned building. Good thing the weather was excellent so it was okay for us to stay outside. They placed monobloc chairs outside to accommodate the crowd.
In order to ensure that the churchgoers won't miss the action happening in the altar, they installed a widescreen LCD TV in front where they can view the mass that is being filmed. Too bad their speakers outside can only project the voice of the priest and not the choir so we had a hard time figuring out what tune and what version of the hymns they were singing.
The mass ended at 5am.
I was so happy to have finished the 9-day simbang gabi! To those of you who was also able to complete the Misa de Gallo, CONGRATULATIONS! Snaps for us! *biggest grin*
Since we completed the simbang gabi, we felt the need to celebrate. So we went to Circles Event Cafe in Shangri-la Hotel, Makati to grab breakfast. Circles opens at 6am and the breakfast buffet ends at 10:30am. Price is at Php1,200.00/nett per person.
As soon as the restaurant opened, we went to our table, dropped our things and headed towards the buffet to see what's on the menu.
My favorite station
They have their small Indian station where they offer roti, tandoori roti, naan, curries of all kinds, and a lot more.
Filipino and Chinese stations
After seeing all stations, my friends and I already knew what we want to sample first.
I love sashimi. That's why my heart leaped when I saw the Japanese food station. With all the sashimi I consumed, I know I've spent more than Php1,200.00. And the best thing about Circles is that it's a buffet! I went back to stuff myself with sashimi 3 times. Love eet.
I fell in love with their salad station because I got to play around with the ingredients. For this plate, I dressed the lettuce up with goat cheese, grated parmesan, black olives, pepperoni, bacon bits and drizzled it with lemon olive oil.
Aside from the fresh fruit juices at the juice bar, they also offered us coffee, hot chocolate and fresh lemonade. Drinks are included in the buffet price.
We didn't try their Indian fares because our stomachs might react differently since we're not used to eating Indian food early in the morning. Top 5 things I love from their selection- (1) Sashimi; (2) Salad; (3) Sausages; (4) Croissants; (5) Sashimi! Haha!
We stayed from opening until closing. So that means from 6am-10:30am. To me, the secrets to a great buffet are 3 things- (1) Bring good friends to share conversations with; (2) Take your time. Pacing is the key; (3) Bring your adventurous appetite.
I am so happy to have completed this year's Misa de Gallo. I offer this sacrifice as well as the intentions that go with it to my family. Hopefully by 2010, we'll all be completing the simbang gabi together. To my fab friends, thank you for joining me in this novena. Next year ulit!
To my wonderful online friends, thank you for taking the journey with me as I visited different churches. You're all in my prayers.
Have a blessed Christmas everyone!
