[BANDUNG] HOTEL HILTON

Mornin' everyone! Before we start, just a quick warning that this post is gonna be a long one! Brace yourselves!

Uber excited that we've got the chance to review our second spot and first ever hotel tour that is located in Bandung! Gotta thank God for that! A month ago, we received a rare opportunity for a staycation at Hilton Hotel for 2 days!! Yayy! Top reason why I'm so happy about Hilton is cause the foods here are known for their great taste! Came here with fellow foodies; Shelmi, Eddy, Verdi and Veggy. Every month Hilton would give this generous opportunity to 5 bloggers to embark on their luxurious journey!

Curious on how our days went? Well, let's start!

DAY 1

We're gonna start off right from the beginning, the meeting point was at Plaza Semanggi's Dunkin Donuts and a black car sent by Hilton came to pick us up at 8 am. The journey was planned to take about 2-3 hours from Jakarta to Bandung but because of the bad traffic, it became 4-5 hours, so all of the tight schedule got a bit delayed! Good news was a generously prepared breakfast box filled with pastries; croissants and danish, was there to save us from hunger! Something sweet and savory is always a great way to start your morning adventure! They were a teaser of Hilton's top pastries and it was DELICIOUS! Crispy yet mellow croissant and danish that I couldn't forget 'till now, even if this was just a little something prepared by Hilton, the quality was definitely unquestionable!

Finally we arrived at our destination! A little something about Hilton; located just 10 minutes from Bandung International airport with services and amenities focused on comfort and convenience, the hotel is the ideal base for business trips and family vacations to Indonesia. Did you know that they also received a Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice® award for 2014 and Certificate of Excellence Award?! Wow!

Upon arrival we had to wait a while, so we decided to explore the lobby and I stumble upon this super cool stairs! I always have a thing for spiraling stairs!

You're gonna see this stairs very often in this post, so don't get tired of it, 'kay?

Ta-da!! Executive Lounge! Gorgeous and elegant, lounge made at it's best solely to satisfy! Marketing manager; Ms. Juliawati Sadeli, kindly invited us to explore the said Executive Lounge; meanwhile, getting our room key!

This is located on the 11th floor, spacious, sophisticated and elegant, yet strangely comfortable! The most ideal lounge one could ever ask for!

Enjoy breakfast, afternoon tea, evening cocktails and canapes, refreshments, and the most important, internet access! If you want to invite a non-executive floor guest, for breakfast the charge would be IDR 135K++ and for evening cocktail is IDR 250K++ per person. The service here is totally a 5 star rate!

And you can just imagine some businessman and woman just lounging around here, resting their mind and body from the hectic life!

Expect nothing less from this Executive Lounge!

Straight after the luxurious lounge, we went to our respective rooms to put our luggage, and...
Here's the scenery I witnessed! I'm at a loss of words! The interior is magnificent and simply dazzling. Not to mention its comfort that goes beyond expectation!



Left me totally speechless seeing how much space this room has for nobody else but me!
It's actually good for two, even four if you don't mind having extra beds if you're a young family. 





Also supported by complete facilities: TV, internet, working table, and chiller. Special service for the lazy guys, I'm starting to think I don't even need to leave the room...except that I know that this place still has so much things in store for me!

Even the complimentary F&B's package were so classy!



Welcoming sweets, delivered immediately to the room! Macaron and chocolate, yay!



And if you're looking for something more Indonesian, they also have these traditional Bandung delicacies awaiting!



And I almost forgot to tell you about this! Poolside view!!! Thank you so much hilton! Even though I get to only enjoy it before sleep, I appreciate this one greatly. Majestic and lively to be seen at night!



The elegant bathroom is walled by transparent glasses everywhere! Time to get intimate with your partners ;)



Bathroom amenities? Peter Thomas Roth! Which by the way, is considered the bestselling clinical skin care! How cool is that?







Don't worry about this giant glass window, you can close it off if you want too, or not? :p



Oh how I feel like a queen in this place. Roses and salt for bath. Perfect scene to let myself soaked while reading a good book and listening to great music. Too bad that during my stay, the hotel was undergoing some renovation and maintenance which caused the water to be a bit dirty. Do hope that it's all fixed now!



Right after the room tour, it's time for lunch. First event of the day; Sundanese Lunch at Pool Terrace, located on the 6th floor! For your information, the Sundanese lunch was all provided especially just for us! I can't believe their hospitality!

This Sundanese lunch had to be ordered first to have the event! If you're gonna arrange a party or gathering, don't forget to try this service!

Cassava Leafs (Daun Singkong)

Just from looking at it you'll know that it's good. The generous amount of broth and spices show it all! It's just how Indonesian food should be!

Tahu Tempe (Tofu and Soybean Cake) Bacem

Cooked bacem style, meaning to cook it with a special soy sauce that is perfectly soaked throughout the whole ingredients! It's generally sweet and so are these, and I love the texture of them both; perfectly cooked.

Skewered Intestines

Not a really fan of these but for those who love it, there you go!

Don't be fooled, these are all raw so you have to put it on a plate and give it to the chef to be fried!

Nasi Bakar

Which was quite good! Aromatic and so fitting to be eaten together with all the other dishes. Ain't no Indonesian without some rice!

These were the only things that I tried, since the day was still early and there's gonna be more food to come!

and this is our table! beautiful arrangement! Served just like the true Sundanese heritage.

I love Indonesia.

Traditional foods that uses peanut sauce such as; Gado-Gado, Ketoprak, Karedok, that can't never be left out when we talk about traditional Indonesian foods!

Soto Bandung

It's one of the less popular of Soto types, but actually pretty good! Cooked without the ever-present coconut milk, the broth tastes salty and the meat was so tender! Also loved the peanuts in it!

Now I'm up for dessert timee!!! It's the classical pancake of Bandung called surabi! To be honest I don't really know the difference between surabi and serabi. anyone knows?

Anyway they have cheese or chocolate chips topping, a choice I both love!

Traditional delicacies used on the welcoming sweets before can also be found here!

Cooking Class
After getting our tummy a bit filled, we were told to cook! Who said food bloggers can only eat? Lol!
At this cooking class we were taught how to make the signature dish of Hilton Bandung itself! They are grilled ribs and poached salmon, and before we get any deeper, these are the wonderful ingredients:

Today we're making poached salmon and pindang iga ala chef Lulabyspoon! Not really, if it weren't for Chef Dadan Rudani, who guided us step by step through the whole thing, the result might be horrifying!

POACHED SALMON

So technically, what we did was just boiling the salmon with various veggies and then putting it on a plate. Yeap, that's it! So all we need is salmon slice to be poached together with these vegetables that work for broth's aroma. It's up to you how to get it cooked!

And ta-da! The beautiful and might I add, delicious Poached Salmon! Not kidding about the delicious part though! The sauce packs the kick!

PINDANG IGA

Another simple task we did on this one, pan-frying the ribs. Even if it's just simple tasks, one wrong move can disrupt the whole taste! So don't underestimate what we did just yet! The right process is to have it marinated in sauce for hours before getting it cooked. That way, you can get the richness of the flavor. Process is what matters!

 May I present to you, the drool-worthy Pindang Iga!
Very, very extravagantly delicious! Tender, flavorful with a mix of spicy and sour, but not to mention the complexity of the taste. This is what I love about Indonesian food: the variety of spices make everything rich!

Now that we're full, time to get some exercise with a hotel tour! Let's go!

Told ya we're gonna see these stairs again soon! This is one of my favorite views though!

Going up the stairs, you'll find a small shop selling Bandung's street food, which changes its theme every now and then in this alley!

Back to the pool where we had the Sundanese Lunch and Cooking Class cause I just can't get enough of how pretty it is!

Can't you see the reflection of its own beauty?

A function room can be found near the pool for you who might want to have a pool party or something!

Before going to the fitness room, look at this other breathtaking scenery:

Looking for an exercise with less water? No worries, a 24 hours Fitness center is located just below the pool!

Had enough of exercises? Well then, how about we enjoy a luxurious and relaxing spa day?

Spa Lobby

 Here's the corridor leading to your private room where you'll get personally pampered!

Spa Room that is going to be filled with various aromatherapy when used!

Had enough enjoyment? Here's a meeting room for those who's always up to a challenging working pace!

The room arrangement is not always like this, it's customizable upon request!

 And lastly, like any other hotel, Hilton also provides an enlargeable ballroom!

Done with the hotel tour, we were to get dressed up for a fine dining with wine! I'm so excited!

Before that, though, we were also allowed to enjoy these high tea snacks! One of the amazing experiences! Phew! All that exploring really worked up my appetite and luckily, it was also time to enjoy Hilton's High Tea at their Executive Lounge!

Sorry for not taking that many photos of these, since we're kinda tight on schedule, I also didn't get to try much too :(

Wine Dinner

We were immediately ushered to the kitchen after just 10-15 minutes of enjoying the high tea! No, we're not here to cook again, but it's for a Wine Dinner!! Yay! It's such a weird experience since it's my first time eating in the kitchen. The room temperature was a bit unfriendly (since it's not the hall I'm not complaining) but the experience itself was really interesting!

I love a hotel kitchen and I've associated with it for quite some times, so I feel very comfortable here. It's a place close to the heart!

These are the wines they gave to us! I've got to admit that I'm not a big fan of wine due to my weak gastric. Any comment from the wine connoisseurs?

Before starting dinner... CHEERS!

Now, let's get down to business! Food!

BAKED STUFFED MUSSEL

Served with spinach, mango chutney and citrus beurre blanc

Starting with something that is often complimented with wines, of course is an amuse-bouche! For those who don't know, amuse-bouche is a one bite starters, used to prepare the guest for a meal, something like a teaser of the chef's specialty! Well, this mussel definitely did a number to my mouth and left me wanting more! Love the mango chutney and spinach that really gave harmony to the overall taste!

GRILLED AUBERGINE WITH TRIO KIND OF CHEESE
Layered of grilled eggplant and tomato served with roasted pine nut, fresh basil, Bocconcini, goat cheese, and Haloumi with balsamic vinegar in olive oil.

As an appetizer, it's actually not bad and considering I'm not that enthusiastic about the ingredients, but was able to munch it down with no problem, I'd say that they did a pretty good job on it!

BISQUE SOUFFLE'S
Rich lobster broth served with Classic of souffle and gremolata.

The description says it all: This is a bowl full of lobster flavor! So rich and tasty, complimented with complexity. Love it!!

DUET RILLETTES AND SLICED OF WAGYU (SOUS VIDE TECHNIQUE)

Served with Root vegetable gratin, dried olives, rocket lettuce and chimichurri sauce.

I can't seem to explain how blown away I was at the handiwork of the chef. I mean, just look at that pink color that is attained by using the sous vide technique. Enthralling!

GRANNY SMITH SORBET
Now let me tell you one thing before you judge: this is a BOMB! I even had seconds!! The apple taste was ultimately refreshing!

ARTISAN SIGNATURE TIRAMISU

Layered of tiramisu served with chocolate, hazelnut mousse, and vanilla pannacotta.

Everything on this plate was CRAZY good! Especially the mousse!!! Who doesn't love hazelnut? Also love their perfectly soft texture as well as non-overwhelming taste that made everything went in so smoothly over my palate!

Here are the chefs who totally gained my respect and compliments! Their cooking was simply amazing!

Halfway back from the kitchen... lol!

Now we are brought for another tour to restaurant Purnawaraman at the lobby!

No, no, no, we aren't here for another round of dinner. We did taste a little bit of their food though, but primarily we were just escorted to see the place's atmosphere and interior!

A must have for a reputable hotel: an upscale buffet restaurant. Here you can get a variety of international cuisines despite its Indonesian name!

Just look at this classy showcase!

I've gotta admit that this is my favorite spot! I'm a lover of desserts oh my God I think my stomach starts to growl again despite just having that exquisite dinner!

Is it just me or does this duck look... mesmerizing?

As if the interior wasn't giving you enough awesomeness, here's the outdoor section. Truly fascinating, isn't it?

Complimenting this heavenly vision, just fyi, they also do their grilling activities in this yard. Oh the sensation... I smell meat!

Now it's time to have some welcoming cocktail at Magma bar, just beside Purnawarman! 

The lighting here is more dimmed since it's bar and it signifies that we're gonna have a cocktail party!

Well, there are a couple of drinks they were letting us to try, and everything was alcoholic except for the smoothies! What are we waiting for? Bottoms up!

The Classic Mojito

Ginger Tonic

Now time for the light smoothies! Still looking like a glass of cocktail, it's actually non-alcohol and made of mainly strawberry and orange. A bit too sour for the taste, perhaps it's too depending on the fruit quality.

Thai Iced Tea
This is the best Thai Iced Tea I've ever tasted! The only downside was the bubble texture, which I think was still a bit frozen, hard instead of chewy.

Let's make it a wrap for day one! We were finished with the day and it's time to have the my well deserved rest at the heavenly room!

DAY 2

Good morning! Yesterday was a blast and it's time for another roller coaster ride with Hilton Bandung! If last night we were only brought on a tour to the Purnawarman, this morning we're having breakfast at this very sight! YAY!

Bakery and pastry site! They're always my favorite spot at any restaurant's buffet! Yep, I've got sweet teeth :p

In terms of taste, the breakfast have little to no marginal difference compared to other places, since the dishes are simple. But never underestimate simplicity! What I love is that they offer a broad rang of varieties!

Smoked salmon! It's supposed to be plated together with salad in a bowl, but that won't do for me. Salmon all the way!

Local heritage cuisine: Asian chicken porridge with boiled egg!

Took everything that caught my eyes! I'm a HUGE fan of pastries :9

Cereal for kids?

Here's the 'make your own pancake' one! You can choose whatever topping you'd want to have, including ice cream, or even if you'd prefer waffle over pancake!

Breakfast like a monster, not a king...

To close the fabulous breakfast, the desserts! Panna cotta and yoghurt are the way to start the day

After breakfast, we went outside the hotel to find more food, can you believe how big our appetite is?! Well, we're planning to find something at Gazibu but the weather was too hot for it, since Gazibu is like a street food so we went to Nasi Bakar instead! Sorry for forgetting the name and I didn't try the nasi bakar anyway, I tried the yummy mochi ice cream instead! What can I say, I'm a dessert lover! Then we went back to the hotel to eat again! Lol!

Fresco Restaurant

An Italian outdoor restaurant by the pool! My tummy was definitely enjoying its trip from Indonesia to Italy! You know what to expect in an Italian restaurant, right? Pizza, pasta, etc. Fresco only opens for dinner by the way, which starts at 5 pm.

Buffet of desserts in the middle! You can find dairy products, fruits and cakes!

Saw this super yummy-looking moist chocolate cake but didn't have the space in my tummy to try!



High quality fresh fruits as expected from such a high class hotel! Bet that they taste super sweet and fresh, even the colors were pretty!



Best ambiance to have breakfast is definitely beside a serene pool with beautiful scenery! I could and definitely would chill here for a long time if I had the chance!

Here, after discovering that we could order the same drinks like in Magma, I immediately went for another glass of my favorite Thai Tea! Love this sooo much that I'd buy a barrel of it if I could! Lol! Seriously though, have never found other thai teas as fragrant as this one andnother good news was that the bubbles here weren't frozen! So, may I present to you; the perfect thai tea!



As always, there's complimentary breads when you dine in a hotel! Hilton's bakery product is undeniably the best!

Don't really know what's the name of this pizza but all I know is that they're sooo cheesy with cucumbers and eggplants as toppings. The pizza here was cut in a square shape, which I personally think that it's not really fair and efficient, since the middle part would get most of the toppings and the sides would just get crusts! Nevertheless, it still tasted amazing!

Prefer this one better cause it has mushrooms! Though both taste incredibly good, I'd recommend this one. It's cheesy and has great toppings! Yum!!

CANADIAN SCALLOPS

Seared scallops served with asparagus, crisp polenta, leeks, tomato, chives, cucumber and lemon grass Beurre blanc.

Who can deny the taste of high quality scallops?! This small plate of appetizer was like a breeze to a hot summer day! Amazing sauce drizzled on fresh scallops and also love the polenta! Polenta is basically cornmeal made into porridge and here they achieved a texture that tasted a lot like mashed potatoes! Love it, love this whole plate!

GRILLED HALOUMI SALAD
Seasonal fresh garden salad with haloumi cheese vinaigrette, macadamia nut and marinated artichokes, light lime and honey mustard dressing.

Not the best salad I've ever tried but quite good, since they used fresh veggies just not the best dressing. The dressing was not to my liking since it was a bit too sour for me!

CLASSIC BOUILLABAISSE

Rich seafood broth with crouton de gruyere.

The same type of soup as the Bisque Souffle's with different topping and I like this one wayyy better! Takes some skill to erase the bad smell of seafood entirely and they did it PERFECTLY! I really think that this combination is better than the other one! Thumbs up!

As many hotels dining, the focus on today's menu was the quality not quantity, so don't expect to go home with a full tummy with just 1 dish!

CHICKEN CONSOMME WITH TORTELLINI
Served with duxelle mushroom and homemade tortellini.

Relieving chicken soup that's perfect for warming and calming our bodies! Those small round balls are actually veggies, how cute is that?! The tortellini went perfectly with the soup as well! It's one bowl of power up soup!

N.Y. STRIPLOIN STEAK (200GR)
The favorite cut for Steak Connoisseur "Strip loin" is cut from the back of the beef, from about the middle of the back until close to the leg, it is the second most tender part of the beef and known for its tenderness and flavor.

Right about now, our tummy felt like it was gonna burst and what's worst, they gave us steaks, 1 for each person! Even if I admit I sometimes eat like a monster, since 200gr usually isn't enough for me, but this was just too much and for the first time in my life, I didn't finish a steak! I feel ashamed cause the steak was actually very very very delicious! Topped with blue cheese, this striploin was sooo tender! I'm craving for it again whilst writing this and regretting the fact that I didn't finish it!

For the side dish you can choose some options like mushroom or this puff pastry!

So tender and juicy! <3

FILLET MIGNON BLACK ANGUS (180GR)
The true gourmet, it melts in your mouth. This is obviously the most tender and juiciest part of the beef.

So you think this Fillet Mignon is small from the photo? Well, you've totally misjudged it cause it might not be that wide but just look at how thick it is! Despite the thickness, they could made it tender! Amazing! I still prefer the striploin though cause there's blue cheese on it!!

PAPARDELLE CHICKEN MUSHROOM

Fresco's signature dish! This wasn't on the list of things that'll be served to us but they insisted that we try it. Good thing they only gave us 1 of these or else we wouldn't be able to finish any of it! How blessed are we to be able to say that we had too much food??

Papardelle is a pasta that looks like a giant fettuccine, which I thought would be too much with our condition. Turned out we were able to still enjoy it even though we're so full cause it was just that good!

CHEESE CAKE FRITTERS
Warm crispy fried cheese cake served with banana foster flambe and vanilla ice cream.

I've heard of banana and ice cream fritters, but cheese cake fritters?! Now THAT is creative! Love the beautiful presentation, totally what I was expecting from a 5 star hotel! Fyi, that yellow round thing isn't the cheese cake but vanilla ice cream, the cheese cake is actually the ones on the back! I didn't even know that until they told me! The round thingy in line was bananas drizzled with caramel. The whole plate was full with pretty and yummy delights!

TIRAMISU MADNESS

Soft cream mascarpone sabayon with coffee liquor sponge.

Let me tell you first that I'm actually not a big fan of Tiramisu but this I can't resist! The coffee flavor wasn't that strong which is good, since we're too full and the light flavor was really relieving! Hilton surely has some really amazing skills!

And we're done!!! Our last event was Fresco and this is us! I'd like to say THANK YOU to these 2 wonderful women in pink and polkadot blouse for guiding us for 2 days whole! Must've been tough, huh? Lol! Hope we meet again sometime!

Time to go back to our respective homes and back to our daily routines! Good bye Hilton, good bye Bandung!

THANK YOU HILTON HOTEL FOR THE EXQUISITE HOSPITALITY AND UNFORGETTABLE EXPERIENCE! We had SO MUCH fun (and food)!!! :D

Hilton Hotel Bandung

Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto No. 41-43

Jawa Barat, Bandung 40171

Indonesia

022-86066888

Check In : 02:00 pm

Check Out : 12:00 pm

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