Our Mother’s Day celebration this year was simple as usual, but memorable and thoughtful.

I received a bouquet of pink flowers from my boys and my husband as soon as they woke up. I love flowers, and I was grateful that they gave me flowers this year.

My youngest son made an AVP from our photos —our lessons, our bonding activities, and many ordinary moments that suddenly felt extraordinary when shown together. What made it even more special was that he used as background music an original piano composition that his eldest brother made for me last year. You can watch it on his YouTube channel by clicking here.

My eldest son also prepared a lyric video of the song he composed for me on my 50th birthday. The title of that song is Heart of our Home. This was the background music used by his youngest brother in the AVP he made.

My middle child made a simple Canva photo with effects.

My husband, on the other hand, finally finished the AVP I had asked him to make for my 50th birthday last year. He slept at 3 a.m. just to finish it for me in time for Mother’s day this year. Better late than never. 😉

He also uploaded on DistroKid my original song composition that I recorded more than a decade ago. It is scheduled to be released on Spotify and other music platforms on May 15 this year. My eldest son did some post production on it before my husband uploaded it. I’m excited to listen to my song on Spotify and other music platforms soon!

As a mom, these were the kinds of gifts that filled my heart. They were not just digital gifts. They were gifts of time, effort, creativity, music, memories, and love.

After watching all these with my family yesterday morning, we prepared to go to Citadines Bay City Manila for our Mother’s Day lunch.

How I Found the Citadines Mother’s Day Platter

I only found out about the Mother’s Day Platter at Citadines Bay City Manila the day before Mother’s Day, while I was searching online for Mother’s Day promos.

Many of the promos I saw in news articles were expensive and charged per person, especially in high-end restaurants and hotels. Since we are a family of five, I was looking for something special but still practical. Buffets are out of the questions since we do not eat a lot, especially my two youngest sons.

That was why the Mother’s Day Platter of Bay City Café at Citadines Bay City Manila caught my attention. It was a group rate, not a per-person rate, and it was already good for five to six people. I called, asked for the detailed menu, and made a reservation a day before. I was glad that we were able to avail of it on Mother’s Day itself.

What makes it even better is that we were planning to attend The Feast Bay City’s prayer meeting and Mass also that day. This event is held also at Citadine’s ballroom at the 5th floor. I felt like God wanted us to avail of this promo because He has prepared this ahead for our family. We didn’t have to go to a different restaurant or in a different place and rush to Citadine’s for The Feast. It was just the perfect treat for my family and me on Mother’s Day.

Families can still avail of this promo on weekdays until May 31. So, if you and your family are still looking for a good place to celebrate Mother’s Day this month, I highly recommend this promo of Citadine’s Bay City. They also accept both cash and card payments, which is convenient.

A 5-Course Meal That’s Worth the Price

The Mother’s Day Platter was a full-course meal with soup, salad, appetizer, main course, dessert, drink, and a Mother’s Day bento cake.

The meal started with Cream of Pumpkin Soup with Croutons. I loved this soup. It was creamy, warm, comforting, and the crunchy croutons added a nice texture.

Moreover, it brought back a sweet memory. Pumpkin soup used to be my eldest son’s favorite soup when he was a toddler. When I cooked it for him before, I would add bacon as part of the ingredients. I reminded him of this memory while we were eating. Moments like that made the meal more than just a meal. It became a time to remember our family stories.

Next came the Lettuce Salad with Fruits and Dressing. The salad had lettuce, cherry tomatoes, grapes, pomelo, and oranges. I was initially informed that the dressing would be lemon-honey. However, what was served tasted like a mango-flavored dressing. Whatever it was, we all loved it! My boys and I loves mangoes! It went so well with the fresh fruits and vegetables. It made the salad light, refreshing, and enjoyable.

For the appetizer, we had Pork, Shrimp, and Vegetable Crispy Shanghai Rolls. These were easy to enjoy and familiar enough for the whole family, especially the kids. It was a good appetizer.

The main course was served shortly after the appetizer was placed on our table.

The platter included Steamed Barramundi, which the chef himself brought to our table. He told us that barramundi is commonly known as sea bass. I was happy to know that the platter included steamed fish because this is one of my current favorite foods. I had been more intentional in eating healthier dishes and using healthier cooking methods in the past two years for better health.

The other main dish was the Braised Beef à la Mode, which was their twist on the traditional Filipino beef caldereta. We were pleasantly surprised to find out that beef caldereta was included in the platter because this dish is among my children and husband’s favorities. It is also one of my all-time favorite dishes.

We all loved the braised beef. In fact, only one slice was left because we enjoyed it so much. Aside from the beef, there were vegetables usually included in caldereta. Yet, they were presented and cooked in a different way. The caldereta sauce was poured over the braised beef when it was served on our table.

The beef was tender and flavorful. It was familiar and special at the same time for it was plated and served in a special way.

By this time, we were already full. But the desserts were still so inviting.

For dessert, the platter included Mango Sticky Rice with Coconut Caramel and a Mother’s Day Bento Cake in strawberries and cream flavor.

Our two youngest children were the only ones who tried the mango sticky rice. My husband, eldest son and I were already too full to try it. Besides, we still wanted to eat the cake.

The cake was delicious. It was also just the right size for our family. We try not to eat too much sweets even on special occasions. We want our sugar levels (for the whole family, not just my husband and me) to be always on the normal and healthy level only. My husband enjoyed his slice of cake with coffee.

To our surprise, when we paid the bill, we noticed that the coffee was not charged. When we asked the waiter about it, he said that it was already free. We really appreciated that small but thoughtful gesture.

Big Servings and Good Value for Money

One of the things I liked most about the Mother’s Day Platter was that the servings were big.

We are a family of five (2 adults and 3 children). We were not able to finish all the food. Our leftovers were enough for another meal for our family.

I also appreciated that they allowed us to take out our leftovers. Since we were still attending an event in the ballroom of the same hotel that afternoon (prayer meeting and Mass of the Light of Jesus Community), they kept our leftovers for us while we were upstairs. That was very helpful and considerate.

For me, that is part of good customer service. It is not only about serving the food. It is also about making the dining experience convenient and pleasant for the guests.

Good Food Made Better by Good Service

Aside from the food, I appreciated the service at Bay City Café.

The waiters were attentive. The chef was friendly. The managers or supervisors were also friendly and approachable. The place was clean and not crowded, which made our lunch more relaxed and enjoyable.

In the past, since we normally ate in the malls, we had a hard time finding seats or a table on Mother’s Day. Almost all restaurants are full, had long lines and service was slow. We didn’t want that kind of experience again this year. Thus, choosing a restaurant in a hotel was a logical choice. And since we made a reservation, we didn’t have to wait long for our order to be served.

The staff helped take photos of us, too.

These things matter. When you are celebrating a special occasion with your family, you want the food to be good, yes. But you also want to feel welcomed, attended to, and not rushed.

That was how we felt during our lunch.

I loved that our day was not rushed because everything that we needed to do yesterday were just in one place. It became a less stressful day for me.

Overall, I think the Mother’s Day Platter at Bay City Café, Citadines Bay City Manila, is worth the price. You may watch a YouTube short video of our Mother’s Day celebration here on our channel.

A Simple Honoring That Touched My Heart

After eating lunch, while we were still resting at Bay City Café, my three children and my husband honored me. They took turns telling me what they liked, loved, or appreciated about what I do as a mother.

That warmed my heart so much.

As mothers, we do many things every day that are not always seen. We teach. We guide. We remind. We cook. We plan. We pray. We listen. We adjust. We sacrifice. We do so many little things, often quietly and repeatedly.

Therefore, to hear my husband and children say what they appreciate about me as a mother touched me.

It feels good to be appreciated once in a while. It feels good to hear that what we do is seen and matters. On Mother’s Day, that kind of affirmation is one of the best gifts a mother can receive.

Ending the Day with Prayer, Mass, an Errand and Pampering

After lunch, we attended The Feast at the ballroom of Citadines Bay City Manila.

I liked that our Mother’s Day celebration included not only food and gifts, but also prayer and the Holy Mass. For our family, celebrations become more meaningful when we bring them before God.

After the Mass, we ate merienda cena or light dinner with our Feast Bay City family outside the ballroom. Afterward, we went to Walter Mart Mall beside the hotel to look for a vase for my flowers. We found an affordable one at Japan Surplus Store for only P88. It was a simple errand, but it became part of the memory of the day.

Lastly, I went to a salon inside our village for a long overdue waxing. My husband dropped me off and fetched me after. Moms like me also got surprise treats while at the salon. They had a small table with pastries, tea, coffee and sweets for moms. They also gave Mother’s Day discount to customers who are moms. I was delighted to take home a mini mamon, a small cheese cake, and a small banana cake for my boys from the salon after indulging in a chocolate-covered biscuit myself.

Final Thoughts on Mother’s Day

More than the food, what made this Mother’s Day beautiful for me was the love poured into the day.

The flowers.
The videos.
The music.
The memories.
The meal.
The Mass.
The honoring from my husband and children.

All these reminded me that motherhood is not easy or perfect. Nonetheless, it is full of grace.

And sometimes, God allows us to receive little reminders—through a bouquet of flowers, a homemade video, a song, a warm bowl of pumpkin soup, a slice of strawberries and cream cake, or a few words of appreciation from our family—that the love we give every day is seen, received, and remembered.