Our Little Queen B's Impromptu 8th Month Celebration at Bistro Charlemagne

My 8-month old little Queen B!

The first year of life of a baby’s existence is full of wonders and amazing moments. A baby barely opens her eyes after birth but at the end of her first month she will be able to focus on a face. By two months, a baby will able to smile his first social smile. By three months, a baby can lift her head and may even raise her chest with support from her arms. Each month a baby masters new skills and watching a baby do this is truly astounding. Even before giving birth, J and I have already decided that we will rejoice these milestones by celebrating our little Queen B’s monthly birthday.

J and I planned to have Georgina’s 8^th month celebration at home since it fell on a Tuesday. I was going to prepare spaghetti for her. I have seen several images of babies eating spaghetti and found them so cute. Eating spaghetti can also be a form of sensory play for babies. We practice baby led weaning so this will be perfect for our little Queen B.

Of course, a birthday celebration wouldn’t be complete without a cake. I was really curious about Purple Oven’s Chocolate Dome Cake and had requested J that we buy it to serve as our baby’s 8^th month cake. So after lunch on Monday we headed over to Solenad 2 in Nuvali where the nearest Purple Oven branch was located. It was supposed to be a short errand as J has work that night and he will still need sleep to survive the night shift. Mama and Aki joined us as they had nothing to do at home. It was very sunny when we left home.

Upon arrival, we bought the cake. Since we still have some time to spare we also decided to roam around a bit. As we check out some stores, the weather took a dramatic turn. We were still deciding if we will wait for the rain to pass (thinking it will be just a short shower like what’s happening for the past few days) or head home immediately when it started raining heavily. We have no choice but to wait it out as J don’t like to risk our lives as accidents are more likely when driving in that kind of weather. As having coffee is our favorite way to pass time we headed over to CBTL for some caffeine fix.

As time passes with no sign that the rain will end soon, J decided to take an emergency leave. The roads surrounding the Balibago Complex area are notorious for its heavy traffic jam during rush hour on a fair weather day so standstill traffic is inevitable after a heavy rain. There is no way of telling what time we’ll arrive at home and J will have to brave again the traffic jam going back to Balibago Complex where the terminals for Manila bound buses and vans are located. Instead of wasting hours in traffic, we decided to celebrate Georgina’s 8^th month birthday in advance.

We have our dinner at Bistro Charlemagne, one of the newly opened restaurants in Solenad 3. Bistro Charlemagne is from the same people who managed the multi-awarded Little Asia restaurants.

Looking from the outside, Bistro Charlemagne is a little intimidating. Unlike most of the restaurants in Solenad which boasts of casual and homey interiors, Bistro Charlemagne is elegant and fancy looking with its chandeliers and dark wood furniture. But one doesn’t need to break the bank to dine here as their offerings are relatively affordable. Their extensive menu consists of Asian and European cuisine favorites. We decided to order a combination of familiar and new dishes for our meal.

Bistro Charlemagne's elegant yet comfortable interiors which can easily accommodate a party of 2 or a group of 20 and even more. 

Liked the way they masked the air conditioning unit to complement the design of the restaurant. 

Bistro Charlemagne's Menu. 

Our little Queen B had her dinner ahead of us. 

Beef Tenderloin Rolls with Cheese (345 Php). The beef is very tender and the cheese melts in your mouth but, unfortunately, the sauce makes it taste like longganisa. 

My first ever Nasi Goreng (245 Php) and it certainly won't be my last. One of these days I'll try to recreate this at home. The serving is good for two. 

Crispy Pork Belly in Hoisin Glaze (295 Php). I think this is their version of Lechon Macau.  We enjoyed this very much that they gave us additional sauce. 

Yang Chow Fried Rice (265 Php).  This platter is good for four.  It is a meal on its own. Generous serving of shrimps and vegetables. 

Bistro Charlemagne is still in soft opening when we dined there but we are impressed with their great and fast service. The attendants are very attentive and friendly. I hope they will be able to continue this quality of service when there are more customers.

Happy diners!

I would also like to mention two stores that I suggest you check out when you find yourself at Solenad 3. These are Lucina Home and Red Tag. Lucina Home is a lovely little store that offers custom made furniture, decors, art works, and other knick knacks for your home. Red Tag, on the other hand, is a Rustan’s outlet store that sells Rustan’s merchandise at a much lower price. Mama bought Georgina a dress with matching bloomer and head bandanna at 50% off.

There are actually 3 entrances to Lucina but this one is my favorite. So Parisian-inspired!

Their window displays are very inviting. 

Quirky magnets and journals for sale. 

Christmas decors and ornaments for your home this holiday season. 

Rustan's products at a more affordable price in Red Tag. Located at the 2nd floor of Solenad 3, near Toy R' Us. 

Can't wait to go back and buy more dresses for Georgina. There are also toys, shoes, and other kids stuff. 

In life, not everything goes as planned. There will be a lot of times that life will take you in a very different direction. When these things happen as I continually learn, one just need to adjust and make the most of it.

Our little Queen B can't be distracted from staring at her yummy cake!

 Happy 8^th month my little Queen B! Mommy loves you to the Pluto and back!

I still did cooked spaghetti for my baby. The cake is for me, though I gave my little Queen B a very small taste.  

#xoxo