I’M Hotel, which houses the largest state-of-the-art onsen spa in the country, completes the wellness experience with the launching of The Common Good, an upmarket food hall concept where no dish is priced beyond P400.
In a country where healthy eating has become associated with overpriced, overrated, and overly bland food, The Common Good breaks the stereotype with its competitively priced dishes that do not scrimp on flavor nor serving size.
“Healthy food should be available for everyone,” said I’M Hotel marketing manager Melissa Lim.
“The Common Good aims to make the common denominator of all guests’ experience good food. Instead of a menu heavy on excessively expensive ingredients, the chefs focus on commonly found local and seasonal ingredients, elevating them in a display of true culinary mastery. The result is a delicious yet accessibly priced menu with the freshest ingredients,” she added.
Set in a backdrop of sleek interiors and floor to ceiling windows providing a view of the bustling Poblacion area in Makati City, The Common Good features nine different concept stations:
Parilla (Barbecue and Grill Section), which pays homage to the local term for grills and serves freshly grilled meats and seafoods, including Wagyu isaw;
Al Dente (Italian), which erves rustic italian classics with a Pan-Asian twist, such as sisig pizza and salted egg paste;
Paul and Ranuka (Healthy Instagrammable Eats), which seeks to offer dishes catering to dieting lifestyles such as Keto, Paleo, and Vegan;
Empress Jade (Modern Chinese Cuisine), which is originally a stand-alone joint that has been rated as one of the top new restaurants in Makati in 2017. The station focuses on modern authentic Chinese cuisine, with several famous Singaporean and Malaysian dishes;
Perfect Four, which allows guests to build their own rice bowl and pick the perfect combination of starches, protein, fiber, and healthy fat for a balanced and satisfying meal;
One Bowl Wonder, which serves classic Japanese donburi and Hong Kong roast meat rice topping;
Tiffin, where one can enjoy authentic Indian cuisine prepared by The Common Good’s Sri Lankan Executive Chef;
Fountain, which offers seasonal healthy drinks; and
Sucre (Sugar), which serves thick shibuya honey brioche toasts complemented with homemade ice cream.
“Diet can affect one’s social life because your friends might not exactly like Keto or vegan dishes. The idea is that the health conscious should not lose out on the social aspects of communal dining,” Lim said.
In the very near future, The Common Good will also be serving drinks with life enzymes, which are very similar to the good bacteria that can be found in Yakult.
“Our life enzyme drink is a delicious way to introduce healthy bacteria into your colon. And the sky is the limit when it comes to flavors,” she said. “Our pineapple basil mix, for example, is refreshing, and tastes a bit like vodka – you can almost fool yourself that you are drinking an alcoholic drink,” she said.
The decision to offer healthy dishes was actually demand-driven as most of I’M Hotel’s onsen spa guests have been asking for food that would complement their wellness experience.
Lim said the hotel is looking into the possibility of offering wellness retreats complete with yoga and other activities, which makes perfect sense given that onsen spa and The Common Good are already in place.
I’M Hotel has several good things in store for its guests for the year. But perhaps the best news is that it is opening its second branch—this time called I’M Suites—in Salcedo Village by 2019.
So if you are in the capital for a quick vacation (although some of I’M Hotel’s return guests book for three weeks or longer) or if you are just interested in a staycation, why not relax at the onsen spa, eat healthy and delicious food, and enjoy a peaceful slumber? Do yourself a favor and head off to I’M Hotel at the heart of Brgy. Poblacion.