Fantastic Eat-All-You-Can Dinner at Buffet 101

It was a Thursday night last May 2nd. The original plan was to go to Vikings (the more popular buffet dining place) but when we got there, we were no. 42 on the wait list. I suddenly remembered Buffet 101 (the other buffet dining place at the other end of San Miguel by the Bay) so that was where I suggested we transfer. We were a group of 8 persons: the hubby, my SIL, my five officemates and me. It was just one of those planned dinners that fortunately pushed through. During our visit, Buffet 101 had a very good food selection featuring international cuisine (just like in hotel buffets) that I got overwhelmed and felt momentarily dizzy with all the food surrounding me every time I would approach the buffet stations.




The best thing about Buffet 101 is that for P950 (buffet dinner price on a weekday), you get to eat as much as you want, drinks included. By drinks, I meant several kinds of soda, fruit juices and shakes, coffee, tea, beer and wine. (Vikings doesn't serve wine for free, you have to order it separately.) I've eaten at various hotel buffets before, and so I'd like to think I'm in the position to say that with its great ambience, pleasant service and good-tasting food, Buffet 101 can give them a run for their money.

Here are some photos to attest to that:

You'll love how spacious the inside of Buffet 101 is. The cushioned chairs are super comfy, too.

No need to reserve, I think, as there's a table for everyone.



















And now, the food I ate here:


While the crab rice tasted plain and had a soggy texture, the steak was a-okay with its US beef goodness.


very nice dimsum, hindi tinipid!


Some of the Italian food items they had that night. Pizza was yummy!


Look for this thinly-sliced pork belly at the Chinese food station as our group couldn't get enough of this! I'm telling you, it's addicting! Crispy skin + well-seasoned meat with just the right amount of fat= pork heaven!


The cakes were okay but the desserts on the shot glasses were ordinary. I suggest you look for the Italian cheesecake as this is the best they have at the desserts station!


The frozen yogurt dispenser at Buffet 101 made me drool with delight. I'm a big frozen yogurt fan so I really took advantage of it there. See, I had a total of five cups! More if the hubby didn't give me "the look." Haha.


with the hubby


our group

Buffet 101 is the place to go to when you want to treat your family, business partners, date or whoever to a wide range of food at a good price. I am definitely going back there, but not until I've tried Vikings so I could compare the two. :)

Buffet 101
Bldg. K, Seaside Blvd.
Mall of Asia Complex
Pasay City
(+632) 556-2888


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Dinner at Uncle Cheffy's - Lucky Chinatown Mall

I had a date with my mom and my sister last Monday night. It was the spur-of-the-moment kind. We braved the traffic and went to Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo. I had long wanted to try the popular panizza at Uncle Cheffy's and that night, I did. Aside from the panizza, we ordered a few more food which were all delicious. I'm happy to report that the restaurant has nice ambience and serves good food at friendly prices.





It also helps that they have warm and friendly staff who would really go the extra mile to make your dining experience more satisfying. During our visit, we got a table for three and Chad the waiter gave us a table with cushioned chairs near the entrance. After several minutes, our orders arrived.



We started off with the Spaghetti Alejandro (P185) which was Spanish-inspired pasta with tomato sauce, smoked chorizo, pimientos and Edam cheese. We loved its sweet, salty and rich flavors which awakened our taste buds.



When the Uncle Cheffy Favorites panizza (P200, medium) was served, initially I was wowed by the nice presentation. I was more wowed when I tasted it after doing the basic of putting some alfalfa sprouts, tomato salsa and lettuce to the pizza and rolling it up like what you would a shawarma or a pita wrap. The combination of the oven-dried tomatoes, mushroom, garlic, anchovy, chili flakes, basil and three different cheeses was a delight in the mouth. I would have eaten the entire panizza if not for the fact that I was with two other persons who were liking it as much as I was. Haha.







We also had the Asian Fried Rice (P220) and the Garlic Studded Pork Belly Lechon (P190, 200g). The fried rice was big, I thought it could easily feed three to four persons. It was on the sweet side and the rice grains were a bit soggy but it went perfectly with the pork belly lechon which was really tasty and had crispy skin. My mom loves lechon so she finished most of it. Haha.







To wash down everything that we ate, my mom and I each ordered a glass of fresh lemonade (P90) while my sister didn't order any drinks and just settled for water. The lemonade was okay we could really tell it had fresh lemon juice in it.



We capped off our dinner with a slice of Cheffy Cheesecake (P150). It had two layers: chocolate on the base and cheese on the top. Above them were a dollop of whipped cream and a cherry. The chocolate on the base tasted like flourless chocolate cake to me (smooth texture, chocolatey goodness and all) and the cheese on the top was, well, tasted like your good 'ol cheesecake (creamy and fluffy). The whipped cream did a great job at balancing the two flavors (chocolate and cheese). I think the best thing about this dessert is it's uniqueness. It satisfies your craving for chocolate and cheese in one go.



Overall, it was a good meal for us. I can't wait to bring the hubby to this resto so he could try their panizza, too! :)





P.S. Uncle Cheffy's food prices already include VAT. But expect a 10% service charge to be added to your bill. :)

Uncle Cheffy's
3/F Lucky Chinatown Mall
Reina Regente cor. Dela Reina Sts.
Binondo, Manila
(+632) 708-9576


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Sunday Lunch at Johnny Rockets Eastwood

After our recent visit to the St. Pio of Pietrelcina Centre in Libis last Sunday, we decided to go to Eastwood to have lunch before going home. I was with the hubby and my SIL. Upon reaching Eastwood Mall, we saw Johnny Rockets at one corner and chose it for our lunch. It was our first time at Johnny Rockets but somehow I already had an idea of its offerings from the blog reviews I've read before.



Johnny Rockets is a casual dining restaurant inspired by American diners. The place gives out a cheerful vibe and you couldn't help but appreciate the staff for making you feel at home with their warm welcome greetings. We got a table near the glass wall and ordered from their extensive menu hurriedly. We were starving, that's why.



Aside from burgers, fries and milkshakes typical of American diners, Johnny Rockets serves rice meals and some pasta. They even have American-style fried chicken. Prices are a bit steep. You need to allot P300 to P400 per head for a decent meal. We didn't mind, though, because we just wanted to try their food and experience their ambience (the vintage jukebox that plays songs spells cool to me!). If we liked it, our chance of coming back would remain low anyway because there are a lot more restaurants to try in my list.

The hubby got himself their Two-Piece Fried Chicken with Unlimited Fries (P275) while my SIL got their Original Burger combo meal (P215). We initially thought she was already entitled to the "unlimited fries" perk the resto's known for but found out later it was not a perk in the first place. You still have to pay an additional P60 to get it. Bummer. I, on the other hand, settled for their Hamburger Steak rice meal (P219). I also got a Strawberry Milkshake (P145) just to know if their milkshakes were good.

The hubby's fried chicken (wing and leg parts) were good. (I knew because I took a bite of it.) But I like Jollibee's chickenjoy or even Shakey's chicken better.



My SIL's burger was big enough but sadly, the patty was dry and tasteless according to her. She didn't finish her burger so I think she didn't like it much. But the hand-cut fries she said she liked a lot!



The thinly-cut hamburger steak on my plate was on the bland side, too. But I thought the gravy that went with it was its saving grace. I was able to finish it along with the rice and the buttered veggies because of the tasty gravy. The two onion rings on top were awesome I should have ordered more of it.



Johnny Rockets' strawberry shake was yummy. I liked that it was more creamy than milky. I could really taste the whipped cream and the ice cream. It had the right thickness and sweetness, too.



Overall, our Johnny Rockets experience was okay. We appreciated the good service and the dancing wait staff! While we didn't like some of our orders, there were other items that stood out. If we are to visit again, we'll just order their other specialties. :)


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Our Shawarma Experience at Shawarma Snack Center

The hubby and I had a shawarma dinner last Friday night at Shawarma Snack Center (SSC) in Malate. The street to look for is Salas St. There you could find two Shawarma Snack Center restaurants: one classy and the other no frills. Both have the same owner, I believe, so there's a guarantee you'll get the same quality of food. For this particular food trip, we chose the no frills one.





I first heard about SSC from our friend Vanessa and since then, I was able to read blog reviews on it. Now it's my turn to share my experience. I was happy to find out the no frills resto has an air-con area now (the entire dining area used to be open-air).





We got a table inside the air-con dining area and was immediately handed a laminated menu by the friendly waitress. We ordered the sizzling beef shawarma (available in chicken, too) priced at P200. It came with a serving of plain rice. We also got three pita (arabic bread) selling at just P12 each. We had a make your own shawarma right then and there. Cool.


make your own shawarma!

For drinks, the hubby got himself a banana shake (P75). I, on the other hand, ordered a yogurt shake (P75) which was surprisingly good with the perfect combination of creaminess and tanginess from the milk and the yogurt. Haaay, writing about it now makes me want to get myself another glass pronto. Whenever I'm at a Persian or Indian-themed resto, I always order lassi or yogurt shake. It's a great neutralizer for the spicy dishes which are specialties in these kinds of restos.


banana shake for him, yogurt shake for her

Now, let's go back to the shawarma which is what this post is all about.





SSC's beef shawarma was soooo good. All the blog posts raving about it aren't lying. The beef was tender with just a little bit of chewiness. One bite and I could tell I was eating the real thing. It was as authentic as it could be. Hands down, it was one of the best, if not the best, shawarma I've ever tried in Manila. But the hubby said he still prefers the one from Kebab Depot over this because of its corned-beef texture and unique flavor (okay, fine). Anyway, there was a burst of flavors in every bite of the shawarma. It was a little oily but it wasn't the greasy kind, if you know what I mean. There was also no pungent odor associated with beef that's not cooked well. The guy at the grill sure knows how to cook meats properly.



The three pita bread that accompanied our shawarma were also good. Each one was thick and filling with burns at the right sides. I dunno with you but I like my pita just like that.



All in all, the hubby and I were satisfied with our shawarma experience at SSC. It was gastronomically pleasurable and affordable, too. In fact, we plan to go back there again to order their other specialties. And soon. :)


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Appetite Magazine and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls’ Gourmet Masterpieces: A Visual and Gastronomical Feast in One

I attended the Gourmet Masterpieces event last Thursday night (April 18) at the Plaza of New Port Mall in Pasay City. I was with my superfriend Nice and we both had a fun time. It was a small world, too, because we also saw some of our blogger, media and PR friends there (those we hadn’t seen for a long time).





Gourmet Masterpieces was a visual and gastronomical feast presented in one venue. Organized by Appetite Magazine and Megaworld Lifestyle Malls, it featured a number of artfully-made summer dishes from chosen Manila-based restaurants as well as a collection of tasteful fashion creations from popular names in the local fashion industry.

Traditionally, the event started with cocktails, then the program proper hosted by Issa Litton, followed by a fashion show and concluded with a wine toast by the top guns behind the event.



Here are some snapshots of the dishes on display which we also had the pleasure to sample:


the laing dish above was very good!




the above creation of Eastwood Richmonde Hotel was a crowd favorite that night, Philippine flag-shaped puto varieties, FTW!







And here are photos I took of the fashion show in no particular order:











Special thanks go to Appetite Magazine, Megaworld Lifestyle Malls and Ces Gahuman of One Mega Group for inviting me to this event. ‘Till next time! 


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