Review: Dusit Thani's Sunday Crossover Brunch Buffet

It only happens once a week so why not take advantage of the glorious feast from four different specialty restaurants in one hotel? I'm talking about Dusit Thani's Sunday Crossover Brunch, people. I experienced this first hand a few months ago (thanks to the online deal I snatched!) along with my hubby and my one and only SIL. What can we say? The food was overwhelming. We really had a very fun and filling brunch!

(PHOTOS TO FOLLOW...)
Once inside Dusit Thani lobby, we went to a corner there and registered for the crossover brunch. We showed our coupons to the receptionist and were given wristband that served as our ticket to the four restaurants namely: Basix (Continental), Benjarong (Thai), Tosca (Italian) and Umu (Japanese). Our base restaurant (where we reserved for a table and ate to our tummy's content!) was Basix. I liked it there because the variety of food was almost complete!

All in all, we had one trip to Tosca (too full already when we went there) and Umu (not a big fan of Japanese food), two trips to Benjarong (loved their sweet and spicy wings!) and went a few rounds inside Basix. Obviously, we loved Basix. My top favorites were the lamb chops cooked Mediterranean style at the grilling station, the dimsum, and the fresh seafood.

I also appreciated that the buffet already included bottomless drinks and some mocktails. I think I drank four different beverages. You are to get them at the bar situated near the grand staircase. When we were there, the bartender was my kababayan pa! He was the cousin of my classmate and I was a year ahead of him back in high school in Nueva Ecija. What a small world!

It's true what I heard before that the crossover brunch is best enjoyed with family. The food choices were just insane, there's really something for everyone! Had we paid for it with the original price of P1,800 nett, it would still be worth every penny!

Service was okay, the staff were accommodating and polite. I had no complaints. The restroom was a bit far from our base restaurant but with all the food we ate, a little walking to burn the calories was just right.

As for the ambience, it was all good. Very hotel-appropriate, if you know what I mean. Basix looks like a classy resto, Umu was a little dark but very Asian, Benjarong and Tosca (both at the second floor) have a modern yet cozy feel. I'd still go for Basix, though, because I enjoyed resting my butt on their well-cushioned seats.

My verdict? Dusit Thani's Sunday Crossover Buffet is one dining experience that you shouldn't miss! :)

Dusit Thani Manila
Ayala Center, Makati

(+632) 238-8888

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YakiMIX, Greenbelt 3: Korean, Japanese, and Cantonese Buffet for Everyone

While I enjoy eating at buffets, I'm quite picky when it comes to restaurants that offer them. You can only take me to a buffet lunch or dinner if it's highly-recommended by friends, I love the cuisine on offer, I'm curious about the restaurant or better yet, it's for free. I've always wanted to try the popular YakiMIX buffet (and the all-new Sambokojin buffet that has the same food selection as YakiMIX's) and I finally did last Sunday afternoon at their Greenbelt 3 branch. I was with the fiancee, his sister A and our friend A. We were there for lunch and we intentionally stuffed ourselves with mounds of food before watching the much-anticipated Harry Potter finale in 3D.



Arriving at the restaurant at exactly 12:00 noon, we found ourselves wait listed for a table. You wouldn't believe it but we were the 16th in the list! After enduring the loooooong wait of an hour and 20 minutes, we got seated in one of the spacious tables with comfortable red couches. Eating began as soon as we tossed our bags onto our seats.



Some food items I spotted:

KOREAN
Bulgogi
Broiled beef tripe
Glass noodles in chicken broth
different kinds of Korean side dishes (beansprouts kimchi, chopped radish kimchi, summer green kimchi, white cabbage)

JAPANESE
Yakisoba
Sushi (in various flavors)
Maki (in various flavors)
Tuna and Salmon sashimi
beef- and bacon-wrapped enoki mushrooms
wide selection of marinated and fresh meat for smokeless grilling right on your table (prawns, squid, beef barbecue, pork barbecue, chicken barbecue, cocktail hotdogs, pork luncheon meat, bacon, shiitake mushrooms, tuna, salmon, etc.)

CANTONESE
Yang Chow fried rice
Sweet and sour pork
Broccoli with mushrooms
beef strips with teriyaki sauce, seafood roll,
crunchy squid
chicken and corn soup
bird’s nest soup

YakiMIX buffet selection was impressive. There was so much food and I didn't know where to start. You can choose to go for the cooked items first and go back for the uncooked ones. Or do the reverse. As for me, I filled my plate with raw meat for grilling.





Then, I went back for the cooked items that caught my interest. I loved their Yang Chow fried rice that had generous servings of shrimps, ham and vegetables.



I also got some sushi and maki rolls. After that, I went back for some tempura, yakisoba and more of those crunchy squid that tasted real good when dipped in their special vinegar.





Feeling too full already, I got some orange wedges to clean my palate before ending my satisfying YakiMIX meal with some desserts.





Other dessert items I saw were ice cream and sprinkles, egg tarts, mini muffins, etc.



The food at YakiMIX were good but nothing exceptional. I loved their tempura and crunchy squid and I couldn't get enough of their bacon-wrapped sprouts and asparagus. For me, these are the must-try items from the buffet.





I also liked their choices of raw meat and I loved how they provided each table with a smokeless grill. It gives a good alternative for those who want to enjoy grilled food in a cozier place and minus the burnt smell that sticks on the clothes.



Dining at YakiMIX is affordable. With several buffet stations filled with various kinds of food, you actually get more than what you pay for. Take a look at their buffet rates below:

Monday to Friday LUNCH : P499
Monday to Friday DINNER, Weekend ALL DAY: P599
Children below 4ft: P380
Drink all you can: P75

Some tips when dining at YakiMIX:

1. Don't be overwhelmed by the wide selection of food on the buffet. It could make you feel stuffed fast and worse, dizzy. Just relax, enjoy the food and chew everything slowly. You have at most 3 hours to stay, anyway.

2. For the raw meat, get and cook only what you can consume. We made the mistake of getting one plateful of various raw meat each. We had a hard time finishing all that we took because the cooked items on the buffet easily filled us up. YakiMIX implements a "No Leftover Policy" at P699. Better be safe than sorry.

3. Get desserts early, unless it's ice cream that melts easily. Desserts run out fast and when it's near the last call already, they don't refill the dessert station anymore. (Last call to the buffet stations is 2:30 p.m. The restaurant closes at this time and opens again at 5:30 p.m. for dinner.)

4. Drink only when necessary. This is self-explanatory. Don't drink a lot so you don't feel full fast. I dunno but unlike others, I tend to drink only once I finish my meal. When I started eating at buffets, I found out this was an advantage. :)


their blue lemonade was my drink of choice!

One look and one can easily say that YakiMIX's target market are families and friends. The place can be very noisy and crowded but I think it's understandable. It's a busy restaurant and they serve lotsa food which can easily perk up everyone's mood.






YakiMIX (Sushi. Smokeless Grill. Restaurant)
3/F, Greenbelt 3
Ayala, Makati

(+632) 998-8039
(+632) 475-5153


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Our Lunch Buffet Experience at Richmonde Hotel

Our lunch buffet experience at Richmonde Cafe inside the busy Richmonde Hotel-Ortigas last week, though far from being perfect, was satisfying. I was with my sister J and it somehow served as our bonding moment. Richmonde Cafe is such a cozy dining place and we liked it there. The food was good and the staff were nice, too.

Our reservation was 12:00 n.n. and we got to the hotel 10 minutes before that. The cafe is located at the 2nd floor and we just used the stairs to get there. I walked up to the receptionist and informed her I had a reservation for 12:00 n.n. for a table for two. He got my name and from the expression on his face, I detected a problem. My instincts were right. Apparently, there was no table reserved for me. He asked me as to whom I made a reservation with and I mentioned the name of the person I talked to on the phone. I overheard him whisper to his co-worker that maybe my reservation has been overlooked or something to that effect.

In all fairness to the staff, he resolved the problem on his own and got us a table in no time. I appreciated the response I got but the reservation guy left a not so good impression on me. I have experienced the same during the dinner buffet we had at Barbara's Intramuros. I dunno with restaurant reservation staff but I think they have to be extra careful in handling reservations made by diners who could be potential regulars of their establishments.


Richmonde Hotel lobby

By the way, I used Ensogo vouchers for our buffet lunch. I have purchased several vouchers from the groupon site before (like when we had a Spiral dinner buffet at Sofitel)and so far, this is the first time I had a little problem. And it wasn't even Ensogo's fault but the restaurant's.

On to the food. For a P560 worth of lunch buffet (originally priced at P1,120), I wasn't really expecting a lot. With the food selection at Richmonde Cafe during our lunch buffet, I can say I was quite pleased. I saw fresh seafood and meat items (waiting to be cooked our style!), cooked meat items (mostly Korean dishes), a salad station and a dessert station. I sampled all the dishes I found interesting and skipped the ones I normally eat at home. I brought my DSLR with me for picture-taking but forgot to check the battery. I found out the battery was empty so I asked one of the staff if I could charge it and he was kind enough to let me use one of their power outlets. :)

Here are two food photos I took (these do not include the ones I ate while the camera was still charging, though, haha):


my bread plate with bread, butter, green grapes, and several kinds of cheese


my sister's dessert plate

Among the food items I tried, only one stood out for me -- the steamed squid. It was my first time to see this popular seafood cooked very simply. It tasted so good and the soy-chili dip with calamansi went well with it. The squid was soft, succulent and tasted fresh. Every bite was memorable, the kick from the chilies went from mild to strong and I loved it. I think I ate a total of four pieces.


steamed squid is the one on mini-saucer

If I have voracious appetite, my sister J is the opposite. I think she only finished two plates of food: one for main dishes and the other for desserts. Plus, she tried the halo-halo (I didn't) and it seemed she liked it because she finished her glass. She said she was full already so I just let her relax while I continued eating.



Richmonde Cafe was full house during our lunch. It was the last day the Ensogo vouchers could be used so I wasn't surprised when I saw several groups arrived with Ensogo vouchers at hand. The advantage of being seated near the grand staircase. Haha. I, myself, almost forgot about this deal. Good thing I checked my vouchers and saw this one tagged with a May 11 deadline. I just had to use it so I dragged my sister along. Sayang naman kung hindi magamit.

Richmonde Hotel housed three restaurants in its premises: Richmonde Cafe, The Exchange (which looked like a sushal bar & lounge to me)and the Lobby Cafe (great for coffee or a quick snack). Richmonde Cafe, it seemed to me, shares restrooms with The Exchange because it was where we were pointed to by the staff when we asked for a ladies' room.


inside their well-lighted ladies' room

All in all, I think our lunch buffet at Richmond Cafe was pleasurable and worthy of our trip (we're from Manila). We enjoyed the cozy ambience and the friendly service. The food was good but not the kind that I'd go back for, though.



Have you dined at Richmonde Cafe recently? How has it been?


Richmonde Cafe
2nd Level, Richmonde Hotel
21 San Miguel Ave. Ortigas Center,
Pasig City 1600

(+632) 638-7777 loc. 3409
(+632) 689-8419
http://www.richmondehotel.com



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Buffet Dinner with Cultural Presentation at Barbara's Restaurant, Intramuros

Whenever I dine in a restaurant, my top preference is always the buffet. Aside from the fact that buffets allow me to eat to my heart's content with its eat-all-you-can policy, they never fail to give full value to my money. As a paying customer, that's what I look for at all times. I don't care if I spend more than what I would usually pay for a meal, so long as it's buffet with wide food selection, I'm in.



The emergence of Groupon sites has allowed me to spend more on food through their awesome restaurant deals. Last Friday night, for instance, we have finally used our Metrodeal vouchers at Barbara's Restaurant, a fine dining vintage restaurant in Intramuros.

While the food and the wait staff service at Barbara's during our visit were pretty good, I found their reservation service a bit bad. I booked for a table for three the week before and when we asked for it, my name wasn't on their list for the night. How come it wasn't there?

I even called three times on different days just to get a table. During my first and second calls, the reservation officer said they're already fully booked on the dates I chose (within the week). On my third and final call, I was able to get a table because I chose a date that fell not within the week but on the next week. I was really upset but didn't show it. The guy on the reception table was kind enough to still accommodate us (okay, maybe the disappointment did show on my face).

Initially, we were ushered to the adjacent empty room. The other room was where the buffet spread, cultural presentation and diners were. My two companions (Edwin and his sister Albie) were just looking on and following me. So, we went to the other room to get food and for some reason, I overheard the guy at the reception table explaining about our situation to another guy that looked like restaurant manager to me. I made parinig that how come nobody enlisted my name as part of the diners for the night, blah blah blah. Funny but somehow, it was effective because seconds after we got our share from the buffet, we were led to the nearby table for three within that room. That, or maybe they just transferred us because the supposed diners for the said table for three were not arriving in the next one hour and we didn't look like we'd stay for more than an hour. Whatever the reason was, I was glad we got seated in that room.


a peek into the cultural presentation (behind us)

Personally, I liked the food at Barbara's. There were only a few dishes on the buffet and these were all Filipino food. I particularly enjoyed their lechon kawali. I think I had two servings of it. It was well-seasoned and had just the right oiliness. The pork skin was crispy and the meat was tender. I paired this with the mango, tomato and bagoong (shrimp paste) salad. Yum.



Another dish I liked is the soy sauce-based fish fillet (looked like taningue to me) whose meat was super tender and tasty.

Aside from the two dishes I mentioned, there were also pancit and kare-kare. I skipped on the pancit because it didn't look delicious to me. I tried the kare-kare but I only got some veggies and sauce because I was not a big fan of it.


that's the buffet at the back of Edwin

Drinks are not included in our vouchers. We had to drink or run the risk of choking. So, I got fresh guyabano juice. It's not on the menu but just a suggestion from one of the waiters. P120 for a glass. It was sweet and refreshing but had a bitter aftertaste. I guess some guyabano peel got mixed in while they were scraping off the fruit's flesh. But I still liked it as it was.



For desserts, Barbara's served three kinds. There were the banana fritters with sesame seeds that Edwin liked a lot, the merengue that Albie was raving about and the sago cups which Albie and I both enjoyed.

The entire restaurant complex of Barbara's is huge. They have function rooms for special occasions. The room where we got seated was on the second floor. It was big and looked really vintage with its wooden, Spanish style interiors. Despite the presence of the diners around, I still found the place spooky, though. It didn't help that the minimal lighting was concentrated on the buffet side and the tables were lighted by candles only. Taking good food pictures was next to impossible. We even forgot to bring a camera so pardon the lousy photos taken using an iPhone 4. Haha.

We got our Metrodeal vouchers at P250 each, original value was P500. Not bad for a buffet dinner with one-hour cultural presentation from a certain Folklorica dance group. Had my reservation went thru smoothly and my name been included in the list of diners for the night, our experience would have been more fun and memorable.

Barbara's Restaurant
Gen. Luna St. (just beside San Agustin Church)
Plaza San Luis Complex
Intramuros, Manila

(+632) 527-3893
(+632) 527-4086

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Dinner Buffet at Guilly's Island, Boracay

Guilly's Island is one of the beachfront restaurants at Station 1, Boracay that serves buffet nightly. Compared to other buffets lining the long stretch of White Beach, theirs was one of the lowest-priced. For only P275, you get to sample Filipino, Japanese and Italian dishes as well as the requisite seafood, soup, salad and dessert items. It also has a separate station where you can freely choose the ingredients and toppings for your Mongolian rice bowl. While there are restaurants in Boracay that serve Mongolian buffets only, this particular Mongolian station is just part of the buffet at Guilly's. Now that's what you call value for money!



We arrived at the spacious dining place of Guilly's at around 7:00 p.m. It was a Monday which was also the last night of our birthday trip to Boracay. There were only a few diners that time and so the buffet was still generously filled. After getting a table, Edwin and I immediately went to the buffet station. I headed for the Mongolian station and filled my bowl with warm rice and noodles and the freshest meat, veggies, sauces and spices. I left it with the staff who would cook it for me. I was given a number and told to wait for my Mongolian rice bowl on our table.


my Mongolian rice bowl (uncooked)


various types of meat for the Mongolian rice bowl




some makis



Pinoy faves spread


pasta station

While waiting for my Mongolian rice bowl, I took photos of the different food on the buffet and also had a plate of carbonara pasta cooked for me. Edwin, on the other hand, got his share of the Pinoy food and a small plate of Japanese maki. We met at our table and soon after, my Mongolian rice bowl and carbonara pasta had arrived. We ate as slowly as possible to allow ourselves to appreciate the tastes and flavors of our food.





My Mongolian rice bowl looked rich and delicious. No, it actually looked and tasted rich and delicious. One of the best Mongolian rice bowls I've tried. The three kinds of meat I got (chicken, beef and squid) were fresh and juicy. The same can also be said about the veggies. I also gave some credit to myself because I was the one who chose the right amount of ingredients and toppings that went into it. Haha.


my Mongolian rice bowl (cooked)

On the other hand, I found my carbonara pasta dry and bland. The white sauce (bechamel) tasted weird and the meat was scarce. I thought the only thing that gave it a bit of saltiness was the parmesan cheese. I didn't like it, to be honest. It was actually Edwin who finished my plate.

I cannot tell how the Filipino dishes tasted like but if we would base it from Edwin's empty plate after our dinner, then I could say they're good.

This soup of sinigang na tuna sa miso was very comforting. Its marriage of salty and sour flavors was perfect for our taste buds. Edwin even happily commented that it was his kind of fish sinigang. I'm not a soup person but when Edwin gave me a small bowl of this, I was able to finish it in no time.



As for these Japanese makis and calamares, they were also delicious but I was already too full with my Mongolian rice bowl to appreciate them fully. But I wasn't able to say no to the oysters as they were refreshing, a real seafood treat! Edwin and I got so stuffed that we opted not to try the salad and the desserts anymore.




fresh oysters are love

The P275 per head dinner buffet at Guilly's Island comes with a complimentary glass of ordinary iced tea. Oooops, and one thing that sets them apart from other buffets in Boracay is that they don't have a "no leftover" policy. This means you can have as much food as you want without worrying that you'd pay double if ever you leave some on your plate after your meal.

The service at Guilly's Island was okay. Not too friendly but never pushy. That night, the place was half-filled and so I was able to take snapshots without getting the attention of the other diners. I liked it that the restaurant had more than enough tables. It seemed to me that they really catered to a big crowd. In a place like Boracay, I don't think drawing people to your establishment is a problem. The huge restaurant space they have is actually an edge.




this beautiful white lantern and a few more adorn the resto's interiors



Guilly's Island
(beside Ababu Persian Kitchen)
Station 1, White Beach
Boracay Island
Malay, Aklan


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Eat-All-You-Can Buffet at Cabalen-Robinsons Place Manila

When Jan, our Cebu-based friend visited Manila last December to fulfill an important task, he met up with us (Edwin, Albie and I) for dinner. We took him to Cabalen-Robinsons Place Malate to enjoy an eat-all-you-can buffet. Here, the price per head is P299, which is basically your ticket to an array of Filipino dishes. Taste-wise, my top picks among the food we had were the sizzling sisig, biringhe (our native paella!) and dinuguan.


Nothing beats the biringhe of Cabalen. The rice was sticky and flavorful, with just the right amount of meat and vegetables. The dish was rich in texture and flavor. It was a delight on its own and very satisfying. It was so good I forgot to take a photo of it. Sorry. :(

Their sizzling sisig didn't disappoint, too. I like my sisig not cartilage-ful (if you know what I mean) and instead, with enough liver, meat and fat. Surprisingly, Cabalen's sisig was my kind of sisig. I also like the fact that it was a bit spicy and not at all salty.


The dinuguan! Oh how I enjoyed their dinuguan! The natural sourness of the vinegar was evident and yet it didn't overpower the other flavors present in the dish. I liked the fact that it had the right amount of lean pork strips and gizzards. I think I finished a bowl of it with steamed, white rice.


Aside from the dishes I described above, Cabalen-Robinsons Place Malate serves lechong paksiw, bopis, adobo, pancit bihon, native sausages, tocino, laing, sauteed bamboo shoots, grilled catfish, and a few more savory Pinoy dishes. Definitely, it still is one of the buffets in Metro Manila that are worth your every penny.

So, did Jan enjoy his dinner as much as I did? Definitely!


my plate, before and after


Cabalen is a nice place to take your visiting friends to because of its homey ambiance and good food. Forget about the service as we experienced less than satisfactory. The restaurant was full-house during our visit and the waiters looked either pressured, tired or plain busy.






Note: The eat-all-you-can buffet at Cabalen-Mall of Asia costs P499 per head, P200 higher than that at Cabalen-Robinsons Place Malate. The reason? The buffet spread there has a wider selection of food that includes Chinese and Japanese dishes, among others.


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