MANILA, Philippines - Elvis Presley has been gone for 34 years and yet his memory lingers like the scent of a sweet perfume. I made plans to visit Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee on his death anniversary this year, but because of work, I wasn’t able to leave and had to satisfy my hankering by watching the performances of Elvis tribute artists at Bistro RJ. Like my boss Ramon “RJ” Jacinto, I’m a big Elvis fan and have a sizable amount of Elvis memorabilia that I cherish.
One of my closest friends in the US is also one of the best Elvis impersonators in the world — Johnny Thompson. Whenever I visit Las Vegas, Johnny always takes me around and treats me to his favorite Pinoy restaurant because he loves Pinoy cuisine. Currently, Johnny is on an Asian tour and has stopped by Manila to visit. I took the opportunity to return the favor by treating him to one of the best buffets I’ve tried in the country — the lunch buffet at the Midas Hotel Café.
Inaugurated recently, the Midas Hotel is situated where the former Hyatt Hotel was located in Roxas Blvd. The first time I stepped into the hotel, I wasn’t expecting much because from the facade, it seemed the hotel just had a minor facelift but boy, was I pleasantly surprised with the new interiors.
The lobby is a sight to behold most specially if you love Hermes. The walls are peppered with differently shaped orange boxes that resemble Hermes packaging, neatly stacked on shelves alternating with chrome and crystal pieces. Past the hotel lobby, plexiglass cases housing various brand-new Birkins (Birkin is a Hermes bag named after French actress and singer Jane Birkin and the most sought-after bag in the world) that would rival the window display of the Hermes shop in Greenbelt Makati that couldn’t even put one Birkin on display. The middle case was empty because the wife of a politician just purchased one of the Birkins, according to an employee. She also intimated that another high-end shop of designer bags might open in the hotel soon.
The Midas coffee shop overlooks the busy Roxas Blvd. I really didn’t care much about the view because my eyes were focused on the food in the buffet. Unlike buffets in other hotels that will dazzle the eye with the numerous cuisine types from all over the world, the Midas buffet is the first I’ve seen that features hot and spicy Bicolano fare like Laing and the Pinoy favorite Pinakbet on the menu on a daily basis. When was the last time you saw Bopis at a hotel buffet?
The buffet does include the normal buffet dishes like chilled seafood, salad greens, prime rib carving, meats, fish, pasta, fruits, cakes, etc.
Worth trying is the crunchy and tasty German Crispy Pata which I ate with gusto. I wish they had soy sauce with vinegar and garlic for dipping.
Johnny was hesitant to taste Laing (taro leaves simmered in coconut milk with shrimps and sometimes pork) because it looked totally different from the usual Crispy Pata and Bistek Tagalog he usually eats at his favorite Pinoy restaurant in Las Vegas. Midas Hotel GM Angel Kanapi (one of the very few Pinoy Hotel GMs and a 30-year veteran of the Marriott Hotel chain) gently persuaded him to take a bite, which he did and wasn’t disappointed. In fact, he almost finished the serving and commented, “This is like Creamed Spinach that’s been spiced.” The spiciness of the Laing woke Johnny’s appetite and before we knew it, he had a plateful of Adobong Pusit (squid), Pinakbet, Bopis and Bicol Express to the delight of Midas director of marketing Cielo Ortega.
If Elvis were alive today, I would have brought him to Manila for a concert and feed him Laing.