10 plus plus top buffets

If food defines the cultural, social and  political character of a society, here’s the question: Why do we love buffets?

Did the Spanish make us love the fiesta atmosphere that is made merrier with a table groaning with food? Did the Chinese teach us to savor the lauriat, but then we simply decided to put all the dishes out all at the same time? Did the Americans show us how to cook up a celebration so big and plentiful?

The “all-you-can-eat buffet” is attributed to Herb Macdonald, a Las Vegas hotel manager who introduced the concept of all-day (and gambling?) in l946. But as far back as the 16th century, the French decorated dining tables displayed with vessels and drapes, adorned with rich fabrics, and cupboards with tiers of food shelves. In England, they were called “court cupboards.” Louis XIV of France’s fascination with baroque displays of silver and gold was immortalized by Alexandre-Francois Desportes in paintings.

Going back to Las Vegas, William Pearson in his l965 novel The Muses of Ruin, wrote of these buffets as “the eighth wonder of the world” with ice castles chilling shrimps and lobsters, and food laid out with reverent artistry. “How many times do you go through the line is a private matter between you and your capacity... and the chef’s evil eye.”

So why do we Filipinos love buffets? Because in good times or bad (perhaps especially bad?), they make us feel abundant and forget the emptiness and humdrum of daily meals. Because life is a buffet, and we love having many choices. From the barrios where celebrations are marked with buffets lovingly cooked by folks, to cosmopolitan areas where a buffet known as a smorgasbord (a Swedish word meaning sandwich table) is laid out in Manila’s pioneer hotels together with luncheon fashion shows.

 Today, buffets are standard offerings in five-star hotels, as well as a few restos. And the queues are endless.

1. DADS

The buffet mania in Manila began in 1993 when Vicvic Villavicencio, the father of buffet dining in the country, introduced his “No Leftover Buffet at 50 Percent Off.” The fatherly admonition echoed in his concept was “Eat your food and clean your plate.” It was a hit! Families came for bonding time amid plentiful food and fun. Now, DADS offers the ultimate buffet merging all three cuisines in Vicvic’s Triple V chain — Kamayan, Saisaki and DADS — costing only P480 (P580 on Sundays) and featuring all the Filipino, Japanese and continental treats you can enjoy, from lechon to tempura to roast beef.

DADS is located at SM Megamall, Glorietta 3, EDSA, Padre Faura and West Avenue, QC. Call 636-3785 or 892-8898.

2. CABALEN

A must destination for all balikbayans who miss good old Filipino food, Cabalen is the favorite choice for family celebrations and reunions. Started in l974 by Maritel Nievera-Shani (as Bahay Pasalubong and then Ituro Mo, Iluto Ko), Cabalen is now a chain of 14 restos offering the “Eat all you can, eat all you want” buffet of over 50 dishes including kare-kare, asado, lechon, dinuguan, kaldereta, bringhe, tapa, morcon, pork BBQ, salmon belly, rellenong bangus, nilasing na hipon, chicharon Guagua, inihaw na panga ng tuna, sisig, kilawin, bulalo, lumpia plus a halo-halo bar and Kapampangan desserts like sampelot with ube, tibok-tibok, biko, bibingka and turon.

 Offering the most value for money at P279, Cabalen is the most popular buffet in town. It is the fave of personalities in government and business, including President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who inaugurated its Glorietta 3 branch, as well as former President Joseph Estrada who graced its Katipunan opening. Among Cabalen diners are Vice President Noli de Castro, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, Senators Loren Legarda, Ed Angara, Peter Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Rodolfo Biazon and Tito Sotto.

Cabalen has branches on West Avenue QC, SM Megamall, Robinsons Place Manila, SM North EDSA, Festival Supermall, Sta. Lucia Mall Cainta, Robinsons Starmills Pampanga, SM City Clark, SM Taytay and soon at SM Mall of Asia and Country Market of Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna. A Filipino-Asian buffet is offered at Cabalen in Glorietta 3 and TriNoma at P392.

Call 913-5522 or 421-9220 for catering services.

3. RED CRAB SEAFOOD CLUB

This resto is sheer heaven for crab lovers! Here you can feast on crabs cooked in all imaginable ways possible, including Thanh Long style. Waiters give you the Red Crab apron to wear so you can crack the crabs open with a nutcracker or simply use your hands to pry open those luscious, simply-steamed crabs, and feast on them with piping hot garlic rice. The buffet menu changes every two weeks, going Spanish, American, Southeast Asian, modern or Filipino, but always with crabs as the main attraction. Buffet price is P588 for lunch and P644 for dinner daily except for the Friday and Saturday grand buffets.

 Red Crab Seafood Club is located at Greenbelt 3 second level. Call 757-4129 or 757-4716.

4. JEEPNEY CAFE at HOTEL INTERCON

This is one coffee shop that makes your patriotic heart feel good. Probably the only Filipino-themed five-star coffee shop in the metropolis, Jeepney Cafe used to have five Sarao jeepneys inside where guests could actually eat. Now, there is more dining space as the jeepney parts are just “parked” on walls. But the feeling is still there.

 You also remember that it wasn’t just coffee that was hot, hot, hot at Cafe Jeepney. Political debates sizzled there as well, as it was the hangout of the 365 Club members after martial law. These included out-of-work journalists and so the tab would be picked up by a Marcos ally-columnist, the formidable but generous Doroy Valencia, and Makati Mayor Nemesio Yabut. The 365 Club founders included the Philippine STAR’s Max Soliven and Art Borjal, Bulletin’s Jess Bigornia, and Standard’s Emil Jurado. Among the political figures at 365 were Johnny Enrile, Kokoy Romualdez, Blas Ople, Rene Cayetano, Leonardo and Armida Siguion-Reyna.

Buffet lovers will probably feel nostalgic for Intercon’s Bahia buffets with the popular Mongolian barbecue. Now Intercon, the longest-running hotel chain in the Philippines, continues the buffet tradition at Cafe Jeepney, which has live cooking stations featuring the best of east and west cuisines. The price is P1,262 for lunch (Monday to Sunday) and dinner (Monday to Saturday).

Call Cafe Jeepney of Intercon at 793-7777.

5. PASEO UNO at MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL

Mandarin can be credited for reviving the buffet mania at a time when foodies in cosmopolitan Manila had become jaded to the idea. When Mandarin opened its chic Paseo Uno in 2003, it became the fave of urbanites looking for new culinary thrills. The modern, spacious cafe, featuring world-class chefs at interactive cooking stations became the new place to dine. “Interactive” was the keyword. Foodies wanted to choose, to watch, to feel, to participate in the cooking process.

 Long queues of diners waited to savor Paseo Uno’s buffet offerings such as Peking duck, roasted suckling pig, Phad Thai, Hainanese chicken, Singapore prawn laksa, dimsum, Australian prime rib, risotto and pasta station, seafood paella, curracha crabs, fresh oysters, shrimps and mussels and grilled fish with assorted sauces.

Breakfast buffet is P823, seafood buffet P1,295, dining after 9:30 p.m. P1,181, Sunday buffet extravaganza P1,295, appetizer and salad buffet P800. Half prices are given to children between ages six and 12.

Today, the queues are still there, and thank God, Paseo Uno’s dress code is more relaxed now .The “no rubber slippers allowed” ruling was lifted ever since a famous tycoon lined up wearing his Havaianas.

Call Paseo Uno of Mandarin at 750-8888 extension 2411.

6.CIRCLES at SHANGRI-LA MAKATI

As if to keep the cosmopolitan foodies ever excited and going in circles for more culinary adventures, Shangri-La Makati boarded up its old coffee shop and reopened with Circles. It was an instant hit as guests joined the queue for a new culinary drama: theater kitchens and cooking stations appealing to diners’ visual, aural and tasteful senses. Little design details and more eye candy add excitement for an almost SRO crowd that savors its 16 food options. There are delicate sushi/sashimi counters overseen by Inagiku’s master chef, live seafood catch, the finest meats and poultry, Cantonese dimsum, Chinese BBQ, and drinks including premium wines, healthy fruit juices and cocktails.

 Buffet prices range from P985 (Monday promo), to P1,424 (lunch weekdays), to P1,639 (dinner) to P1,903 (Sunday).

Call Circles of Shangri-La Makati at 840-0884 or 813-8888 extensions 7588/7579.

7. HEAT at SHANGRI-LA EDSA

The heat is also on at Shangri-La in the Ortigas side of town. Basically the same concept is found at Heat, but Shangri-La Edsa makes sure it has offerings not found in Makati. For instance, Heat has a more extensive ice cream bar, with cakes, pastries and local delights like kakanin and sapin-sapin. Its resident Japanese chef makes sure that Heat is always hot with surprises.

Buffet prices range from P1,127 (breakfast) to P1,293 (lunch), to P1,785(Sunday lunch) to P1,490 (Sunday dinner).

Call Heat of Shangri-La EDSA at 633-8888 extensions 2740/2741.

8. NIELSEN at THE PENINSULA

For gourmets and gourmands who prefer a buffet that features well-chosen items on the spread, Nielsen is a good choice. Nothing is ever the same at Nielsen’s, which has food theme buffets, seafood specials and Sunday brunches. Nielsen is proud of its pioneering seafood buffet (P1,300 for adults, P780 for children on Friday and Saturday), international buffet (P925 for adults, P555 for children Monday to Friday), and Sunday brunch buffet with clown shows and balloon sculpting (P995 for adults, P595 for children). What makes the Nielsen buffet different? The old-world classic elegance of The Pen is always there. We love its quiet splendor.

Call Nielsen of The Peninsula at 887-2888 extensions 6742/6745.

9. CAFE RIVIERA at HERITAGE HOTEL

What makes Cafe Riviera different from other five-star buffets? Executive chef Sunny Goh cooks up the big difference.

With 30 years of experience in Asian hotels, chef Sunny highlights Singaporean and Malaysian cuisines. This is the place to go for Hainanese chicken, laksa, fish curry, prawns with tamarind sauce, beef rendang and chap chye (Nonya mixed veggies). Chinese ingredients and Malay herbs bring the distinct flavor on the table.

Filipino, Japanese, French, Italian and other European dishes are other sumptuous offerings. There’s lechon de leche, roast duck, fresh salmon and tuna sushi, oysters, lobsters, beef steak, and noodles cooked the way you like it.

There is a separate halal station . The dessert table offers sweet treats from east to west, Buffet price is P1,413.

Call Riviera Cafe of Heritage Hotel at 854-8888.

10. SPIRAL at SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA

It’s Gone With the Wind meets The Wedding Banquet at Spiral, the humongous buffet cafe of Sofitel Philippine Plaza where everything is big and dramatic. And delicious!

 We love the grand spiral staircase and how it leads to a refreshing fountain with a modern sculpture in the center of the cafe. To complete the drama, there are six different cooking theaters.

 “Spiral is a concept that blends international cuisine with a dash of drama,” explains Sofitel general manager Bernd Schneider. “In Spiral the chefs are the performers and the restaurant, their stage.”

Leading the cast is Swiss executive chef Christian Werdenberg who has recently added Cuisine Vitale, healthy but flavorful dishes using organic ingredients. Japanese master chef Noboru Ozeki cooks up appetizers in mini Rosenthal crystals, aside from the usual tempura, koshiage, sashimi and yakitori offerings. From India, chef Om Prakash sets your appetite on fire with his authentic tandoori oven. Chinese chef Peter Cheung makes you crave for the hot wok, noodles, dimsum, barbecue and more. There are Mediterranean delights, both hot and cold from Europe, state-of-the-art grill stations, and a fabulous dessert station teeming with French pastries, fruity cheesecakes, truffles, soufflés, crepes and sugar-free desserts. French assistant F&B manager Quentin Renard proudly describes the best French wines, all 3,000 of them, in Spiral’s wine cellar.

This is dining with the world on your plate. An SRO experience — but of course, you must call Spiral of Sofitel at 832-6988 for a good theater seat.

Buffet prices are P918 (breakfast), P1,388 (lunch), P1,588 (dinner), and P1,888 (Sunday brunch).

11. MARKET CAFE at HYATT MANILA

Aside from art pieces in its lobby and other outlets, there are many things you can feast on at Hyatt Manila. There is the 24-hour, all-day dining Market Cafe with a self-service market-style setup made luscious and tempting with its show kitchens and food stations.

We love the Market Cafe design — a cozy, modern and relaxed ambience created by the world-renowned Bilkey Llinas Design, deriving inspiration from Filipino baskets.

Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila has two topnotch experts — executive chef Hubertus Cramer and F&B director Joey Wu — who showcase the best of western and eastern cuisines, from European and American to Japanese and Chinese. Buffet prices are P1,123 (lunch), P1,229 (dinner), and P1,229 for weekend buffets with sparkling wine.

Call Market Cafe of Hyatt Manila at 245-1234 extensions 7225/7226.

12. SEVEN CORNERS at CROWNE PLAZA

There’s a not-so-secret resto that shoppers in the Ortigas area go to for a hearty buffet. It’s called Seven Corners and it boasts that it can bring you to seventh heaven. Well, seven yummy food stations is more like it. The Japanese, Indian, Western, pizza, noodle, salad and dessert stations are well edited for picky guests. We found the seafoods really fresh, with generous servings of oysters, crabs, lobsters shrimps and mussels making the price really worthwhile (P1,176 for lunch and P1,387 for dinner). For meat eaters, there’s lechon de leche, beef rib-eye, tandoori chicken and kebabs. The dessert table is unique for its ice cream teppanyaki and luscious pastries.

Call Seven Corners of Crowne Plaza at 633-7222 or 633-7111.

13. BENJARONG at DUSIT THANI

Here’s a unique buffet-hopping experience in town that covers four restaurants. For Sunday brunch at Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati, you pay P1,450 at the lobby desk and then you are given a wrist tag to wear. This allows you to hop from the Benjarong to Basix to Tosca and Umi restos of the hotel for samplings of Thai, continental, Italian and Japanese cuisine.

 You pay half price for children ages six to 12, and they will enjoy the fun and games at the ballroom where they can have their hair styled at the Kidz Salon, wear a statement with tattoo glitter, play video or booth games and watch jugglers and mimes do their thing.

 Call Dusit Thani at 867-3333.

14. M2M at RENAISSANCE MAKATI

We used to enjoy the Bocarinos buffet at the New World Hotel because of its well-selected offerings as well as its modern wares and ambience. But now the hotel has just undergone a wonderful renaissance as, what else but the new Renaissance Makati Hotel with a lot of exciting new restos. Top of their rebirth restos is M2M — yes, that means morning to midnight dining. This 24-hour buffet experience comes with six live kitchens and a crew of 21 chefs. The refreshing, modern decor makes it appealing to urbanites seeking a good place to eat in between shopping and movies in the Greenbelt/Glorietta area. For P1,100 (weekdays) and P1,399 (Sunday), you savor seafoods (oysters, salmon, prawns, crabs and New Zealand mussels), Japanese delights, a salad bar, prime rib, grilled lamb, paellas, pastas — oh, the list is endless. You can go Japanese, American, Spanish, Italian, Mexican, Indonesian, Mediterranean or Filipino.

Long lines are now forming at the newest buffet in town, so call M2M of Renaissance at 811-6888 for reservations. Oh yes, there’s the 24/7 Cinnabar on the same lobby level.