Buffest!

The week has whizzed by fast and somehow I feel guilty for not updating this blog. Several things have happened in my life lately, some details of which I will be posting soon. However, one thing that has remained constant is the fact that I’ve eaten more food than ever. Buffet for lunch and buffet for dinner in one day was really terrible.So busy and so engrossed was I with all the gorging that I forgot about the gym for a while. Hmm, I think a social study on the buffet mentality of Filipinos should be in the works. That’s because places offering them seem to be raking it all in. Out of curiosity, I asked a friend if these restos don’t go bankrupt from all the gluttons (including me) crowding the counters; she said something like out of 10 people who patronize such offerings, only three or four are expected to really load it up. How true?

Our first stop was the the new Ang Hang Restaurant on Adriatico St., Malate. I loved this place when it was still Mil Novecientos; however, am relieved that their lunch offering, even though sparse, proved to be very interesting. This is the place to go if you want to be acquainted with Asian dishes and at P395++, the price isn’t so bad. I just wish every dish had a name card since most of the dishes are foreign-sounding.

For starters, we had a creamy coconut soup with slivers of pork which just had the right kind of spiciness.In the salad & appetizers section, I feasted on the fried (or baked?) chicken wings which was again spicy but not so much. I also liked the mushrooms with all the peppers and what seemed like a combination of kangkong and pako salad beautifully arranged in Chinese-style soup spoons (see photo).

For the main course, I had nasi goreng; the Chicken Ang Hang submerged in peppers and a hot & sour sauce; the beef hofan; and the beef ribs rogan josh which is a take off from the traditional Indian stew made from lamb. My dessert discovery was a the round-shaped fried custard whose Indian name I forgot now. For an additional P100, guests may include the lechon tandoori in their menu but I tried this before and the skin was not so crispy.

The next day, I tried the lunch buffet at Traders Hotel which is a small business hotel on Roxas Boulevard. For someone used to those sumptuous Shang Ri-La buffets, I have found their breakfast wanting. However, I was surprised that I actually liked their lunch menu..or was it because someone was treating me that day? haha. My host said the papadum eaten with sinigang soup was heavenly and I agreed.
Papadums are those crispy Indian chips made from ground lentil usually eaten with dips or chutney and I must say they can get pretty addicting. I also liked the kalbi chim and breaded fish fillet called Mahi Mediterraneo which I paired with the Shanghai fried rice. For the last course, I snobbed the cakes and instead savored the green tea ice cream. At 580++, the Traders offering is reasonably priced compared to other hotel buffets and should be worth a look.

As a fitting end to our leisurely lunch, we climbed the hotel’s Club Floor, pressing 14 on the elevator.I must say the view of Manila Bay from all sides was really fantastic. I couldn’t resist taking a picture.

Our last stop for this buffet madness was the ageless Kamayan Restaurant (Padre Faura branch) where our Rotary Club had its dinner anniversary. At only P275, I think this buffet is the best value for money among all. Of course, Cabalen is a little bit cheaper but the quality sometimes suffers.

Kamayan has 14 dishes and that’s just for the main courses alone. This is not yet talking about the array of salads, appetizers, noodles, desserts and of course the calorie-inducing lechon which remains the star of the show in Kamayan.

What else can I say, all these buffets are a testament to the Filipinos inherent love for food, great food. Oh well…eat now, diet/exercise later!