Family Favorite: Omakase, Alabang

We discovered this little gem of a Japanese restaurant several years ago, when it was still at its old location in the now-demolished Casa Susana Building beside Alabang Town Center. At the time, it was still something of a secret, for the most part known only to Southerners who liked good Japanese food--particularly sushi--at a reasonable price. I know Omakase has a few branches, and perhaps one or two of these were up and running and well known before the Alabang branch was put up. But here I speak specifically of the Alabang branch: It was at the basement level of a building that many people not from the South overlook, and even Southerners wouldn't have known that down in the basement was a Japanese restaurant that soon would become a neighborhood favorite.

And like a true neighborhood favorite, it gained patronage through word of mouth. Sushi lovers who've been there raved about the variety of sushi offerings--beyond your usual California maki and tuna/salmon sushi. Fellow sushi fiends were quick to try it and, impressed not only by the selection of sushi and but also by the good quality of food, reasonable prices, and ambiance, were quick to recommend it to even more people. Omakase became so popular that if you showed up at peak hours (especially weekend dinner), there would already be a wait list, and it would be maybe 20 or 30 minutes before you could be seated. But it was also so good that people were willing to wait.

Fast forward to the present. Omakase has since moved to a larger, two-floor location at the Molito Lifestyle Center, just across the street from its old location. Now much more visible and accessible, it has opened itself up to a larger market, no longer limited to the social circles of the South--although a large portion of its regular clientele is still made up of Southerners.

Last week, we had dinner there to celebrate my brother's birthday. 8:30 pm on a Wednesday night, and the place was bustling. We were pleasantly greeted at the door, seated promptly, and given menus. Since Omakase is a regular haunt for us, it didn't take us long to decide what to order: our usual Spicy Tuna Salad, SAR Platter, and JSC platter; a Deep Blue Sea; and a Momoiro Udon, since it was a birthday and we needed a noodle dish. Later on, my brother took advantage of his being the birthday celebrant and requested an additional order: a Dynamite Roll.

Our orders arrived within a reasonable amount of time. The Spicy Tuna Salad (PhP 220 [~USD 5]) was, as always, the perfect way to whet our appetites, with fresh raw tuna cubes, a nicely spicy salad dressing, and crunchy bits of tempura batter atop a bed of lettuce, sprinkled with chopped scallions and either tobiko (flying fish roe) or ebiko (shrimp roe).

Spicy Tuna Salad

The first maki to arrive was the Deep Blue Sea (spicy tuna and tempura bits inside with with salmon, shrimp, and shredded kani [crabstick] on top, PhP 280 [~USD 7]). It was quite good, with fresh ingredients, but it wasn't my favorite. For one thing, I thought it was too big of a mouthful for me to properly taste what i was eating, and for another, the ingredients seemed to complete and blur each other out rather than complement and enhance each other.

Deep Blue Sea

The SAR and JSC platters arrived almost simultaneously. The SAR platter (PhP 445 [~USD 11]) contains Salmon Skin maki (crunchy salmon skin with scallions and sesame seeds outside, individual order PhP 180); American Dream (deep-fried, tempura-batter-coated sushi with salmon, kani, and cream cheese, individual order PhP 195); and Rock n Roll (spicy tuna inside with scallions and sesame seeds outside, individual order PhP 180). Do the math: ordering these makis individually amounts to PhP 555 (~USD 13), so the savings are significant when you order the platter.

SAR Platter: Salmon Skin maki (top right/bottom left),
American Dream (middle), Rock n Roll (top left/bottom right)

The Salmon Skin maki is my mom's favorite: lucky for her, because it's everyone else's least favorite. It's actually good, but I suppose the rest of us just don't particularly enjoy the rough texture and partial crunch of the salmon skin. The American Dream is a popular, safe choice that can be enjoyed by sushi veterans and the uninitiated alike; it tastes good and is not lacking in sophistication, yet it is not raw and not too exotic. The Rock n Roll is my favorite among this platter's offerings; it's simple but not plain or ordinary, and you get the clean, natural, unadulterated flavors of fresh ingredients.

The JSC Platter (PhP 695 [~USD 17]) is a combination of the Jurassic (ebi [shrimp] tempura, kani, ebiko, salmon skin, and cucumber inside with unagi [eel] on top, individual order PhP 280); Seabreeze (ebi tempura and spicy salmon inside, slices of tuna outside, individual order PhP 250); and Crazy Maki (spicy tuna and salmon inside, scallion, salmon skin, and ebiko outside, individual order PhP 185). Ordered individually, these three makis amount to PhP 715--the difference between this and the price of the platter is surprisingly small. However, if you're ordering all three makis anyway--and there's no reason not to, because they're all very good (no duds/fillers here)--might as well get the platter and save yourself 20 bucks.

JSC Platter: Jurassic (top right/bottom left), Seabreeze (center),
 Crazy Maki (top left/bottom right)

Everyone has a different favorite from this platter. One of my sisters likes the Jurassic, perhaps because of the variety of flavors and textures you get in one bite. The Seabreeze is bound to please many, as it combines 3 Japanese favorites: raw tuna, raw salmon, and the flavor and crunch of ebi tempura. The Crazy Maki is my other sister's favorite. It is actually more simple than its name suggests. Perhaps the salmon skin on the outside makes it "crazy," but it's a rather sparse coating, and it's so subtle, I barely even notice it's there. Nevertheless, this is my favorite among this platter's offerings, too.

I'm glad my brother went for the additional order of the Dynamite Roll (unagi tempura inside with spicy salmon or tuna on top, PhP 240 [~USD 6]). With a nice creamy crunch inside and my favorite spicy tuna/salmon salad on top, what's not to like? If I were dining alone or with just one or two other people and we were doing individual orders, this would be one of my top choices.

Dynamite Roll

I would be remiss if I didn't mention Omakase's special dipping sauce for their makis. In addition to the regular Japanese soy sauce, they also provide a special dip of Japanese mayo drizzled with a brown sauce (maybe kabayaki?). I myself am not a big fan of this special sauce and much prefer soy sauce, but it is yummy and rich and goes well with some of the makis, particularly those that are crunchy and those with eel or tempura batter. My mom and sisters are particularly fond of it, often wiping the sauce container clean and sometimes even asking for more!

Soy sauce container (left) and Omakase's signature dipping sauce (right)

Not to be forgotten is the Momoiro Udon (creamy pasta with salmon, shrimp, squid, and crabstick, PhP 255 [~USD 6]). It was as advertised: creamy, generous with the seafood, and rich in seafood flavor. Considering that this was more of a throw-in, which we ordered only because no birthday is complete without noodles, it was not bad at all.

Momoiro Udon

My plate; clockwise from bottom left: 2 Rock n Rolls, Crazy Maki, Seabreeze,
Jurassic, American Dream, Deep Blue Sea, Momoiro Udon. Happiness on a plate :)

Our bill amounted to Php 2,135 (~USD 51) for 7 people, all incredibly full (and we don't have timid appetites); we could have ordered one less maki and still have been full. PhP 300 per head for an assortment of quality makis is not bad at all. The prices are comparable to Tempura or Teriyaki Boy, but the food is better (the sushi/makis, at least), and the ambiance is more that of a table-service restaurant than a fast food.

We usually go to Omakase for the makis, not so much the normal dishes. We've tried some of the usual Japanese fare (donburi [rice topped with meat], sukiyaki (clear savory-sweet broth with glass noodles, thinly sliced beef, egg, tofu, and veggies)], and it wasn't bad, but nothing to rave about either. What really sets Omakase apart is the sushi/maki, so go for those.

Note that the service, at least at the Alabang branch, can be a bit inconsistent. Sometimes it's excellent--it's good more often than not--but other times it's frustratingly slow, and you have to ask for things (water, chopsticks, sauce) repeatedly before you finally get them. Our last visit alone was a mixed bag: The staff were courteous and quick to seat us and take our orders. They gave us everything we needed without our having to ask: individual sauce containers, tea cups for everybody, napkins. We secretly brought in a cake for my brother, and the staff were very accommodating about keeping the cake in their kitchen and bringing it out, candle lit and all, on our signal. However, once we were done with our meal, and we signaled for the cake, one of the waitstaff inexplicably brought out the cake, still in its box, and simply placed it on the table next to us. Surprise ruined. Good thing my brother was a sport and just pretended not to see it. After a few more mishaps, with the server asking us whether he should light the candle and then taking a really long time to find a way to light it, he finally brought the cake to our table, out of the box, candle lit. It was really frustrating that a well-planned surprise, which we'd discussed in detail with their staff beforehand, was pretty much ruined, but we just laughed it off. The server also made up for his blunder by bringing out a knife, clean plates, and forks without us asking.

Despite the somewhat inconsistent service, we'll definitely keep coming back to Omakase. The lapses in service are never so terrible so as to be a dealbreaker, and it's too small a thing to deter us from enjoying a good selection of delicious, good-quality makis at reasonable prices.

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Omakase, Alabang Branch (facebook.com/weloveomakase)
Molito Lifestyle Complex, Madrigal Avenue, Alabang, Muntinlupa
+63 2 771 1443

Open from 11:30 am - 2:30 pm; 5:30 - 10 pm

Other branches:
Intepid Plaza Building, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis (+63 2 637-6013)
Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato, Quezon City (+63 2 332-4115)
Connecticut Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan (+63 2 470-9807)
Ayala Triangle, Makati (+63 2 467-3150)

Need for Speed: Bulgogi Brothers, Alabang

Last week, we celebrated my tita's (aunt's) birthday at Bulgogi Brothers, Alabang Town Center. It being a Tuesday night, we didn't expect the restaurant to be full. We arrived to find a bustling restaurant, filled almost to capacity. There were two or three just-vacated tables, and one of them was to be ours.

We spoke to the lady at the reception table, and she informed us that our table just needed to be cleaned. Through the glass walls of the restaurant, we saw our table and expected to be seated shortly. As the minutes ticked by, we started to grow impatient and a little frustrated. After 5 minutes of waiting, no one has made a move to clear the table. Finally, someone took some of the empty dishes but didn't return to get the others. After the table had finally been cleared, it was a while before someone came by again to wipe down the table. It took them about 20 minutes before they could seat us--and all they had to do was clean a table that was already available, which should have taken no more than 5 minutes. Not a single menu was offered to us while we waited. Worse, no one even paid any attention to us. Quite the opposite, in fact: The staff seemed to purposely avoid eye contact with customers who were growing antsy while waiting.

There were 7 of us, and we were seated at a table meant for 6, so it was a little crowded. By that time, though, everyone was hungry, and sitting at a crowded table was a minor inconvenience compared to having to wait another 20 minutes for them to clear a bigger table. So we decided to just enjoy each other's company--lack of personal space and breathing room and all--and order.

We ordered the Dubu Steak (tofu steak); Haemul Pajeon (seafood pancake); Sogogi Japchae (glass noodles with beef and veggies, 2 orders); Bulgogi Bibimbab (meat, vegetables, and rice); Galbi Tang (clear soup with beef); and Kimchi-jjigae (stew with kimchi, pork, and tofu). We also got two platters of raw meat to be cooked at our table: the Bulgogi Brothers Special (combination of thinly sliced beef with beansprouts and ground-beef patties) and Premium Boneless Shortribs. Korean appetizers are complimentary. Most of the items on the menu were new to us and in a foreign language, and the servers were very helpful in describing the menu items, making recommendations, and letting us know whether we had enough food.

Our longer-than-expected wait time (the 20 minutes it took for us to be seated, plus another 10 minutes before someone came by and took our orders) had us incredibly hungry, and we were eager for the Korean appetizers to arrive. But for some reason, these weren't served immediately. Instead, the staff waited until the rest of our orders were ready and served the appetizers at the same time. The whole point of appetizers is to have something to prep the palate and the appetite before the meal, right? It's not as if the appetizers required time to make/cook, because most, if not all, of them are already prepared ahead. I also couldn't understand why the raw meat took so long to be served; it's cooked at the table, so there's almost zero preparation time involved.

They say good things come to those who wait, and in this instance, the saying rang true. The salad had ordinary lettuce that was fresh and crisp, but what made it good was the dressing, which I can describe only as, well, Korean. The kimchi (spicy fermented cabbage), eggplant, and pickled kangkong (water spinach) were fresh and flavorful too. The platter of corn, kamote (sweet potato), and quail eggs, I stayed away from because I knew they'd make me too full, but they looked bright and fresh and lovely, and my mom enjoyed them. Besides the appetizers, which, by the way, you can ask for refills of, they also serve complimentary house tea upon request. I believe they rotate teas daily, and when we visited, their tea of the day was corn tea--a welcome change from the usual green or black teas.

Appetizer: salad

Appetizers, top to bottom: kimchi, eggplant, pickled kangkong
(water spinach)

Appetizer: corn, kamote (sweet potato), and quail eggs

Tea of the day: corn tea

On to the mains: The Dubu Steak was wonderful, with a lovely crunch on the outside, tender tofu on the inside, and a flavorful (and spicy) sauce. I had no interest in the Haemul Pajeon (PhP 450 [~USD 11]), which is probably why I forgot to take a picture of it. The Sogogi Japchae was pretty good, albeit unmemorable (except for the sticky white tubes mixed into it, with a texture kind of like tikoy [glutinous rice cake] but firmer, which I found interesting and enjoyable). The Bulgogi Bibimbab was up to par, with well-cooked rice, fresh ingredients, and good flavor. The two soups/stews were interesting, especially in that they tasted quite similar to two Filipino dishes. The Galbi Tang tasted a lot like nilaga (beef and vegetables in clear broth), and the Kimchi-jjigae was a bit like sinigang (meat/fish and vegetables in a clear, sour, and savory soup, often tamarind based) with its spicy-sour flavor. I enjoyed both, but more so the Kimchi-jjigae, which I'd definitely order again; the Galbi Tang, probably not.

Dubu Steak, PhP 395 (~USD 9)

Sogogi Japchae, PhP 350 (~USD 8)

Bulbogi Bibimbap (unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a picture of the presentation
before the server mixed all the ingredients together), PhP 395 (~USD 9)

Soups/stews: Galbi Tang (left) and Kimchi-jjigae (right)

Up close: Galbi Tang, PhP 420 (~USD 10)

Up close: Kimchi-jjigae, PhP 395 (~USD 9)

The grilled meats were delicious, tender and nicely seasoned. The servers stood by our table and did the cooking for us, which I guess was nice of them, but we might've had more fun had we done it ourselves. The Premium Boneless Shortribs (PhP 895 [~USD 22]) were nice and juicy (picture to follow; it's with my sister). The Bulgogi Brothers Special received mixed reviews. Everyone enjoyed the thinly sliced beef (which, by the way, looks like it's not much on the serving platter when raw but really is a lot when cooked). However, the consensus on the ground-beef patties was that they weren't worth it. I actually thought they tasted good, but they fell apart too easily. Rice was complimentary, and each one of us was also given a trio of dipping sauces. I didn't think the meat needed any extra flavor, but it was nice to have those options.

Bulgogi Brothers Special (doesn't look like much here, but see below), PhP 1,495 (~USD 36) 

Bulgogi Brothers Special: ground beef patties cooking 

Bulgogi Brothers Special: thinly sliced beef and beansprouts cooking

Trio of dipping sauces (the one in the middle is an herbed salt) 

Another dipping sauce

Usually, after the meal, the servers bring a basket of different Korean ice creams to choose from, in case anyone wants dessert. I was a bit disappointed that they didn't do this for us; perhaps it was late, and they were tired and just forgot. They were, however, nice enough to take a cake we bought elsewhere, stick a candle on it, come to our table, and sing happy birthday to my tita. They also provided a knife, clean plates, and dessert forks. (The restaurant does offer a birthday freebie: a birthday seaweed soup. We got around to asking about it only at the end of our meal--it would've been weird to have soup then--so we declined. We're so used to the birthday freebie being a dessert, but perhaps next time, I'll get around to asking before the meal even starts.)

The damage? Our bill was around PhP 5,800 (~USD 140) for the food plus 4 drinks, which is a bit steep. It was a good meal, delicious and filling, but I'm not sure how willingly I'd pay PhP 5,800 for 7 people for a meal that isn't all-you-can eat, doesn't include dessert, and doesn't include any particularly high-value items; it was good but not worth PhP 800+ (~USD 20) per head, in my opinion. Good thing Citibank had a promo (which was why we picked Bulgogi Brothers in the first place): 50% off the total bill (minimum of PhP 2,500 and maximum of PhP 5,000) if you use a Citibank credit card. (Come to think of it, maybe that's why there were so many people on a Tuesday night, and perhaps the service was so slow because they didn't anticipate a weekend-volume crowd and were staffed for a weekday.) There is a limit of one transaction per card and one card per table only, meaning we should have had to pay (PhP 5,000 / 2) + PhP 800 = PhP 3,300. However, since there were multiple cardholders in our party, the servers were nice enough to split the bill into two so that we could get our entire bill at half off: PhP 5,800 / 2 = PhP 2900. Now at that price, our dinner was a steal.

At regular price, I don't know if I'll be eating there again, even they improved their attentiveness and the speed of their service. The food is really good, but it's just too expensive for what you get. I'm not against saving up for an expensive meal to celebrate a special occasion or for a special treat, but for such things, I'd probably pick a much nicer place, with a better ambiance and food options that better justify the price tag.

Nevertheless, I'm glad I got to try Bulgogi Brother, thanks to Citibank. And though it's doubtful that I'd go back at full price, if a similar promo did come up, I'd definitely grab the opportunity and eat there again.

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Bulgogi Brothers, Alabang Town Center (Lower Ground Floor, New Wing)
+63 2 919 6840

Opens at 11 am, till 9 pm on weekdays and 10 pm on weekends

Nothing Quite Like First Love: Paseo Uno at Mandarin Oriental, Makati

Earlier this year, R came to see me, and he greeted me with a guilty, sheepish, delightfully happy grin on his face. I gave him my what've-you-done face, and he revealed that he'd found discount vouchers for the Paseo Uno buffet and bought two, for us. Aw, what a cutiepie.

A little history: A few years ago, on the morning of my birthday, he took me to breakfast, and we spent the rest of the morning together. At lunchtime, he dropped me off at Mandarin Oriental, where I met my family for lunch at Paseo Uno. I invited him to join us, but we had just started dating then, and I guess he was kind of scared to meet my dad. So away he went, without even giving me a chance to take him inside and introduce him to my family.

Fast-forward a few years. He's been my boyfriend for a while now, my family knows and loves him, and he wants to know what he missed on my birthday all those years ago, dammit! Thank you, voucher gods!

So a couple of weeks ago, he picked me up and took me to Paseo Uno. We had a reservation (highly recommended, as the restaurant is almost always full), and we were promptly led to our table. We didn't bother sitting down. We handed the waiter our vouchers and immediately did a walk-through of the buffet: This is something I like to do before getting any food, so I can see what's available and strategize. The buffet had four sections: starters, Eastern/Asian, Western, and dessert. There is also a beverage section: The buffet comes with free-flowing iced tea, bottled soda, and local beer in cans. The spread isn't as extensive as many buffets, but I was actually rather pleased at how focused, manageable, and well-thought-out this one seemed. My eyes pop out as much as anybody's at the sight of an obscenely enormous buffet spread, but I liked not being overwhelmed while still feeling that I had plenty of options, and good-quality ones at that.

Overview completed, we hit the starters, which included breads, colds cuts, salads, sushi, and raw shellfish.

Bread

Cheese, gazpacho, condiments

Cold meats and fish

Salad

Sushi and sashimi. Beyond this, there was a mound of ice atop which sat raw
oysters, mussels, shrimp, crab, and bowls of soba, but in my eagerness to start
 eating, I must've forgotten to take a photo.

I skipped the filling breads (which R raved about) and most of the usual cold cuts in favor of smoked salmon, seared tuna, roasted pumpkin salad, sushi/sashimi, and tuna ceviche. The smoked salmon and seared tuna were average, but I always enjoy them, so I didn't mind average. The roasted pumpkin salad was wonderfully fresh, perfectly in between firm and mushy and with a very healthy, natural flavor. The sushi and sashimi were not of the highest quality I've ever had, but they were good and sufficiently fresh. They had some interesting sushi options: The spicy tuna maki got its kick not from spicy japanese mayo but rather, from being rolled in chili flakes. The roll with salmon roe had a nice burst of flavor. The red clam sushi was an unusual offering, which had me pleased. But the absolute star of this station was the tuna ceviche. It had the perfect texture, the perfect balance between the acid-cooked surface and the raw center, and the taste--citrus/acid and herb and fresh fish--was just spectacular. I've always loved ceviche/kilawin, but this! I never thought my love for ceviche could be taken so many notches higher!

My plate (#1)

Palate properly prepped, we moved on to the Eastern/Asian section, which consisted of miso soup, tempura, dim sum, a roast station, and a few main dishes.

Main dishes: buttered chicken, fish sarciado, beef bulgogi

Up close: buttered chicken

Up close: fish sarciado

Miso soup and tempura station

Another main dish (left) and dim sum (right)

More dim sum

Roast station

I skipped the miso soup to avoid getting full, and none of the dim sum options (radish cakes, spring rolls, beef and pork dumplings) appealed to me. The tempura station included shrimp, fish, and veggies (peppers, onions, zucchini), which they cook fresh for you on the spot. I asked for fish and zucchini. I love zucchini, and it's not often that is it available at tempura stations, so I took advantage and asked for 3 or 4 pieces. The tempura was pretty good, although I would have liked it to be cooked maybe 30 seconds longer, because the batter was still a little soggy and lacking that little bit of crunch. Also, the tempura sauce was just a tad bland. The roast station had chicken and duck. The chicken didn't look all that appealing to me, so I skipped that. The duck didn't call out to me either, but I almost never say no to duck, so I had some, and it was decent. The main dishes (buttered chicken, fish sarciado, beef bulgogi, and another saucy fish dish whose name I forget) were all incredibly tasty and would have gone perfectly with rice, although I held off on the rice to save precious tummy space. The best among these--in fact, the best among this station's offerings--was the beef bulgogi, which was incredibly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender! The beef used was undoubtedly of high quality, and it was sliced a little thicker than the usual beef used for bulgogi, maybe 3-4 mm. So. good.

My plate (#2a)

My plate (#2b)

Already starting to feel a bit full but in total denial, we headed over to the Western station, which had soup, pizza, shawarma, a grilling station, a carving station, and several mains.

Grilled pork loin

Grilled chicken and peppered tuna

Lyonnaise potatoes and mixed veggies

Char-grilled rib eye and lamb shoulder

Braised beef shortribs in chocolate sauce

Carving station side dishes

Carving station and sauces

Shawarma (left), pizza (right), and raw items for grilling (back)

The pumpkin tomato soup was a delight: creamy but light, incredibly clean and fresh yet sophisticated, with a blend of flavors rich enough for it to be a sauce. I skipped the pizza, shawarma, and grill items. The carving station had chicken, possibly pork, and a ribeye. Of course I went for the ribeye. The slice I had was unevenly cut, and after doing its time on the grill (cooked to medium), the thicker part was still a bit chewy (not hard, just not tender either). However, the more thinly sliced part was just as it should be. The steak was a bit underseasoned, but the red wine sauce was delicious and added more than enough flavor. I ignored the Yorkshire pudding and baked potato, but I did have a couple bites of the Lyonnaise potatoes, which were nicely crisp and had a lovely tinge of sweetness due to the onions. Among the mains, I skipped the mahi-mahi and grilled pork and chicken. The pepper-crusted tuna, lamb shoulder, and char-grilled rib eye were okay, not outstanding but up to par for a hotel restaurant. Now the braised beef spareribs with chocolate sauce... I don't usually do acronyms, but O.M.G. Revelation of the night. I love braised beef, and I love chocolate, but I never would have dreamt of having them together. And now I know why: It is beyond my wildest dreams. Yes, it's that good. I don't even know how to begin describing or explaining. Just take my word for it and try it!!!

My plate (#3a)

Pumpkin tomato soup (plate #3b)

As is my usual practice at buffets, before moving on to dessert, I have another plate of savory items. Sometimes I fill a plate with little bites of all the best things in the spread. Other times, when I'm too full for that, I do a best-of plate of starters only--which is what I did this time. In addition to my favorite starters, I also got a couple of raw oysters and a bowl of cold soba. The oysters were fresh, and the soba was nicely al dente and had a good sauce. A nice end to the savory portion of my meal.

Best-of plate (#4)

The dessert spread, I somewhat regret to report, was not among the best I've tried. The selection was small, there were a few duds, and there was a fruit cheesecake (I think) that was consumed before I could try it and it wasn't replaced! There was halo-halo, Filipino sweets, ice cream, fresh-made crepe, bread pudding, little cakes/mousses/puddings, fruit, and a chocolate fountain.

Halo-halo station, with a nifty little ice machine (left)

Ice cream

Chocolate creme brulee

Crepe station (left/center) and bread pudding (right)

"Cold minis"--slim pickings compared to most luxury buffets

Fruit

Chocolate fountain

I skipped the halo-halo and Filipino sweets. I would've done well to skip the chocolate fountain too. Among the chocolate fountain items, I had a cookie (without the chocolate) and a donut (with the chocolate). The cookie was okay. I know it's probably a silly idea to have a cookie at a buffet, but I'm a certified cookie monster, always on the hunt for an exceptional cookie--didn't find one here. The donut was run-of-the-mill. Lesson learned: Chocolate fountain items are for kids. It was kind of cool, though, that their chocolate fountain flowed milk chocolate on one side and white chocolate on the other. The bread pudding was nice but not really memorable. At the crepe station, we asked for a peach crepe with ice cream on the side. The crepe, as always, was lovely, but the ice cream (we had ube and coconut) tasted cheap, ordinary, unrefined, like someone just heavy-handedly dumped milk, sugar, flavor, and color into an ice cream maker, and voila. The "cold minis," as I call them (small servings of assorted cakes, custards, etc.), were a mixed bag. There was some sort of dome-shaped pistachio or walnut mousse that just failed in terms of taste and texture, and it was my least favorite thing all night (besides the donut, but at least with the donut, I already knew that the ceiling was low). The brownie bites topped with strawberry were okay. The chocolate creme brulee was nice. The melon panna cotta was easily my favorite dessert. I like panna cotta, and theirs was nice, delicate, and creamy. The melon added a novel and fresh twist, and I was entirely happy to end my meal with this.

My plate (#5a)

Crepe to share, ice cream on the side, and R's halo-halo (plate #5b)

Complimentary coffee (for R)

Complimentary chamomile tea (for me).
NOTE: Coffee and tea are complimentary. Don't be afraid to ask. :)

Overall, it was an excellent dining experience, well worth the splurge, especially at the voucher price of  PhP 1265 (~USD 31; full price PhP 1796 [~USD 43]). Although there were a few food items that were duds or mere fillers to extend the spread, there weren't too many of them. There was at least one standout item at each station that I would absolutely come back for. The service was wonderful. The staff were polite and pleasant. They paid attention to the customers, and they were incredibly aware of what was going on: where customers were seated, when water glasses needed refilling and empty plates to be taken away. I am extremely pleased to report that despite our being lowly voucher customers, we weren't treated like second-class customers, as sometimes happens in other places (ehem, Spiral). The decor/ambiance certainly added to the experience. The glass panels, wooden floors, and granite walls gave the restaurant a touch of elegance, creating a vibe that was inviting but also quiet and intimate. There was enough space in between tables for privacy and to pass by comfortably. Although the restaurant was full, it wasn't crowded, it didn't get loud, and there were no frenzied lines at the buffet tables. Bonus: The restrooms were nice and complete with amenities. (You'd think this would be a requirement, but I've been to so many restrooms that didn't have the basics: clean toilets, toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels/hand dryer.) If I had to complain about anything, our table was uneven, so it rocked any time pressure was put on it. Also, some of the floorboards behind my seat would creak any time someone walked by, which was a little distracting. But I'm picking at little things here.

I am entirely enamored with Paseo Uno. It was one of the first restaurants in the country to offer a luxury buffet. Over the years, a plethora of other hotels and restaurants have followed suit, and some are quite good. But Paseo Uno was my first, and so far, it has stood the test of time. While other establishments are scrambling to offer larger and longer buffets and to set themselves apart in one way or the other, Paseo Uno has stuck to its guns, continuing to offer a focused selection of high-quality food.

As far as luxury buffets go, Paseo Uno is my first love, and I'll keep coming back to it. Even better: R seems to have fallen in love with it too.

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Paseo Uno, Mandarin Oriental

Makati Avenue, Makati

+63 2 750-8888

Open for breakfast, 5 - 10:30 am

Open for lunch and dinner, 12 nn - 12 mn

Lunch buffet, 12 nn - 2:30 pm

Dinner buffet, 6:30pm - 10:30 pm

Sunday to Thursday, PhP 1,796 (~USD 43) nett, Sunday-Thursday
Friday to Saturday, I'm actually not sure, but somewhere around PhP 2,000-2,500 (~USD 48-60)