The Best Buffets - Taste + Value For Money

[ATONG ANG]

tried makati shang circles last night. they have a brightly lit orange panel and wood-themed interior. waiters and chefs are also dressed in orange. i just dont like the way managers blend thier navy suits with an orange tie.

 

now on to the food:

seafoods galore. this seems to be a cross between paseo uno and the pen. seafoods available are prawns, crabs and oysters. the oysters last night were much better than those of pen. pen, howeever, has edge in fresher salad greens. shang makati never ceases to amaze to with its grilling station. situated beside a lighting structure which resembled an ice carving of stalactites used in superman movies, tender lamb chops, prime ribs, scallops (even larger than a five-peso coin), prawns, vegetables and squid (whew!!!) can be grilled to your desired degree. very noteworthy is the seabass which was very firm outside and tender inside you could practically see the layering of the meat. their grilled beef, however, was rather tough last night. they also have pizza and pasta. i only had the chance to try the hot and sour soup and it was a little on the sweet side which lent to the overpowering of the sour and spicy taste. the mushroom blended well with the chicken stock,egg and chili. had they reduced sugar a little but it would have been perfect. straight ahead along the buffet counter were rice dishes like risotto, garlic and meat rice, yang chow fried and nasi goreng. the rice dishes were flavored just right to allow the fragrance of the rice to blend subtly with the condiments. i found the yang chow fried rice cooked perfectly using leftover rice. next were the chinese booth where roastings and dimsum were available. their roast duck had the right amount of fat but just didnt cut it because of the soft skin. they could have roasted it a little to give a little crispness. the roasted spareribs were tough and it was a pity since the flavor was just right. the dimsum dishes were placed on a built-in steamer on the counter which lead to overcooked dimsum specially in those with starch-based wrappers. just beside the entrance is dessert booth boasting of the most diverse sweet tooth indulgence. fruit tarts, cheesecakes, fruits, chocolates, in-house ube ice cream and a crepe station all to top off that full load of meat seafoods and vegetables.

 

they have restructured the discount for the gold membership to less 33.5% for every 2 people dining together such that the price for 2 would be around 850 per head.

 

if your taste preference leans towards the leafy greens, go to pen. for grilled items, rice and desserts, circles is the way to go. i had a hard time choosing between hyatt and shang, since the former emphasized standard ingredients and cooking methods while the latter leaned towards superb quality ingredients and standard cooking procedures. shang had obviously spent much for the ambience but the simplicity of hyatt lent to a more soul-nourishing meal. shang had a couple of conference rooms with transparent glass panels and a plasma tv connected to a camera showing the buffet counter. both had attentive, friendly and superb service. i just didnt find the orange hair dye of the waiters appropriate for the place. the simplicity and smart business attire of hyatt suited the place more.

tough choice but i guess i prefer the hyatt though shang is not far behind.

 

now if mandarin was paying attention...

[Crystalmare]

wen here yesterday kahit sobrang antok & for 160 tax free & ice tea/dessert inclusive eh it was well worth it! panalo!!! tappos first time na me kasamang pork litid sa buffet menu! yahoo yahoo! punta kami ni crystalmare d2 next time!!!  :boo:

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Kakaasar ka parin.... di mo ako pinagsabihan

Though I was in tagaytay that time. I had a Birthday party to cater to (mine) ako pa nag luto ng fillet mignon

anyways as for the Buffet EB Atong Ang is already proposing something for this november. I suggest we jump on the bandwagon

[fortune_cookie]

tried makati shang circles last night.  they have a brightly lit orange panel and wood-themed interior.  waiters and chefs are also dressed in orange.  i just dont like the way managers blend thier navy suits with an orange tie.

 

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This is different from the buffet they have right behind the main lobby, right?

[ATONG ANG]

This is different from the buffet they have right behind the main lobby, right?

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this was the island cafe before which was renovated and renamed circles. during the renovation, they transferred the dining area to the lounge area behind the lobby

[fortune_cookie]

this was the island cafe before which was renovated and renamed circles.  during the renovation, they transferred the dining area to the lounge area behind the lobby

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I've tried the Island Cafe a couple of times, the last time about three weeks ago when they were in the lounge area in the lobby. The buffet during that time was lousy, definitely inferior compared to the garden cafe in edsa shang, paseo uno, and nielsens.

 

But obviously they made a lot of improvement, probably the reason for the change in name also.

 

Need to try this place again! Sayang as i used up my complimentary tickets for this year before Circles opened.

[drodmd99]

saan itong tramway na ito?

ano ano nasa buffet?

magkano?

thanks

[ATONG ANG]

saan itong tramway na ito?

ano ano nasa buffet?

magkano?

thanks

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scout alcaraz street in between banawe and d. tuazon. 160 for adults and 115 for kids lunch and dinner and 350 for sunday lunch. read the previous posts for the dishes

[johngokongwei]

has anyone tried mongolian quickstop? good food... brings back old memories of mongolian grill... 188 pesos for eat all you can... they have great sauces... unlike that of kublai's and the big grill... makes me think that the owners of mongolian quickstop and mongolian grill are one and the same

[in_style]

john g, where is the mongolian quickstop located?

if its the same owners of the original mongolian barbeque in amorsolo,

thats the evaristo family.

[johngokongwei]

they have a couple of stores... they have one in robinson's galleria, another in robinson's ermita and another in festival supermall... not really sure if they have other branches... :cool:

[in_style]

thanks, dude!

[Guest temperamental]

holiday inn f.k.a. galleria suites' breakfast offering is great! ang sarap =) lalo na yung chocolait =p

[johngokongwei]

holiday inn f.k.a. galleria suites' breakfast offering is great! ang sarap =) lalo na yung chocolait =p

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how much ang damage and ano ano ung food?

[bluechips]

where in robinson's ermita is the mongolian quickstop?

[johngokongwei]

where in robinson's ermita is the mongolian quickstop?

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Nasa pedro gil wing, katapat nya ung thai in a box. sa taas ng national bookstore. Happy eating! :cool: