#benjarong

The Pantry is Dusit Thani Manila’s signature restaurant on the ground floor which serves a fantastic a la carte menu together with its buffet offerings. The Hungry Kat was invited last week to the launch of Buffet Fusion, which will be available every Friday and Saturday starting September 20, 2024 at The Pantry from 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM for P2,500++ per person. Here you can enjoy specialties from Umu’s Donburi and Izakaya Grill stations to Benjarong’s popular Thai Chicken Rice and Kha Moo Pa Lo.

There are several dining areas to choose from at The Pantry, whether you want to sit at the counters near the bars or prefer the long tables near the buffet stations. There's also an al fresco dining area available.

Guests were serenaded by classic and contemporary tunes from the violinist who made the occasion more special.

Buffet Fusion: A Culinary Crossover Experience comes with unlimited rounds of selected drinks including Japanese sake, beers, wines, sangria, cocktails like Gin and Tonic, Mojito Negra and Lemon Drop shots, plus mocktails and juices as well.

There's also a dedicated Bubble Tea station serving unlimited glasses of Thai Milk Tea, Bubble Milk Tea, and Iced Coffee.

Let's start our culinary adventure at the Benjarong sections. There's a Thai salad station where you can find Fresh Spring Rolls and Miang Pla, a Thai style grilled fish, served with leaves, herbs, and chili sauce. I like how they set up this vegetable cart so you can feel like you are in Bangkok.

There are many other starters to choose from at The Pantry. Head over to the Charcuterie station which includes a premium selection of cheeses, beef pastrami, salami, and various breads. There are also a few other appetizers like the Watermelon and Vodka Shooters, Japanese Potato Salad, Cucumber Salad, and more.

Make sure to step outside at The Pantry's al fresco area where you can find other exciting Thai stations waiting for you.

You can find this Thai Street Food station offering items such as Luk Chin Pla or Thai fishballs, Gai Tord Kamin or turmeric fried chicken, and Moo Dad Diew or Thai sun-dried pork. You can dip these in different sauces including Sriracha, Black Pepper Sauce, Thai dressing, or Sweet Chili Sauce.

There's also a Thai Chicken Rice that you can order here together with soup and salad. Another rice meal you can try is the Pad Kra Pao or Thai basil minced pork with fried egg.

One of the Thai favorites that evening was the Kha Moo Pa Lo or Thai Braised Pork Leg. This comes with very tender stewed pork with fragrance of anise, five spice and cinnamon served with boiled egg and choy sum. It's like their version of adobo and patatim rolled into one.

Now let's go to the UMU sections at The Pantry where you can find all your Japanese favorites. The Sushi Bar comes with a colorful selection of sushi, maki, and sashimi to choose from.

One of the exciting areas is the Izakaya Grill station where you can find all sorts of yummy skewers and yakitori all freshly cooked. There's prawns, salmon, squid, chicken, beef and lots more.

There's even a Donburi station featuring Katsudon, Chicken Nanban Don, and Gyudon for those who enjoy eating Japanese rice bowls.

Don't forget about the Tempura Station with its crunchy Shrimp Tempura, Squid Tempura, Kani and Vegetable Tempura.

If you like sukiyaki, make sure to visit the Sukiyaki Station where the chef will personally prepare the ingredients and mix a delicious bowl for you.

There are many other Thai specialties you can find from Benjarong like the Tord Man Gung or Crispy Shrimp Balls and the Gai Hor Toey or Chicken in Pandan Leaves.

Aside from these, The Pantry also offers its selection of international dishes including Indian specialties like the fragrant Yakhni Lamb Biryani, Murgh Makhani, Bharwan Aloo, and more. There's also a Chinese dimsum and noodle station in this area.

Of course, the main attraction at the Buffet Fusion is The Pantry’s Signature Lechon at the Carving Station. This lechon is made from young native pigs and is slow-roasted for hours, then marinated with lemongrass, tamarind, and garlic. The Lechon has become a symbol of community and no fiesta, party, or family gathering is complete without it.

Another highlight at the Carving Station is the Slow Roasted Aberdeen Angus Beef Shoulder served with Red Wine sauce. This roast beef is a thing of beauty! Ask the server for a slice or two to complete your meaty adventure.

Now it's time for desserts! The Pantry has a big dessert station which comes with all the cakes and sweets you can enjoy.

For Buffet Fusion, they have also included some Thai and Japanese desserts as well like the Chai Panna Cotta, Pineapple Curry Tart, Khanom Tako, and more.

What we really liked what the Mango Mascarpone Mousse and the Oreo Mousse. The Mango Sticky Rice is a different version with the sticky rice rolled inside a pandan crepe. There are also fruits, chocolates, and unlimited scoops of ice cream to satisfy your heart's desire.

Buffet Fusion at The Pantry is a very exciting and filling trip around Thailand, Japan, and the Philippines without having to leave the restaurant. I'm sure this new concept from Dusit Thani Manila will have fans of their Crossover Buffet reliving their wonderful memories around the hotel. Make sure to reserve your tables now!

Buffet Fusion: A Culinary Crossover at The Pantry

G/F Lobby, Dusit Thani Manila, Ayala Center, Makati City, Philippines

7238-8888

dusitthanimanila.dusit.com

Dusit Thani Manila presents the Benjarong Experience: A Curated Tasting Menu Vol. II. This is a second version of their renowned tasting menu with a few courses tweaked and changed from the first version. We reserved their 8-course menu for my birthday dinner.

Benjarong is located at the ground floor of Dusit Thani Manila in Makati City. Discover a fusion of traditional Thai flavors enhanced by modern cooking techniques and venture into the realm of royal cuisine. Complete with a bar, live cooking section, and two private dining rooms, Benjarong is Dusit Thani’s most exciting Thai dining destination, perfect for special occasions. It is open for lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm and dinner from 5:30pm to 10:00pm.

Benjarong has been given the Thai SELECT award, a program which aims to recognize and endorse Authentic Thai cuisine and quality Thai restaurants and Thai food products all across the globe. This is a seal of approval granted by the Royal Thai Embassy so you can be sure to get the most authentic Thai dining experience whenever you see this award inside a restaurant.

We were really excited for our dinner date and even though we were quite late for our reservation, Benjarong was thankfully able to hold our seats for us.

Special cocktails and mocktails were offered as part of the set menu. My husband had the Tom Yum Gin and Tonic while I had the Benjarong Spritzer. Both were refreshing beverages that also served as our welcome drinks.

These menu cards were also placed on the table, each one showing an illustration of the dishes that we would be enjoying that evening. This special feature is what sets the Benjarong Experience apart from all the other tasting menus we have tried before.

Dusit Thani Manila Thai Executive Chef Watcharaphon “Ja” Yongbanthom personally came out to explain each dish as it was served on our table. Chef Ja has more than a decade of experience creating authentic Thai food for various hotels and resorts. After a guest appearance on Iron Chef Thailand, Chef Ja took over the kitchen of Benjarong in 2015 as Thai Chef de Cuisine, where she elevated the dishes and continues to update the menu, giving a modern twist to centuries-old recipes.

Together with the illustrations on the menu cards, diners can get a better understanding of what goes inside each course and how it is meticulously presented for the Benjarong Experience.

Our first course is an Amuse Bouche appetizer called Pla Samun Prai or Fish with Herbs and Spices. This is a rice wrapper tube filled with fresh salmon, fried tom yum spices, and edible flowers served on top of a betel leaf. There’s also shallot, kaffir lime, galangal, and chili to add some interesting companions to the dish.

You can also write down your remarks on the menu cards if you want to express your ideas about each dish as well. I really liked the crispiness of the rice wrapper together with the soft fresh salmon inside.

Our second appetizer course was the Sai Oua or Northern Thai Sausage made with pork and herbs. The sausages come with Nam Prik Noom which is a green finger chili with garlic and red onion. Beside it is the Khoo Jee or sticky rice made of coconut milk and salt. Then at the bottom is something more familiar to us, a Kab Moo or crispy pork skin. This is a very filling appetizer.

The third course is a salad dish, but definitely not your typical salad. The Yum Sam O is a Pomelo Salad presented quite differently. It comes with this mini basket rice wrapper cake topped with pomelo, chili, cashew nuts, coriander, roasted coconut, and shrimp. Right beside it is a Pomelo Sherbet frozen on top of a lime skin. Eat the crispy salad first, followed by the sherbet which also serves as a palate cleaner.

The fourth course is one of my favorites. This unique and exciting soup dish comes with two major components. The Pu Ma Prao On has a Khao Griep or shrimp and crap dumpling swimming inside a young coconut shell filled with Tom Yum Broth made with coconut water, tom yum spice, and crab. It’s literally an inception of flavors and colors all in one spectacular dish. The broth had just the right spiciness for me and you can even scrape off the young coconut flesh. It’s truly a work of art and is arguably the best Tom Yum soup I have ever had.

We haven’t even started on our main dishes but I was already getting full. The Benjarong Experience makes sure every diner is fully satisfied, unlike other tasting menus which only serve very small portions. Our fifth course is the very pretty Panaeng See Krong Kae or lamb chop with red curry sauce.

This main course comes with a grilled lamb chop served on top of rice noodles, cashew nuts, basil oil, coconut milk, and a thick red curry sauce. The lamb is cooked medium so you can really enjoy the juicy meat. It did not taste gamey at all and went well with the flavorful curry sauce.

Leave some more room because there’s another main course coming. The sixth course is the Khao Phad Tom Yum which comes with a huge piece of tiger prawn sitting on a bed of chili paste. It also served with Tom Yum Fried Rice which is cooked with Jasmine rice, lemongrass, kaffir lime, galangal, chili, lime and red onion.

I loved the grilled tiger prawn and you can balance the spiciness by putting little or more of the chili paste. This is an entire meal in itself so no one is leaving hungry after their Benjarong Experience.

We still have two dessert courses waiting. The Ka Nom Tom is a Coconut Dumpling which is a traditional Thai dessert. The coconut dumpling is made with glutinous rice, coconut, palm sugar, and pandan then topped with edible gold to signify wealth and prosperity. Then there’s the Tim Durian Thed which is a Guyabano Ice Cream wrapped with a coconut jelly shell. This is then adorned with edible butterfly flowers, roasted coconut, mint leaves, mango strips, and caramel popcorn. What a way to end our 8-course Benjarong Experience!

We would like to thank Dusit Thani Manila for inviting us to experience their one-of-a-kind Thai tasting menu. The Benjarong Experience Vol. 2 is available daily at Benjarong but you have to make reservations early because everyone seems to want to try it too. It’s a great bonding activity for families and an even better romantic dinner date option for couples. We highly recommend it!

Benjarong Experience

G/F Lobby, Dusit Thani Manila, Ayala Center, Makati City, Philippines

7238-8888

www.dusit.com/dusitthani-manila