#buffet 101

As with their other branches, Buffet 101 gives you that Five-Star luxury hotel feel that no other buffet restaurant can match. Its elegant crystal fixtures and chandeliers provide a classy environment that enhances your total dining experience.

It was fun to be back at Buffet 101 and I couldn't wait to check out what makes this branch stand out from the rest.

Buffet 101 in Glorietta boasts of having the longest ever buffet table in the country. Although I did not bring a tape measure with me, the fact that I could not even see the table from end to end says something about the quantity of dishes and cuisines in store for me that night.

I started my journey from the leftmost side of the buffet table, at the Japanese section which is usually the first area I attack. 

Buffet 101 has an extensive Japanese section with all sorts of sushis, rolls, and sashimi. The sushi boat caters to all sushi lovers with its wide array of assorted sushis. Their salmon sashimi is fresh and sweet, but similar to the other branches, they unfortunately did not have tuna sashimi on hand. The tempura is big and plump as always with the right amount of crispiness and flavor.

Chicken and beef yakitori sticks are grilled right on the spot and I enjoyed eating the chicken yakitori with its sweet barbeque sauce.

Now it's time to explore the other sections of this very long buffet table. See where that girl with the camera is standing? That's not even halfway to the other end so I still had a long way to go. The longest buffet table hugs the walls and corners of the restaurant to create a continuous table and flavorful lineup of dishes encompassing different cuisines.

The Roasting section had several items including Prime Ribs, Leg of Lamb, Turkey, Roasted Chicken, and Crispy Lechon Belly.

They also have Roast Beef steak which you can have as it is or you can ask for it to be grilled further if you want it cooked medium-well or well-done.

Pizzas are also available and they offer different flavors throughout the night.

You can also have Fresh Seafood grilled and served at your table. It is usually cooked with butter and garlic.

I had a few oysters grilled as well as some mussels and salmon. Just mention your table number to the waiter and he will bring your grilled items to you once they are cooked.

The central section of the buffet table is where the desserts and beverages are located. I will be skipping the desserts in the meantime. Drinks are all included in the buffet price so you can also get as much as you like. Juices, iced teas, sodas, and coffee are all available.

One specialty of Buffet 101 is their assortment of fruit shakes. Unlike other buffet restaurants which may have only one type of fruit shake available, here you have a choice of four or five different fruit shakes. I had papaya shake for myself and it tasted fresh and natural without being full of sugar as some other shakes are.

But the most surprising item at the beverages area was the Red Wine that is also part of the buffet. You do not have to add anything to get the red wine as it is also unlimited so drink to your heart's delight.

Moving on to the right side of the longest buffet table brings me to the Filipino and Chinese sections. There are not so many Filipino items in the menu but I particularly liked the Pork Sisig and the Daing na Bangus.

The Chinese area is probably the biggest section in the restaurant with a wide variety of cooked dishes.

Sweet & Sour Lapu-Lapu is one of more requested items.

The Spicy Crab and Crispy Shrimps are also quite in demand and disappears quickly but they are often refilled.

At the far end of the Chinese section is the Dimsum area as well as customizable noodles and shabu-shabu sections.

Of course I had my favorite Hakao and these were soft, juicy and plump.

But my ultimate favorite area in Buffet 101 is always the Live Suahe section with their aquarium tank on display.

Although you can only see a few shrimp swimming inside the tank, I took a closer peek and saw a lot of shrimp just laying on the aquarium floor. I think they were all hiding from Mr. Cook.

You see, unlike the branch in Eastwood City where the tank was just used as props and the shrimps were just taken from another container, this one here was where the cook really got the shrimp for cooking. I think they all knew what was in store for them so they were all hiding at the bottom.

Nevertheless, I had for myself one of the freshest and juiciest suahe I had ever tasted. The shrimp were all so big and so delicious. I think this is probably the best I've ever had.

After all that food, it was now time to head back to the desserts station. The buffet table is so long that it might already be considered exercise walking from one end to the other. That's good because I will be needing to burn a lot more calories for all these sweets and chocolates.

Aside from the Chocolate Fountain, they also have ice cream, frozen yoghurts, halo halo, crepes, mini-cakes, and all sorts of cookies and candies.

These cute Green Tea Cookies were shaped like small birds and I just had to get one. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan of green tea so I just ate the outer portion and not the green tea filling.

If you want more reasons to visit Buffet 101, they still have their Wedding Anniversary Promo and Birthday Promo where you can get big discounts and free buffets on your special day. There were obviously so many diners celebrating their birthdays that night and the waiters kept singing birthday greetings every few minutes.

It was a fun and filling night and I was definitely impressed with the newest branch Buffet 101. Aside from sporting the longest buffet table in the country, the overflowing Red Wine, the best Live Suahe I've ever had, and the huge variety of dishes available make this probably the best Buffet 101 branch for me.

                                                                                                                   -- The Hungry Kat

BUFFET 101

3/F Glorietta 2, Makati Avenue, Makati

Contact Nos: 828-1222 / 828-1333

                                                                                                                                                             1. Five-Star Hotel Atmosphere

What truly sets Buffet 101 apart from all the other restaurants and buffets in the city is its five-star hotel interiors and atmosphere. In the past, you only got to experience this type of luxurious setting when you go to a five star hotel and dine at their very expensive restaurants. But now, with the coming of luxury buffets, we can all experience the same hotel standards and amenities even if we are just dining at the mall, without having to shell out a huge amount of money.

                                                                                                                                                           2. Tempura & Salmon Sashimi

Like I mentioned on my previous blog entries, when it comes to buffets, the first station I attack is usually the Tempura section. While a single order of Tempura in other restaurants might already cost half of the buffet price, here you can have all the tempura you want for yourself. Buffet 101's tempura is big and plump with the right crispiness and flavor.

Aside from the tempura, another one of my favorites which is located in the Japanese station is the Salmon Sashimi. The sashimi was really fresh and sweet, just the way I like it. However, they did not seem to be serving tuna sashimi that night, which was present during my first visit here. Hopefully they will have it again the next time I drop by. Oh, look at this! What a cute way to decorate the Pork Tonkatsu.

                                                                                                                                                            3. Fresh Live Suahe

I really enjoyed eating the fresh Suahe shrimp that you can get from the Chinese Section. The shrimp are all big and fat and plump and it is easy to see that they are all fresh when you peel of their skin. Dipping it in the light soy sauce is the perfect way to eat these babies.

However, I noticed that the aquarium that used to hold some of these live shrimp was now empty and not being used. Maybe the tank was being cleaned or not working, but hopefully they can restore this since it was nice looking at those shrimp swimming in their aquarium before I got to eat them. Haha.

                                                                      (last February)

                                                                                                                                                             4.  Prime Ribs & Roast Beef

The Carving Station where all the meats are served is also one of my first destinations at a buffet. Buffet 101 serves excellent Prime Ribs which has a sweet hickory barbeque sauce.

The Roast Beef was also a good dish for meatlovers, as well as the Pork Belly. My only concern is that the roast beef seemed to have run out very quickly and I was not able to get second servings.

                                                                                                                                                            5. Grilled Seafood

The Seafood Station offers a variey of fresh fish and shellfish for you to choose from. Just mention your choices, the quantity, and your table number to the waiter standing nearby and he will have your order grilled and delivered to your table in just a few minutes.

My order of salmon tail, mussels, and scallops were really yummy! They all had this sweet brown sauce which was perfect for these grilled items.

                                                                                                                                                            6. White Pepper Crab

This deep-fried White Pepper Crab is another favorite at the Chinese Station. It is salty and crispy just like the way they serve it at expensive Chinese restaurants.

                                                                                                                                                            7. Sisig & Palabok

One section which was not present when I last visited was the small Filipino Station which had Kare-Kare, Chicken Inasal, and a few other dishes. My favorites there were the Sisig and the Palabok which added a nice variety to the international dishes available at the buffet.

                                                                                                                                                            8. Rootbeer Float, customized

Don't go asking the waiters where the Rootbeer Float section is. You won't find it because there is none. One secret which I often do at luxury buffet restaurants is that I make my own customized Rootbeer or Soda Float. Here is how I do it.

First, I get my preferred soda from the beverage section. I usually choose Rootbeer or a Diet soda. Second, I get a scoop or two of Vanilla Ice Cream from the Dessert Station. Then lastly, I get chocolate syrup from the Crepe section or even from the chocolate fountain if there is no syrup available. That's it! I get to have my own "bottomless" rootbeer float.

                                                                                                                                                             9. Dessert Station

One cannot have a luxury buffet without an extensive dessert station and Buffet 101 lives up to that. Various cakes, cookies, jellies, and kakanin are all there to choose from. A Crepe section is also on hand where you can design your own crepe including what fruits you want inside. Of course, you can top off your crepe with your choice of ice cream flavors.

There are also all sorts of candies and gummy worms for the taking. But the chocolate fountain is still usually where the action is and you can dip your marshmallows or fruits and cover them in rich chocolate.

                                                                                                                                                         10. Birthday Promo & Others Promos

Buffet 101 has a nice Birthday Promo where the birthday celebrant can get a free buffet starting three days before up to three days after the actual birthday. All the celebrant needs to do is to bring his or her government ID and dine with three other full paying guests.

Aside from the birthday promo, Buffet 101 also has several other cool promos like the Wedding Anniversary Promo where the married couple will get a bigger discount depending on how long they have been married. They also have seasonal promos like the Group Promo and the Late Night Dinner Promo so you should always check their Facebook page to be updated with their latest promos.

So what are you waiting for? With all these reasons to go to Buffet 101 Eastwood, now is the best time to catch their Back to School Promo and avail of the most affordable luxury buffet in the Metro.

                                                                                                               -- The Hungry Kat

BUFFET 101

G/F Olympic Heights, Eastwood City, Quezon City

Contact Nos: 234-5555 / 656-9999