#thepantry

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

You can find The Wine Pantry pop-up at the hotel’s ground floor lobby, just beside the entrance to The Pantry. Every weekend from Fridays to Sundays, guests can purchase any of the premium wines on display at affordable retail prices and bring it with them when they dine at the Dusit’s signature restaurants including The Pantry, UMU, and Benjarong. There’s no need to pay any corkage fee or spend hotel prices on your wines. You can have a fabulous dinner date and pair it with top-tier wines at reasonable prices. Isn’t that fantastic?

Don Revy is a boutique brand that showcases a carefully-curated portfolio of international wines, beers, and spirits. Their line of premium hotel wines are sourced from 29 popular regions across 9 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Italy, Chile, Argentina, France, South Africa, Spain and the United States.

Don Revy actually supplies the wines at Dusit Thani Manila and other five-star hotels in the city. However, since the ongoing pandemic has limited their restaurant patrons, this partnership aims to give customers more reasons to come back and enjoy these top-notch hotel wines at non-hotel prices. Some guests also purchase wines and gift sets to bring home with them.

For those who intend to enjoy their wines at the hotel, The Pantry has several dining locations to choose from. Guests can stay at the indoor dining areas where they can order some ala carte dishes to go with their wines.

You can also dine outdoors at The Pantry’s al fresco area and feel the vibe of a relaxing escape from the city. I actually hadn’t noticed this part of The Pantry before so I was surprised with how beautiful the setup was.

There are several areas around the Japanese garden and the koi fish pond where guests can enjoy a romantic and private dinner date under the stars. I thought I was back in Tagaytay! This would be a nice place to sip your wines from The Wine Pantry.

We were lucky to be visiting Dusit that afternoon, because it was Geaux Friday at The Pantry. Guests can indulge in a Louisiana BBQ Dinner Buffet every Friday where a sumptuous selection of Louisiana specialties are set to welcome the weekend.

From juicy black angus beef brisket and pork baby back ribs to perfectly charred chicken and sausages, diners will definitely get a Taste of Louisiana with a delightful al fresco dining experience. Pair these awesome meats with the wine selections from Don Revy for the perfect dinner combination.

Aside from the meaty barbecues, guests can also find hearty dishes inspired by the French quarter including shrimp etoufee, cheesy shrimp and grits, fried catfish, creole jambalaya, cajun stuffed chicken and New Orleans gumbo.

Don’t forget to drop by the Lechon Station! This Filipino party staple is also present during Geaux Friday to give The Pantry a fiesta atmosphere.

Our small group decided to sit indoors so we can be closer to The Wine Pantry and easily choose our preferred wines. Dusit Thani Manila follows all health and safety protocols so table seatings are spread out with maximum capacity limits strictly followed.

We started our wine dinner with Don Revy’s very own Pebble Lane brand. This Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand was a light and refreshing starter as we got ready to attack the barbecue outside.

It didn’t take long for our conversations and our dishes to get meatier. We paired these plates with glasses of red wine including the Mariano J. Lacort Rioja Reserva from Spain and the Maxwell Silver Hammer Shiraz from Australia. It was just a casual wine dinner with no strict rules to pair which wine with which dish. You don’t have to worry about wine snobs at The Pantry as long as everyone enjoys their meals.

If you’ve reached your wine limit for the evening, you can just continue with the other beverages and floats which are also included in the buffet. Desserts also include Chargrilled Pineapple with yoghurt mousse and pistacchio praline, classic beignets and a selection of cakes and pastries. Weekends are definitely more fun with The Wine Pantry at Dusit Thani Manila. The Wine Pantry is open from 11:00am to 9:00pm from Friday to Sunday while Geaux Fridays is available from 6:00pm to 10:00pm for only P1,850 nett. I heard they also have a Saturday Night Grill with unlimited steaks. We will surely try that next time.

The Wine Pantry by Don Revy

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

7238-8888

dusitthanimanila.dusit.com

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