A Wonderful Buffet Experience

Buffets are usually an enjoyable experience. But the bane of most restaurants serving buffet here in Manila is the lack of quality of the dishes served. There may be a myriad of choices in a buffet spread, but usually the dishes are just mundane. Hotels have upped the ante with free champagne and unlimited wine, at astronomic prices. 

Recently, the fennel bulbs have heard about a relatively new restaurant that is reputed for its really sumptuous buffet spread. The restaurant is named Vikings, and is located along San Miguel by the Bay. 

The restaurant is imposing. It is sprawling, as it occupies a vast bungalow building. The interiors

are warmly lit and are truly inviting. The receptionists donned headsets as they communicated with other 

staff on which tables are available. And they ushered their guests most efficiently. And the name, Vikings,

seems to conjure the Scandinavian meal served buffet-style, smorgasbord (or did buffets originate 

from smorgasbord). 

There was so much to try. First, the continental appetizer section had some fairly nice choices. Among those that were tried were thai beef salad, which was delicious, albeit a tad salty; some penne with grilled vegetables (like ratatouille or pisto); and some condiments like grapes and cheese. 

There was of course some sashimi. The tuna and the salmon fillets are of good quality. And the sushi was likewise very good and innovative (one would find a Barcelona roll, which seems to be inspired by paella with tomato/saffron-flavored rice used). 

And from the Western section, there were sumptuous beef carpaccio, hummus (Middle Eastern garbanzos paste), baba ganoush (also of Middle eastern origins, smoked/grilled eggplant paste), some quaint cheese balls, and asparagus wrapped in bacon. 

Next is the Chinese counter. A good selection of dimsum can be had - chicken feet, shark's fin dumpling, har gao, vegetable dumplings, just to name a few. 

There was even some chawan mushi, the Japanese egg white custard, which tastes very homely and comforting, especially when it's hot. 

There were sausages, roast beef, and even lechon in the main course section, plus some tempura (shrimp, fish, and vegetables). One can also create their own pasta and pizza and have them cooked, but it was simply too much to try it all in one meal. 

And perhaps, a weak point - dessert - a rather mediocre and anticlimactic ending to what has started out to be a most wonderful and lavish meal. 

At Php888 per person (on a weekend; the rates are cheaper on other days), Vikings is not just a feast for the taste buds and a dining experience to be reveled, but also a bargain! But the fennel bulbs hope that the restaurant will offer a more competitive dessert spread the next time around. Other than that, and putting everything into consideration, this is probably the best buffet in town! 

Little Place, Big Dreams

Indeed some of the best restaurants are actually the small unnoticeable ones located in quiet neighborhoods or in places one wouldn't expect to find something like it. Over the past few months, one place, also located in the quiet Kapitolyo district of Pasig City, that the fennel bulbs come back to from time to time for great eats is Poco Deli along East Capitol Drive. 

This quaint little place is also an epicerie where one can buy different sorts of sausages, cold cuts, and homemade spreads. The place also sells bottles of wine, the selections of which are moderately comprehensive, enough to include Galician cervezas and Portuguese white wine.

Above is a plate of thin-crusted pizza topped with mozarella cheese and bits of Jamon Iberico (Iberian ham), about 350Php. The pizza dough is cooked well, not being too crunchy or burnt on the edges. Iberian ham resembles prosciutto in taste, but the texture is harder and coarser than its Italian counterpart; overall it is more robust.

Since this is a little deli restaurant and not a full-blown speciality restaurant that focuses on one cuisine, the selections of pizza and pasta are quite limited. But this doesn't mean that what's available doesn't live up to standards. Above is a plate of Spaghetti Aglio Olio (Php 190), which is the fennel bulb's favorite spaghetti. Topped with fresh parsley and grated pecorino cheese, it is as good as it can be. 

Besides pasta and pizza, Poco Deli also has a small selection of entrees, their goodness compensating for the restricted menu. The Irish beef stew (~Php 300) is a hearty dish made with softened chunks of beef (most likely shanks), potatoes, and a rich brown sauce redolent with the flavor of beer. The servings are good enough for two on a reduced appetite, and more than enough for a hungry soul. 

Lastly, a bowl of home made strawberry yoghurt (~Php80) to cleanse the palate. It's natural,

moderately sour, and the hint of sweetness about it is just enough. 

Poco Deli is indeed a small, quiet place (poco is Italian for 'small' or 'bit'). However, what draws one to the place is the kind of homeliness it has about it - the lack of pretension in its interiors and its honest selection of great food. Most importantly, one feels the passion whoever owns the place has for good food and their desire to make their customers happy.