On Buffets

Buffets have always been a wonderful dining experience for me.  Aside from the wide choices of food to sample this setup takes out the chores and horrors of ordering ala carte (choosing from the menu, can't figure out which one among the choices would you like to eat, waiting for the food to arrive, being disappointed that you chose this meal from the other, wrong dish served, badly cooked food, etc.)   Plus, buffets also include the dessert which is heaven for a dessert enthusiast like me. 

Among the memorable buffets I have tried are the following:

1. Market Cafe at the Hyatt Hotel (the grill section is magnificent)
2. Circles Cafe of Makati Shangri-La (I proposed to my wife after having dinner there)
3. Jeepney Cafe at the Hotel Intercon (two words: Samurai Crepe)
4. Dad's/Kamayan/Saisaki (I recently ate here, the plush toys that come with the drinks is a hit to my daughter.)
5. Riviera Cafe of Heritage Hotel (the best Tom Yum Goong outside of Thailand I have tasted by far)
6. Tong Yang Shabu Shabu (grill all you can right at your table.)
7. Alba Restaurante in Bel Air (Paella!)
8. Cabalen (choices are not as wide as Dad's but not bad either.)
9. Hard Rock Cafe (Lunch only)  The moment I remember this place I always get a bad case of LSS of the Hard Rock Cafe Jingle, "At The Hard Rock Cafe, teng teng teng teng, Come to the Hard Rock Cafe..."  Some of you are probably having the same LSS now.

Among these buffets Dad's, Tong Yang and Cabalen have a strict "No Leftover Policy" which somehow compensates for the much cheaper price tag compared to the buffets in hotels.  I now share with you some tips (real and otherwise) that can help circumvent the "No Leftover Policy."

1.   Hide the food in your table napkin.  Just make sure you don't forget and use it afterwards.

2.   Drown the food in condiments (soy sauce is the best hiding place) hoping that it would dissolve over time

3.   Order Coke/Pepsi and hide your leftover in the glass.  Again, don't forget you placed it there.  You or your companion might drink it.

4.   If there is another customer's table nearby, place your leftover to their table while they are not looking.

5.   If dining on a Shabu Shabu or grill, try to burn the evidence errr leftover.

6.   Hide the leftovers in a doggie bag or if none inside your bag (worst case scenario: hide it in another person's bag.  Hey, it works for Mr Bean!)

7.   Hide the leftover in your mouth and spit it out in the comfort room.  Not advisable when hiding a whole leg of chicken.

So there you go and until the next buffet.   You may wonder why I did not include Spiral Cafe of Hotel Sofitel here.  Well, the simple reason is that I haven't tried it yet.  One of these days some good friend might invite me there, who knows?  Probably on my birthday, which is coming on the 21st (ehem.)  *Hint*

Peace!