Buffet Restaurants in Baguio Review

My standard of a superb eat-all-you-can buffet is that of Yakimix in Manila. I wish that a branch would open here in Baguio soon. However, Baguio folks also have our own buffet restos sprouting recently.

My husband and I had a breakfast buffet invitation from our friends one Saturday, so even if the temperature is down we had to pull ourselves up for a morning meeting.

Citylights Hotel offers the breakfast buffet for hotel guests as well as walk-ins like us. That day, hotel guests ate at the groundfloor cafe and walk-ins at the 2nd floor function room.

The array of dishes fitted a standard breakfast for Filipino tummy. There were two choices of rice, the plain rice and the fried rice. The viands consisted of around eight varieties ranging from the basic scrambled eggs to fried dried fish. They also had a table for fruits, breads and pancakes. Coffee and iced-tea are over flowing at another corner. And soups too.

I wanted to start on pancakes but it took them more than 15 minutes to replenish the pancake tray. I didn't want to waste time so I grabbed a plate and started off with the rice set. The dried fish was cooked crispy, the eggplant with alamang was tasty but it was too oily, the other dishes could have been more delectable if it were served warm. The chafing trays should have been lighted to maintain the warmth of the food. Even the soup isn't warm. In a cold place like Baguio, it would be proper to serve most meals warm. I love their overflowing coffee. They should have served more variations of fruits, that time we only had slices of papaya. Overall,for a price of P220 per head, it was good but I could give a higher rating if the flaws mentioned above would have been addressed.

Incidentally, we have also scheduled a lunch buffet at the same day with the kids. This time, it's at the new Buffet Republic located at 2nd Floor of the building beside Baguio Centermall. Since it is newly opened, they are advertising an opening promo price of breakfast or afternoon meryenda buffet at P120 and Lunch buffet at P180.

What greeted us as the elevator door opened at the second floor was a wide hall where the restaurant is. A staff by a makeshift counter greeted us to take our payments before we can enter the place.

We immediately started lining up to the buffet table to choose our stuffs. There were 7 trays lined up the center table. Two trays for the plain and fried rice. Five trays for 1 chicken dish, 2 pork dishes, 1 fish dish and 1 vegetable dish. The side buffet table was where the salads, desserts, dumplings and the drinks are.

For the promo price, the quality of food was satisfying albeit a little inadequacy of choices. The food presentation was inviting. The fruit salad tasted good, it wasn't very sweet as some commercial ones are. Here, watermelon and papaya were fruit choices. I loved the taste of their cucumber salad. What was also good which I noticed was on the coffeemaker side were choices of different sachets of sugar. They had white, brown and the artificial sugar used by diabetics. I don't have any complaints about the staff, they refilled the trays the soonest they see that a particular food is running out. The place however, was too wide. The ceiling was too high, it doesn't make you feel cozy. The chairs are like the ones you see at a fastfood. They didn't have backrest, just stools. If only they would improve on the interior to make it more a little classy, then I would be really appeased.

The Salad and Desserts Corner

Fish Dish

Vegetable Dish

Pork Dish

Fried Spareribs

Fried Chicken

We also tried dinner buffet at Kamayan Restaurant at Quezon Hill, Baguio City. The ambiance of the restaurant was really inviting, likened to real house. My guess is, it was really a house converted into a restaurant.

That night, we were the only group when we got in. It was about 7:30 pm then. After some time a couple came in. The whole time we were there, there were only two groups, so we enjoyed the place like it were ours.

Around nine dishes were served. It was really disappointing because they were too ordinary every-day meal. The dishes looked like it has been reheated over and over. I couldn't even remember what dish I liked the most because they seemed to taste all the same. My daughter enjoyed her small crabs though, and she used her bare hand to eat. There prices were P279 buffet per head, P299 buffet with a glass of iced tea and P320 buffet with bottomless iced tea. We got the one with bottomless which we regretted because we never asked for some refill due to the fact that their iced tea was too sweet. Their logo states, "Home of Lechon Cebu", but it was not included in their buffet choices. :-(

With so many buffet restaurants opening in Baguio, Kamayan would better improve on their menu for them to compete.  

One of these days, we will be trying other buffets here in Baguio. I will be updating this blog once I'm ready.

-----

This is an update to this old blog on Baguio Buffet Restaurants.

The Heritage Hotel Buffet. 

This buffet resto has been a hit since last year.  Within the 4 times I have been there, the pork lechon belly was my favorite. The skin was crispy all the time and the meat was tender and juicy. It is chopped right before your eyes. The server would give small serving perhaps to control it but you can always ask for more. Which I always did. haha  The meat is best with its lechon sauce or a mixture of soy sauce and calamansi.

My teenage son's 8th plate of lechon belly. :-D

Japanese cuisine will always melt my heart in a buffet.  The first time I visited this place there was shrimp tempura on the Asian corner. I indulged, totally, really! However, with the several other visits, it was no longer included.  I think one has to pay it separately when you request for it to be cooked. They also have different makis but I find it lacking with ingredients compared to what Japanese do with their cooking. Korean side dishes will always find a place on my plate.

Small portions to start with..

The Italian corner where the kids would surely enjoy. One can find pizzas and pastas to feast on. On the opposite side, one can find a display of traditional Philippine cuisine such as pinapaitan, karekare, etc. 

The dessert corner is where my daughter with sweet-tooth stayed most of the time. The choices were limited though. Not so inviting especially to adults who have eaten variety of cakes and sweets.

For a P398/pax of eat all you can. Why not? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: This is based on my personal experience, the food we ordered and the treatment we got. Others may have other judgement.