Posts Tagged ‘buffet dining

16
May
11

KOTA BHARU, KELANTAN SERIES : BUFFET AT RENAISSANCE HOTEL

I completely understand that it’s essential to sample local cuisine from a place you’re visiting for the first time.  And I forgot  did not do that when we were in Kota Bharu. *epic failure!*

Defensively, there are 3 reasons why we didn’t have the chance to taste Kelantanese food – firstly, we have limited time (lame excuse, I know). Secondly, when you’re on a trip with a 6-year-old kid, it’s more often than not that he would prefer to eat in fast food joints rather than to try native delicacies (I’m not blaming you, Gabby! I love Pizza Hut and A&W too!). Lastly, we were weak to resist the hotel’s buffet spread…

At Renaissance Hotel, Kota Bharu manned by Marriott, the restaurant that offers International cuisine was so inviting, thus we gave in.


Only those who have hypersensitivity to prawns and cheese would say no to these sumptuous dish…

peborit ko 'to!

Nice to know : UDANG is the local term for shrimps / prawns in Bahasa Melayu.

How do you like your plate to be seasoned?  Mine, not too much. I have an aversion to strong spices.

Fish and beef : perfect on a plate!

Here we go again : shameless display of our pig-out plates… yum! yum! yum!

Tina and I loved the Korean beef (the one with sesame seeds). Tender. Juicy. Tasteful. Although it isn’t my favorite, there was lamb cuts too that was hard to miss. No after-taste actually.

Tina’s plating was beautifully done… agree?

tina's plate

…as if she’s not hungry! haha! :P

My taste buds also tried the pasta, potato wedges and local crunchies that weren’t that greasy.

can't get enough of those prawns

Every meal must have sweet endings!

What would you pour in your ice cream? chocolate syrup? kiwi? orange? the flavors were too many to handle!

We never forgot to eat fibrous fruits!

Sublime. Divine. Irresistible.

I posted a teaser on facebook about this food porn that it’s not our common gastronomic adventure. On the second thought, it was! The spread might be a bit less than usual but the elements of casual dining I enjoy the most were all there –good food, friendly ambience, affordable price, impeccable service,most of all, the company of my lovable family.

What do you look for in an eat-all-you-want dining?

————————————————————–

——-This blog series includes :

24
Nov
09

SMOKELESS GRILL, SUSHI AND MORE!

Last week, everything was unplanned when my family and I had a glutton’s gastronomic adventure from breakfast at Starbucks Coffee and lunch at Filipino restaurant, KKK,  to ultimate dessert at  HAAGEN-DAZS and ending the day at YAKIMIX!  

My wife, Tina, our son, Gabby and I, all came with hungry tummies with my youngest brother, JC  for dinner to this buffet-and-grill-all-you-want-restaurant that we’ve been wanting to try for several weeks now.  Initially, we planned to try it months ago as we spotted Yakimix in their branch along Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City near those seaside-’dampa’ restos. But unexpectedly, after long hours of strolling in SM-Mall of Asia last week, finding difficulties in deciding where to chow down from so many choices, we’re just lucky to find Yakimix’s  posters at the entrances of the mall as one of its newest food places. 

We had to wait for few minutes when we came to Yakimix-SM-MOA before 5:30PM as it re-opens in the evening.  When we’re ushered in to our table, we saw this impressively spacious buffet place…

This was just one view taken from where we’re seated. Another section is available to accomodate, more or less 60 to 70 pax inside and few more tables are outside catering to those who prefer al fresco dining.  Believe it or not, before we get to taste our first choices from the spread, the place was packed in a heartbeat…

I know you’ll agree with me that whenever an oriental food place is full of chinky-eyed diners, then it verifies the taste of Japanese and Chinese foods it offers. :D   That was so apparent when we dined at Yakimix; the more we got excited to try all dishes at the buffet table.

I got this plate filled with raw seafoods and marinated meat for us to cook in our smokeless grill at our table…

Soon after the wait staff smeared oil on the grill and turned it on, our little ‘chef’, Gabby became too busy :P

Obviously, our son enjoyed cooking for us :D   Look at his ‘masterpiece’…

We’ve tried Shabu-shabu few times before and still enjoyed Yakimix for it’s purely grilling pleasure.  Everything was browned by Gabby to almost perfection :D

There were more seasoned cut meats and seafoods on the buffet spread; skewers which we failed to sampled; there’s always a next time. :D

It may not be the best Sukiyaki in town but it satisfied my craving for that sweet and salty Japanese soup. For me, UMU in DUSIT THANI, Makati City serves the best Sukiyaki.  My brother, JC had the other bowl of Hot and Sour soup which was also just OK.

I got few sushi and two slices of sashimi :D

On Tina’s ONLY plate :  ebi tempura, fried unbattered prawns, california maki, bacon-wrapped shrimps,  crab sticks, mushroom and veggies,  and according to her, the best among she tasted from Yakimix were those “seafood balls” .  I cannot agree because I failed to bite at them :(

On my plate : almost the same thing but I got to try the noodles.  There were more on the spread that we passed on simply because we’re so satiated already. And unlike what you might be thinking, we don’t have bottomless gastric pits, LOL.  :D    There were just so many dishes, but so little time! :D

There were salad bar, fresh tropical fruits and yes, cakes and pastries too, mostly from Red Ribbon and Goldilocks. :)

On our table :

Yakimix offers Selecta Ice Cream included in the buffet! Gabby went several times to the dessert table for these ice cream sprinkles…

Although I found Yakimix’s dishes plain and ordinary,  it gets our nod because of its wide-array of choices, better traffic of diners and spacious ambiance.  Our drinks were refilled at an instant even without asking, but nothing special for the commonly tasting instant juices and iced tea.  Far from the other blog reviews of Yakimix-Macapagal branch,  service at SM-MOA was quick and friendly exceeding my expectations.  :)   Yakimix’s buffet costs half as hotel buffet prices and can surely give Dad’s Saisaki Kamayan Ultimate Buffet a stiff competition.

Another reason to give Yakimix a try :  where else can you find an eat-all-you-want-Selecta Ice Drops ? LOL :P

We’ll visit their branch in Tomas Morato, Quezon City whenever possible because it’s closer to our place. :D

Have you been to Yakimix?  How’s your experience ?  :)

————————————-

YAKIMIX /Unit 122-126 Ground Floor SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City /

Yakimix Weekend Buffet rate : PhP 580 per pax; bottomless drinks at PhP 55.

PS : Gabby ate for free :D (children below 4 feet get to dine free of charge)




BLOG STATS : THANK YOU!

  • 654,208 hits

Join 255 other followers

2013 BEST EXPAT BLOG WINNER MINISTRY OF TOURISM MALAYSIA

 photo 8e3a63a6-47d9-4e50-9a84-64493e6bbc6b_zpse91c3a1e.jpg

2012 BEST EXPAT BLOG WINNER MINISTRY OF TOURISM MALAYSIA

 photo d5d0d846-97c0-4bc5-911b-231b0211b123_zps280a7c27.jpg

FEATURED IN INTERNATIONS.ORG

living and working in a new country

2012 BRONZE AWARD EXPATSBLOG.COM

Expat blogs in Malaysia

FEATURED IN ExpatFocus.Com

SINGAPORE BLOG AWARDS 2013

2012 ExpatBlogs.Com Nominee

Expats Blog

2010 PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS

Photobucket

2010 PHILIPPINE EXPAT BLOG AWARDS

 photo 229a28d6-1b89-4018-9282-997c17b69b98.jpg

2009 PHILIPPINE BLOG AWARDS, FINALIST FAMILY & LIVING BLOG CATEGORY

BlogWithIntegrity.com
Blog Expat: living abroad
living in Malaysia

BlogMalaysia!

BlogMalaysia.com





DOCGELO @ BLOG NA PINOY

DOCGELO-35
Personal - Top Blogs Philippines
Page copy protected against web site content infringement by Copyscape

anong petsa na?

get your free blog banner at emilayusof.com
get your free blog banner at emilayusof.com
get your free blog banner at emilayusof.com

TOKYO 2010

ginza

watzupdoc?!

"Health is the greatest gift, contentment the greatest wealth, faithfulness the best relationship." (Buddha)

BLAST FROM THE PAST

BLOGGING DAYS

June 2013
M T W T F S S
« May    
 12
3456789
10111213141516
17181920212223
24252627282930
free counters
Foodbuzz

www.proudlypinoy.org

Proudly Pinoy!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 255 other followers

%d bloggers like this: