It was like all the constellations of stars and the galaxy of planets in the entire universe conspired that our overdue plan to dine at SPIRAL in SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA MANILA finally pushed through last Tuesday.
It was another gastronomic experience; a real feast to the sense!
Anorexia was never in my vocabulary but food enthusiasm! I am just grateful that I am married to a nurse who thinks and eats the same wavelength as I do. 
And thank Heavens we’re blessed with a son who at his young age, already developed the appreciation for good food (He wants to become an iron chef someday). My wife Tina, our four-year old-son Gabby and I have been to some of Manila’s remarkable open-kitchen-buffets in hotels and a mall (click each item to view my previous posts)…
1. CIRCLES EVENTS CAFE at MAKATI SHANGRI LA HOTEL
2. DUSIT THANI’S FAMILY SUNDAY BRUNCH
3. HEAT at EDSA SHANGRI LA HOTEL
4. DAD’s ULTIMATE BUFFET inludes SAISAKI and KAMAYAN
It’s hard to compare one with the other because all of them are a delight to the senses. I know that to spend more than usual these days is considered vulgar for the fact there’s global economic crisis, but life is damn too short to let these beautiful chances pass. We’re just fortunate to experience these beyond words (gluttonous grin) 
Going to open-kitchen-buffets in hotels has been a little scary for me, because it’s habit-forming, lol. But can you blame me?
I first learned about Sofitel’s SPRIAL Mad Mondays and Thrifty Tuesdays 50% discount promo from one of the blogs I follow. And it was really a perfect timing to EAT, CELEBRATE and BE MERRY for one of our colleagues will depart to Riyadh next week to work as a medical practitioner; so it was like a despedida for her but on a dutch treat, (read : KKB / kanya-kanyang bayad, lol).
promo ad photo sourced from chuvaness.
Sofitel’s SPIRAL + 50% discount + family & friends =EUPHORIC BLISS!
Tina made the reservation for 5 adults and one kid (our son/their godson) exactly 7 days prior to our dinner date. We met our friends and at around 4:30PM, we’re at Sofitel lobby already. Since we’re an hour and a half early before the buffet opens, we took Gabby at the pool side and had a stroll to while away time (scroll down to view former post below).
My wife reserved the best spot in Spiral – the Chinese section! Since it was still unpacked with hungry stomachs, I took time to roam and click my point-and-shoot cam (note to self: I should save for a DSLR). Below is the immediate view where we’re seated. Looks like Iron-Chef Kitchen-come-alive! (another note to self : Why didn’t I think of becoming a chef? Life isn’t over yet) :D
Here’s my first plate…
I spared the salads and grabbed some Oriental stuffs — steamed and fried dimsums and peking duck were really appetizing. The wrappers of steamed dimsums were just perfect! It wasn’t too mushy. Hakao or shrimp dumplings had generous fillings….I love those plump shrimps! There were also those yummy chives or kuchay a.k.a. vegetable dumplings…Spiral’s siomai is also a must-try. Sarap! …Here are Peking duck and some other Chinese roasts…
Tina had some cheese, cold cuts and those delicious super-thin-crust pizza. I swear those pizza slices are to-die-for! I may have tasted only a piece but I surely know my palate. If there’s one reason to go back to Spiral, definitely it’s there pizza!
After few laughs and bites, I had my second plate : California maki, Philadelphia rolls, tuna and salmon sashimi, and some crustaceans…
I was disappointed with the spreads where I got this plate. There were FEW choices of SUSHI. The New Zealand mussels tasted bland. (Read : I hate to compare but in CIRCLES EVENTS CAFE at MAKATI SHANGRI LA HOTEL, their mussels rock!!! ). I like it flavorful with some herbs and spices, instead of just a squeeze of lemon. And trust me, we’ve been to Auckland, New Zealand for seven week-vacation before, mussels there really are the biggest! Despite my discontentment, my wife still sampled Spiral’s seafoods to taste it herself…
Here are the spread of those shellfish and sashimi…
Commercial muna : While people across ages and colors begin to fill Spiral, guess who we spotted ? There were few celebrities like Ali Alejandro (son of Hadji) and tables adjacent to us had a local basketball superstar Marlou Aquino who was towering at 6 feet 9 inches might, and seated behind him was Buddy Zabala, a band member of a legend in Pinoy Pop music what else but E-heads! My wife was too shy to ask them a photo-op with Gabby and neither I have the nerves to do it, so I just took this photo while our son Gabby was busy with his desserts without disturbing anyone.
Moving on… Let’s turn more into Japanese with these sake display and some tempura…
If you have read some of my previous posts, you probably know now that one of my favorites is SUKIYAKI… And Spiral’s does not disappoint. It has the marbled tender beef slices, delicately thick glass noodles, warm delicious broth, some veggies and tofu, ahhh…just writing about it makes me drool…
Our son likes KANI (crab) TEMPURA so much, but there was none; there was only EBI (shrimp)…
I like Spiral’s version of Ebi tempura, I guess my wife agrees as well. The batter was thin, wasn’t too oily.
This was my surf and turf plate…
With some cold cuts and Chinese roasts, I had spoonful of paella with tiger prawn and sausages and 2 thin slices of roast beef. I like paella while my wife doesn’t favor it. Spiral’s paella’s also good as their roast beef; however the mushroom sauce of the beef was less buttery.
All of us were almost satiated but no one resisted the sweet treats…
My sis-in-law, doc bibs had this plate… A crepe of mixed berries served with a scoop of berry-flavored ice cream, and a slice of cheesecake with tropical fruit toppings. I failed to taste the crepe but she told me that she didn’t like the berries-with-chocoalte drizzle medley .. “To each his own.”
Now, this was my sampler… isn’t it drool-worthy gorgeous? 
I like that pinkish dessert at the back of my platter; it’s called Sugarfree Raspberry Panacotta – simply sublime.
It’s never disturbing to grab a bite at each sweets because most of them were sugar-free even tasted sugarless for real! And what’s best with desserts of Spiral, they’re in tiny bite-sized servings so it allows you to consume more and more and taste more and more… lol
This was Tina’s plate. That small pumpkin-shaped dessert was from the Chinese section; it’s made of glutinous rice somewhat like kakanin to us Pinoys.
There were mostly cheesecakes which I like best. But as I was looking for some variety they somewhat tasted similar. 
Gabby munched on these delectable treats on the left, while the photo on the right shows Sprial chocolate fondue – as if one is not enough! you have the options of dipping fruits and mallows at melted white or usual chocolate! Two thumbs up according to our son.
We didn’t end the nice dinner without photo-op with doc shiny who will leave the country for FAR better earnings.
Note to doc shiny : Good luck shine, bilangin mo na ang mga buhangin sa Riyadh, lol… Don’t forget to buy us Saudi Gold and more of it! Papicture ka din sa kamelyo, lol
Doctors All : my dates last Tuesday…
With all of those delectable desserts and whatnot, nothing beats the sweetest smiles of my family.
LOVE KO ‘TO….
Till our next food adventure; happy eating !
Burp
SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA SPIRAL, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City / (63-2) 832-6988.
For Mad Mondays, Thrifty Tuesdays promo that runs until July 27-28, we spent PhP 1122 nett per pax. My son ate for FREE as per usual local hotel buffet ruling for kids age less than 5. Kids rule!!!
OPINION COUNTS…