Buffet 101 International Cuisine in Robinsons Magnolia

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For as long as I can remember, Christmas Eve has always been spent with Mommy's side of the family. We always get together for dinner normally in a Chinese restaurant, then we all head to church to hear the Misa de Gallo mass as a family. Thus, even after getting married, Paul and I immediately agreed that December 24 is dedicated to my side of the family while the 25th is to be celebrated with his.

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This year though, we took a break from the usual Chinese lauriat dinner and decided to try Buffet 101. It's cool that lately the family has been game to try various restaurants whenever we celebrate someone's special day. I guess most of us are starting to get tired of the usual Chinese dishes already.

It's no secret that we, Filipinos, love to avail of eat-all-you-can promos. Take a look at the rising popularity of Yakimix and Sambokojin where you can grill and eat all you can! Taking inspiration from the posh hotel buffets, Buffet 101 gives you hotel-like ambiance at a lower cost.

Ambiance is one thing but the main factor lies on the taste of the food. I got to admit that I was hesitant to try Buffet 101 as Mommy was able to try it and wasn't very impressed with the food. However, I still went with a tiny glimmer of hope that it may not be as bad as I was told it was given that taste is, after all, very subjective.

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It was Christmas Eve and this must be the reason why we were initially not allowed to make a dining reservation. Luckily, Auntie R and Kuku were able to find a way and they got us a reservation with a catch... call time was 530PM. Yikes! I can't imagine eating dinner that early and I fear that I'll end up soooo hungry even before the Misa de Gallo mass starts. Well, here's a valid reason to "stock up".

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I was impressed with the wide variety of buffet items available. They really got everything for you! There's a Chinese section that serves really good steamed suahe, make sure to ask for it as it's not out on display. I also liked the Peking Duck and dimsum selection as well.


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Moving on to the Japanese station, there's a lot of sushi creations but do try with caution. Some may just be too weird for your taste. The tempura was also very good!

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At the center was a long table with all sorts of dishes. From appetizers to salads, from seafoods to rice dishes. I had to go through each one carefully as I can't stuff myself with things I will regret eating later on. This is really the time to eat smart! ;) I liked the crab dishes as well as the Pinoy Kare Kare. How I wish they've also added in some good cheese and cold cuts to complete the line-up.

The highlight of my dinner though was the Grilling Station. Choose any fresh seafood available and ask them to grill it to perfection. My sister and I had a blast with the yummy grilled scallops. The only drawback is that they limit the number of scallops per head and it takes a while for this to be served to you. Since we went there on an extremely busy day, we had to personally head back to the station to guard our precious scallops. It was quite a hassle since we can't just enjoy our meal thoroughly.

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It's really sad when buffet operators fail to give just as much importance to dessert. Case in point, the dessert station was boring. I just had a few fruit slices and paid no attention to the cakes and sweets on display. I was even more interested on the Fresh Fruit Juices available as well as the drink vendo machines that allow diners to drink-all-they-can too! 

Over-all, I was surprised the Buffet 101 wasn't so bad. I wouldn't mind going back for more seafoods (grilled scallops and steamed suahe) as well as the Chinese and Japanese dishes too. 

Buffet Rate: 
Monday - Friday lunch : Php. 699
Monday - Friday dinner : Php. 950
Saturday lunch : Php. 799
Sunday lunch / Sat - Sun dinner : Php. 1,050

Buffet 101 International Cuisine is located at the 2nd level of Robinsons Magnolia, Aurora Boulevard cor Dona Hemady avenue, Quezon City. They also have a branch at the San Miguel by the Bay. Call them at 961-2291, 961-2926, 961-3025.

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