Luxe Sunday Brunch Buffet at Mireio, Raffles Hotel Makati

A couple of weeks ago, I got a message from one of my readers (hello to you!) asking me for recommendations on the best brunch buffets in town. I had to stop a while and recall in order to give her my best recommendations as I didn't want to let her down. Eventually, I answered: "Personally, I love Mireio at Raffles Hotel, very good selections." To my reader, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did. :)

Anyway, let me tell you more about my Sunday Brunch experience and why I think it was one of the best there is in town. First of all, the venue. Who doesn't love the luxurious feel of the Raffles Hotel in Makati. It may have a more corporate vibe as opposed to its Singapore counterpart which gives off a more garden feel but well, it's located right at the heart of Makati's busy district so it perfectly suits the vibe there. From the moment I arrived at the entrance of the hotel up until we were ushered up to the 9th floor where we were led towards the restaurant, you can really feel so relaxed and comfortable which is apt for a Sunday brunch affair. I brought my twins with me that day and I was so lucky that they were so well-behaved. Okay, not counting that short cry-fest that J had as we were in the elevator. I think my little boy has a bit of claustrophobia but he was all okay the moment we entered the brightly lit restaurant and more so as we settled at the table by the window overlooking Makati's beautiful skyline.

On to the food. The selection is not much but is definitely well-curated. This is quality over quantity which is one thing that I love in good buffets. After all, we have to watch what we eat and Mireio's buffet spread can assure you that all you're having are the best of the best.

Let's start at the salad corner. I really enjoyed the fresh greens mixed with the yummiest cheeses and tossed in Mireio's homemade dressings. I went for two rounds of arugula with goat cheese as well as some cold cuts such as the marinated salmon which was so good.



Moving on, we checked out the Tartare Station where the chef was game enough to pose for me. I love the happy and cheerful Sunday vibe of the entire restaurant and service was amazingly good.

In this station, you choose if you want salmon, tuna or scallops and the Chef will whip up a delicious tartare mix for you. I asked for a bowl of tuna and salmon and boy, it was delicious. Oh, how I surely missed eating rare seafood and cold cuts. I wasn't sure how mixing the seafood would go but I somehow like them on its own as they each have their own flavor profile.

I walked towards the main dining hall and right at the center is an impressive spread of cheeses and meat. The best way to enjoy this luxe Sunday brunch is to have a glass of bubbly on hand while you sample all the cheese available. Believe me, there's a lot to try so be sure to come ready for that.

As usual, I loaded my plate with more of the soft cheeses, paired with some slices of saucisson which I enjoyed so much back in Singapore and a few pieces of bread sticks too. This was indeed my version of Franny's "happy meal" on a relaxing Sunday morning.

More on the saucisson, I never thought I'd be able to find good quality ones here in Manila. This is a French sausage which has a really funky smell but it tastes really good. This reminds me so much of my friend G who asked another friend K to hand carry this back from France. Oh how we used to have our afternoon wine, cheese and sausages sessions back then. I miss my Singapore-based friends so much. *sniffle* G, if you're reading this, please visit me soon (and bring some good saucisson with you too).

I have visited three stations and I was barely halfway through the brunch spread. There's also the risotto station which was the most popular area in the restaurant. They barely can keep up with the orders so as not to stress the Chef out, I just placed my order and told him to just send it to my table when it's ready. No wonder it was a hit! The risotto has a nice creamy texture with all the grains cooked perfectly well. I've had my share of risotto with half cooked grains and it totally destroys the experience for you. Mixed with chopped mushrooms and truffle oil, even kids will love this. Well, mine will have to wait till our next return to enjoy this as they couldn't take solids when we dined there months ago. Sorry twins!

Let me walk you over to the main buffet spread and we start with soup! They got Bouillabaisse that day and I was just overjoyed! Mireio specializes in Provencal and French cooking and I'd say that their bouillabaisse was one of the best that I've had so far. It was comforting yet each spoonful packs quite a punch as it has a very rich seafood flavor. Obviously coming from all the seafood included in the soup that may have been cooked for a long period of time. It's served with homemade garlic bread which was also so good too.

It comes in a small bowl allowing you to enjoy one serving first without filling you up too quickly and you're more than welcomed to go for seconds if you wish.

Next to soup station were pots of hot dishes which I believe rotates on a weekly basis. What caught my eye though were the roasted meats on the carving board. Look at how huge this was! All three meat options were present that day : Porcetta (Roasted Baby Pig), Wagyu Beef Rump and Leg of Lamb.

I'm honestly not a meat person as I love seafood more than anything else but I couldn't pass up the chance to try Wagyu. Okay, the initial plan was to share this plate of beautifully carved steak with Paul and I even added some truffled mashed potato and French beans to make it look really pretty. However, after taking one bite of the Wagyu steak, I looked at him and said... "go get your own steak, I'll just have all of this hehehe" It was so good that I knew that just having half of the steak will not be enough. I asked the chef to char the beef a little more as I am not a fan of raw meats and this made the edge (which had a bit of fat) so crunchy and good.

We also tried the Porcetta (Lechon) which was also yummy! Paul is a huge lechon fan and this one easily got this two thumbs up approval.

Aside from meats, they got a wide array of seafood available. The drill is to choose your seafood and ask the Chef to prepare it which ever way you want it. We went for the ever-popular butter garlic seafood and it was delicious. I love how fresh the lobster was that the meat literally fell over the shell without much struggle. The same goes for the prawns which was so huge and juicy. I also loved the squid as they somehow managed to grill this without making it chewy.

Next to the risotto, everyone was queuing up  for their seafood platters and they got a lot to choose from -- 2 kinds of lobsters, king prawns, calamari, 2 kinds of mussels and 3 types of clams! The choices and combinations are endless.

Towards the far end of the buffet table is the Tartine station. Tartine is an Italian open-faced sandwich and it's normally served as starters to a meal or as an afternoon snack. We tried several tartines and my favorite was the one with smoked salmon and sweet slices of apples as well as Prosciutto with Cheese. Paul was teasing me that the latter was your French Ham and Cheese. Well, he somehow is right. :)

While it the spread is still not as wide as compared to the commercial buffet ones, you can tell now that everything was well thought out and each consists of only the best ingredients possible. I was so full after going through all stations and I even had to skip the bread station as I had no more space for carbs...

However, I will always have space (in my heart and tummy..nax!) for dessert. You all know how crazy I am about chocolates especially after I gave birth to my twins. It must be my hormones but I am always looking for something sweet and chocolate-y for close to a year now. So, there I was happily checking out the dessert buffet area with L on her stroller not minding me as I was quickly filling up my plate with macarons, truffles and chocolate baked goodies. I felt like I was a little girl at a candy shop only. Everything just looked so good and they sure tasted marvelously delicious as well. Oh gosh, here I am gushing about Mireio's dessert again. I've done this so many times with family and friends right after our Sunday brunch here. Guess it's high time for a return, don't you think?

If you're in for a nice, relaxing and gastronomical treat. Head over to Mireio one Sunday with your family and enjoy this delicious spread. The Sunday brunch is from 12NN to 3PM and it's at Php. 2,450 per head. Add Php. 895 and enjoy this with unlimited sodas, fresh juices, red and white wine, selected cocktails, coffee and tea. I think it's such a great deal!

Visit Mireio which is located at the 9th Floor, Raffles Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati City. Call them at 795-0707 to make your reservations.