Last Thursday night, one of our high school friends celebrated his 40th birthday at Cafe Ilang Ilang in Manila Hotel. I had my first taste of Cafe Ilang Ilang’s buffet when it first started back in 2011. After over 3 years, I’m back to give it another go!
Thursday is Spanish night at Cafe Ilang Ilang — although there is more focus on Spanish dishes, a lot of other countries are sufficiently represented at the different dining stations.
I made my way to the… you guessed it, Korean station first. Kimchi, a few banchan, veggies, and doenjang were there to serve as accompaniment for the delicious Korean beef barbecue.
At the Chinese station, you can get dimsum as well as an assortment of dishes like Peking Duck, Pork Spareribs…
…and these delicious Steamed Garlic Prawns. They’re so good I could not resist having some despite my allergies.
There was a whole line of Spanish-style salads too, like this Roasted Red Bell Pepper Salad with Tuna.
But what I really liked was the Orange Fennel Salad which was both crisp and refreshing.
There’s no shortage of seafood too and you can have them cooked the way you want.
Meat? There’s a lot. Aside from the carving station, there’s a place where you can have your choice of meat fresh off the grill with a lovely variety of sauces and condiments to accompany it.
I had a medium Wagyu Rib Eye Steak with grilled pineapple and corn on the cob. So yummy! I wish I could eat more but I couldn’t. Sadly, I get full after a round at any buffet (2 rounds tops) and I don’t even pile up food on my plate.
There was sushi, sashimi, teppanyaki, miso soup, and tempura (pictured above) at the Japanese station.
My favorite dessert that night was definitely the Lemon and Olive Oil Pound Cake. It was moist, chewy, a bit citrusy, and just sooo lovely. One of the best cakes ever, too bad I don’t know anyone or any place that makes this. Maybe I should learn how to myself now that I have a Samsung Smart Oven, lol, but more on that on another post.
You can even make your own Affogato (Espresso with Ice Cream). Wow. This is the first time I’ve encountered an Affogato Station in a buffet spread.
There was a section of sugar-free desserts too. My dad and grandma would’ve loved this if they were still around… both were diabetic.
If you’ve been reading my hotel buffet posts you’d notice that the one dessert I always reach for whenever it’s available is Puto Bumbong — and Cafe Ilang Ilang has it! Wheeee! Yes, I had some and it was good! There’s really so much food at Cafe Ilang Ilang that I don’t think I’m anywhere near half in this post.
Manila Hotel Cafe Ilang Ilang Buffet Rates:
- Thursday (Spanish Night) – Friday (Seafood Night) Dinner – P2,950
- Saturday to Wednesday Dinner – P2,450
- Monday to Saturday Lunch – P2,150
- Sunday Lunch – P2,400
But wait, there’s more — if you dine at Cafe Ilang Ilang from now until August 31, 2014 and use your BDO or American Express credit card to pay, you get a whopping 50% off your bill! Log on to https://www.bdo.com.ph/promos/dining-offers-manila-hotel for complete details.
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