café ilang ilang - manila hotel

i loved the quality of the food served. the appetizers were too beautiful to eat. i also liked the shabu-shabu which included fresh sea cucumbers, abalone mushroom and shrimp. the desserts were also commendable. it was a food heaven. we came there on a saturday lunch. the ambience was good. there wasn't any lines in the stations, so i didn't feel stressed at all. it was agreatdining experience.

breakfast for the champions!greatspread to start the day! almost all i can think of as my breakfast food since i was a kid up until this day were all there! it's not just the spread though, the quality of food were amazing too. not to mention the elegant ambiance.

their seafood night is so lit. 👌 i also love their japanese section. good food andgreatstaff will definitely go back with my family and friends.

i was really excited to try cafe ilang ilang due to its reputation andgreatreviews. we were here for seafood night, and buffet breakfast.
for the seafood night, i was really disappointed. the seafood for me is not that fresh and not that tasty. i was really looking forward to eating lobsters, however, it did not lived up to my expectations. i'd say that solaire's fresh is better. other dishes were okay. i also had high expectations for the dessert section. unfortunately, not all were delicious. 
the walkways are too narrow. i think they tried to fit a lot more tables than the normal capacity. you can easily bump to other people. i wasn't also a fan of the layout of the place. maybe it was just me.
i don't know if we just came at the wrong night, or i just really expected too much. 

as for the buffet breakfast, i enjoyed it more than that of dinner. although i was not able to try a lot of dishes, i was still satisfied.

currently our go-to buffet place.they have the best seafood buffet in town (thurs to sat). a lot better than spiral imho. unlimited lobster, sea bass and scallops... what else can you ask for? greatplace to celebrate an occasion. service is superb.

foods aregreatduring friday seafood theme night, lots of seafood and all food taste good, i love to keep coming back here at least once a month with my family and friends

i've eaten here over 10 times and its hands down my favorite buffet in manila. it has the best selection and i love the japanese room and desserts. 

why 4 stars?

i went there during chinese new year and its was suuuuuuper packed which is understandable. but the team seemed to be super overworked and the food wasn't asgreatas it usually is. for the price, my expectations are a little higher.

my rating today is a 2.

my usual rating is 5.

i'm understanding and they're usually consistent so i'll give them an overall 4

came here on a friday due to there unlimited lobster. got a good discount at deal grocer. a very pleasant experience. we actually left with literally no more space (not even air) to fill our body, making it difficult to breathe that night while going home lol. for me, the highlight was the shrimp. it was huge and very succulent. i can really taste the butter and garlic. second to mention was the lobster. good thing it was unlimited or else it would have been a dissapointment. i could hardly taste the cheese baked inside the lobster. it tastegreatif you dip it in chimichuri sauce. the dessert section was ordinary except their assortment of chocolates. they also offer uni on their japanese section. the italian pasta was plain, nothing out of the ordinary. some foods on the far end were already cold. you have to tell the staff about it for them to notice. the drinks, except water, tea, and coffe, are not included on the buffet. you have to buy it separately.

i celebrated my birthday by eating dinner here and it was the perfect meal. there are so many stations but my favorite has to be the japanese station. the seared salmon sushi is the best i’ve tasted and the salmon sashimi is so fresh. the seafood and dessert selection aregreattoo. i’ll surely come back. 😊

i think its our 3rd or 4th time to dine here at cafe ilang ilang its my top choice for hotel buffet. not so many choices compare to other buffet but food choices is allgreatfrom the grilling to chinese section to.japanese all are tastedgreatdessert area and salad are also great. they have.promo for bdo i think its less 40% offgreatvalue. place isgreatand service is awesome. will back be again....

this is my all-time favorite buffet, so maybe i’m a bit biased. i used to like spiral the most, but it’s so hard to shell out 3k per head whenever you eat there, so eventually i gave up. hahaha!

pero honestly, if value for money pag-uusapan, hands down to ilang-ilang talaga. they have a wide variety of dishes-chinese, japanese, italian, mediterranean, indian, filipino, american. complete talaga.

their smoked salmon was the freshest i’ve ever tasted during the time i ate. their prawn tempura is also my favorite, hindi super thick ng breading, just right para maging crunchy and malasahan mo ‘yung prawns. i love their maki’s lalo na the prawn tempura maki with lots of mayo and the crunchy bits. best replacement for rice. para sulit.

at times, they also have codfish and pepita’s lechon. you need to try both. the best yun, perfectly seasoned ‘yung codfish while the lechon is just really yummy and tasty with all those truffle goodness and the rice.

chinese selections weregreattoo. i tried their duck, although hindi gaano crispy ‘yung balat, masarap pa rin. their congee is the best tasting congee i’ve tasted yet.

italian dishes were so-so, pero covered up naman ‘yun ng lahat ng desserts nila na available. they have creme brulee, crepe, ice cream, gummies, and many more.

basta, okay here. 👌🏼 hassle lang ‘yung location for me. haha!

third review: july 2018 - 4/5

the manila hotel has been our top of mind choice in celebrating special occasions, since my sister's father-in-law works there. (support your own!) for my sister's 31st birthday, her in-laws decided to treat us to a sunday lunch buffet a day before her actual day. 💖

when we got there, the entire café ilang ilang was jampacked! it so happened that they had an ongoing promo for bdo credit card holders, which gives the diners around 40% off the per head price. worth it, if you ask me! 👌

as always, i headed straight for their japanese food area, and hoarded their salmon sashimi! they also have a variety of other sushi rolls, plus tempura and other fried japanese favorites. i'm delighted that their sashimi are all super fresh! ✨ the japanese corner is my favorite buffet restaurant corner of all time.

next, i had some east meets west favorites like a usda steak (look at those sexy grill marks! hngggh), soft shelled crab that is super tasty, an eggs benedict (wished it was still warm, but the flowy yolk of the poached egg made me fall head over heels for this!), some huge baked mussels, and a comforting chopsuey to make up for all the oily food i got. 😁 their roast beef carving station is a must visit too!

i really am not a big fan of buffets, as i feel like i cannot eat that much to match the price of the meal. 😅 on my third round, i goy some korean food like kimchi, kimbap, and other veggies. i also dropped by the dimsum station for some dumplings. of course, i couldn't resist and got more salmon sashimi. 😁💖

for dessert, they have a whole range of fruits, from the usual fruits like watermelon and honeydew, to more special fruits like dragonfruit and grapefruit. name it, and they've got it! 😉 they also have lots of pastries to choose from, and i especially liked the chocolate mousse thingy, which had three different layers, and was super rich and yummy! 😋 i also loved the pralines, so much so that i had 5 pieces. hahaha. they also take pride on their ice cream station, where i got myself two scoops of creamy goodness -- in green tea and strawberry! 🍧

for a buffet restaurant, i can say that cafe ilang ilang does not compromise the quality of their food, and ensures that all your food cravings are taken care of. which is why i'll leave you with this: the food coma was sooo worth it! 😁

#eatdrinksplurge

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second review: april 2018 - 3/5

since we stayed for two nights at the manila hotel when my sister got married, i also got to eat at their breakfast buffet twice. each room reservation typically has breakfast buffet for two already, and when you need the breakfast for more people, it will be for an additional fee of php 1500 nett.

both days had similar breakfast spreads: with the usual american and filipino breakfast favorites, lots of breads and pastries, milk and cereals, some chinese dimsum items, a couple of halal dishes, and some other cuisines. honestly, i found the dishes from the two mornings to be just okay. 😐 there was actually nothing special with the food, and the selection was not that much as well. to be honest, i wasn't able to eat that much too, as i am not much of a morning person. if there is something i loved about their breakfast buffet though, it's their yogurt!!!!! they had these 3 cows (where can i buy this???) flavored yogurt cups in different flavors -- and each spoonful was heavenly! 💕💕💕 i had blueberry cheesecake (?) on the first day, and mango sago on the second. both were really good! i wish i can buy them elsewhere. 😊

the service was not as good as i have experienced on lunch / dinner buffets, especially on the second day when we weren't served water or coffee. 😣 they weren't as courteous, too.

ambiance was more chill during breakfast time, with the people moving about but not as fast paced as when it's lunch or dinner time. the general feel of the dining hall is quite relaxing, too. 😊

i'd probably skip paying php 1500 a meal next time for their breakfast buffet, and will just order from their in-room dining menu instead, where you can already get heavy breakfast platter for less than php 1,000. 😉

#eatdrinksplurge

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first review: december 2017 - 5/5

our family and my sister's fiancée's family had our christmas eve dinner at cafe ilang ilang this year. to be honest, i am not really a big fan of buffet restaurants, as i feel like it doesn't really have good value for money... but i was wiling to give this a try as my sister had been raving about manila hotel's buffet restaurant for quite a while.

it was not a surprise when we walked into a restaurant full of hungry people celebrating with their families and friends, enjoying the bountiful food choices in the hall. as i went around, i easily understood why people kept coming back to this place.

food ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
there is indeed a wide selection of food here. the stations are scattered around the area, which makes first timers like me confused and lost... however, once you get to taste the food, it's all worth it! 😍 unlike most commercial buffet restaurants in the metro, the quality of the food is top-notch. i loved their japanese station, which features a lot of different rolls, sashimi, and other japanese favorites. 🍣🍤 i also enjoyed the chinese station, because come on, who doesn't love chinese food? these dishes probably came from red jade (formerly mabuhay palace). the carving station had a couple of options to choose from too, including lamb chops -- i am not a fan though! 😣 there is also a seafood station where you can have your prawns, crabs, and other seafoods cooked. other stations consist of italian, korean, filipino, among others. i also admired this restaurant's inclusiveness, as it has an area for halal food. awesome, right? and of course, as there is always room for dessert, the have this huge area for desserts! it houses various sweet treats, such as: fresh fruits, mousses and tarts, cakes, filipino favorites like halo-halo and kakanin, and their gelato station! 😍 i had biscotini and strawberry yogurt. yummy!

service ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
the service was great! despite the influx of people, and their busyness due to the season, they were all smiles as they served food, bussed out plates, refilled our water, and assist the guests in any way they can. two thumbs up for the staff of cafe ilang ilang! 👍👍

ambiance ⭐⭐⭐⭐
cafe ilang ilang is fully carpeted, and has a homey feel to it. the scattered stations make it less overwhelming for the diners, as they can visit one station at a time. there are plenty of long tables, perfect for big gatherings.

what agreatway to celebrate christmas eve! now i understand why people love to visit this buffet restaurant for all types of occasions. the vast selection of food from all over the world, warm and genuine smiles from the staff, and the warm ambiance makes it one of the best hotel buffets i've visited to date. 💜

#eatdrinksplurge

great ambience, super delicious steak and has an oh so heavenly desserts section.

i'm a huge fan of desserts and rarely does it happen that a buffet offersgreattasting desserts too. good thing cafe ilang ilang serves super delicious desserts. will definitely come back for that chocolate fondue and yogurt ice cream!!

crews' attentiveness could be improved though...

free breakfast buffet from our stay so might as well take advantage of it. typically, our standards for buffet are lower but we have already enjoyed our food from the room service so we're excited to try it out.

i must say, this is totally worth it. even if i have to pay for it. the selection isnt as vast as the others but i love how the put emphasis to quality over quantity.

the danishes were good - we had to go back for seconds. i dont normally like cheese but i especially love their danish brie. the congee, chapchae and kalbi tasted authentic. our goal was to eat every single item however it's hard when you have an infant. it's enough though that we enjoyed everything we tried.

service wasgreatas well. we were seated at the benches, even though it's just me, my husband and the little baby. they were considerate enough to know we need a large, comfortable space, without asking for it.

only regret is that we had to leave sooner than expected (mommy problems).

my friends and i decided to celebrate the "despedida" of our friend @ manila hotel. and at the same time, this would be our first time to spend staycation here.

manila hotel is one of the oldest house ins in the philippines. it concretize a fancy tradition of lifestyle, costly fine dining withgreatcustomer service. the hotel was really enticing. aside from that, the place is really rich with the filipino concepts. the chandeliers are huge and mesmerizing. how i wish to go back to the old style. what i do really love the place is the people inside are very warm welcome. they guide us on what to do. 👍🏻

we went to cafe ilang ilang to have our breakky. i just checked first the cafe, it's nice and very awe-inspiring. super cold 'cause it's fully air-conditioned (centralized)
they offer breakfast buffet. first thing that i looked for is their bacon. it's thick, delicious and inviting! very jaw-dropping! 🥓 it's really my fave and i had that like about 2-3 plates. they offer as well coffee, chocolate and milk. but if you are a fruit lover, you are free to get as many as you want on the fruit section. they have pizzas, soya, yogurt, and etc. it will never waste your money. definitely worth the price! 👌🏻

i will surely go back here and try their other dishes! the place is not only for staycations, family days, events, and etc. you can spend your cheat day here! lol 🤣

thumbs up! ✨ 5/5