café ilang ilang - manila hotel

my experience of cafe ilang ilang on a tuesday night was pretty good. the carvingstationwas strong. the meat section was strong. get the meat grilled. it tastes better. i was blown away by the barbecued beef ribs. the best beef ribs i have ever had. i kid you not.

the japanesestationwas weak. the quality of their sashimi can be improved. understatement of the century --but i was so happy with the meat section i won't dwell on the negative.

the rest of the stuff, to be honest, i was too full to try. the dessertstationwas fair. nothing spectacular about the dessert station, very little variety.

the ambiance was good. it was generally quiet and not busy because it was a week night. the service crew was attentive. but they closed pretty early. last call for buffet was 10pm.

all in all, i was pretty satisfied. it's a yes for me.

our family's go to buffet. i always love this buffet compared to other hotel buffets. the sections are organized. the staff are really accomodating, attentive and nice. as to the dishes, i really love them all especially the japanese area, grillstationand the dessert.

i love this buffet place! i especially love their steakstationwhere they carve a piece of steak from a huge slab of meat and cook it to your liking! they also have good deals in partnership with bdo. will definitely go back!

my favorite buffet spread because of the quality of food they serve. too many choices is just as annoying as having none so the selection here is just about right and not too overwhelming. i love the carving station, japanesestationand the dessert spread is heavenly.

my expectation is quite high from reading others’ reviews. so for my father’s birthday, we tried café ilang ilang through dealgrocer. place is nice. but it was a big let down on the food. there is a wide range of choices, but we can’t find a “winner” dish. food was just average. i was expecting 5/5 (if not 6/5) but it turned out that it’s just ok. if there’s anything i would recommend, it is their pistacchio gelato.
on their service, i appreciate that the crews fold the cloth napkins whenever anyone of us leaves the table. but the cooks/chefs in the foodstationare not friendly. they were not too happy to answer questions.
overall experience, average.

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 carvingstationis 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 dimsumstationfor 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 carvingstationhad a couple of options to choose from too, including lamb chops -- i am not a fan though! 😣 there is also a seafoodstationwhere 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 onestationat a time. there are plenty of long tables, perfect for big gatherings.

what a great way 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

by far my favorite buffet in manila.

interiors/ambience - 5/5
loved the chairs the tables, lighting and fixture. everything went well together. eachstationhas a different vibe so your only problem would be, which one you'd like to be in. we chose the marie antoinette feels.
reception was also instagram-worthy.

customer service - 4.8
had table reservation for 2. our table was yes, of course for two. but being the "big platers" that we are, we wanted a wider table. so we were transferred to the wider table, the thing is, they transferred us to a wider table at a dark corner of the place. so we asked for us to be transferred again. lo and behold, we were transferred to the table that we've been eyeing for since we arrived (of course, someone else was sitting that time). they cleared the table and set it up again for us. the waiter was very kind and attentive.
receptionist could be more accommodating. we asked if he can take a photo of us in front of the restaurant, his face was somewhat hesitant (it's almost closing time, so they don't have any customers).

food - 5/5
this was last december but i can still remember the taste of their steak. i love steak and this was the best steak i've had in this category. if i can eat all their steaks i would, that's how i love their steak.
tried everystationexcept for the indian (i'm not sure if it was, but it has lots of curry so i assumed).

all in all, it was a great experience and will definitely go back.

i was super excited when we were planning to try this buffet out for dinner since it belongs to the top rated restaurants in our country. albeit i enjoyed my experience, it was still not able to meet my expectations.

the tempura, which was the first thing i got since it's my fave, is a disappointment. i really didn't mind the small size of it but the taste was super ordinary. it wasn't as succulent as i expected it to be and the batter was kinda dry. it didn't taste fresh at all cause i think the ones i got weren't freshly cooked and it didn't have that buttery flavor that i liked. i think they should cook it in small batches to keep it fresh cause when i went to the japanese station, the demand wasn't even that high resulting to the tempuras just sitting out. since café ilang ilang is such a famed restaurant, i think they should've mastered cooking tempura already.

the chinese section didn't have hakaw too which i found odd. it's a must to have hakaw especially since a favorite of mine too hehe.

i was also a bit deflated when i didn't see a filipino station. how come they don't have one when this is a filipino hotel? a lot of international hotel's restaurants have it and they don't which is a miss since i would've wanted to try out their version of kare-kare or lechon. oh well.

i super liked the fish at the japanese station, though! i think it's lapu-lapu and everyone in our table tried it and loved it! the seared scallop at the appetizerstationwas something i was pleasantly surprised to see, as well as the couscous salad. the lamb, ribs, and salmon that i got grilled were my fave too! i love how they have a variety of sauces for the meat and that there's grilled asparagus! yum! the only problem i had with the grillingstationwas that the cook kept neglecting my order? for instance, after asking for another serving of lamb, i walked around while waiting for it and when i came back, some people who ordered lamb after me were already getting their orders. i asked for mine from the chef and he said mine would still take 5 mins. when i came back again, he handed me grilled fish! i politely said that i asked for lamb and while he corrected his mistake, he didn't apologize for it. and because i watched them grilling it instead of leaving thestationagain while waiting, i think they kinda rushed the cooking of the lamb as it wasn't as done as i would've liked it to be.

another noteworthy part is the italian station. a lot of buffets get pizza wrong but not this one. it was delicious and no doubt, the ingredients were high quality. and don't be afraid to try it too cause you're "saving stomach space." the crust was light and a slice or two isn't that filling. didn't get to try the pasta though since i don't think they started making made-to-order ones til the middle of service when i was already uncomfortably full and couldn't possibly take carbs anymore.

there's a service fault with the waiters, too. they were a little bit too eager to get our plates that even though we were still not finished, they were already holding it. they should ask first before even touching our plates if we were already done and only when we grant them permission should they get it from us. a plus for them though was that they alerted us where the japanesestationis before we even started started getting food. i'll admit that i wouldn't have found it if they hadn't told us since it's pretty hidden.


i want to note though that when i asked for chamomile tea from a server and pronounced it as kamomēl , he sort of corrected me by saying it as kamomīl. at first i thought that i pronounced it wrong but turns out, both pronunciations were correct after all so i don't get the point of him correcting me.

the dessertstationwas only satisfactory too. the crème brûlée didn't have that crunchy top which essentially makes it a brûlée and the panna cottas didn't taste good at all. i tried the pistachio one and it kind of tasted like medicine. someone from our table got the strawberry panna cotta and she hardly touched it too. the mille-feuille's layers were chewy instead of crispy and delicate. literally, i had to stick my fork in it and bite it like a hotdog just to eat it.

the ice cream server didn't have a pleasant attitude too and he seemed kind of unapproachable and annoyed when i tried almost every flavor of ice cream that night. if anyone's curious, my favorites were yogurt and ferrero.

if there's one thing i'm sure the dessertstationgot right, it's chocolate! the pralines and chocolates were heavenly! the liquid chocolate at the chocolate fountain was really good and was definitely high quality. another favorite of mine was the bread pudding!! i put caramel sauce on it and it was amazing! i could've had multiple servings of it if i wasn't so full already. i think not a lot of people were appetized by it though since even by the end of the buffet, it was only half emptied. don't be discouraged by its unfamiliar appearance though. it is really good, trust me. the chocolate chip cookies are also good. i wish i could've tried the small cakes though since i think they really nailed those but they just looked too rich to me and i was already full.

expectedly, the price of the buffet was hefty since it is, after all, a 5-star hotel. i don't get why buffets like this are priced so high, though. sure, the quality of food is what you pay for, and some of the dishes are uncommon which makes it expensive. but i mean, even those with big appetites couldn't possibly eat p2,500 worth of food in one meal. we got 40% off of our bill though which made it reasonably priced. for me, the discounted price is how much our meal was really worth. but who am i kidding? this is essentially how they make money out of buffets.

overall, i'm still really happy i got to try their buffet. it was a rare experience which i hope wouldn't be the last so i could try the food that i missed and also to check if the night i visited was just an off night that's why some of the dishes i tried weren't as good as i expected them to be. i'd gladly accept anyone who sponsors me to eat here again to give them a second chance hahaha!

this is widely touted as one of the top buffets in manila so of course we had to try it. the food options here are international with multiple carving stations for western style meat dishes, chinese peking duck, and a large italianstationall by itself where they can prepare pizza and pasta from scratch. what makes this buffet special is the high quality presentation and dishes. while here i pretty much tried everything including the many desserts they had.

most dishes were delicious but many of the carving stations had over cooked meat which was often dry. for a 5 star buffet this is not really a forgivable mistake. staff probably need better food prep skills.

another significant flaw was the haphazard display of sashimi at the japanesestationand the much too thick cut of the pieces of tuna and salmon. it seems like the sushi chef was just chopping pieces of fish with a hatchet instead of precision slicing.

i really liked the baked oysters and shrimp though. i also found myself going back to the italianstationagain and again for their lasagna.

all in all cafe ilang ilang still deserves its reputation as a 5 star buffet and if the flaws were fixed here it would be even better.

everything here is pretty much good, but there was no standout item that would elevate any one thing to great, it's all b+, there's no a+ superstar item. which is fine, it's priced a bit lower than the ultra premium buffets. it's a good buffet that will not let you down, it just won't stun you either. they have a great availability of oysters and mussels cooked with cheese on top, which normally you would have to special request in most places, here you can just grab as many as you like. their dessertstationalso has a nice crepe suzettestationwhich works fairly well.

had lunch here the day after christmas. i was surprised how a very old hotel could house such a great buffet. they have a diverse set of cuisines, varying from arabic to mediterranean to chinese to italian. they're all so good! the layout of the buffet is just confusing. the food stations are all scattered so you might miss one or two stations (i.e the japanesestationand the italian stations are located at very far ends of the place).

i love waking up to the anticipation of enjoying a great breakfast. it's my favorite meal of the day!

this was how i started my sunday, eagerly anticipating the buffet breakfast spread downstairs. i honestly can't remember cafe ilang-ilang from my previous visits. i saw the awards that were displayed on the table by the entrance. it raised my expectations a bit.

we were ushered inside and the place was like a maze. they had different stations set-up all over but they didn't have a main buffet spread. they had food from different cuisines laid out including korean, continental, chinese, and filipino. i concentrated on continental and filipino favorites as usual. my breakfast consisted of tapa, tocino, sausage, pancakes, and taho. of course, bacon--but theirs was so oily and not as crispy as you would want. i was also able to try the ube ensaymada, which was pretty good. lots of fruits and yogurt available for the health conscious too. different kinds of cereal were for kids or kids at heart. another pro was that the staff were so nice and attentive, very focused on providing good service.

however, the layout of the dining area was spread out and very confusing. the drinks were located in front, in a haphazard area, which didn't make sense to me. we couldn't find the eggstationactually, so we ended up foregoing our usual omelet. i also overheard people having difficulty finding their tables. our table was located at a dimly lit area with worn yellow seats--it had a slightly morose quality to it. there were tables by the windows that looked more inviting. though there were a lot of options, spiral has even more choices. the latter also has a better and brighter layout with a very elegant look. the buffet becomes a focal point in itself, located near the famous staircase. there was none of that grandeur at cafe ilang-ilang. somehow, i also feel like all the seats of spiral are equally comfortable and bright. all guests feel welcome and there are no "prime" seats at spiral. though you don't associate dessert with breakfast, spiral offers sweets during breakfast, lunch and dinner. plus, spiral has a real kuya taho going around the tables offering this filipino favorite to the guests. lastly, let me say these two words: cheese room. mic drop!👍 all these things make cafe ilang-ilang a distant second to the top buffet in the country. but, there is no way to feel stiffed at the choices that cafe ilang-ilang has to offer.

today we went to manila hotel to eat at café ilang ilang. we didn't avail of their buffet though as we came a bit too early for dinner. instead, we came to have some snacks instead.

we ordered the puto bongbong, bibingka, pancit canton, pancit malabon, and all-meat pizza. as i don't eat bibingka or puto bongbong, i didn't try it but my aunt and mom liked it well enough. i like their pancit canton and malabon, though i prefer the pancit canton more as i wasn't too fond of the toppings on the pancit malabon. i was having a hard time choosing what pizza to get, and i was surprised, and at the same time pleased, as we requested for an all-meat pizza and we got what we wanted. i like their pizza, there was an ample amount of toppings and cheese, but i felt that it might have lacked a bit more tomato sauce.

anyway, as we have been going here a bunch of times over the years, i decided to review some of the other a la carte items they offer.

lasagna - i'm not really a fan of this dish, but i continue to order it from time to time.
pasta amatriciana - i like this one a lot, and i think that the serving is big (in my opinion, most of their pasta dishes have big servings) and maybe even good for 2.
carbonara - my ultimate favorite out of the lot. it's so creamy and yet it doesn't overwhelm you too much.
beef steak tagalog - this is the dish that i turn to in café ilang-ilang when i don't crave for pasta and want a rice meal instead. the beef is tender, and i love the hint of calamansi when you bite into it. i also like the onion rings that's included in the dish.
i have tried a couple other dishes but i don't have photos of them so i'll stop here!!

café ilang-ilang is most notably known (i think) for its buffet. i've been able to go to breakfast, lunch, and dinner buffet here and i've got to say that this is one of my favorite buffet places and it really does give you your money's worth. for the breakfast buffet, i usually just go for their bacon and sausages, and pair it with waffles, pancakes or bread.
lunch and dinner buffets are more or less the same in my opinion (except sometimes, if i remember correctly, they add more choices to their dinner buffet, hence it is more expensive). what i like most would be their italian station. i like the variety they have when it comes to pizza, and you can also request for their chef to cook pasta for you (whenever the chef on thatstationis the italian, i get a bit intimidated lolicri). my next favorite would be their steak station, where you can ask them to grill your steak to your liking. i also like how they have a bunch of gravy/sauce to choose from. there's also the asian part of the buffet - chinese and korean are close to each other, while you have to go further away to get to the japanese station. there are a bunch of others as well (like seafood, halal and dessert), but i don't really get much food from there so i don't have much to comment on them.

anyway, as this place is easily accessible for us, we'll most probably continue to drop by here from time to time. :d

i give it a 4.5, only because i wasn't able to sample everything. but i certainly enjoyed myself, starting with the japanese station, huge selection of sushi, and fresh sashimi! ebi tempura basket was always emptied out, so i took advantage of the seafoodstationwhere the prawns are huge! crabs were available too and so were the baked mussels and oysters. i generously helped myself to some
angus beef, and baby back ribs too. also tried the handmade meat lovers pizza and a bit of pasta too, and loved it as well. i wanted to eat some more, but i needed to save some room for dessert, so i took a piece of all the pastries and some chocolates too. i was stuffed by 2 pm and was in a food coma. planning on going back as soon as i've recovered.

(as of 11.07.15) the inclusion of macarons on their buffet makes a big difference as far are buffet desserts are concerned.

(2008-2014) i love their breakfast more than their dinner buffet. a simple yet elegant hotel dinning experience in the metro. good foot traffic and well designed flow of dinners that enables a less chaoticstationareas.

great lamb roast and steak; good desserts, breads and cheeses; and decent seafood selection. they have the best espresso machine among the other nearby hotels with really good brew and americano! but compared to circle, heat and spiral; their menu appears to be so limited indeed.

as per area, they have the worst korean station. it's poorly dedicated and is just shared with the chinese cold cuts and dimsum area. decent pasta, pizza, and halal items. lots of good desserts specifically their crepes, cakes, and gelatos. but still, they have items like the sylvanas that are simply below anyone's expectations

as much as i love breakfast more than dinner, ilang2 has been a favorite venue of the family for dinner celebrations and big gatherings over the past decade.