flavors restaurant - holiday inn & suites makati

well first, thanks to eatigo for the 50% deal. about flavors restaurant, well it's my first time and i was really not amazed. theplaceis so small , the food has a lesser variety and the service is not so good. the dishes is mostly filipino having kare-kare, patatim, humba, baked mussels, fried chicken, chicken fingers, pancit canton, molo soup and etc. they have this roast us beef which the chef unlikely to give you a large portion when you asked for a cut. they have a grill station which has 3 viands to choose: fish meat, chicken wings and beef. also have a mongolian station, noodle bar, appetizer (with 3 kinds of lyoner ham to choose, breads with butter and jam, no cheese) and salad bar, sushi station (maki is like created by a college student on a cooking class, quality is so-so plus the tuna and salmon sashimi, you have to ask if you want to have its not on display) lots of dessert to choose from (we really enjoyed the orange cheesecake which has a mangoes on top and the ube cheesecake. one round of iced tea is given for the buffet eaters. food rating is ok, but if i were to compare them i would rather eat in cabalen plus with a lower price even there is a 50% offer for flavors.

went here for my birthday. wanted to go for a buffet that was different from the usual viking's and buffet101 that has really gotten boring. flavors has the perfect ambiance, staff are really nice and the food tastes good. however there is limited choices, or perhaps i was just sad the seafood choices only included 2 kinds of fish dishes. no shrimps crabs mussels at our night. i loved the mongolian station (you get to choose veggies and meat to put in the rice) cuz it tasted better than the longganisa fried rice out in display. there is also meat grilling station,where the marinated beef and chicken tastes good newly cooked. the carving station was not well stocked, only small portions of ribs and chuck beef was being served unlike old reviews where there was bigger portions on display. there was a make your own caesar salad that was fun, but not enough toppings to make a salad other than a caesar. i absolutely loved the walnut choco cookie and it paired well with free flowing coffee ( i tried brewed and latte) and tea (dilmah chamomile, green tea, earl gray, etc). the other food available were baby potatoes, fish in schezuan sauce, baked pasta, pork balls, various maki rolls, 2 kinds of soup,etc. i would say theplaceisn't worth it for their full price but we got the 50% discount in eatigo so it's ok. reservation at 8:30 but they let us start eating 8pm. i would go back only with the discount again lol.

booked reservation thru eatigo at 50% selection was limited and drinks was just one round of ice tea. nothing special except for the samurai crepe. but i would consider this a a go to buffet hotel as theplaceos not crowded. and food just right plus good service..

the company where i’m working had chosen thisplacefor our 2018 christmas party. it’s a great resto with wide selection of food, what more could i say? the presentation of their buffet is also top notch, from breads to kimbap to dessert they got it. the standouts for me are the lechon, all of their desserts and their kimbaps and sushis. if i could say one flaw, i think it’s because they don’t have drinks station in their buffet and we only have 1 round glass of iced tea and beer with unli water, which is not a big deal for me. i don’t really know their prices but i’m sure you’ll get the value you’re looking for in a restaurant in flavor’s. i would definitely be back.

i went here for their brunch buffet because they put up discounted offers on dg. if i had to pay full price i probably would've put 3.5 ⭐

they had an okay sprawl of food. a bit on the smaller range when it comes to variety but you could still be picky about which food to eat. the spread ranged from simple bacon or fried rice to lamb stew. the theme was a bit strange they had an ilocano theme table set up which had a lot of that type of food but they would also have one piece of a different country's food. ie. sushi but nothing else from japan, kimchi rice but nothing else from korea, etc.

food quality ranged from average to good. nothing super memorable but i think you'll enjoy it for like a minor celebration.

also they had no (as far as i saw) beverage options and only offered one glass of soda or iced tea for the whole meal so expect to just drink water.

the staff were quite accomodating and attentive. though note that we were one of the only two groups there. they even brought us sashimi on request even though it wasn't on the sushi display.

theplacewas comfy and on the nicer side but nothing too fancy.

very chickplaceto have a meal.placefeels ample and comfortable, while the buffet selection might seem limited, is compensated with the quality. staff there is very polite, accommodating and friendly, their in top of your need without being rude or intrusive. their bakery selection is also small but, again, quality is there as expected. i ordered some breads and pastries to go, but my favorite was the calamansi cupcake, a must try if you ask me. coming back for sure!

ambience 🌟🌟🌟🌟
theplaceis cozy and good for catching up with family and friends! :)

food 🌟🌟🌟
food is just okay. my friend ordered thai red curry and i got marinara linguini and ube cheesecake. i super love their ube cheesecake! it's also their house special :) we also had red wine which is also their house special! :)

and to add!! we saw this cutie chinito server 😂😂😂 haha!

the selection is very limited but the dessert table is really really good. the japanese section is a 4 (with sushi, sashimi and the likes) and this was seconded by my japanese friend. the meat section is also good although the sauces could be better. they have the kid section as well with kiddie plates and all that. it was a nice touch but the food is your usual. there are brocollis and a whole lot of vegetables on that area. hope kids don't get too scared when they open the lid.

over-all it was okay. we went here by the virtue of bpi's credit card 50% off promo and theplacewas great but the food is so so.

extremely bad service. a friend made a reservation at thisplacea month in advance for their company's christmas party but was contacted a day before the party that they have canceled their reservation in favor of another client that has a larger number of participants.

what's worse is that my friend has been contacted by the restaurant to 'bribe' him to keep his mouth shut; they said that they will give him a 'refund' even though my friend hasn't paid anything yet.

being in the service industry myself, stories like this agitate me a lot. so agitated that i even signed up in this website just to state my friend's horrible experience.

very disappointing and very unprofessional. think a million times before you make a reservation in this restaurant.

holiday inn makati's flavors restaurant discriminates people.

holiday inn makati's flavors restaurant -- the most unprofessional foodplaceever -- suddenly cancelled our buffet reservation. this happened despite our company making a reservation a month earlier to avoid the hassles of finding a restaurant this holiday season. they cancelled the day before our christmas party, which is december 16.

their reason? a bigger company (probably one of their "vips") made a reservation at the last minute and the restaurant obliged. in short, not everyone is important for flavors' management. reservations mean nothing for flavors.

to offset our hassle, they offered to transfer us to their bar and promised to slash 50% off the total bill. a bar for our christmas party dinner. not good enough.

because of flavors' discrimination, i will make it my personal crusade to remind people every year to think twice about holding a party at flavors. they don't care about your time and satisfaction. flavors will suck buttholes for the right price.

good job, flavors management. such professionalism. much wow.

disgusting.

ah finally am reviewing thisplacewhere i have dined almost everyday while my 2 month stay at philippines. the staffs are too much accommodating. the live bar always kept my request be it some special preparation of sandwich or a soup.
i can say flavours is the reason for my 20kg weight gain. haha. jokes apart. the food they use to prepare are too delicious be it chinese or pinoy preparation. sometimes i used to find some indian dishes too which reminded me of my motherland. the dessert section worth some extra mention as it wasplacewhere i used to spend most of the time.

had dinner here with my husband and son last sunday. i love theplacethat it is not crowded, it looks comforting, classy, neat and inviting to have a dinner. theplaceis not that big but for us it's ok. there were just a few of us having dinner. the staff were accommodating, nice and friendly. food selection is not too many, just the right number. their food is really good and also their coffee! they provided our son a clean and nice-looking chicco high chair, plastic plate and utensils really intended for a child's use! how cool is that! this is the first time that we saw an establishment offering such amenities for kids. i just wish others will also do the same instead of just providing dirty and sometimes worn out high chairs. there's an ice cream cart with manong sorbetero attending it offering 3 flavors of ice cream and ice cream cones. he befriended my son and gave him 1 cone with 3 scoops of ice cream and another empty cone. how sweet! being an active toddler, my son kept running around. one of the staff gave him a coloring book and crayons to keep him busy and it worked! also, he gave my son a little teady bear dressed in shirt and pants with the hotel's logo printed on the shirt. he also played and talked to my son for a little time to make sure he's enjoying and doing fine. i really appreciate the extra mile they showed our son. will definitely go back here!

we tried thisplacebecause citibank credit card had a 50% off the entire menu promo (extended through october 2015). while they do have an a la carte menu, i am reviewing their lunch buffet. so, please be aware that menu selections that i mention below may change.

wins:
- the relaxing ambience--a quiet oasis from the crush of glorietta shoppers outside
- the very attentive service...and friendly (not stuffy), too
- willingness for the cook staff to supplement our experience, such as providing ground peanuts to top their pad thai, or a fried egg and grilled bananas (albeit the wrong kind) to complete a proper arroz a la cubana, both offerings at the buffet
- grilled-to-order mahi-mahi
- thin-crust bacon pizza
- build-your-own tacos or nachos with numerous toppings (including fresh guacamole!)
- their seafood fried rice is comparable to any decent yang chow fried rice
- their beautifully crafted and tasty individual pastries--one of the best i've seen in any buffet--that are thoughtfully placed on individual, easily lifted cardboard bases

could be better:
- drinks are not included except for hot tea and hot coffee (but at least includes variants such as cappuccino)
- the pasta dishes--spaghetti bolognese and pad thai--were too dry
- selection is certainly not as extensive as vikings or dads world buffet, but you are not left wanting nor do you have to deal with the madding crowds at those other spreads
- their wifi was "under maintenance"

other offerings:
- specialized salads such as waldorf and caesar (but curiously with pork)
- two soups: salmon sinigang and pumpkin
- their sizzling plate of the day was chicken broccoli with oyster sauce
- their carving selection was chicken shawarma (prepared in a pita wrap)
- grilled selections were pork bbq sticks, mahi mahi and chicken tandoori
- asian noodle hotpot in a choice of two broths
- fresh fruit and fruit salad
- breads and cheeses
- panna cotta and banoffee-in-a-glass
- chocolate fountain
- halo-halo bar

would i come back? yes.
would i come back even if i had to pay full price? a qualified yes. (i hesitate only because the upscale niu by vikings charges around the same rate for their dinner buffet that not only offers foie gras but also unli cocktails, beer and wine!)

the flavors is a really small buffetplacein my opinion. if you are used to heat, seven corners and spiral, thisplacemight let you down. it is more like buffet jr or buffet lite as the choices are not that much.

ambiance:  has that modern asian feel, with classic and modern furniture.  i love being seated at the booth, which can seat up to 4 diners comfortably.

service:  flavors is a buffet service restaurant of holiday inn and suites makati so expect a good and quality service from the staff.  though some of the chefs needed some cheering up, they couldn't manage to gie tghe guests a glimpse and smile at them even while serving.  

food:   first stop is the one closest to the dessert station, good thing i was not tempted to start there.

starting with the salad station.

on a bed of crushed ice are bowls of pre-prepared salad mixes and some other mix-ins on the other side, and all over the table, while on the middle is a bunch of fresh lettuce.

 on the other side are the different types of vinaigrette with a bottle of olive oil to drizzle over your salad if you don't like fatty dressings.

here are what you can find... grilled pumpkin and cucumber...  ham, cheese and corn in cream,  grilled tofu in vinaigrette, chicken and pineapple in light cream sauce... 

move on the neighboring tables are the mini-mediterranean station and the bread table next to it. the following photos are what you can see try at the said station. 

  
i didn't get any bread anymore, but i find the tall bread sticks amusing. 

displayed next to them are these huge bread sculptures.

make a 360 degree round about and you will see the sushi area, with a chef commanding the station never misses a space on the sushi trays.

on the other end of course are the condiments for that perfect sushi meal. 

 on the far end of the room is the carving and grill station. you can also request a chef to make you a plate of your choice of pasta dish or a sandwich with their ham offerings. here are just some of the hot items you can find on that station.

they also have a grilling section.

look at that half-carved roasted turkey looking awfully sad. i know you were waiting for me to try you:)

 feeling cold, maybe you can ask for the chef to whip up a noodle soup customized to your liking.

on the center next to the chef's station is the isle for main dishes. i checked first what they serve for soup. they usually have two options, for now they have butternut squash soup and cream of corn. 

 
for the entree:   beef stew,  grilled pork spareribs ...

i had these chicken jambalaya together with my chosen viand or you can opt to have plain steamed rice.

 lovely lemon chicken is a must!

 beef roast are also tender, juicy and very savory. not on the photo is the pot for roasted mixed veggies.

on a separate set up is for kids (and kids' at heart). aplacewhere kids can choose their own food if they don't like the rest of what are served in the buffet. plastic plates and tongs in cute colors are put together to encourage kids get their own food. 

you will love this station! promise!

 mini pigs in a blanket. bread covered hotdogs.

 chicken pops.

 meat sauce linguini,

 grilled potatoes

 palabok.

 buttered veggies.

and...

what a way to finish a table. this spot totally defines flavors restaurant. laid on the table are gorgeous spices on wooden plates so the diners can have the feel of how unusual spices looks, smells and feel like, though i dare you to taste them.

 and some sweet endings for the heavy yet sumptuous meal. yup, that's their dessert station above. oh so pretty indeed!

overwhelmed?

me too!

i couldn't even describe them all anymore. but what really made my day was the halo-halo station. since i've been craving for it for days already.

like most of buffet meals on hotels, beverages aren't included in the price of the buffet, but the wait staff were so mindful of our glass being empty with cold water. though, a cup of coffee or tea comes with the buffet package.

oh! of course, i would not go from here without telling you my secret!

a regular fee for the buffet is p1,100. 

more photos on my blog...