flavors restaurant - holiday inn & suites makati

i found the food choices to be limited . there's nothing to rave about the flavors. dishes were your average beef caldereta, spicy squid, pata tim, crispy seafood noodle, sweet and sour pork, grilled chicken, fish, ratatouille, pumpkin soup, pizza, pasta, noodle soup, a small salad bar, dessert spread, taco bar, japanese food limited to maki and a bit of salmon sashimi.

it's much better to go to the nearby buffet restaurant inside the mall which has widerselectionof food and is priced the same as the discounted price at flavors.
 
we're not totally disappointed with our lunch. good customer service shown by the staff made up for the limited food choices. without the credit card promo, the original price of php 1400 is pricey. i must say we will not have a second visit even if there's a promo ; will explore other restaurants.

the buffet foodselectionis very limited. i wanted to work my way up to every food category. but i ended up just having soup, bread & cheese, and then the steak and some veggies because theselectionis not wide-ranged. i commend the bread section, though. the mini breads tasted at par. if only, they served more types of cheese. i think they only had cheddar? i'm not even sure. my mind got fuzzy with disappointment. i had to request the mango crepe straight from the kitchen because the lunch waitstaff did not make a last call on our table. and did i mention about a strand of curly hair on the veggies? yeah. they had to fetch me a fresh batch of the exactselectionof food i made. it was very toxic for both our sides. how stressful. r2e2bl

booked reservation thru eatigo at 50%selectionwas 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 the place os not crowded. and food just right plus good service..

the company where i’m working had chosen this place for our 2018 christmas party. it’s a great resto with wideselectionof 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.

mediocre. not worth our money.
the limited foodselectioncould have been forgiven if they're good.. but no.. :(

went in at around 7pm on a sunday night.
half empty trays, no refill...

very chick place to have a meal. place feels ample and comfortable, while the buffetselectionmight 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 bakeryselectionis 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!

holiday inn's flavors should definitely be part of manila's top buffet restaurants:

*price is okay. should be good if they offer unli drinks in lieu of just serving a round of soda or iced tea
*while theselectionis not that extensive, the quality of food is exceptional
*place is just perfect, not too big nor too small
*place is baby friendly; they offer high chairs with table, and children plates and utensils

what we truly appreciate most with flavors and holiday inn makati in general is the staff's notable customer service. every single one of them is very warm and accomodating. of all the hotel restaurants we've been, holiday inn makati must have the most cordial staff, they make you feel homey! kudos to all of them!!!

theselectionis 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 the place was great but the food is so so.

i tried both the lunch and dinner buffet here.  the dining area is spacious and classy. it gets packed on weeknights. you can book a room if you are with a large group. they usually tie up with credit card companies so you might want to check your cc company's offerings. the food served during lunch and dinner were almost the same, good thing i dined 3 months apart. they offer filipino, asian, european and american dishes. you can check marc muñasque's list of the food choices here. i was overwhelmed by the dessert bar. everything looks good and exciting! i can't review each food i ate because i filled up so fast and everything tasted good. theirselectionmust be 1/4 of vikings but priced twice  so i really wouldn't go back unless there's another half-price promo from my credit card co.

breakfast is not my thing. i hate waking up early but today made an effort because of an appointment. i joined a friend for buffet breakfast at flavors.

the restaurant itself is not that big, hence making it looked really packed on a busy morning. the interior design followed the modern theme that was evident throughout the entire hotel. the staffs were uber friendly and embodies true filipino hospitality.

the buffetselectionwas not as varied as in other big hotels in the cbd but sufficient enough. there was something on offer for each individual preference. three items that immediately caught my attention - crispy bacon (pork), tocino (filipino ham) and taho (silken tofu with tapioca pearls and brown sugar syrup).

taho is something everyone from the philippines grew up with. just yesterday morning, a guy carrying big tin cans filled with silken tofu, pearls and the syrup passed by my house as i was leaving. i didn't have time to buy a cup so i was glad to see it on offer in the buffet this morning. in fact, this was the first time i saw it part of a buffet in manila and it was quite refreshing. i had taho to start with. it had a nice silky texture, the pearls were chewy and the syrup not too sweet (as the ones available on the streets). perhaps it was a healthier version. i was used to the sweeter version but i liked this nonetheless.

i then had garlic fried rice, bacon strips, tocino and sausage. the fried rice was prepared the same way we do at home - full of garlic. the sausage was good. the herbs and pepper taste came out really well. the bacon was crispy yet with moisture and flavour still locked in. this was what i've been missing in dubai. the tocino was a bit on the sweeter end but nothing to complain about. it was juicy and just perfect to pair up with the fried rice. i can have this every morning and never get tired of it.

flavors' buffet spread may not be extensive but it offered the dishes i was craving for. i enjoyed every item on my plate. it is simple joys like this that makes early morning rise worthwhile.

had dinner here with my husband and son last sunday. i love the place that it is not crowded, it looks comforting, classy, neat and inviting to have a dinner. the place is 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. foodselectionis 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 this place because 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
-selectionis 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 carvingselectionwas 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!)

i was again invited by to dine at flavors restaurant, located at the lobby of holiday inn and suites makati.  

flavors restaurant is a buffet concept open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

flavors has a bread and cold cuts station. they also have a salad station, where you can either fix your own salad or try their specialty salads.  

they also have a sushi station, a necessity for me in every buffet.

the choices for sushi is quite limited but i enjoyed it anyway.  

there were also different main dishes to choose from.

you wouldn't want to miss out on the steaks.

available cuts that evening were us beef chuck roll, beef sirloin and lamb shoulder. i do love steak so i was
a bit disappointed that my steak was served rare, and not medium rare (as i always request for my steak). however, there were a lot of sauces to choose from. beside the steak station is the grill station, which unfortunately i wasn't able to try.  

one station that you shouldn't miss when you visit is the desserts station.

i was simply amazed with all the desserts i had in flavors.

i was impressed with the macadamia cake, la sultan, tiramisu, lemon meringue, chocolate oheyna, white
 chocolate blondie, red velvet cups (with generous amounts of cream cheese) and many more.  

i also loved the chocolate fondue with a variety of sweets to dip it with, like cookies, fruits, and many others.

there's also an diy ice cream machine where you can make your own parfait or sundae. :)

flavors restaurant by holiday inn and suites makati has very limitedselectionand could do a lot better with
 the food choices. the service could also be improved as well. i was quite impressed with the presentation and taste desserts though.  

i do hope to come back to flavors with a better experience and an improved buffet spread.

one can order a la carte or choose their buffet. my family and i chose the latter which costs p 1,399 during lunch. they have a goodselectionof international dishes to choose from though i wasn’t able to see any local ones. there were only a few standouts such as their potato gratin and buffalo wings. the rest were just okay.

blame my sweet tooth for this. whenever i dine at a buffet place, it’s a must for me check out their dessert booth. i’m always curious as to how they present it. at this resto, the little signages are replaced with the carefully scripted letters that have seemed to be squeezed out from a tube. the sweets are then placed in an organized manner. aside from these lil slices, they have a fondue station, ice cream corner and fruits platter.

for its price, i find it to be quite expensive. since this is situated at a mall, this really doesn’t battle other buffet places there. it fails in comparison too with other buffet restos at nearby hotels. but if you’re looking to be seated immediately and experience efficient service, then this is for you.

place is nice and cozy. goodselectionof food which includes asian and italian. i like their pasta and pizza. one thing though is sashimi is not displayed and you have to ask their sous chef for it which is by the way not always present. we had to stand and wait in front of their sushi kiosk for atleast 5 mins. overall, it was a good dining experience and will try the place again