Vikings Luxury Buffet: A Feast by the Bay
For a while now, buffets have been booming. After Yakimix and Sambokojin, now enters a new player in the buffet battle arena -- Vikings Luxury Buffet which is located in the San Miguel by the Bay area near the harbor.
Vikings' location is not that strategic and easily accessible from those who are coming from SM Mall of Asia as it will take quite a while of walking to get there. However for those who have cars, it'll be easier as they're not only at the roadside, but also offers ample of parking space.
The interior is luxurious, at par with hotel buffets. The ambiance is really nice, sophisticated and relaxing. The buffet tables are nicely decorated, and the food presentation is enticing.
Before, weekend dinner is at P888+. However after adding grilled steak to their spread, they are now charging P1,088+. And since we are paying a tad higher than expected on a Saturday night, our expectations were higher as well.
They have a wide variety of desserts, but more on cakes and mousse. Of course, they have the great chocolate fondue with fruits, as well as ice cream and a frozen yogurt machine. They also had local favorites, kakanin and halo-halo.
Unlimited drinks are also included in their buffet price. They have a beverage section near the Soup and Salads table. They have fresh fruit juices, iced tea, beer, hot tea, coffee and water. They also make special smoothies and shakes per customer's request.
WHAT WE GOT
Among the wide variety of food selection, of course I got my ultimate comfort food first.
Sashimi and some maki -- these are the first things I grab from an International or Asian buffet. Like I mentioned earlier, I don't really dig the uneven cuts they do with the sashimi, but they taste good. However, I wish they didn't include the brown part on the Salmon sashimi though. Their maki selection on the other hand, are pretty and colorful, but taste is just okay. Some of the makis taste similar though.
I really don't like the brown parts on the Salmon sashimi. It doesn't taste bad or anything, but it ruins the presentation. On the other hand, I like the Chawan Mushi taste-wise and even presentation-wise. It was soft, smooth and flavorful. I also got to try their Miso Soup which was in a teapot presentation, and it was really good!
I'm not a really big fan of dimsum, but I know when dimsum tastes good. In this case however, the Hakaw and Siomai just taste average.
This veggie salad was my dad's. But I got to sample their pre-made Waldorf Salad and Potato Salad, and both taste okay.
I love tempura, but sadly, I didn't like Vikings' tempura. The taste is okay, but the prawn is too small.
The other side of the grilling station is their pasta and pizza section. We tried their pizza and it taste okay. The pasta is customizable. You can tell the server what kind of sauce you want, what type of pasta and what other ingredients to put in. However, we didn't like both the red and white sauce. The fettuccine pasta was cooked al dente though.
My dad loves Peking Duck so we got some. However, the peking duck pieces were so small and the wrapper was too thick and floury.
Although not photographed, we also got to try their offerings on the carving station. There were Lechon, Tenderloin, Lamb and U.S. Ribeye. We got to try the latter 3, but we had to lineup just to get some. However, we were not impressed. The lamb and ribeye were a little dry and lacked flavor. Only the tenderloin was really tender and somehow, juicy.
We tried some Buttered Crabs afterwards. However, they were very dry and overcooked. We got to sample some of their Baked Oysters too. Tasted good, they were fresh and not fishy at all. I didn't like the cheese they used though.
Along with these seafood dishes, we also had some Squid and Fishes grilled. The squid was overcooked and one side was too charred. The fishes on the other hand, were really good. They were cooked perfectly -- moist, tender and flavorful.
After a lot of plates, good and not-so-good dishes, we finally got to try the desserts!
The desserts we tried were good, but can still be improved. We wanted to make some Halo-halo, but we were already too full for anything!
Another thing to note by the way is their nice washroom. I wasn't able to take photos, but they have a mini sink and mini toilet bowl for kids. They also have a washing station near the Cold Seafoods section, a real bonus since they think of their customers' needs.
THE VERDICT
After the really really long post, I can say that Vikings is a good buffet for its price. It has a good interior and ambiance, attentive and courteous servers and a wide variety of food selection. However, not everything tasted good. Some were bland, some were overcooked. But again, for the price and the quantity of food offered here, quality was meant to suffer a bit.
However, I don't think the P1,088+ we paid per pax was worth it. Their old P888+ is probably more reasonable for the food we ate. So although I will definitely be back at Vikings, I think I'll just stick to dining here during weekday lunch.
Buffet Rates:
Weekday Lunch
Kids below 3ft - Free
Kids between 3ft to 4ft - 288+
Kids between 4ft to 4ft6in - 388+
Adults - 688+
75 y/o & above - 50% Special Discount
Weekday Dinner
Kids below 3ft - Free
Kids between 3ft to 4ft - 388+
Kids between 4ft to 4ft6in - 588+
Adults - 888+
75 y/o & above - 50% Special Discount
Weekend & Holiday Dinner and Lunch
Kids below 3ft - Free
Kids between 3ft to 4ft - 488+
Kids between 4ft to 4ft6in - 688+
Adults - 1,088+
75 y/o & above - 50% Special Discount
Prices are subject to 5% service charge.
Vikings: Luxury-Buffet Restaurant
Bldg. B, San Miguel by the Bay, Seaside Blvd.
Pasay City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 846-3888
The interior is luxurious, at par with hotel buffets. The ambiance is really nice, sophisticated and relaxing. The buffet tables are nicely decorated, and the food presentation is enticing.
Before, weekend dinner is at P888+. However after adding grilled steak to their spread, they are now charging P1,088+. And since we are paying a tad higher than expected on a Saturday night, our expectations were higher as well.
Buffet Table with Soup and Salads
The squash soup, and salad I had is okay.
Other side of the salad table.
Breads
I only tried the walnut bread and it was good.
Sashimi
Personally, I don't like the cuts of their sashimi, too uneven.
Assorted Sushi
I don't eat a lot of sushi though, too much carbs.
Assorted Maki
They had a great variety of maki. Taste is okay, nothing special.
Appetizers
Chinese Adobo
Cold Seafood Section
You can have them grilled and delivered to your table. Just tell the server your table number and what you want.
Grilled Sausages
Sausages tasted okay, a little chewy though. Their meat skewers are good though, tender and well-seasoned.
Desserts
They have a wide variety of desserts, but more on cakes and mousse. Of course, they have the great chocolate fondue with fruits, as well as ice cream and a frozen yogurt machine. They also had local favorites, kakanin and halo-halo.
Unlimited drinks are also included in their buffet price. They have a beverage section near the Soup and Salads table. They have fresh fruit juices, iced tea, beer, hot tea, coffee and water. They also make special smoothies and shakes per customer's request.
WHAT WE GOT
Among the wide variety of food selection, of course I got my ultimate comfort food first.
Sashimi and some maki -- these are the first things I grab from an International or Asian buffet. Like I mentioned earlier, I don't really dig the uneven cuts they do with the sashimi, but they taste good. However, I wish they didn't include the brown part on the Salmon sashimi though. Their maki selection on the other hand, are pretty and colorful, but taste is just okay. Some of the makis taste similar though.
Sashimi, Sushi, Maki and Chawan Mushi
I really don't like the brown parts on the Salmon sashimi. It doesn't taste bad or anything, but it ruins the presentation. On the other hand, I like the Chawan Mushi taste-wise and even presentation-wise. It was soft, smooth and flavorful. I also got to try their Miso Soup which was in a teapot presentation, and it was really good!
I'm not a really big fan of dimsum, but I know when dimsum tastes good. In this case however, the Hakaw and Siomai just taste average.
This veggie salad was my dad's. But I got to sample their pre-made Waldorf Salad and Potato Salad, and both taste okay.
I love tempura, but sadly, I didn't like Vikings' tempura. The taste is okay, but the prawn is too small.
The other side of the grilling station is their pasta and pizza section. We tried their pizza and it taste okay. The pasta is customizable. You can tell the server what kind of sauce you want, what type of pasta and what other ingredients to put in. However, we didn't like both the red and white sauce. The fettuccine pasta was cooked al dente though.
Seeing that there's century egg and seaweeds, we tried it out. Tasted good.
Peking Duck in Wrapper
My dad loves Peking Duck so we got some. However, the peking duck pieces were so small and the wrapper was too thick and floury.
Although not photographed, we also got to try their offerings on the carving station. There were Lechon, Tenderloin, Lamb and U.S. Ribeye. We got to try the latter 3, but we had to lineup just to get some. However, we were not impressed. The lamb and ribeye were a little dry and lacked flavor. Only the tenderloin was really tender and somehow, juicy.
We tried some Buttered Crabs afterwards. However, they were very dry and overcooked. We got to sample some of their Baked Oysters too. Tasted good, they were fresh and not fishy at all. I didn't like the cheese they used though.
Along with these seafood dishes, we also had some Squid and Fishes grilled. The squid was overcooked and one side was too charred. The fishes on the other hand, were really good. They were cooked perfectly -- moist, tender and flavorful.
Fried Rice and Marble Potatoes
After a lot of plates, good and not-so-good dishes, we finally got to try the desserts!
The desserts we tried were good, but can still be improved. We wanted to make some Halo-halo, but we were already too full for anything!
Another thing to note by the way is their nice washroom. I wasn't able to take photos, but they have a mini sink and mini toilet bowl for kids. They also have a washing station near the Cold Seafoods section, a real bonus since they think of their customers' needs.
THE VERDICT
After the really really long post, I can say that Vikings is a good buffet for its price. It has a good interior and ambiance, attentive and courteous servers and a wide variety of food selection. However, not everything tasted good. Some were bland, some were overcooked. But again, for the price and the quantity of food offered here, quality was meant to suffer a bit.
However, I don't think the P1,088+ we paid per pax was worth it. Their old P888+ is probably more reasonable for the food we ate. So although I will definitely be back at Vikings, I think I'll just stick to dining here during weekday lunch.
Taste - 3/5
Ambiance - 5/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5
Ambiance - 5/5
Service - 4/5
Price - 3.5/5
Overall Value - 4/5
Buffet Rates:
Weekday Lunch
Kids below 3ft - Free
Kids between 3ft to 4ft - 288+
Kids between 4ft to 4ft6in - 388+
Adults - 688+
75 y/o & above - 50% Special Discount
Weekday Dinner
Kids below 3ft - Free
Kids between 3ft to 4ft - 388+
Kids between 4ft to 4ft6in - 588+
Adults - 888+
75 y/o & above - 50% Special Discount
Weekend & Holiday Dinner and Lunch
Kids below 3ft - Free
Kids between 3ft to 4ft - 488+
Kids between 4ft to 4ft6in - 688+
Adults - 1,088+
75 y/o & above - 50% Special Discount
Prices are subject to 5% service charge.
Vikings: Luxury-Buffet Restaurant
Bldg. B, San Miguel by the Bay, Seaside Blvd.
Pasay City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 846-3888
Oh, I thought Vikings was good! I've been wanting to try it but if it's that pricey and the food aren't that great then I might as well try other places.
ReplyDeleteI recently blogged about a buffet too! Feel free to drop by my blog, it's http://beforeiturn25.blogspot.com/2011/10/sambokojin.html
Following you now! :)
@Bee: Compared to hotel buffets, it's affordable. Compared to Saisaki, it's a lot better -- quantity and quality-wise. So if you'll still try Vikings, dine during weekdays 'cause it's more price reasonable. ;)
ReplyDeleteAnyway, dropped by your blog ms.Bee! :)
Been here last Monday and blogged about it too. Ur right, dining on weekdays makes it more sulit! :)
ReplyDeleteWell I don't know where to start my feast... it felt like I was frolicking on a sausage field...only there weren't any sausage in it but multifarious belly busters! To heck with a good body if you can't even experience one of life's greatest joy... eating to your heart's content! =)
ReplyDeleteHi! Which buffet is better...Vikings or Seasons? In terms of taste/quality of food. Just like you, our family is Salmon Sushi addict and prefers Japanese cuisine and Steaks/Roast Beef. I hope you can reply soon as the Seasons deal is ending today :)
ReplyDelete@Anonymous: H! In terms of variety, I'd go for Vikings. Sashimi, sushi and maki are aplenty. They also have Chawanmushi, Sukiyaki and other Japanese offerings, along with steak and lamb.
ReplyDeleteI just somehow gave Seasons a positive rating since I got my vouchers for P488.. :) At P650 from Ensogo, it's sulit din if you can maximize your whole stay and try out their wide offering of appetizers. But if you're looking for Japanese food mismo, I'd go to Yakimix, Sambo Kojin or Vikings. Seasons only has a few eh.
Hope this helped :) If you have more questions, you can email me at sumi@thepurpledoll.net
This is a great and very informative write up enhancing all o our knowledge. We expect such write ups in future as well.
ReplyDeleteyou take really really good photos :)
ReplyDeleteWe ate here once and I really LOVED it! Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take even a single photo :( Will eat here again this Wednesday.
ReplyDeletehttp://betterjustkaye.blogspot.com/
I'm not fond of eating at buffets cause I easily get full so I feel that its not worth the money, especially for expensive buffets like this. But I'm really hoping I'd get to try Vikings real soon! ^___^
ReplyDeleteBetween Saisaki and Vikings. Vikings it is!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post, just in time I'm in search for a good place to celebrate my hubby's bday in July. Do they still have free treat for birthday celebrants on the day itself? Thanks :)
ReplyDeleteYes they still have the birthday promo that you can avail on the exact day of your birthday. Make sure to reserve at least a week before especially at MOA seaside branch because they ara always jampacked :)
ReplyDeleteYes, mas sulit ang vikings kapag lunch, kasi pag dinner halos nagkakaubusan na ng food! Hindi na sila masyadong nagluluto kapag last batch na! I reccommend ko ito kesa sa saisaki.
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ReplyDelete