F: Disappointing Buffet at Best Western Premier F1 Hotel

Groupons have been an integral part in my foodie escapades. However, there are times I regret going gaga to purchase some restaurant deals. One of these instances is the time I bought and redeemed my vouchers for Best Western Premier F1 Hotel's F buffet.

I bought the international buffet vouchers for Best Western Premier F1 Hotel's F for the beau and me as I want to try enjoying lunch by The Fort's skyline. We redeemed these vouchers and dined at F last August 28, 2012, and since then, I have already started contemplating whether to still post a review about their disappointing lunch buffet or not. After a few months of pondering and getting busy on the sides, I decided to finally post this. Please bear in mind though that I don't aim to speak ill of the restaurant. And since it has already been four months since our visit, F might have already been improved. This blog post is just to detail our own experience at Best Western Premier F1 Hotel's F.

When we first got to Best Western Premier F1 Hotel, we didn't have any expectation as to what their F restaurant would look like. So when we arrived at the 3rd floor, both the beau and I actually appreciated the simplicity and coziness of the restaurant's ambiance. While I personally would prefer higher ceilings, I really dig the touch of greens in the dining area. It added a homey and earthy atmosphere against the high-rise buildings-filled The Fort. We also liked the lounge area with the stylish red swirly cushioned chairs.

The Food Offerings

While we found comfort with the restaurant's ambiance and décor, we were quite disappointed when we saw the limited selection of food offerings in F's buffet spread. Deal Grocer cited a number of really enticing dishes. Yet when we arrived by 12:30PM, we only saw a few of what were promised. Replenishing some items also took a while.

Assorted Cheeses and Berries

Assorted Breads

Bread and Butter

Potato Gratin

Pasta and Beef Kalbi Chim

Mixed Vegetables

Baby Back Ribs with BBQ Sauce and Fish Tandoori

Bagnet

Vegetable Kurma and Tortilla Wraps-of sort

Asian Soup and Noodles Section

Sweet & Sour Pork and Steamed Fish with Soy Sauce

Garlic Coriander & Lemon Chicken and Birthday Noodles-of sort

Plain Rice and Fried Rice

Display of Ducks (Siomai inside the chaffer) and Assorted Tempura

These are the items they had at the main counter-cum-buffet table. On the other side of the dining room, they had the cold Japanese items, coldcuts, cold seafood and salad.

Sushi Rolls and Coldcuts

Salmon Sashimi (Only sashimi they had)

Cold Seafoods (Mussels and Shrimps) and Salad Section

Being a fan of sashimi, sushi and cold seafood, it was quite disappointing to see that they only had really limited offerings that day. I've seen other blog posts featuring crabs. And on a different note, some even got to try F's Jamon Serrano, not to mention, a choice of Roast Beef, Pecking Duck and Suckling Pig. However, the beau and I just shrugged off the frustration and checked out the desserts section which was somehow decent.

Dessert Toasts

Muffins, Donuts & Pastries and Chocolate Fondue

Assorted Cakes, Crème Brûlée, Panna Cotta, Halo-Halo and other desserts

There are also a selection of some fresh fruits and ice cream in addition to these dessert items, which I unfortunately weren't able to take photos of since I wanted to eat already.

What We Got

Since the food items at the buffet were just limited, the beau and I got whatever it was that we fancied. I won't get into detail anymore on how each item tasted. Nothing from the buffet stood out taste-wise. However, I can say that nothing was awfully bad as well.

Salmon Sashimi, Maki Rolls and Cold Seafood

Creamy Onion Soup

Cream of Corn Soup

Cheese, Coldcuts and Bread

My plate of viands -- almost one of everything (healthier ensemble)

The beau's plate of viands -- almost one of everything (high carb, high cholesterol ensemble)

Assorted Donuts

Ice Cream with Mango Slices, Pistachio Sansrival and Panna Cotta

Both the beau and I didn't go back for second helpings, except for the salmon sashimi. We just can't pass up the opportunity to take advantage of the unlimited slices, although the salmon sashimi platter wasn't replenished anymore after our third trip. One thing to note in our lunch buffet at F is that drinks weren't free. Each buffet dining voucher comes with free coffee and tea though which the beau and I happily availed of.

THE VERDICT

While the food selection at Best Western Premier F1 Hotel's F restaurant is limited, less than what Deal Grocer had published, and very uninspiring, I can't deny that the courteous service from the hotel's crew won our hearts over. From the moment we stepped foot in the restaurant, during our meal, and even before we left, the servers at F were friendly and thoughtful in providing us a good dining experience. So although I'm generally disappointed by our lunch buffet trip to F, I am still hoping that Best Western Premier F1 Hotel will improve the selection in F's buffet spread. Maybe then, I might reconsider paying F restaurant a second visit.

Taste - 3/5
Ambiance - 4/5
Service - 3.5/5
Deal Price - 3/5
Original Price - 1/5
Overall Value - 2.5/5
(Note: Overall Value rating is for the discounted voucher amount we paid.)

Buffet Rates:
Voucher Amount (Aug 2012) - P680
Lunch & Dinner (Aug 2012) - P1,088
With Free-Flowing Iced Tea:
Voucher Amount (Dec 2012) - P899
Lunch & Dinner (Dec 2012) - P1,468


F, Best Western Premier F1 Hotel Manila
32nd Street Bonifacio Global City,
Taguig City 1634
Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 928 9888; (02) 928 1888