A few days ago, I had the pleasure of sampling some of the scrumptious dishes served for lunch at the Marcelino Cafe located at the Manila Prince Hotel. I know what you are thinking … just another buffet, right? This is not a unique concept for hotel restaurants but is definitely a crowd-pleaser. After all, who doesn’t like value for money?
Buffet time!
Exploring the buffet showed mostly Asian cuisine, such as Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Filipino, with a smattering of Mediterranean and Italian. At every table, I saw a dish I would definitely like to try. However, I must confess that what immediately caught my eye were what I like to call the “fun buns,” which were shaped like a pig and mushroom.
The pig was filled with custard, which makes it a dessert bun, while the mushroom contained sauteed mushrooms in a savory sauce. Of the two, I enjoyed the mushroom more. The bread of the buns tastes just like mantou. To be honest, there was nothing wrong with the pigs except for failed expectations since I expected the inside to resemble the outside. That aside, the custard was okay. If the buns were warm, the filling would have been gooey, which would have been perfect.
The buffet table at its left had four dishes, and the one that caught my eye there was the beef caldereta and I knew my vow to myself not to eat rice was getting thrown out the window. In my opinion, it is impossible to eat caldereta without pairing it with lots of rice. Then, on the far side of the table where the buns were were beancurd rolls, and that was it. I told myself that I didn’t need to see the rest of the buffet, lol!
That being said, I knew I still had to explore the rest of the buffet. More food choices are available on the left side near the window overlooking the street and in the “al fresco” area near the hotel lobby.
The trick to enjoying buffets is to try to avoid eating too much carbs since they tend to really fill me up quickly. I’m not always successful at it, but I try. I helped myself to the dishes that caught my eye or made my mouth water. In my youth, I would probably have sampled everything, but nowadays, unless I want to look like a Goodyear Blimp, I have to pick and choose. Moderation is key.
I must confess, though, that it took a lot for me not to get more than two pieces of the deviled eggs. I LOVE deviled eggs!
Dessert
The saying “save the best for last” must have something to do with dessert because I always make sure to save space for dessert and pray for a good selection. With everything I had already eaten, I couldn’t eat as much as I wanted, but I had to try a few, especially with the chocolate fondue. I ended up trying the otap, dark chocolate bark, and pianono.
Speaking of which … I was happy to bump into Tita Lally, who happened to be billeted at the Manila Prince Hotel that day. She and Tito Art were there for a staycation.
In 2024, my next food trip destination is most likely going to be back at Marcelino Cafe. Would you like to join me? KKB!
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