The Buffet International Cuisine: Belly-Filling Budget-Friendly Buffet (Commonwealth Ave Quezon City)

Ever since The Buffet International Cuisine opened last year, I've been epicurious about it.  But, it was only a few weeks ago that the family became in the mood for a luxurious buffet bonding.  And although we try hotel buffets once in awhile, we are more inclined to go for budget-friendly buffets.

To be honest, it was the affordable rate of The Buffet that caught my attention so I had no great expectations other than leaving the place with a full belly.  Residing in Manila, I've never reached this far north before so I was quite surprised at how grand and enormous The Buffet was.  It's impossible for vehicles transversing on both sides of the very wide Commonwealth Ave to miss it.  

The parking area was full when we arrived so had to ask for a valet.  We've always resorted to valet at hotels and malls before when the parking is full and we've always been charged for it.  So imagine our surprise and delight when we were told that they acknowledge that the limitations of their parking space so they provide FREE valet service to all diners.  That's really cool!  =) 

Woah! Check the place out.  It has a majestic staircase with elegant chandeliers just like those of castles and palaces in movies.  My little sisters and I were dreamily reminded of our favorite scene in our childhood favorite cartoon "Beauty and the Beast" and the song "Tale as Old as Time" popped on our heads hehe.  

For a minimum of 30 persons, you can reserve a function room like the one on the upper right.  The also have 3 functions rooms on the second floor ranging from 75 to 250 seating capacity as they provide catering with NO ADDITIONAL CHARGE for venue, sounds and set up.  If you avail of the biggest room, you'll even have you're own live pasta and dessert station which is indeed awesome!  The buffet area is very spacious, organized with proper labeling of every station and buffet item and squeaky clean.

Food
Let us proceed to the buffet... I was really astounded and overwhelmed by their wide buffet selections.  I knew from the very beginning that despite my big tummy, I would not be accommodate all their offerings.

Pastry Section

♥ Blueberry Muffins, ♥ Cinnamon Swirls, Crackers, Breads

I skipped the pastry section.  But if you're into pastries, you should try some.  They have an in-house pastry chef so they are all specially and freshly made.  My mom and little sister were raving about the Blueberry Muffins and the Cinnamon Swirls.  My mom and little sister are excellent home bakers on their own right so I completely trust their judgment. 

Nuts, Cheese and Black Olives

Salad Bar

Salad Bar

Sashimi, Nigiri Sushi, Maki and Temaki Station

Kani Sashimi, Tako Sashimi, ♥ Maguro Sashimi, Ika Sashimi, Tamago Sashimi, Tamago Nigiri Sushi, Ika Nigiri Sushi, Kani Nigiri Sushi, Temaki, Futo Maki, Green California Maki, ♥ Ebi Ten Maki, Kani Ten Maki, ♥ Spicy Salmon Maki, Spicy Crab Maki

The Sashimi are all fresh and sliced perfectly.  Selections are Kani Sashimi, Tako Sashimi (Octopus), Maguro Sashimi (Tuna), Ika Sashimi (Cuttlefish), Tamago Sashimi (Egg).  I know a lot of people would probably have the initial impression that there no Sake Sashimi (Salmon) which is quite common.  That's the thing.  I think it's a plus that they offer rarer options like the Tako Sashimi and Ika Sashimi which are of excellent quality.  They were really soft,  easy to chew and not rubbery at all

They also has a selection of Nigiri Sushi: Tamago Nigiri Sushi, Ika Nigiri Sushi and Kani Nigiri Sushi.

I was impressed with their Maki.  I could tell they were freshly made because of the crunchy nori (seaweed) which gave me pleasure in every bite.  Selections of Maki include: Futo Maki, Green California Maki, Ebi Ten Maki, Kani Ten Maki, Spicy Salmon Maki and Spicy Crab Maki.

The Temaki looks really delicious but I had to turn a blind eye on it because I was saving space for dessert. =(  If its empty, you can request as the Temaki should always be freshly made to ensure the crunchiness of the nori (seaweed).

Starters, Dimsum, Noodles and Tempura

Fresh Spring Rolls, Tomato Canapes, Vegetable Tempura, Shrimp Tempura and Crab Tempura, ♥ Soy Chicken, Char-Siu, ♥ Soy Chicken Feet, Siomai Japanse Siomai ,Chili Sauce, Soy Sauce and Calamansi

From the Starters, I tried the Fresh Spring Roll (Vietnamese-style fresh spring roll with carrots, string beans and pineapple) and Tomato Canapes (tomato slice with melted mozzarella cheese).  Unfortunately, I forgot to try the ♥ Baked Oysters that my family was crazy about.  Don't make the same mistake.  You should try those!

For Dimsum, I had the Soy Chicken, Char-Siu, Soy Chicken Feet, Siomai Japanse and Siomai.  The Soy Chicken, Char-Siu and Soy Chicken Feet were good.  You could skip the Siomai Japanse and Siomai.  They had two kinds of chili sauce, soy sauce and calamansi for your dip. They also have a Noodles Station where you can request for a hot noodle soup be made.

The Tempura is always the popular section in every buffet.  The quality of the batter of the Shrimp Tempura was good but the one I got was already cold and a bit hard.  

Mexican Station

Nachos and Tacos

They have the crunchy Nachos and Tacos.  They offers a variety of ingredients so you can customize your own Nachos dip or Tacos fillings.  The ingredients include: onions, tomato, red bell peppers, cucumber, bolognese, cabbages, chilli sauce and cheese. 

Mains

Kare-Kare, Roast Pork, Tang Soo Yuk (Korean Sweet and Sour Pork), Mixed Seafood, Bopis, Tuna Copt (Baked Tuna), Corn Soup and Mixed Vegetables

Some of the mains are: Kare-Kare, Roast Pork, Tang Soo Yuk (Korean Sweet and Sour Pork), Mixed Seafood, Bopis, Tuna Copt (Baked Tuna), Corn Soup and Mixed Vegetables.  I was able to try the Kare-Kare (with generous portions of vegetables and ox tripe), Roast Pork (tender with yummy creamy sauce), Bopis (flavorful but clean tasting), Mixed Vegetable (lots of broccoli, cauliflower and wood-ear mushrooms!) and Corn Soup (nice consistency with egg and corn bits).  All of them were good.

Pizza

Pizza

Little sister tried the Pizza and remarked that the dough is a bit flour-y.

Mongolian

♥ My Mongolian Plate

The Mongolian Station was labelled as Noodles and Dimsum which is actually  the next station to its right.  My mom is a huge Mongolian fan so she happily and enthusiastically volunteered to make one for me.  I could understand why.  There were so many ingredients!  There's squid fillet, shrimps, chicken fillet, beef fillet, sausage, carrots, green bell peppers, cabbage, sayote, togue, green peas, onions, raddish, chopped fresh chilli, onion leeks, button mushrooms and crushed garlic.  The plateful you see is my mom's proud masterpiece.

Yakiniku & Teppanyaki

Squid Ballpen BBQ, ♥ Squid Curry, ♥ Spicy Chicken Bulgogi, Chicken Bulgogi, Pork Bulgogi, ♥ Beef Bulgogi, Pork Mascara with BBQ Sauce, Pork Belly Fillet, Milk Fish in Vinegar and ♥ Fish Fillet in Lemon Grass

My favorite section is the Yakiniku & Teppanyaki!  I highly recommend the Bulgogi selections:
Spicy Chicken Bulgogi, Chicken Bulgogi, Pork Bulgogi and Beef Bulgogi.   Whichever you pick, I guarantee it's delicious!  I also enjoyed the Squid Curry and the Fish Fillet in Lemon Grass. I had two platefuls from this section.  

Korean Side Dish Station 

You can eat all the Yakiniku & Teppanyaki selections together with korean side dishes or banchan and enjoy them like samgyupsal. 

Sauce Station

Sweet Chili Sauce, Sweet & Spicy, Chili Sauce, Garlic Sauce, Ponzo Sauce, ♥ Satay Sauce, Pinadini Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, Yakiniku Sauce, ♥ Sambal Sauce, Fresh Chopped Chili and Fresh Spring Onion

You can use any of the sauces for the Yakiniku & Teppanyaki and Barbecue offerings.  The staff suggested that I try the Fish Fillet in Lemon Grass with the Sambal Sauce.  He is right!  It is indeed compatible.

Barbecue and Steak Station

Barbecue Station

The only station without labels is the Barbecue Station.  Although two staffs are there to answer queries and cook for me, I'd still prefer to have labels.

Mussels, Salmon Balls, Pork Mascara, Chicken Heart and Liver and ♥ Steak

The Barbecue items will allow you great freedom in selecting and blending your sauces.  For the meat and poultry, I suggest the Ponzo Sauce, Satay Sauce, Pinadini Sauce, Barbecue Sauce and Yakiniku Sauce.  For the seafood, try the Sambal Sauce and Satay Sauce.  I forgot to mention I wanted to have my Steak cooked medium.  I'm glad it was very tender despite being cooked Medium Well.  You don't even need a knife for it.  They only serve Steak during weekends.  For weekdays, they serve the Roast Pork.

Shabu Shabu Station

♥ Shabu Shabu

It break our hearts that we failed to try the Shabu Shabu Station!  We were all just too stuffed...  Look at how delicately washed the fresh ingredients are.  As a kitchen helper on our own home, I know that requires skill and I applaud them for that.  Ugh... These are the items I regret not trying an what I recommend you to have because they are pricey: Oyster Mushrooms, Sliced Beef and Sliced Pork (thick, lean and marbled), Enoki Mushrooms, Wood Ear Mushrooms, Salmon Balls, Shrimp, and Mussels.

Shabu Shabu Sauces Station

Shabu Shabu Sauces, Condiments and Fresh Egg

Pasta Station

♥ My Penne with Black Olives, Capers, Mushroom and Parmesan Cheese in Red Sauce

For the Pasta, I had to choose from three types of pasta: Penne, Spaghetti and Linguine and three types of sauces: Creamy, Bolognese and Red Sauce.  Look at how passionate the pasta chef is with my Penne with Black Olives, Capers, Mushroom and Parmesan Cheese in Red Sauce.  No wonder it was so delicious that I scraped my plate clean even though my stomach is already bulging.

Crepe and Fondue Station

My Blueberry and Chocolate Syrup Topped Mango Crepe

I got to choose from three fillings: Blueberry, Mango and Banana.  I requested a Blueberry and Chocolate Syrup Topped Mango Crepe.  The texture of the crepe is different from the crepes I've tried and what I was expecting.  It was not thin, light and airy.  Instead, it was smooth, silky and thicker than the usual.  It reminded me of Hongkong Pancakes but with an even thicker consistency.  The mango slices were too sour. 

Fresh Fruits Station

Melon, Pineapple  Watermelon and Papaya

Halo Halo and Ice Cream Station

Halo Halo and Ice Cream

Strawberry, Ube Keso and Chocolate Ice Cream

The Ice Cream Station has a freezer with three flavors: Strawberry, Ube Keso and Cheese and Chocolate Ice Cream and there's also a toppings selection on its right.  Yes!  I love ice cream so I had on bowlful of all the three flavors.  Yummy!


Chilled Cakes Station

Pandan Jelly, ♥ Mango Jelly, White Brownies, ♥ Tiramisu Flat Cake, Birthday Cake, Macaroons, ♥ Chocolate Mousse and ♥ Brazo De Mercedes

I'm amused that they included the Birthday Cake in their cake offerings.  While dining, I saw a slice of the Birthday Cake being delivered with a birthday song sung by singing servers equipped with a guitar.  So I presume the ones displayed are for those who want feel like it's their birthday though its not haha.

Candies and Cakes Station

Candies, Chocolate Roll Cake, Brazp de Mercedes, Toffee Nut, White Brownies, Macaroons, Brownies, Chocolate Mousse

 They also have Candies and gummies which I'm sure kids would love.

My Halo Halo and ♥ Tiramisu Flat Cake

♥ Chocolate Roll Cake, ♥ Brazo de Mercedes, Macaroons, Toffee Nut, White Brownies, ♥ Chocolate Mousse, Brownies, Pandan Jelly and ♥ Mango Jelly

I have a confession to make... This is the first time I finished my dessert plate clean without passing my left overs to someone else.  The dessert selections are so good!  All of them have the right level of sweetness.  Even the Brazo de Mercedes which I usually find too sweet tasted so good that I enjoyed it's delicate pillow-soft soft meringue and light creamy custard filling.

Drinks

♥ Watermelon Shake, Coffee, Lemon Iced Tea, Blue Lemonade, Lemonade, Pineapple Juice and Orange Juice

It's so good that their affordable buffet rate is inclusive of the drinks including Fruit Shakes.  I'm very happy with my Watermelon Shake and after-meal Coffee.
 
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're looking for a belly-filling yet budget-friendly buffet experience, I highly recommend The Buffet International Cuisine especially for those within the area.  With their selections, I guarantee that you'll leave the place with a happy bulging and full tummy.  You surely can't conquer everything with just one visit.  The quality of the food is pretty good.  The place is also elegant which makes it ideal for any type of gathering or even anniversary dates.  I'm told they have a live band every Fridays.  The servers are all very polite and accommodating.  All my requests were entertained with a cheery smile and affirmation.  My only concern is that some stations were abandoned even before the 9:30 pm last call time.

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating		The Buffet International Cuisine Buffet Rates
Ambiance	★★★★★	Weekday Lunch - 538 php Weekday Dinner - 588 php Weekday & Holiday - 688 php
Taste	★★★
Service	★★★★
Price	★★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended

The Buffet International Cuisine
Business Address	#41 Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila
Business Hours	Lunch: 11:30am-2:30pm Dinner: 5:30pm-10pm
Payment Options	Cash
Service Charge	5%
Budget/Person	550-700
Free WiFi	No
Unlocked Foursquare Perks	None
Contact	(02) 351-5536 | 352-4075
Other	Email:  reservations@thebuffet.com.ph Website | Facebook Fan Page

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