Swabeng Food Trip: Birthday Treat for my Girls at Vikings SM Megamall

Last Sunday, we made a plan of having dinner at Vikings as I haven't been to this buffet resto (I'm more of a Sambo-Yaki type). I just made sure to read those reviews from foodies to convince myself and my wife (who is quite hard to please when it comes to food). to give this place a try.

And by 5:30pm, we were at Viking's already to wait for our number to be called and have our filling of what they have to offer. We were able to have ourselves comfortable before my in-laws dig-in to their delight. To my surprise, they were really hungry that they had rice on their plate (for me that's a no-no when eating at buffets). Then I got some food for my daughter before starting to explore the place.

Surprisingly, the place wasn't that as big as what most foodies say. In fact, you can scout the whole area within two minutes or less (that was dinner time). Their food choices were quite enough to satisfy my eyes (for the meantime). I didn't took much photos as there were people everywhere plus some of the food presentation were already on its way to being demolished.

As I start to gain more and more interest on cheese, I tried their sample together with their cold cuts and 2 canapes. It was a good start to enjoy what Vikings has to offer. A few minutes after, I head off to their carving station.

Round 1 (Cheese and Cold Cuts and Canapes)

A few minutes back, it was heavily queued as if the were really hungry for something meaty. Good thing I was able to time my visit and tried their offer. From their beef to their turkey, to their lamb and to their famous Vikings boneless lechon, I got more than enough protein to help me gain some especially with their lechon. It was best paired with a mug of cold beer (draft) which was by the way, included in the cost.

Round 2 (All the meat at the Carving Station)

Third round was I got some fresh meat and salmon and shellfish to have em' grilled and at the same time, I had a plateful of baked oysters that got my wife's attention. It was really a long third round that I took some time to enjoy the oysters before going for another round of Japanese delicacies.

Round 3 (All the Baked Oysters my plate can hold)

Oysters is Love (Not for the weak at Heart)

Instead of helping myself with different types of sushi and maki, I opted to grab a few tuna, salmon and octopus sashimi while I'm taking time to digest the entire meal I had earlier. Probably I was on my 4th (or 5th) mug of beer that made me a bit full (this was the culprit on why I wasn't able to eat as much).

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of my Japanese plate. XD

Then, I tried some of their non-alcoholic drinks. Their tamarind iced tea was the best for me as well as their fresh minty lemon lime that is quite refreshing which cleaned my taste buds. The rest were okay as I took a few sips from each container before grabbing my nth mug of beer.

I lost count on how many mugs of beer I've consumed. XD

Next was dessert. Though I'm not much of a fan of sweets, I still tried a few anyway. They're sweet yet seem ordinary to me (sorry!). Marien seemed to liked her marshmallows dipped in chocolate as well as her ice cream.

Round 6 or 7 (Just to complete my meal)

My Birthday Celebrants

Am I done? Not yet! I had another plateful of Vikings boneless lechon as the performers gathered around my wife and daughter to sing happy birthday to her then my wife noticed my plateful of lechon with a mug of beer beside me and reminded me of my heart.

Vikings Lechon plus Beer = Total Satisfaction

But there were some thoughts on my mind regarding their buffet spread.

1. Their maki and sushi were the same with other buffet resto (I was looking for something only Vikings can offer).

2. Their Chinese selection were also the same with others. I could have tried one if they have "Xiao Long Bao" and Peking Duck. Anyway, my folks were able to enjoy them.

3. Since beer was the culprit, I wasn't able to hit my 10-plate target. Anyway, there's always a next time. 

4. I don't know if I missed their Mediterranean selection or there was any in the first place.

Vikings SM Megamall ain't that bad when it comes to their food selection, It's just I'm still looking for something that only Vikings can offer. The place wasn't that jam-packed so I wonder what and why.

Anyway, I'd still go to Vikings to hopefully try their other dishes. Cost wise, its comparable with others.

Ciao!

Florabel: Is the food good?

 


One Sunday afternoon, my wife, daughter and I went to The Podium to have late lunch at Florabel using my cashcashpinoy vouchers. But the night before, I was a bit apprehensive on what to order because I've read more bad reviews than good reviews and even my wife got apprehensive too. Well, I just trusted on my instincts and positive thinking hoping that we will enjoy our lunch.

 

I like their towering wine rack.

When we got there, there were a few people having lunch (off-peak hours). We were able to secure a good table with good lighting before placing our order.

She's the boss. XD

A piece of bread with butter to start us up.

Two glasses of water will do for us, for now. XD

And while we wait for our orders, I took some time to take pictures of its lovely interior. Though if you ask me, they could have done better.

Their interiors are classic yet minimalist in style.

We started off with their Tomato Soup (200 pesos). We usually order a bowl of soup as my daughter can't have food without soup. Their Tomato Soup was also topped with ricotta cheese and baby arugula yet tasted just fine as we tried not to order the ones we usually get.

Tomato Soup in a Bowl.

Next is their famous Friendship Salad (475 pesos). For some reason, this was the dish that I liked best. Its a mixed of crispy prawns with kani with tropical fruits and sesame dressing. I initially wanted to try their tuna salad but my wife was not fond of raw fish hence, we got this one.

Friendship Salad

 



For pasta, we got Ricky (425 pesos). Without a doubt, this was one of the best tasting pasta dishes we've ever tried. With the good combination of sausage, salami, frankfurters, and mushroom in basil pesto, my wife and I got sold to this dish with penne as our choice of noodles.

Say hello to Ricky Penne (Pasta) XD.

For the main couse, we had Adobo ala Florabel (425 pesos). This was the dish that I was hoping for that would bring out our experience there, yet it tastes like your usual Adobo. The presentation was fine but the taste wasn't as grand as we expected.

Adobo ala Florabel

To refresh ourselves (my wife I mean), she ordered Fresh Strawberry Juice (180 pesos). It was refreshing as well as its cold enough and its served in a tall glass.

Fresh Strawberry Juice in a tall glass XD.

My wife enjoying her late lunch.

And to end our meal, we had Mango Crepe Samurai (208 pesos). Its mangoes with homemade crepe topped with Sabayon. It tasted good enough that I was hoping the serving would be good for two.

Mango Crepe Samurai

While waiting for our bill, I took the liberty of taking some more pictures.

Mommy and Baby take a pose.

Marien taking her drink.

Marien seems to enjoy her meal.

This is what happens every time we had our meals. XD

What I've learned about this experience.

1. If you have read a bad review about the restaurant, it doesn't mean that you'll encounter the same experience as well.

2. You may ask the waiters for recommendation but still trust your gut feel and your taste buds more.

Pictures to follow soon. XD

Il pranzo in ritardo con la famiglia a Capricciosa il giorno di un padre

When translated in English it means late lunch with family at Capricciosa on a father's day XD.

It was pretty much rainy that day when we went to Greenbelt to spend some quality time. Where to eat on a Father's Day? I let them share this place I went to a few months back and this time, my wife and baby would be with me.

Good thing the place wasn't packed with people as we were able to get a good spot and picked our food. While waiting, I did my usual picture taking of anything that fancies me. from its interiors to my wife and daughters expression. It makes me smile after taking their pictures. ^_^

Marien browsing through the menu.

 

For starters, we had their Pumpkin Soup (165 pesos, Piccolo). Having soup is a must for us whenever we eat out and for this one, we tried their version. The soup was rich and thick for my one year old daughter to enjoy.

Then for salad, I recommend their Smoked Salmon Salad (220 pesos, Piccolo). Compared to my last visit, its not that over powering with sourness and it has more crunch than before. I could have my stomach get easily filled by it. XD

My wife ordered the Pesto Penne with Grilled Chicken (195 pesos, Piccolo). This one tasted just right I was only able to get a bite.

Since were still hungry, I ordered their Seafood Risotto (575 pesos) This is one mean meal good for 2-3 hungry people. The servings of seafood is so generous that I always got one on each bite. The problem is that serving is so generous my wife and I had a hard time emptying the big plate.

What's for dessert? We had the Apple Ala Mode (230 pesos). This apple pie is so huge it can satisfy 2 people with sweet tooth. The scoop of vanilla ice cream (1 scoop is bigger than my fist) complements the warm apple pie. This is the second time I enjoyed it all by myself as my wife was already full XD.

Before settling our bill, I was able to take some more pictures to capture some happy moments after eating.

At the end of our late lunch, I would take my family back to Capricciosa for some Pizza and Pasta plus my favorite   XD