Laguna Restaurant, Jalan Gereja

‘Where can I get good Filipino food?’ my friend from Phillipines asked me yesterday. So I told her about this place called Laguna which I have heard about but have never made the any effort to try. This afternoon I went there together with her…..I believe that a Filipino should be able to tell me whether the food there is good enough by Filipino standards….And the verdict was, she said, it was great!

Well, we had the RM12.90 buffet and it was from there that she made her judgement:-

We also had halo-halo (RM7) for dessert. I would describe halo-halo as a mellowed down version of the Malaysian ais kacang (of shaven ice and evaporated milk) . Frankly I prefer halo-halo as it seemed less messy and definitely far less sweet .

Address: 3 Jalan Gereja

50100 Kuala Lumpur

The Olive Tree, Menara Hap Seng

It’s not often that we come across buffet lunch priced below RM30. This afternoon I had lunch at one of such places. RM25 for an eat-all-you-can meal at Olive Tree. If you go in a larger group, the price per head comes down – RM60 nett for 3 pax….and on weekends children below the age of 8 eat for free!

The spread isn’t huge but it is sufficient for a very decent and satisfying meal!

  

Address:  Ground Floor

Menara Hap seng

Tel : +603 2031 7887

Master, Visa and Amex accepted.

Jiro Shabu, USJ 10

Jiro Shabu is quite easy to locate – it is on the same road as the prominent OCBC Bank in Taipan USJ. I was attracted by the colourful food as I stood at the door and immediately walked in without even looking at the price, which I now know is RM35 nett per head with the concept of eat as much as you like.

There  are a variety of soup base to choose from but we decided on kimchi and clear soup. From the conveyor belt there is a decent choice of ingredients which you need to select, and then place it in your soup to boil. The one complaint I have is that the serving is small and you may end up stacking lots of plates on your table, giving you (and the people at the other tables!!) the impression that you have been a glutton!

Only 2 prawns in one plate!

There is a sushi and tempura counter where you can take whatever you wish to have.

This is the drink dispenser located towards the end of the restaurant. You may drink as much as you want as all drink are bottomless. All you need to do is help yourself i.e you need to leave your table everytime you need to refill your drinks.

Ice cream – free flow as well. When I was there, there was also watermelon for dessert. 

I would say that if you are not a small eater, like me, this ‘buffet’ shabu is quite worthwhile.

Address:  7 Jalan USJ 10/1A

47620 Subang Jaya

Tel : +603 8020 6661

Opening hours : 12pm -11pm

Mastercard & Visa are accepted

La Maison, Kuala Lumpur

This F&B outlet is located on the ground floor of the Silka Maytower Hotel & Serviced Residences. They are having their Silka Lunch savers promotion .This  is only valid from 12 noon to 2.30pm.

As I recall there were quite a number of choices, amongst others, chicken chop, spaghetti marinara, chicken rice and also my choice of seafood spaghetti aglio olio. I love the perfectly cooked spaghetti which was still firm, and yet not hard. The fresh seafood was another plus factor.

 

 

 

I also had mushroom soup ,salad  and desserts from the buffet line. The desserts served were some cakes, puddings, jelly and of course watermelon and papayas. By the way, this Lunch Savers also comes with free flow of drinks – what I had that day was ice lemon tea and a glass of plain water. Real value for money!

 

Address : Silka Maytower Hotel & Serviced Residences

7 Jalan Munshi Abdullah

50100 Kuala Lumpur

Tel : +603 2693 2690

Orientin Thai & Chinese Breakfast buffet, Korea

Orientin Thai and Chinese Restaurant was introduced to me by my Korean friend. I went there one fine morning for breakfast - buffet breakfast to be precise. The spread was absolutely impressive. I didn't take many pictures there but all I can say is that from the minute you step in, you will be surprised.

Well, what I saw that day was eggs, fried noodles, fried vegetables, rice, porridge, sea weed, peanuts, baked beans, fried fish (yeah, fish for breakfast - how healthy!) and the ever famous man tou. All tasted great - my only complaint was the fish - it had many...and I mean MANY tiny bones. Oh yeah, and did I say that they served bread too - lots of bread - take your pick and have it toasted.

One distinct feature about buffets in Korea is that you will have to send your plates and cutlery to a designated place for them to wash....not like our Malaysian style where you eat and the staff will come and put away your used plates & cutlery. Be mindful that is is totally unacceptable in Korea to leave your table without putting away the plates.

Kamsahamnida!

Bangkok Sky Restaurant ,Baiyoke Sky Hotel Bangkok

84 floors, with the highest level serving as a revolving viewpoint  for us to have a bird’s eye view of Bangkok City, Baiyoke Sky Hotel is the tallest building in Bangkok.

The best way to enjoy this spectacular view is to first indulge in a  buffet offering a sumptuous spread of both Western and Asian cuisine on the 78^th floor of the building and then proceed to the 84^th floor where the revolving view point is located .

I was told that they serve both buffet lunch and dinner, and opted for the latter. I paid 650 Bahts for this wonderful experience as my ticket was pre-ordered from a local Thai agent who informed me that there are 3 sessions for dinner i.e starting at 7pm, 7.30pm and 8pm respectively. I guess this is done to avoid everyone arriving at the same time…and that I say is a very wise move to avoid any chaos.

I managed to obtain the 7.30pm slot as the earlier one was sold out. As I arrive at 7.20pm, I was informed by the staff on duty that I had to first go to Level 19 to get my voucher exchanged for the ‘real’ ticket. I noticed that the queue for buying tickets was as long as a train. Phew! Luckily mine has been pre-booked.

I took the lift to the 19^th floor and within seconds was given my tickets. I then took the lift to Level 77 which housed the observation deck (the lifts don’t bring you to level 78, you have to walk up a flight of stairs from level 77). I found the lift rather slow as compared to the one in KL Tower. It actually displayed which floor you were on as the lift made its slow ascend.

Finally, I arrived at the buffet spread. Wow! I was in awe.

There was an entire section called seafood, where you can get mussels, an entire crab to yourself, prawns, scallops, fish, clams and lobsters. Having a penchant for seafood, my ultimate target was of course the lobsters.

They also serve Western food –steaks specially made for you when you order them, pasta – macaroni, spaghetti cooked in various styles – carbonara, marinara – you name it.

Salads, soups, fried food, etc..I was spoilt for choice.

Free flow of soft drinks are included too. That night they served Coke, Fanta and fruit juices such as orange and guava.

I tried the birds nest soup. Despite it being as hot as molten lava found in a volcano I quite liked the taste of the soup. There was also pig’s tail, chicken curry and so many others.

Otak-otak

Another section was Japanese food – sushi, sashimi, seaweed, kimchi (don’t ask me why they place kimchi under Japanese……but I know for sure the Koreans will be very upset when they see this!) and rice, was found here. If you prefer tempura and tepanyakki, don’t despair as they serve that too. Oh ya, their chawan mushi was steamed to mouth watering perfection and I loved it.

And to wash all this down the belly there was also a dessert section with fruits and bite seize Thai desserts as well as cakes and ice creams which you could choose to eat in a bowl or a cone.

After a very satisfying meal I made my way to the revolving view point  on Level 84. You literally gaze into the sky from this height and look down at other buildings out in the open as it is not covered. With the wind howling and as a slight drizzle began I absorbed in the beauty of Bangkok and said to myself that this city had indeed developed a lot since I last came here over a decade ago.

Address : 222 Soi Ratchaprarop 3, Rathaprarop Road, Ratchathewi,

Bangkok 10400 Thailand
Tel : 66 (0) 2656 3000, 66 (0) 2656 3456, Fax : 66 (0) 2656 3555, 66 (0) 2656 3666

International Buffet Lunch: 11am to 3 pm
International Buffet Dinner: 6pm to 10pm