SPIRAL BUFFET (SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA MANILA)

FINALLY.

That's the ONE word I thought of to sum up our night. 

Actually, that's the word I had been thinking of once I received news that we will be going there and it was the same idea that lingered on even after a week!

For those who know me, you could tell that I'm not joking. Oh yes. I'm super kaduper serious.

Because FINALLY. After years and years of always wondering, wishing, and joking around, I have finally "climbed" MY "Mount Everest".

Yep! We have FINALLY eaten at SPIRAL!!!!

Never mind getting bigger boobs or having hair implants on my big forehead, one of my biggest (silly) dreams is to eat at SPIRAL. Judge me all you want but it's something that has always become a point of reference for me. I could never stop yapping about it:

a) "You want my friendship? Treat me at SPIRAL."
b) "You want to ask a favor from me? Treat me at SPIRAL."
c) "You want to make me happy for my birthday? SPIRAL."
d) "You want to be happy on YOUR birthday? Take me to SPIRAL."

Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Seriously though, I'm just all jokes. But when somebody DOES offer to treat me at SPIRAL I will turn it town because I really find it so expensive. Would you believe that the Chinese Adonis has already offered before (to shut me up) but I would always feel that it's something impractical no matter what the event or reason (aka LQ)? Sorry but about P6,500.00 for the two of us, could already be a fun weekend staycation for THE YAPPY BUNCH!

So yes! That's the perfect word for the FINALLY.

FINALLY, I will stop wondering and blabbering about it because the fat lady has already sung for my SPIRAL curiosity.

Of course, following a very gastronomic and enjoyable night at SPIRAL, something will haunt my little foodie self from days on.

WHAT NOW?

SOFITEL on a Sunday night!

And yes. The roads going to my dream restaurant is congested!

YOHOOO!

We finally saw it. SPIRAL!

There may be other hotel buffets, but SPIRAL takes MY cake. It had that majestic yet casual touch into it. Every nook just screams for a photo opportunity. 

What I loved about this hotel buffet is that diners would not feel congested. Each table is appropriately spaced so it is comfortable to walk around and do the hustle.

Their light decorations around the restaurant is something to marvel at too!!!!

We were at SPIRAL before Christmas so we were so lucky to have their towering tree there to add more enchantment for the night. 

Yes, that SPIRAL staircase and Christmas tree are things of beauty!

I'm sure the Chinese Adonis felt the same for SPIRAL'S maitre (in Santa outfit) who led him to our table!!

We were actually in SPIRAL to celebrate Mareng Gail's 30th birthday. 

It's her 20th birthday and since it was the "end" of an era (of her last decade... he he he he) she requested to celebrate it in SPIRAL. 

Since she has a membership card of SOFITAL PHILIPPINE PLAZA MANILA, her guests get 50% off from the SPIRAL buffet price! 

NOW THAT'S FINE BY US!! At least it'll be like a buy-one-take-one thing!

Tee hee!

NOW WHO WROTE 40 huh?!!!

SPIRAL ROLL CALL!!!

Mareng Gail and Pareng Jun!

Chairman of the Board Albert and Uber sexy Suet!

Showbiz Royalties Drew Barrymore, BB Ann, and John Lloyd Cruz, Pareng Jonas!

The King and Queen of Mandaluyong, also the couple who HATES papaya, Gem and Joji!

Reel and real life couple Carmina Villaroel, Chel, and Zoren Legaspi, Abel plus Master Tobey!

AND OF COURSE....

Since nobody took a picture of us, I thought of doing a little something that will make us look good. He he he he he!!!

Yun lang it should've been THE EARL AND COUNTESS OF GRANTHAM!!! Grrrr!

It is obvious what series I'm watching now.

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In SPIRAL there are a lot of food stations that will certainly make your foodie heart do the jump for joy. 

Of course, to get a bang for your buck, head on first to SPIRAL's cheese station where they have a variety of world class selection of your fromage favorites!

ENTER!

This is certainly nothing like the "cheese house" that Monica dreamed of in FRIENDS!

I love cheese but of course, my taste is limited to the usual brie, blue, brioche, plus what you could find in hamburger and pizzas. It's great that in SPIRAL, they have somebody stationed in the room who is knowledgeable in their offerings to make recommendations. 

They also offered cured meats, cold cuts, preserved fruits, and other usual condiments for you to fully enjoy your cheese experience. 

Their specials in the room are also available for take home!

They had an interesting vegetable set up that makes you feel like you're in your friendly neighborhood market shopping for some greens. 

The bread station for your all carby needs! 

The Japanese sushi station!

Ooh la la... Me likey!

Near the raw grub section, somebody was shucking up some oysters!

Hmmm... I didn't know that they have "hot" in the menu!!! Lucky Albert! He he he he he!

French Station!

The Teriyaki Grill Station was very popular!

Of course, pogi-see-pogi-do so he lined up as well!

I can't really blame him because the aroma from the sizzling seafood and beef made his "pogi" mouth water!

Now THIS made me crave for more rice!

The Indian Grub Station!

The Asian Food station!

Steaming up baskets and basket of plump dimsums!

Noodles Galore!

Carving station!

For Mareng Gail's membership card, only 1 round of soda or iced tea is included. If you feel like having wine with your SPIRAL grub, you could order from the waiter going around for an additional price. 

Dessert station!

Halo halo corner!

Cabinets with sweet things inside!

3 types of fondue!

That chocolate fondue was taunting me with its thick syrupy beingness so I poked it with a marshmallow.

The "take home" station.

I'm still thinking whether or not to leave Yub in the menu. Tee hee.... 

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And now it's time to RAID THE BUFFET.

Of course, when it comes to buffets, MEN ALWAYS go first. Ha ha ha ha!

Without us knowing of course. Usually when we sit down, us girls would start yakking that our guys would take it as their signal to get up and escape from us!

It's okay though. Pogi naman sila!

The connection between those two sentences is beyond me too. 

I waited by my lonesome and just day dreamed about Paris while waiting for my turn to get the grub. 

Our waiter for the night in SPIRAL was very prompt and helpful! He offered us many things so that we'd have a more enjoyable dinner!

One of which is this bag stool!!!! I found it very considerate too that SPIRAL provided them for our bags, even if what i carried was not an Hermes or Secosana. He he he he he he he!!!

Good thing too that our kindly server gave us a bread basket that was still steaming hot! So deeelicious with a generous slather of their herbed butter.

My husband came back all happy and hungry. He didn't waste any time in diving into uncoordinated food. 

(Uncoordinated because he doesn't prepare his tummy with appetizers or hors d'oeuvres. He just gets all the main entrees that he fancies be it Chinese, American, or Japanese and put it all in one plate like the United Colors of Benetton. Ha ha ha ha! He doesn't like wasting time kasi!)

As for me, I'm all about routine and order. My technique in buffets would always be sushi -- salad -- main dishes -- salad again -- main dishes again -- sushi again -- dessert -- coffee --- a bit of sushi again -- dessert -- then a cream puff on the road.

HA HA HA HA HA!

Here's my first plate of "rawness"! Sushi and oysters! Yihaaa!

Oh wow! I am so crazy for oysters!!! I loved the sweet salty taste that was oh so well with the tabasco sauce and lemon juice!

True to my word, I then went to the salad selection. I picked out my greens and had this nice SPIRAL lady mix up my appetizer with some dressing. 

My SPIRAL Caesar salad with my favorite pine nuts, and walnuts! I also added some chopped onions and buttered croutons for that extra crunch!!!!

My cheese plate!

I also helped myself to a LOT of  Foie Gras with Salmon in Balsamic Vinegar Glaze. This was mighty yum for me and I think I got about 2 more after this!

The Foie Gras was creamy and velvety while the salmon was perfectly seared. The balsamic glaze gave it all a nice finish!

My roast beef with gravy and horseradish cream with biryani rice and cucumber with yoghurt.

I know! I know! This was such horrid combination but I was already getting full and I wanted to get a bit of Indian food in me before I can't eat anymore!

Of course, I needed something to wash it all down with so I had a piping hot bowl of seafood laksa.

Tee Heee!

As for my husband, he helped himself to another plate of Asian food!

Pasta!!!!

Our small serving of beef and shrimps teppanyaki!

For dessert I had coffee (I forgot if it was drink all you can).

I just realized that my favorite buffet dessert will ALWAYS be puto bumbong!!! I could never have enough of it!!! Spare me the chocolate fondue, crepes, or gelato! If there's newly cooked puto bumbong, I will ONLY focus on that. 

HOWEVER, luck was not on my side that night because SPIRAL ran out of it. That's my only bummer for the night because I never thought an expensive buffet would run out of something so simple to make at about an hour before closing time. 

Oh well. Dear Suet took pity on me and gave me her last bite of puto bumbong. You might think of me as pathetic but I don't care. I ACCEPTED it and I ATE it! THAT'S how much I loved puto bumbong!!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!

This is your fault SPIRAL! YOU made me eat off from somebody else's plate!!!! THAT'S how low I could go for puto bumbong!!! Boo hoo!!!!!

ERICJAZ FOODIES with our BP Group in SPIRAL!!!!

Other side!

A very happy Jun!

Me and Mareng Gail!

We all agreed to dress up that night but it was such a coincidence that both of us wore animal print dresses!!!

As our former boss would say, "Great minds think alike!"

NAKS!!!!!!

Somebody's very great looking sushi plate....

It's JOHN LLOYD'S!! 

Uy! Plate pa lang, pogi na!!!

Of course Albert, Mr.-SVP-of-his-own-company, is not far behind!!!

Ahem... S.C.!!! (#privatejoke #lammona)

So HAPPY, HAPPY me!!!

Yes because FINALLY I'm eating at SPIRAL!!! He he he he!

When it was time for the SPIRAL waiters to sing to Mareng Gail, they thought that I was the celebrant and huddled behind me for the HAPPY BIRTHDAY song. 

Of course, our loud guffaws made everything right. They sang a beautiful one to mareng Gail and gave her a birthday cake to take home. All is forgiven.

Tee hee!!! But it was SOOOO funny!

What a lovely cake!!!!

Ahem... Matched by lovely ladies... Tee Heee!

My BP Group!!!!

The girls reminded me that I was the one who gave the name our little hubby-wifey group. 

If you're interested to know what it is, you would have to treat me to SPIRAL!!! Tee hee!!!

Our handsome and VERY good hubs!!!

Ladies! We did good!!!!

What the...?!

DONE!!!

After eating, the girls and I did what we do best... TALKING!!!

Note the cropped picture to remove my... uh... biceps. 

The boys exchanged thoughts on how pretty their wives are too!

(Yeah right.)

Case in point, ahem, Me and BB Anne!!! (Thanks for covering my "biceps").

I also call her BB Aning!!! My uber pretty best bud since college! Love her so muchos!

So grateful also to have NFFF Suet (New Found "FRETTY" Friend)! Thanks so much for the delicious early Christmas gift!!!!!

So this is us chatting and talking and gossiping! We never run out of topics!

As expected we talked until we were the only ones left in the restaurant.

My BP Group!!!

If you want to join us, you should be a husband and wife loveteam who prioritizes family time AND loves capturing (or setting up) kodak moments!!!

Hehehe!

Thanks dear SPIRAL waiter for taking our pictures... He he he he he!

Yub and I had to go home before 12:00am because this was the eve of Andrei's birthday. But of course, before we left, we had a mini pictorial first.

And our turn... 

Here we are going for the serious (pang magazine) look....

Our wacky shot!

For some reason, I look like the wicked witch of west here in "melting mode". Ha ha ha ha ha!

And FINALLY, this is the picture for me that matters. He he he he!

Yes. That is my word for the night... FINALLY!!!!

Now after "conquering" my foodie wish for what I felt like is forever, WHAT NOW for ERICJAZ FOODIES?

Oh well.... We could always go back at the beginning.... 

SUSHI CAKE!!!!

Tee hee!!!

LET'S EAT!!!!

SPIRAL BUFFET PRICES!

P4092 - Lunch for Sundays

P3126 - Dinner for Fridays and Saturdays

P2880 - Dinner for Mondays to Thursdays PLUS Sundays

P2432 - Lunch for Mondays and Saturdays

P1966 - Breakfast for Saturdays and Sundays

P1720 - Breakfast for Mondays and Fridays

Check this out!

SPIRAL FACEBOOK PAGE

SPIRAL SOFITEL HOTEL WEBSITE

SPIRAL

SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA MANILA

San Isidro, Pasay City

02 5515555 / 02 8326988