PHI: Hotel H2O [Breakfast]
Free-flow 'ensaladang', 'longanisa' and 'dalandan' drink, anyone?
Guests of Hotel H2O at Manila Ocean Park are treated to a buffet breakfast at Makan Makan Asian Food Village, which is described as a "veritable pan-Asian village where the culinary delights of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan and the Philippines [are] abound."
I started off with a plate of assorted ingredients from the ensaladang (Filipino salad) section. What I enjoyed the most was the refreshingly tart unripe mango slices mixed with shrimp paste and crunchy anchovies.
I wasn't too impressed with the trio of fruits - watermelon, papaya and pineapple - as they could be fresher. The papaya wasn't sweet at all.
Guests of Hotel H2O at Manila Ocean Park are treated to a buffet breakfast at Makan Makan Asian Food Village, which is described as a "veritable pan-Asian village where the culinary delights of Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, China, Japan and the Philippines [are] abound."
Assorted Stuff #1
I started off with a plate of assorted ingredients from the ensaladang (Filipino salad) section. What I enjoyed the most was the refreshingly tart unripe mango slices mixed with shrimp paste and crunchy anchovies.
Assorted Stuff #2
Moving on to the Western salad, I found the vegetables laid on the buffet table to be pretty fresh. The macaroni salad was passable though due to its cloying taste. Besides that, the longanisa (Filipino sweet pork sausage) was a tad too sweet for my liking.
Assorted Stuff #3
Accompanying the mildly aromatic garlic fried rice was the so-so fried noodle done Malay style. The fried chicken was big, crispy and pretty juicy, while the chicken stew in white sauce was delish. Unfortunately, the fish slice cooked with ginger and spring onions was kinda dry.
Noodle Soup
Something akin to soto kudus, an Indonesian noodle dish with chicken and clear broth, the restaurant's rendition was not too shabby. The soup was mildly sweet, while the chicken breast was firm and clean.
Omelette
Generous is probably an understatement to describe the chef who prepared an omelette for me. Look at that classic breakfast favourite burst open due to the amount of stuff inside! It was moist, substantial and truly cheesy.
Pastry & Cakes
I saw quite a variety of bread displayed, most of which looked appetising and indeed tasted pretty good. While the pancake could be fluffier, the bread pudding with vanilla sauce was good enough for me.
Fruits
Coffee & Dalandan Cordial Drink
There wasn't nothing to rave about the coffee, which was leaning slightly towards the thin side. The dalandan (a variety of sweet orange native to the Philippines) drink was mildly sweet.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7/10
Ambience: 7.5/10
Overall: 7/10
Pika's advice: For more varieties, do go for the lunch or dinner buffet. The website boasts more than 150 dishes to choose from.
Hotel H2O
Independence Road
Manila Ocean Park Complex
Manila
Philippines
(Daily: 6.00am - 10.00am)
*No separate price given as buffet breakfast is included in the room price.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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