My dad and I celebrate our birthday every 30th of June. Eleven days later, it's my nephew's turn so we had another buffet less than two weeks after my birthday. I can't contain my excitement when my sister said we'll have another buffet. It's time to come back stronger and make up for the last buffet we had where I vomited and I wasn't able to have desserts. My nephew celebrated his birthday at Vikings buffet restaurant, SM North Edsa branch. I was able to eat more since I didn't have an upset stomach. Here are the foods I tried.
SUSHI PLATE
Since Japanese is my favorite dish, sushi and maki will always be present on my plate. This is the first batch of foods I had. They don't have the ones with crabsticks so I picked those with egg and tuna. The flavor is so rich and it's easy to bite because the rice is so firm. Their sushi and make are not messy to eat. The one I love most is the tuna sushi. The tuna is so delicious and it goes well with its sweet dressing.
MEAT AND SEAFOODS
Next to rice meal, I tried this set of meat and seafood viands.
This includes fried pork, barbecue, roasted beef, tempura, cheesy baked oyster, and baked potatoes. I pair a bite of potato with each bite of pork. I love how the butter flavor of potato blends with the savory and juicy meat. Everything in this plate is tender and easy to chew, yet the flavor penetrates inside the meat. The tempura is flavorful as well because of its breading. I was able to eat it without soy sauce. The one I like best is the baked oyster. I enjoyed the blend of seafood and melted cheese. It really is an awesome combination. This is the reason why they easily run out of stocks. I patiently waited for the refill while falling in line. A lot of customers won't miss the chance to have this baked oyster on their plate.
ITALIAN SNACKS
Since I'm done with heavy meals, it's time to try some snacks. I didn't have the chance to have pizza and pasta on my birthday since I vomited so I craved for these snacks. I had cheesy pizza, meaty pizza, and mac 'n cheese paired with garlic bread. Both pizzas are so yummy. It's a good thing that they have thin crust. It makes the flavor stand out. The cheese is oozing in your mouth while the beef and bacon meat are so chunky. I love how they fill each slice with toppings. It's plenty enough to give flavor to the crust. The garlic bread is nice too. It's easy to chew because its crust just have enough crispiness. The one I like most in this plate is the mac 'n cheese. Among the buffet restaurants we tried, this is the only one that offers this pasta so far. I love it so much because it's not bland despite not having toppings at all. The flavor and texture of the cheddar and mozzarella cheese are good enough to satisfy your taste buds.
BREAD, CHIPS, SALAD
It's time to cool down a bit after having all those heavy meals and snacks. I chose this set of light snacks before bracing myself for another plate. I picked cream bun, potato salad, nachos, and blueberry Danish to cool down. The potato salad and nachos have a very light taste among all the snacks I had because of their dressing. This is also my first time trying nachos served with mayonnaise and chicken instead of beef and cheese toppings. It's a good combination for those who want to have light snacks. The cream bun is also tasty yet it's not too sweet. I love the softness of the bun and its cream that goes well with its chocolate syrup topping. The best one I had in this plate is the blueberry Danish. Like the cream bun, this one has the right sweetness too while a little sour taste from the blueberry gives a balance taste. Another reason why I love this most is because of its croissant dough. This is the dough I like most in breads because I love its crispiness and its buttery taste that goes well with its sweet toppings, yet it has a light taste.
A GIVEAWAY FOR THE CELEBRANT
Just like the other buffet restaurants we tried, the birthday celebrant is also free of charge here at Vikings. They also approach your table randomly to give a free slice of cake to the celebrant. They gave my nephew a slice of chocolate cake topped with whipped cream. In addition to the cake, they took my nephew's photo using my sister's phone for a souvenir.
FESTIVE DESSERTS
Saving the best for the last, I made the most out of these two plates of colorful desserts. I am a sweet tooth so dessert is my favorite part of the meal. The first batch I ate is the liquid and jelly desserts. I ate the ice cream first before it melts. I chose avocado (green) and bubblegum (blue) flavors because those are rare and seasonal flavors here, especially the bubblegum flavor. For the jellies, I had coffee jelly and pandan (green) jelly, our local dessert that tastes like milky coconut. I want something with a fruity taste so I included strawberry jelly to contrast the milky taste of the other jellies.
The last plate I had includes a set of cakes and donuts. I picked a chocolate donut topped with crunchy grated chocolate. I'm a chocolate lover and I love it so much when it's crunchy. I saw different cereals so I came up with the idea to add them as toppings for my donut to add more crunch. I love how the chocolates explode in my mouth with the crunchiness of the cereals. Now I know that cereals are good toppings for donuts. Cream puff is also a good choice for a light taste so I picked one. This is a dessert that don't make you feel bloated. I picked fruit flavored desserts in this plate as well to add contrast and lightness to my taste buds and to avoid feeling bloated before I eat my favorite bars. I took these citrus flavored gummy candies and mini strawberry cake to do the job. Saving the best for the last, I finished the entire meal with the fudge bars I like most. I took two squares to enjoy it more. I love the dark chocolate taste combined with a slight cookie texture of the bar. I can say that this gave my meal a happy ending.
So far, Vikings is the buffet restaurant I like most. They offer the most number of international dishes and you won't find some of them in other buffet restaurants. For me, all the buffet restaurants I tried are equal when it comes to the taste and quality of food. What made Vikings stand out is the wide variety of food choices. Now I know why I often see a lot of people in this restaurant each time I pass by its entrance. I wish to go back there next time. I highly recommend Vikings especially for birthday celebrations. The quality of service and foods are exceptional and the place is so cozy. The experience is so satisfying.
