The Okada Experience

I regularly go to Okada Manila for various functions and have enjoyed its Medley buffet restaurant several times in the past, but it was quite a surprise during my visit this week that the quality of the food outlet has significantly improved, perhaps because Mrs. Takako Okada is now overseeing the hotel's premium dining.

- MARIANNE GO

I noticed the improvement during an event I attended at the hotel where I met and briefly had the chance to interview Mrs. Okada. The selection of sushi, sashimi and yakitori, plus a French fare of quiche and a selection of French cheese to accompany a special sake tasting, was notable.

However, my latest visit to Medley was also my first time to try its cheese room, which replicates the premium attraction of the then-favorite, but now shuttered Spiral Cafe of Westin Philippine Plaza Hotel. I can attest that Medley's cheese room gives the same satisfaction as that offered by Spiral Cafe.

However, Medley's competitive pricing for its lunchtime buffet of P2,888++/person, which includes unlimited wine, sodas and juices, plus coffee and tea, is indeed value for your money, offering a Japanese and fresh seafood section, salad and appetizer bar, a Japanese cuisine section, a Chinese food and noodle station, an Italian or pasta section, meat carvings, separate Indian, Korean and Filipino food stations and, of course, a delectable dessert section that offers churros, native Filipino desserts and a variety of sinful cakes, tarts, chocolates, confectionery and ice creams.

Even on a mid-week working day, Medley was almost fully booked, with families coming early to enjoy the buffet. I even spied a couple of foreign guests enjoying the wine buffet, easily taking two bottles of white wine to their table for their enjoyment. The unlimited drinks alone already makes the buffet worth the price, especially for those who enjoy wine, which can easily cost almost P1,000 a bottle in most hotels.