Monday, January 15, 2024

Philippine Fish Species - List of Common Fish in the Philippines

Names of Philippine fish in English and Filipino (Tagalog), with some scientific names and fish pictures to help identify particular Filipino fish species found in local fish markets:

Other Fish:
  • Ataba - archerfish 
  • Balo - needlefish
  • Bolador - flying fish (e.g. Cypselurus opisthopus)  
  • Kansusuit - garfish  
  • Maming - wrasse
  • Paru-parong dagat - butterflyfish

Mollusks, Crustaceans, and other Shellfish:
  • Alimasag - crab Portunidae spp. (e.g. blue swimmer crab, Portunus pelagicus), coral crab (Charybdis feriatus)
  • Alimango - mud crab
    • Putian / bulik - Indo-Pacific swamp crab / mangrove king crab (Scylla serrata)
    • Pulahan - orange mud crab (Scylla olivacea)
  • Alupihang-dagat - mantis shrimp  
  • Banagan - spiny lobster (e.g. Panulirus ornatus)
  • Canoos / hibya - cuttlefish
  • Curacha - spanner crab / red frog crab (Ranina ranina)
  • Diwal - Pacific angelwing clam (Pholas orientalis)
  • Halaan - clam (e.g. Manila clam / Japanese carpet shell, Ruditapes philippinarum)
    • Tulya - Asian clam (Corbicula fluminea previously also known as Corbicula manilensis)
  • Hipon - shrimp (e.g. whiteleg shrimp, Penaeus vannamei)
    • Swahe / suahe - endeavor prawn (e.g. red endeavor prawn / greasy back shrimp, Metapenaeus ensis)
  • Kuhol - snail (Pila luzonica)
  • Pitik-pitik - slipper lobster (e.g. Thenus orientalis)
  • Pugita - octopus
  • Pusit - squid
    lumot squid in a round plastic container
    Pusit lumot
    • Pusit Bisaya - smaller pink-speckled squid (Indian squid - Loligo duvauceli [?])
    • Pusit lumot - larger dark-speckled squid (bigfin reef squid - Sepioteuthis lessoniana [?])
  • Sugpo - prawn (e.g. Penaeus monodon)
  • Susô - snail
  • Tahong - mussel (e.g. Perna viridis)
  • Talaba - oyster (e.g. Crassostrea iredalei)
  • Talangka - shore crab (Varuna litterata)
  • Tuyom - sea urchin
  • Ulang - giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii), crayfish, lobster

Other Sea Creatures and Aquatic Species:
  • Arosep / lato - sea grape seaweed (Caulerpa lentillifera, Caulerpa racemosa) 
  • Balatan - sea cucumber
  • Balyena - whale
  • Bulate - sea worm
  • Butanding - whale shark (Rhincodon typus)
  • Dikya - jellyfish 
  • Guso - seaweed (e.g. Eucheuma spp.)
  • Pagi - ray
  • Pating - shark

In Filipino fish are called isda.  There are many varieties and kinds of fish.  The country's tropical climate and coral reefs make its waters located near the center of the Coral Triangle among the richest in marine life anywhere providing a bounty of fresh Philippine seafood and an assortment of tropical fish.  According to some estimates 5% of the world's reef area is in Philippine waters and the marine fish in the area represent 20% of the total marine fish in the world.

Fishing is an important source of livelihood for many Filipinos. In 1998 around 3% of the country's labor force was involved in the Philippine fishing industry which contributed to about 3.6% of the GDP composition.  Commercial fishing operations produce most of the catch but a growing percentage comes from aquaculture / mariculture.  An ordinary Filipino consumes around 98.6 grams of fish or fish products a day making it the primary source of protein in the Filipino diet. The Philippines being a predominantly Christian nation, fish are especially popular during Lent.

The best time to buy fish is early in the morning.  Philippine fishing boats bring their catch to places like the Navotas Fish Port Complex (the largest in the country) while it is still dark.  From there fish are distributed to local markets.
 
Maya-maya, samaral, and pampano - Philippine fish
Maya-maya, Samaral, and Pampano

Naming of Philippine Fish

Filipino fish names can get confusing very quickly.  Different names can be given to the same fish and a name can be applied to multiple fish—and that's just in the same dialect and region.  Given the various Philippine languages and the disparate islands comprising the archipelago, custom and usage varies and contradictions frequently crop up.  In Metro Manila, Tagalog is the dominant language but because of the influx of people from the provinces, local names and regional names from other parts of the country like the Visayas or Ilocos or even other Tagalog provinces with their own name variants are sometimes used in Manila wet markets.


Alumahan - Philippine fish
Hasa-hasa also called kabayas - Philippine fish
Alumahan and Hasa-hasa


Alumahan can apparently be used in some places to refer to Rastrelliger brachysoma as well as Rastrelliger kanagurta but my local fishmonger will say that is simply wrong and that the two are distinct.  On the other hand he will accept that different Philippine fish species can each be called salay-salay.  Kalapato is an alternative name not only for certain salay-salay but also talakitok.

Talakitok

Some sources seem to indicate that talakitok and maliputo largely refer to the same species, but others make a distinction. According to one explanation, talakitok grows in seawater while maliputo grows in freshwater. Maliputo seems to have a reputation for being a good food fish comparable to that of the maya-maya that talakitok does not.

Maliputo and Maya-maya

Lapad translates as wide in Filipino and is often used to describe and differentiate Caesio cuning from Pterocaesio digramma—dalagang bukid (lapad) and dalagang bukid (bilog) respectively.  But lapad is also used as a common name for various short flat and wide sardinellas like Sardinella albella, Sardinella brachysoma, and Sardinella fimbriata; although in those cases it may also be used to differentiate them from tamban, narrower and rounder sardines.  Even though a source I'm looking at says lawlaw and silinyasi refer to different sardinella, I wouldn't be surprised if in practice the terms along with lapad and tunsoy are actually being used interchangeably for the similar looking fish species.  Tawilis is also used for these sardinella but it is a name probably most properly reserved for the Philippine freshwater fish specie endemic to Lake Taal.  Sardines are popular fish for canning, smoking and drying.  Tinapa is the Filipino term for smoked fish while tuyo is the Filipino word for dry and is also used for dried fish. The town of Rosario, Cavite previously called Salinas (derived from sal Spanish for salt) is known for its tinapa and tuyo, so smoked or dried fish are sometimes referred to as salinas.

Danggit - Philippine fish
Danggit

According to sources danggit refer to rabbitfish, spinefoots, and members of the family Siganidae in general and can thus be applied to samaral.  But in my local wet market at least danggit refers to what looks like mottled spinefoot (Siganus fuscescens) and samaral refers pretty specifically to orange-spotted spinefoot (Siganus guttatus).  [Which may also be goldlined spinefoot (Siganus lineatus).  The two species seem to interbreed and may be one and the same.]   Then again some consider the samaral a malaga while others seem to consider them distinctly different fish.  Elsewhere in the Philippines, members of the Siganidae family can also be called kitang; while in my area kitang is the name for scats which are in the family Scatophagidae.

Kitang and Tulingan - Philippine fish
Kitang and Tulingan

The names tulingan and tambakol, both often referring to bluish-tinged tuna, are sometimes interchanged with one another or used to refer to tuna in general.  But tulingan usually refers to smaller tuna while tambakol gets applied to larger ones. Bariles is another common fish name, taken from the Spanish word for barrel, that is used for large tuna. Tatampal is one name used for flounder but has also been seen to refer to mantis shrimp.

Restaurants and Dishes

In paluto restaurants with fresh or live fish to select from, maya-maya and lapu-lapu are popular premium fish choices.  A Philippine fish recipe that would work well with these fish is to cook them escabeche.  Red tilapia, sometimes presented as "kingfish", has also been observed in some fish and seafood restaurants.  It's a possibly misleading fish since its red pigmentation may lead those unfamiliar with it to mistake it for maya-maya, and "kingfish" is a designation that has been used for tanigue, but red tilapia is not as highly valued as either of those fish.  Red tilapia is a hybrid fish created by fish farmers.  Tilapia is an introduced species in the country grown in fish cages and fish ponds largely used in aquaculture because of its fast reproduction leading it to be called "chicken of the sea".  

Red tilapia

At restaurants where fresh or live fish are not available, the usual unspecified nameless white fish in fillet form that has apparently become the default is the so-called "cream dory" also called "river cobbler".  This is actually a fish from the family Pangasius, imported and usually described elsewhere as Vietnamese catfish with the names swai, basa, or tra referring to different species.  At Filipino restaurants bangus is usually available somewhere in the menu.  Blue marlin also pops up with some frequency as does gindara.  Bacalao is a term taken from Spanish that is used for cod.  Salmon although imported and more expensive has also become popular.  

Risks

Although the Philippine fish identified on the main list are believed to be sold in markets one needs to take care with unfamiliar fish.  One species may be safe while another in the same family may not be.  Even among those fish that are widely eaten some need to be prepared or handled a certain way prior to cooking and eating for them to be safe.  Scombroid fish poisoning with symptoms similar to an allergic reaction is associated with tunas, mackerels, mahi-mahi, and marlin that have spoiled resulting in the release of histamines which are unaffected by cooking.  There are also reports of ciguatera poisoning with some species.  Red tide toxins are a danger related to harmful algal blooms.  The Philippine government issues red tide alerts from time to time to warn about the harvesting, buying, selling and eating of seafood from certain areas.

For more information please feel free to check some of the references consulted in the creation of this article.
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Friday, September 25, 2020

List of References on Philippine Fish

Some sources of information regarding fish and seafood in the Philippines:

See also or go back to the list of fish in the Philippines.

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Friday, June 30, 2017

List of Non-Hotel Buffets in Manila

Non-Hotel Restaurant Buffet or Eat-All-You-Can in Metro Manila

  • Okiniiri No
  • Primero Casa Filipino
  • Quezon
  • Red Box
  • Redragon
  • Red Panda
  • Romulo Lounge
  • Sakae Sushi
  • Sambo Kojin
  • Samgyupsalamat
  • Sandaya
  • Seoul Garden
  • Shabu One
  • Shabu Khan 
  • Shaburi
  • Shokuji
  • Sigsaga
  • Sodam
  • Somethin' Fishy
  • Splice
  • Sumo Sam
  • Tempura
  • Tenka
  • The Thai Kitchen
  • Yakimix
  • Yam Cha
  • Zensho

See also the list of hotel buffets.
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Sunday, June 12, 2016

List of All-You-Can-Eat Buffets in Manila


Chandeliers above the buffet at Buffet 101 MoA Manila

Quick Guide
Where's the best buffet in Manila? Many will say that if you want to eat all you can in Manila go to a hotel buffet and you won't be disappointed. Indeed the restaurant buffets Manila 5-star hotels offer are generally very good with some providing a spread that is likely to be more than one can comfortably sample entirely and expect to stay healthy. 

 

Many reviews often tout the Sofitel Philippine Plaza's Spiral buffet as the top buffet in Metro Manila for its impressive array of choices and quality. But it is certainly not the only game in town. Speculating if there is another international buffet that is even better can be fun. If Spiral's vaunted 21 food stations—er, ateliers—covering a gamut of popular global cuisine and the accompanying premium price tag it commands sound like overkill you can try the five-star hotel buffets at Spectrum, Heat, and Market Cafe in Makati's Fairmont, the Ortigas CBD's Edsa Shangri-La and Manila's AG New World (formerly Hyatt Regency) hotels respectively which offer respectable alternatives.  For dimsum lovers, Red Lantern at Solaire offers a slightly more interesting selection than others offering unlimited dimsum. If a Japanese buffet in a hotel restaurant is sought Inagiku's utage buffet at the Makati Shangri-La is a leading contender. Among the non-hotel buffet options the spread at Buffet 101 and the Vikings buffet can be overwhelming too while also being more budget-friendly.


Things to Consider
Of course a wide assortment of food isn't the only thing that makes for a good buffet.  Taste, consistency, ambiance, service and intangibles that are weighed uniquely by each individual are factors too. It can be disappointing for example that hotel buffets tend to focus on international, not local, cuisine.  One might need to order á la carte if one wants to sample local fare and the one or two offered by the buffet are not enough. Then there are those places that do not layout all their food out as a proper buffet at all but serve their food a la minute, a practice that has both its advantages and disadvantages.  One might also prefer to seek out a more intimate less busy atmosphere, especially if one finds the din of "Happy Birthday" sung for the umpteenth time,  the crush of people storming the buffet area, or simply the long line to get in the door of the restaurant in the first place too much to endure.

Dining tables at Escolta Restaurant

Pricing and Themes
Of course there's also price to consider. Non-hotel buffet restaurants in Manila usually cost less with the best of them making a stronger showing in terms of value.  But while there may be exceptions—both positive and negative—the general expectation that you get what you pay for usually holds.  Certain theme-oriented buffets or formats because of their focus tend to be less expensive. Popular more affordable eat-all-you-can themes include the smokeless grill, hot pot, the barbecue buffet, the Mongolian buffet, the dim sum buffet, the sushi buffet, the breakfast buffet and the merienda buffet. A rule of thumb one can use is to expect a buffet under 500 pesos to be restricted in some way while a full international buffet costs more. Ultra-cheap buffets that impose time limits on seating on top of the almost standard no-leftover restriction for non-hotel buffets may cost less but will be a no-no for the more leisurely inclined or those entertaining guests.

Native Filipino theme on display at Cabalen buffet restaurant

Location
It helps if the buffet is located nearby and not over an hour's drive away through traffic. The Mall of Asia (MoA) area, Roxas Boulevard from Malate to Ermita, the Makati central business district, the Ortigas CBD, and areas surrounding the Quezon Memorial Circle seem to be hotspots for buffet restaurants in Metro Manila.

Hotel Restaurant Buffet or Eat-All-You-Can in Metro Manila

  • 9 Spoons at the Bayleaf
  • Acaci at the Acacia Hotel
  • Ace Coffee Lounge at Ace Hotel & Suites
  • Alfred at Manila Diamond Residences 
  • Brasserie on 3 at the Conrad Manila
A view of the ding and area and buffet spread at the Conrad's Brasserie on 3
  • Cucina at the Marco Polo Ortigas
  • El Prado at the Berjaya Makati Hotel
  • Escolta at the Peninsula
  • F Cafe at the F1 Hotel
  • Flavors at the Holiday Inn & Suites Makati
  • Food Exchange Manila at the Novotel Manila Araneta Center
  • Fresh at Solaire Resort and Casino
  • Garden Cafe at the Luxent Hotel
  • Greenstone buffet at the Greenstone Serviced Residences
  • Grand Kitchen at the Grand Hyatt
  • Heat at Edsa Shangri-La
  • High Street Café at Shangri-La at the Fort 
Picture of High Street Cafe's Wok station a counter with bamboo steamers, woks and dishes on display
  • Impressions at Maxims
  • Kusina at Hilton Manila
  • Latitude at Hotel Jen
  • The Lobby at Hotel Rembrandt 
  • Lola Maria at Legend Villas
  • The Lounge at the Eastwood Richmonde Hotel 
  • Market Cafe at the New World Manila (formerly Hyatt)
  • Marriott Cafe at the Marriott
  • Medley at Okada Manila
  • Midas Café at the Midas Hotel
  • Spice Café at the City Garden Grand Makati
  • Spiral at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza
  • Strand Café at One Pacific Place
  • The Terrace at Maxims

Mainly Serving Breakfast Buffet in Manila

  • 1166 Bistro at the Best Western La Corona
  • 1572 at Fernandina 88 Suites
  • Atrium Lounge at Atrium Hotel
  • Bayview Coffee Shop at Bayview Park Hotel
  • Bistro del Cielo at Parque España
  • Elan Cafe at the Greenhills Élan Hotel Modern
  • Fab at the Holiday Inn Galleria Manila

Chinese Buffet / Dimsum All-You-Can

  • Jasmine at the New World Makati
  • Li Li at the New World Manila (formerly Hyatt)
  • Passion at Maxims
  • Phoenix Court at the Bellevue
  • Red Lantern at Solaire Resort and Casino
  • Shang Palace at Makati Shangri-La
  • Xin Tian Di at the Crowne Plaza

Japanese Buffet / Eat-All-You-Can

  • Inagiku at Makati Shangri-La
  • Nobu at Nobu City of Dreams
  • Senju at Edsa Shangri-La
  • Yanagi at the Midas Hotel

For other options see the list for non-hotel buffets.

Notes


Caveats
This directory of places where you can eat-all-you-can in Manila was composed to give a brief overview and some ideas.  The dining scene in the city is dynamic and changes occur frequently. Check with the restaurant itself ahead of time before going to make sure a buffet is still being served and when it is available.  Many offer buffets only at selected times or days of the week or at particular branches. Some of the places listed above do not have a buffet per se but an all-you-can-eat offer.

Reservations
Although placing a reservation is usually unnecessary for most places, a reservation is a very good idea for some of the very popular ones to ensure being seated—especially on a weekend or holiday when prices are higher.  Even with a reservation seats may be reserved for only a limited time.  If one wants guaranteed seating but not the hassle of being at the mercy of the clock, one may wish to go to the restaurant at an earlier date and pay in advance.

Time and Price
In regards to price, breakfast buffets cost less than lunch buffets and lunch buffets usually cost less than dinner buffets. Smaller hotels are more likely to offer only a breakfast buffet and not one for lunch or dinner. Of course the more expensive holiday weekend lunch and dinner buffets are also when the more decadent dishes are brought out. Unlimited foie gras, uni or lobster when offered is usually available during dinner or Sunday brunch which is also when high-end buffets bring out the option for free-flowing champagne.

Discounts and Promotions
One may wish to look up special promotions with daily deal sites like MetroDeal and Cash Cash Pinoy or inquire about credit card discounts. Hotels and restaurants occasionally have limited time discount coupons and vouchers available as well as providing loyalty cards and programs. Birthday buffet promos and group discounts are sometimes offered and something to look for.  Older patrons should not forget about the senior citizen discount.  As with all promos pay attention to the restrictions.

Related

 

Do you know of other buffets in Metro Manila that are not yet listed?  Have you learned that a listed buffet or all-you-can-eat offer is no longer available?  Post a comment below.

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    Monday, October 27, 2014

    Prices of Manila Buffets

    Buffet prices in Metro Manila

    Buffet rates and details in these Manila buffet restaurants should be considered indicative only and subject to change. Indeed they change frequently. Mid-year prices may be lower than end-of-year prices. The cost of a buffet may vary among branches of the same buffet restaurant. Significant buffet discounts, sometimes very large discounts, are usually still applicable to published rates. Children and seniors are usually charged less. On the other hand the buffet price on public holidays may be higher. Some places charge extra for leftovers. No warranty is given regarding the accuracy of the following information. Contact the buffet restaurant or eat-all-you can establishments you may be interested in directly to confirm details. Prices in the table are in Philippine pesos. If converting, 1USD = PHP51.00 or thereabouts.

    Restaurant Breakfast Lunch Dinner
    Spiral Mon.-Fri. 1719.55 net
    Sat. & Sun. 1965.20 net    		 2431.94 net
    Sun. 3377.69 net
    Champagne 4092.53 net    		 Sun.-Thurs. 2880.25 net
    Fri. & Sat. 3125.90 net
    Cafe Ilang-Ilang
    		Mon.-Sat. 2644.50 net
    Sun. 2952 net    		 Sat.-Wed. 3013.50 net
    Thurs.-Fri. 3628.50 net
    Impressions
    		Sun. 2741 net
    Holiday 3289 net
    Fresh 1198.21 net Sat.  2069.64 net
    Sun. 2614.29 net    		 Sun.-Thurs. 2287.50 net
    Fri. Sat. Holidays 2832.14 net
    Inagiku
    		Sat. 2199 net
    Sun. 2321 net
    Spectrum 1450 net 2150 net
    Sun. 2777 net
    Champagne/Rosé 3888 net    		 Sun.-Thurs. 2380 net
    Fri. & Sat. 2450 net
    Cafe 1228
    		Mon.-Fri. 1999
    Sat. & Sun. 2299     		2299
    Escolta
    		Mon.-Sat. 1878 net
    Sun. 2701 net    		 Sun.-Thurs. 2149 net
    Fri. & Sat. 2456 net
    The Pantry 1455 net Mon.-Fri. 1850 net
    Sat. 2300 net
    Sun. 2400 net    		 Mon.-Thurs. 2100 net
    Fri.-Sat. 2350 net
    Sun. 1850 net
    Market Cafe
    		1800 net 2200 net
    Midas Cafe 915 net 1842 net 1842 net
    Marriot Cafe 1250 Mon.-Sat. 1800 net
    Sun. 2400 net    		 Sun.-Thurs. 1950 net
    Fri.-Sat. 2400 net
    Heat
    		1787 net
    Sun. 2500 net
    Champagne 3888 net    		 2033 net
    2280 net
    Sage
    		Sat. 1720 net
    Corniche
    		1680 net 1780 net
    2150 net
    2550 net
    1950 net
    Circles
    		1670 net
    2027 net    		 2008 net
    2272 net
    7 Corners
    		Mon.-Sat. 1657 net
    Sun. 1878 net    		 Sun.-Thurs. 1768
    Fri. & Sat. 1878 net
    Cucina
    		1650 net 1984 net
    F Cafe
    		1500 net 1500 net
    Flavors 888 net 1498 net 1498 net
    Yanagi
    		Fri.-Sun. 1485 net
    100
    		Sat. 1464 net
    Cafe d'Asie
    		1390 net
    Fri. 1540 net    		 1390 net
    Fri. 1540 net
    Cafe in the Park
    		1360.62 net 1360.62 net
    Red Lantern
    		1196.80 net
    Cafe at Hyatt (City of Dreams) 1088 net Mon.-Wed. 1188 net
    Thurs.-Sun. 1288 net    		 Mon.-Wed. 1688 net
    Thurs.-Sun. 1888 net
    Overnight 588 net
    Xin Tian Di
    		1188 net
    Niu by Vikings
    		Mon.-Fri. 1142.40 net
    Sat. & Sun. 1457.40 net    		 1457.40 net
    Shang Palace
    		Mon.-Sat. 1091 net
    The Terrace Mon.-Thurs. 800 net
    Fri.-Sun. 1000 net    		 Mon.-Thurs. 1000 net
    Fri.-Sun. 1200 net    		 Mon.-Thurs. 1000 net
    Fri.-Sun. 1200 net
    Acaci 888 net 995 net
    Sun. 1288 net    		 1150 net
    Fri. 1288 net
    Annabel's
    		995 net
    Li Li
    		Mon.-Sat. 988 net
    Sun. 1850 net
    Jasmine
    		865 net
    Phoenix Court
    		Tues.-Sun. 793 net
    1037 net (with entrées)    		 Tues.-Sun. 793 net
    1037 net (with entrées)
    Latitude
    		788 net 988 net
    Vikings
    		774.90 net
    1194.90 net    		 984.90 net
    1194.90 net
    Zensho
    		757 net 866 net
    Passion
    		750 net
    Sambo Kojin
    		Mon-Fri. 749
    (Promo 599)
    Sat. & Sun. 749    		 Mon.-Fri. 749
    (Promo 699)
    Sat. & Sun. 749
    Buffet 101
    		Mon.-Fri. 699
    Sat. & Sun. 999    		 Mon.-Fri. 899
    Sat. & Sun. 999
    Alba
    		695++ 750++
    Banzai
    		Mon.-Fri. 699 net
    Sat. & Sun. 1088 net    		 Mon.-Fri. 899 net
    Sat. & Sun. 1088 net
    Dads
    		688
    888    		 888
    Prime Cafe
    		Fri. 650 net
    Lola Maria 390 net Mon.-Fri. 650 net
    Sat. & Sun. 480 net    		 Fri. 420 net
    La Fiesta
    		Mon.-Fri. 599
    Sat. 699
    Sun. 869    		 Mon.-Thurs. 799
    Fri.-Sun. 869
    Food Club
    		Mon.-Thurs. 599
    Fri.-Sun. 950    		 Mon.-Thurs. 799
    Fri.-Sun. 950 
    Somethin Fishy 199 net
    Sat. & Sun. 179 net    		 Sat. & Sun. 599 599 net
    Charaptor BBQ (MoA)
    		590 690
    Chinatown's Best Food
    		588 net 588 net
    Bistropa
    		576 net 576 net
    Yakimix (MoA)
    		Mon.-Fri. 558
    Sat. 599
    Sun. 699    		 Mon.-Sat. 658
    Sun. 699
    The Buffet
    		Mon.-Fri. 538
    Sat. & Sun. 688     		Mon.-Fri. 588
    Sat. & Sun. 688
    Strand Cafe 350 net Mon.-Fri. 499 net 250 net
    Primero Casa Filipino
    		Mon.-Thurs. 498 net
    Fri.-Sun. 598 net    		 Mon.-Thurs. 498 net
    Fri.-Sun. 598 net
    Tong Yang (Greenhills)
    		Mon.-Fri. 495 net
    Sat. & Sun. 595 net    		 595 net
    Guevarra's
    		Mon.-Fri. 446.88 net
    Sat. & Sun. 670.88 net     		Mon.-Thurs. 558.88 net
    Fri.-Sun. 670.88 net
    City Buffet (Fairview)
    		Mon.-Fri. 399
    Sat. & Sun. 539     		Mon.-Fri. 499
    Sat. & Sun. 539
    Red Box
    		399
    Chocolate Kiss Cafe (Roces)
    		Sun. 395
    Kamay-Kainan
    		323.86 323.86
    Cafe Sweet Inspirations Fri.-Sun. 205 net 320 net 320 net
    Cabalen
    		298-398 298-398
    Kowloon House (West Ave.)
    		295 net 295 net
    The Thai Kitchen
    		275 275
    Tramway
    		218-248 218-248
    Big Plate 198 228
    Redragon
    		188 w/o drink
    220 w/ drink    		 188 w/o drink
    220 w/ drink
    Atwamanukan
    		155 w/o drink
    195 w/ drink    		 155 w/o drink
    295 w/ drink
    1 comments

    Saturday, July 12, 2014

    Buffet Promos and Dining Deals in Manila

    Eat-All-You-Can Restaurant Deals, Buffet Discounts, and Dining Promos 

    Some of the significant advertised promotions such as credit card offers, birthday promos and daily deals at buffet restaurants giving discounts on regular buffet prices as well as 50% off discount offers, equivalents or better at other eateries. Deal details may vary or may not be offered at certain branches. Blackout dates and other restrictions may apply. For promos backed by credit card providers standard cardholders may be provided less benefits than premium cardholders or be excluded from an offer altogether. The following are provided to give possible leads and ideas. Accuracy of this list cannot be assured so make sure to check with the restaurant and sales agent for the particular promotion one is interested in ahead of time to confirm the details. 


    Credit Card Offers

    BDO Credit Cards




    BPI Credit Cards



    Citibank Credit Cards




    Security Bank Cards




    EastWest Bank Credit Cards



    HSBC Credit Cards



    Metrobank Credit Cards



    PNB Credit Cards



    RCBC Bankard



    Visa Cards



    Restaurant Promos


    Dimsum Discounts

    50% Off Dim Sum Afternoon and/or Late Night

    Causeway

    Golden Fortune
    King Chef 
    Tao Yuan


    Birthday Promos

    Buffet 101
    Dads
    La Fiesta

    Sambo Kojin
    Vikings
    Yakimix


    Daily Deals

    Cash Cash Pinoy


    Deal Grocer

    Vouchers for buffets at Café Ilang-Ilang, Flavors, Café Belmont, Firefly Roofdeck Bar


    MetroDeal

    Vouchers for buffets at Spiral, Café 1228, Market Cafe, Food Exchange, The Cafe at Hyatt City of Dreams, Pan Pacific, Riviera Cafe, Buffet 101, Yakimix, La Fiesta, CityBuffet, The Food Club, Tenka, King One Rotary Hot Pot, Latitude, Ace, Luxent, The Lobby at Hotel Rembrandt, Makan Makan, Shabu Khan, Cafe Rizal, Sigasaga, GNine Diner's


    Notes

    Many of the popular buffet restaurants also have additional promos that are too numerous and change too frequently to list here including group rates and limited time voucher discounts. Check out the respective websites of buffet restaurants you are interested in and contact them directly to find out more. 

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    Tuesday, November 15, 2011

    Piattos Chips


    Flavors

    Piattos cheese flavored potato crisps.  Piattos chips also comes in other flavors: sour cream and onion, roadhouse barbecue, nacho pizza, and roast beef. 






    Shape

    Piattos chips are cut into distinctive small bite-size hexagonal potato wafers.


    Manufacturer

    They are sold under the Jack 'n Jill brand by Universal Robina Corporation the food arm of the holding firm J.G. Summit.

    Notes

    Prior to Piattos chips coming on the Philippine market one would have trouble recalling even a somewhat decent locally made potato chip.  Predecessors like V-Cut were very uneven products often with overcooked burnt chips filling half the bag .  To get edible potato chips one had to rely on imports—and shoestring potato snacks like Pik-Nik seemed to make up most of those.   Piattos was a distinct improvement and became a less expensive alternative to imported Frito-Lay or Pringles chips, although probably still not a satisfying substitute for those who like larger or rippled potato chips.  For them the newer potato chips from Oishi might be a better alternative.  Actually Spuds, which like Piattos are manufactured by Universal Robina, would be my first recommendation, but that line seems to have been phased out since I don't see them in supermarkets anymore.  It seems the premium potato chip market in the Philippines still isn't that large.
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