Do you love meat? That’s the star of the show, especially during buffets. From all the Vikings Restaurants I’ve been to, the Vikings Jazz Mall in Makati has the best carving station that fulfills every carnivore’s dream.
US Beef Entrecote
Every time I go to buffets, my first stop is always the carving station. That’s the make or break.
At Vikings Jazz Mall, my favorite is their US Beef…
Vikings Luxury Buffet, the country’s biggest and number one buffet restaurant, recently opened its 6th branch at the SM Jazz Mall in Makati City. Everyone knows that I am a big buffet eater and Vikings has always been on the top of my list when it comes to feasting on all of my favorite dishes all in one place. I have been a loyal patron of Vikings and have actually dined at all of their other branches so it was such a privilege for The Hungry Kat to be invited to try their latest branch and to complete my Vikings collection.
Vikings SM Jazz Mall is located at the corner of Jupiter Street and Nicanor Garcia Street in Makati City, right beside the tall condominium buildings of SM Jazz Residences. It recently opened on the 3rd week of December and hungry foodies have started trooping and lining up for their grand luxury buffet which is what Vikings has always been known for. Judging from the bright lights and colorful interiors that can be glanced from the entrance alone, I knew that this branch is going to stand out from the rest. So come with me and let’s discover what lies inside this Vikings treasure trove.
It’s not a big secret that I absolutely love dining at Vikings. Ever since my foodie friend introduced me to Vikings two years ago, I have literally traveled the country to visit and dine at every single Vikings branch. From my first feast at SM Marikina, I have since enjoyed Vikings' luxury buffet at SM North Edsa, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, and even all the way at SM Lanang Premiere in Davao City (Read about it here) where the first destination on my itinerary after I landed at Davao Airport was to catch the lunch service at Vikings Davao. That is how much of a fan I am. I have also tried the buffet at Niu by Vikings at SM Aura, which is techinically not a Vikings branch, but that will be on a different blog post.
Upon entering the SM Jazz Mall branch, I noticed that it had a brighter and more modern look, similar to the one in Megamall. But while the Megamall branch has an Art Museum theme, Vikings SM Jazz has an Italian theme, more specifically that of Venice. The Murano crystal chandelier that greets its guests in the center of the restaurant brings an elegant and classy ambiance to the place which is matched by the intricate paintings and designs that can be found all over its chic dining areas.
Each area in the restaurant is named after an Italian location like Rome, Milan, Burano, and so forth. Vikings SM Jazz can accommodate a total of 370 hungry diners throughout its seating areas. Unlike its other branches which usually have long winding buffet tables that snake through the restaurant, this one has a central buffet area where all the food stations are placed close together while the seating areas are placed around the buffet stations. At first, the place looks smaller than the other branches but it is only probably because the food stations are more compact.
Care to dine by the beautiful canals of Venice? The dining areas have generous spacing and it actually feels more like a fine dining setting rather than a buffet restaurant inside a mall.
There are also function areas within the restaurant that can be closed off for bigger groups or private events. Even the wash area is elegantly designed with Murano-like wash basins.
After touring around the restaurant, it was now time for me to head into the buffet! You can start with the appetizers section that has a wide assortment of salads, hams, cheese, and breads. But if you know me, you should know that I usually skip this area and go to the main courses right away.
And here I am! I went straight to the Carving Station where a variety of meats are awaiting.
You can have your fill of slow-roasted US Angus beef belly, US beef entrecote, New Zealand garlic and rosemary-stuffed Leg of Lamb, or bamboo-glazed chicken. I usually get plenty of US Angus beef since it is not often that you can eat unlimited steak.
If that’s not enough, then try their Spicy Belly-chon with its oh-so crunchy skin. It’s not even that spicy at all so I had a lot of this for myself.
The Grilling Station offers a variety of seafood delicacies that you can order straight from the buffet table and grilled especially for you to be sent to your table. Just remember to note down your seat number beforehand so you can mention this to the server.
Grilled meats are also available like pork belly, jerk chicken, pork souvlaki, and chicken souvlaki.
I had these Lapu Lapu and Salmon grilled for myself. They were delicious!
Tempura is one of my other big favorites on a buffet and Vikings SM Jazz has a dedicated Tempura Corner serving loads and loads of crunchy ebi tempura.
All sorts of sushis and sashimis also abound and I was happy that Vikings continues to offer high-quality Japanese dishes. Their salmon sashimi is fresh and sweet just as I like it.
Their cute “sushi boat” which you can find in all of their branches can also be seen here with its boatload of colorful sushi items.
Other items that you can find at the Japanese section include these different types of katsu, yakitori, and teppanyaki.
There is also a small Korean Corner offering classic Korean dishes like Galbi Jjim, Jap Chae, and Bulgogi. I’m not a big fan of Korean cuisine so I tend to skip this section.
The Italian Corner has a few pizzas together with spaghetti and meatballs and barbeques. This small corner also seems to be not as popular as the others and you might not actually notice it as it is located near the back of the buffet.
The Chinese Station, on the other hand, gets plenty of attention. You can get these Barbecued Pork and Soy Chicken together with fried Mantou buns with condensed milk.
They also have a Make Your Own Shabu Shabu station where you can mix up your bowl of shabu shabu and have it cooked at your own table.
But my favorite item at the Chinese section is definitely their dimsum, most especially the Hakao. I can eat so many pieces of this soft, plump and juicy Hakao and I believe Vikings serves one of the best Hakao in town, even better than some Chinese restaurants.
There are so many other cooked and prepared dishes around the buffet that you will never be able to taste them all. But the ones that you should not skip are the suahe, the steamed crabs, and the bangus steak. These are highly recommended.
At Vikings, you don’t just EAT all you can but you also DRINK all you can. Beverages are also included like sodas, juices, iced tea, sago’t gulaman, beer, and even Milo Shake. They also have a make-your-own Bubble Tea section where you can mix, match and shake your own combination of milk tea and put as many pearls or sago as you can.
After going around the world through the different cuisines at Vikings' buffet station, you can end your feast with an even more abundant Dessert Station. They have cheescakes, cookies, candies, marshmallows, and fruits which you can dip inside the chocolate fountains.
On certain Sundays, some Vikings branches also have a specific kiddie theme for the children so that they feel more at home. For this Sunday, it was a How To Train Your Dragon theme so they had loot bags for the kids and these special cupcakes at the dessert station. If you want to get more creative like me, you can even combine items from different sections like getting rootbeer from the vending machine and adding Vanilla Ice Cream to get a Rootbeer Float. I even had a Milo Shake with Sago.
Food & Beverage Operations Manager Ms. Liliberth Ulit took care of me during my visit to Vikings SM Jazz and made sure I had a satisfying and tummy-licous experience. I would also like to thank Ms. Raquel Bartolome, Marketing Manager of Vikings, for inviting me to the newest Vikings branch courtesy of The Pickiest Eater who introduced me to her. Thanks Richie! :)
In case your birthday in coming up, Viking SM Jazz along with the other branches, also has a birthday promo where you can get your luxury buffet for free on your actual birthday as long as you dine with another guest. You even get a very lively song and dance performance from the staff which has been a signature birthday bonus from Vikings.
I have actualy been taking advantage of this birthday promo for the last two years and I have always had a very cheerful birthday celebration at Vikings, no matter which branch I go to.
Just last month I had a big celebration at Vikings SM Megamall for my 24th birthday and it was such a delight to spend this special day with my family. It seems that Vikings will always be a part of my birthdays even in the following years to come.
But the most astonishing event I ever saw at Vikings was this surprise wedding proposal just beside my table at SM North Edsa last year. It was the first time I have ever seen a real live proposal and it seemed such a joyous occasion for all the family and friends there who were probably in on the secret. Vikings is truly becoming a part of every Filipino family.
But before I finished my bountiful lunch at Vikings SM Jazz, I had another surprise treat coming. Chef Anton Abad, the Executive Chef of Vikings, had a special dish prepared for me. He said that he sometimes goes to the different branches on Sundays and whips out special creations to random guests just using whatever ingredients he can find around the buffet.
I was actually already quite full but when the Executive Chef of Vikings prepares a dish solely for you, then you find a way to make space. This Chicken Inasal with Salted Egg in Adobo Sauce was unlike any other Inasal dish I have ever tried. The salted egg just brings out the natural flavors of the grilled chicken and the dish was oozing with goodness.
But there was even more. Chef Anton prepared another dish, the Grilled Lamb in Asian Sauce, and this was absolutely marvelous! I don’t really like to eat lamb because of its smell and after taste, but this gastronomic creation was so good that I finished it entirely, even on a full stomach. The lamb was so tender and the flavor was really so different from the all the lamb dishes I have tried before. The sour vinegar component blended so well with the lamb’s natural flavors and I really loved it.
What better way to cap off my Vikings mythology than by meeting the man behind all my Vikings foodie adventures himself, Executive Chef Anton Abad. My Vikings collection may now be complete, but the legend of Vikings Luxury Buffet lives on as I am sure it will continue to be part of Filipino’s lives whether it be a birthday, an anniversary, a wedding proposal, or just a simple family get together at a luxurious and elegant place with a fantastic but affordable buffet price.
P.S. Vikings opened its 7th branch in SM BF Paranaque just a month after, read about The Hungry Kat's visit here.
P.P.S. Read about my visit to NIU by Vikings here.
VIKINGS LUXURY BUFFET
G/F SM Jazz Mall, Jupiter St. cor Nicanor Garcia St., Makati City
Other Branches: Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, SM Megamall, SM Marikina, SM Lanang Davao
