The Grand Buffet is Finally Back at Grand Hyatt Manila
After four long years, The Grand Buffet is finally back at Grand Hyatt Manila! I have been waiting for them to bring back their full buffet setup for lunch and dinner ever since they had to stop it during the pandemic. While they already reopened their all-day dining cafe for buffet breakfast, they only offered an a la carte and a semi-buffet menu for lunch and dinner in the previous years. Now, I'm happy to once again be able to go around their expansive buffet and dining areas to try all these signature specialties.
Indulge in an endless journey of flavors as The Grand Kitchen reopens its buffet service for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The Hungry Kat was invited for a grand media launch last February 15, 2024 at The Grand Kitchen which you can find on the second floor, right after you go up the lobby's escalators. Our family loves staying at Grand Hyatt Manila during the holidays, so we've tried their buffet breakfast several times already, but I'm really excited to be here to try their newly reopened lunch buffet.
The Grand Buffet is available daily for lunch from 12:00nn to 2:30pm at only P1888 nett per person. This is one of the best value-for-money rates you can find in a five-star luxury hotel in the city. The dinner buffet is also offered daily from 6:00pm to 10:00pm for P2888 nett person while breakfast buffet is at P1655 nett. They also have a special Grand Sunday Brunch for P3400 nett per person.
The elegant and colorful interiors inside the Grand Kitchen provide a charming space that feels much like home. It doesn’t look like your typical busy restaurant at all, with its dark wooden hues and spacious surroundings. Guests can choose to sit at the long tables or at the more comfortable sofas and chairs.
We actually like this dining area near the glass windows where you have a charming view of their gorgeous lobby lounge and the lobby itself just below.
Nine chefs present their culinary mastery through key signature dishes spread out among different international stations at The Grand Kitchen. Guests can get a global gastronomic experience featuring a delightful array of Thai specialties, succulent meats from the grill, beloved Balinese and Chinese classics, authentic Japanese sushi, tempting Korean street food, and much more.
Let's begin our journey at the Salad Station. Here you can create your own bowl of greens for a healthy start to your trip. You can also ask them to prepare a Caesar Salad for you, or the Som Tam Salad which is a Thai green papaya salad. There's also a selection of hams and cheeses including gouda, brie, manchego, emmen.
Just nearby is the Bread Station serving Focaccia, baguette, sourdough, rye, and other freshly-baked breads.
You can also get some pasta dishes like the Baked Mac & Cheese, penne with mushroom cream, beef lasagna, or. spaghetti with tomato sauce.
I really love Japanese cuisine, so I headed to the Japanese Station offering lovely sushi and sashimi. I got myself a plate of salmon and tuna sashimi together with a few pieces of Aburi Sushi.
The Tempura Moriawase was also my immediate target so I got myself a few pieces of these crunchy shrimp tempura.
Now let's explore another country and head over to China. The Chinese Station presents these lovely roastings hanging on the glass window.
Guests can ask for slices of Char Siu Pork, Hainanese Chicken, and Roasted Duck all in one plate. Combine these with your choice of chilis and sauces.
You can also find some Taiwanese Pork Belly Buns and Mapo Tofu here. Other dishes you can try include salt and pepper pork, wok fried beef, and beef ho fan noodles.
Next up is the Korean Section which comes with this colorful Korean Fried Chicken, Pork Galbi, Korean Spicy Beef and even French Fries.
There's even a selection of Kimchi for those who love eating this spicy Korean side dish. I've never seen these many kinds of kimchi before so it's really a specialty here at The Grand Kitchen.
Those who really like Asian food will definitely enjoy a trip to the Thai Station. Start with some Tom Yum Soup which you can customize with condiments and your preferred spice level.
Other Thai specialties include the Thai Spring Rolls, Khao Pad, and Kaeng Phet which is a thick red curry that would go so well with rice.
I'm went ahead and got a small dessert because I really love the Mango Sticky Rice. This is what I always look for when I go to Thailand and I also like this version at The Grand Buffet.
Don't worry if you prefer something more familiar, because they also have a dedicated station offering Filipino favorites like the Pork Adobo, Beef Kaldereta, Laing, Fried Chicken, and even Garlic Rice.
Over at the carving station, you can ask for as many slices of this Beef Brisket in Barbecue Sauce as you want. The beef was really smoky and tender.
If all those station are still not enough, head over to the Mongolian Barbecue and Grill Station where the chefs will cook your choice of meats and seafood on the grill.
Choose your own ingredients to include inside your Mongolian Barbecue and they will prepare it for you.
Better yet, ask them to grill your meats and seafood on the spot. Choose from among Pork Liempo, Chicken Inasal, Beer Marinated Beef, Mussels, Baby Squid, and Baby Octopus. There's also a Robata to Order where you can get Chicken Satay, Beef Satay, or Bacon Wrapped Moki.
Both the lunch and dinner buffets come with free-flowing brewed coffee and tea, but you can add a few more refreshing drinks from their a la carte beverage menu. I had a refreshing Classic Homemade Iced Tea but you can also order fruit juices and even sparkling wine.
For desserts, head over to the Dessert Station where you can choose from a variety of sweet treats. There's Mango Sago, Creme Brulee Pudding, Panna Cotta, Chocolate Brownies, Strawberry Shortcake, Tiramisu, Cheesecake, and Apple Crumble. You can also get a serving of Chocolate or Vanilla Sundae topped with sprinkles, gummy worms, and raspberry sauce.
We would like to thank Grand Hyatt Manila Director for Sales and Marketing Eugene Tamesis and Director for Marketing and Communications Inah Manalaysay for inviting us to the grand launch of The Grand Buffet. This is the return that we had been waiting for and this will surely make our next stays at Grand Hyatt Manila even more enjoyable. Book your tables now!
The Grand Kitchen
Grand Hyatt Manila, 8th Avenue corner 35th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Interactive Dining at The Grand Kitchen in Grand Hyatt Manila
There’s a new dining hotspot in Bonifacio Global City that will take you on a luxurious culinary journey through different cuisines with hot and fresh dishes prepared right before your eyes. The Grand Kitchen is the newly opened buffet restaurant inside Grand Hyatt Manila which opened its doors last January 15, 2018. So come with me, Chef Hungry Kat, and let me show you around this sparkling new cafe and all that it has to offer.
Grand Hyatt Manila is the first ever Grand Hyatt brand in the Philippines. Its strategic location inside Bonifacio Global City remains true to the brand’s identity of being bold, worldly, and extraordinary, providing five-star luxury service. There have already been a few Hyatt hotels in the country, namely, Hyatt City of Dreams Manila (Read: Hyatt City of Dreams Manila: A Luxurious Escape From the City) and the former Hyatt Regency Manila, but none can compare to the world of elegance and unbridled luxury of a Grand Hyatt. You can find the hotel at the quieter side of BGC, between Uptown Mall and St. Luke’s BGC. Grand Hyatt Manila stands at a staggering height of 250 meters, the tallest in the country, offering a breathtaking and unobstructed panoramic view of the city.
The Grand Kitchen is the hotel’s all-day dining restaurant located on the second level. It is a multi-cuisine cafe that features an array of show kitchens and interactive “a la carte buffet stations” which cooks and serves freshly prepared dishes at guests bidding.
The elegant and colorful interiors inside the Grand Kitchen provides a charming space that feels much like home. It doesn’t look like your typical busy restaurant at all, with its dark wooden hues and spacious surroundings. Guests can choose to sit at the long tables or at the more comfortable sofas and chairs.
Grand Hyatt Manila Executive Chef Mark Hagan points out that The Grand Kitchen encourages diners to interact with the chefs as they prepare your food exactly how you want it. Unlike other buffet restaurants which emphasize quantity, The Grand Kitchen focuses more on quality and the short wait to get your food will be more than worth it.
Diners can start at the breads and salad section where they can choose from a wide selection of freshly baked breads or create their own Caesar Salad.
There’s also a pretty good cheese table with a variety of items including Blue Cheese, Brie, Emmenthal and more. Cold cuts, smoked salmon, and other tasty appetizers can be found here as well.
My type of appetizer would be the Prawn Cocktail with its yummy cocktail sauce. These Selva Shrimp are sourced from Vietnam and is part of the hotel’s thrust to promote sustainable seafood methods. Grand Hyatt Manila was not able to participate in this year’s Philippines Sustainable Seafood Week (Read: Marriott Manila Launches Philippines Sustainable Seafood Week 2018) because the hotel had just opened but they are doing their part in promoting this environment-friendly program.
Juices are included with the buffet and these are freshly-squeezed and blended at the cafe. You can also order sparkling and bubbly beverages for an additional fee.
I had a special role that afternoon as honorary Chef for a Day and I was assigned to the Sushi and Sashimi station. It was quite difficult to stop myself from eating all the sashimi on the spot, but I had an important job to do! Our task was to prepare a California Maki roll from scratch, which we delicately accomplished with some help from the expert chefs of Grand Hyatt Manila.
Presenting our very own California Maki prepared by Chef Hungry Kat! Would you like to have a taste?
After our short session behind the counter, it was now time to go in front of it and have our fill of the delicious sushi and sashimi available. The Grand Kitchen puts only a few items on display at the counter because they want to prepare them only upon order. This guarantees the freshness and quality of the items, which I highly approve of.
Among the items I requested were the Emperor Fish sashimi which is also sustainably sourced from the Philippines. Of course, I also got my favorite slices of salmon sashimi and ebi sashimi.
The Ebi Tempura of The Grand Kitchen is also highly recommended with its light and crunchy batter. You can ask the chefs to cook a plate for you and they will send it over to your table.
The Filipino section of the cafe comes with local comfort food favorites such as Bulalo Soup, Pork Binagoongan, Chicken Adobo, and Pork Adobo which you can all have with steaming garlic rice. I really enjoyed their binagoongan and would have asked for more rice, but I needed to save space because there were more dishes to try.
Chinese tourists comprise the biggest percentage of hotel guests nowadays so Grand Hyatt Manila makes sure that its Chinese section is authentic and of high standards. The Mapo Tofu and the Kung Pao Chicken are just some of the classic Chinese dishes offered at the buffet.
Other items you can find include the Steamed Catch of the Day, Pork Charsiu Buns, Steamed Spareribs, and Yang Chow Fried Rice. Grand Hyatt Manila will soon be opening its dedicated Chinese restaurant called No. 8 China House which is said to offer the most authentic Peking Duck experience in the country.
Singapore food lovers will want to get the Hainanese Chicken Rice or the Roasted Chicken Rice which you can easily spot at the Roasting section. No need to travel all the way to Singapore because their version is really authentic with its fragrant and flavorful chicken rice.
There are also several pasta dishes you can have the chefs prepare for you a la minute. One of these is the Seafood Pasta with generous seafood ingredients on top of your choice of pasta.
Kids will also have plenty of options at the buffet like the Fish and Chips with its huge pieces of battered fish fillet fried to perfection. They can even put as much fries as they want. There’s also some juicy pieces of Fried Chicken right beside it.
The Carving Station is one place you should not miss because waiting there is this gorgeous Roasted Pork Belly. Ask the chefs to cut a slice for you and pour some liver sauce to make it extra special.
The most exciting area at The Grand Kitchen for me would have to be the Grilling Station. This is where you can have all these meats and delicacies cooked for you while you wait. Start with a few sticks of Gyu Kushi and Jidori.
Diners can also get a big and juicy Beef Burger straight off the grill. You can add your choice of condiments or even include some fries. Other made-to-order items include Chicken Burger, Chicken Inasal, and Tanigue.
But the best item at the grill would definitely be the unlimited servings of Ribeye Steak. I had the chef prepare this big slice of tender and mouthwatering ribeye steak for me and it was fantastic.
If one serving is not enough, then head back to the grill and ask for another! You can choose your preferred level of doneness so you can ask for different cuts each time. I had this one cooked medium while the previous one was medium well.
Desserts are also plenty at The Grand Kitchen starting with their Apple Pie and Vanilla Sauce.
Diners can have their choice of crepes prepared for them and have it topped with Vanilla or Chocolate Ice Cream. Fruit parfaits are also available as well as cakes such as Pandan Chiffon, Cheesecake, Brazo de Mercedes, Chocolate Brownie, and Mango Shortcake.
Lastly, don’t go home without asking for their Warm Chocolate Fondant which takes eight minutes to prepare but is absolutely worth the wait. The Grand Kitchen is open daily from 6:30am to 10:00pm. Their breakfast buffet is priced at P1,300+ per person while the lunch buffet rate is at P1,750+. Dinner buffet is P2,100+ per person. But our visit to Grand Hyatt Manila was not done yet, because we then headed on a short tour around the hotel, including a peek at their accommodations and two other fabulous dining establishments. More on the next blog.
The Grand Kitchen
Grand Hyatt Manila, 8th Avenue corner 35th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
