Delish Eats: Buffet Town, Latest Unli-Hot Pot Spicing Up San Juan
Restaurant Story
Buffet Town opened on January 28, 2024, offering a Japanese and Asian fusion buffet plus unlimited hotpot (in other words: shabu-shabu). In the midst of the City of San Juan, arguably Metro Manila’s foodie haven, is another family-friendly spot that you should try out.
What's the Vibe and Venue Like
While other restaurants offer the same hotpot + buffet combo, one of the reasons Buffet Town is unique is their elegant and modern atmosphere. Upon entering, what immediately stands out is the lack of that distinct “oily” scent that usually clings to everything from floor to ceiling, especially if it’s a hotpot and/or Korean barbecue place. Maintaining such a clean and inviting air was an immediate plus.
The rest of the venue did not disappoint with its aesthetic and Instagram-worthy interior. Even diners who tend to focus solely on food would not be able to miss the marble tables, metallic accents (bronze pots for hotpot and rose gold food warmers), playfully curved counters, fluid walls that liven up the space, and contemporary Nordic chairs. Every detail elevated Buffet Town to be unlike any other buffet and hotpot place in the Metro.
But what can make or break a restaurant is the quality of service — excellent service can make one more forgiving toward a mediocre-to-disappointing meal, while an exquisite meal can be torn down instantaneously by horrible service. There are exceptions to this rule, of course, most people seem to have accepted that a truly authentic Vietnamese dining experience simply includes rude waitstaff, but we digress.
Fortunately, Buffet Town was a pleasant experience in this regard. The crew was attentive, quick, and prompt, especially when delivering your freshly-prepared, straight-off-the-oven (or Hibachi grill) order. Lastly, don’t fret about the fact that it’s a curbside restaurant with no parking at the front — they offer complimentary valet services.
How Much Does It Cost
Buffet Town offers lunch and dinner service: Lunch is from 11 AM to 2 PM, while Dinner is from 6 PM to 10 PM. For weekday lunch, the adult rate is P1,199, the rate for kids (ages four to 10 years old) is P599.50, senior citizens and PWDs have the same rate at P856.43, and kids three feet below get to eat for free.
For weekday dinner and weekends/holiday lunch and dinner, the rates are P1,499 for adults, P749.50 for children (ages four to 10 years old), P1,070.71 for senior citizens and PWDs, and children below three feet are still free of charge.
For birthdays and graduations, they also offer 5 + 1 promos (five paying adults and the birthday celebrant or graduating adult gets to eat for free). For group bookings, one adult is free of charge for every 10 paying adults. And for extra-large groups, they offer a 15% discount for a group, minimum of 50 pax.
What is the Menu About
Buffet Town’s no-fuss menu checks off everything that makes up a great buffet. There’s a good selection of appetizers and dishes, most of which are what you would hope for in a Japanese buffet: sashimi, an assortment of maki and tempura and katsu, fried rice, and small portions of side dishes (marbled potatoes, bokchoy, cucumbers, century egg, chicken karaage, etc.)
Still, the menu is curated enough that it doesn’t feel overwhelming — a sensation buffet-goers typically experience when having to choose between hundreds of dishes. Also, each dish is portioned into small bowls or plates so that diners don’t have to scoop from a large, chafing dish. Trays are readily available under the buffet counters which diners can freely use to just grab and go their chosen items.
Buffet Town, however, is far from boring. They have a lechon belly carving station (which you can also ask the chefs to turn into lechon sisig, lechon kare-kare, or lechon binagoongan), an aburistation (beef, tuna, and salmon), yakitori station (which includes shrimp and oysters), and teppanyaki station (salmon belly, mixed vegetables, beef & shrimp roll, etc.)
These on-the-spot preparations offer security to guests who want to ensure the freshness of their meals. While you’re free to watch the chefs work their magic, you can also ask the waitstaff to deliver your freshly cooked orders to your table.
Finally, the piece de resistance of Buffet Town is the hotpot or shabu-shabu. Diners can choose between five hotpot flavors: house broth, sukiyaki, collagen, tomato, or kimchi. If you’re a group (around six), you’ll be sat at a long table with two hotpots and each hotpot can hold two flavors of soup. They have multiple options for what you can fill your hotpot with – meat, seafood, shabu-shabu balls, noodles, and vegetables. There’s also a ton of options for dipping sauce and it’s easy to craft your own.
To wind down your meal, you can then explore their dessert station which is a (not-so-hidden because it’s all over their social media) gem that you should definitely try – Hanami desserts. Hanami, which means “cherry blossom viewing” in Japanese, in their context translates to the shapes of desserts or flower-shaped bowls.
They provide a 9-slot tray wherein you can mix and match your desserts and in Buffet Town, you’ve got a ton of options: crème brulee, panna cotta, smores, passionfruit jelly, grass jelly and boba, and a variety of cakes and ice cream. And these are just half of the dessert options, mind you. Like everything else, the desserts are portioned and placed inside adorable tiny bowls that neatly fit into the slots of the Hanami tray.
What Did We Try
As it was an unlimited buffet, we were fortunate enough to be able to sample as much as our stomachs could handle. We mainly chose sukiyaki, tomato, kimchi, and collagen for the broth. Other notable dishes we also tried were the shrimp yakitori, sashimi, ebi tempura, and beef and salmon teppanyaki. For dessert, we sampled the black sesame and matcha ice cream, panna cotta, red velvet cake, and s'mores. To top off your meal, you can gulp down your choice of juice or grab a cup of UCC coffee.
Sukiyakiand Kimchi Hotpot: While all hotpot flavors succeeded in delivering deliciousness, the sukiyaki and kimchi soups both stood out. The sukiyaki soup was just the right level of sweet and savory which paired well with the beef and shabu-shabu dipping sauce. Those who aren’t fans of spice, however, may want to steer clear of the kimchi soup but for us, it was ideal for the pork and vegetables. All meats, seafood, vegetables, and hotpot balls were fresh so we had no qualms about diving right in and eating as much as we could without fear of a post-dinner stomach issue.
Shrimp Yakitori: Freshly grilled and lightly seasoned, it was a simple dish that provides as much comfort as a stew that’s been cooking for hours. There’s nothing better than fresh shrimp altered as little as possible.
Salmon Sashimi: We dare you to say something better than fresh salmon sashimi. Okay, taste is subjective, but still, one cannot deny that sashimi is the freshest thing possible. Fortunately, Buffet Town’s sashimi did not have that distinct, pungent fish smell, and none of that frozen center either (if you know, you know).
EbiTempura: One pet peeve of ours when biting into ebi tempura is when the thick batter conveniently hides the tiny shrimp inside. Ebi tempura, after all, should have that signature flaky and airy batter instead of shrimp covered in thick, pancake-like batter (one that we know is designed to make you feel fuller). So, imagine our relief when we sampled this dish, and what we got was a thin, crispy tempura batter and a sizeable shrimp. Sugoi!
Beef & Shrimp Roll and Salmon Teppanyaki: Straight off the grill, you can never go wrong with teppanyaki. Both the beef & shrimp roll and salmon were expertly cooked – tender, not dried out nor scorched to high heavens.
Black Sesame and Matcha ice cream: These are two separate flavors, and there were four other choices in the ice cream bar. But we couldn’t help but go for these two to complete the Japanese experience. Both were surprising in a good way – black sesame cleansed the palate with its mild sweetness, while the matcha shone with its familiar nutty, earthy, and subtly sweet taste.
Panna Cotta, Red Velvet cake, and S'mores: These three were very pretty to look at, no doubt about their IG-worthiness. But their flavors were so-so and left much to be desired. The panna cotta had that signature creamy taste, but we found it too gelatinous. While the red velvet and s'mores were quite dry (perhaps from being left out in the open) and overtly sweet too – but that was easy to forgive seeing as the entire serving size can be consumed in one bite.
What We Liked
Filipinos love a good deal, and we can’t deny that having unlimited access to food is always considered a win. Still, buffets are not just about eating as much as you can until you’ve “recovered” the amount you’ve paid (yes, you can revoke our Asian card now). They’re about having to experience good food with the benefit of being able to eat a ton of it without making your wallet beg for mercy. And in the case of Buffet Town, it was the latter – delicious hotpot and meals that made for a delightful weekend dinner.
Out of everything, however, we could not get over the unlimited hotpot and the grill stations (yakitori and teppanyaki). They provided that guilty pleasure of eating something straight off the stove & grill like you’re sneaking a bite off the family dinner before it’s served. And when the meal was over, we got to wash it all down with UCC coffee (also unlimited!) and delicious black sesame ice cream.
Buffet Town’s interiors also exude elegance, ideal for a family or personal celebration. Plus, the hassle-free complimentary valet is a huge help. However, we do recommend requesting your car a little early (not when everyone’s getting up to go), especially when it’s a weekend, because you may have to wait a little longer than expected.
What We Didn’t Like
While the Hanami tray was 100% adorable, not every dessert dish was outstanding. Some tasted exactly how you would expect, nothing extraordinary, but there were select dessert items that could benefit from some adjustment, like the cakes. We also found the hotpot meat slices too long (and were potential choking hazards for children and seniors) – we’d recommend they provide scissors at every table or adjust the length of their raw meat slices.
What You Should Order
The sukiyaki, kimchi, and tomato hotpot soups are a must-try. And since this is a buffet, there’s no harm in sampling every dish the buffet has to offer. Buffets are all about trying everything without having a heart attack when presented with the bill.
Still, notable standouts were the salmon sashimi, ebi tempura, and the items from the yakitori and teppanyaki stations. Also, the UCC coffee plus the black sesame ice cream was just a chef’s kiss pairing; the night couldn’t have ended on a better note.
Location: Buffet Town, 43 Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila
Contact Details: 0908-396-3009 (Viber)
This food review is a representation of the views of the author and not a part of any compensation or complimentary tasting.
Enjoyed this article? Check out our previous Delish Eats reviews here.
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