The clouds were dark and heavy as we made our way to the South. Particularly to Hilton Manila where we had lunch buffet at Kusina. It is exciting to try new restaurants.
About the place
Judging from its name, this is a Filipino-inspired place that serves international cuisine. For our entertainment, there were several short dance presentations right by the folding decorative wall divider near the entrance. Spotlights were even trained on the performers.
The place looked clean and spacious with its high almost floor-to-ceiling picture windows. Sadly, the view outside was not that nice. We saw another hotel. And another establishment beside it, that’s seemingly abandoned (or maybe being renovated).
Wood, indigenous prints and balustrade made up the theme of the ambience in the dining area. The balustrade could be reminiscent of the ones in old Filipino homes, our grandparents’ houses.
These were the other design details. There was a bas-relief patterned wall design of balusters. Cloud/flower/popcorn-shaped lighting fixture and door handles adorn the VIP area. Showerhead-like chandelier suspended from the ceiling.
About the food
There was a charcuterie station that my girls enjoyed because they love cheese. I enjoyed it too since it had dried fruits, for example, raisins and dried pineapples. There’s seafood like shrimp and fish. The roast beef had a lot of fat, it’s cloying. Their siomai was delicious. But most of the food were not flavorful. Even the buko pandan drink was bland.
The pasta photo looks nice, right? Yet, it tasted weird! Somehow, it was stinky but not really; quite hard to describe. My favorite dessert was the ube sans rival cake. It had delectable ube, sweet macapuno strips and soft lady fingers. Other desserts include Filipino favorites like sapin-sapin, puto and turon.
After lunch
After we filled our bellies and took photos, we went out to the swimming pool area. It’s located on the same floor. The kids checked out the pool, using their eyes, and their hands to touch the water.
There were plenty of outdoor seating for the guests. A set of which we sat on and took “wefies”. I bet the children wished they were taking a dip at that instant. And not just having lunch buffet at Kusina. 😀
After that, we went farther South and visited the “Instagrammable” Coffee Project x Fully Booked. It was packed with patrons.
If you feel like visiting Hilton Manila, check out their website by clicking this link.
Have you tried eating dinner or lunch buffet at Kusina? Or stayed here for a night? What did you think? 🙂
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