Spiral at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila: One of the Best Hotel Buffets in the Philippines

On my birthday last September, another item in my food bucketlist got fulfilled, and that’s to eat at Spiral of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila (or simply Sofitel Manila).

Yes, it’s only my first time to eat there . It’s because I find it expensive and I always keep missing out on the discounts and promos. But thankfully, my credit card offered a whopping 40% off so we thought of celebrating my birthday there.

Spiral is one of the dining options in Sofitel Manila. It is famous for having 21 ateliers or “workshops of an artisan”. So each buffet station masterfully prepares food.

It is considered one of the best hotel buffets in the country. Several personalities have featured this buffet, including food vloggers Mark Wiens and Mikey Chen. Mark Wiens even called it as the most amazing buffet he has ever seen (at least at the time he published his vlog about it).

I’ve tried as many food as I can and I’m writing what I think of it. I’ve categorized the food per atelier, and I’m placing an asterisk if it’s worth eating:

Asian Noodles

Laksa (Boiled Rice Noodles with Prawn, Boiled Egg, Fish Ball, Fish Cake in Spicy Broth): The broth is flavorful and spicy, but I wished it’s thinner. The noodles are soft but I don’t mind.

Chinese Wok

*Beef Tenderloin: Beef is pillowy tender, doused in a sweet and slightly spicy sauce

*Steamed Chicken Roll with Black Bean Sauce: Tender and gingery

Stir-Fried Pak Choy (Bokchoy) and Fresh Mushroom with Garlic: Bokchoy is crisp but bordering on the salty side. But eat it with the Beef Tenderloin and Steamed Chicken Roll are sweet and it makes sense.

The food in this station is easily one of my favorites!

Creamery

The ice cream are nice and creamy.

French Stove

*Scallops Mushroom Pasta: Is cheesy and has a nice flavor from the herbs. The pasta is also al dente. (I got this dish from this station but I’m not sure if this dish belongs here.)

Hot Japanese

Agedashi Tofu: Soft

*Grilled Salmon Head: Creamy and tasty

*Uzura Bacon (Quail Egg Wrapped with Bacon): Has nice bacon flavor and creamy because of the quail egg

Mijinko Squid Ring Tempura: Crunchy but lacked seasoning

Teppanyaki Items: Lacks salt, even with a splash of ponzu sauce

Take note that the items in this station generally lack salt.

La Patisserie

*64% Chocolate Cream: Decadent and rightly sweet

*Carrot Cake: Moist and has pieces of walnuts in it

*Chocolate Cake: Decadent and has texture factor unlike the 64% Chocholate Cream

There’s also chocolate fondue in La Patisserie

*Creme Brulee: Creamy yet light. The custard is so delicious and has a nice burnt sugar layer.

Lemon Meringue Tarts: Too tart and I wished that the crust is more crumbly. The meringue is nice, though.

Pandan Chiffon Cake: On the dry side and has a faint pandan (screwpine) flavor

Pina Colada Verrines with Mango Pineapple Compote: Creamy and has a nice mango flavor

Pistachio & Cherry Choux: Underwhelming

*Strawberry & Vanilla Shortcake: Creamy and its strawberry layer has a nice tartness

Ube Sansrival: Has a nice ube (purple yam) flavor but has no crunchy layer that a Sans Rival (Filipino cake with layers of buttercream, cashews, and meringue) should have. It’s more of a layered cake than a Sans Rival.

L’Ecailler

I’ve tried the clams and mussels from this station but they were underwhelming. There were even crushed shells in it.

L’Epicerie

I’ve tried the different kinds of cheeses and cold cuts from this station. They’re all good appetizers.

North Indian

Butter Naan: Crisp and flaky. But it’s more of a roti than a naan. Also, there were burnt parts on the piece I got.

*Kasoori Chicken Tikka: It’s flavorful, smoky, and tender

Paneer M-something: The cheese is tasteless, doused in a sweet and spicy sauce

This station is a no pork and no lard section.

Peking Duck Oven

*Roasted Duck: Tender

*Roasted Honey Chicken: Tender and nicely sweet

Roasted Pork Belly: Has a crisp and salty skin. It’s also fatty and tender though the bottom layer is on the chewy side.

The Hoisin Sauce makes the meat better!

Rotisserie

*Beef Brisket: Has crisp exterior and tender meat. Just make sure it’s fresh from the oven and it’s drowning in sauce instead of on the side. I like its red wine gravy.

Steam Baskets

*Custard Bun: Rightly sweet

*Kuchay Cake: Has a crisp and mochi-ish wrapper

*Pork Siomai: Juicy and bouncy

Vegetable Dumpling: Not bad. It’s like corn and carrots wrapped in a hakaw wrapper.

Sushi Sashimi

Crispy Salmon Maki: Crunchy!

*Sashimi (Salmon, Tanigue, and Tuna): Fresh and has no fishiness at all

From Left to Right: Tanigue, Tuna, and Salmon Sashimi

I mostly tried the sashimi because the rolls could easily fill me up.

Wood Fired Oven

Plain Cheese Pizza: The cheese is nice but the crust is on the chewy side. I suggest you try with the truffle honey from the L’Epicerie.

I missed the following ateliers: Chocolaterie (I don’t remember trying anything from this station), Churrasco (I think this isn’t included at the lunch buffet), Filipino (nothing got my interest), Korean (I’m not in the mood for it), La Boulangerie (The breads will easily fill me), Salad and Appetizer (I don’t want to stuff myself with greens. LOL.), and Thai (because we recently did a vacation in Thailand and I don’t want to be disappointed; check out my Bangkok Food Trip series starting here). Anyway…

Because we went on my birthday, Spiral gave me a complimentary chocolate cake with a greeting. I still appreciate it even if I can easily get a chocolate cake at La Patisserie. LOL.

I ended my meal with a double shot of Illy espresso. The coffee is good and it’s also unlimited, perfect with dessert.

So is Spiral buffet really good? Yes! The food is generally delicious. As with any buffet, there are hits and misses. But Spiral has way more hits than misses. But I don’t think I’ll be coming back without a discount.

I highly recommend Spiral to you. Just watch out for discounts, especially from credit cards. There’s always a promo anyway.

Have you been at Spiral? What are your favorite items there? Comment below!

Address: Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila, CCP Complex, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City, Metro Manila, Philippines | Operating Hours: Contact Spiral for specific buffet times | Contact No: (02) 8573-5599 | Facebook | Instagram | Website