The Café, Hyatt Regency Manila’s buffet restaurant, has resumed its lunch and dinner services, offering well-loved dishes that diners used to enjoy pre-pandemic, as well as innovative items such as the croffle – a playful dessert execution available only at City of Dreams.
“The Café reopened in 2022, offering buffet breakfast with free-flowing coffee, tea and juices that cater to both hotel staying guests and the public,” said Chad Ogden, City of Dreams Manila Director of Food and Beverage Operations.
“[But] there was a clamor to bring back the lunch and dinner buffet, and with the business level back nearly to pre-pandemic level, it was timely to revive the well-loved buffets at The Café, known for the quality of both local and international cuisines offered,” he added.
Ogden said the menu “evolves to continually offer new experiences, especially to returning guests.”
“We’ve enhanced our buffet offerings by infusing sustainable attributes such as the serving of 100% Filipino coffee and sustainably sourced local vegetable and seafood produce,” he said.
There are new chefs on board, too.
“Not to be missed are the noodles and other Asian-inspired dishes, which are recipes of our Malaysian chef who helms The Café and previously, our contemporary Southeast Asian bistro Red Ginger. The laksa, for example, is easily one of the buffet favorites,” Ogden said.
Warm and flavorful, the laksa noodle soup served at The Café does not shy away from bold, authentic flavors of the coconut-curry base, with a generous serving of fishcakes, prawns, tofu, and hard-boiled egg, among others.
Unique creations of Executive Pastry Chef Hoon Sung are also showcased on the buffet, such as the “croffle” or a croissant-waffle which is achieved by cooking croissant dough in a waffle maker.
“This is quite popular in South Korea and in Japan. Best served hot, the flakiness of the croffle pairs well with ice cream, fresh fruits, and compotes,” Hoon said in a separate interview.
While mainly a dessert item, Hoon said he is open to experimenting with savory flavors, such as cream cheese paired with bacon or smoked salmon.
Well-loved items in the buffet pre-pandemic are also present in the current spread, Ogden said.
“Our selection of seafood that can be requested cooked a la minute in garlic butter sauce and the pastas cooked into the guests’ choice of sauce and accompaniments, the Japanese corner of sushi and sashimi, and the roast carving at dinner are some of the dishes we’ve brought back,” he said.
“We are seeing an influx of guests returning to our restaurants. And with guests clamoring for the return of our full buffet offerings, they can expect different menu cycles which will give them a different dining experience each time they get back,” Ogden added.
The Café’s buffets are offered at P2,350 net for dinner; P1,250 net for lunch, and P1,150 net for breakfast. The breakfast rate is inclusive of free-flowing coffee and tea, while free-flowing juices, local draft beer, red and white house wines are included on the dinner and lunch rates.
With modern interiors and high ceilings, the Café offers a range of seating options with a maximum capacity of 345 guests. Two private dining rooms that each seat 10 guests are also available.
(For inquiries and reservations, call 8691-1234 local 1163 or 8800-8080, or e-mail [email protected]. For more information, visit www.cityofdreamsmanila.com. Explore more of City of Dreams Manila’s promotional offers, rewards, or instantly check Melco Club points with the new Melco Club App, available for free download on iOS and Android.)