Engorging myself at Grand Majestic Restaurant

I was invited by Mona Wu (one of the owners of Cebu Graphicstar) the other night to an eat-all-you-can (buffet) dinner at the Grand Majestic Restaurant (telephones 032.253.3087, 231.5876; opens 11 in the morning until 2pm for lunch, 6pm until 10pm for dinner) located at the Cebu Grand Convention Center in Lahug.

I've been to the Grand Majestic many years back when my Chinese friend brought me there. There was no buffet at that time yet but the ambiance is still the same: grand. The place, the service, the people, all of them in grand scale. 

A lot of Chinese eat there and I assumed this is their favorite hangout, although when we were there, there were a bunch of Koreans, a not so-surprising phenomenon because the Koreans are now everywhere.

For only 650 pesos per person, a buffet dinner at the Majestic is worth the price. I saw a poster at the entrance advertising a Peking duck buffet for only 450 pesos at lunch time. Peking duck is not my type. I also saw it during dinner but totally ignored it. Or was it fried chicken?

Their menu is mostly Chinese but there were also Japanese food choices and a lot of seafood, a good and appropriate combination for the Filipinos' taste of food. In fact, most of the menu were Filipinized (suited for the Filipino taste), so to speak. I saw a tray of fried beef adobo which looked really good but I attacked the California maki and some sushi instead since they were lighter and more nutritious, I believe. And my new favorite there- scallops with fresh asparagus- was my first and I loved the crunchy feel of it.

After three return bouts, I sat bloating in the corner and waited for my stomach to settle down for dessert.

At the dessert counter, I ignored the halo-halo despite of the fact that it is one of my favorites and preferred the Gelato Eliseo instead, coming back for the fourth time, sampling each of the flavors of ice cream available, two scoops at a time. I also picked up a piece of mango roll (the waiter told me it was good) but was disappointed with the tikoy-like dessert. The mango was quite sour and the tikoy (that sticky Chinese dessert) coated with coconut was bland. The real mango, fresh and fragrant and some pineapple slices made my dinner. If I would have died that night I am sure I would be in heaven.

With us occupying around three round tables, the place was like a battlefield of hungry attackers. I am sure the waiting staff would be having another tiring day.

Grand Majestic Restaurant has these to brag about: Ordre Mondial des Gourmets' Degustateurs 2007 and Chaine des Rotisseurs 2007. (Whatever those meant, I do not know. LOL)