Cafe 1228 by New World Makati Hotel

Cafe 1228 is an eat-all-you-can buffet restaurant by New World Makati Hotel, a five-star accommodation in the metro. It’s one of the buffet restaurants that reopened in 2021 for lunch and dinner hours.

Hali and I went here last year when they offered a 50% discount on select days. We only had to pay P1150 per person nett for the lunch buffet. I realized that I haven’t written about our visit then, so here’s a late review of Cafe 1228 buffet!

Our visit to Cafe 1228

Cafe 1228 features 5 cooking stations with Filipino, Asian, and Western cuisine.

We reserved and paid for our slot for a weekday lunch ahead of time. Upon arrival, a staff led us to a windowside dining table. The interiors of the restaurant isn’t that big compared to other buffet restaurants like Buffet 101, but it’s fine since they are on the high-end market.

I love our seats and the ambiance of the restaurant. A staff also assisted us during our stay and occasionally asked us if we need anything. Service was simply superb.

Now, for the food. They offer a decent variety of dishes that are either heated in induction to keep warm or cooked upon order. My favorite would be the sinigang na salmon.

There is a carving station where you can order steak, sausages, and other meat. We had the steak and it was fine.

The seafood section includes garlic buttered shrimp and crabs. You can also order fresh shrimp, crabs, mussels, and clams to be steamed or grilled. I was disappointed with this station because the cooked shrimps aren’t that tasty and I asked if I could ask for a newly cooked plate and I was told I had to get from the display. Custom orders like cheesy baked mussels aren’t entertained either.

The highlight of Cafe 1228 for me is their Japanese sushi and sashimi section. A chef was on stand by to give fresh slices of tuna and salmon sashimi. Unlike in budget buffets, you don’t have to worry about the stock running out. Their sushi selection is also good. I kept coming back in this station because of how good the sashimi is.

Cafe 1228 also have a dessert section with decadent mini-cakes, sweets, and even Filipino kakanin. For someone who is not into sweets, I really liked the taste and presentation of their cakes, as well as the halo-halo and ice cream. Their desserts are so much better compared to ones like Buffet 101 or Vikings.

For the noodles, I ordered laksa. It was disappointingly bland. I wasn’t sure if they forgot to add salt or seasoning, but it was literally tasteless.

Overall

For me, Cafe 1228 was okay. There is decent food, but to be honest nothing stood out and we couldn’t really remember much of the food. There were also disappointing items like the seafood and the laksa noodles. It was fine for the price that we paid, but I don’t think it’s worth paying the full rate.

Here’s a summary of our experience at Cafe 1228:

Pros:

• Good ambiance
• Impeccable service and attention
• Great selection of sushi and sashimi, good desserts

Cons:

• A lot of food is just so-so.

Please remember this is just my experience. It’s been months since I’d been there and considering the pandemic challenges, there’s a good chance they have improved since then. If you’ve been to Cafe 1228 and like it, I’d like to hear about it in the comments section. 🙂

About Cafe 1228

Cafe 1228 is located at New World Makati Hotel, adjacent to the lobby.

• Schedule: It is open daily from Monday to Sunday for lunch and dinner.
• Rates: (Updated as of 2022) The current Cafe 1228 price is P3000 per person, and P1500 for kids 6-12 years old. You can add beer and wine for P588 per person.

Online reservations and pre-payment are required. You can make reservations via their Facebook.

Have you been to Cafe 1228? What was your experience? Let us know in the comments section below!

What to read next:

Love eating at buffets? Check out these articles:

• Buffet 101
• Marriott Cafe
• Medley Buffet by Okada
• Cafe 1228 by New World Makati Hotel
• Cafe Eight by Crimson Hotel
• Misto at Seda BGC
• The Alley by Vikings
• Ultimate Buffet Guide: The Best Buffet Restaurants in Manila