Medley Buffet by Okada Manila
Okada’s Medley Buffet offers high-end dining and it’s hailed as one of the best buffets in Manila. It’s one of the newer ones too, so if you’re someone who’s looking for a new buffet restaurant to visit, make sure to check this one out.
Okada’s Medley Buffet have 7 food stations. You can have your pick at Filipino or Western dishes. Chinese, Malay/Indian, Japanese, Korean, and Italian is also served.
I went here along with other selected foodies by Zomato PH for the dinner buffet. Here’s my tour and review of Okada’s Medley Buffet!
Ambiance
Okada’s Medley Buffet really feels like a high-end restaurant from the get-go. It’s bright and modern, with ample spaces between stations for an easy flow.
It caters mostly to casino guests and business people. It doesn’t feel as crowded as other buffet restaurants and from what I gather the same can be said on weekends, so that is definitely a huge plus.
Food
As mentioned above, Medley Buffet have 7 stations, which include everything from salads and appetizers to mains and desserts.
We started with their fresh seafood section which includes shrimps, crabs, scallops, and mussels. You can ask for these to be grilled or cooked in garlic butter, Singaporean chili, or salted egg.
I had a plate cooked in buttered garlic sauce. I actually debated between that and salted egg, but I think it’s the safest. The seafood was fresh and the shrimps were huge. However, it wasn’t as good as I expected. I felt like it needed more salt or other seasoning.
Just beside the seafood is a wide selection of sushi and sashimi. In my opinion, this is one of the best sections in Medley Buffet. It’s worth splurging here for this alone.
I usually judge a buffet by the quality of their seafood and the sashimi here were so fresh. The salmon and tuna sashimi are the best I’ve had so far. There are also little plates of tuna tataki and kalawin which are also worth getting.
For the mains, of course I went straight to their carving station. I ordered roast beef in mushroom sauce and rosemary sauce, which was good. I also tried the lechon roll, which was juicy and crispy although it was subpar compared to that in Vikings or Sambo Kojin.
Next is the roasting section that serves roasted chicken, as well as slices of soy chicken, lechon macau, or pork asado. I read online that Medley Buffet also serves peking duck, but I didn’t see one during our visit. I skipped this part because there were other items that took my interest.
The paella is one of the must-try’s in Medley Buffet. The arborio rice was cooked well and there was a generous serving of seafood.
The pasta section serves made-to-order pasta dishes. Mac n’ cheese is the only ready-made pasta there, so it’s the one I ordered. I was trying not to load up too much on carbs, but it looked and tasted yummy!
Next to it is a small section that serves different flavors of fresh oven-bricked pizza.
Another area that I like is the Indian/Malay station. There are different kinds of bread (chapati, roti) and accompanying dishes such as chiken masala, briyani, and other curries. I had roti which tasted the same as the one I used to regularly eat for breakfast in Malaysia. I paired it with corn capsium and it was good. I always enjoy Indian/Malay flavors because of the complex flavors and spices used.
The Chinese station offers different types of dimsum. I particularly like the panda buns, which contain a sweet filling and salted egg. They are not only cute but also yummy! I was hopping for hakaw but there was none.
The cheese and meat cuts section offers a wide selection, which is inviting for cheese lovers. I tried small cuts of blue cheese and other cheeses, but I realized it wasn’t for me. The smell was too strong and pungent. Maybe I should stick with milder flavors next time.
Here are selected photos of other stations.
Let’s go to the dessert. Medley Buffet has the widest selection I’ve seen so far and the quality is also better than most. It’s easy to see that great take has been taken in creating these sugary bites.
There are so many to choose from! There are ice cream, make-your-own halo halo, cakes and custards, sweets like chocolate shards and lollipops, and crepes. There’s also a section for Filipino desserts such as sticky rice and maja cakes.
If you’re conscious about your sugar intake, Medley Buffet also has non-sugar desserts. Fresh fruits are also available.
I had buko pandan and mango sago. Buko pandan is one of my favorite desserts so even though I know there are more expensive options I always make sure to get at least one bowl. I also had matcha cake and a small glass of pumpkin custard, which I find interesting because it tasted like pumpkin soup.
Drinks are also included in the door price. There are different kinds of coffee, tea, juices, and alcoholic drinks such as wine. There is also milk tea!
I had milk tea with pearls. It was surprisingly good, comparable to premium milk tea shops in Manila. The pearls were too soft though, as if overcooked.
I realized that ordering this was a mistake because I was already full from eating and after finishing the whole glass I found it difficult to get up. Treat this as a warning for matakaw people like me.
Red wine. 
Milk tea.
I took several minutes to breathe and then ordered a small kettle of green tea to cap off the dinner.
Final thoughts
One of the first things you’re probably wondering about is how Okada’s Medley Buffet compares to other high-end buffets in Manila. I won’t be able to give an answer because I haven’t been to Spiral or Circles’ Buffet yet, although I’ve read reviewers that says Medley Buffet fares better than Spiral.
Whether it’s worth the price… I think the variety, quality of food, and ambiance/exclusivity makes it worth the money.
Here are the things I like about Medley Buffet:
- Wide selection of food
- Fresh seafood, especially sashimi and tuna
- Large dessert section I’ve seen
- Inclusion of drinks such as wine, beer, and cocktails
The service was great as well. The staff at Medley Buffet was polite, courteous, and quick to deliver requests.
On the downside, I feel like some of their dishes taste-wise can be improved. I was mildly disappointed with our plate of garlic butter seafood which wasn’t flavorful enough for me. Also, there wasn’t any particular item that made a huge impression on me. There was a lot of interesting new dishes you won’t normally see in mid-range buffets, so perhaps this one is on me because I went for my regulars instead of trying out new food. Anyway, this is just my experience.
Medley Buffet is a highly rated buffet restaurant, so I urge you to try it for yourself.
About Medley Buffet
How to get here
There are shuttles servicing people from different parts in Manila to Okada.
If you’re coming from Mall of Asia, you can ride a shuttle that departs every 15-20 minutes.
Rates
Here are the current rates for Okada’s Medley Buffet (Updated as of 2021). Nett per person:
- Breakfast (6AM to 10PM) – P1400
- Lunch (11:30AM to 3PM) – P1850
- Dinner (6PM to 11PM) – P2700
Booking
Walk-ins are allowed. For reservations, you can contact Okada’s Medley Buffet at:
Phone: +632 8555 5799 | email: RestaurantReservation@okadamanila.com | website: Okada Manila
Disclaimer: Thanks Zomato PH for inviting me! As always, thoughts and opinions are my own.
Have you been to Okada’s Medley Buffet? What do you think about it? Let me know in the comments below.
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Katherine Cortes is a 30-something freelance writer/editor. She likes beaches, snorkeling trips, and relaxing staycations (preferably with bath tubs!).
One Comment
Jean
Pwede walk in?