Quite a long time ago, I received through an e-mail a list of restaurants in the Philippines that are offering an "eat all you can dining experience". Buffets in many restaurants are increasingly becoming popular these days so much so that we often find it difficult to choose among the many options. Here in the South, there are a number of restaurants that joined this trend. In the Paseo de Sta. Rosa compound, in particular, Poquito Mas and Cabalen compete in luring the hungry crowds. Poquito Mas offers an international lunch buffet on weekdays and Mexican dinner buffet on weekends. Cabalen on the other hand, carries in its name the banner dishes of the province of Pampanga. It offers an assortment of Kapampangan Cuisine cooked in many different ways such as fried, "gata" (cooked in coconut milk), grilled, sauted, fire roasted (e.g. lechon) etc. Likewise, the foods/dishes come in various forms. Fish, vegetables, meat, poultry, some rice delicacies and sweets abound the dining table. Both eat all you can buffets in these restaurants are priced at Php 299 per person exclusive of drinks. You may rate your money's worth based on quantity and quality of the food choices.

Whenever I go for an eat all you can, eat all you want dining experience, I can't help but ask my self a question of how worthy is it for the money and for all the calories at stake. Sometimes, we over stretched our selves just to get all our money's worth. Then later, we deal on the guilty feelings. It is well and good if the experience is really valuable otherwise, we tend to contest the concept of an eat all you can, eat all you want buffets. We feel regretful if in the end it became much of a worry rather than enjoyment. Therefore, it's better if we think first before digging into that bottomless serving trays and plates. Afterall, the consequences matters more than the superficial enjoyment.

I have two mini cookbooks now frequenting our kitchen counter very often. Surprisingly, even my young tots are busy perusing these books, each spotting his/her own choice of food for request. Simultaneously, I hear cute pleads echoing through out the entire house "mommy, gawa ka nito, mommy gusto ko bake ka nito". Later, these culinary petitions made my weekends busily spent in the kitchen.

Shrimp Linguine with Green Olives

I partenered this pasta dish with a yummy Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel Topping. This is a very easy to prepare baked goodie. It has a mild, buttery taste with distinct cinnamon top note. The chunks of cinnamon and nut mixture sprinkled on top of the cake provided an enjoyable texture. Instead of pecan nuts, I subsituted it with our local Pili Nut. It added a good caramelized flavor and creamy, nutty taste. Perfect for an afternoon nibble!

When you run out of a gift idea, home made edible gift such as this is the next best choice. What could be more rewarding than showing your recipient that you went the extra mile by preparing deliciously enjoyable present? Isn't the one especially made for you more heart warming?

I already had a number of posts on the booming complex of Paseo de Sta. Rosa in the South. And like I said, its growth is unstoppable particularly the chain of restaurants to feast into. Very recently, another newbie has arrived. The Fastaurant by Gusto Italiano opened its spacious dining establishment and brought in an assortment of Italian Cuisine in the South. Barely a week old, everything about the restaurant speaks of its infancy in the Paseo de Sta. Rosa household. From the menu card to the ambiance, down to the foods being offered, you can see that most are still in the works. Nonetheless, the basic elements in fine dining are there. It has a very welcoming atmosphere (especially from the owners) and a fairly fast service. Four out of Five Spoons there. On the subject of their Italian fare, my colleagues and I have mixed evaluations.

Generally, we find their food range still quite limited. There are only 3 types of salads and soups to decide on. Fortunately, my personal choice - Zuppa di Funghi (Mushroom Porcini's Soup) did not disappoint. It's tasty, creamy and less earthy, just the way I like it. So, it's a pretty good start with the soup especially with the complementing crunchy and yummy bread that went with it. Minestrone (Assorted Vegetables Soup) is also acceptable but not as satisfying as the former.

Zuppa di Funghi (Php 185)

Insalata Con Pollo (Php 295, sharing size)

Insalata Mista (mixed greens with tomato, carrots, cucumber, mango and grapes; Php 255 sharing size)

For the Pizza, there are a lot to choose from the menu. We had 4 Seasons (vegetariana, fruitti de mare, prosciutto & sardinia) and Frutti de Mare (pomodoro, mozzarella & assorted seafoods). Basically, we find both choices subtle and very mildly flavoured. The taste is not overwhelming which can be good if you're having a complete course of meal. However, if you're used to rich and deeply flavoured pizza, you might find it too short to your preference.

Frutti de Mare (Php 695, 18")

4 Season (Php 695, 18")

Finally for the Pasta, we had the same evaluation as that of the Pizza. Everything is short in character and a bit dry specifically the Rigatoni Forno (Baked Rigatoni in Bolognese Sauce). We're craving for the luscious melange of creamy and juicy flavors in the Bolognese sauce. Nevertheless, the pastas are still acceptable. But like how my colleague had put it, "it's not something explosive" taste wise.

Lasagne Al Forno (Php 355, sharing size)

Gamberetti with Shrimps (we forgot to get the exact name of the dish but this is one of their house specialties worth Php 695)

Rigatoni Forno (Php 295, sharing size)

On the whole, THE FASTAURANT may have fallen short of some of our expectations (judging from the taste experience and the corresponding cost) but I would say that the overall feel is not bad at all. Perhaps I would still consider to get back and try the other available options. I'm still intrigued and I want to see if there are real Italian culinary treasures in their kitchen. On the other hand, if they want to remain competitive in the growing food arena of Paseo de Sta. Rosa, some improvement works have to be considered.