Divan Turkish Cuisine in Kanata is a practical family-dining choice when the table wants generous portions, grilled meats and enough variety for adults and children.
The family platter
We ordered the family platter for two, and it was plentiful enough for three adults and one child. The meats were tender and juicy, while the appetizers worked naturally as additional sides for the grilled platter.
Appetizers
The baba ganoush was acceptable but not especially memorable. The salsuka, however, was one of the best renditions I have had and became a standout part of the meal.
Kid-friendly choices
The children’s selection is not extensive, but it is sufficient. My granddaughter had the pesto, giving families an approachable option beyond the grilled meats.
Service
There was only one staff member managing the front of house during our visit. Given the size of the restaurant, he handled the room efficiently.
Verdict
Divan works particularly well for families or small groups. The family platter offers strong value through generous portions, tender meats and appetizers substantial enough to round out the meal. The salsuka alone deserves special mention.
I wanted to love Olivia’s Fusion Cafe Vino in BF Homes. There were moments of genuine kitchen skill, but they were outweighed by seafood-quality concerns, uneven execution and questionable value.
The bright spots
Kaldereta empanada: The star of the meal, with a flaky, well-seasoned crust and deeply flavourful filling.
Kare-kare chicken: The breaded chicken breast stayed moist beneath crisp, well-seasoned breading. The sweet peanut sauce worked well, and the fried eggplant and vegetables tasted fresh.
The misses
Prawn salad: Oversized pieces of iceberg lettuce made it awkward to eat. More importantly, the prawns had a very mushy texture that made me uncomfortable enough not to continue eating them.
Bagoong rice: Pasty and short on flavour. The kare-kare did not include bagoong, and a side serving costing ₱20 amounted to less than a teaspoon.
Avocado-banana smoothie: So thick that it was difficult to drink.
Atmosphere and verdict
The wine display, multicoloured Nordic chairs and woven chandeliers felt more collected than cohesively “fused.” Despite the excellent empanada and chicken, the prawn texture and sense of being charged for a tiny essential condiment prevent me from recommending this visit. We will not return.
Nabe Unlimited Japanese Hotpot at SM City Bicutan serves good food. The broths are flavourful, the hotpot balls are of commendable quality, and even the rice was better than many comparable unlimited concepts around Metro Manila. Unfortunately, our meal ended with a disputed leftover charge that would prevent me from returning.
Food and early service
Our server initially provided attentive service: iced tea was consistently refilled, our dipping sauce was prepared for us, and tempura sauce arrived without prompting. The add-ons were decent, if not exceptional.
What happened at billing
When no server was available at the end of the meal, I went to the cashier. After a table check, we were told we would be charged leftover fees for two people. I initially complied, but explained that we had ordered only once and had not requested refills.
Reviewing the order slip with our server showed that several items in our pot had not been ordered, including cheese balls, while other items arrived in greater quantities than requested. We had asked for two orders of squid and another striped item but received more pieces than expected.
Verdict
The food is worth acknowledging, but the handling of the disputed charge left the meal on a poor note. Diners should compare what arrives at the table with the order slip before beginning the meal, particularly where leftover penalties apply.
Hoping to find a new Vietnamese favourite in BF Homes, we tried Little Viettown on President’s Avenue. Unfortunately, slow service and an overly salty flavour profile kept the meal from delivering the balance I look for in Vietnamese cooking.
Service
Only one other table was occupied when we arrived, yet no staff member was visible. It took about 15 minutes before someone attended to us.
What we ordered
Rice noodles, spring roll and papaya salad: The produce seemed fresh, but the dressing was extremely salty and lacked the sweet-tangy balance associated with nước chấm.
Pho: The broth was dark, salty and short on aromatic depth. Herbs and garnishes arrived mixed into the bowl, and the serving contained little beef beyond a sliced beef ball.
Grilled chicken: Acceptable flavour, but a small portion for the price.
Banh mi: Pleasant enough, though dominated by bread because the filling was sparse.
Tamarind chicken: Decent, but the flavour did not strongly express tamarind.
Lychee tea: Diluted and lacking flavour.
Value and verdict
The bill was approximately ₱1,450. That was reasonable for the number of dishes, but not for the execution. Vietnamese food depends on a careful balance of salty, sweet, sour and fresh elements; during this visit, salt overwhelmed nearly everything. We will continue looking for our BF Homes Vietnamese gem.
Korean J Grill’s upper-tier unlimited package cost ₱899, plus ₱140 for the advertised USDA ribeye. During our visit, neither the food nor the environment justified that premium positioning.
Food and drinks
“Wagyu” cubes: The texture and flavour reminded us more of unseasoned luncheon meat than wagyu.
Ribeye upgrade: The meat showed little marbling, was not marinated and tasted ordinary rather than premium.
Seafood: The small scallops tasted noticeably fishy.
Buffet trays: Tempura, chicken wings and calamari were rarely available at the same time; trays repeatedly sat empty.
Drinks: Four options were offered, but each tasted like sweetened, coloured water.
Service
The front-of-house area was unattended for about 15 minutes. My son eventually approached the counter for cheese and found several staff members talking. We repeatedly followed up on our second meat order, while lettuce requested at the beginning never arrived despite three reminders.
Atmosphere and verdict
The room was extremely hot—particularly uncomfortable when diners are cooking over tabletop grills. Between the heat, inconsistent replenishment and inattentive service, the “premium” experience did not materialize. We will not return based on this visit.
Nara Thai at Molito looked more promising online than it performed during our lunch. Three of our selected dishes were unavailable, while a dessert that never arrived still appeared on the initial bill.
Payment also became unnecessarily difficult. Staff told us our card had been declined despite the account having more than enough available credit for the transaction.
Verdict
With multiple unavailable dishes, an unserved item appearing on the bill and a frustrating payment process, this visit did not live up to the restaurant’s enticing social-media presentation. The attractive room was not enough to compensate for the food and service problems.
The Alley by Vikings at Ayala Malls Manila Bay has an ingenious food-hall concept, but our lunch was undermined by empty stations, rushed service and several poorly executed dishes.
We arrived at 1:15 p.m. and were told the restaurant would close at 2:30 p.m. Even with more than an hour remaining, the experience already felt as if closing procedures had begun.
Where the visit fell short
Table setup: Placemats overlapped and utensils were hurriedly arranged.
Availability: Several food stations were empty.
Slider burger: The patty was extremely small.
Hao Chi: Getting extra hoisin sauce required unnecessary insistence.
Paella: Loose and lacking the expected texture and richness.
Roast beef: Dry and very tough.
Timing: At 1:42 p.m., a waiter reached for my plate while I was still eating. Checks began arriving around 1:43 p.m., nearly 45 minutes before the stated closing time.
A service bright spot
Jenny at the tempura station cooked a fresh serving and later offered bibingka and puto bumbong. Her initiative and attentiveness stood out and helped salvage part of the meal.
Verdict
The concept has real potential, but this visit needed better replenishment, food execution and service consistency. Jenny’s effort deserves credit; the broader experience did not meet expectations.
Route 95 Diner in Makati offers strong value and notably warm hospitality. The ₱899 all-you-can-eat platter is attractive for families, although two cooking issues kept our meal from reaching five-star territory.
Highlights
Service: Friendly, attentive staff made us feel welcome from arrival.
Value: The unlimited platter delivered a substantial meal for the price.
Burger and fries: My son enjoyed the Route 95 burger, while the fries were perfectly seasoned and one of the most dependable items we tried.
Room for improvement
Salisbury steak: Bland, with a noticeable gamey aftertaste.
Chicken: My husband’s serving was undercooked and should have remained on the grill longer.
Unlimited ice cream: Available for an additional ₱100, but the quality did not justify the upgrade for us.
Verdict
Despite the steak and chicken problems, excellent service and the value of the ₱899 platter make Route 95 a worthwhile family option. I would return for the hospitality, burger and fries—while being more selective with the grill items.
Lido Cocina Tsina in Better Living delivered several dishes worth returning for, along with a few that are better approached cautiously.
Must-orders
Chinese asado: Smoky, rich and deeply flavourful. It immediately reminded me of Texas Roadhouse and was the standout of the meal.
Shrimp balls: Packed with shrimp, with very little filler and a satisfying crunch.
Salt-and-pepper squid: Tender squid beneath a light, crisp coating that complemented rather than overwhelmed it.
Neutral
Chicken feet: Decent but not memorable. Serving them on a regular plate rather than in a bamboo basket also took away from the dim sum experience.
Creamy leche flan: Smooth and well balanced, although ₱195 felt steep for a serving roughly 2.5 inches in diameter.
Skip or approach cautiously
Chami: Bland and lacking depth.
Mango-gelo: The mango did not taste fresh, the gelo had little flavour, and the components never came together.
Eight Treasure Soup: The flavour and portion were good, but the tofu tasted sour on two servings. The staff promptly replaced the first bowl; after the same issue recurred, I chose not to request another.
Verdict
I shall return. The Chinese asado, shrimp balls and salt-and-pepper squid outweighed the misses, while the staff handled the reported soup problem promptly.
International Buffet—also known as Buffet des Continents—was once a more animated and efficient part of my dining rotation. On this recent lunch visit with my granddaughter, the restaurant felt noticeably slower than I remembered from its earlier years. Even so, its enormous range of food and theatrical European-inspired setting still make it an easy outing for families, particularly when children are part of the plan.
A Tour of the Buffet
The décor leads diners through stylized European scenes, from colourful storefront façades to grand staircases. The room was clean and well maintained during our visit. Chairs looked polished, tables had been thoroughly wiped down, and there was none of the sticky residue that can make a buffet meal feel less appealing from the outset.
The buffet is arranged in successive stations. The Japanese section is focused mainly on rolls, followed by a soup-and-salad bar with green vegetables and several prepared salads. The beet salad was a pleasant surprise: fresh-tasting, well seasoned, and one of the better cold options on offer.
Vegetables, noodles, and the nicely seasoned beet salad.
The breakfast section offers a practical balance of proteins and carbohydrates. The Italian station comes next. Skip the spaghetti with marinara sauce, which was not a highlight, but make room for the lasagna. It was creamy, cheesy, and satisfying in the uncomplicated way that buffet lasagna should be.
The spaghetti with marinara sauce was not a highlight.
The Chinese station serves familiar Chinese-Canadian favourites, including spring rolls, egg rolls, noodles, chicken balls, and more. Nothing aims to be especially adventurous, but the selection does a respectable job of satisfying a Chinese-food craving. The row of pizzas that follows is best skipped.
At the carving station, the pork roast and smoked meat stood out as very good. The Angus beef, however, was dry. Three soups were available during our visit, and the wonton soup was a welcome exception to buffet heaviness: its broth was light, soothing, and easy on the stomach.
Light, soothing wonton soup.Smoked meat and pork roast were among the strongest choices.
Dessert and the Family Factor
Dessert options were extensive. The cakes were dry, but the ice cream was pleasantly restrained rather than overwhelmingly sweet. Brightly coloured gelatin desserts were especially inviting to children, and the fruit station offered a good variety.
A colourful assortment of desserts.
One downside is the washroom, which felt more like one at a busy big-box store than part of a dining experience. It is an area the restaurant could improve substantially.
Verdict
International Buffet is no longer quite as lively or efficient as I remember it, and quality varies sharply from one station to the next. Still, there are enough worthwhile dishes—especially the beet salad, lasagna, pork roast, smoked meat, and wonton soup—to make a visit enjoyable. Its sheer variety, playful décor, and child-friendly dessert selection remain its strongest assets for family dining.
I plan to return on a weekend to try the all-you-can-eat crab offering.
What to Choose
Best choices: beet salad, lasagna, pork roast, smoked meat, and wonton soup.
Better to skip: spaghetti with marinara sauce, pizza, dry Angus beef, and dry cakes.
