Eat Like a King at Vikings

January 12, 2013 by jasetiojanco | 3 Comments

There has been a spike in the Metro of restaurants offering buffets. When I was younger, Dad’s was our only choice when we wanted to stuff ourselves silly with food. Sure, there were buffets in hotels but they were usually very expensive. Now, there’s Yakimix, Sambokojin, and of course, Vikings.

Vikings in SM Marikina

Vikings: A Feast from the Sea is one of the newer establishments offering buffet lunch and dinner. They have been making a buzz since they opened their first branch in SM Mall of Asia and people have been on their toes for the opening of their branch in SM Marikina.

One of my good friends was looking for a place to celebrate his birthday in when we saw Vikings Marikina’s promo on Facebook. The celebrant eats free on the day of his birthday as long as the celebrant has at least one paying adult companion. The celebrant must present a valid ID with photo in order to avail of the promo. During weekdays, lunch costs 688 PhP before taxes. The prices goes up to 788 PhP for their weekday dinner and 888 PhP on weekends. Vikings becomes packed so better reserve at least a week ahead of your planned visit. Just drop them a message on Facebook and they’ll put you on their reservation list.

Unlike Sambokojin and Yakimix, there are no grills on the tables in Vikings. I like this because grilling food takes time and effort, not to mention that it makes me smell like barbecue. Also, refillable drinks are already included in the price. Vikings, though its tagline is “A Feast from the Sea”, is not just a seafood buffet. They have other offering as well. A lot of them, actually.

As you enter the restaurant, the huge glass case of desserts greets you. Imagine how giddy I became when I laid my eyes on those glistening goodies!

DESSERTS.

We informed the person attending to us that we made a reservation online. She checked her list and upon seeing my friend’s name, ushered us to a table near the desserts spread. Tempting!

One thing I noticed about Vikings is how packed the place is. It seems that they really maximized the space, making it feel cramped. Imagine, our table is less than a foot away from the table beside us. Too cozy for comfort I must say. To be fair, there were tables for larger groups which looks more spacious. Still, they could have adjusted the layout a little to make everyone feel a little more comfortable.

The place is very big! It’s not wide but it’s very deep. The interior design wasn’t tacky and had a hint of class to it.

Inside Vikings Marikina

Given the sheer number of tables inside, Vikings made the extra effort of putting an identifier to their tables. Smart move, I must say. It would make locating tables much easier for the guests.

Table ID.

So, without much further ado… the food.

Fresh seafood. You can choose which ones you’d like to eat and have it grilled. Yes, you will not be doing the grilling here.

The salad bar. They have many toppings (?) to choose from. The vegetables tasted fresh and the greens were crisp.

Tenderloin, turkey, and grilled lamb. I absolutely loved their grilled lamb!

I wasn’t able to take a lot of photos of the food stations but I guarantee you, there were many to choose from. There’s an area for American, Filipino, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and other cuisines.

As I have mentioned earlier, the price you pay for the buffet already includes refillable drinks. There’s a corner inside Vikings for them. There are many beverages to choose from. Juices, shakes, coffee, tea, and even beer!

Fruit juices.

Beer

Coffee, tea, and frozen smoothies.

I am no buffet-eating expert but I did pace myself when eating. I tried to sample everything then came back for the ones that I found delicious. I felt like a glutton since I frequently went back to the buffet area.

American food. Their pizza was surprisingly good!

Grilled lamb, my favorite! I had it with some cold cuts, tenderloin, and turkey.

So many food! I had to wait to get some Hakaw, people fell in line for them. As soon as they’re out, people would hoard them. Hahaha. Their ribs were on the salty side though.

I am not a big fan of seafood but I found this one delicious. Mmm.

I tried their appetizers. They were okay. I liked their deviled eggs!

I only tried two Japanese rolls. They taste pretty much the same anywhere so I saved some space for other types of food.

And now, it’s time for my favorite part… Desserts! I was really happy with the desserts in Vikings. You’re not just limited to some pastries, cakes, and ice cream. You will be spoiled with the dessert choices there. It’s probably the best dessert spread in a buffet that’s under 1000 PhP.

Chocolate fondue.

Toppings for ice cream and frozen yogurt.

Pastries, lots and lots of them!

They make crepes! Mmm.

Their creme brulee and mango pannacotta were fantastic.

Frozen yogurt.

More desserts.

After acknowledging the fact that I am only human and my tummy could not take in more food, I concluded my eating spree. I felt a tinge of guilt knowing that I was supposed to be on a diet.

I was very happy with my Vikings experience. The only problem I had was that the place felt a little cramped. Other than that, it’s miles ahead of its competition. Good food, good company, what more could I have asked for?

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Vikings: A Feast from the Sea

2F, SM City Marikina

http://www.facebook.com/vikingssmmarikina

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