You see it does not have a good visibility as its signage is only a small tarpaulin that is usually blocked by parking cars.

Good thing it has a good landmark which is the Masjid Al-Dahab or the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, Manila.





Food

♥ Paratha + Sweetened Milk (25 php)

Unfortunately, we were planned to have a meal elsewhere so we only had a light snack here.  We had this comforting hot, soft and chewy Paratha + Sweetened Milk for an affordable price of 25 php.  It was quite satisfying!

♥ Lassi (40 php)

We also tried its Lassi which was so refreshing against the hot weather.  

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Arab Asian Resto Cafe serves affordable, halal, natural and healthy food and drinks that are worth the try when you are in the area.  We hope to try more of its heavier meals in the future. 

We spotted a new middle eastern restaurant at Harrison Plaza Village Square called Al Dimashqi. 

This joint has been replaced so many times.  But, we never fail to try out whatever sprouts here.

As you can see, there are no local diners here.  That intrigued us even more.  Turns out Al Dimashqi offers authentic Syrian Cuisine.  I don't think we've tried one before.  And, for those who are looking for Halal food, this is one too.

Food

Cold Appetizer

♥ Humus (150 php)

For starters, we began with the Humus that comes with pita bread.  We loved this!  We even ordered an additional pita bread.  I guess we ordered too many so we were forced to take home some.  Unfortunately, it wasn't as good when reheated by toaster though.

♥ Moutable (150 php)

The Moutable is also superb.  Perhaps, I liked this a bit more than their Humus.

♥ Dal Soup (150 php)

To warm up our bellies, we ordered the Dal Soup.  This lentil soup is a must try!

Grilled

♥ Grilled Chicken (150 php)

The Grilled Chicken is unlike anything we've encountered before.  It was pretty good.  The rice that comes with it is a perfect match too.


Budget Meal

Mini Shish Tawook (80 php)

The Mini Shish Tawook  is affordable but the chicken fillet bits were a bit dry.

Mini Kebab (80 php)

The Mini Kebab is just okay.  It wasn't too dry but not remarkably juicy either.
 

♥ Mini Shaqaf (80 php)

Among the budget meals, I'd recommend the Mini Shaqaf.

Sandwich

♥ Falafel Regular (65 php)

Among our orders, the Falafel stood out the most.  I have never been impressed with a falafel except for this.  It had the right crunchiness, softness (but not pasty) and it wasn't oily at all.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I hope Al Dimashqi stays cause I'd certainly go back for its Falafel.  Their pricing is affordable too. 

Cafe Ilang-Ilang is my aunts favorite hotel buffet.  Due to my hectic schedule, I somehow missed every opportunity to try it until last week.

It was a bright setting as its glass windows allowed the sunlight to radiate across it.

Aside from cozy sofa chairs, it also had long table settings for bigger group. 

I noticed that they have an exclusive kitchen for the preparation of halal dishes.  I'm sure many will appreciate this.

Food

Bread Station
Cafe Ilang-Ilang has the most bountiful variation of pastries among all hotel buffets I've been to.  It also has a lot of choices for a spread (i.e. cheese, jams and fruit toppings).

Salads and Cold Cuts Station
I found Cafe Ilang-Ilang's make your own salad section quite enticing.  It had the freshest greens and toppings with lots of dressing to choose from such as Strawberry Vinaigrette, Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Thousand Island Dressing.  There are also prepared salads such as Tofu and Tuna Salad, Seafood Salad and Coleslaw.  I enjoyed the ♥ Caulli-flower Panna Cotta with Truffle, Scallop with Seasonal Salad and Strawberry Vinaigrette and ♥ Smoked Salmon.  Other cold options include Duck Pate, Seafood Terrine and Pork Terrine.

Seafood Station
The Seafood Station is pretty hard to ignore.  There are fresh and large ♥ Oysters which are sweet and succulent just the way I love them.

Japanese Station
The Japanese Station offers Sashimi, Sushi and Maki, Japanese Fried Rice, Chicken Teriyaki, Kani Bacon, Katsu and Tempura.  I'm very happy with their ♥ Sake (Salmon) Sashimi and ♥ Mackarel Sashimi.  I'm also glad to find that ♥ Inari Sushi is available and quite good actually.

Korean Station
There were a lot of fellow Tsinoy diners there.  While I was deciding what to try from the Korean Station, I heard them speak in Chinese that the Korean selections were no good.  That of course, didn't stop me from trying them out.  The ♥ Kimchi Soup was very good.  But, the Beef Bulgogi and Squid Dish needed improvement.  They have a wide range of Ban Chan (Korean side dishes), Sauces and Pastes too.

Chinese Station 
The selections at the Chinese Stations were as bountiful as the rest.  Hot Pot or Shabu-Shabu lovers should rejoice because they have them!  I devoured over the ♥ Peking Duck (you can also have them in wraps) and ♥ Patatim.  I missed trying the Fried Rice and Shrimp Orange Sauce which also looks good.  If those are not enough to fill your belly, the Dimsum Selections are good too especially the ♥ Seafood Taro Puff.

Carving Station

Roasted Sirloin

The Roasted Sirloin is of course, the highlight of the buffet.  No elaboration needed for it right?

Mongolian Station

The Mongolian Station looked very enticing but the my belly doesn't know how to handle it anymore so I had to pass up.

Filipino Station
I usually skip the Filipino Station but not this time.  Cafe Ilang-Ilang's Filipino choices were really good especially the♥  Steamed Lapu-Lapu and ♥ Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baboy sa Gabi at Sampaloc.

Thai Station
I enjoyed every selection in the Thai Station especially the ♥ Chicken with Basil and ♥ Prawn Curry.  But, I missed the Mango Salad.

Middle Eastern Station
For starters, you can try the Hummus Tahini, Mung Salad, Acar Salad and Kachumber.  You can enjoy the dips with their hot ♥ Naan.  But, don't indulge there too much as you have to try their delicious ♥ Samosa, ♥ Yellow Ghul, ♥ Chicken Tikka and Shawarma.  Unfortunately, the Lamb Chops was a bit tough for me.

Italian Station
One of my favorites is the Italian Station because its actually a live cooking station.  You can watch as fresh pizza is cooked from the brick oven.  For appetizers, there's Insalata Caprese Salad and Cold Cuts.  But, what really impressed us is the ♥ Prawn Ravioli with Coconut Sauce and ♥ Lemon Grass and Escargot Risotto (both specialty dishes prepared by their Italian chef) and ♥ Mushroom Pizza.

Grilled Station
There's Grilled Lapu-Lapu, Salmon Marinated in Miso and Shrimp Skewer in the Grilled Station.

Churrasco Station
This is the first time I've encountered a Churrasco Station.  I found the selections quite fun.  There's US Roast Beef Churrasco, ♥ Baby Back Ribs (love this!) and Hungarian Sausages. You can mix and match them with their sauces and toppings: Barbecue Sauce, Habanero Salsa, Chimichurri, Mohlo Campnha, Grilled Onions, Grilled Pineapple and Grilled Asparagus.

Dessert Station 
Seeing all the colors of the beautiful cakes, I thought I was floating in heaven.  There's Biscottini, Macarons: ♥ Ube, ♥ Pistachio, Hazelnut, Blueberry, Strawberry, Coffee and Tiramisu.  The Ube and Pistachio are specialty dishes and based on my experience, you can't go wrong with any of their specialty dishes.  There's a Crepe Station if you're into that.  But, I bet it's the cakes that will surely entice you.  There's Mango Cheesecake, Pistachio Opera Cake, ♥ Black Forest Cake, Carrot Cake, ♥ Ohaina Cake, Chocolate Mousse, Panna Cotta, Creme Brulee and Orange Opera Cake.  I tried all their cakes and every cake that had chocolate in them is a definite must try especially the Black Forest Cake.  I can tell that they use premium rich dark chocolate.   There's also Petit Fours, Cream Puffs, Matcha Chocolate, Baclava, Bibingka, Puto Bumbong, Halo-Halo (with creamy leche flan), Chocolate Fondue, Cookies, Candies, Jellies and Fresh Fruits.   Even if you find the selections quite overwhelming, don't miss the Gelato Station.  The ♥ Pistachio and ♥ Ferrero is a must try!


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Cafe Ilang-Ilang is one of the most expansive hotel buffets I've tried.  To be honest, the only thing that would me back from indulging in it more is the price.  So I'm very glad they have now made it more affordable.