Cabalen Buffet Sm North Wing Cebu City

[Mr Lee]

My wife and I decided to try this new place that just opened up in SM Mall in the new section (North Wing) right by one of the doors. I give this one not just one thumbs down but 2 thumbs down and two toes down, in other words DO NOT eat there IMO. The food was cold, the choices were few and the best part of the meal was a couple of small bananas they had for desert with some

[Demeter]

My wife and I decided to try this new place that just opened up in SM Mall in the new section (North Wing) right by one of the doors. I give this one not just one thumbs down but 2 thumbs down and two toes down, in other words DO NOT eat there IMO. The food was cold, the choices were few and the best part of the meal was a couple of small bananas they had for desert with some chocolate dipping for the marshmallows and one of the worst parts was that it cost p298 and then we had to buy a drink. While I understand rents are probably high there, surely they could have afforded some warmers to at least keep the food warm and some fans to keep the flies off the food. So all, needless to say they will never see even one peso from us again. To give you all an idea, this place had about one fourth of the food that Royal Concourse had and at least most of the food in RC was kept warm and appeared fresh and the few times we were at RC, I did not see any flies on the food. So RC would be a ten times better deal at half the price IMO or should I say in our opinion since my wife hated it too.

One of my students took me there for dinner one evening. When I saw the Kare-kare, I got excited as I love it. However, my excitement disappeared when I saw that there was no lean meat in it. They had pork and some seafood that was not making the whole course attractive at all. They charged 298.00 because they said lechon was part of the menu but what was left there was the lonely head of the lechon , just the head!!! The dessert was horrible, there were only pineapples and some pudding that I didn't find tasty either. Even if I had money, I would never go back there !!!

[Gold Heart]

My wife and I decided to try this new place that just opened up in SM Mall in the new section (North Wing) right by one of the doors. I give this one not just one thumbs down but 2 thumbs down and two toes down, in other words DO NOT eat there IMO. The food was cold, the choices were few and the best part of the meal was a couple of small bananas they had for desert with some chocolate dipping for the marshmallows and one of the worst parts was that it cost p298 and then we had to buy a drink. While I understand rents are probably high there, surely they could have afforded some warmers to at least keep the food warm and some fans to keep the flies off the food. So all, needless to say they will never see even one peso from us again. To give you all an idea, this place had about one fourth of the food that Royal Concourse had and at least most of the food in RC was kept warm and appeared fresh and the few times we were at RC, I did not see any flies on the food. So RC would be a ten times better deal at half the price IMO or should I say in our opinion since my wife hated it too.

I could have warned you in advance. I had the same observation and experience there. I would not go back. It does seem to draw a lot of people. Not sure why.

[Mr Lee]

My wife and I decided to try this new place that just opened up in SM Mall in the new section (North Wing) right by one of the doors. I give this one not just one thumbs down but 2 thumbs down and two toes down, in other words DO NOT eat there IMO. The food was cold, the choices were few and the best part of the meal was a couple of small bananas they had for desert with some

[Gold Heart]

My wife and I decided to try this new place that just opened up in SM Mall in the new section (North Wing) right by one of the doors. I give this one not just one thumbs down but 2 thumbs down and two toes down, in other words DO NOT eat there IMO. The food was cold, the choices were few and the best part of the meal was a couple of small bananas they had for desert with some chocolate dipping for the marshmallows and one of the worst parts was that it cost p298 and then we had to buy a drink. While I understand rents are probably high there, surely they could have afforded some warmers to at least keep the food warm and some fans to keep the flies off the food. So all, needless to say they will never see even one peso from us again. To give you all an idea, this place had about one fourth of the food that Royal Concourse had and at least most of the food in RC was kept warm and appeared fresh and the few times we were at RC, I did not see any flies on the food. So RC would be a ten times better deal at half the price IMO or should I say in our opinion since my wife hated it too.

I could have warned you in advance. I had the same observation and experience there. I would not go back. It does seem to draw a lot of people. Not sure why.

I believe some Filipinos might be much easier to please but my wife is Filipino and thought the place sucked, so maybe some people like cold food and lack of choices. I did see some people with plates of rice and just a dab of food on them, so maybe they make good white rice. As for you could have warned me, please feel free to write some reviews so I and others do not make these mistakes and all members could also do us all a favor and write some reviews of places you have visited to help us all to know the good and bad places to eat.

The problem with reviews is that food is a matter of taste and people have differences. In additions places change quickly and get worse. I will post some as I remember the places and names. A warning in case you might be considering, Don't go to the Chinese restaurant at the country mall. I'll get the name and write a review.Then I'm still waiting for the Olio event. Wife returns tomorrow (Horray!) and we will be ready when you are.

[Art2ro]

We have a Cabalen Filipino restaurant just across the street from where we live in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and it's usually packed during lunch time! We only go there for lunch as soon as the doors are opened 11.30 am to avoid the crowd and be the first in line to get at the food while it's warm. I'm Filipino, but grew up in the U.S., so I'm not crazy about Filipino Cuisine since I grew on it! My Mom when she was still alive was a darn good cook of any Filipino dishes, I truly miss her cooking! To some Filipinos eating here in Cabalen must like the food since it's always crowded, because it's affordable for P298 "all you can eat" buffet! I don't really care for the majority of their menu items, except for a few I like, like their lechon (roast pig), bean sprout salad, 3 types of rice, and assorted desserts. We always order the bottomless red iced tea P67, because a one canned soda drink for P44 wouldn't be enough for me for lunch. I too, think that their prices for their drinks are outrageous! I too wouldn't recommend this restaurant to foreigners, it just would not be to their liking, unless they like bland and mussy food suitable as goat feed! We only went to Cabalen with some friends for lunch since they invited us for an occasion for their daughter's High school graduation. I'd rather go to Shakey's pizza anytime, which is only a few doors down from Cabalen!TGIF or Tony Roma's in Alabang Town Center would be more to my liking, a 10 oz tender juicy steak with a dozen deep fried shrimp!There's an Outback restaurant there too! That's next on my list!