January 23, 2025

Lunch Buffet at NIU by Vikings SM Aura

We’ve been to different travel expos already but this was our first “Great BDO Travel Sale” experience. Actually, I had no plans of going to this event because I knew that I can book online pero nagpasama si hubby and since wala naman ako gagawin, sinamahan ko na. 

While we were waiting for our number to be called, we were busy checking flyers and watching ads on the screen. Then we saw the “30% Off Dining Feast Promo” of BDO. My husband told me na kakain daw kami sa NIU after magpabook. 

"From January 9-12, 2025, 30% off to CIBO, Greyhound Cafe, NIU by Vikings, Paper Moon Cafe, and The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Minimum purchase requirements, maximum discount, and qualified cards vary per restaurant."


Funny story, sa bahay pa lang sinasabi na niya sa akin, samahan mo na ko tapos date tayo sa NIU and I told him “Diet nga ko tapos buffet na naman”. Pero after namin magpabook, nagutom talaga ko sa pila so nagbuffet talaga kami kasi sayang ang 30% off. #marupok Hehehe! 

My husband knew na matagal ko ng gustong kumain dito kaso ang layo naman kasi and bihira kami sa SM Aura. Imagine, NIU by Vikings has been around since October 2014 so more than a decade di ba, bago ako nakakain. Well, my husband tried this restaurant for the nth time because of company events or celebrations and always positive ang reviews niya dito.

Anyway, based on my research, I found out that NIU means nine in Old Norse or Old Icelandic Word. NIU has nine different stations serving a variety of dishes that range from Chinese, French, Italian, Japanese, and Mediterranean cuisines. NIU by Viking is located on the highest floor of SM Aura so you feel like you are on a cloud nine. Oh di ba, puro may nine talaga. 

Lunch at NIU by Vikings 

We did not stay long at “The Great BDO Travel Sale” event because we were already hungry so after we booked my husband’s plane ticket, we went straight to NIU by Vikings restaurant. Since I’ve been to other buffet restaurants already, iba nga yung feeling sa NIU by Vikings, parang hotel yung setting.



In less than 5 minutes, the staff put a wristband on our wrists and ushered us to our table. No table number and the staff just wrote our table number on the placemat just in case we wanted to order something. 

When I saw the buffet spread, I felt overwhelmed, ang daming choices and hindi ko nga alam kung saan ako mag-uumpisa. Parang mas marami pa buffet spread nila kaysa sa Seasonal Tastes. Although, mas marami tao sa NIU, so depende sa inyo kung more food or less crowd. 










Overall, sulit ang pagbuffet ko. Naenjoy ko yung tempura station, meat station, and dessert station. Good food and good service. I hope magkapromo ulit para makabalik. 




Check below some of the Viking Group Restaurants that we tried in the past. 


NIU by Vikings Promo 

Celebrants Eat for Free 

Bring 1 full-paying adult on the day of your birthday. Bring 4 full-paying adults on any day within your birthday month. 

Celebrate Big! Up to 30% off. 

Discounts will depend on the day and number of guests. Available Weekday Lunch only. Not valid on Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Valentine’s Day, or holidays. 

NIU by Vikings - SM Aura Buffet Rates 

Weekday Lunch 

PHP1,138 - Adult 
PHP438 - Kids 3-4ft/4-7 years old 
PHP748 - Kids 4’1 - 4’6 ft/ 8-10 years old 

Weekday Dinner/Weekend Holidays 

PHP1658 - Adult 
PHP538 - Kids 3-4ft/4-7 years old 
PHP848 - Kids 4’1 - 4’6 ft/ 8-10 years old 

NIU By Vikings 
6/F SM Aura Premier, 
26th Street corner McKinley Parkway, 
Bonifacio Global City 
Contact: 478-3888, 0917-586-6888, 0919-999-6888 

Open Daily 

11AM to 2:30PM 
5:30PM to 10:30PM
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January 22, 2025

Lunch Buffet at Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico

 A few months ago, my friend invited me for a lunch get-together and told me na ako na bahala sa venue kasi for sure daw pupunta na ako. Hehehe! It’s been a long time since I attended our org-get-together. Since we did not have any travel plans last Christmas Break, I said yes. 

Eight years ago, I suggested Hogs and Cattle Steakhouse and for our recent get-together, I suggested Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico so we could stay for 3 hours. This buffet restaurant started in 2013 pa, ganun na siya katagal but as usual, kapag nasa probinsiya, hindi natatry agad. Actually, I forgot about this restaurant, naalala ko na lang siya nung nagyaya yung college friend ko nung last get-together. namin.

Since we are a group of 16 people, we needed to make a reservation. I checked their calendar on their website pero walang weekend. Magchange na sana kami ng venue, good thing my friend called the restaurant and was able to reserve. To confirm the reservation, a 50% downpayment is required via instapay or bank deposit. 



Fast forward to our get-together, we left early para iwas traffic but surprisingly, walang traffic so ang aga tuloy namin. Quarter to 11AM, the staff announced na pwede na daw pumasok yung mga may reservation and they opened the buffet table 5 minutes before 11AM. For our group, two separate tables kami. Okay sana kung nasa isang room. 



Anyway, you need to wear a face mask before going to the buffet table and this is a managed buffet pala so kailangan ko pa sabihan na konti lang ang ilagay. Take note of the “Clean Plate Policy” - PHP100 for every 100-gram leftover. 


Late ako sa pagpila so hindi ko nakunan ng maayos yung buffet. My personal favorites sa buffet spread are kare-kare, lechon belly, shrimp, honey glazed ham, and yung dessert station.








My friend paid for our get-together meals but looking at the buffet rate, I can say that it is budget-friendly compared to other buffet restaurants so it is not surprising na marami talaga kumakain. 

Guevarra’s by Chef Laudico 
87 P. Guevarra Street cor Argonne St. 
1500 San Juan, Philippines 
0998 881 3200 
guevarrassales@gmail.com 

Business Hours and Buffet Rate: (Daily) 

Lunch 11AM to 2PM = P879 
Maagang Salu-Salo 5PM to 7PM = P799 
Dinner 7:30PM to 10:30PM = P879 
Weekend Late Lunch 2:30PM to 4:30PM = P799 
Weekend Breakfast 7:30AM to 10AM = P599 

Delivery (Daily) 
9:00am - 6:00pm
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January 21, 2025

Chinese New Year Cupcake Topper

After finishing my 3D Nativity Craft Project, I took a break and told myself, sa February na ko mag-craft. Napagod ako kakagawa ng Christmas craft projects but I spoke too soon, hindi ko pala kaya. hehehe!

I have so many Valentine’s craft projects that I wanted to do pero mas mauuna yung Chinese New Year so yesterday, I made these Chinese New Year Cupcake Toppers using glitter, foil, and smooth cardstock. 


The SVG files are from the Bearly Art website. At first, I wanted to make a wall decor but I had so many paper scraps so I decided to make a cupcake topper instead. 


This was my Lunar New Year entry for Bee Happy Crafts Weeklies 4 and Cricut Philippines Flex It Friday.
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January 17, 2025

Christmas Breakfast Buffet at Goji Kitchen + Bar

We usually go to Tagaytay for our Christmas Breakfast but for a change, we had a Christmas Staycation at Clark Marriott Hotel. We only used our Marriott Bonvoy points for our accommodation so breakfast is not included. 

Upon check-in, the staff informed us that we could avail of the Breakfast Buffet at PHP1200/per person, kasi kapag sa restaurant PHP2,100 daw ang rate. At that time, I had no idea about their rates but as of this writing, I checked their page and saw their lunch and dinner buffet rate so okay na naman pala yung rate ng breakfast for check-in guests. 

Buffet Lunch: ₱3,295 
Dinner Buffet: ₱3,595 



Goji Kitchen + Bar is an all-day buffet at Clark Marriott Hotel. The buffet restaurant has a live kitchen so you can see how they prepare the dishes. We went to the restaurant around 7AM and I thought mga tulog pa yung mga guest pero marami na pala nagbrebreakfast. Hehehe! I gave our Breakfast Vouchers and the staff assisted us to our table.



I browsed each station and marami rin naman choices like bread, soup, noodles, dim sum, rice meal, salad, fruits etc. 







May Filipino Station din. 


For drinks, I ordered Hot Chocolate kaso hindi ko type yung chocolate nila. Buti na lang marami pa options like juices and shakes. 


Nagserve din ng turon yung staff and masarap ito. Hindi ko lang alam kung saan station oorder kasi wala ako nung binigay sa table, kulang tuloy ng isa. Buti na lang hindi mahilig anak ko sa turon kaya ako kumain. Hehehe!


Same with Wu Xing Chinese Restaurant, okay ang service ng mga staff dito. Nakapagpaslice pa nga kami ng mango. May naexperience kami sa ibang hotel na yung foreigner binigyan ng platter of mango pero nung kami humingi, for display lang daw. Waah! 


Anyway, we were done eating in less than an hour so we went back to our room na. 

Goji Kitchen + Bar 

Open Daily 
6:00 AM-10:30 AM 
12:00 PM-2:30 PM 
5:30 PM-10:30 PM 

Lobby Level of Clark Marriott Hotel 5398 
Manuel A. Roxas Highway Clark Freeport Zone, 
Mabalacat, Pampanga, 2023, Philippines
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January 15, 2025

Lunch at Wu Xing Chinese Restaurant by Clark Marriott Hotel

This is the continuation of our Christmas Staycation at Clark Marriott Hotel. As promised I will share our experience at Wu Xing Chinese Restaurant and Goji Kitchen + Bar. Let me start with our lunch at Wu Xing. 

Since we booked our staycation a week before our trip, I had no time to research the hotel amenities and must-try restaurants in Clark Pampanga. So after check in I spent my time searching, browsing, and reading reviews. Fortunately, Clark Marriott Hotel has so many dining options: the hotel offers Goji Kitchen + Bar, Smoki Moto, Wu Xing, The Lounge, Urban Coffee, Pool Bar and Noodle Inc.

Among the restaurants, we wanted to try Goji Kitchen + Bar, Wu Xing, and Smoki Moto. Speaking of Wu Xing, as per my research, this is the first Wu Xing in the Philippines, serving traditional Chinese and Cantonese cuisine and authentic Peking Duck. Wu Xing’s cuisine is all about the flavors reflecting the five elements - wood, fire, earth, water, and metal.

Three years ago, they started operating in Clark Marriott Hotel and because of that, this hotel became a dining destination too. All the reviews I read online were positive, so I was excited to eat our lunch.


I checked their online menu and Facebook page and chose between Wu Xing’s Emperor Feast and Yum Cha Feast. 

Wu Xing's Emperor Feast is designed for a family of 3 to 4 persons and inclusive of one round of iced tea. 

Feast I for PHP4,400+ 

Siu Mai, Pork Dumplings (4 pieces) 
Crispy Fried Enoki Mushroom 
Roasted Pork Belly 
Deep-fried shrimp with Salted Egg 
Kai Lan or Wok-Fried Choi Sam with Garlic 
Kung Pao Chicken 
Yeung Chow Style Fried Rice 

Feast II for Php 5,400+ 

Sichuan Chicken with Chili Oil Sauce 
Honey Glazed Barbecue Pork 
Wok-fried scallop with XO Sauce 
US Beef Tenderloin with Black Pepper Sauce & Broccoli 
Fried Rice Sakura Shrimp, Pork Belly, Soy Sauce 
Wok-fried Noodles with Assorted Meat and Vegetables 

Yum Cha Feast (Mon to Thurs 11:30 - 2:30PM) 

"Explore a tempting selection of steamed, fried, and specialty dishes, perfect for weekday indulgence." Inclusive of complimentary glass of Clark Blend Iced Tea 

Monday to Thurs: 11:30AP to 2:30PM

PHP1500+ Adults 
PHP750 + Kids 

Sa totoo lang, nagugutom na ko while reading the menu and looking at the pictures kaya 10:30AM pa lang lumabas na kami ng room. We also checked the restaurants of other hotels but we still went back to Wu Xing because my husband already made a reservation. 

Opening time is 11:30AM pero siguro nakita nung staff na ang tagal na namin nakatayo sa labas ng restaurant kaya pinapasok na kami ng 11:20AM. Ayaw na namin kasi mag-ikot pa. Hehehe! 


Upon entering, the staff asked if we had a reservation and then ushered us to our table. He handed us the menu and I asked about the Emperor’s Feast. The staff said, hindi po available today yung Emperor’s Feast, Yum Cha Feast, and any other credit card promos. Toink! 


Excited pa naman ako sa food trip ko kaso wala pala yung mga feasts and 20% off credit card promo. Huhuhu! Ang alam ko kasi until December 31, 2024 ang promo, hindi ko nabasa na may except holiday na condition. 

Anyway, we ordered Shanghai Style Pork Xiao Long Bao PHP830, Deep Fried Shrimp with Salted Egg PHP990, Yeung Chow Fried Rice PHP770, Roasted Pork Belly PHP1140, and Macau Style baked Egg Tart PHP490 + Service Charge. 



After several minutes, they served the complimentary chips and tea. Since we are the first diners, ang bilis lang dumating ng order. 




Ang dami nung Yeung Chow Fried Rice, hindi ko nakunan agad kasi yung staff, naglagay na siya ng rice namin per bowl. 


Kahit gutom kami, hindi din namin naubos yung order so take-out na lang yung iba pero we still have room for dessert. hehehe! Napaisip nga ako, kung available yung feast, for sure ang dami namin leftover din. 


After trying their food, I am not surprised why this restaurant is the number 1 Chinese restaurant in Luzon. The dishes are expensive but I am happy because it is worth the splurge. In addition, the service is good, ramdam mo na masaya sila na magserve. 

For sure, I will revisit this restaurant in the future but I will make sure na available yung feast or promo so I can try more dishes. 

Business Hours: 
Lunch: Daily from 11:30AM to 2:30PM 
Dinner: Daily from 5:30PM to 10:30PM 

Wu Xing Chinese Restaurant 
Lobby Level, Clark Marriott Hotel 
5400 Manuel A. Roxas Highway,
Clark Freeport Zone Mabalacat City, 
Pampanga, Philippines
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