Dinner Buffet in Spectrum of Fairmont Hotel, Makati
For years, I've been wanting to blog about the Spectrum of Fairmont. I dined here once or twice already, but I kept on forgetting my camera. Fortunately, this restaurant was unanimously chosen as the venue for the mini reunion of our team (back when I was still with SGV). In this blog post, I'll be sharing snippets of the story, the venue and the food.
Introverted classiness
Spectrum appeals to the introverted side of myself. The interior is illuminated with dim lights, and shadows cast upon parts of the place. It feels like a sanctuary -- a place where you want to be in when you feel scared or alone. The dimness/darkness gives it a sense of ironic comfort, and I found elegance in that. I strolled around the place basking in quietness and for a brief moment, I was able to pause for a while and reflect. Hence, if you feel like "retreating" and you have excess budget to spare, you'll find comfort here.
After minutes of pondering and appreciating the interior, my friends arrived in bulk, and the peace in the place suddenly broke -- but definitely in very good way. It was bittersweet reminiscing all our memories -- good and bad. We were enjoying the catch up, until we felt grumbling in our stomachs. Hence, we temporarily cut short the excitement and began with our feast.
Dividing buffet into course-like manner
It's my habit to break down my buffet experience by dividing it into parts, and normally I start off with salad and cheese. No other way but healthy (well, at least I try to be). This being said, I’m usually the kind of guy who doesn’t mind making several trips. In fact, I prefer this, so that in a way, I am creating a notion that I’m having a 4-6 course meal.
Salad and Appetizers - start 'em light
For the salad (photo above), I chose some fresh lettuce, walnuts and cherry tomatoes drizzled with raspberry vinaigrette. Then, I combined some items from the Cheese selection to further gear up my salad. Isn't my plate a marvel?
In fairness, I really loved my starter. The salad was fresh, the dressing was amazing and the cheese selection was pure awesome. By the way, there are also dried sausages and meat in this section, but I decided to skip it. Not really a fan of preserved/dried meat. Anyway, I still took pictures for reference and visualization.
Japanese Corner - sushi and sashimi
After the salad, I proceeded some Japanese appetizers, but before that let me back track a bit. Right before I got here in Spectrum, I was very giddy since I was very much in a mood for sashimi. However, when I initially browsed through what's on the spread, I got slightly disappointed not seeing any raw treats. That was until I learned that the sashimi are by request. So, just approach any of the chefs near the sushi area, and they'll give a fresh serving.
For this, I got a few serving of the Salmon Ceviche, two sushi rolls and a handful of salmon sashimi. I usually want my plate to be visually enticing, which also explains why I split the refills by parts. Also, personalizing my plate enhances my perception of the food. Too bad it was a bit sloppy due to the juice of ceviche. Still, overall, I’m happy with my plating.
Main event - seafood indulgence and hearty carvings
After being satisfied with the sushi rolls and sashimi, I proceeded with the grillables which include the seafood and the meat carvings. I usually lump them all in this part for my “main plate”. However, there are cases when I feel moody, so I still split this part into two.
A little smile can make someone's day
Although not all of the chefs and servers in Spectrum appear to be very approachable, there were some who really showed genuine warmth, and truly admire those you provide service with such zeal. Below is a photo of the chef who gladly made sure of keeping my palate satisfied. She also prepared my pasta with such fervor, and the quality very much reflected that.
Freshly cooked pasta -- buon appetito!
Funny enough, even up to this moment, I haven’t made up my mind up yet on whether the pesto improved the overall taste or not. This “puzzle” however definitely made this pasta stick out.
Sweet nothings
Alas, we have come to the part where most of us are excited about - desserts. Yet, unfortunately, there wasn’t a ton of selection. If you are into a wide variety of desserts, be prepared to be slightly downed. Still, they got all the basics covered up. So if you are not in a mood to be picky, the desserts shall do ‘em for you.
Here are some of the items that were on the spread during that night. First off, we have this nuts covered in cocoa powder. Classic, if you will ask me.
There were also nicely decorated puffs, which I didn’t try since my eyes were on something else.
Interestingly, you can use your creativity to come up with a dessert you may call your own. You can even create your own here by using the ice cream as base, and adding some garnishes.
A night of conversation and good laughs
We finished pigging out at about 9:00 PM, but we used the rest of the evening to catch up with the latest happenings from each other. Some of us resigned already (including me) and there were a handful of others too, but there's a bunch who are still with the company.
Though things might be different already, it felt magical that night. It was as if we time-traveled back to when we were all under a single team. It was completely refreshing, nostalgic and memorable. I'm definitely looking forward to more of this in the future.
To end this post, here’s our “class picture” together, and I’m sharing this to seal the great memories we reminisced and continued building that night. You were awesome guys!
Though things might be different already, it felt magical that night. It was as if we time-traveled back to when we were all under a single team. It was completely refreshing, nostalgic and memorable. I'm definitely looking forward to more of this in the future.
To end this post, here’s our “class picture” together, and I’m sharing this to seal the great memories we reminisced and continued building that night. You were awesome guys!
Spectrum - In a Nutshell
Note: Unshaded stars are equivalents of half-stars. The ratings apply solely to this dining experience.
Place ★★★★★
Taste ★★★☆
Variety ★★★☆
Service ★★★★
Budget: P2,380 each for a dinner buffet per person (use credit card promos to get 50% off)
No. of visits for this particular restaurant/branch - 1 || Date of last visit - July 9, 2018
Spectrum captivated me with its sanctuary-like interior and ambiance. It felt like a home away from the noises of the busy working world. For that, I’m giving it a full recommendation. As for the rest, I would say that they’ve almost reached my expectation. There were some interesting dishes, but nothing really stood out that can “define” Spectrum (other than the ambiance of course, hands down). Service was also okay, but I was looking for that extra-mile warmth that would make me more at home and welcomed. Hence, overall the experience was fine. Oh by the way, I loved the beef, lamb and pasta. In a nutshell, I’d still give this a try, maybe the lunch or maybe for a themed-dinner?
Of course, all of these are just my personal insights as a foodie, and I’d like to hear yours too.
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Spectrum
Location: 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue Corner, Makati
Contact No.: (02) 795 1840
