When In Manila, or anywhere else in the world, breakfast is an important meal and a substantial meal can get you right all throughout the day. I consider myself a breakfast junkie and a breakfast buffet is one that can really make or break my day. Since Manila’s most fashionable eatery, Spiral had been highly affected by the typhoon “Pedring” and is under renovation– we dined at LeBar, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel. LeBar is Sofitel‘s outlet that is a combination of a bar, bistro and patisserie. The hotel staff assured me that it still has the same buffet breakfast line that their flagship restaurant Spiral carries.
LeBar is located at the lobby of Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel, same indoor vibe but it blends well with the natural setting. Though it’s relatively small, what am more concerned is their breakfast menu. As expected, LeBar offers an Intercontinental Buffet for breakfast. But knowing myself, I asked and talked to one of their Supervisors. I asked her, “What is it that will make me want to come down at LeBar for breakfast?” or in simplest terms , is there any specific dish that guests keep on coming back for more?
Truth is, I was not expecting an immense choice of breakfast dishes when I got there, since I saw how deeply affected the hotel premises were, but seeing the LeBar breakfast buffet dishes that morning, I think taste of every discerning guest is well catered for.
How can one ignore LeBar ‘s background? It dances well to the fine tune of Sofitel‘s lavish theme. Granite buffet tables, intricately designed sleek walls and the way they adorned it with books made it really luxurious. It somehow evokes a vision of you having your breakfast in an actual museum. So apparently, Sofitel’s LeBar is also tagged as a library!
Masterchefs @ work!
I usually start my day with either pancakes or waffles, but somehow this area beckons a lot of hotels guests to queue and well, I joined in to actually see what was happening in this battle zone corner.
To my surprise, it was the Chinese cuisine that these guests were liking. I tilted my head from left to right and yes, they’re not Chinese..fact is, most of them are Caucasians:) So I headed over to the hot side of the buffet and waited for my teeth to sink in to these. Though I was contemplating at first ’cause my tummy ain’t used to digesting any type of seafood in the morning. There is no way that this LeBar breakfast buffet would make my tummy wail in pain okay:)
I just selected a few items to go into my soup… white noodles with a bit of veggies. Still, I was highly anticipating the taste of this dish. Breaking the monotony of your usual breakfast routine is fun at LeBar! Guess complimentary breakfast buffets are really a breeze, saves you a lot of time to go out and still hunt for a nearby restaurant just to get your breakfast fix right?
I did not pick anything more when I got this soup. I went back to my table as if my life depended on it:) It may not be the best looking soup, but just with this soup? My day was sealed. The piping hot broth was inexplicably tasty sans the hefty seafood items I have asked them to put on it. The ingredients spelled freshness and I was just happy that my tongue did not say hello to Mr. Monosodium Glutamate at all. It’s as if it was cooked in a humble home, served with love from LeBar:)
Another attractive area is the cold buffet as you will find great bagel toppers like rolled smoked/fresh salmon and the handsome cheese variety! Cheese would always be present, as your cold meat would be barren without ’em. I become an easy cheese chatter when you give me this combo. I may not be a “cheesy” expert though haha!
I want my cheese mildly bitter and sweet at times and I was delighted to see St. Nectaire(French cheese) waving his mighty flag at me! If you are opting for vegetable-like bitterness, then this is for you. What I love about is that it turns nutty in the end, and is perfect for sourdough breads, yummmm!
Meet Mr. Tomme de Savoie, a cow’s milk cheese from the French Alps…gotta be one of my favorite cheese. This is low in fat content, perfect for those on diet or vegetarians out there. But what I liked about it is the caramel-like flavor and it’s really creaaammmy. Best pair? Fruits such as pears and almonds!
LeBar has a good choice of cold cuts as well as freshly made breads..you can simply fill yourself up with the cold meats alone. Nicely done arrangement on the breakfast buffet as well. From there you can really see that the cold cuts are of high quality. I sneaked in a slice of salmon, a tad salty but nevertheless yummy!
Don’t you just find the mini jam bottles an eye pleaser on every buffet breakfast spread? They’re perfect for those baked goodies being sold at the Galette, slather on that jam with any pastry of your choice! The choco chip muffin is definitely a keeper! If you’re in the area, do drop by this patisserie at LeBar.
We certainly had a good breakfast buffet fix and left the place suitably full. The items might be limited but it’s also very often that you enjoy it in the end. While waiting for the slated re-launch of Spiral, check out LeBar at Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel…it’s going to be listed as one of your favorite morning escape When In Manila.
Le Bar, Sofitel Philippine Plaza Hotel
Type of cuisine : International
Opening hours : 06:00 – 02:00
Address: CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City 1300 Manila, Philippines
Tel. nos.: (+63)2/5515555, (+63)2/5515610
Website: https://www.sofitelmanila.com/
