Cathy and I had the pleasure of meeting up with friends at Mario’s Restaurant in Quezon City to sample their delicious Sunday brunch buffet. The spread was one of the best buffets in Manila I’ve ever had, thanks to the following:

1) A mouthwatering cochinillo. Cochinillo is basically a roasted suckling piglet done to crispy perfection. Served with a variety of sauces, including the traditional Filipino lechon sarsa, this was the highlight of the buffet.

2) The dessert spread. I kept returning to the dessert spread even before the appetizers, thanks to the unbeatable dessert troika of an unbelievable chocolate fountain that one could dip several goodies into, including marshmallows and pretzels; an impeccable bread pudding whose delightful sweetness and cold temperature, I kid you not, makes it one of the best desserts I’ve ever had despite its criminally boring name, and Mario’s signature canonigo, which was irresistibly light and wonderfully sweet without being cloying.

3) Oysters Rockefeller. Cathy and I love oysters, and we’ve had oysters at some of the places that tout themselves as the best oyster places in town, including Rockefeller and Via Mare’s Oyster Bar. Compared to the oysters at Mario’s Restaurant Tomas Morato, forget it. No contest. Some of the best oysters in town. (Well, Capisce along Meralco Avenue also has some pretty awesome oysters in their selection.)

4) Potato balls! I didn’t think I’d enjoy these babies so much, but OH MY SWEET LORD, this must be what heaven takes like! Not oily at all, with the right mix of butter and cheese and… ahhhhhh.

Mario’s Quezon City is located at Tomas Morato corner Scout Gandia in Quezon City. Contact numbers are 415-3887 or 372-0360. Do go! It’s so worth it, at PHP475/head.

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