An Impressive Buffet at Impressions

 Tired of the usual hotel and restaurant buffets, The Spoiled Mummy decided to take the family to a new place that’s been much talked about. So one Sunday, we headed to Resorts World Manila to try one of their new restaurants called Impressions, which has just launched a Sunday Gourmet Brunch menu.

Since its opening, the restaurant has been known for its traditional French cuisine and excellent wine list. On Sundays however, they offer an impressive buffet spread for the Sunday brunch crowd.

The restaurant is headed by Chef Cyrille Soenen, who was the former Executive Chef of Prince Albert at the Hotel Inter-continental Manila and presently, owns a restaurant in Greenhills called Brasserie Cicou.

What is a Sunday Brunch without starting it with a cold glass of bubbly?

 Meanwhile, kids and the “non-alcoholic adults” can choose their own fresh fruit juices.

Most hotel or restaurant buffets I’ve been to, serve fruit juices that are either canned or store-bought; so far, this is the only buffet I know of, that serves drink-as-much-as-you-can freshly squeezed fruit juices!

Cold Cuts Station. Different kinds of Prosciutto, Salami, Chorizo, Lyoner, Pastrami and Pepperoni.

An assortment of Condiments. Cornichons, Cocktail Onions, Olives, Baba Ganoush and Hummus.

Breads, Jams and Honey plus a wide selection of Cheeses. Brie, Roquefort, Parmesan, Feta, Rictotta and Gruyere.

Fresh Oysters – which you can eat as is or have them baked.

Foie Gras Terrine.

 Assortment of Fresh Sushi and Sashimi.

Salmon Roe, Black Caviar and Fresh Uni…is there another place in the Metro that serves these in a buffet spread?

And here, there’s not just one, but two kinds of soup to choose from…

 Roasted Potato and Marjoram with Truffle Oil and French Onion Soup. Definitely, not your typical Cream of Mushroom or Chicken Broth!

Eggs Station. Perfect for those who love Eggs!  You can have it anyway you like it – fried, scrambled, omelette or poached. Of course, The Spoiled Mummy chose to have her all-time fave Sunday Brunch dish, Eggs Benedict. 🙂

More appetizers…Crostinis with different kinds of spreads, Tartlets with assorted toppings and cute little mini Quiche Lorraines.

Meat and Seafood Station. They serve all their meat dishes freshly carved and their seafood freshly grilled. You won’t see a whole line of chafing dishes here (as is common with most buffet spreads) that are filled with cooked meat that has been left for a while; another impressive quality about this buffet. No tough, dry, or worse, cold meat and seafood dishes here.

The impressive list of their Meat and Seafood choices.

A beautiful piece of tender Veal Shank.

Roasted Chicken.

A big, bad, and even more beautiful slab of US Black Angus Prime Rib.

Deliciously Stuffed Turkey.

Honey Barbequed Pork Baby Back Ribs.

Sweet and succulent Farmer’s Ham.

A wide array of sauces for your different kinds of Roasted Meat.

Assortment of Side Dishes and Veggies.

Yorkshire Pudding that is a perfect complement to the Prime Rib.

Everything here is freshly cooked and grilled right in front of you!

Baked Salmon which is always a favorite of The Spoiled Mummy…I like this with no sauce, just a sprinkle of lemon juice on top.

My fresh Oysters from the appetizer section which I had them baked and topped with different kinds of Cheese.

My plate full of Pan Seared Foie Gras with some Salad Greens…yes you can have as many Foie Gras as you want or until as much as your cholesterol can take! 🙂

My Grilled Seafood Platter – Tiger Prawns, Salmon, Seabass and Scallops…where else can you have this fine selection of Seafood in a buffet, all freshly grilled to perfection?

(They also have Blue Marlin, Tuna Belly and Gindara, but unfortunately, they can’t fit on my plate anymore!)

Saving the best for last…here comes the Desserts!

Impression’s Dessert section is headed by their award-winning Chef, Michael Aspiras. He recently won a GOLD Medal award in the recently concluded World Association of Chefs Competition at Daejon, Korea last May 2012. Another impressive asset of the restaurant, don’t you think?

This is probably the reason why the Dessert selection here in Impressions is not your typical “buffet-type mini cheesecakes and tiramisus” –  that either taste bland or just over-loaded with sugar! One can tell that the line-up of the desserts here are well-thought of and the ingredients used are of the top most quality.

Assortment of mini cakes and pastries.

Chocolate Trifle.

Panna Cotta topped with fresh Raspberries.

Strawberry Charlotte.

Mille Feuille.

Truffles, Bonbons and Jellies.

Homemade Gelato with an assortment of toppings. Instead of the usual Ice Cream, they serve Italian-style Gelato.

Apple Crumble.

Mango Chiboust.

Freshly baked Cookies.

I also had the chance to try their hot and freshly made Churros shaped like mini-donuts! I loved this with my double espresso!

Last but not the least, and the most impressive amongst all the desserts I had that day, was their Chocolate Fleur de Sel, more commonly known as Impression’s Salted Chocolate Tart.

Yes, this is a tart – which means you won’t really see or taste the cake batter or flour here…you can only indulge yourself in its pure chocolate-y goodness. This is Dark Chocolate that’s been melted, baked, and then topped on ground graham crust. No words can bring justice in explaining this heavenly piece of Chocolate. All I can say is, it is worth every calorie and it is every Chocoholic’s dream!

No exaggeration, but this is as delicious as it looks! It is luscious, decadent, and ultra moist. Topped with that shiny, edible gold leaf and you have a rich and luxurious experience, which I guarantee will be your most unforgettable Chocolate experience yet!

This Salted Chocolate Tart was just too beautiful to eat, I almost didn’t want to cut it! But since The Spoiled Mummy has been eyeing this since she entered the restaurant (it’s been my practice to check the dessert station even before I have my appetizers and mains), I had the privilege to cut the first slice.  And that first moment this Chocolate touched my lips — it literally made me close my eyes as I whispered a little prayer of thanks. It was simply too good to be true! 🙂

The family’s overall experience in Impressions was a delightful one. It was something that we didn’t expect from a newly opened restaurant, much more from a buffet. Food was impressive and service was great. This is a place we would definitely love to go back to…Impressions surely left a lasting good impression on each one of us.

Impressions is located at Resorts World Manila, Newport City

Tel no. (02)836-6333 or (02) 908-8833

Buffet is P1,888 nett (adults) and P950 nett (kids 5 years old-12 years old)