Because Sundays are Special
by Sharline Bareng, Staff Writer
Sundays have always been memorable for the special lunches at home, where there was always more than the usual rice-and-viand fare. It was because of a new recipe my father had tried, or the return of a much loved dish we haven’t had in ages. Or an aunt had suddenly craved for sweets, and ended up buying pie for dessert.
But what’ll happen if nobody was around to concoct anything for Sunday lunch? Here’s where Mandarin Oriental Café & Deli in Gateway comes in.
Cherry and I recently tried Mandarin’s Sunday Lunch Buffet, a sumptuous buffet and ala carte service all in one. One look at the buffet spread was enough to make me think I was into more than what I expected: the table was laden with ham, California rolls, green asparagus and crab meat salad, duck embutido, smoked salmon and tuna, squid salad, Thai glass noodles with seafood, leaf lettuce, cheeses, and even oysters! I was seriously troubled, knowing that my stomach could only hold so much, and I knew I had to save some considerable space for dessert. So I decided to be safe with a bed of lettuce drizzled with a rich dressing, bacon bits, cherry tomatoes, and cubes of mozzarella cheese. And because I’m such a soup fiend, I didn’t dare pass up on the creamy asparagus soup, which hit the spot since my breakfast-less tummy was looking for something hot.
