MANILA, Philippines—About two decades ago, Vicvic Villavicencio introduced the no-leftover buffet—a marketing effort that, whether he intended to or not, reshaped Filipino family dining. Long before that, he introduced buffet in big restaurant dining—a buffet to end all buffets, for it ran the gamut of the Pinoy’s favorite dishes, from lechon to pasta. In no time, his buffet was widely copied.

Today, there’s hardly any family restaurant that has no buffet.

Now that hotels and restaurants have copied his dining formula, how is he reinventing the buffet?

He has an arsenal of ideas.

To continuously seduce diners with meals that suit every appetite and budget, Villavicencio has new specialties every three months at Dads, Kamayan and Saisaki.

Spices of the Earth perks up Dads’ buffet while Cocina Pampagueña and New Flavors of Japan are at Kamayan and Saisaki.

Meanwhile, for the snack-crazy, Dads offers Merienda Buffet, 3-5 p.m. daily, for only P130.

“Thirty percent of our food is changed every three months,” says Villavicencio, president of Dads, Kamayan and Saisaki. “But the lechon at Kamayan, ham and turkey at Dads and tempura at Saisaki will always be there. They are part of the 70 percent that are popular.”

Aside from the festivals, Dads offers freebies to graduates. Every group of 10 diners gets one free buffet, free drink with stuffed toy and souvenir frame.

To reward regular visitors, Dads, Kamayan and Saisaki give out Happy Diners Card, which is stamped every time you eat. On your 11th visit, you get to eat for free.

The only buffet restaurant that offers takeout for single or good-for-10 orders, Dads, Kamayan and Saisaki will start delivering lechon on April 1. (Call 8928898/ 8928897/ 7228125/ 5281723 to order lechon Cebu, Kamayan lechon or lechon sa tanglad six hours before delivery and get a 15-percent discount.)

Appeal

For some 30 years now, Villavicencio’s conglomerate of restaurants has always appealed to busy diners, groups of friends and families.

“Many years ago, buffets were very expensive because a lot of people used to waste food. But when we started the no-leftover buffet, we were able to put prices at reasonable level without sacrificing quality and choices,” says Villavicencio. His children Mara and Veejay Villavicencio, Pia Lago and Cara Espinosa now supervise the daily operations.

Villavicencio has another innovation. “We have moved from the normal buffet type to just-in-time cooking. It means all our buffet dishes are newly cooked everyday. We pre-cook them but we don’t reheat,” Villavicencio says. “We even have a griller and frying pan beside each buffet counter so when it runs out of food, the cooks will be able to prepare new ones in a jiffy.”

“If you go to a restaurant with a normal buffet, you pay one price and you have to eat it off. Our buffet, on the other hand, has three separate prices. Thus, we have the colored plates. If you want Filipino food, take the green plate so you don’t have to get Japanese or Continental food.”

Party place

The buffet triad of Dads, Kamayan and Saisaki never fails to attract families and barkada.

“Most of the parties at home are buffet style. So our restaurants are an alternative where you can throw a party,” Villavicencio says. “The good thing about it is you’ll know how much you’ll spend. Our party packages, depending on the price, offer free amenities.”

So whether you want to relish a full meal or a light snack; or crave for Continental, Filipino, Japanese food or a fusion of the three, a buffet restaurant is the place for you.

“I think buffet restaurants will be here forever,” Villavicencio says. “A lot of people are trying their hand in the restaurant business. A lot of young people are taking up culinary and tourism courses. But how many have been there for 10 years? That will give you a fairly good idea of who will stay or go.

“The one that will last is the one that can give good value for money, good food and service.”