AN appetite can be a challenge. Normally, the craving for food happens during specified hours of the day, dictated by a pattern, to which most people subscribe. Women who cook lunch, their men who work, and yuppies fast-tracking their lives will have breakfast in the morning, coffee at 10 a.m., with possibly a slice of cheese cake or a glazed doughnut, then take the midday meal. In a country where eating is an important part of the culture, there will be afternoon snacks, cocktails, dinners and a night cap before the cycle is put to rest till the next 24 hours.

Generally, this is how it goes and in the event there are no specifics that need to be addressed, any establishment serving food will suffice. There are those, however, who find it a quandary to decide if the palate requires spicy or salty, sweet or sour. The difficulty escalates when such flavors are presented in Asian, continental, international or ethnic cooking. Buffets were created for such as these. A wide selection of choices is laid out to indulge the different taste preferences.

Leisured dining

Walking into M2M of the Renaissance Makati City Hotel is entering the prospect of satisfying every imaginable gustatory desire. There may be some confusion on which to address first, but the layout organizes the possibilities. Choosing a good table is the first order of the day.

There are sections with built-in seating, enclosing the table. This cozy option requires diners to slide in or stand up when the companion is ready to replenish. Free standing chairs are easier to negotiate.

The overall interiors allow for de-stressing. The glass walls add a sense of depth, looking out to Arnaiz Ave. through the landscaped foliage. Warm lights, touches of wood and the floor-to-ceiling abacus panel contribute to a relaxed atmosphere so necessary to the dining experience. A cursory survey provides adequate orientation to help determine the first course of action.

Not on bread alone

There is a cold food counter with greens and condiments, fruits both dried and preserved, nuts and cold cuts both oriental and occidental. Extending to one side are shellfish and seafood chilled on a bed of ice. Chef Mario offered to prepare an oyster teppanyaki, took the freshly shucked mollusk, sautéed the little pulps of succulence and served what has now become a personal staple for every visit.

Sushi, sashimi and preserved Japanese condiments are placed back to back with the cold food. The counter runs the length, offering Sino fare besides. Where it ends is a stand alone with different kinds of bread. Restraint is a prudent response to the variety of baked loaves, buns and braids, considering that there are still six live interactive cooking stations to discover.

Pots of goodness

Covered casseroles are right beside contained deep fried chicken, Indian lamb curry, Szechwan style beef tenderloin, kali with oyster sauce and rice, either steamed or seafood fried. Kropeck is within easy reach, as decisions are made on which to sample. Moving along, there are meats for the carnivores. Portions can be sliced from the glistening pounds of porkloin, roasted and cooked with pineapple juice. Beef eaters can opt for the prime rib with port wine. Other than the sidings of oven roasted potatoes with pesto and buttered season vegetables, Yorkshire pudding adds an
English touch to the bovine dish.

Soup lovers will find three kinds of chicken broth as base for laksa, a clear soup with lobster balls and shrimp balls or a made-to-order concoction that can include meat, fish, chicken and vegetables.

Following the clockwise direction led to the vegetable couscous, chicken à la king, seared lapulapu with shrimps, beef stroganoff and lamb leg with olives that merited second and even third helpings for large capacities. Children made a bee line for the thin crust pizzas baked in earth stone ovens.

Dessert indulgence

Having the desserts line the entrance whets the appetite even as the meal progresses. There are those for whom this last course is the main attraction. Ice cream teppanyaki in six flavors, five story chocolate fondue fountains, tiramisu banana cake, opera slices, brownies and chocolate pudding tease the eyes and convince the mind that there is room even just to taste. Chocolate pudding, apricot crumble, raspberry mousse and mango cream become part of a litany of dolcis to try, as reality sets in with the conclusion that another visit is required.

It was gladdening to find that management was keeping the buffet open till midnight on three days of the week—on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. This unique feature will provide a dining venue for those whose nocturnal habits run counter to most people’s pattern of drifting off to sleep by this time. M2M is now an alternative to the coffee shops that can only offer a token satisfaction to the stomach rumblings at the odd hours of the night.

Call Renaissance Makati City Hotel, Manila at 811-6888.