Dusit Thani Manila offers Crossover Buffet Brunch every Sunday in which you can get food from four restaurants – Umu, Basix, Benjarong, and Tosca.

First, you have to choose your base or eating station. Yes you can get food from any of the four restaurants but you have to bring it all the way to your base station. I find it a bit of a hassle though, since Umu and Basix are on both ends of the first floor, and Tosca and Benjarong are on the second floor, so imagine yourself carrying your plate up or down the spiral staircase or across the lobby. The good thing about it is you can try different cuisines – Umu serves mainly Japanese dishes, Benjarong for Thai, Tosca for Italian, and Basix for Intercontinental; and hopping from one restaurant to another can be a way of burning those calories! :) Among the four restaurants, I think Umu has the best ambiance, hence our choice as the base station.

I think I already got my money’s worth with my first plate at Umu – shrimp and steak teppanyaki. The shrimps were nimble to the bite and the steak cubes were very flavorful. The risotto and pasta at Tosca were also worth going back for, although the pizza and the pork with mustard sauce were forgettable. We skipped anything from Benjarong, since we still felt indisposed of Thai cuisine after that 2008 travel in Bangkok, dinners at Thai at Silk and Som’s. I guess my predilection for seafood or Japanese food for that matter didn’t end at Umu, as I still managed to get some tempura at Basix, along with a few slices of lechon and some desserts. No, I wasn’t hungry. :D

The service at Umu was also very exceptional. For the many times that we left our table to get food, we always come back to a newly-arranged table -- the utensils have been changed, the table napkins were folded, and the glass of water was refilled -- without us having to even ask. Not to mention that the attendants were very polite and accommodating.

Overall, the Crossover Brunch was a good value for money, and I’m looking forward to bringing the other loves of my life here. :)

sumptious food.

very enticing dishes.