#IssaEATS: Chef Laudico's Feast @ SM Clark, Pampanga!

There will come a time where I'll be fit and actually not overeat while in a buffet. But that day is not coming anytime soon, especially during the holiday season!

Last November 14, I was invited by Ms. Yuan for the soft opening of Chef Laudico's Feast in SM Clark.

We were fetched in Trinoma and got on the coaster going straight to SM Clark (OUR MINI BUS HAD A BATHROOM! Sorry, taga-bundok I was amazed LOL).

We arrived at around 4PM, where we took our seats and met the head chefs behind the whole restaurant and concept: celebrity chef couple Chef Lau and Chef Jac!

The Feast's concept is basically: Home! It reminds you of the fiestas in your home province, where food and happiness come alive. That's why the whole restaurant itself is bright, lively, and with blank walls that will be filled with paintings and photos from local artists soon. They focus on bringing in the best of Filipino flavors with a twist. They also cater to those coming from different countries and offer a ton of international cuisines as well. Since Clark is home to Clark International Airport, they took advantage of the location and the opportunities it will bring to them. Plus, it's the center of a lot of areas, including Manila. Their buffet is 500 PHP per head during lunch (weekdays), 600 PHP during dinner (weekdays), and 700 PHP during weekends or holidays. 

What makes the Feast so great is the fact that they focus on the quality of the dishes rather than the price or quantity. They know how to prioritize and make sure that the ingredients they use is as fresh as possible and made from scratch. So you won't be finding instant tidbits or MSG. Plus, for a slightly medium-sized space, they managed to fit in over a hundred dishes!

Once we capped off our interviews and photo ops with the chefs and food, we dug in! 

Like what I said, there were over a hundred dishes, and being the pig I am, I challenged myself to taste them ALL! Think I made it?

I did! Well, almost. I got to six dishes until I started feeling guilty about my waistline. Here are some of my favorites! As I mentioned, there were over a hundred dishes, so apologies I couldn't take photos or describe the taste of all! My stomach can only take so much, unfortunately. (I also promise to start eating healthier, LOL!)

First, the MEAT. I could go on and on about the meat! I love how the ribs were perfectly flavored. They weren't chewy, nor were they too tender or hard. Just balanced. The Angus beef tapa was superb. Soft and tender, so much flavor. The liempo was great as well, but I would focus more on the crispy bagnet and belly lechon. Oh goodness, the crunch of the bagnet and the tender meat from the lechon is just... I may dream about it tonight!

I would give a shoutout to the dinuguan and kare-kare, the latter being Chef Lau's favorite.

The squid (both grilled and adobo-style) were great as well. I didn't get to try the chicken pastel. The pork humba was delicious. Very, very delicious.

As for the international cuisines, I would definitely recommend the tuna belly. I have no idea how to describe it, but it was just. So. Delicious. The sushi was great as well. They also had tempura, though the batter was a bit undercooked.

There were meaty spaghetti and seafood pasta, with me leaning over the former. It was definitely saucy and with the right amount of sweet and savory.

The paella and bagoong rice were great as well! I love the bagoong rice when eaten with dimsum.

They offered appetizers such as cream cheese, bread, and some sandwiches. The bread and cream cheese was great, especially when adding tomatoes to the cream cheese!








The pizza was a bit bland and the crust a bit chewy, so I would focus more on the other dishes.

What I didn't try were the soups, seafood and salad. Mostly because I didn't really like those three dishes. I also didn't get to try the chop suey and pinakbet! You can see I was saving my stomach for the lechon!

As for desserts, I would skip the cupcakes and ice cream. The cupcakes may be good, but weird me only eats the frosting and a tiny part of the cupcake before losing interest. I love their banana tart, leche flan, and maja blanca! Their pastillas were the right amount of sweet as well. 

Of all the glassed desserts, I would recommend the brazo de mercedes and dark forest. I love the rich and sweet flavors. The crema and ginataan were okay, but a bit bland. They offer fruits and halo-halo as well, with tons of toppings to choose from.

They also offer a lot of drinks: buko pandan, sago't gulaman, sodas (they have PEPSI MAX!), coffee and tea! (Unpictured, sorry!)

Thank you very much for the bag as well! Chef Jac's mini cheesecake and chocolates were VERY delicious. Flavors were different yet I loved it.

All-in-all, I had the best time. The staff were accommodating and friendly, the food was delicious, and the company was lively. Definitely somewhere I'd being my family when we head up north! <3