Vikings SM City Cebu: A Feast Fit for a King!
When I watch movies, I always feel some jealousy looking at medieval kings and warriors feasting after a victory. I sort off salivate when I see Vikings eating a whole leg of lamb using one hand. I fantasize doing just that while eating some drumsticks. Well, my fantasy turned into reality when I went to the opening of Vikings SM City Cebu.
The invite was on a short notice but I instantly prepared myself to go to "war". I was not able to sleep much the night before. It was not only because of Vikings. I was monitoring the battle between Leni Robredo and Bongbong Marcos for VP. I slept at around 4 am and I woke up around 6:30 am to drive my wife to the hospital for her internship. I slept a bit in the morning, but I was awake most of the day because I kept on checking who won the local and national elections.
The nice thing about being sleep-deprived is that you get so hungry. I did not eat much at lunch because I wanted to preserve my hunger. The call time for the Grand Opening of Viking SM City Cebu was at 5:30 pm but I arrived early wearing a #DU30-inspired outfit. Eating at Vikings was my own way of celebrating the victory of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who is going to be the King, I mean, President of the Philippines.
I was one of the first people who went inside. I was able to take a lot of food photos. There were so many good things that I wanted to try but I know I cannot taste all 300 dishes. So, I started devising a strategy. I took a mental note of the things that I want to taste first and made an imaginary list.
My Favorite Targets at Vikings SM City Cebu
Vikings Restaurant has one of the most comprehensive buffets in the country. They are unbeatable when it comes to quantity and quality of dishes among stand alone buffet restaurants. I strongly suggest that before picking up your first plate, you must browse the stations and see what they offer. I do not want you to be stuck at one station and miss the other dishes. Here are some of my favorites at this newest All-You-Can-Eat restaurant in Cebu.
Carving Station
Their carving station is filled with all meaty goodness that you rarely see in any restaurant in Cebu including the 5-Star Hotel buffets. On opening night, they had some leg of lamb, U.S. Beef Ribs, Turkey, and Beef Entrecote. If you are on a restrictive diet, you better stay away from this station because it is just too tempting. If you want to salivate, then check out these pictures:
Japanese Station
When I go to a buffet restaurant, one of my favorite appetizers would be Japanese dishes like sushi and sashimi. Vikings Luxury Buffet has it too. Aside from the raw specialties, they also have a tempura-inspired fried station where you can different items fried a batter.
Thai Station
If you are into Southeast Asian Cuisine, then you will be impressed with their Thai station. They have curries, rendang, fried rice and many other savory dishes.
Filipino Station
Balikbayans will also enjoy having a meal at Vikings SM City Cebu because their buffet also features some of the Filipino classics like Pinakbet and Beef Mechado.
Grill Station
This station at Vikings SM City Cebu had Tanigue, salmon, tuna, kebabs, shrimps, scallops, crabs, and mussels. This is the perfect station for people who love seafood and for those who are avoiding fried food.
Italian Station
Pasta and Pizza lovers will also rejoice at Vikings. They have a station that keeps on making fresh pizza and calzone. They also have a dedicated cook who will make a personalized pasta dish of your choice.
Lechon
Vikings SM City Cebu features our very own Lechon de Cebu. Their Lechon comes from the famous Rico's Lechon. I know a lot of people who loves this Lechon brand. Myself included.
Appetizers
The salads and appetizers station has around 20 unique dishes that can be perfect meal starters. Just do not eat too much because there are so much more to eat in the other stations especially the carving station.
Western Cuisine
Beside the famous Carving station at Vikings Luxury Buffet is an area filled with Western-inspired dishes. On the night I was there, they had slow cooked Ox tongue, Chicken Ballotine, Seafood Cioppino, and Baked Porkchops and Roast Chicken. If these dishes were on a "regular" buffet here in Cebu I would have tried these first but I never got a chance to taste even one because of the sheer number of choices here. I would surely take a closer look at this station on my next visit.
Greek Cuisine
Eating at Vikings is similar to having a trip around world. A dinner could take you to different places in the country and the other side of the world. Their Greek offerings included Moussaka (baked eggplant), Garides Saganiki (Shrimp with Tomato and Feta Cheese), and Vegetable Rice Pilaf.
Korean
Our Korean friends will also feel at home here with dishes like Bulgogi, Japchae, and Galbi.
Dessert
The Sweet Tooth will always enjoy buffets because every All-You-Can-Eat place in Cebu offers amazing sweet items to cap a fine meal. Vikings Buffet is no different. They have countless of desserts that can give anyone a sugar high.
Other Stations:
Aside from these stations, Vikings has a Chinese station that features noodles and dim sum. They also have countless of options for soup including shabu-shabu. They also have a crepe station in addition to their desserts. Vikings Restaurant has countless of drinks that include beer, sake, watermelon shake, milk tea, coffee, tea, juices, and even fruit-infused water.
Sunday Specials:
On Sundays, the corporate head chef told me that the chefs will serve a "Sunday special". Depending on the mood of the chefs, they will create a special plated dish for customers.
Promos:
Now is the best time to try out the buffet because of their Opening Promos. On the first 3 days, they offered a 50% discount to all diners who wore Viking costumes. If you want to get a 25% discount from May 13 to May 26, you better like them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vikingssmcitycebu/If you plan to eat on May 27 to June 9, you better follow them on Instagram. There is also a 10+1 promo for a group that is more than 20 people. There are also discounts for birthday and wedding anniversary celebrants. OFWs also get to dine for FREE as long as they have 3 paying guests with them. Check out: www.Vikings.Ph for more details.
Kalami Cebu Verdict
Definitely, this place gets the Kalami Cebu Seal of Approval. At a price below 1000 pesos, the Vikings Buffet can rival any All-You-Can-Eat Buffets in Cebu. They are an alternative to the buffets of 5-Star hotels. Their carving station is really impressive and their location is just the best in terms of parking and accessibility.
When I ate at Vikings, I feasted on the meat carvings. I really felt like royalty. My fantasy of eating like a Viking was indeed fulfilled. I may not have eaten the whole Leg of Lamb but nevertheless, I went home with a full tummy. I will definitely be back with some "reinforcements".
If you are looking for a place to celebrate your major victories in life. I strongly recommend Vikings at SM City Cebu.
"Odin Owns You All!"
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