Tong Yang, SM City Iloilo — Restaurant in Iloilo City

First and foremost, Tong Yang Iloilo usually has a booking or reservation site and you can find it on their FB however for this one, we weren't able to book a reservation as it is Father's Day and they decided to do a first come, first serve basis.

• Waiting Time - we were given numbers as we arrived at 3:30 PM we were able to enter around 4:30 - 5:00ish. This was because Tong Yang has no time limit and caters only once some seats are vacated and they were working since opening hours non-stop.

• Waiter - my family had a good experience for their first time specially with Kuya Dave (most commendable), he gave us a very wonderful experience and is actually the reason why I made time to give this review. He was very nice to talk to, he even gave recommendations on what to do as first-timers to my parents. He gave us a show (he acted as if it was fine dining and my parents superb loved it) and even made special sauces to give us a flavorful experience in Tong Yang. He's definitely a gem and one of the most memorable part during our first dining experience.

• Food - the food was good, they had a variety of meat to choose from for hotpot and shabu-shabu. They also continuously had refills (albeit some comments by previous diners said they had very slow refill but when we asked Kuya Dave, the slow refill must be due to the food being thoroughly checked and cooked or prepared well before being put on display).

•Staff - definitely approachable and nice, would actually be happy to point out to you everything you are looking for. I don't know if the owner was the man who continuously helped out with the staff but it was a refreshing experience to see the branch manager or owner help out too.

•Environment - the place is clean and the smoke system works fine, we smelled okay after getting out and it was not messy. Air conditioning works fine even if we are inside the rooms. The table is cleaned well, the grillers washed and replaced with new and clean ones plus the controls are easy to operate.

• Other notes: They do different promos so check on their Facebook page. They do not have a time limit and continuously operates from the malls opening to closing time.

Overall, it was a very good dining experience made a bit special by Kuya Dave. Thank you so...

If you're from regions where meat quality and variety are highly valued—such as the U.S., Canada, Australia, or East Asia—this buffet may fall short of expectations. The selection lacks thick cuts of beef, and even standard pork and beef options are limited to just two plates. The rest of the buffet largely consists of innards and miscellaneous seafood parts, which may not appeal to all diners.

On the positive side, the restaurant is clean and has a visually appealing setup. However, customer service could improve, as staff tend to congregate near the cash register rather than attending to guests proactively.

One standout item is the sinigang broth, which was excellent—especially when enhanced with fish neck bones and other seafood. Unfortunately, the meat slices are extremely thin, and while the juices appear appetizing, the flavor is underwhelming.

Desserts are average; the halo-halo, in particular, is disappointing and not worth trying. Other sweets are passable but nothing memorable. The sushi selection is also subpar, consisting mostly of chopped mixed fish rather than proper sashimi or traditional cuts.

At ₱700 for all-you-can-eat, the value is fair on paper, but the food quality may not justify the price in the context of the current Philippine economy. While the restaurant presents itself as upscale, the actual offerings don't quite meet that standard.is is...

We celebrated my cousin’s 17th birthday at Tong Yang SM City Iloilo, hoping to avail the birthday promo. Since he’s a minor with no government ID yet, we provided a photo of his official PSA (NSO) birth certificate as proof.

The cashier, Angela, was the only bright spot in this visit. She was respectful, empathetic, and actually listened — qualities I wish the manager had. If I could give zero stars for the rest of the experience, I would. Angela alone deserves that one star.

We fully understand the policy and the need for proper proof. That was never the main issue. The problem was the way the manager handled it — she didn’t listen before responding, showed little empathy, and made no effort to go above and beyond to find a reasonable solution. She came across as powerless and unwilling to help, even when we offered possible options.

To make things worse, in the middle of our dinner, two different staff members came to our table — twice — asking us to answer surveys. This was intrusive and poorly timed, disrupting our meal and overall experience.

Policies matter, but so does customer service. Listening, showing empathy, and making guests feel valued are basics in hospitality. Sadly, the management here fell short...