Four Seasons Buffet & Hotpot, Araneta Center Cubao — Restaurant in Quezon City

Went in for family lunch on a Sunday for Bday Celebration. There were good prepared food, while some were hit or miss. I recommend the Crispy Kare-kare and Sweet and Sour pork. Yang Chow friend rice and Beef rice is good too. Sushi was so-so, salmon sashimi is ok, no tuna.

I also asked for some slices of roast lamb (with a bit of fat) instead of the usual chicken and beef, and it was heavenly! It would be nice if there was mint jelly available, to go with the beef gravy to make it stand out more. My mom asked for the chicken/beef/pork roastings but some were too tough to eat, especially for seniors. Maybe use these cuts on sandwiches and canapés instead?

However, the highlight of the restaurant should be the HotPot. They should really invest more in improving their soups, make it more richer and flavourful. For now, it looks like it was all from a packet and very pale. We had Laksa & Malatang and what we got was "Matabang" (i.e. bland)! To describe it in layman's terms "parang pinaghugasan lang ng medyas". Hotpot does not mean simply boiling balls and meat, you want to incorporate all the herbs and spices unto your broth. We even had a refill of the Malatang and was surprised it was poured from a generic pot!!! So maybe it was 1 flavor packet and just refill from the same broth???

Another point is the Dip. Dips enhance the Hotpot experience, since your are boiling your food. There was a recipe on the top of the various condiments and the poor patrons were going back and forth trying to follow, taste, follow, taste their dips on a shallow dipping "bowl" - while standing in front of the condiments section. Instead of this traffic, why not provide big jars of your prepared Dips and the patrons will just select which works. Then put another condiment section for additional ingredients? Also, do not forget CORIANDER! This is essential to hotpot dips, cover it if you must, but very important ingredient in dips.

I suggest their team go to China/Taiwan/Singapore to experience what a real hotpot broth is. Or at least watch a Chinese/Korean drama and see what a hotpot looks like.

Considering there are only 2 branches of these restaurants and Hotpot is this restaurant's bread and butter, you would think they would invest in various broths and dips. But no, for the Hotpot experience, better go for the cheaper corner hotpot restaurant instead. It may have worked for them before when Hotpot was fairly new in the Philippines, but the market is getting pickier about what a real hotpot is, so they better amp their game.

Yes, service is good as it has improved from previous experience, but what can service do when the food is bland.

*Sorry, my previous review was "generic". Their Marketing guy was literally standing beside me asking for a Google review and had to do it fast. :P

**No photos,...

Review of Four Seasons Buffet – Gateway Araneta Cubao Visited on January 28, 2025, around 7:30 PM

If you’re craving a buffet that offers value for money, Four Seasons Buffet in Gateway Araneta Cubao is definitely worth checking out. Here’s my experience:

Ambiance: The restaurant has a spacious, relaxed vibe that makes dining here feel comfortable. It’s well-lit and not overcrowded, so you won’t feel cramped while enjoying your meal. Definitely a plus when you’re indulging in a variety of dishes!

Service: For the most part, the service was fine, though there were a few moments where the food attendants didn’t seem as approachable as expected. Also, some of the cooked dishes weren’t replenished quickly enough, which could’ve been improved. A small hiccup, but nothing that completely ruined the experience. One standout, however, was the generous portion sizes — much larger than what we’ve seen at other buffets like The Alley or Vikings, which was a welcome surprise.

Price: This is where Four Seasons really shines. The buffet is an incredible deal for what you pay. The variety and the quality make it a solid choice for anyone looking to enjoy a satisfying meal without breaking the bank. Definitely good value for money!

Food: The selection was pretty impressive. However, there were a couple of downsides: the broth-based dishes, especially the laksa, were a bit of a letdown. It didn’t quite capture that authentic laksa taste we were hoping for, but we were able to adjust by opting for other broths. On the plus side, the salmon cuts could use a little improvement in presentation—compared to places like Vikings, they weren’t as cleanly cut. That said, the portions were definitely larger, which more than made up for it. Unfortunately, we also missed out on Yobick, which wasn’t available during our visit.

Overall: Despite some small areas for improvement, we had a really enjoyable experience. The food, the atmosphere, and the value for money made our visit a pleasant one. I’ve been eyeing this place for years, and now that I’ve finally tried it, I’m glad I did! We’ll definitely be coming back for another round of delicious dishes, and I highly recommend you give Four Seasons a try — especially if you’re looking for a great buffet without the hefty price tag.

Don’t let the small quirks deter you. It’s definitely a gem...

Been hearing great reviews for the past years about this buffet place and it is our first time to try it and also their branch in Cubao. I tried to celebrate my birthday here for a new experience. The restaurant is owned by the Vikings company. The place is huge and the interior is very elegant and vibrant. It can really accommodate a large group of people and they also have their own function rooms. The ambiance feels like a hotel buffet. Definitely a 5 star for the atmosphere, though I noticed that the tables and seating arrangement is very narrow from one another which causes traffic in terms of circulation of people when the restaurant is jam packed.

The staff in the reception area are very accommodating, however on the buffet area the attendants are quite unapproachable and always busy and it took 20 minutes for our hotpot to arrive. The chefs at the food stations were nice though.

One thing I noticed is that the food selection of cooked foods for the buffet is quite few unlike their sister companies of Vikings or the Alley. I think that their main focus is on the hot pot which they had a variety to offer from raw meats, seafoods, cold cuts and vegetables to choose from. They also had a variety of sauces to use for dips and flavorings for the hot pot.

In terms of taste. The Filipino section were underwhelming. The ox tripe on the kare-kare is very chewy and had a pungent taste. The sauce is quite bland. The meat in the carving station feels like not cooked well. The carved portion of the meat given to me is a bit tough to chew. Their sushi section is the best and all are freshly made. The rice is very soft and easy to chew which feels like eating in a fancy sushi resto. Also I noticed that they refill the food a bit slowly.

On all the Vikings sister companies this is by far my least favorite. Overall, I had an okay experience. I would recommend it for experience, however don't...