Vikings Luxury Buffet - The Block, SM North EDSA — Restaurant in Quezon City

This was a nightmare from start to finish, worst Vikings branch I’ve ever been to.

We tried to reserve online days in advance, but slots were full. Fine, we accepted walk-in. We came at 1:30PM to list for dinner, only to be told walk-in listing would start at 3PM. Since we had a movie schedule, we came back after at 4PM, got number 35, and were told walk-in was already full so we’d be in the 2nd batch. I asked for an estimated waiting time, the receptionist refused to answer. Don’t tell me they don’t know; they run this same circus every single day. It was obvious she didn’t want to say so customers like us wouldn’t walk away. Instead, she threw a useless “be back at 5:30PM.”

So we did. And what happened? We ended up waiting until 8PM. That’s almost half the day gone just to get seated.

And then the real disappointment started. For ₱1,238 per head, this is what they call a “buffet”:

Trays half empty, most food not refilled, and when they did refill, it looked like scraps dumped on display.

Sashimi cuts were so sloppy, it looked like someone hacked them with a dull knife in a rush. “Bara-bara” style, no care, no presentation.

Roast beef and other premium items? Gone. Staff clearly didn’t want to refill because they’d rather force people to consume the leftovers.

Drinks? We saw fruit shakes on other tables, but when we asked at the drink station, staff blatantly lied and said they had none. Shameless.

Portions given were laughable, you ask for food for two, they give you tiny scraps like they’re feeding pigeons.

Table service? Non-existent. Our table was tiny, sauces spilled all over, staff saw it and ignored it. No one bothered to clean or assist.

By this time, it was clear: this place is all about milking money and cutting corners. They cram people in, make you wait hours, then serve you scraps and leftovers, hoping you’ll just shut up and eat because you’re already tired of waiting. It’s manipulative, dishonest, and downright insulting.

Vikings used to be known for quality, but this branch has turned it into a scam. Receptionist = useless. Waiting system = deceptive. Food = leftovers. Staff = careless and lying. Price = daylight robbery.

This was not dining. This was paying premium price for garbage service, scraps of food, and a big slap to the customer’s face.

Save yourself the time, money, and anger. Skip this branch unless you enjoy wasting hours and being fed like you...

I have seen people come and go, whether you like or dislike them, they leave marks on you. Kinda’ same at this restaurant. Over the years, we’ve seen it’s glorious days when serving plates of foods, fresh and hot, abundant and well curated, lining up on their long serving tables and grouped according to a taste of each continent.

We were family of 7. A table of 6 were assigned to us instead (we did our reservation over the phone hours ahead, and had received confirmation). A chair was added on the short side of the table, disappointingly where people walk by to get their foods from the Carving Station (the busier part of the restaurant, where people always line up, back to their table, some without kicking my chair first and looking awkwardly what’s on my plate as they walk pass ours). I politely asked if we could use the next table of two and server said NO. Fine! I saw Reservation Sign but nobody came until our very last minute on our table. No big deal, right? Or so we thought. What set us off were foods that were almost done (think of left overs), some very unsavory to our palates, almost cold “hot” soup (biggest pet peeves I have and easily disappointed), hair in the steamer of Dim Sum, and piling up of used plates on our table, being left unattended and ignored. We politely asked to collect them with such happy faces because we wanted them to feel they’re acknowledged for one, and two, we did not want to be a nuisance to them the whole time.

We left unsatisfied, cravings fixed disappointingly, and swore not to come back again to a place that was once a great destination of great palates and good service. I highly commend some staff though, for their hardworking attentions and kind approach. Maybe our last visit, maybe not. Hoping it’s just a Hit-or-Miss and unfortunate day...

The Place: People and tables were packed like sardines and the noise level was through the roof. The acoustics of the place seemed to amplify the noise even further. Service: They were also rather slow refilling the servers and also slow in clearing plates from tables. Appetizers & Salad Bar: This was just rather sad. The Savory Foods: Best I can say is "meh". While there seems to be a wide selection, a close examination of the stations reveals lack of variety and generosity. Many dishes were just fillers, to make it more varied than it actually is. Pasta, meat, Chinese, Korean, etc. stations looked largely uninviting and generally basic. The sushi bar was really just the "cheap" sushi--egg, kani. No ell, tuna, salmon, etc. Sashimi was only salmon and "by order". The Dessert: Pastries were dry and there wasn't much variety. Ice cream was good but the line was long and I wish there were more flavors. The one panna cotta I got was decent but they were very slow in refilling the dessert tables. Fruit was available at the salad bar but there wasn't much of it--in variety or quantity. The Best Parts: The cold beverage station had good variety--fruit juices, iced teas, etc--though I personally found many too sweet and had to dilute with water. The coffee was very good. The freshly-made puto bubong was a highlight though the wait was often rather long as they only had 2 contraptions to make it.

Conclusion: If your goal is to just fill up, this is the place for you. . Considering I got an Eatigo discount, price was decent. At full price, not that great a deal. And if you want to enjoy food not necessarily in quantity, this was not the most satisfying. I probably won't be...