Tong Yang Shabu Shabu & Barbecue Grill - Promenade Greenhills — Restaurant in San Juan

So, we opted for Tongyang's Greenhills branch because it was closer, and we saw it had great reviews. The entrance was promising, the staff who greeted us was very accommodating and even offered us the private room for 12 even though there was only 8 of us.

That's where the positive review ends.

The private room was terrible. The aircon was in shambles (it was working, but it was dirty; the filter/cover was carelessly placed on the floor; it looked like it was salvaged from a Silent Hill game/movie). So if you ever decide to eat here, just opt for the lower dining area, or go elsewhere.

The comfort room was... well, uncomfortable. Men's CR was out of order, so they turned the Women's CR into an all-gender CR. Not a bad choice, except it would be nice if it was checked and cleaned regularly. If you need to pee, just do it after you bill out or else you'd lose your appetite. Wash area is decent enough, so there's that.

Food/ingredient selection is deplorable. This observation is based on a comparison with other Tongyang branches that I've personally visited before (which is limited to just two, actually: the now-gone Jupiter branch, and the Megamall branch which is my favorite).

Thankfully, we didn't ask for the staff to sing a birthday greeting for my brother because we heard them singing to the adjoining room, and it was... well, I'm just thankful we opted to just enjoy the meal.

Nonetheless, the staff did try their best to be attentive to our requests and needs (clearing up used plates, sending butter, replacing the grill paper, assisting with the stove temperatures, even giving us cupful of sinigang powder mix when we asked about the sinigang broth); that, we commend.

So, while I will still recommend this place WITH A CAVEAT AND A WARNING (if it's the most accessible and convenient location for you and your group, and if you don't have that much expectations from a shabu-shabu buffet selection), I will strongly advise you to pick other branches if you want a better and more enjoyable...

Pathetic. We were settled in when they told us that beef was unavailable. Isn't that one of the main reasons why people go here? Coke and Coke Zero were likewise unavailable. Raw food was not fresh. Extensive selection though. Cooked food sucked big time. How can you serve bite sized crispy pata? It was like they were serving bones! Very unorganized and servers seemed uninterested. With all the new buffet restos in the Metro, you'd think they'd at least try to compete. It seems like the owners just gave up. Very disappointed. There was a time Tong Yang was my go to place for this...

Ate Wenie, our server, is so nice. As a Muslim diner, she willingly assisted me and my family and made adjustments to ensure our orders are safe for us to consume—separate utensils, separate slicers, and the meats were taken straight from the kitchen since the tongs in the buffet table may have been used for pork. There are also disposable utensils available.

The beef and marinatex chicken are also.good! They have kimchi, too. Try the laksa and mushroom broth for the shabu shabu base. Better than dining at...