Vikings, The Alley, BGC — Restaurant in Taguig

WORST BUFFET EXPERIENCE EVER

Imagine, buying concert tickets with prime, center seats, and then upon arrival at venue, you were told that your seats have been reassigned to corner, back seats?

That's what happened to us last July 6 at The Alley by Vikings at BGC. At around 5pm, before the buffet opened at 5:30pm, we arrived and inquired if all is set with our reservation. Only to be welcomed with, "Ma'am, ayon nga po, may change po kasi." Apparently, our reserved location was taken by another group and we were reassigned to a different location, which was in the tight space and far away from the majority of the buffet.

Asked to explain what happened, the management said that they gave it to another group of diners who changed their date and reserved the same center area as us. So, because they made the reservation before us, they just gave it to them without:

Telling that group first that the area was already reserved on their new date. If they wished to occupy the same area, then they should give an available date. Those who reserved, even if it was later than them, shouldn't be the one to adjust because we weren't the ones changed our reservations. Sila yong may change, pero sila yong inaccommodate. Kami yong affected?

Informing us of the change ahead of our reserved date and not on the date itself. We made our reservation 3 weeks ahead last June 20. We already paid 50%downpayment, leaving our contact numbers and also correspondence via Messenger. Did they seriously thought, we would say, "Oh, it's okay no worries!" When it fact, we particularly selected the area because they confirmed it was a. still available, and b. it was the best spot. It was in the center and near the buffet stations, and the band plays right in front of it.

By 5:45pm, they were still trying to seat us at odd places, resulting in delay of the buffet opening at 5:30pm. People couldn't enter. We really wanted to insist that we seat at our reserved place. But to avoid further hassle for everyone, we just told them to give us the next best place available and demanded for a compensation.

In the end, we were able to dine in albeit the Reality vs. Expectation experience. They gave us 10% off discount, which was just P1,000 off on top of the promo discounts.

But just as one of the guests told, we shouldn't have allowed for such mere compensation as this enabled the management to get away with their double booking. And we were suspecting that they prioritized the other group because they were a corporate client, vs. us which were just a group of regular diners. With Vikings' experience in the industry, it was hard to believe they didn't know how to handle a double booking.

Other reviews: Staff: They were extra attentive and nice to us, perhaps because of our situation. When in fact, shouldn't this be the case for all restaurant's wait staff?

Fortunately, majority of our guests didn't arrive during all the commotion. And I do believe some did enjoy the buffet.

Food: (Personal opinion) It was so poor I felt I was just eating para masulit yong rate. The baked oyster had broken shells on it, I had to spit it out and return as it was not edible at all. The pasta was salty, the ebi tempura was too small, etc. etc. Hindi na ako ulit babalik at kakain...

Throughout my experiences dining at buffets, I have adopted a habit of attempting to sample a variety of dishes, but often finding myself eating less than initially anticipated. To mitigate this, I typically consume light meals before visiting the buffet. Over time, I have refined my approach by exercising prudence in selecting items for my plate, pacing my consumption, and opting for establishments that offer a balanced mix of quality and value. The Alley is a delightful buffet spot that exudes a charming and aesthetically pleasing ambience, perfect for Instagram enthusiasts. Every nook of The Alley is truly picturesque, offering a multitude of photo opportunities. What set this establishment apart for me was its unique design approach to the food hall layout. Unlike typical food courts, The Alley features distinctively styled stations for each cuisine, creating a diverse and immersive dining experience akin to a sprawling food park setting. My husband and I thoroughly enjoyed our time here, moving from one station to another to explore different culinary delights and ambience settings while capturing memorable moments through photographs. From the European-inspired dining hall to the cozy patio cafe and the Asian-influenced dining area, each section of The Alley offered a distinctive and captivating atmosphere to savour. Despite the wide array of food offerings available, I was unable to sample everything. Among my top 5 favourites and recommendations are: (1) Lamb, Italian-braised beef and turkey deemed as one of the best I have ever tasted due to its comforting flavour that allowed me to relish each bite. (2) Yatai's salmon and tuna sashimi impressed me with its quality, given its relatively affordable price range compared to other buffets that offer unlimited sashimi. (3) Belly Lechon, a crowd favorite, which I initially intended to have only a small portion of but ended up enjoying a whole plate. I jest about burning off the calories later! (4) Hao Chi's salt and pepper spare ribs offer a delectable taste. Lastly, (5) The cakes at Nord's cafe, which was a delightful conclusion to the culinary experience. In addition, I wish to highlight another aspect that enhances the buffet experience for groups, hangouts, birthday gatherings, or events: the inclusion of alcoholic beverages...

Here is a complete run-down of my experience. I’ve heard nothing but raving reviews of this place so I expected a good experience but it was far from it. We arrived around 7 pm to the location on a Monday evening so it was packed.

1. AWKWARD Seating! The waiting area had awkward chairs, some were benches while some were elevated high-chairs that couldn’t accommodate everyone. Some of the seating inside the function itself were park bench chairs that slanted backward so you were on an awkward pose sliding back but leaning forward to eat.

2. LITTLE TO NO SANITIZATION STATIONS. Aside from a bathroom to wash your hands, there weren’t any hand sanitizers around to clean your hands, an absolute need for huge buffet halls like this one. There were at least a few hundred people up to a thousand eating that night so imagine how many hands those food tongs pass through. Additionally, we were seated next to the large glass windows toward the entrance where there was a dirty fork from a previous customer left unattended inches away from our heads.

3. Hit or Miss Food. Some of the food stalls had decent food while some had very salty to zero taste, the dessert was delicious but many of the Entrée choices didn’t deliver. Very great of the staff to replenish the food to the best of their skills!

4. The theming was well-done. I loved the theme of numerous food stalls that made it feel like you were eating outdoors, but some seating were far too close to one another for comfort. So many times did I almost crash into others trying to get to my chair.

5. Live band! This was very pleasant and adorable, though I wish the volume wasn’t too high because it made everyone in the buffet hall raise their voices to carry a conversation.

Things I can recommend to those who want to dine: Bring your own sanitizers -Go at an earlier time to avoid crowds

My take-aways: -The price didn’t feel justified, the buffet hall was chaotic with the many customers going from Point A to B at the same time. Lack of sanitization...