Rootz Hill's Grillhouse — Restaurant in Tamuning Municipality

I had high expectations for Essence of Asia's Thursday Lunch buffet based on their posted menu. I arrived at the restaurant at 12pm, looking forward to enjoying some duck and nigiri. However, I was disappointed as there was no duck in sight - it seemed like it had flown away and migrated south for warmer weather than Guam. There were only two overcooked pieces of duck left that tasted like cardboard and had a poor texture.

I was monitoring the kitchen staff on how often they replenished the buffet. We asked if they will refill the duck and the response we received was, "I believe so," but unfortunately, the food never came out. We also noticed other customers wandering around the buffet to see if the stations had been refilled. The quality of the food was unsatisfactory. Most entrees were overcooked and continue cooking on warmers that have changed in texture and quality. While I understand their perspective on minimizing food waste, the way they manage the buffet results in wasted food due to the decline in quality.

Considering the price charged per person for the buffet, it seems that it is only worth it for the first 30 minutes of opening, after which you are left to fend for yourself on whatever is left. The desserts were great, but it did not justify the high price tag of the buffet alone. It's important to note that this review is not a comparison to other restaurants or hotel buffets, but rather an assessment of the buffet's cost in relation to the quality of the menu.

On the positive side, the service was good as the staff tended to our water and plates in a timely manner. However, opinions may differ as this is based on my personal experience and...

Rootz has different theme buffet depending on the day. I had lunch on a Saturday and it was international, with tasty offerings from Korea, China, Japan, Philippines and other places. The Japchae, pork belly, prime rib were all tender. The shumai was a little dry but the vegetable dumpling was good. The lobster tails were good and the skin on the lechon was nice and crispy. The sushi rolls were alright, just a step higher than the ones sold at a grocery store. Sashimi was ample though it was only tuna. Didn't care for the desserts but I saw there was some sort of shave ice halo halo type of station. The wait staff were awesome, friendly and were quick to clear dishes and refill beverages. I love the Rootz sign with the variety of vegetation giving a real impression of a vertical wall garden system. I love the Rootz online reservation system, easy to use and you don't need to create a user account, Lord knows we need yet another account that we'd have to...

I was able to make a last minute dinner reservation online. Parking was hard to find because of the Sunday night market down the road. Service was good. Our drink order was taken right away and given quickly. I ordered the surf and turf: lobster and filet mignon, cooked medium rare. It was pretty tasty with the chimchurri sauce. Had a little wasabi or horseradish kick. The veggies were nicely cooked. We also ordered the mushroom risotto which is really good, a bit salty but I enjoy the earthy taste of the mushrooms. I could eat it without any salt added (maybe for next time).

Service was great. We noticed a glass had a crack in it and she replaced it right away. There was complimentary bread and butter which looked good. I abstained from trying it.

The mashed potato is really good too.

Overall dinner was good. We paid roughly $50-$60 per person. We were able to use my Lifestyle discount...