Based in Manila, Philippines, Dessert Comes First is a chronicle of the food-obsessed food writer, Lori Baltazar. This website is all about desserts, restaurants, coffee, and the pleasures of homebaking. Read more about me Eating In The HEAT Of The Moment
Thu, May25th of 2006
5:35 pm
just a bit of what you can eat at HEAT
HEAT, Edsa Shangri-la’s newest restaurant, stands for Healthy Eating, Amazing Tastes. ‘Healthy Eating’ is represented by the restaurant’s antipasto, sushi, salads, sashimi, and tapas. ‘Amazing Tastes’ stands for the extensive variety of food to match each diner’s personal preferences. Diners here are quite literally, spoilt for choice. I’ve already been here three times, one visit for each of the three menu cycles, and I’ve yet to try everything to be offered.
soldiers in the forest
At HEAT, there are over 20 (!) live food stations, or theater kitchens, as they’re more commonly known. Gone are the days of chafing dishes with their stain-splattered nametags. Hotel restaurants now cook food a little at a time or to order. With this set-up, it’s also easier to “customize” your dish or ask the chef for suggestions.
noodle station
In asking what they have at HEAT, it’s probably more appropriate to ask what they don’t have. The stars that burn brightly here include: the ever-popular carvery; fresh, cold seafood; a wood-burning oven out of which come the rustic Italian pizzas; a Cebu lechon is the highlight of a kitchen devoted to Filipino cuisine; there’s an entire Chinese BBQ set-up which entices with its roasts, dimsum, and its orange, red, and yellow chopsticks representing the restaurant’s colors; Indian specialties are cooked in the tandoori oven; and a noodle station offering three types of soup stocks and four different kinds of noodles produces tom yum, laksa, and the plain but comforting wonton noodle soup.
seafood on ice and at attention
the cheese board
It took six months to transform the former Garden Café into what is now HEAT. Blazing since Dec 23, 2005, the dining room is packed everyday, which speaks volumes about its popularity. It’s the largest of the hotel restaurants, seating 420 at one time. Surprisingly, I’ve never gotten the feeling that it’s chaotic or noisy here, since there are several seating clusters.
it won’t be this empty when you come here
HEAT’s design centers on mellow earth elements lashed with bold strokes of fire in reds, oranges, and yellows. The centerpiece is a dazzling golden chandelier, representative of the sun, the ultimate form of heat. Part of HEAT’s style is fusing interior decoration with visual merchandising. Original components of dishes such as beans and oils are repackaged in clear vases and crystal fruits contained in abaca balls – all maintaining the sense of heat in red, orange, vermilion, yellow, and rust.
While I’m more of an iced water person, Filipinos love their iced tea. Indulge in HEAT’s extensive list of iced teas, 15 in all. (P160 – glass/P580 – jug) Start with the basic HEAT iced lemon tea, or go for the more native green tea with honey and calamansi juice, or flirt with the exotic roibosh and lemon. Fruitier types will opt for the fresh vitality with wild berries.
the promised land
Of course I head straight for the dessert station, a veritable candyland where all my dreams come true. Colors of the rainbow glint and glisten, tempting the eye and seducing with promises of the sweet. I’m encouraged to try the ice cream “teppanyaki,” a Cold Rock clone where upon recommendation of the chef, I discover a stellar flavor: ube ice cream mixed in pistachios and sliced almonds.
what to try first…
I surrender willingly to the two chocolate fountains – dark and white, which is sometimes flavored, into which I dip lollipops of marshmallows and dried and fresh fruit. There’s a crepes station which beckons to me, but then again, so does the make- your-own halo-halo. I get to scoop my own taho, and of course I shouldn’t miss the bread pudding, which is a favorite of the hotel’s PR manager.
the bottom line — dessert!
I heart cheesecake
Impossible to forget are the collection of cakes, majestic and tall, with names like gianduja, pistachio opera, and baba au rhum. I create my own dessert tasting with mousses, tarts, and truffles in miniature, and declare that no other restaurant can beat the HEAT. Burp.
they all want attention
baba au rhum – a rum-soaked cake
HEAT
Edsa Shangri-la Manila
1 Garden Way, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong
633-8888
reservations are strongly advised
Breakfast (880++): 6:00 am- 10:30 am
Lunch (980++): 12 noon-2:00 pm
Dinner (1080++): 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm
A la carte served in between
Another big buffet post:
7 Corners
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This post is so timely!! My friend has been trying to get me to go to Heat, she’s been raving about it. So we plan to go soon for her birthday in the first week of June. My god, if only for the white chocolate fountain and cheesecakes I’m there!
Great post as usual, Lori.
[Reply]
Comment by christine — May 25, 2006 @ 9:54 pm
That is something I’ve yet to try…and try it I must to size up the “neighbors.” (wink, wink)
I read the Old 7 Corners post, and I’m quite embarassed with my comments… People might think I’m biased, but really, I’m just honest. Heehee.
[Reply]
Comment by Abster — May 25, 2006 @ 11:43 pm
Hi Lori,
Was just wondering, which buffet do you think is better, HEAT or CIRCLES in Makati Shangri-La…particularly in terms of food selection? Have you also tried SPIRAL?
Love your blog. Never fails to make me hungry..:)
[Reply]
Comment by Tamtim — May 26, 2006 @ 9:15 am
Gorgeous pics! You certainly deserve to be featured in every food and travel mag. Keep up the excellent work!
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Comment by Anonymous — May 26, 2006 @ 11:18 am
I’m afraid to go since there aren’t any sneeze covers over the food. I hate to spoil the party but I sneeze a lot. Ugh!
[Reply]
Comment by Joann — May 26, 2006 @ 3:07 pm
Hello Ms. Lori!
I’ve been a reader of your deliriously delicious diet-breaking blog for quite some time now.
I currently live outside the country and would be staying a short while in Manila this June with a couple of Japanese colleagues for a business trip. Thanks for this post, I have now a decent restaurant I can take the Japs with.
Are there other restaurants you might want to recommend??
Thanks again!
N
[Reply]
Comment by N — May 27, 2006 @ 10:42 am
Nice pics again, Lori. I feel so hungry now just by looking at the pics.
What’s the difference bet. the lunch and dinner buffet? I saw that the dinner buffer is more expensive than lunch.
Okay, I am also interested with Circles in Makati Shang-rila. What can you say about the food in Circles?
Thanks Lori, your blog is really very informative.
[Reply]
Comment by Lani — May 27, 2006 @ 12:28 pm
N-Email me privately for restaurant suggestions. Please indicate in your email what kind of food you’re looking to eat, as well as budget constraints (if any).
[Reply]
Comment by Lori — May 27, 2006 @ 7:20 pm
Looks and sounds like another great reason to splurge for palate heaven.
[Reply]
Comment by Lorna — May 28, 2006 @ 8:02 am
How lovely food pictures … the desserts just looks delicius!!!
[Reply]
Comment by Anonymous — May 28, 2006 @ 11:52 pm
Heat looks absolutely amazing. I always thought I was a dessert fiend, but your pictures of the seafood and cheese stations made my mouth water. Thanks for the tips!
[Reply]
Comment by Bill Belew — May 29, 2006 @ 11:03 pm
Lovely post as usual! I’ve been an admirer of your blog for a long time. I recently went back home and went to the places you mentioned in your previous posts. Thanks for all the lovely desserts!
[Reply]
Comment by Robs — May 31, 2006 @ 6:42 am
Ok so we had dinner in Heat last night. It was great, especially the dessert station. But I can’t compare it to Circles, which in my opinion has far more choices (especially in the Indian and Chinese kitchens), not to mention I LOVE the risotto in the Circles; French kitchen, so I missed that.
And although I absolutely LOVED the white chocolate fountain, I was disappointed that all they had to dip in the fountains were melons, papayas, marshamallows and some dried fruit (prune i think?). Where are the bananas and strawberries and butter cakes? Aren’t those the most basic chocolate fondue/fountain dippers?
Ok so those are my gripes about the place, but otherwise we left with full and happy tummies!
[Reply]
Comment by christine — June 4, 2006 @ 11:36 pm
I’m glad I stumbled upon this post, the food you displayed in here are delectable
[Reply]
Comment by Delaleuverses — June 11, 2006 @ 8:07 am
Hi! Just blog-hopping
cool site! 
May I know how much per person?
I was searching for sites about HEAT
We might try HEAT soon
[Reply]
Comment by Joice — June 19, 2006 @ 12:26 pm
At last, we were able to try HEAT last night…but overall rating is 2.5 stars only out of 5…this is just my point of view – readers may or may not agree. Hope everyone would understand =)
What we only enjoyed:
- colorful setup (we’re very visual – presentation matters – that’s why i love this blog! i love the pictures!)
- noodle station – i’m a soup person – i enjoy it hot and spicy!
- dessert station (loved the ice cream and chocolate fountain!)
Why it was disappointing:
- it felt that it was not worth our money -> almost 1400 PHP/pax (includes all taxes) since we only enjoyed 2 stations
- oysters were not plump and fresh anymore
- limited sushi-sashimi choices
- served crayfish instead of lobsters (or is this the standard? – maybe i’ve raised my expectations too high)
- crabs and roastbeef were not replenished immediately (just saw it again when we were about to leave – too bad i was not able to taste it)
- peking duck and pork barbeque did not taste authentic
- seafoods on ice were really bland but I know that’s the way it is…i just hope they create new stations with baked oysters, mussels, prawns (thermidor) and lobsters…yum yum yum!
don’t get me wrong, i respect your reviews and really admire your blog =) i may just have expected too much from HEAT…i’d rather spend my money on restaurants with 1 cuisine (their specialty to ensure quality) rather than hotel buffets with variety of cuisines.
[Reply]
Comment by Anonymous — July 10, 2006 @ 6:39 pm
That is a lovely place that people need to visit. I love the colorful and neat photos that you shared. – Pinoy Pride
[Reply]
Comment by Pinoy Pride — January 20, 2010 @ 5:38 am